February 2020 Newsletter
LAST CALL!
EYE20

Episcopal Youth Event 2020

July 7-11, 2020

Washington, DC
Every three years, young people from across The Episcopal Church come together for an international gathering of worship, workshops, exploration, and fun. The 2020 Episcopal Youth Event (EYE20) will be held in partnership with the Washington National Cathedral and the Episcopal Diocese of Washington July 7-11, 2020. 

The deadline to register as part of the Diocese of Massachusetts delegation is February 24, 2020 and more information can be found here.


Pre-Confirmation Retreats are a chance for young people of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts to meet other young people discerning their call to Confirmation, or even just the faith journey in general. The retreats do not try to sum up a year’s worth of classes in one overnight, but we do try to give all who come a feeling for how making a commitment to one’s faith can be lived out not only in church, but in the world and in every part of our day. One of our bishops will join us on each retreat.

The Retreats are led by the members of the Diocesan Youth Council, 10th-12th graders who see part of their leadership and ministry as welcoming all the youth attending retreats, leading small groups, and giving reflections on their own spiritual journeys. They look forward to getting to know you all!

Pre-Confirmation Retreats are held at the Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, and there are two weekends ( March 20-21 and April 3-4 ) to choose from. Get in touch with the Youth Missioner, the Rev. H. Mark Smith, for more information.
We can't wait to hear from you!
Youth Worker Survey 2020

As we move into the new decade, the Office of Youth Ministry is looking to get a sense of how youth ministry is happening across the diocese, and how we can best help support you.

We ask that you take a minute to fill out this survey to let us know what youth ministry looks like in your congregation. Whether you're a priest or a parent, a lay leader or a youth leader, we want to hear from you!
Resources for Youth Ministry
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Lent Madness

Ash Wednesday is only a few weeks away, and we’re looking forward to the tip-off (so to speak) of our favorite seasonal activity! Lent Madness was conceived by the Rev. Tim Schenck as a way to make learning about the lives of the saints more fun and interactive, and has become a national phenomenon in the decade since. It could also make for a great way to get young people engaged both in learning about church history and in the general life of your congregation!

Start by talking about the concept of Lent Madness with your group to gauge interest. You can print out this year’s bracket and talk about any figures that people might already know (this year’s lineup includes St. Harriet Tubman, St. Patrick, and St. Joseph, so there should be at least a few familiar faces). More information on each saint can be found in Forward Motion’s official (and free-to-download) Celebrating the Saints course. If people are interested, they can fill out their brackets (maybe after they watch Bishop Curry fill out his , so they’re not influenced by anything) and go back to lentmadness.org to cast their votes, starting with Thomas More vs. James the Less the day after Ash Wednesday.

Young people might be interested in being Lent Madness leaders for the entire congregation. Consider giving space for young people to update the congregation on the tournament’s progress during announcements, or encourage them to give short presentations about a few of the saints in the running for the coming week. 



For more ideas and resources, check out Talking Shop , our re-vamped resources blog!
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