Description: Gather all the young adults who participate in your ministry for some fun in the sun! This gathering incorporates a yearly ministry reflection with fellowship.
Get Ready
- Prep Time: Start planning early enough to invite all young adults who have participated in your ministry in the past year as well as those looking for a way to jump in and get started. The day of the event, you’ll want to arrive at least an hour ahead of the scheduled start time to set up your space, get grills going, and greet those who arrive early.
- Ideal Group Size: 6-60 — Just be sure to have enough grills to feed everyone in a timely fashion!
- Ideal Time for this Event: Saturday or Sunday in the afternoon or an evening during the week.
- Who is this for? All young adults.
- Supplies Needed: You will want to have a projector or presentation board to display photos of what you’ve done in the past year. Also, be sure to have some lawn games or water toys for entertainment. If you wish, you might contribute food items, paper products, ice, or beverages. (If you don’t provide these, be sure someone is bringing them or that people bring their own!)
- Reserve the Space: Reserve an outdoor space such as a park shelter or pool.
- Volunteers Needed: Four volunteers are needed: one to organize food, one to prepare photos for a display, and two from the leadership team to facilitate the prayer services and the brief presentation.
Publicize the Program
- Personally invite all young adults who have been involved in your ministry and those you know wish to get involved.
- Use Facebook to create an event, send out reminders to those you have invited, and to extend the invitation to those who may want to get involved but have not yet made contact.
- Use the water theme to invite young adults at your parish to “Jump In” and get involved, or “Go Deep” with their faith, or “Stick Your Toe In” and see what young adult ministry is all about. A diving board, renewal, cleansing, or fresh start are all concepts that could help with marketing.
Prayer for Program Planner: Lord, thank you for the blessings of this young adult ministry. I pray that we glorify you in using the gifts you have given each of us. Amen.
Community Building: This program allows fellowship and prayer for members both old and new. A reflection on what has been accomplished affirms past efforts and allows new members an orientation into the young adult ministry.
Make It Happen
Preparations:
- Reserve an outdoor space such as a park or pool. If necessary, someone’s backyard or green space at the parish could work. Be sure it’s large enough to accommodate the number of people you expect.
- Determine how you will arrange food. (For example, ordering sandwiches or pizza or having a potluck with young adults bringing dishes to share or items to grill.) Consider whether or not you wish to provide meat, paper products, beverages, ice, etc., or if you will leave it up to young adults to bring all items. Do they need to say what they are bringing when they RSVP to ensure a variety? Do they need to bring chairs or are those provided?
- Make arrangements for volunteers to lead prayer, create the presentation, and/or keep the grill going.
Day of the Event:
- Arrive early to set up your space.
- Welcome folks as they arrive, and let everyone gather and socialize for a bit before beginning with a prayer of thanksgiving for the past year of ministry (a sample prayer service is provided in the Recommends section below).
- After the prayer, a member from the leadership of your ministry should give a brief reflection on the past year of ministry. (Sample included in the Recommends section.)
- Either during the presentation or alongside it, display photos form the past year. This can be done as a slide show with a projector or on a display board with photos and quotes.
- After this presentation, tell those gathered that it is time to look forward. Invite all present to get involved, and ask current volunteers to stay involved.
- Conclude with a prayer of discernment (a sample prayer service is provided in the Recommends).
- At this point, the young adults are welcome to hang out and enjoy the food, fun, and games for as long as they’d like.
- An activity such as a volleyball game, a water balloon fight, or a diving contest might be a good way to introduce new faces, make people feel comfortable, and most of all have fun!
Recommends
Suggested Outline: Download and use this PDF to guide your prayer service and reflection. (The individual pieces of the outline are listed below.)
Sample Prayer of Thanksgiving: Today we gather in thanksgiving for the past year of our ministry. We give thanks for our community as we keep in mind those who are lonely. We give thanks for our friends as we support each other in our journeys. We give thanks for our faith as we serve God and each other in this ministry. We ask for the strength to continue our ministry in your name. Amen.
Scriptures of Thanksgiving: Psalm 28:6-7, Colossians 2:6-7
Reflection Ideas:
- What events were held this year?
- What kinds of service opportunities were offered or accomplished?
- What relationships were built or strengthened? How did members support each other in their walk of faith?
- Acknowledge the efforts of team or leadership members, but also celebrate the contribution of all who participated.
Sample Prayer of Discernment: Lord, we pray that we may recognize our baptismal calling to serve, love, and proclaim the Gospel. Help us to be confident in the gifts given to us in the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. Lord, you know what is needed from us. Help us to recognize your call and know that we will not respond alone. We trust that You are always beside us, helping us build up the Kingdom of God. Amen.
Scriptures of Calling: Exodus 3:4-12, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Luke 1:31-38 (Reflect for a short time on the ways God is calling each of us to build His Kingdom. Together, pray the Our Father.)
Closing Prayer: Lord, you have blessed us with the work of this ministry. Be with us as we serve you with joy. Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
