You Have 60 Minutes

[Brother Adam]

Awesome quote I am totally stealing it, and thank you MissyP, that is what I was looking for.

Things have been rearranged some already. Our numbers keep growing now that we are a couple of days away. Part 1 is set up to talk about chastity now, especially to get the point across that what society is selling will not make them happy. I have a short talk in there called "A girl is worth more than a whopper" to try to really hit home to guys to stop acting like idiots, and am using Life Teen's XXX life night. The 2nd part I am using The "Heart of the Mystery" Life Night to share the story of the Gospel and will have a teen and an adult talk about what Jesus did in their life. Hopefully then that will give them a chance to respond to God's call in their life, say to "hell" with all this stress trying to keep up with being popular is causing me and go on a true rebellion with Christ against the prince of darkness. Father is going to be there during adoration and praise and worship to offer confession and talk to those who are not Catholic.

[AudreyGrace]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' timestamp='1293658043' post='2194974']
There are a lot of different avenues. I think you've chosen a good approach. Moments like these are when I'm particularly blessed to share my conversion story (which was a powerful experience from atheism to Catholicism), one that many young people can really relate to.

For Adoration, I might suggest somehow incorporating Bl. Mother Teresa's quote: "When you look at the crucifix, you see how much He loved you then. When you look at the Eucharist, you see how much He loves you now."
[/quote]


beautiful

[AudreyGrace]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1293404268' post='2194514']
You have 35 teens. 15 of them are Catholic, of those 15 maybe 5 of them are truly committed and faithful. 20 of them are friends of the Catholic teens. They are at your parish for an over night new years lock in. Most of the night will be spent on capture the flag, glow in the dark toilet paper dodge ball, bowling, movies, games type stuff. For 60 minutes though, you have the opportunity to present the Gospel. For another 60 minutes later in the night they will be at Adoration. Some of these kids do not believe in God. There will even be a militant atheist who will argue that science disproves the need for God. Many will be open if the Gospel is presented in the right way.

How do you evangelize them. What do you say? What would you want a youth minister to say to you?
[/quote]

Well, praise God that the atheist is going in the first place! Science can only go so far... if the universe started with a speck of dust, who made the speck of dust?
Also, it seems ironic to me that more energy is put into disproving God's existence than there is of proving God's existence.
For the gospel, I would reference to 1Timothy 4:11-12, about youth setting an example. Or, 1John chapter 4. The "God is love" theme is so powerful to myself and many Catholic teens i'm friends with.
Before adoration, perhaps a quick reflection on the parable of the Prodigal Son? Emotions tend to flow during adoration in my youth group, and often I've witnessed teens run back to their Father in the Eucharist during adoration. Also, an interesting approach would be to read part of the creation story, and emphasize that the God that created everything on Earth is present right there in adoration.
Another good meditation would be a quote from St. Augustine, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."
Good luck!

[AudreyGrace]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1293404268' post='2194514']
You have 35 teens. 15 of them are Catholic, of those 15 maybe 5 of them are truly committed and faithful. 20 of them are friends of the Catholic teens. They are at your parish for an over night new years lock in. Most of the night will be spent on capture the flag, glow in the dark toilet paper dodge ball, bowling, movies, games type stuff. For 60 minutes though, you have the opportunity to present the Gospel. For another 60 minutes later in the night they will be at Adoration. Some of these kids do not believe in God. There will even be a militant atheist who will argue that science disproves the need for God. Many will be open if the Gospel is presented in the right way.

How do you evangelize them. What do you say? What would you want a youth minister to say to you?
[/quote]

Well, praise God that the atheist is going in the first place! Science can only go so far... if the universe started with a speck of dust, who made the speck of dust?
Also, it seems ironic to me that more energy is put into disproving God's existence than there is of proving God's existence.
For the gospel, I would reference to 1Timothy 4:11-12, about youth setting an example. Or, 1John chapter 4. The "God is love" theme is so powerful to myself and many Catholic teens i'm friends with.
Before adoration, perhaps a quick reflection on the parable of the Prodigal Son? Emotions tend to flow during adoration in my youth group, and often I've witnessed teens run back to their Father in the Eucharist during adoration. Also, an interesting approach would be to read part of the creation story, and emphasize that the God that created everything on Earth is present right there in adoration.
Another good meditation would be a quote from St. Augustine, "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us."
Good luck!

[Brother Adam]

Teens just kill me.

[Lil Red]

what do you mean?

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1293404268' post='2194514']
You have 35 teens. 15 of them are Catholic, of those 15 maybe 5 of them are truly committed and faithful. 20 of them are friends of the Catholic teens. They are at your parish for an over night new years lock in. Most of the night will be spent on capture the flag, glow in the dark toilet paper dodge ball, bowling, movies, games type stuff. For 60 minutes though, you have the opportunity to present the Gospel. For another 60 minutes later in the night they will be at Adoration. Some of these kids do not believe in God. There will even be a militant atheist who will argue that science disproves the need for God. Many will be open if the Gospel is presented in the right way.

How do you evangelize them. What do you say? What would you want a youth minister to say to you?
[/quote]

I used to be a youth leader at my parish where our main focus was on youth associated with gangs in our city. Talk about a tough crowd. Most were only there because it "counted" as community service. Others went because their grandmas made them, and for gang members, respectin' your grandma is extremely important. (most of the kids were being raised by their grandma's...)

on their very first retreat, I spoke to them about the Passion of the Christ. All the lights were turned off, and only candles were lit around a huge crucifix. I narrated the story of the suffering and death of Jesus in words they would understand. (for example: when I told them that Christ had to carry His cross all the way from the city out to Golgotha, that was like pushing your 75' Impala up the steep highway FM 621 to Skull Rd in Martindale...terms they would have understood, and related to...) They were silent and captivated when I went into detail of his crucifixion. And what really touched them was when I said that from the cross, Jesus could see all of Jerusalem, He could see all the people in the marketplaces, doing their usual Friday chores, walking about, milling about as if nothing special were happening right before their midst. The Son of God was dying for them, and they had no idea. But then, I told them, "at the same time...Christ could see the people who would come in the future, those who would follow Him, those who would also be oblivious to Him, He could see the Church as it is today...." and while pointing to some of them, i said, "He could see you...he could see you....and you...and he could see the times you broke the law...and the times you would beat and hurt other people, the times you stole, the times you cursed, the times you ignored Him and didn't want to come to Church.....He could see all that, and He was dying for you...for each one of you...He went through all of this so that you would have a chance to be saved from your sins..." At that point, the great majority of them were not only speechless, but emotional. I ended the narration by inviting them to give their hearts to Christ, to recite a prayer I had prepared, where they are giving their hearts to Jesus, and also by signing a little paper heart and leaving it in a basket at the foot of the Crucifix. I told them that the Fathers were there to hear their confessions, if they wanted to go, and if they weren't ready for that, to at least talk to Father about any problems they were having, or any trouble they were in. When the lights turned on, we had Gregorian Chant playing in the background, while the kids prayed their prayer, and then wrote their names on their paper hearts and were putting them in the little basket. What really touched me that night, is that, the most obnoxious trouble maker in the group who always spewed out hateful comments about the Church and Jesus, came up to me and with tears in his eyes, and said, "Miss....I didn't get a paper heart...."

Most of these guys had no clue that God exists, and that He was madly in love with them...I think that is the most important message to give to the youth today...