Office of the Bishop
- 2728 6th Avenue
San Diego, CA. 92103-6397
Tel. 619-291-5947 - » Contact Us
- » Email Us
Communication
Church Locater
Happy, healthy youth ministry
By Enrique Serrano, youth minister at Trinity, Escondido
[May 12, 2010] It was all a big secret. I had rookie kids excited about going, and I was ready to take them. We knew we were headed to Green Oak Ranch in Vista for a Friday night through Sunday afternoon retreat. We knew it was a weekend set up for high schoolers by high schoolers, but beyond that, I, a rookie myself, could only meet their questions about what Happening was going to be like with, “We’ll have to wait and see.”
We few from Trinity Episcopal Church ventured into the weekend, two and a half days spent together and the mystery beforehand certainly paid off. My kids were able to go through the time moment by moment, not knowing what to expect and needing to just follow along, trusting they were being led with purpose. And, the trust needed to follow the leaders and the instructions was an integral part of the weekend as the kids gave in (mostly) to a schedule characterized only by togetherness with other kids from across the diocese and with God.
Two participants in the Spring Happening 2010.
Without betraying the content of the weekend, I will say that the relationships, examples of faith, and lessons of the weekend made a lasting impression on the kids who came with me.
“I am definitely coming back,” said Kylee Quick, a high school student who plans on staffing the next Happening the first weekend of October 2010. She is excited to be involved in planning and to develop relationships she started in March. I am excited to see her grow as a leader and as a Christian in the intimate and nourishing community that is Happening.
I was able to witness such leadership and faith in some of the kids who had led Happening again when I took a few middle schoolers to New Beginnings, a weekend retreat for that middle school students led by high schoolers. Taking place at Good Shepherd in Hemet the first weekend in May, we spent time together in spiritual contemplation and reflection, learning and sharing, and fun.
The congregation lovingly embraced the kids, and were, in turn, moved by their enthusiasm and faith. And, where middle schoolers often have a, well, middle school-ish reputation, their honesty and seriousness in togetherness and worship was not only inspiring, but I felt honored to learn and worship right along with them. The kids were encouraged by getting to know Episcopalian youth beyond their own church, and this demonstrated to me the importance of continuing to involve my kids in the life of the wider Church.
New Beginnings students with the people of Good Shepherd, Hemet
To that end, my high schoolers (and others from all over our province) are looking forward to the Provincial Youth Event (PYE), a gathering of Province VIII teens to be held July 20 - 25 at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. Besides the excitement of travel, fun, and spiritual communion with hundreds of youth, the time together, themed “When You Pray...” after Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 6, will focus the kids on “exploring prayer in ways as diverse as those gathered.” Learn more about PYE here.
At churches throughout our diocese, youth groups are focused on getting there, with fundraisers and prayer that God will use this major event to deepen God’s call to the kids in our diocese’s care.
Alex Krikorian of St. David’s, one of many San Diego teens who led both Happening and New Beginnings, took part in a recent planning weekend in preparation for the provincial event, which will serve youth from Alaska, Washington, Hawaii and Arizona.
“I really enjoyed the time we spent this past weekend planning all of the events for the upcoming Provincial Youth Event,” said Krikorian. “The creative thinking from all of the representatives there was and is absolutely amazing. The ideas that were being metabolized were incredibly profound and unique, and the final brainchild of all the thinking was this week that will be absolutely spiritually amazing, and really fun for those involved. I am honored to be a part of something as monumental to the Episcopal youth of our province as this, and am so anxious to see how it is played out.”
Indeed, the geographical diversity of, and cooperative planning for, the meeting will foster a unique atmosphere as relationships are forged by youth throughout the western Episcopal Church during a week-long merging of contemporary and traditional forms of worship, service, sharing, and recreation activities.
The participation of San Diego youth in this provincial event is being coordinated by individual churches through the Diocesan Youth Commission, a monthly gathering of youth and adult leaders that fosters communication between parishes and organizes monthly youth events for the diocese. To stay up to date on what the youth are doing, regularly check out their part of the diocesan website!