Goal
The goal of this edge night is to help the middle school youth understand our call to shelter the homeless as one of our corporal works of mercy and to realize the human dignity of every human person.
Edge Night at a Glance
Tonight we will focus on our annual give it Away now theme: Shelter the homeless. this night will focus less on statistics and reasons that people are homeless, and more on those who are homeless and our christian response to those in need. As you can see in the “Faces of homelessness ii” video suggested for the night, each person shared a different reason for his/her reason for being homeless – but they all shared how poorly they were treated as a result of being homeless.
In Matthew 25, Jesus clearly tells us we are called to care for those who are in need – including giving shelter to the homeless. our catholic Social teaching reminds us that every human person is afforded dignity because he/she is made in the image and likeness of god. this dignity cannot be lost and is not diminished by sin, economic status, or societal definition. Another important catholic Social teaching tells us that we should have a preferential option for the poor – meaning we must put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. Jesus tells us He will know us by how we have served – feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, and giving shelter those in need.
As adults, we can get involved with shelters and help community efforts to provide items to those in need. However, you may find that some shelters will not allow youth under the age of 14 to assist at a shelter or only with parental guidance due to liability issues. If that is the case, be sure to find ways for the youth to be involved with collecting items, sorting items, and possibly preparing items for delivery.
The Edge Night will begin with the youth coming in and sitting on and around the cardboard boxes while in small group. Kick off the night by collecting the items the youth have brought for those in need. The opening activity is about judging a book by its cover. During the Proclaim, the youth will be challenged to see the human face of those who are homeless and if possible, hear a witness from someone who works at a local shelter or helps aide those in need in the community. the youth will have an opportunity to discuss their thoughts about those who are homeless and how they can serve. Conclude the night by praying for those in need and challenging the youth to stay involved in helping others.