Greater Rochester Area Catholic Youth Ministry High School Service Trip 2015 Thrive: a Reflection on Catholic Moral Teaching Springfield, Illinois June 23-28, 2015
Thrive - Catholic Moral Teaching High School Service Trip Springfield, IL June 23-28, 2015 The High School Service Trip is a collaborative effort of the Greater Rochester Area Catholic Youth Ministry Network. It is open to any high school student, Catholic or otherwise, who is currently in grade 9-12 (2014-2015 school year). While there are many reasons parishes offer service trips, we are convinced that our main reason is because Christ has called us and has commissioned us to recognize the intrinsic dignity that resides in each and every person with whom we come in contact. This year s trip will take us to Springfield, IL where we will join together with high school youth from all over the United States. Our host organization, Alive in You, is run by Jim Weir, a youth minister from Texas, and some of the best staff in the country. We are excited to be joining Jim and his ministry this summer. This packet of information will walk you through this year s trip and will give you a better understanding of all it has to offer. We cannot wait to gather our team and begin to prepare! We would like to leave you with an invitation from G.K. Chesterton to reflect on and pray about as you begin to discern whether or not you would like to attend this year s trip: Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair. Too often we reduce the faith to a set of rules which we have to follow. Chesterton reminds us that we should be focused on falling in love with the one who first loved us; there is no better way to do so than by encountering him in the sacraments and experiencing him by serving others. This service trip will provide you with multiple opportunities to live the faith and put the Gospel into action. -Greater Rochester Area Youth Ministry Team 2
3 About The vision of Alive in You is to enable our participants to open their hearts and allow Christ to become the center of their lives. Our goal is to educate, motivate and provide young people with a life changing Catholic experience. Alive in You is grounded in the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church and we strive to provide the perfect balance of faith, service, education and fun. It is most important that our participants return home with a practical sense of how to live their faith. Through education and experiencing the Sacraments, they will have a renewed sense of their Catholic identity and a firm foundation to continue their walk with Christ. Alive in You will also provide resources, ideas, activities and support for youth ministers in order to keep the fire burning when they return home. Keynote Musicians APeX is two Catholic men (Brad Farmer and Gene Monterastelli) who have made it their lives work since 1996 to criss-cross North America sharing the Truth and Joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have crafted a unique style that engages an audience and creates rapport through telling parables through sketch comedy, seamlessly integrating the use of juggling and street performer style skill and intensity. Once an audience is thoroughly engaged, Brad and Gene share personal testimony of spiritual realities and take them deeper in exploring the Catholic themes of their parables. Brad and Gene then challenge the audience to put the concepts into practice in every day life. Steven Joubert and his band have served as the musicians at Alive in You each summer since 2010. Steven's ability to provide a high energy environment and also navigate participants into worship is amazing. "I started playing music with the intention of writing songs that were positive and purely rock. However, over the years, I felt led to create something deeper; something to inspire people to live their lives for Christ. Alive in You gives me and my band members an opportunity to truly minister to young people. I also like how the music we are able to share at Alive in You encompasses a full spectrum of sound and feelings. The young people at Alive in You are an inspiration and we are blessed to be able to share our summer with them."
4 What to expect Each day will bring new excitement, challenges, and opportunities for growth. Our two main goals for the trip are: 1) to serve the people of the community of Springfield; and 2) to deepen our own faith by engaging in the activities throughout the year leading up to, during, and after the trip. A tentative schedule is as follows (times are estimated and subject to change). Travel details are being ironed out and will be made available later in the Spring: Tuesday June 23 Departure from Pax Christi Arrival in Springfield, IL Wednesday-Friday June 24-26 7:00 Wake-up & Breakfast 8:00 Morning Prayer & Send-off 8:30 Travel to Service Sites 12:00 Lunch at Service Sites 3:00 Return from Sites & Free Time 4:00 Mass 5:00 Dinner 7:00 Evening Program (Fri. Begin Conference) 9:00 Parish Time 10:00 Free Time 11:00 Lights Out Saturday June 27 Morning: Parish Activity Afternoon: Continue Conference Evening: Continue Conference & Closing Mass Sunday June 28 Depart Springfield Arrive at Six Flags Great America Dinner Together as a Team Depart for Pax Christi Arrive in Rochester (Pax Christi)
5 Pre Trip Schedule Meetings November 23 November 25 December 7 Informational Mtg. (anyone interested) 9:30 am @ Christ the King Informational Mtg. (anyone interested) 7:00 pm @ Pax Christi Informational Mtg. (anyone interested) 11:30 am @ St. Pius X December 30 Early Registration Deadline (lock-in your rate of $450) Registrations after December 30 will be at a rate of $500 January 10 January 10 February 28 April 25 June 14 Adult Leader Meeting (adult leaders) 9:00-10:00 am Team Meeting (all team members) 10:00-11:30 am @ St. Pius X Team Meeting (all team members) 10:00-11:30 am @ Pax Christi Team Meeting (all team members) 10:00-11:30 am @ St. Pius X Logistics Meeting (parents & all team members) 12:00-1:00 pm @ Pax Christi Participation and Expectations Preparation for this year s service trip will be an on-going process. When you commit to going on the trip you commit also to being a part of the team. Please put these dates in your calendar. All bolded meeting dates above are MANDATORY. We do, however, know that sometimes conflicts arise; in the case of such a conflict please be sure let your youth minister/adult leaders know why you cannot attend and make arrangements to get the information you will miss. Fundraising Fundraising is dependent upon your respective parish. Please contact your youth minister/adult leaders for more information. If there are opportunities for joint fundraising your youth ministers/adult leaders will let you know.
6 Cost & Payment Information The cost for this year s trip will be $450 (early registration) or $500 (regular rate). This amount covers: Alive in You registration ($320/student); Leaders registration ($320/leader); Six Flags Great America admission fee, a team dinner, gifts for our leaders; and other incidental costs. A $100, down payment (non-refundable) is due w/registration forms on December 30th. Any registration received after December 30th will be charged the regular rate of $500 and a $150 down payment will be due upon registration. A final payment (cost of trip minus money fundraised) will be due on June 15th. We will contact you about your final amount by June 1st. Note about transportation costs: The cost of transportation will be split among the parishes and is not reflected in the cost/student. The total amount charged to the parish will depend on how many students from that parish attend the trip (total cost of transportation/total number of students x number of students at respective parish).
Frequently Asked Questions How much does it cost to attend the High School Service Trip? Registration is $320 per person for Alive in You and covers: Lodging Meals while at the school & worksites Programming (speakers, musicians, staff, etc ) T-shirt and other work camp essentials We then add $180, for a total of $500 ($450 for early registration) to cover: Adult registration costs ($320/adult leader) Recreational activity Team dinner Thank you gifts for our Adult Leaders Any incidental costs throughout the trip What are the age requirements? Open to students in grades 8-12 during the 14-15 school year What is the adult leader/student ratio? 1 adult leader for every 5-6 students How do we get there? The parishes subsidize a charter bus. This keeps the trip cost down and enables more of our young people to have the opportunity to experience the work camp. How do we get to our worksites? Our bus will take us in the morning and pick us up in the afternoon each day. What kinds of projects will we do? Typical work may include: painting, simple building projects, landscaping, working at a food pantry or social service organization, working with children at a low income daycare, etc Does Alive in You offer daily Mass? Yes! There will also be opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What are the accommodations? We will be staying at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School located at 1200 W. Washington, Springfield, IL. We will be sleeping on classroom/gym floors, bring a camping pad/air mattress and a sleeping bag. 7
Catholic Identity "We cannot give to the outside what we don't have on the inside" -Mother Teresa Prayer: Through prayer we bring our hearts closer to Jesus, become receptive to the Father s will, and open ourselves up to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. There will be lots of activity throughout the week. We will make sure that participants take the opportunity for personal and communal reflection and prayer. Rosary: We will say a decade of the rosary each day. By the end of the week, we will have said a full rosary. We will teach the prayers to participants who may not be familiar with the Rosary. Reconciliation: During the week participants will have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We invite all Catholic participants to take advantage of this awesome and lifegiving Sacrament. Mass: Daily Mass will be available for participants every afternoon. Community: This journey will expose our group to many new people. Participants are encouraged to come with an open mind to create new friendships and grow together in Christ. Most importantly we hope our group will leave the service trip with a stronger knowledge of their faith and a desire to serve our community. Service: "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." Matthew 25:40. As Catholics we are called to serve! Service is not always in the form of cleaning, painting and rebuilding; it is also in the form of listening to those in need, loving the unloved and sharing the faith! 8
9 What Now? Pray There is no better way to discern than to pray. Put yourself in front of Christ in adoration, close the door to your room, be still and silent. Ask God to speak to you. Tell him you want to do his will and then be open go where he is calling you. Use this prayer if you wish: Father, help me to know your will for me in all aspects of life. If it is your wish, send a sense of calm over my decision making process particularly as I determine whether or not you are calling me to participate in this service trip. Amen. Ask Questions Do you have questions about the trip? Talk to your youth minister and/or adult leaders: Contact Zach Rawson, at Pax Christi, about how to get in touch with your respected youth minister/leader(s). Turn in Forms and Down Payment Fill out the attached form and turn in your down payment of $150 ($100 for early bird pricing by December 30th, 2014). Prepare Yourself Continue to pray every day. Go to Mass as often as you can. Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Meet with somebody who has gone on a service trip before for coffee at St. James. Open yourself to the various ways God is working in your life. Meet with your youth minister(s) to come up with a spiritual plan/goal for yourself as you prepare for the trip. Invite a Friend Put the New Evangelization and the Gospel into action. Tell a friend about the trip and encourage him or her to participate and journey with you. Serve Others Right Now! Begin serving others here in Rochester. Check out: Dorothy Day House; Ronald McDonald House; Gift of Life Transplant House; Community Clothes Line; Catholic Charities; United Way; Boys and Girls Club; Channel 1; Community Food Response; Assisi Heights; Madonna Towers; Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN); Faith Formation at your parish; St. James Coffee; etc...
10 High School Service Trip 2015 Thrive: a Reflection on Catholic Moral Teaching God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. -Genesis 1:27 Pax Christi Youth Ministry 507-282-8542 paxchristichurch.org/youth 4135 18th Avenue Northwest, Rochester, Minnesota 55901