Lesson Plan
Instructor:
Carlos Mendes
Subject Area: World Religions (Chapter 10-11)
Topic:
Challenges Facing Modern Christianity
Curriculum Expectations
ICE:
Date:
Grade:
Time:
Oct. 17/14
11 University
95 minutes
Catholic Graduate Expectation:
 PFV.04: assess the ways in which the various
religions respond to globalization (modernity);
 PF1.03: examine the human search for meaning
and purpose as found within contemporary culture
(e.g., through contemporary art, music, film, mass
media).
 PF4.12: identify and explain the key features of
modernity/globalization (Individualism,
secularism, scientism, technology) and critically
evaluate the positive and negative impact of each
on the profession of faith in contemporary society
(e.g. separation of Church and state; challenges to
the wearing of religious symbols and prayer
requirement; the secularization of Christmas and
Easter; the development of policies and practices to
protect religious freedom);
 PF4.13: describe the rise of religious movements in
response to modernity (e.g. agnosticism, atheism,
human secularism, fundamentalism, liberalism) and
identify their central beliefs and ethical/moral
stance.
 Illustrates a basic
understanding of the saving
story of our Christian faith
 Respects and understands
the history, cultural
heritage and pluralism of
today’s contemporary
society
 Respects and affirms the
diversity and
interdependence of the
world’s peoples and
cultures
Guiding Questions:
 How will the internal culture of the Church need to change?
 How can the church plan to prepare for the challenges it faces against the uncertain
world?
 How can the church recapture the spirit of Christianity and replace “church growth”
with a wider vision of the kingdom growth? How has and how can the Church continue
to grow with the changing world?
 What is best for the Church?
Learning Goals:
 Identify the function of religion in a
time where there is a tremendous
emphasis on scientific knowledge,
personal freedom and questioning
Success Criteria:
 Understand the different challenges
facing the Church
 Able to make relevant connections to
one’s own life; demonstrates logical
authority instead of an emphasis on
the belief of God
 Identify how, individually, one can
make a difference – using Exit Tickets
Time
20 minutes
15 minutes
thinking through discussion
 Identifies challenges the church faces
in modern Christianity and offers
solutions or predictions as to where
the Church is headed.
Minds On!
Materials
Graffiti (AaL)
 Puzzle Pieces
 Divide the classroom into 8 groups. Each
 Tape
group will be given a separate puzzle piece
 Chalkboard
with a challenge that faces modern
 Markers
Christianity. These words include: (1)
secularization (2) self-identity (3) AntiIntellectualism (rejection of learning deeper
truths concerning the bible) (4) technology
(5) Human Rights (Gender, homosexuality
etc.) (6) Lack of Leaders (7) Hypocrisy (8)
Old-Fashioned/New-Age Infiltration
 Each group will have a minute with their
puzzle piece in order to write what comes to
mind – what the term means; its relationship
to the church; what challenges it represents
etc.
 At the end of the minute, the puzzle piece is
now rotated clockwise to the next group, each
group now having a different puzzle piece to
write on. After 8 switches, each group will
have their original puzzle pieces and the
rotation will end.
 Collect the puzzle pieces and show how the
puzzle pieces actually create a Church (Fig. 1)
 Explain the activity – that this was meant to
show how each issue is apart of the church
and how it cannot go ignored; it either breaks
or changes the church.
Action!
 Orally explain each of the challenges facing
modern Christianity to make sure each term
is defined properly and understood by the
same definition; Use the handout provided to
help fill in the page with students. To avoid
students just copying from the
board/PowerPoint, use a handout

Handout
(PowerPoint - this
could be used if
you wish to make
sure the students
are following
along)

35 minutes
20 minutes
Find It!
 After explaining the terminology, introduce
the assignment. Give back the puzzle pieces to
the group. Have students identify their
“challenge to Christianity” using news articles,
songs, music videos, books, poems,
encyclicals, encyclicals (any form of writing –
even pictures if applicable) to make deeper
sense of their topic (refer to examples page 6)
 Use this group work as opportunity to visit
each group to make sure they are on target
and are self-learning as well as initiating deep
discussion.
 Each group is expected to find 3 different
forms of writing for 3 different questions
regarding their puzzle piece: (1) How does
this challenge affect the Church? (2) How
does this challenge affect you? (3) What is the
solution? (Ex: Using the topic of
homosexuality = a student may use the song
“Same Love” by Macklemore for #1 to identify
same-sex marriage as rejected by the church
and how it has created a culture of hate; for
#2 they could use the book “Why I left
Religion” to use statistics of how many gay
men leave their faith background behind
because of the church’s stance on
homosexuality; and for #3 a student could
Busted Halo for responses in video or in text –
news articles, commentaries etc.)
Consolidation
Revisit Learning Goals and Success Criteria (AaL)
Exit Tickets: (AoL)
 Have the students share their findings with
the class
 To ensure students have been following
along, introduce the Exit Tickets and have
students answer the following question: What
is a challenge that faces modern Christianity
and what can we do to solve it? After just
hearing their peers present, students should
be able to translate their leanings onto paper.
 If time is permitted, instead of having
students share their findings to the entire
Internet access/
phones/laptops
etc.
class, switch two groups findings with one
another and without having it explained to
them by the other group, see if students are
able to see why their peers chose certain
songs or books to define their challenge. This
allows students to learn for themselves, as
well as be masters of two topics as opposed to
just the one challenge they were working
with.
FILL IN THE BLANKS WORK SHEET
Challenge
Secularization
Definition
Effect
The transformation of
a society from close
identification with
religious values and
institutions toward
nonreligious values and
secular institutions
Decline of faith all
over the world;
declining church
attendance; embrace
of modern science
and technology;
liberalization of sex,
music and culture;
makes Christianity
look constricting
With students
struggling with
finding their identity
in school, how do we
also take into
consideration that
they are also finding
their spiritual
identity?
Self-Identity
AntiIntellectualism
Rejection of higher
learning and/or
rejection of deeper
truths concerning the
Bible
Disconnection from
the natural world;
distractions; more
convenient,
comfortable, safe
and efficient to
attend mass online
then it is in person.
Technology
Human Rights
Thoughts?
Questions?
Does secularization
distinguish between
true believers and
those who look for
religion only in times
of marriage and
funeral?
Human Rights are
moral principles or
norms that describe
certain standards of
human behavior and
are regularly protected
as legal rights in law.
Abortion?
Gay Marriage?
No role models; no
one to follow in
example
Lack of Leaders
Hypocrisy
Sinners as leaders in
the Church – priests in
the news for abuse,
child pornography etc.
How can we update
the Church?
Old-Fashioned
New-Age
Infiltration
A growing influence
upon the Church is that
of New Age doctrine –
as promoted by
powerful entertainment
icons like Oprah
Winfrey, Ellen
DeGenerous and
elevated teachers such
as Deepak Chopra.
Their efforts seek to
promote a one-world
religion
Examples/Resources:
Secularization:
 News Articles: “Canada Marching from Religion to Secularization” by Michael Valpy
and Joe Fresien
 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canada-marching-from-religionto-secularization/article1320108/
Self-Identity:
 Books: If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, The Outsiders by S.E.
Hinton etc.
Human Rights
 Songs: “Same Love” by Macklemore, “Firework” by Katy Perry, “Brave” by Sara
Bareilles
Hypocrisy
 News Articles: “Suspended priest indicated for sexually abusing minor, possession
of child Pornography”
 http://bangordailynews.com/2014/11/25/news/bangor/suspended-bangorgreek-orthodox-priest-indicted-for-sexually-abusing-minors-possession-of-childpornography/
New-Age Infiltration

Songs: “Jesus Walks” by Kanye West