03 Le tte r Fro m B i s h op L e s Tom l i n s on. Letter From Fr Rob G ale a 05. Miss i on St ate m e n t. Our Hi s tory.

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2 2 Stronger Youth 03 Le tte r Fro m B i s h op L e s Tom l i n s on 04 Letter From Fr Rob G ale a 05 Miss i on St ate m e n t 06 Our Hi s tory Contents 10 Our M i n i s t i re s 16 Lives Be i n g C h an ge d 17 Te am s 18 Lo ok i n g For w ard 19 C on t ac t Us

3 Stronger Youth 3 Bishop Les Tomlinson I am delighted to endorse Stronger as a movement for youth in the Diocese of Sandhurst. Stronger, began in this Diocese by the late Bishop Joe Grech and Father Robert Galea, has grown from small beginnings to something that impacts on the lives of youth right across the Diocese and beyond. Bishop Les Tomlinson Bishop of the Sandhurst Diocese The great value of Stronger is not so much that it captures the imagination of so many of our young people, but it does so in a manner that engages them with the Lord Jesus, exposing them to an experience of his love within the context of others who share their enthusiasm for Jesus. While experiencing this love of God within Stronger, they are moved to seek to know more about Jesus, meet him in prayer and fraternity, and be moved to share this experience by reaching out to others in gestures of love, concern and service of others. As time passes and youth matures, people touched by the Stronger experience moved on to new situations, but I pray that this experience through Stronger will have a profound effect on shaping and deepening their faith, so that whatever they undertake in the future they do so stronger in their faith, commitment to Jesus and their generosity in serving others for the sake of Jesus. +Bishop Les Tomlinson Bishop of Sandhurst

4 4 Stronger Youth Fr Rob Galea I am so excited to present to you our second edition of the Stronger Prospectus. Fr Rob Galea Co-Founder of Stronger Youth I can not believe where we are standing today, considering where we began. Stronger Youth began in 2008 with eight young people, myself and the late Bishop Joe Grech at a small camp site at a lake near Bendigo. Today we minister to and support thousands of teenagers across our diocese and beyond. God has been so faithful to us. Stronger Youth began out of a passion to give teenagers a space to encounter Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, and be discipled to become saints in our world. It is so hard to be a teen today. So many distractions, and so much cries out for them to compromise their God-given potential. So through a series of Retreats, Rallies, D-Groups, Leadership training days, school outreaches and a solid online presence we seek to provide this opportunity for wholeness and holiness. Time and time again we have seen young people move from a place of desperation and hopelessness; from an unfulfilled life, to finding acceptance, hope and excitement in serving God and others marks ten years of Stronger Youth and what an amazing ten year s we ve had serving the young people of Australia. I truly believe that the best is yet to come. We are constantly trying to seek the Lord s guidance on where and how to move forward, and some of our future plans include preteen ministry, more retreat opportunities, mega-rallies and to expand our in-school outreach. We cannot wait! We invite you to look through this prospectus and ask for your prayers as we continue to serve our young people and their families. May God bless you so much! Fr Rob Galea

5 Stronger Youth 5 Mission Statement Young people encountering Jesus Christ and His Church. Becoming stronger and empowered to live as disciples who impact the world The Stronger Youth logo represents our mission statement. The S sitting on top of the rope of seven braids represents the strength (Stronger) that comes from the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The cross represents the Cross of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is the centre of everything we do. The Church is represented by the arrow in the letter H. The circle represents the Eucharist and the world which we are called to impact as disciples of Jesus.

6 6 Stronger Youth Our History Stronger Youth began in It was born out of a desire of the late Bishop Joe Grech and Fr Rob Galea for young people to encounter Jesus Christ in a personal way. It began with a weekend attended by eight young people from around the Sandhurst Diocese and has grown with each passing year. It became apparent that more needed to be done to sustain and deepen the faith of young people. We began regular youth rallies in different parishes across the diocese. Each rally, which includes games, engaging faith-talks, praise and worship, adoration and fellowship, now attracts up to 350 young people every three months. Stronger has grown over the past eight years both in terms of outreach and leadership, equipping young people to live out and celebrate their Catholic faith. In 2012 we invested our prayer and energy in developing parish-based D-Groups (Discipleship Groups), where young people meet and develop their faith and sense of community. School outreaches and leadership development are also at the heart of Stronger Youth. Over the past eight years Stronger has impacted the lives of thousands of young people with the invitation to become disciples of Jesus, through engaging in the life of the Church. Stronger Retreat 2010

7 Stronger Youth 7 Ten Years of Stronger 2008 Bishop Joe and Fr Rob Galea held the first Stronger Retreat near Bendigo, Victoria The second Stronger Retreat was held and had 20 participants The first Stronger Rally with 40 young people. This years Retreat doubled in size from 2009 and saw 40 young people gather in Echuca, Victoria There were 3 Stronger Rallies held around the diocese with over 200 young people attending throughout the year. This years Retreat doubled in size, again, to 80 participants and moved to a bigger venue to accomodate the larger numbers The First Dgroup was held in 2012 in St Brendan s Parish in Shepparton. There were 3 Rallies for highschool students and young adults and the Retreat had 90 participants Retreat saw over 100 young people attend in More D-groups appeared around the Sandhurst Diocese and there were 3 Rallies held throughout the year. We also held our first Stronger Rally at Australian Catholic Youth Festival with 110 people in attendance We held a Rally in each term this year and reached ofer 600 young people thoughout the year, we had 110 participants at the Stronger retreat. We had our first School Outreach and ministered to over 300 highschool students This was big year of school outreaches to 450 students, D-groups, 4 Rallies including a Stronger Rally at Australian Catholic Youth Festival and our Retreat had 118 young people attend Stronger continued to grow in Our team ministered to over 700 participants in school outreaches. The Retreat saw 130 you people gather for an incredible weekend. We also held our first Leadership weekend, which focused on formation, leadership and prayer. D-groups around the diocese continued to thrive with the support of the local parishes This year we held our first ever Grade 6 Retreat day with all 700 of the grade six students from our diocese gather for a full day of plenaries, workshops and prayer. This day led into one of four Rallies held for secondary students and young adults held throughout the year.the Retreat and Leaders Retreat were both wekends full of joy and the presence of God. We outreached to over 1000 students in school outreaches and saw D-groups in the diocese grow stronger. We are finishing the year off with a Rally at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival and we can t wait!!

8 8 Stronger Youth Key Elements Holiness and Discipleship Leadership Development Outreach and Justice Our vision is to welcome, encourage and empower young people to become disciples of Jesus Christ, by equipping them to live holy lives. We seek to provide the opportunity and necessary tools to quicken holy young men and women to go out and impact the world for Christ. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life We believe that a personal relationship with Jesus, and an life engaged in the Sacramental grace of the Church are the only things that will sustain and give young people a life full meaning and purpose.

9 Stronger Youth 9 Holiness and Discipleship Good, just and holy leadership is fundamental. We believe that young people have the capacity to carry out the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) to reveal the loving heart of God the Father. Our leaders are trained to go beyond living a good life, and to be champions of God s Kingdom, becoming relevant saints in their homes, schools and places of work. Leadership Development Stronger Youth is a volunteer-run program. It is through the enthusiasm and willingness of our volunteer leaders that we are able to reach out to more young people and bring the joy of the Gospel to the youth of our diocese and beyond. We make it our priority to ensure that our volunteer leaders are given several opportunities to be renewed in their own faith. Our leadership development program includes an annual leadership weekend retreat and several leadership development days as well as an online Facebook community where we share leadership material. This provides opportunity for reflection, formation and development in understanding and appreciating the teachings of Christ and His Catholic Church. Christ has given us the great command to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). It Outreach and Justice is not enough to encounter the love of God, but we need to share this great treasure with others. Intentionally reaching out to the community in the form of school rallies, parish and social justice outreaches and retreats is part of this great mandate. Meeting young people where they are is at the heart of outreach. Our leaders and volunteers are sent out to offer other young people an invitation to follow Jesus. The Stronger Outreach Team sees ministry to thousands of school students every year. We do this through in-school outreach sessions, workshops, and facilitating retreat days for both primary and secondary schools. Through outreach within and out of our Sandhurst diocese, we have seen students and teachers have a deeper and relevant experience of our rich Catholic faith.

10 10 Stronger Youth Retreat The annual Stronger Retreat is our most significant event. It offers young people an opportunity to step away from the busyness of their world and reflect on what it means to be loved by God. From the first retreat, young people come together from across Victoria and interstate to grow in, explore, celebrate and share their faith. The elements of the retreat include: praise and worship, keynote speakers, workshops, Adoration, Mass, games, panel discussions, small groups, Reconciliation, and a good time of fellowship. Our youth are also given the opportunity during the retreat to commit their hearts to the Lord. The retreat is co-ordinated by the diocesan youth ministry office and run by a dedicated and generous team of volunteers. Speakers from across Australia have inspired the retreat participants in the past. The continuing support of the Sandhurst Diocese and Sandhurst Catholic Education Office ensures that retreats area accessible to all young people who would like to attend.

11 Stronger Youth 11 Rally Stronger Rallies attract hundreds of young people for an evening of praise and worship, Eucharistic Adoration, catechesis, testimony, group discussion, games, free food and fellowship. They are held quarterly. Their aim is to engage high school students and young adults in their faith, and to continue building and strengthening an active diocesan youth church community. Different parishes throughout the Diocese host Stronger Rallies. Youth are given the opportunity to meet and serve other young people from across the diocese. We have also found our rallies to be a fantastic witness to local parishioners as they see firsthand the young Church celebrating it s faith. Rallies give youth, many of whom come from small rural parishes, a chance to experience the wider church and know that there are other young Catholics who are passionate about their faith.

12 12 Stronger Youth Don t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity -1 Timothy 4:12

13 Stronger Youth 13 LEAD Stronger LEAD is our official leadership program. Through this program young people are invited and trained to commit to a time of service in a leadership position within the Stronger Youth program. LEAD weekend retreats aim to give our leaders solid formation in the teachings of the Catholic Church, and extended times of prayer and personal reflection. They are given the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the vision of Stronger Youth, and given practical and spiritual tools required to serve others and live out their call to Christian leadership. The Stronger leaders are encouraged to live a Christ-like existence as they learn more about the lives of the saints, spend more time in prayer and reading the Bible. They are encouraged to participate in the Sacramental life of the Church as well as become more aware about social injustices and make a difference. Each young leader is also assigned a mentor. The mentor and young leader meet on a regular basis to discuss the progress, challenges and triumphs in the commitment they have undertaken to be a disciple of Christ in the world.

14 14 Stronger Youth Outreach Stronger Outreach is a school based peer-to-peer evangelisation program. As part of the Stronger Outreach Team our young people are given the opportunity to visit other schools a to give the reason for the hope that [they] have. (1 Peter 3:15) Volunteers to the Stronger Outreach team give up a day to run a two-hour session modelled closely on a Stronger Rally, with music with the Stronger band, games, a testimony, a talk and a time for questions or to chat with the outreach team. This is complimented with some engaging audio-visuals skillfully prepared by the Media Team. Many Catholic secondary schools within the Sandhurst Diocese have participated in Stronger Outreach. This demonstrates the combined efforts of the Sandhurst Diocese s Catholic Education Office to get our young people relevantly engaged in their Catholic faith. Stronger Outreach creates a bridge between school life and an outside community full of faith, friends and a lot of fun. Traveling to different towns in the dioceses, being apart of going into the community and witnessing young people enhance their faith is incredibly rewarding. Outreaches have given me a new confidence to go out and share my faith, which has helped me to become a better catholic and overall, a more confident person. I have been doing outreaches for over 3 years now and every time I always feel blessed to have the amazing experience, seeing first hand young peoples reactions to listening to the team talk about their faith. Having the experiences and the opportunities has helped me grow more in my faith and in doing so, gives me the opportunity to help others do the same. With the help and encouragement that Outreaches have given me, i have come to realise the significance and importance our faith as a community is. Knowing that if we touch one heart or hundreds, it is always worth every effort that is put in. No matter how massive or challenging an outreach is, seeing God work in so many young people s lives helps strengthen my relationship with Jesus. Talking to young people has helped deepen my level of knowledge towards our faith and has helped enrich my life to help others do the same. I have learnt so much by going out into the community and not only sharing my faith but also witnessing others faith unfold and strengthen too. -Emily, 21, Yarrawonga He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. -Mark 16:15

15 Stronger Youth 15 D-Groups D-Groups are small parish-based Discipleship Groups which currently run throughout the Sandhurst and Melbourne Archdiocese. They are volunteer run and are supported by the local parish. The D-Groups are targeted to high school aged students and young adults. Most of our groups run a monthly or fortnightly meeting, and these are complimented by other regular extracurricular events such as weekly basketball games and informal hang-outs. The purpose of the D-Group is to establish a sense of community, to deepen personal faith as well as connect our young people with the existing parish life. Each D-Group has a local D-Group leadership team of four to ten people that meet weekly to pray and plan the meetings. D-Group meetings alternate between topic, series and fun nights. Each D-Group is also encouraged to help run a monthly youth-led Mass within their parish. D-Groups are arguably one of the most important parts of Stronger Youth. Through the D-Groups young people have been able to express themselves freely without fear of judgment, make new friends, learn more about the Catholic faith and pray together.

16 16 Stronger Youth Lives Being Changed Before Stronger I went to church on a Sunday with my family not because I wanted to but because I had to, I never really enjoyed church and therefore didn t take much interest. Then when I was 14 my sister took me to a Rally and I loved it because it was something I had never experienced before. Not long after this I stared attending D-Group in Bendigo and I still enjoying it immensely. It s now 2017 and I have been a leader for two years and I get to sing at my local parish and this is something that I look forward to. Stronger has changed my life in many ways. I have developed a relationship with God that I would never have made without Stronger. I have made so many new friends that I can relate to more so than my friends from school and I get to see other people experience what I have experienced. Without Stronger my life wouldn t be the same and I doubt I would have ever understood what having a relationship with God was like. -Sinead, 17, Bendigo, Victoria Stronger will literally make you strong. For me stronger was a consistent way for me to encounter other Christians, a family and God. I became so confident in my faith, God s plan and developing my relationship with God through what Stronger Youth provides at every experience. I look forward to every rally because they never disappoint, purely because we are there to encounter Jesus and it s a space where you can completely be yourself. The stronger retreat had a massive impact on my year. I encountered God in a way I never have before and learning and listening to the amazing people there opened my mind and heart to God. There is no pressure or expectation when you are at Stronger because we all are showing love to each other but most importantly God. I have never loved being apart of a community more, without Stronger I honestly believe I wouldn t have grown to be STRONG in my faith. -Anna, 17, Wodonga, Victoria

17 Stronger Youth 17 Teams Social Justice The Stronger Justice team s mission is to ensure that we live out Christ s command to love our neighbour as ourselves. (Matthew 22:39). The team is made up of people who are passionate about making the world a better place by reaching out to the poor, naked, lonely, and hungry and loving them with the same love the Jesus has for them. Stronger Social Justice has participated in a blood donation drive, stood up for the rights of refugees, raised funds for many different charitable organisations, fought for fair-trade awareness and supported and created calls to prayer within the community for the needs of others. Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Leadership Team The Leadership Team consists of young and older people dedicated to the direction and growth of Stronger Youth. It consists of Fr Rob Galea, the Diocesan Youth Ministry employees and dedicated volunteers This team meets and prays together on a regular basis. Music Team Our music team is made up of world-class and apprentice musicians. The volunteer musicians and vocalists meet regularly to pray and rehearse. The music team understands they are not performers, but all have a heart to see young people encounter the risen Christ at rallies, retreats, outreaches and liturgies. Media Team The media team is the creative genius behind Stronger Youth. This team is made up of designers, photographers, videographers and editors who share the same heart and vision to share the Gospel to other young people in a contemporary and engaging way. Together they create purposeful social media posts, photo albums, video and print media. With the Sandhurst Diocese covering a large geographical area, social media in particular is a vital tool in connecting young people, and bringing them together. Stronger Youth has a significant presence on Outreach Team The outreach team serves at the front line of our evangelistic apostolate. These are the first people you will see welcoming you at the door of our rallies and retreats. They give up time and resources to share their faith at schools, and they are the ones imagining new and creative ways to invite and make young people feel welcome at Stronger Youth. The Stronger Outreach Team work with the Diocesan Youth Ministry Workers to organise and run the school outreaches. We have seen several of our young team members grow in their faith, and become more confident in their gifts and abilities. They become powerful witnesses to their peers. Tech Team The Tech team is an essential part of our family and mission. They give a first and lasting impression at our presentations and events. Through their sound, lighting and media expertise we are able to achieve the high level necessary to engage today s youth. We believe that youth deserve the best that we can bring and this is why we have partnered with HD Production. The audiovisual displays create a distraction free environment leading the youth into deeper encounter with God.

18 18 Stronger Youth Looking Forward The 2018 Stronger Youth Theme is Fearless coming from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians. In 2018 and beyond Stronger Youth s dreams to fearlessly continue the solid formation of our leaders to equip them to go out and transform the world. We re blessed to be able to have such so many strong and courageous leaders and it is an honour to be able to invest in them on their journey to sainthood. Catholic Education Sandhurst is supporting Stronger Youth in running major events for all the year 9, 10 and 11 students in the Sandhurst Diocese for the Year of Youth. These events will be an experience the students wont forget and will be centered around the joy that is found in Jesus Christ. In 2018 we re also going to be celebrating 10 years of Stronger Youth! This is an exciting time and we can t wait to see for God uses our ministry to reach out to more young people Please pray for the Stronger Youth ministry as we go out to fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel -Ephesians 6:19

19 Stronger Youth 19 Support Us We at Stronger Youth are constantly seeking to respond to the need for young people to receive the Good News of Christ. We are blessed to have the support of many people who pray for our ministry and our young people. We also have the generous financial support from individuals who recognise the good Stronger Youth is doing in the lives of many young people. They desire to help us carry the message of the Gospel to more and more young people. These funds allow many of our youth attend our retreats, enable us to continue school outreach programs, as well as assist the many other ministries within Stronger Youth. If you would like to financially support Stronger Youth contact Danielle Sullivan at for more information. Contact Us Danielle Sullivan Sandhurst Youth Ministry Worker E: P: M: /strongeryouth

20 20 Stronger Youth Young people encountering Jesus Christ and His Church. Becoming stronger and empowered to live as disciples who impact the world /strongeryouth