Description: We all walk the journey of suffering, death, and resurrection with passion. Jesus’ Passion reminds us of the mystery of love and the power it has to connect and bring to life humanity. This service retreat calls young adults to visit places they would not normally go and to make new connections with a culture or neighborhood they would not normally enter.
Get Ready
- Prep Time: Three or four weeks in advance, a partnership needs to be developed between the desired place of service and facilitator. You should also make arrangements for a retreat center or convent to stay overnight, if you decide to make this a full weekend experience.
- Volunteers Needed: Five-six. Volunteers will be needed to make arrangements with service site, connect with leaders at the organization, and explain the purpose of the exercise (which is to broaden the minds and hearts of the immersion group). Volunteers will need to set up reflective space, make sure there is food and beverage (i.e., coffee at the venue where prayers and retreat will happen). After the program ends, volunteers will also need to reach out to the service site or the individual families to share gratitude via thank you notes, telephone calls, or a personal visit. Follow-up is an important aspect of this program.
- Reserve the Space: Program facilitator will need to select a place of service for the group: a prison, a detention center, an impoverished urban neighborhood (community center, church program). At the location, there needs to be a separate, comfortable, safe, and private place for reflection after service, which is tempered towards the group’s spiritual comfort. This space allows conversations to happen freely after the service experience. The program is written for a weekend retreat, but could be adapted to for a one-day experience. The volunteer facilitator would need to make arrangements ahead of time to have a retreat space, church rectory, or convent that will house guests overnight and will also need to coordinate opportunities for immersion.
- Supplies: Pillows, rugs, small tea lights, blankets, Bible, reflective music, reflection images on papers or projected on screen via computer/iPad, speakers, food/beverages, pens, journals.
- Ideal Group Size: Six to eight.
- Who is this for? Young adults, young married couples, parents, and college students.
- When is a good time for this? A weekend carved out for the whole experience of service, prayer, and education would be ideal. A one-day (Saturday or Sunday) retreat would also work if that is the preference of your group.
- Publicize the Program:
- To successfully promote this activity and get young adults excited about participating, it may need to take place somewhere a short distance away from home, away from the distractions of life. This will allow young adults to focus on the opportunity of short-term mission and immersion. To this end — Invite young adults (via social media, church bulletin, Catholic newspaper, etc.) to meet for dinner to share a vision of service and immersion. Encourage young adults to plan a weekend getaway using the guidelines in this program.
Prayer for Program Planner: Loving God, amidst the busyness of our everyday lives, you have invited us to stillness and reflection. We remember that we are in your presence as we plan and experience this retreat. Amen.
Community Building: This program, firstly, will be a group effort to get to know one another, and then the group will stretch further into knowing the people whom they will meet. Gather with breakfast then prayer. Service would then follow the gathering. Morning breakfast time is a good time for the group’s social development.
