An eight-session Bible study built for sixth graders in a parish religious education class, led by a catechist who may have no theology background. Most sessions run about 55 minutes; Sessions 2 and 8 run about 60. It tells the story the Church calls the kerygma, the first proclamation of what God has done for us in Jesus, in eight passages the students read for themselves in parts: the first disciples in John 1, Zacchaeus, the paralytic through the roof, the cross and the good thief, the road to Emmaus, the prodigal son, Pentecost and the first Church in Acts 2, and the commission in Matthew 28. Each session carries one short flashback into the Old Testament, the way a film cuts between past and present: the Passover lamb, the garden and God's first question, the God who alone forgives, the suffering servant, the psalm Peter quoted at Pentecost, the call to return, the promise of a new heart, and the first Go to Abraham. Each session opens with a short made up situation that raises the question the passage will answer, moves through discovery questions with answers the catechist shares only after the students have had their say, and closes with a personal question, the Catholic connection, prayer, one step for the week, and a memory verse. Students who are not yet baptized are welcomed throughout with conditional wording, and no one is ever asked their status in front of the class. A one page Family Page for every session carries the passage, the big idea, the memory verse, a question for dinner, the week's one step, and a prayer. Each session has a leader preparation section, a scripted Discussion Guide, and a reference card listing every passage, Catechism paragraph, and material. Scripture follows the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.
RESCUED runs 8 sessions. Every session comes with a complete leader's preparation guide and a printable take-home sheet for the people in the room, and the full text of each night can be read on a phone from the list below. All of it is free to download, print, and share, with no sign up and no cost.
How these studies were created, including our use of AI
Every session below carries three links. Read opens the full session on a phone, Sheet downloads that night's participant take-home sheet, and Leader opens the leader's guide for that session. Nothing is held back and nothing asks for an email address.
You do not need to be a theologian to lead RESCUED. The leader's guide carries the questions, the answers, and the background, so the group can discover the text together. There is a short guide to hosting a Bible study if this is your first one, and a set of six questions that will help you choose a study if you are still deciding.