OUR RETREAT WITH CHRIST

By: Sean Golden

MY PROJECT• This Semester I will be directing a youth retreat called teen ACTS

• Adoration, Community, Theology, and Service

• This Retreat weekend is based on how we can take the way Christ and his Apostles lived and implement those teachings into our own daily lives.

MY MENTOR

• Chris Stevenson

• Former Seminarian and now Youth Minister at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church

• Together we will direct and lead this years upcoming ACTS retreat

WHY I CHOSE CHRIS

• He has been my spiritual director for 4 years through Life Teen youth ministry

• My confirmation catechist last year

• Possess a vast knowledge of philosophy and theology through his time in the seminary

• A great role model

BEGINNING THE PLANNING PROCESS

• Establish ACTS teams and subgroup teams

• Pick the theme

• Decide on the structure of the meetings and plan its various aspects

• Anticipate and get any supplies needed throughout the planning process

• Plan community outings and service projects

• Most importantly the planning process consists of finding new ways we can grow in our faith lives together and encounter Christ on a more intimate level

ISIAH 55:3Come to me, listen, that you may have life

• This verse is our theme for the retreat weekend

• It will be the focal point of all the group skits and personal testimonies given

• It was my job to discern and pick the verse for this retreat

• I chose this one in particular for its emphasis on God’s love, our calling for a more fruitful prayer life, and joy found in a life dedicated to Christ

MEETINGS• A time for both community and planning amongst team members

• The team consists of about 30 high school students and 10 college students

• Meetings consist of dinner, icebreakers, reflection and prayer, and planning

• My role in this is to make sure each meeting runs smoothly and is productive

• I will lead opening and closing prayers as well as discuss any business that needs to be attended to during the course of our meeting

THE RETREAT• July 31st - August 1st

• 4days filled with various skits and personal testimonies provided by the team

• Numerous sacraments provided such as Reconciliation and the Eucharist in both Mass and Adoration

• Free time to hang out and build community with one another

• Live the 5th talk to conclude the retreat given by myself on how to take what we learned and experienced on the retreat and translate it to our daily lives

• Throughout the retreat my job is to make sure things run on time and to help any group that needs me during the course of the weekend