March 2019 Newsletter
www.diomassyouth.org

PRE-CONFIRMATION RETREATS

March 22-23 or April 5-6, 2019
Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center
PreConfirmation 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!
Last call!!
Youth members sought to serve on the EYE20 Planning Team
Application deadline:
March 17 at 5 PM
Every three years, the young people of The Episopal Church gather for an international gathering of worship, workshops, exploration, and fun. The next EYE is in the summer of 2020, and the event is organized by a youth planning team from across the church.

Planning Team members are charged with creating and implementing EYE20 from beginning to end. Team members must be mature in their faith and able to commit to the work and commitments necessary for the year-long process of developing an international event of this scale.

Someone from the Diocese of Massachusetts has been on the Planning Team for the last two EYE's, EYE17 (OK) and EYE14 (PA). Let's keep the streak going!

PB+J
Presiding Bishop's Jamboree
with Youth
Saturday, April 27, 2019
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

Cathedral Church of St. Paul
138 Tremont St., Boston
All middle and high school students invited!

The afternoon begins with pizza, followed by an opportunity for young people to share with Bishop Curry and each other their dreams for the church and for the world, and to receive in person his dynamic challenge and invitation to them, and to our church.

This youth event is part of a full afternoon of events for the diocese, including a ministry fair at the Cathedral and a public rally with Bishop Curry on the Boston Common. For a full description of the Presiding Bishop's visitation, see  www.diomass.org .


Mark your calendars. Organize your car pools. Tell your neighbors!
You won't want your kids to miss this great event.

Registration for PB+J will close on Monday, April .22.
How will you and your friends spend their summer? How about hiking, boating, campfires, swimming, learning, archery, arts & crafts, worship, challenge course, dance, theater, music, camping, and so much more!

Registration is open for Summer Camp at Barbara C. Harris Camp & Conference Center. And be sure to check out the revamped programs for senior campers--Leadership Base; Sports Base, and Outdoor Base.

Remember that the sooner you register, the more likely you will get the schedule you want! Scholarship support is available.
Resources for Youth Ministry

The Teenage Brain Explained
(with thanks to Randall Curtis, Ministry Developer for Young Adults and Youth for the Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas, for his suggestion of these resources.)

Despite the common portrayals in popular culture and far too many coffee hour conversations, young people are NOT ailiens, and they are NOT mentally or morally diseased. They are people in a specific and specialized stage of development--neither really young adults nor really old children.

Over the last decade the scientific community has learned that the teen years encompass vitally important stages of brain development.  Following are several resources to help better understand what is happening in this phase of development and how we can best support our young people and their developmental needs.

  • In an episode of the Podcast SciShow, "The Teenage Brain Explained," host Hank Green explains what is happening to the during the angsty-time in simple, clear, accessible language. Might make a great resource for parents.
  • For a deeper dive, see The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist's Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults, by Frances E. Jensen and Amy Ellis Nutt. Out for several years now, it remains a useful text.
  • BuzzFeed's Ze Frank and actor Rainn Wilson describe the highs and lows of living with the young developing brain, whether it be your own, your friends', or your child's.This honest and humorous video might be an interesting discussion-starter with your young people.(Does contain a tiny bit of "PG13 language.")