TO

PENTECOST
AND BEYOND
THE EARLY CHURCH
EDGE NIGHT OUTLINE

SCRIPTURE # 869 SUPPLIES NEEDED

Acts of the Apostles # 1576 • Pens/pencils
Acts 2:1-13 • Poster board
Acts 2:42-47 YOUCAT • Markers
Acts 4:13-14 # 92 • Handout: "Lord, Help Me"
Acts 4:29-31 # 121-128 (page 77)
# 137
CATECHISM # 141
# 186 # 252
# 242-245 # 344
# 857-865 # 482
OUTLINE

GOAL
The goal of this Edge Night is help the youth
understand what life was like for the early Church
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND
Acts of the Apostles and the Letters from St. Paul
give us good insight. In the days following the
Passion, one might think that that would be an
end. However, at Pentecost, with an outpouring of

– especially in the years that followed Jesus’

Ascension. The youth will also be challenged to
live out their faith boldly.
EDGE NIGHT AT A GLANCE
This Edge Night will focus in on what life was
like for the early Church and the life of the early
Christians. After Jesus rose from the dead,
there were 40 days before His Ascension where
Jesus was with the disciples. Ten days later they
experienced Pentecost, but what was next? The
the Holy Spirit on the world, the Church was born.
This Edge Night will focus on what happened in the
early Church: the believers were bold and shared
their faith; the apostles preached with boldness;
communities of faith were formed; people lived
as Jesus taught and commanded. Because of
this, extraordinary numbers were added and the
Church began to grow and thrive.
Get the Edge Night started with a lot of energy –
the youth should have a feeling that your parish

72 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

is alive! After introductions, the youth will be
challenged to answer the question: What next?
The Proclaim will help the youth to understand
what the early Church was like. Take some time
to discuss and challenge the youth in small group
to live as those early Christians. The night will
conclude with a time of Adoration – be sure to
keep the beginning of the Edge Night tight as to
allow time for Adoration. There will a short small
group activity as to allow more time for Adoration.
However, if you are not able to do Adoration, see
the Adaptation section of the night.
BEFORE THE NIGHT
Be sure to ask a priest or deacon to be present
for Adoration. Also, ask your musician to help
provide worship music for the Edge Night.
GATHER
WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS
(10 min)
As the youth enter, have fun upbeat music playing
in the background.
The youth minister should gather all the youth
together, welcome them to Edge Night, and lead
an opening prayer. He or she should introduce
any youth at Edge Night for the first time and
present a brief overview of the session.
NOW WHAT?
(10 min)
Point the youth to the “upper room” that you have
(table empty, chairs not pushed in/fallen over) and
let them know that it’s the day after Pentecost –
the day after the Holy Spirit was poured out on
the world and the Church was born.
Give each group a poster board and markers. Ask
them, “Now what?” The groups have five minutes
to brainstorm and decide, if they were alive in
EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
ENVIRONMENT
Create an “upper room” feel at the front of the
room. Use wooden chairs and a rustic looking
wooden table. Have the chairs pushed away from
the table and maybe even one turned on its back
to show it has fallen over after someone left. If
you have the capability, create one wall with a
wooden door. The key is – to make it look as if
everyone has left in a hurry. They haven’t left in
a hurry to leave town, but to spread the Gospel.
MEDIA SUGGESTIONS
Song: “No Greater Love” by Matt Maher (Alive
Again, Provident)
Song: “Be Lifted High” by Josh Blakesly (Waiting,
spiritandsong records)
Song: “God of Justice” by Tim Hughes (You Have
Shown Us, Kingsway)
Jesus’ time, what do they think should be done to
spread the faith. Help the youth to come up with
specific ideas as well – instead of “live like Jesus,”
ask them to specify what that means – feed the
hungry, go to Mass every Sunday, be kind to your
neighbor, etc.
PROCLAIM
OUTLINE
SCRIPTURE PROCLAMATION
(5 min)
Acts 2:42-47
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND
“TO PENTECOST AND
BEYOND” TEACHING
(10 min)
After Pentecost, Now What?
What an amazing question – Jesus is gone, now
what? The disciples were sitting in the upper room
probably asking the same question. We then read
in the Acts of the Apostles that they heard a loud,
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 rushing wind and tongues of fire rested upon
their heads – that would be the Holy Spirit. The
disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and did as
Jesus commanded, “Go!” They went out to spread
the Gospel – the Good News!
The Apostles
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching…” What did the early Church do? One of
the things Scripture tells us is that they took the
time to learn the faith. The apostles went out and
began to share what they had seen and heard
while they followed Jesus. With the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, the apostles boldly proclaimed
the truth and because of that, many people
came to believe. As the apostles went out, they
found people hungry for Truth. What do we know
about Rome and even Greece during this time
period? They worshiped tons of gods like Zeus
and Poseidon. There was a god for this, a god for
that – and if you angered the gods, good luck! The
apostles preached about the One, True God. Not
a God of anger, but a God who loves us so much
that He sent His Son to save us. It wasn’t easy,
but the apostles were bold! They ran into people
who came up with lots of weird “theologies” to
explain Jesus (these are called heresy by the way),
but the apostles did not back down and they did
not falter. As the apostles taught and preached,
people’s hearts were turned and they came to
believe.
From the early Church, we also see established
structure – a hierarchy. The faith was handed
on to the believers from the apostles who were
at Jesus’ side as He preached and performed
miracles. There were also some men who taught
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directly from the apostles – we call them the
Church Father. When there were questions about
the faith or false teachers, the early Church went
back to the apostles or the early Church Fathers.
It was not left up to a single church to interpret a
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND
teaching or a tradition, rather, that authority was
reserved for the apostles and the early Church
Fathers.
Community Life
Another important aspect of the early Church
was the development of communities. Note that
in our Scripture Proclamation tonight, it doesn’t
say that people went home and did everything
on their own. Instead, it stresses the importance
of community life. The early Church formed
74 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
communities and held fast to what was handed
down to them – the traditions and teachings
from the apostles. Each community may have
developed local customs, but the core of their
beliefs came from what was passed on to them
from the apostles.
Community was also important, because as
St. Paul says, we are the “body of Christ.” We
come together to help one another, serve one
another, and to worship Jesus as a family – not
just as individuals. The early Church gathered
together in community to be strengthened by
one another, to learn and grow in faith, and to
worship together. St. Justin Martyr, around the
year 150 A.D. describes liturgy in the early Church
- Scriptural readings, prayers of intercession,
offertory, Eucharistic prayer, and communion.
Just to drive home the point – they came together
as a community for Mass, they did not celebrate
individually.
Holy Boldness
For almost 2000 years, the Catholic Church has
been active and effective throughout the world.
Early Christians often suffered severe persecution
and put to death for their faith. These martyrs
refused to deny their faith – they were bold and
stood up for truth. The apostles and early Church
Fathers preached and taught boldly to spread
the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to protect and
defend the Catholic Church. We, too, are called
to be bold in our faith. Like the early Church, we
should devote ourselves to reading Scripture and
learning about our Catholic faith, we should be
an active part of our community, and we should
boldly share our faith with others.
BREAK
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION
(15 min)
As your small group begins, say a prayer for the
group and the activities for that session. Ask for
an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your small
group for wisdom and understanding of the faith
to share and courage to live it out.
Discuss the following questions:

• Let’s read Acts 2:42 again: “And they devoted
themselves to the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers.” What does this tell you about the early
Church?
• How did our “Now What?” poster compare to
what we heard during the Proclaim?
• What does it mean, “they devoted themselves
to the apostles’ teaching”? How can we also
devote ourselves to learning our faith?
• Why is it important to live in community – why
can’t we just live our own lives and do our own
thing when it comes to our faith?
• What are some ways that you can share your
faith with others?
• What does it mean that they devoted themselves
to prayer? What does it mean to be devoted?
How can you become more devoted in prayer?
• How can you live your life so that others can see
your faith?
LORD, HELP ME
(5 min)
Give each youth a copy of the "Lord, Help Me"
handout (page 77). Let your group know that
there will be a time of Adoration tonight and
remind them of the importance of reverence and
respect.
Allow the youth some time to write down some
thoughts and/or prayers to have before the
Blessed Sacrament. The purpose is to help the
youth examine their faith in light of the night’s
session and to help them have a focus during
Adoration.
EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
SEND
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
(35 min)
What is Eucharistic Adoration?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches
us, “Because Christ himself is present in the
sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with
the worship of Adoration. ‘To visit the Blessed
Sacrament is…a proof of gratitude, an expression
of love, and a duty of Adoration toward Christ our
Lord’” (1418).
We first adore Christ in the Eucharist when we
receive Him at Mass during Holy Communion.
Outside of Mass, we may also choose to adore
Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, when displayed
in a monstrance. The monstrance is a sacred
vessel used to hold the Blessed Sacrament during
adoration. (Describe the monstrance used at
your parish and its significance.)
What can we do during Adoration? The quote
from the Catechism gives us a start to know how
to adore Christ – gratitude or thanksgiving and
express love. After the Blessed Sacrament is
exposed, you will have a chance to pray quietly
and reverently. You can have your handout Lord,
Help Me to help you focus your prayer tonight as
well. We are called to put all of our attention on
Jesus who is fully present to us in the Blessed
Sacrament. While the music is playing, you are
invited to sing – which is an expression of praise
to God. Allow the words of the song to be your
OUTLINE
prayer. During times when there is no music, take
some time to give thanks to God. Keep your focus
on Jesus – your eyes on Him. Say “thank you” to
Him. After thanking God, express how much you
love Him. If you have a lot on your mind, give that
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND
to Jesus in prayer as well.
When the Blessed Sacrament is “processed” in,
we will all kneel in reverence of Christ coming
into our presence. After the priest or deacon
places the monstrance on the altar, there will be
a time to sing praise to God, to offer Him thanks,
and share how much you love Him. If you feel
yourself becoming distracted, re-focus your
eyes, attention and heart back to the Blessed
Sacrament. After a time of adoring Jesus, the
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 priest/deacon will then close with Benediction,
which is a special blessing, and then repose the
Blessed Sacrament. We should stay kneeling
during Adoration and reverent until Jesus has
been reposed and placed back in the tabernacle.
• Why was it important that the apostles and
disciples were “sent out”?
• How is our parish like one of the early
communities that you talked about tonight?

SUMMARY CHALLENGE • How can we as a family help to share our

Catholic faith?
Before the middle school youth are sent home,
they will be challenged to remember: ADAPTATION IDEAS

• After Jesus’ death, the disciples scattered in fear;
at Pentecost, however, the disciples were ignited
in their faith and the Church was born.
• Reading the Acts of the Apostles and the Letters
of St. Paul, we know that the apostles went
out preaching as Jesus did and many people
responded by coming in to the faith.
• Early Christians also saw the importance and
need of living in community so as to support one
another and to grow in faith.
• If you are not able to have Adoration, here is
an idea for small group. Have the youth develop
a plan to spread the faith in both the parish
community as well as in their families, with
friends, and at school. They can take their ideas
from the “Now What?” activity and add more
specific details. Have them come back and
share their ideas with the large group. Close
the night spending time praying for your parish
community – especially your pastor.

• This week, ask yourself, “Now what?” You’ve

heard about the early Church tonight, but what
will you do to help others know the love of Jesus?

TO THE PARENTS OF
Now what? Your child was challenged to think
of what happened after Pentecost. On the day
of Pentecost, the disciples were gathered in the
“upper room” and fearful. As the Holy Spirit came
upon them, however, their faith was ignited and
the Church was born. The apostles went out,
OUTLINE

preaching and teaching as they had seen Jesus

do and as Scripture tells us, many believers were
added to the faith. We shared with the youth
tonight how important it is for us to learn our
faith so that we can both live it and share it. We
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND

also are called to live in community so that we

can support one another and call each other to
holiness.

Here are some questions to help start a

conversation with your youth about what he/she
learned during Edge:

• What do you think life was like for early

Christians?

76 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE

TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND HANDOUT

LORD, HELP ME

INSTRUCTIONS:
Read Acts 2:42: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Take some time to write down your thoughts – you can write them
as bullet points or you may want to write them out more as a prayer.
What things do you need to do in order to better follow Jesus? Do
you want to live your faith more boldly? Why? How can you live your
faith more boldly – at home? At school? With your friends? In the
community?

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HANDOUT
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EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE 77

 TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND CHECKLIST
EDGE NIGHT CHECKLIST
CORE PLANNING TEAM:
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
DATE OF LIFE NIGHT:
____________________________________________
ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE NIGHT:
⃞ Give copes of the Edge Night to each of the
members of the planning team. Each person
should read the Scripture, Catechism, and
YOUCAT references as well as review the
planning guide before the brainstorming
meeting.
⃞ Have the planning team meet for a
brainstorming meeting (this should last no
longer than 1 hour). The team prays and
discusses where the youth are in their faith
journey in relation to this topic. Using this
planning guide as a starting point, the team
adapts the Edge Night to meet the needs of the
EVALUATION
youth and the parish.
⃞ Assign the person responsible for the following:
Environment ________________________________
Before the Night (when needed) _______________
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND
Audio/Visual Needs __________________________
Opening Prayer ______________________________
Scripture Proclamation ________________________
Proclaim (discuss with YM) ____________________
Summary Challenge __________________________
78 EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE
TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO EDGE NIGHT:
⃞ Turn in your notes for the Edge Night to the
youth minister. Allow the youth minister to
give feedback and make necessary changes.
⃞ Create a list of needed supplies and materials.
Assign a person to be responsible for collecting
and/or purchasing the items needed.
⃞ Discuss with the youth minister who will be
giving the Proclaim/witness for the Edge Night.
Be sure that this person is given the script and/
or teaching. Inform them of any practices, time
limits, and/or deadlines.
WEEK OF THE EDGE NIGHT:
⃞ Person giving Proclaim checks in with youth
minister.
⃞ Check that all supplies have been obtained/
purchased.
⃞ Create/collect items for environment. Have
volunteers ready to help if needed.
⃞ Email Core Team an overview of the Edge Night.
DAY OF THE EDGE NIGHT:
⃞ Set up the environment. Make sure the room is
clean and presentable.
⃞ If needed, set up audio/visual equipment. Test
the video clips to make sure both picture and
sound work.
⃞ Pray! Pray for the youth attending the Edge
Night. Pray for God’s will to be done through
the night. Pray over those involved.
TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND EVALUATION

EDGE NIGHT EVALUATION

INSTRUCTIONS:
Use the following questions to discuss and evaluate your Edge Night.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge 1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge
Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain. Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain.

2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge 2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge
Night? Night?

3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do 3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do

after this Edge Night? after this Edge Night?

4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights? 4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights?
How can we accomplish this? How can we accomplish this?

1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge 1. On a scale of 1-10, how well did this Edge
Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain. Night accomplish the goal we set? Explain.

2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge 2. What was the strongest aspect of this Edge
Night? Night?

3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do 3. What kind of follow-up do we need to do TO PENTECOST AND BEYOND
after this Edge Night? after this Edge Night?

4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights? 4. What can we improve for future Edge Nights?
How can we accomplish this? How can we accomplish this?

EDGE SEMESTER PLANNING GUIDE 79