Teen Leaders Retreat September 2008

Our theme this year is “Sharing the Good News,” and the seventeen youth are divided into four mentor groups, named after the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  During part of the retreat, we learned about the four gospels and how they differ.

We practiced imagining stories, writing dialog, and creating skits. We practiced a portion of “Hope is Something You Do,” the workshop we will present to middle school youth in January and March 2009.

We also learned about media literacy, in preparation for “Pebbles of Peace outweighing Boulders of Violence,” which will take place in November.

Last year, the Teen Leaders each wrote a “This I Believe” essay, and we tried to contact Miles Goodwin, a local lawyer whose essay was read on the radio and was published in a book with other essays. He never received the email last February, but he did receive it in August! So he contacted us, and agreed to come to our retreat, sharing lunch with us. It was obvious that Mr. Goodwin had read the essays, and spent some time thinking about each young person. After lunch, he went through each one, and asked each Teen Leader author some further questions about their experience.  Many of the Teen Leaders thought that was the best part of the retreat.

This year, our writing project involves planning books. During the retreat, the teen leaders imagined a book about their lives, wrote the title, designed the cover, and created the table of contents, listing each chapter. In future meetings, they will create, “About the Author” as well as the acknowledgements page.

The retreat ended as it always does every year, with Sunday morning Mass and a breakfast prepared by House of Peace’s Miss Shirley and Mr. Randy, that all the Teen Leaders’ families were invited to attend.

We are expecting a successful and fun year, as we plan and prepare for Pebbles, for Hope is Something you Do, and for a new program we are currently calling “Holla Back.” Details about these programs will appear in the future on this web site.

Here are just a few of the comments made by Teen Leaders about this year’s retreat:

• Thank-you for everything. These past four years have really changed my life.
• I really like this program. It’s fun!
• Retreats are a ton of fun and we learn a lot!
• I enjoy being part of the House of Peace.
• I really appreciate this opportunity
• I like the word kerygma because it was always good positive news.

• The best part was getting the Bibles and This I Believe CD
• The best part was talking about our essays.
• The best part was developing friendships
• The best part was when we made the skits
• The best part was getting to know the new people
• The best part was meeting Miles Goodwin and hearing what he said to everyone.
• The best part was helping new Teen Leaders when they didn’t know what to do
• The best part was how I kept our media skit going
• The best part was when I could contributed my knowledge of the gospels

• I learned to have integrity at all times.
• I learned how to work as a whole group
• I learned “Godspell” means “Gospel” and “God’s Story”
• I learned that learning leadership skills can be a fun experience
• I learned Peacemaking skills
• I learned that God’s generosity is for everyone, but we still should not abuse that love.
• I learned not to take things for granted and to appreciate what you already have.
• I learned “kerygma” is Greek for “Good News