Jesus Youth Teens Ministry Teens Day Celebration - Introduction Theme: “Christ leads us to go out from ourselves more and more, to give ourselves and to serve others.” –Pope Francis via Twitter, June 4 2013. Teens Day to Teens Month: Instead of confining Teens day to October 1st, we are making the whole month of October a time of celebration. Hence the emphasis is more on continuous practices rather than a onetime celebration. Lets us encourage our teenagers to learn and practice many good habits. The possibilities provided in the package can help them begin. Celebrating with Mother Mary: October is also the month dedicated to the devotion of the Holy Rosary. Hence our teenagers should be taught the power of the rosary, encouraged to pray rosaries, emulate Mother Mary’s life of purity and ask her intercession for the same. Common celebration aspects: An adoration or Holy Mass, Zonal or city based Teens Ministry Gathering, Rosary Procession are expected to be done by all cities. An innovative space: We encourage the cities/ zones/regions to come up with something extraordinarily creative, engaging and inspiring. Discuss, Plan and execute it in your place and after that write to us about it by the end of the month. The best one will get a prize with your entry being published in Teens Ministry National Newsletter-Teen Beats. A Request: All the Teens Ministry leaderships are requested to share this package with maximum people and ensure participation. And ministry leaders are expected to communicate to the teenagers their possibilities ad enlisted in the package. Only you can ensure that the package doesn’t just remain in paper but is effectively implemented making 2013 Teens Day a most memorable and blessed one. 1 "Lord, let thy Kingdom come among Teens"
Jesus Youth Teens Ministry Teens Day Celebration - Package Explaining the Package: There are 3 categories- the first category is “Teenagers”, the possibilities of a teen during the month. The second one contains the possibilities of schools and the third one has the possibilities of a zone. Various possibilities are listed under the 3 different categories. Each category has “bolded” options that are expected to be taken up by all while others are optional. These can be done on any day in October or continuously on many days or all days of October. TEENAGERS:
Identify a financially week student/kid in your school/parish/neighbourhood, collect money /study material/dress for him/her from family and friends and hand over to a teacher/parish priest who can help that student.
Collect Rs.1 from friends and family and buy a gift for a poor kid.
Skip a meal and offer it to a hungry person
Find and read material on St. Elizabeth of Hungary and share about her life with friends/atleast one friend.
Help your mom in cooking or some household chore
Clean your classroom by arranging the desks and chairs, cleaning the blackboard etc.
Write quotes on service from Mother Teresa or Pope Francis on your class black board/parish notice board.(Mother Teresa: “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” Pope Francis: “Christ leads us to go out from ourselves more and more, to give ourselves and to serve others.”)
Read the newspaper and pray for the people in distress.
Offer help to teachers in carrying books or arranging their shelf etc. and if the teacher gives you an opportunity to explain ,share the reason for your doing it.
Avoid play time or use a recess to help someone.
Clean your Church surroundings
Offer your seat to an old or older person you meet while travelling.
Help a week student with a tough subject
Learn the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi by saying the prayer daily. 2 "Lord, let thy Kingdom come among Teens"
Jesus Youth Teens Ministry SCHOOLS:
'Spread a smile' campaign: Few students and teachers can go to a nearby orphanage/old age home or other such places and get to know their situations and need. If not practical, at least call and check. Things might be toys, football, cricket bats, books, new clothes, shoes, umbrella and so on for kids. Or other things if it is an old age home (preferably materials and not money)
Consolidate it and put up the list in your class rooms or school notice board.
Each student (with support from family or relatives or so) can commit any of these things or the money for that.
Put a yellow smiley face in each class room which says 'Let’s together spread a smile'. Some good quotes from Pope, saints, other great personalities etc can also be used along with the smiley.
Small smiley badges made out of paper can be worn by students who are supporting the cause and contributing.
On Teens day/ weekend/ after class hours or whenever convenient, students along with a teacher can visit this place with the collected materials and spend some quality time with the inmates.
Use a break time and celebrate Teens Day by sharing the life of a saint who led a life of service.
Your classmates of friends can bring lunch packets from home and share it with people who don’t have any means of food.
Help modify your school garden
Clean the writings on walls in your school premises.
Go along with your friends to the kindergarten section of your school and spend some time with the kids there.
Donate a cricket bat or football to your own school or a poor and needy school nearby.
Arrange a few waste baskets in different parts of your school and encourage using them.
Chart displays on people who lived lives of sevice/saints
Collect some money and donate a book to your school library.
3 "Lord, let thy Kingdom come among Teens"
Jesus Youth Teens Ministry ZONES/CITIES:
Find a sponsor/sponsors and help a teenager study for an entire academic year
Collect Newspaper from Zonal JY friends and others and buy study materials for kids in need.
Distribute small handwritten (or printed) wishes to teenagers in the schools near to you…as they leave their schools /tuition/coaching centres stand outside, wish them and distribute.
Visit an old age home/orphanage and have a meal with the inmates, cut a cake.
Clean the venue where the ministry has its usual gathering.
Visit a poor neighbourhood and spend time with the kids there.
Make rosaries or collect rosaries and gift them to people who are in pain and sorrow and share with them about Mary, help of Christians.
Literary Competitions based on the life of saints who rendered service to poor and needy.
Go out together in small groups to the streets and help every person who needs help-buying a meal, cleaning up, helping in work, giving alms, giving water.
4 "Lord, let thy Kingdom come among Teens"