CRS Rice Bowl for Youth
Welcome!
Before we begin:
1. Mute your computer speakers.
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pressing *6.
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4. Use the chat box on the right to type
questions.
5. We will have a time for answering questions
at the end.
Welcome
Welcome!
Your presenters:
Caitlin Finnerty, caitlin.finnerty@crs.org
Ted Miles, ted.miles@crs.org
Prayer
Prayer for Educators of Justice and Peace
Good and gracious God, Teacher of all peoples,
Bless and guide those of us who seek to educate others
about your good news of justice and peace.
Questions and Discussion
Guide us in our work as we reach out to shape hearts and
minds.
Walk with us as we deal with complex issues, help us to
find the right words and actions to communicate your
love for all members of the global family.
Prayer
Support us as we promote critical reflections on local, national, and
international issues. Renew our commitment, so we can spark courage
and empower others to confront injustice.
Allow our vision of a better world to transform spirits. Help us to
nurture the skills that will bring this vision to reality.
Remind us how blessed we are to have this call to proclaim justice and
peace and to be able to respond even in small ways.
Give us patience and perseverance in our work. Grace us with
fellowship and community. Help us to remember that you are our rest
and refreshment.
Amen.
-by Jane Deren, from Living God’s Justice: Blessings and Prayers, 2006
Agenda
 What is CRS Rice Bowl?
 2014 materials: What’s NEW and AWESOME?
 Print Materials, Website, Mobile App
 Deepening the Lenten Journey for Young People through
CRS Rice Bowl
 Questions/Discussion
 Wrap up: Keys to Success!
Who is with us?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
Parish Youth Minister
Parish DRE
Parish volunteer
School Campus Minister or Teacher
(Arch)Diocesan Leader
Other
Choose more than one if it applies!
Past experience with Rice Bowl?
A. Served as a parish/school coordinator
B. Simply integrated Rice Bowl into a program or
class
C. Currently participate with my family
D. Grew up participating in Rice Bowl through my
family or another setting
E. Have no experience with CRS Rice Bowl
Choose more than one if it applies!
What is CRS Rice Bowl?
† CRS’ Lenten faith formation
program: prayer, fasting, giving
† Connects Catholics in the United
States with our brothers and
sisters around the world
† Brings Lent to life for faith
communities and families in the
home
Photo by Philip Laubner/CRS
How are contributions used?
† 75% of all donations support CRS’ programs around the world
o Agriculture projects help farmers improve harvests
o Mother and child health projects offer health and nutrition services
o Water projects bring potable water to communities
o Microfinance projects provide better incomes
o Education projects provide opportunities for a better future
† 25% of all donations fight hunger and poverty in your diocese
o Food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and more!
o Visit crs.org/contact to contact your diocesan director about how
your local Rice Bowl funds are used!
2014 Materials: Rice Bowl
† The Lenten Prayer
o PRAY together as a family
† “I Promise…”
o Commit to FAST to help
those around the world
† Symbolic Gift Amounts
o Find out what your
ALMSGIVING is doing for
the world’s poorest
2014 Lenten Calendar
A Lenten Calendar is included with each Rice Bowl …
 Contains a short reflection for each day of Lent
 Explores themes related to Catholic Identity & Mission:
Catholic Social Teaching, Thoughts from Pope Francis,
Stations of the Cross
 References Stories of Hope and Recipes too!
 Download a printable version
Stories of Hope:
Countries Featured in 2014
Kenya
Developing Employment Opportunities
† Sacredness and Dignity of the Human
Person
Guatemala
Childhood Education
† Rights and Responsibilities
Philippines
Emergency Response and Rebuilding
† Option for the Poor
Malawi
Agricultural Development
† Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
Haiti
Mother and Child Healthcare
† Social Nature of Humanity
Santa Fe, NM
Local 25 percent
† Global Solidarity
Meatless Recipes
“CRS Rice Bowl’s Global Kitchen”
 5 cooking shows, featuring Fr. Leo
Patalinghug from Grace Before
Meals, available online Feb. 2014
 3-minute videos highlight each of
the meatless recipes
 Printable and sharable recipe
cards available.
Lent & Young People
The Lenten Faith Journey …
Prayer
Fasting
Almsgiving
Creative approaches …
Thinking outside the “Bowl”?!
Meeting young people where
they are!
No: I don’t want to hear another tweet out of you!
Yes: Encourage responsible use of social media!
CRS Rice Bowl App
Daily Reflections delivered to your phone
CRS Rice Bowl App
Make a Lenten Goal and track your sacrifices
Lent, Rice Bowl & Social Media
Prepare and Journey through Lent together with the aid of social media …
 Utilize Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and the Rice Bowl App
 Send a weekly email, text, image or post!
 Encourage young people’s responsible use of social media!
 Join our Lenten Photo Challenge (details announced soon!)
Rice Bowl & Youth Ministry
As Youth Ministers we are ‘rehearsing’
young people for adult roles in the Church!
 Use the FoodFast program to build
awareness (www.foodfast.org)
• Join w/ other parishes to do the FF retreat
• Invite the parish to sponsor youth during
the retreat
 Connect FoodFast to Rice Bowl
• Use the money donated as the group’s
CRS Rice Bowl contribution
• Have youth attend a Sat. evening mass to
conclude FF and bring the money for CRS
Rice Bowl up during the Gifts Procession
Rice Bowl & Youth Ministry
Connect CRS Rice Bowl and CRS Food
Fast to whole Community catechesis.
Invite youth to assist with CRS
Rice Bowl sessions for
children
o Youth set up ‘village’ stations for
each of the Rice Bowl countries
(using information from the
Educator’s Guide)
o Youth are invited as guest speakers to
talk about their Fasting experience
o Use the CRS Rice Bowl lesson plans
for your youth nights
Thinking Outside the “Bowl”!
Pray …
 Prior to Lent, invite the youth leadership team to create a global prayer journal using the CRS
Rice Bowl materials and simple materials
 Build on the blessings and prayer intentions … weave into diocesan/parish/school newsletters ,
social media and special gatherings! Begin and end the Lenten season with a special prayer
service! Invite students to read the Lenten prayer and daily reflections over the intercom during
morning announcements or at the beginning of religion class each day and other gatherings.
 Encourage contemplation! Build a global or “one human family” prayer wall or prayer space in
the youth room or campus ministry space , adding to it throughout the season of Lent using the
stories from CRS Rice Bowl. Use multicultural symbols and cloth from the highlighted regions of
the world.
 Involve young people in the planning of the Stations of the Cross and use the Rice Bowl
resource to integrate a global perspective.
 Connect CRS Rice Bowl prayers to traditional forms of prayer (rosary, adoration, etc.) and
Catholic Social Teaching themes of the sacredness of life, preferential option for the poor, etc.
Thinking Outside the “Bowl”!
Fast …
 Encourage a united effort. Choose a school-wide fast day each week.
Help youth fast from something relevant that helps them to give as well.
 Integrate simple meals at diocesan, parish and youth gatherings using the
CRS Rice Bowl recipes. Share the Rice Bowl recipes with the cafeteria staff.
 Instead of large amounts food, use simple snacks for youth gatherings.
 Create a simple space in the youth room.
Thinking Outside the “Bowl”!
Learn …
 Integrate the Rice Bowl educational resources … youth nights, retreats, catechetical gatherings,
sacramental preparation in the parish and across the curriculum in schools
 Plan a kick-off event before Lent about Lent!
 Weave weekly youth or family reflections in mass or at diocesan gatherings. Enhance your lesson plans
and activities using the videos and multimedia resources.
 Send home with each young person a Rice Bowl and Lenten Calendar, which includes suggestions for
family engagement.
 Connect with other spiritual disciplines you already might be exploring: Our Catholic Identity … saints,
simplicity, corporal and spiritual acts of mercy, Catholic Social Teaching themes, scripture, etc.
http://www.crsricebowl.org/schools/
General Resources:
 For older youth / post-Confirmation: Small Faith Sharing Groups
http://www.crsricebowl.org/parishes/
 For families: the Whole Community … http://www.crsricebowl.org/parishes/
 For classes and other gatherings: http://www.crsricebowl.org/schools/
 Connect an experiential lesson available from http://education.crs.org
Thinking Outside the “Bowl”!
Give …
 Connect to prayer, fasting and learning and provide ongoing
opportunities to contribute if collecting as a group
 Create a healthy sense of competition between classes or grade levels, but reward
everyone! Provide a CRS Rice Bowl or other collection container to each homeroom
class!
 Foster a “one human family” image through the adage, “think global, act locally”!
Connect global reflection of poverty with local service and CRS Rice Bowl
contributions which assist our brothers and sisters locally and globally.
 Connect your global reflection with a fair trade craft sale or chocolate / coffee sale
to raise money for CRS Rice Bowl!
 In a school?
 Designate a “dress down day”, where students may donate $5 to CRS’ Rice Bowl and gain
permission to wear regular clothes instead of school uniforms for the day.
 Put change jars in the cafeteria line keeping it in the minds of students.
You Can Make a Difference
Make the giving concrete!
“If just 50 families in each parish committed to daily prayer,
weekly fasting (Friday simple meal) and Lenten sacrifices of
just $1 a day for 40 days, we would make a big impact on
global hunger.”
 $1 a day x 40 days of Lent
 What $40 can do:
 Feed a family for 8 weeks
 Immunizations for 120 newborns
 Provide 400 families with clean water
Questions?
Please type your questions
into the chat box.
2014 CRS Rice Bowl Materials
 Coordinator’s Guide
 Educator’s Guide
 Youth ministers can find more
online at: crsricebowl.org/parish.
 Campus ministers can find more
online at: crsricebowl.org/schools.
 Get emails from us with resources and
tips for implementing CRS Rice Bowl
Additional Materials
 Poster (English or
Spanish)
 Display (Bi-lingual)
 DVD (Bi-lingual)
 Videos from Kenya,
Guatemala, Philippines,
Malawi, Haiti
 Family using CRS Rice
Bowl for faith formation
in the home.
 Order here.
Rice Bowl Success
† Talk to parish/school leadership about how CRS
Rice Bowl supports Lenten faith formation
o Prayer, fasting, almsgiving & learning!
† Enlist support from Pastor/Principal
† Integrate CRS Rice Bowl into parish/school life
o Let youth be the leaders!
o Parish or school-wide simple meals and catechesis
o Communicate with families
Rice Bowl Success
• Ensure that every family gets a Rice Bowl and knows
how to use it!
• Host a Speaker at Mass or event: How you can make a
difference with CRS!
– Interested in hosting a CRS Staff or Global Fellow as a
speaker? Visit globalfellows.crs.org to invite a speaker!
– Anyone traveled to the developing world? Invite them to
talk about his or her experience.
• Follow up with clear collection plan at end of Lent
•
Collection mailing from CRS with tips, ideas, poster and
envelope to help you (if you ordered materials)
Thank you!
Thank you for inspiring young people to live
their faith with CRS Rice Bowl.