Dear Teen,
CHRISTpower is a weeklong service retreat that will be taking place in the Jefferson City area July 12-18, 2009. The weeklong experience is designed to make you more aware of the importance of service to those in our community as part of our Christian life and to help you discern the future that God has planned for you. St. Michael Church in Russellville will be the host-site of the retreat. We will be using the Russellville High School facilities for showers and overnight accommodations. During the day we will be working at various service sites in the Jefferson City area (e.g. Salvation Army, Carmelite Monastery, Cole County Residential, Capital Projects, Special Learning Center, Villa Marie Skilled Nursing, and helping some parishes,). The evenings will allow time to discuss our daily experiences and to focus on our Theme.
A typical day’s agenda includes: Awake at 7:00AM, go to chapel for prayer, breakfast, clean-up breakfast area, pack lunches, head to the service site, return to St. Michael's, free time, Mass, dinner, meditation talk pertaining to the theme, discussions, lights out at 11:30PM. The cost for the week is $150.00.
CHRISTpower will begin on Sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening is Family Night, when your families (because of space-ONLY family members please) are invited to join us for mass, dinner and observing the team competitions. Families are also invited to join in our closing mass Saturday morning at 10:30AM.
Applicants must have completed 9th grade as a minimum, through 12th grade in 2009
All applicants are expected to arrive on Sunday evening and remain throughout the week until closing services on Saturday. The week is structured to build upon the preceding day’s experience. Missing any portion is detrimental to the individual as well as to other participants and to the dynamics of the week, to say nothing about complicating the planning process for the leaders. Thus, for the Greater Good of the entire group, only teens willing to commit to the full week should consider this year’s CHRISTpower.
CHRISTpower will involve youth from several different parishes in our diocese, but the size of our facilities limit the number of applications that we can accept. If you are interested in participating in this opportunity to serve your community and grow in your faith, please fill out the application form and recommendation letter from your pastor. Applications will be accepted on a “first to come will be first to serve” basis, using the “post mark date”. Return the application with the full $150 fee or a NON-REFUNDABLE deposit of $50 along with recommendation letter from your pastor to hold your spot, TO: Ginny Bockwinkel at 922 Country Ridge Dr, Jefferson City, MO, 65109. (Make checks payable to St. Joseph Cathedral-CHRISTpower). Application deadline is “postmark date” of May 11, 2009. If you have any questions regarding this CHRISTpower week, feel free to contact your parish director of youth ministry, your pastor, or Ginny (christpower2009@yahoo.com), 573-893-7979) for more information. You will be notified when your application is received and will receive a packet in May, containing directions to the retreat, what to bring/what to leave home, and permission forms to be signed by your parent(s). These forms along with any balance due, MUST be returned to Ginny Bockwinkel by June 15th in order to RETAIN your spot.
Yours in Christ,
CHRISTpower Committee 2009