Youth Ministry Retreats for 9 and 10
This week, our year 9 and 10 students will take part in the ‘Catch the Wave’ retreats. These retreats have been designed and run by our senior Youth Ministry team as well as the team from St Clare’s. Combining the energy and passion of these teams will no doubt create a dynamic experience for our boys.
The name ‘Catch the Wave’ comes from one of the earliest stages of Youth Ministry in schools. This image represents where we may be with our faith. Are we on the shoreline, not really knowing when to jump in? Are we at the edge of the surf with some doubts? Or are we paddling or sailing? Wherever the boys are, they are invited into a space that is fun, energetic and honest. With fun games, testimonies and multimedia presentations, each student will take something away from the experience.
Themes such as God’s love, gifts, talents and leadership are all explored and presented by young people for young people. This forms what is called ‘Peer to Peer Ministry’ and is a powerful way to offer formation and transform the lives of young teenagers and adults in their faith. These events have been overseen and guided by our Youth Minister, Sam Stubbs as well as Sarah, the Youth Minister from St Clare’s and Chiara from St Benedict’s in Narrabundah.
Year 9 retreats will occur in periods 1 to 3 on Wednesday and year 10 will occur on Friday. These are valuable experiences for the boys as they are invited to ‘Catch the Wave’ and jump on a journey of exploring faith, its questions, and impacts.
Faith in Action
“Were we to know the merit and value of only going from one street to another to serve a neighbour for the love of God, we should prize it more than silver and gold.” – Blessed Edmund Rice
Eddie Rice Camps are holiday experiences for young people aged 7 to 16 who are in difficult or disadvantaged situations. These camps provide a safe space for these young people to have fun and connect with others. This also provides respite for parents and families.
This year, Eddie Rice camps are coming to the ACT and we have 8 of our senior students giving up the first week of their holidays to assist in facilitating these experiences for young people. Our boys completed a three-hour training program on 7 June which was designed to equip them with the skills and confidence for assisting in running these camps. We are very grateful to have these boys step up and give up their time in the service of others.
You can find out more about Edmund Rice camps here http://www.edmundricecamps.org/homepage/