What is Ignite?
"When I was confirmed, I was alongside 84 other teens. When I returned the following year to help as a core team leader, there were only 4 of us. On my senior year, there was myself and one other.
"Since then, I've been fascinated with understanding how we are falling short in providing a ministry for youth that they want to be a part of. Not just something that would work for my parish, but that would enable anyone to attract youth to the faith, teach them the truths of the faith without coming off as preachy or condescending, and keep them coming back for more, even after Confirmation.
"The answer we came up with is Ignite."
- Connor McLaughlin, Founder
The Ignite Difference
Teach the Whole Faith.
The Catholic Church has an incredible history of tradition, and we use that to the fullest extent!
Each topic uses quotes from Scripture, the Catechism, and the Saints to explain exactly what the church believes in a simplified way, letting the beauty of the faith be more evident than ever!
Start Conversations.
Most of Jesus’ ministry was asking questions, and we follow his example!
Instead of asking questions to check if the teens understand concepts, we use open-ended questions like “Is hell full or empty?” to kickstart conversation and jumpstart evangelization!
Make it Personal.
Teens have a longing to learn and discover the truth - but only if they think it matters.
Our programs go all-in on small group conversation, featuring no videos and no formal “teaching.” This encourages teens to discover their approach to life with the Church as a guide - and with 84 standalone lessons, you can customize Ignite to tackle the topics your teens want to talk about!
What about for Small Group Leaders?
Finding a small group leader who’s familiar with church doctrine, who is also a good teacher, AND is available for 2 hours a a week is nearly impossible, so we made it easier!
With a section titled “What to Know,” small group leaders have bullet points outlining what the topic is and what it’s about! Then, with “What to Ask,” they’ll find open-ended questions to keep the conversation going without resorting to sitting in silence. If it’s a challenging topic, they’ll also find a list of common contradictions and misinterpretations to be ready for!
The Material
What to know
Small Group leaders are volunteers with a passion for ministry, but they often don't have the time to pour through pages of church teaching to understand the conversation. This section gives them the main aspects of the teaching, so they can refer back to it as needed.
Prayer for the week
Praying the Our Father every week gets repetitive, and coming up with prayers off the top of your head is stressful! We've written out prayers for each topic that are short, simple, and relate to the lesson!
Opening Question
Our opening questions give a jumping- off point for the main conversation to be had, and sets the stage of there being no wrong answers!
What to know
Our opening questions give a jumping- off point for the main conversation to be had, and sets the stage of there being no wrong answers!
What to ask
Our discussion questions are less about checking whether or not the teens were paying attention, and more about helping them think deeper about the topic. For example - do you think hell is full or empty?
Leader's Guide
Rollover the orange circles to dive deeper into the different aspects of Ignite's material!
Student's Guide
Rollover the orange circles to dive deeper into the different aspects of Ignite's material!
What the Bible says
Scripture is the inspired word of God, but even adults don't read it as often as we should! By giving scriptural passages about the topic, we're not only giving references in a similar way as our other Christian brothers and sisters, but we're also helping the teens develop a habit of reading their bible!
What the Church says
From the Baltimore Catechism to the Youcat to the CCC itself, the Catholic Church has provided invaluable reference resources for us to know exactly what we believe.. We put this information directly into the hands of teens so they feel treated like full adults in the faith!
What the Saints say
The Catholic Church is blessed with the insights and examples of thousands of holy men and women from all walks of life. By hearing their examples, we have a deeper understanding of our own call to holiness.
Contradictions and
Misinterpretations
This section is found in the leader's guide and gives common ideas concerning the topics that might come up in conversation.
Why does it Matter
This section, found in both the leader's and the student's guide, give context to the topic's application in the real world, as opposed to being an academic study within a vacuum.
What are the topics?
Please note: "Years" refers to a set level of learning, not to a chronological measure of time.
Year 1: Who is God?
1. Who am I?
2. Who is God?
3. What is Sin?
4. Grace
5. The Soul
6. What is Real Love?
7. Am I Good Enough?
8. God as Father
9. Trust in God
10. Why did Jesus Come?
11. The Resurrection
12. What is the Body of Christ?
13. Priest, Prophet, King
14. Sacraments
15. What is Baptism?
16. What is Reconciliation?
17. What is the Eucharist?
18. God in Nature
19. Living with Faith
20. Living with Hope
21. Living with Charity
Year 2: Why be Catholic?
1. What is Truth?
2. Knowing the Truth
3. Proofs of God’s Existence
4. Why be Catholic?
5. The Creed
6. 4 Marks of the Church
7. Did Jesus really establish the Catholic Church?
8. Catholic and Christians
9. Freedom and Free Will
10. The Commandments
11. Virtues and Vices
12. What is Confirmation?
13. Fruits of the Holy Spirit
14. Gifts of the Holy Spirit pt. 1
15. Gifts of the Holy Spirit pt. 2
16. Role of a Sponsor
17. Who are the Saints?
18. Scripture and Tradition
19. The Liturgy
20. The Papacy
21. Hierarchy of the Church.
Year 3: Spiritual Life and Prayer
1. What’s the Deal with the Bible?
2. How to Read the Bible
3. What’s the Deal with Prayer?
4. Adoration
5. The Rosary
6. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
7. Lectio Divina
8. Liturgy of the Hours
9. Heaven and Hell
10. Angels
11. Demons and the Devil
12. Miracles
13. Mary
14. Apparitions
15. The Trinity
16. Charisms
17. The Family
18. What is friendship?
19. Loneliness
20. Why does God allow suffering?
21. Hope after Tragedy
Year 4: Faith in the World
1. Human Dignity
2. Catholic Social Teaching pt. 1
3. Catholic Social Teaching pt. 2
4. Beginning of Life Issues
5. End of Life Issues
6. What happens when we die?
7. Violence and War
8. Church and State
9. The Church and Media
10. Where the Church Went Wrong
11. Atheism
12. Faith and Science
13. Divine Revelation
14. Love and Lust
15. Sex and Sexuality
16. Chastity
17. Discernment
18. Marriage
19. The Religious Life
20. Why Share the Faith?
21. How to Talk About the Faith
It's a great program and the subjects are great for what our youth are facing today in everyday life and trying to stay strong in their faith .
Martha Carter-Bailey
Transfiguration Catholic Church used the Ignite program last year for our high school teens. The format of the lessons appealed to our teens and our small group leaders because it is concise and easy to understand and follow. The discussion questions were open ended, allowing for nice conversation starters. This program helped lead us from a teaching model to an accompaniment/discussion group model of Faith Formation. I highly recommend the program!
