Advent Lights · Week 4 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Stephen
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Stephen
A growing Church, a real problem
In the first years after the blank 1, the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem were all Jewish. Some spoke Aramaic or Hebrew. Others, often from families that had lived abroad, spoke Greek.
The community shared food every day with its widows. The Greek blank 2 complained that their widows were being overlooked.
The apostles did not ignore the complaint. They asked the community to choose seven men of good reputation, full of the blank 3 and wisdom. Stephen heads the list. The apostles prayed and laid hands on them.
Stephen’s story in Acts
Write what happened at each point.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Acts 6:1–6 | Write your answer |
| Acts 6:8–10 | Write your answer |
| Acts 6:11–15 | Write your answer |
| Acts 7:1–53 | Write your answer |
| Acts 7:54–60 | Write your answer |
| Acts 8:1–4 | Write your answer |
| Acts 9 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
How did the apostles respond to the complaint about the widows? Circle one.
- A They told the Greek speakers to form their own church
- B They stopped the daily sharing of food for everyone
- C They had the community choose seven trusted men to serve
- D They asked the council in Jerusalem to settle the matter
Why is that the right answer?
On trial for the truth
Stephen also preached. Members of one blank 4 argued with him and lost the argument. So some people arranged for false witnesses to accuse him.
He was brought before the blank 5, the council of leaders in Jerusalem. Acts says his face looked like the face of an angel.
Stephen did not soften his message to save himself. He retold the history of God’s people and said that Jesus was God’s Righteous One. Then he said he saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand.
Enraged listeners took him outside the city and stoned him. He prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” and asked God to blank 6 them.
Why it mattered
What choice did Stephen make at his trial? Circle one.
- A He kept telling the truth, though it put him in danger
- B He stayed silent, so that nobody could twist his words
- C He blamed the other deacons, hoping to be released
- D He asked the Roman governor to take over his case
Why is that the right answer?
Truth and mercy online
Stephen held on to the truth and to mercy at the same time. Sort each online choice. Check one box for each.
| Item | Truth with mercy | Missing one or both |
|---|---|---|
| Correcting a false rumor about a classmate, calmly | ||
| Posting a screenshot to embarrass someone who was wrong | ||
| Saying you disagree without insulting the person | ||
| Liking a cruel comment so the group stays happy with you | ||
| Letting an old grudge go and unblocking a friend who apologized | ||
| Pretending to agree with something you believe is false | ||
| Reporting bullying to an adult while refusing to join the pile-on | ||
| Replying in anger within seconds of reading a post |
What came next
What happened to the Church right after Stephen’s death? Circle one.
- A The believers gave up and returned to their old lives
- B Believers were scattered and spread the Gospel further
- C The apostles left Jerusalem and settled in Rome
- D The council welcomed the believers and made peace
Why is that the right answer?
Virtues Stephen lived
For each virtue, write how the saint lived it.
| Virtue | How the saint lived it |
|---|---|
| Service | Write your answer |
| Courage | Write your answer |
| Mercy | Write your answer |
Think, pair, share
Stephen told a hard truth and forgave the people who attacked him for it. Online, people often do the opposite: they hide what they think, or they attack. Where have you seen a chance to be truthful and merciful at once?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “It is hard to tell the truth online when ...”“Forgiving someone does not mean ...”“One way to disagree without attacking is ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”
Acts 7:60
Lord Jesus, fill us with your Holy Spirit as you filled Stephen.
Make us ready to serve, brave in the truth and quick to forgive.
St. Stephen, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Stephen is honored as the Church’s first martyr. His feast is December 26, the day after Christmas.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Stephen shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Before you reply to anything that makes you angry this week, wait ten minutes and pray one sentence for the person.