Magnificat published several saints who were associated with the Military during the month of November 2014. Here are a few.
Saint Maximilian, a martyr, who died in 295 and who's feast day is August 26th.
Saint Maria Bertilla Boscardin, who died in 1922; her feast day is October 20th.
Saint Mennas of Egypt died around the year 300 and his feast is November 11th.
Saint Leo IX, died in 1054 and his feast is April 19th.
Saint Michael the Archangel is very popular and his feast is September 29th.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Boot Camp: Story Outline
Story: Boot Camp
Monday: Armor of God, Ephesians 6: 11-17
1.
The theme
is about the Armor of God and connects to the idea of getting ready for battle.
2.
This is a good place to introduce St. Michael
the Archangel as a mighty warrior.
3.
The questions are, “What do we do to get
ready?” “Who are we battling?” “How do we do battle?” “What can we use to battle the enemy?”
4.
The story involves interactive skits and stories
with real life applications. The
children will learn how to steel themselves for battle by writing verses on
their hearts, calling on St. Michael in prayer, making use of the Sacraments,
and understanding the Creed, as a mini-catechism.
5.
What do we, as Catholics, believe? What makes us uniquely Catholic?
Tuesday: Ten Commandments (One of the Four Pillars), Exodus:
20
1.
The Ten Commandments are a plan for our
happiness, ten chances to grow in love with God.
2.
The first three commandments are directed toward
God, and the last seven are about our relationships with our neighbors.
3.
Story uses a child-friendly approach to
instruction in the Ten Commandments.
Wednesday: Seven Sacraments
1.
The Story teller will use Military Care
Packages, wrapped in brown paper and twine, as gifts for God’s soldiers. Inside each care package are images,
artifacts-such as a Holy Communion veil, to represent the Seven
Sacraments.
2.
The Seven Sacraments are one of the four pillars
of faith. One can use Hershey syrup and
milk to demonstrate Baptism and Confirmation.
When you were baptized, you were infused with the Holy Spirit; at
Confirmation, the Holy Spirit was stirred up in you. Voila!
You are a new creation! Chocolate
milk!
3.
The Seven Sacraments make us uniquely Catholic.
Boot Camp: Rotation Schedule
| Rotations | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Times | Team 1 | Team 2 | Team 3 | Team 4 | Team 5 | Team 6 | Team 7 | Team 8 | Team 9 | Team 10 | ||||||||||
| Startup | 8:00-9:00 | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | Startup | |||||||||
| Opening | 9-9:15 | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | Opening | |||||||||
| Session 1 | 9:20-9:40 | Prayer | Prayer | Story | Story | Crafts | Crafts | Games | Games | Songs | Songs | |||||||||
| Session 2 | 9:45-10:05 | Songs | Songs | Prayer | Prayer | Story | Story | Crafts | Crafts | Games | Games | |||||||||
| Snack | 10:10-10:30 | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | Snack | |||||||||
| Session 3 | 10:35-10:55 | Games | Games | Songs | Songs | Prayer | Prayer | Story | Story | Crafts | Crafts | |||||||||
| Session 4 | 11:00-11:20 | Crafts | Crafts | Games | Games | Songs | Songs | Prayer | Prayer | Story | Story | |||||||||
| Session 5 | 11:25-11:45 | Story | Story | Crafts | Crafts | Games | Games | Songs | Songs | Prayer | Prayer | |||||||||
| Closing | 11:50-12:00 | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | Closing | |||||||||
Boot Camp: Plans
Boot Camp VBS 2014
Courage under Fire
There is a war raging, a spiritual war for your soul.
Verses
1. 2Timothy 2:3 "Bear your share of hardship..."
2. Ephesians 6:11-17 "Put on the armor of God..."
3. Matthew 8:5-13 Jesus and the Centurion
4. Psalm 150
5. Psalm 144:1-2
Courage under Fire
There is a war raging, a spiritual war for your soul.
Verses
1. 2Timothy 2:3 "Bear your share of hardship..."
2. Ephesians 6:11-17 "Put on the armor of God..."
3. Matthew 8:5-13 Jesus and the Centurion
4. Psalm 150
5. Psalm 144:1-2
Boot Camp VBS 2014
Prayer corner: Monday
1. The Apostle's Creed is a mini-catechism.
2. Emphasize the four marks of the Holy Church: One, Holy, Catholic. And Apostolic
3. Relate to four pillars of faith: Creed, Ten Commandments, Seven Sacraments, and the Our Father prayer.
4. Use decks of cards with the soldier's prayer handout to review our creed and our faith.
5. Jesus and the Centurion: Matt. 8: 5-13 with connection to liturgy
Tuesday: Altar
1. Dress a Deacon (frame or rack with chasuble)
2. Altar with chalice, paten, etc.
3. Pillar Connection is with the Ten Commandments. The first three are all directed to God.
Wednesday: Sanctuary
1. Sets of cards with scavenger hunt
2. Set up baptismal fount with candle, garments, chrism oils, etc
3. The pillar today is about sacraments. What are the seven sacraments?
4. Hershey syrup and milk. When you were baptized, you were infused with the Holy Spirit. At Confirmation, the Holy Spirit was stirred up and voila! You are a nephew creation, chocolate milk!
5. Review key elements that comprise each sacrament, like candles or fire, Holy Water and Oils, prayer, song, etc.
Thursday: Prayer
1. Gestures and prayer postures from MagnifiKid
2. Forms of Prayers
3. Different prayers appeal to different people, just like any devotion. Some people pray the Rosary, others the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or a Novena. Perhaps, show different sacramentals, such as a rosary, scapular, Miraculous medal, etc
4. Song is prayer. When you sing you pray, twice.
5. Pray the Our Father and St Michael prayers together. The Our Father prayer is another pillar.
6. Sing Psalm 150.
Friday: Live out our vocations.
1. The pillar is the remaining commandments.
2. The first two letters in God are go! Go out and live your faith
3. Ephesians 6: 11-17 or Armor of God
4. This is my commandment song
5. There was a huge infusion of priests from the military after WWII. No atheists in foxholes.
6. Ask your guardian angel for help to live to be holy. Your angel is a warier.
Prayer corner: Monday
1. The Apostle's Creed is a mini-catechism.
2. Emphasize the four marks of the Holy Church: One, Holy, Catholic. And Apostolic
3. Relate to four pillars of faith: Creed, Ten Commandments, Seven Sacraments, and the Our Father prayer.
4. Use decks of cards with the soldier's prayer handout to review our creed and our faith.
5. Jesus and the Centurion: Matt. 8: 5-13 with connection to liturgy
Tuesday: Altar
1. Dress a Deacon (frame or rack with chasuble)
2. Altar with chalice, paten, etc.
3. Pillar Connection is with the Ten Commandments. The first three are all directed to God.
Wednesday: Sanctuary
1. Sets of cards with scavenger hunt
2. Set up baptismal fount with candle, garments, chrism oils, etc
3. The pillar today is about sacraments. What are the seven sacraments?
4. Hershey syrup and milk. When you were baptized, you were infused with the Holy Spirit. At Confirmation, the Holy Spirit was stirred up and voila! You are a nephew creation, chocolate milk!
5. Review key elements that comprise each sacrament, like candles or fire, Holy Water and Oils, prayer, song, etc.
Thursday: Prayer
1. Gestures and prayer postures from MagnifiKid
2. Forms of Prayers
3. Different prayers appeal to different people, just like any devotion. Some people pray the Rosary, others the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, or a Novena. Perhaps, show different sacramentals, such as a rosary, scapular, Miraculous medal, etc
4. Song is prayer. When you sing you pray, twice.
5. Pray the Our Father and St Michael prayers together. The Our Father prayer is another pillar.
6. Sing Psalm 150.
Friday: Live out our vocations.
1. The pillar is the remaining commandments.
2. The first two letters in God are go! Go out and live your faith
3. Ephesians 6: 11-17 or Armor of God
4. This is my commandment song
5. There was a huge infusion of priests from the military after WWII. No atheists in foxholes.
6. Ask your guardian angel for help to live to be holy. Your angel is a warier.
Boot Camp Songs VBS 2014
1. The God of Angel Armies
2. St. Michael
3. You will be clothed with power from on high
4. Every good thing
5. Whom shall I Fear?
5. I'm in the Lord's Army
6. God's got an army by Carman
7. This is my commandment
8. Victory Chant
9. Big House
10. Days of Elijah
11. Awesome God
12. God is Bigger than the boogie man
13. Onward Christian Soldiers?
1. The God of Angel Armies
2. St. Michael
3. You will be clothed with power from on high
4. Every good thing
5. Whom shall I Fear?
5. I'm in the Lord's Army
6. God's got an army by Carman
7. This is my commandment
8. Victory Chant
9. Big House
10. Days of Elijah
11. Awesome God
12. God is Bigger than the boogie man
13. Onward Christian Soldiers?
Boot Camp: Cadence Calls
Cadence Call 1
I don’t know, but I’ve been told…Catholic kids are good as gold! Genuflect, kneel, and pray, now you’re ready to start the day!
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4!
Cadence Call 2
•I don’t know, but I’ve been told…Adoration’s cool to behold. Jesus present in the Host, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4!
Cadence Call 3
•I don’t know but I’ve been told, Catholic kids are mighty bold. Boot Campers are marching through, if you don’t move, we’ll stomp on you!
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4!
Cadence 4
•I don’t know, but I’ve been told, Boot Camp is about to fold. We played and prayed our best today, but, now, it’s time to say…
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2, Bye-bye!
I don’t know, but I’ve been told…Catholic kids are good as gold! Genuflect, kneel, and pray, now you’re ready to start the day!
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4!
Cadence Call 2
•I don’t know, but I’ve been told…Adoration’s cool to behold. Jesus present in the Host, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4!
Cadence Call 3
•I don’t know but I’ve been told, Catholic kids are mighty bold. Boot Campers are marching through, if you don’t move, we’ll stomp on you!
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2,3,4!
Cadence 4
•I don’t know, but I’ve been told, Boot Camp is about to fold. We played and prayed our best today, but, now, it’s time to say…
•Sound off: 1,2!
•Round off: 3,4!
•Cadence Call: 1,2,3,4, 1,2, Bye-bye!
Boot Camp: Song List
Boot Camp Songs VBS 2014
1. The God of Angel Armies
2. St. Michael
3. You will be clothed with power from on high
4. Every good thing
5. Whom shall I Fear?
6. I'm in the Lord's Army
7. God's got an army by Carman
8. This is my commandment
9. Victory Chant
10. Big House
11. Days of Elijah
12. Awesome God
13. God is Bigger than the boogie man
14. Onward Christian
Soldiers
Boot Camp: Snacks
VBS Boot Camp
Snacks
Day 1
Behaving
Tea & Finger Sandwiches
Day 2
Sacraments Symbols
Sweet Potato Harts
Day 3
10 Commandments
Abacus Waffles
Cooks no rules
Day 4
Living a Saintly Life
Bird Seed
Day 5
Soldiers
Boot Camp: Game Supplies
Supplies for Games
Per room
Day 1: Paper and pencil
for leader
1 large bag plain popcorn
per team
Cups (Solo brand 9oz)
Wide Rubber band (to go
around ankles) 1 per team and some extras
Push Pin
2 shoe boxes no lid
(decorated)
Day 2: Blindfold
Assorted objects: books,
trash basket box of tissues ect. About 5
or 6
Smooth stones
A starting line
Timer
Shower Cap 1 for 2 kids
Shave Cream
Cheese puffs
Starting line
Day 3 Deck of cards
Table or other flat
surface w/ seating for all players
Hat or handkerchief or
ball
Something to mark
boundaries
Rectangular tissue box 1
per team
1 belt per team
Ping Pong balls 7 per team
30 second timer
Day 4 2 rings(washers or empty spools)
Roll of string or yarn
Scissors
2 set priests vestments
Day 5 Volley or basketball 1 per team
9 chairs
Boot Camp: Craft Supplies
Supplies for crafts
Day1:
Pillars of Faith
2- ¼ pieces of card stock per child
4- ¼ pieces of card stock per child cut into strips
on each end about ½ inch in length
1 Mini-canvas
1 Photo of child
Modge podge
White glue
Transparent tape
Markers, crayons, etc.
Day 2: Blessed
Mother
1-Sculpy
piece to make 2-3 inch statue
12-Mugs
Warm
water to soften clay
Electric
kettle to heat water
Nail
file or small implement to carve child’s initials
Day
3: Stop Light
1-4
½ x 12 inch piece of black construction paper per child
(One
half of regular piece of paper folded in half)
1-1
x
3 ½ strip of black construction paper
per child
3-3
¾
inch diameter yellow circles per child
1-3¼
inch diameter green circle per child
1-3¼
inch diameter red circle per child
1-3¼
inch diameter yellow circle per child
Hole
punch
Yarn
for hanging
Silver
and white markers or crayons (to be legible on black paper)
Markers
or crayons
Glue
or glue sticks
Pin
Wheels
1-Square piece of card stock
1-Straight pin
1-Drinking straw
Markers and crayons
Transparent tape
Day
4: Grotto
1-Take out container with lid per child
Blue acrylic paint
Paint brushes
Rocks, moss, seeds, to cover bottom of container for
each child
Scissors
Transparent tape
Day
5: Bird Seed dog tags
1-Piece of cardboard 4 x 6 with hole punched along
its side in shape of dog tag
Craft sticks
Crisco
Bird seed
Yarn
Shallow pans
Newspapers
Extras:
1-Priest
book on vestments per child
1-CD
case
1
4 x 4 piece of each liturgical color: red, white, green, purple, and black per
child
Banners
Markers,
crayons, glitter, gems, leaves, camouflage, etc.
White glue
Boot Camp: Materials Needed
| Games | Craft | Food | ||
| Day 1 | Day 1 | Day 1 | ||
| 1 large solo cup per 2 children | Have | Palms | Celery | |
| 1 block or other object per 2 children | Cucumbers | |||
| Ball of yarn | ||||
| Pebble or other weight | ||||
| Day 2 | Day 2 | Day 2 | ||
| 3 or 4 funnels | Have | Change purse | Pudding | |
| 3 or 4 coins | Have | Bank | Teddy Grahams | |
| 1 coin per player | Markers | |||
| Glue | ||||
| Glitter | ||||
| Day 3 | Day 3 | Day 3 | ||
| Pot | Colored Cross | Rice Cakes | ||
| Potholder | White cross w/ words | |||
| Foam Jelly Beans | ||||
| 1 large dinner plate per team | Red | |||
| 1 ping pong ball per team | Green | |||
| Black | ||||
| White | ||||
| pink | ||||
| Purple | ||||
| orange | ||||
| yellow | ||||
| Piece of yarn | ||||
| White Glue | ||||
| Day 4 | Day 4 | Day 4 | ||
| Timer | Have | Piece of Material | 1 piece of bread | |
| String or yarn | Fabric paint | 1/2 piece of cheese | ||
| Fabric markers | ||||
| Day 5 | Day 5 | Day 5 | ||
| Plastic Easter eggs | Black Frame | Easter Cake | ||
| Small prizes for inside eggs | 5" X 1" black strip | |||
| Bags 1 per child | 8" X 1" black strip | |||
| 1/2 piece of copy paper | ||||
| Lots tissue paper cut small | ||||
| Glue sticks | ||||
| White glue | ||||
| Paper plates for tissue paper | ||||
| Banner | ||||
| Have | Banners | |||
| Markers | ||||
| Crayons | ||||
| Glitter | ||||
| Gems | ||||
| White glue | ||||
| Picture Frames | ||||
| 1/2 piece of card stock | ||||
| Small piece of magnetic strip | ||||
| Glue | ||||
| Markers | ||||
| Crayons | ||||
| Glitter | ||||
| Stickers | ||||
Boot Camp:Plan
| Boot Camp | VBS 2014 | ||||
| Activity | 1st Day | 2nd Day | 3rd Day | 4th Day | 5th Day |
| What do we believe? | Celebrate mysteries faith | Living Saintly Life | Pray using devotion | Top 10 | |
| Church teaches | 10 Comandments | Sacraments | Famous Catholics | ||
| Mass | Obeying Rules | Blessed Mary | Saints | ||
| Behaving | Symbols | Be good, sinning is easy | Saints | Places | |
| Praying | Celebrate Mass | Traditions | |||
| Scripture | Ephesians 6: 11-17 | Exodus: 20 | 2 Timothy 2:3 | Psalm 150 | Matt. 8: 5-13 |
| Ten Commandments | |||||
| Psalm 144: 1-2 | |||||
| Start up | Tic Tac Toe shower curtain | Priests book | Thank a Vet Card | Holy Water Container | Thank Father! |
| Color tablecloth | Send a care package | ||||
| Opening | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD | DVD |
| Snack | Tea & finger sandwhich | Sweet potatoe hearts | Abacus Waffles | Dog Tags | Soldier applesauce |
| Cucumber, cranberry sauce | Cooks no obeying rules | Camo bird seed granola | |||
| Decades | |||||
| Songs | |||||
| Story | Armor of God | Ten Commandments | Sacraments are Gifts | Saints help make us Catholic | Soldier's Story |
| Get Ready for Battle | Child Friendly | Military Care Packages | G.W.T.C.O.M | Saints help us live out our vocations. | |
| Games | Wrong toesies | airport | snip snap snorcum | ring on a string | kangroo relay |
| popcorn race | gamaran | steal the bacon | rescue relay | human tic tac toe | |
| snack toss | shak a thon | ||||
| Extra | relay dressing priest | ||||
| Crafts | 4 Pillars of Faith | Clay Blessed Mother | stop light | Blessed Mother groto | Bird seed |
| Bird Seed Feeder | |||||
| Prayer | Apostle's Creed | Altar | Sanctuary | Prayer Posture Game | Jesus and Centurion |
| 4 Marks | Show and Tell | Scavenger Hunt | Decade of Living Rosary | 4 Marks and 4 Pillars | |
| 4 Pillars | Chalice, Paten, Pall, etc. | Baptismal font set up | Canonization with 4 Popes | ||
| Soldier's Story Deck of Card | |||||
| Closing | Cadence 1 | Cadence 2 | Everywhere we go! | Cadence 3 | Everywhere we go! |
| Theme | |||||
| On-going | Picture frames | Banners | Grotto | Coloring Pages | Letters to thank benefactors and Vets |
| Four Pillars | for Father | ||||
| Creed | GI Joe foot locker | ||||
| Sacraments | or papers w/ good deed | ||||
| Ten Commandments | |||||
| The Lord's Prayer | |||||
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Boot Camp VBS Introduction
Boot Camp is a Catholic VBS program. Check it out!
Boot Camp is a Catholic VBS program that explains the
fundamentals to our beliefs: the ‘four marks’, the ‘four pillars’, and the ‘five
precepts’ and uses Sacred Scripture, Tradition and the Catechism to review our
faith at its core. Boot Camp is fun,
engaging, and uncompromising. The
program works hard to provide a replicable program that keeps costs
contained.
Each day, the children begin with prayers, chants, cadence
calls, and song before watching a DVD explaining the day’s theme. The children are grouped into teams at the
Recruitment Station (Registration) which rotate through stations: Songs,
Physical Training or PT(Games), Rest and Relaxation or R & R (Crafts), Mess
Hall (Snacks), Prayer, and Story. The
program concludes with a re-cap of the day’s events, prayer, more cadence,
chants, and songs. The teams are led by adults with teen aides;
families are encouraged to stay and travel together through the stations.
Our chief management strategy is to keep the children engaged. Families who arrive early prepare start-up
activities: color camouflage table setting, sign one another’s duffle bags or
caps, thank Father or write a letter to a veteran. Once assembled, the children begin a clapping
song, ‘I’m a Little Soldier’ until all of the teams are assembled to begin or
conclude. Dismissal is another chant, ‘Everywhere
We Go’ or a cadence, ‘I don’t know, but I’ve been told’. Boot Camp keeps the children marching,
singing, and energized!
Our program concludes with Mass on Friday. The children process in singing ‘I’m in the
Lord’s Army’, sing a few songs during Mass, and process out. Our Church repeats this on Sunday; Friday’s
Mass both concludes our program and is a dress rehearsal for Sunday. Sunday is a change to evangelize children who
were unable to come to Boot Camp. Our
hope is that they will see how much fun they missed and come next year!
Boot Camp teaches children the basic tenets of the Catholic
faith. Our prayer for Boot Camp is that
the children are so excited, they enter running, and have so much fun they cry,
when the program is over.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
God the Builder
VBS at St. Leo Catholic Church began with a desire for a Catholic program, rather than just baptizing a Protestant program every year. Over the past eight years, St. Leo has hosted a number of faith-filled programs. God the Builder and Boot Camp are the two most successful VBS programs. Both programs offered are fun! Here is an invitation to test each of these programs at your church. May God bless you in your ministry.
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