Each participant will
spend a significant part of the weekend with his/her
peers engaging in age-appropriate formation. The
long-term goal is for teens to experience different
material throughout multiple years of CYX.
Adult
volunteers, chaperones, youth ministry leaders, etc.
also have their own adult learning session. (Why let the
teens hog all the fun?!)
Freshmen: Leadership Development, Christian leadership
skills
Welcome
to the big time! You’ve waited a long time to
finally call yourself a “high schooler.” Now you’re
here...what are you gonna’ do with it?! For the next
four years you have the power to lead others in so many
ways. Are you gonna' use that power for good or evil?!
These learning sessions are designed to give you
hands-on skills in real Christian leadership skills
training, so that you may lead as Jesus Christ did. Get
to know more about who you really are, and how to work
more effectively with those around you to bring out the
best in everyone! God only made one YOU, but together
with a lot of other “yous” oh what we can accomplish!
About the Facilitators... Kimberley Hoogeveen
is the Youth Ministry Coord. at St. Maria Goretti in
Dyer.
She is happily married to Jim, an artist who has lent
his talents to diocesan youth events for years
(including the CYX logo!). The two have three children:
Joshua, Adriel, and Sophia. She has been a youth
ministry leader for over fifteen years, and is a recent
graduate of the diocesan lay ecclesial ministry program.
Deanna McDonald is a licensed mental health
professional, most recently served as the Dir. of Field
Instruction & Asst. Clinical Professor at Indiana U. NW
in Gary, and is a former director of the diocesan TAPT
retreat. Deanna and Kim are both members of the TAPT
Advisory Board for the Diocese of Gary OYYA.
Sophomores:
Exploring Christian Relationships
It’s a word you hear a lot: relationships. So-called
“experts” make millions selling books, videos, TV
shows, etc. telling you how to develop your
relationships. But how many of them acknowledge the
presence of a very real God? And what about your
relationship with God? These sessions will allow you
to explore and discuss the many developing
relationships in your life, including family, opposite
sex, friends, and God. We’ll also explore what the
Church has to say about these relationships.
About the
Facilitators... Radley
Robinson and Ryan Holcomb of
Highland are both diocesan youth ministry vets: they have both served as CYX learning session
presenters at every CYX since its inception in 2004.
Radley and Ryan are both experienced leaders on the
Teens Are People Too (TAPT) retreat as well:
Radley recently served as "OATS" Director for
the most recent diocesan TAPT retreat in March, and
Ryan has previously served as an adult leader on two
TAPTs. Radley will appreciate the weekend's peace and
quiet: he and wife Marjorie just had their second
child, Matthew, in June!
Juniors:
Proud To Be Catholic!
What
does it mean to be Catholic in the “real world?” You may
have been doing what you’ve been doing since you were a
kid, but did you ever ask why we do what we do? What are
these Sacraments and traditions and do we fully
participate in them? Even something as simple as Sunday
Mass is something extraordinary and magnificent if you
know enough about it! And what about those questions and
comments you hear at school: “Why do you worship Mary?”
“Catholics aren’t really Christians.” Explore good
answers to hard questions, and learn how to not only
embrace the Catholic faith, but be PROUD of it!
About the Facilitators...Mark Erdosy is the
Director of the San Damiano Scholarship Program and the
Director of Church Relations for Marian College in
Indianapolis, a Catholic college dedicated to excellent
teaching and learning in the Franciscan and liberal arts
traditions. As part of his job, Mark works with the San
Damiano Scholars, students working toward lay,
religious, or ordained leadership positions in the
church. One of those students is Vicky Hathaway,
a former Diocesan Youth Council rep from St. Edward
(Lowell), who will join Mark in
leading these sessions.
Incoming Juniors Learning Sessions presented by Marian
College, Indianapolis
Incoming HS Seniors:
Forming Consciences for Faithful
Citizenship
Even those who cannot vote have
the right to have their voices heard on issues that
affect their lives and the common good. (USCCB's
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, no.
16)
This election year you'll hear lots
of mudslinging, rhetoric, and promises. You'll see
banner waving, signs stuck in yards, and maps with blue
states and red states. You know by now that getting
involved in political concerns is your right and duty as
a U.S. citizen. But what does it mean to be a faithful
citizen? How do you reconcile Catholic social teaching
with the U.S. political process? These sessions will
help shape your political conscience, explore issues
from a Catholic perspective, and perhaps most important:
inspire you to get involved in your community!
About the Facilitators...Dan Maul is a former
Catholic youth minister and high school theology
teacher, and is currently a doctoral student in
Christian Ethics at Loyola University. He has led and
participated in numerous service trips both domestically
- in 10 U.S. states - and abroad, including work in
Mexico and Peru. Dan has work experience in homeless
shelters and affordable housing activism. Dan currently
resides in East Chicago Harbor with his wife, Amanda,
who will assist him with the learning sessions.
Incoming College Freshmen:
Embarking On Your Spiritual Journey
You
are coming to the end of the high school path. From here
there are dozens of other paths ahead-- each with its
blessings, struggles, and adventures-- and you have to
choose which path to follow! These learning sessions
will help prepare you and give you strength for the
journey.
About the Facilitators...
Phil Dietrich is the Youth Ministry Coordinator at
our host community of St. Teresa of Avila in Valparaiso. Phil is married to Jen,
and their marriage is rooted in Christ: they met at a
diocesan young adult ministry event! They have a 2-year
old girl, Julia. Phil and Jen are both veterans of
diocesan youth ministry events. Phil was a rep on the
Diocesan Youth Council in the mid-90's, and also plays
drums in a band! Jen is a teacher at St. Patrick in
Chesterton.
Adults:
Adult Youth Ministry Formation
Training in Youth Ministry
Access, presented by Center for Ministry
Development
What prevents us from presenting
more "meat" in our programs? Who among us isn’t in
search of IDEAS? What is often holding us back is
not having a good resource. Now, the Diocese of Gary is
ready to take care of ya’! This summer, all parishes
bringing a group to CYX will receive a free one year
subscription to
Youth
Ministry Access, the Ctr. for Ministry
Development’s subscription website for YM leaders,
giving you access to over 70 gathered programs, lesson
plans, and event ideas, as well as prayer services,
online training for your leaders, non-gathered
strategies, YM-related articles, and much more. Further,
by attending CYX, you will be trained on how to utilize
YMA effectively. Your teens will leave CYX riding a
"youth ministry high," and now you’ll have some great
resources to help you sustain that momentum.
About the
Facilitator...Ann Marie Eckert is the
Coordinator for Youth Ministry Services for the Center
for Ministry Development. Ann Marie holds a Master of
Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Christ the King Seminary
in Buffalo, NY. She previously held the position of
Associate Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry in
the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Ann Marie is the author of
Ministry Resources for Community Life,
Ministry Resources for Youth Leadership Development
with Maria Sanchez-Keane (Saint Mary's Press, 2004) and
a contributing author of Effective Practices for
Dynamic Youth Ministry (Saint Mary's Press, 2004).
She was the project manager for the National Catholic
Youth Initiative to Protect God's Creation, which
included the publication of the Environmental Justice
Resource Manual (NFCYM).
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