Whether middle schoolers encounter this book as part of the Catholic Connections program in faith formation or pick it up out of curiosity, The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers offers great guidance and aims to help young teens learn about all the central aspects of the Catholic faith, including God, revelation, faith, Jesus the Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, liturgy and sacraments, Christian morality and justice, and prayer. The book contains many special features and sidebars, including Live It!: suggestions for putting faith into action Pray It!: short, inspiring prayers Did You Know?: additional information about selected topics Fun Facts: brief notes designed to inform and amuse Illustrations: 22 4-color illustrations of people of faith People of Faith: profiles of inspiring, faith-filled people Think About It!: questions to ponder or discuss with friends and family Liturgy Connections: articles that show the relationship between Catholic beliefs and worship Looking Back: insights from history PLUS A collection of prayers A glossary of key words A handy, brief summary of Catholic beliefs and practices The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers is a great tool for study, but it is more than that. It offers excellent guidance for praying and living the Catholic faith. The Subcommittee on the Catechism (formerly the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism), United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has found this catechetical text, copyright 2009, to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Catholic Connections is a dynamic parish religious education program designed to foster the faith of young adolescents and help them make the connections between the Catholic faith, their everyday life, and their faith community. Catholic Connections aims to strengthen the participants' Catholic identity and inspire them to participate more fully in the Church's mission. In a world of laws of nations and laws of the heart, help them recognize that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that has united God's people in love and that continues to be a transforming presence. Using an active, hands-on approach to religious education, Catholic Connections is a comprehensive parish religious education program for sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders. The progam is flexible enough to work in a two- or three-year model and includes a student handbook, coordinator's manual, six catechetical manuals, and an eSource Web site for coordinators and catechists. The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition presents the core teachings of the Catholic faith in a way that middle schoolers can understand and apply in their own lives. What's new in the second edition? NEW! �The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition is now divided into four sections that align with the four pillars of the Catechism NEW! � Enhanced navigational features make finding the information even easier NEW! � Includes eight new chapters on Scripture

Coming soon in February 2010!

This ... faith formation program introduces young Catholic adolescents to Jesus Christ in a new way and inspires them to follow him. Fostering the faith of young adolescents involves helping them to make connections between the Catholic faith and everyday life.

New! - The Student Activity Booklet is designed to give the catechist two additional activities for each chapter of the revised handbook New! - 14 new activities have been added to the revised Student Activity Booklet New! - The chapters in the Activity Booklet now follow the sequence of the chapters in The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers, Second Edition The Activity Booklet is designed to expand the students' learning of the chapter content and to provide students with opportunities for reflection, for critical thinking about how what they have learned applies to their own lives, and for creative ways to explore the material, each chapter is supplemented with three activity masters. In most chapters, the activity masters are intended to accompany the chapter as follows: Activity master A: This activity is generally intended as a warm-up activity, to be completed by the students before they begin the chapter. The activity is designed to get the students to reflect on the key theme of the chapter in a "big picture" sort of way, applying its relevance to their own lives. Completing the activity will prepare the students to understand the chapter content as personal and meaningful in their own lives. Activity master B: Frequently this activity sheet contains more than one activity, each of which is intended to be used with a specific section of the chapter. These activities are designed to help the students think analytically about the content of the section and reflect on ways they can live what they have learned. Activity master C: The closing activity for the chapter frequently features a review of the key concepts or terms taught in the lesson, and it frequently engages the students through the use of a game, such as a word search or an acrostic, or a creative exercise, such as designing symbols, reflecting on artwork, and so forth. Look for the activity book icon throughout the guide to help you identify ideal points in the chapter instruction for incorporating these activities

Coming soon in February 2010!

Help youth understand the meaning of Christian prayer. Introduce them to traditional and devotional prayers of the Church, as well as to contemporary styles and methods. Assist youth in developing the habit of daily prayer. This all-in-one resource for prayer forms was specially written for teens, in the PRAY IT! STUDY IT! LIVE IT! model, like The Catholic Youth Bible and The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth. It is the most expansive prayer book for teens. But The Catholic Youth Prayer Book does more than teach about prayer. It helps teens become prayerful people. Now available in a Limited Edition teal/purple leatherette.