Don’t get me wrong, Catholics pray with their body. We lie prostrate, we kneel, we sit, and we fold our hands in a posture of prayer. Sometimes we even extend our hands over our head in an open posture of worship.
All of these postures, even the hands over the head, are rooted in Scripture and the Tradition of the Church. They reflect the interior disposition of the soul and it’s receptivity to Christ. So what about hand motions? Why do I say it is not prayer?
Before we gave this option an enthusiastic “yes!” we had to make sure the quality of experience would be similar to our other camps. Dedicated summer missionaries, families, and staff: absolutely. An obstacle course, mud pit, high and low ropes course, and waterslide: yes. A true Catholic identity with dynamic programming: of course. Then we looked at the unique features of this camp: from the beautiful waterfalls, proximity to the Appalachian Trail, and organic farm, it is an ideal environment to host camp. We prayed and held several site visits with the camp and knew we had to take this leap of faith. Now we are introducing a brand new Life Teen and Edge summer camp: Camp Covecrest – Hiawassee.
We’ve all been a part of the viral video phenomenon in recent years. Justin Bieber started his career because millions of people got excited about his videos and started sharing them with their friends. It can be easy for us to get excited about online videos…but maybe not as easy to get pumped up about raising money for a good cause. In January of 2011, the Life Teen youth group at Incarnate Word parish in Chesterfield, MO set out to raise $5,000 to support an organization whose mission is
It’s 5:00am on a quiet June morning. I am driving a fifteen-passenger van to a church with a bunch of butterflies in my stomach. This could only mean one thing: a teen summer trip is about to happen. For me, it wasn’t just any summer trip. It was my first one. We were going to summer camp at Covecrest with my Edge teens. I thought to myself, “Can I do this?” Well, I was about to find out as I pulled into the parking lot to greet the parents and teens that had already arrived.
Well the summer has come to an end and just when you thought you would get a break, it is time for a brand new school year! Remember first things first, you cannot take care of anyone else until you are taking care of yourself. The teens will take the first couple of weeks of school to adjust to new changes in their lives. Freshmen are getting used to a new environment and a more mature world; sophomores and juniors are adjusting to the harder academics; seniors ‘think’ they are home free. As youth ministers this is an important time to be available to your teens so don’t over book yourself. Here are some tips to allow your teens and Core to gather, relax and start a great new year!
For most people in Catholic Youth Ministry, summers are packed with youth conferences, summer camps, and mission trips. These are exciting times for your teens because they can get out of town for an summertime adventure with their peers. But in a more profound way, these events give many teens their first opportunity to experience the living God, a God who is real and loves them very much. This big experience is narrated with big music that touches their hearts in a way that their everyday iPod music never has.
These are the words that came to mind when I saw the large, purple bruise on a middle school youth’s leg. We had an Edge Boys’ Night event at a local paintball arena and he lost a fight against a paintball that viciously attacked him without warning. Somehow, this young man didn’t get the “wear pants and long sleeves to protect yourself” memo! At the sight of his wound, I thought for sure that I had just made our parish vulnerable to a potential legal disaster. Luckily he wasn’t upset at his injury; he thought it looked cool. His mother gave him an “I told you so speech” and told him to tough it out, since he knew the dangers by filling out his injury waiver.
The chances are you will be taking a group of teens to an event, retreat or conference in the near future. Events and retreats are a beautiful part of our ministry to youth. These events may take place in different areas of the country and may vary from one day youth rallies to weeklong conferences. Regardless of the location, length or number of youth, the one constant is the need to ensure a safe environment for everyone involved. Here is a list to help you evaluate if the youth events you are planning and attending are truly safe.