Blessed Trinity Parish Religious Education Program
Dear Retreat Team leader:
Thank you for giving up a Saturday in order to help prepare our youth for Confirmation. The following should help make our day go by as smoothly as possible.
• Please arrive at 8:15 a.m. for prayer, set-up, and any last minute details. We will meet at the hall.
• Please become familiar with the small group leader guide. If you are a presenter, please be familiar with the material that you will present and with the small group activities, and prayer rituals.
• Please be prepared to introduce yourselves to the participants by stating your name, how long you have been at this parish, a quick family bio, and why you became a member of the retreat team.
• There will be three conferences and group sharing sessions. As the participants arrive, they will get a name card with one color dot. The dot indicates what small group they will go into for the first conference. For the second conference, the students will go to their small groups according to the color of their ACTION card. For the third conference, the candidates will be divided by using playing cards.
• Please regroup with the participants in the prayer area before each conference.
• Please become familiar with the schedule. This is a guide to keep the day flowing. However, when working with teens, one has to be flexible. Other activities and games may be introduced in between conferences as we see the teens become restless. Be prepared for these possible changes.
• This should be a forum for the teens to share of their faith openly and without inhibition or fear of criticism. They will share openly if they know the group leaders will do the same. Be open to participate in the Spirit games and icebreakers, as the more they know of us, the more comfortable the teens will become.
• The third conference involves a written examination of conscience and the writing of a letter and prayer. Towards the end of the Reconciliation Prayer Service, there will be a burning of these letters outside. At the time of the letter burning, I need adults to keep the participants a safe distance from the chimenea.
• Please write a palanca letter that can be given to any participant who does not receive a letter from their parents or sponsors. This should be a letter of encouragement and of prayers offered for the participant.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone, 646-4320, or by email at dre@btccjax.org. I look forward to seeing you at the retreat.
Linda