CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST YOUTH CAMP MANUAL
Table of Contents I.ORGANIZING A CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST YOUTH CAMP........................................ CAMP............................................... ....... 4 The Youth Camp ............................ ............... .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... ........................ ........... Challenges ........................................................................................................ Youth Camp Objectives .................... .............................. ...................... ...................... ...................... ...................... ...................... ................. ..... Important Conditions .................... .............................. ...................... ...................... ....................... ........................ ..................... ................ ...... Practical considerations .................... .............................. ....................... ....................... ...................... ....................... ............... .... ...........
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II.THE TEAM LEADER’S GUIDE....................... GUIDE..................................... ................................ ................................. ............................. ....................9
Youth Camp General Schedule Activities .................... ................................. ....................... ...................... ................ .... 10 Goals of the Youth Camp .................... ................................ ...................... .................... ...................... ...................... ................ ...... 11 Attitudes of a Team Leader .................... ................................ ...................... .................... ...................... ...................... ................ ...... 11 Roles and Responsibilities of the Team Leaders .................... .............................. ...................... ....................... ............. .. 12 Practical Matters to Attend to .................... ................................ ...................... .................... ...................... ...................... ................. ....... 14 Practical Practi cal Tips ........................... .............. ........................ .......................... ............................ ......................... ......................... ........................... ................ .. 18 Team Leader’s Orientation Outline .................................................................... 19
III.THE YOUTH CAMP TALKS...................... TALKS...................................... ...................................... ..................................... .................................21 ..................21 The Gospel Message .................... .............................. ...................... ...................... ....................... ........................ ..................... ................. ....... 22 Sharing this message in the Youth Camp.................. Camp.............................. ........................ ...................... ....................... ............... .. 22 The Gospel and Youth Camp talks ..................... ................................ ...................... ..................... ..................... .............. ... 22 Final Tips ........................... .............. .......................... ........................... ........................... ........................ ........................ .......................... ............... .. 23 Talk 1: God’s Love and His Plan for us ................................................................... 25 Talk 2: Who is Jesus Christ to Me? ..................... ................................ ...................... ..................... ..................... ............... .... 28 Talk 3: Repentance, Faith, Healing and Forgiveness ..................... ................................ .................... ......... 31 Talk 4: Receiving God’s Gift: The Power of t he Holy Spirit......... Spirit......................................... ................................ 36 Baptism Ceremony/Pray over Session ..................... ................................ ...................... ....................... ...................... ............ 39 Commitment to Christ .................... .............................. ...................... ...................... ....................... ........................ ..................... ................. ....... 41 Closing Exhortation .................... .............................. ...................... ....................... ....................... ....................... ...................... ................. ...... 41 Talk 5: Growing in the Spirit/ Dedication to the Life and Mission of Youth for Christ........................ Christ................................ ........ .. 43 Dedication Ceremony .................... .............................. ...................... ...................... ...................... ...................... ....................... .................... ....... 45 Covenant of a Youth for Christ Member ..................... ................................ ...................... ....................... ...................... ............. ... 47
IV. COVENANT....................... COVENANT........................................... ................................... ................................. .................................. ............................... ......................49 .......49 Talk 1: Loving, Honoring and Serving God................... God............................. ..................... ...................... ....................... .............. .. 50 Talk 2: Loving, Honoring and Serving Family................ Family........................... ...................... ..................... ...................... .............. 53 Talk 3: Loving, Honoring and Serving Country................... Country............................. ...................... ...................... ................... ......... 55 Talk 4: Loving, Honoring and Serving Brothers and Sisters................... Sisters.............................. ..................... .......... 57
V. YOUTH CAMP TRAINING PROGRAM....................... PROGRAM......................................... ................................. ............................... .......................61 .......61 Talk 1: Understanding the Youth camp................ camp........................... ...................... ..................... ...................... ........................ ............ 64 Talk 2: Spiritual Warfare – Warfare – The Unseen Battle.................... Battle.............................. ...................... ....................... .................... ......... 68 Talk 3: Being a Facilitator................ Facilitator.......................... ....................... ........................ ...................... ..................... ...................... ....................... ........... 70 Talk 4: Speaking Gods Word................... Word............................. ...................... ........................ ...................... ...................... ...................... .............. .... 73 2
VI. HOUSEHOLD TRAINING PROGRAM................ PROGRAM.............................. ............................ ...................................... .........................77 .77 Talk 1: Servanthood........................................................................................... 78 Talk 2: The Household....................................................................................... 81 Talk 3: Character of a Servant............................................................................ 84 Talk 4: Building up the Brethren........................................................................ 87
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Chapter 1: Organizing a CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp
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I.
THE CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST CAMP: OVERVIEW
THE YFC YOUTH CAMP The entry point to the Youth for Christ (YFC), the Young Adults Program of the Couples for Christ (CFC), is the Youth Camp. This is a three – day live –in camp usually conducted during the summer or semestral break to officially bring the young adults in the YFC. To fully appreciate the value of the Youth Camp and to make the most of it, it must be seen not just as a three-day experience where the teenagers can have fun, which is also important but in the light of the overall objectives or the young adults so that they can develop to be joyful, responsible and fruitful men and women of God. So the camp is not an end in itself or an annual diversion for the teenagers that will give them something to do during the summer or semestral break, but it is the beginning of what will, hopefully be a lifetime commitment to God. It is the place where they will hear the word of God proclaimed by other young adults like themselves in an environment of fun and excitement, where they do not experience any form of pressure from adults. It is the place where they can form friendships with one another as they play games, share ideas and experiences, and entertain one another in wholesome environment where Christian values are talked about and are actively practiced. It is the place where they will be stimulated and encouraged to develop their gifts and potentials for leadership as they exposed to other young adults who are actively involved in serving them as speakers, facilitators, sports and games coordinators, and other services that are essential to the life of the Youth Camp.
CHALLENGES For the Youth Camp to be successful, it is important for the team to be aware of the challenges that they will face. 1. Many teenagers will come to the camp due to parental pressure or encouragement. Many will come with the idea that the activity will be dull and boring and that it will be a waste of time. This is reinforced when people refer to the Youth Camp as simply “the LSS” which makes it sound too serious and unexciting to the ordinary, n ormal young adults as teenagers. Beside, this is really misnomer because the LSS is just one of the many key elements of the Youth Camp. 2. The participants will be meeting a lot of people for the first time. Teenagers act normally and openly in the company of friends but take a while to warm up to new faces. Having a Service Team of friendly and warm young adults as the tide when the participants start coming in will help make them at ease and welcome. 5
3. Some of the young adults will be difficult. Some of them may even have serious addictions to drugs and alcohol. Others will come with rebellious spirit, while others may be harbouring serious resentments towards their parents and other people. For this reason, a reasonable Couple Coordinator need always be present during the Camp. 4. Many teenagers will find difficulty in committing to the Lord, to YFC and to the whole new way of life that is being offered to them. There will be a real fear of giving up a lot of their attachments to their established set of friends and to the regular activities that they are accustomed to. This poses a real challenge to the team in a much as making the Youth camp. Fun and exciting and to always manifest joyful and friendly spirit. This team must also come up with activities that appeal to challenge young adults who are full of energy and spirit.
YOUTH CAMP OBJECTIVES To plan effectively, it is important for the team to understand both the short-term and long-term objectives of the Youth Camp. Short-term Objectives 1. To make the Youth Camp a fun, exciting and life -giving experience to the young adult. 2. To help the young adults undergo a “conversion to Christ” experience. 3. To help the young adult experience healing and reconciliation with the immediate member of their family, especially their parents 4. To give the young adults the opportunity to make new friends in a wholesome environment 5. To expose the participants to young people of their age who find joy and fulfilment in serving the Lord and in serving them.
Long-term Objectives 1. To make the Youth Camp the start of a life-long process of conversion and transformation in the life of the young adults. 2. By joining to the YFC, the young adults are placed in a support environment where they can be sustained in their Christian lives 3. By joining the YFC, they can sustain and develop the friendships that were established during the camp. 4. The young adults can also be supported in the renewed relationships that they have with their parents and the other members of their family. 5. To create a desire, as well as a real opportunity to develop their gifts and talents in serving the Lord and other young adults in future Youth Camps. 6. Hopefully, the positive experience of the Youth Camp will remain a special memory that the person may look back to and draw strength from throughout his her life.
IMPORTANT CONDITIONS Given the above objectives, both short and long term-term, it is important to make the following conditions in planning and conducting the YFC Youth Camp.
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1. It is the entry point to the CFC Youth For Christ Ministry. It should not be conducted if there is no intention to invite the participants into YFC (although, it is possible for some of them to decide not to). This is just to preclude the possibility of making the Youth Camp an end in itself. This is the same condition that is true for the CLP (Christian Life Program) of Couple for Christ. The CLP, or Youth Camp for that matter, is not conducted unless there is a real intent to establish CFC , or YFC or to integrate those who graduate to existing CFC groups. 2. It is possible to invite children of non-CFC members to the Youth Camp and for them to eventually join YFC provided. a. A real effort is made to invite children of CFC members to the Youth Camp first, and that there are still available slots for children of non-CFC members. 3. The ideal site of a Youth Camp is a retreat area or a camp site where the young adults can stay in without disturbances from the outside or where they can also be prevented from sneaking out. The team should be sensitive to the financial means of the participants who will be attending the camp. a. It is possible to use school facilities during semestral and summer breaks, and for the food to be catered by CFC members if this will significantly reduce the cost of the Youth Camp. b. It is possible to raise funds within the chapter or area, to help defray the cost of those who do not have the means to pay the full amount in the Youth Camp. c. The usual rule in CFC applies that no one should be deprived of experiencing the Lord in any official activity because He or She does not have the means to pay. 5. If the camp is in a site where there is an opportunity for the young adults to go swimming (e.g. beach, lake, or pool) or mountain climbing, a special written consent from the parents should be presented before the team allows the young adults to engage in these activities. If possible, a Parents’ Forum should be conducted before the Youth Camp, where the team may be able to explain the objectives, activities, schedule, rules, provisions within the camp, as well as mention areas of concern in which the parents can extend their support. Normally, the team members serving in the Youth Camp are not expected to pay for their accommodations. But, if they have the means and they would like to help, their payments may be accepted.
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 1. Ideally, the initiative to organize the Youth Camp starts with the Area’s YFC Couple Coordinator. (In starting areas, the area head will make the initiative in organizing the Youth Camp). They can organize just for their area of responsibility if they have enough
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young adults, or in cooperation with other YFC Couple Coordinators for a joint Youth Camp. a. They start by getting the approval of the CFC leader in their area. b. They survey their area and come up with a list of prospective participants. c. They work out the dates and details, such as venue of the Youth Camp. d. They form the team of YFC members that will serve ---- these include the Youth Camp Team Leader and his Assistant, Speakers, Facilitators, Music Ministry, and Servant. 2. In the Camp, the Couple Coordinator allows the Youth Camp Team Leader and Assistant, as well as the members of the Service Team, to lead the activities. The Couple Coordinator stays in the background to provide support, direction and protection over the team. 3. Normally, the members of the team who stay in with the participants are the Couple Coordinators, the Youth Camp Team Leader and his Assistant, the Camp Servant and the Facilitators. Other members of the team may stay in, if they offer to pay for their accommodations or if there are enough funds to pay for them. They are, however, expected to be in all the sessions and activities throughout the camp, even if they choose to sleep out. 4. During the Pray-over Session, the team may ask support from other YFC members.
Note: The use of couples or parents in the praying-over for baptism is discouraged. 5. Parents, one of both, are expected to send letters to their young adults and to come during the Parent-Youth Dialogue and Dedication ceremony on the last day of the camp. 6. A no-smoking and no-drinking rule will be observed by the participants, the Couple Coordinator and the other members of the team, for the duration of the camp. 7. No participants will be allowed to leave the camp without the expressed consent of the parents. In the event of a sneak-out by any of the participants, the parents shall be informed immediately.
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Chapter 2: Youth Camp Team Leaders Guide
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YOUTH CAMP GENERAL SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES DAY 1 5:00 – 6:00 Arrival /Registration 6:00 – 6:30 gathering / teaching of songs 6:30 – 6:45 orientation to participants 6:45 – 7:30 talk 1 ☺ 7:30 – 7:50 group discussion 7:50 – 8:50 dinner 8:50 – 9:00 gathering 9:00 – 9:45 talk 2 ☺ 9:45 – 10:05 group discussion 10:05 – 10:30 announcement / closing prayer SERVICE TEAM MEETING 10:30 – 11:30 Lights off! DAY 2 5:00 – 6:30 morning worship / STM 6:30 – 7:30 wakeup call (participants) 7:30 – 8:30 breakfast 8:30 – 9:00 common prayer time 9:00 – 9:30 gathering / TOS 9:30 – 10:15 talk 3 ☺ 10:15 – 10:45 letter to parents 10:45 – 11:15 TOS 11:15 – 12:00 ice breaker / games 12:00 – 1:00 lunch 1:00 – 4:00 one to one session 4:00 – 4:15 gathering 4:15 – 5:30 preparation for e-night 6:00 – 7:00 dinner 7:00 – 8:00 talk 4 ☺ 8:00 – 9:00 pray-over session 9:00 – 9:30 worship 9:30 -10:00 bonfire 10:00 – 11:30 E- NIGHT! ANNOUNCEMENT / CLOSING PRAYER / LIGHTS OFF/ STM DAY 3 4:30 – 6:00 morning worship / STM 6:00 – 7:00 wake up call 7:00 – 8:00 MASS 8:00 – 9:00 breakfast 9:00 – 9:15 gathering 9:15 – 10:00 talk 5 ☺ 10:00 – 10:30 reflection 10:30 – 11:00 dialogue to parents 11:00 – 12:00 lunch / sharing HOME SWEET HOME
Note : The schedules written in this manual are guides for the Youth Camp Service Team. If circumstances call for a different schedule, the team should be flexible enough to follow as the Spirit leads but not compromising the objectives of the camp.
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GOALS OF THE YOUTH CAMP The Youth camp should: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Introduce the person of Jesus to the participants Encourage the participants to invite Jesus into their lives Invite the participants into the support environment of YFC Introduce the 7 Pillars of YFC to the participants
HOW TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS These goals should be achieved through the four F principle of the YFC program as implemented in the camp activities;
1. Fun The camp contains activities that young people enjoy (e.g. games, songs, talents workshop, entertainment, video presentations, skits, bonfire - optional, etc.) 2. Friendship The camp provides opportunities to strengthen old friendships and make new ones. (The team leader initiates these by encouraging the team to get to know one another and mingle with the participants). Note : Many times, people join YFC (placing themselves in an environment where they can grow in their faith) initially because of friendships they make in the camps, or because of the faith of a friend in YFC.
3. Freedom Nothing is ever imposed on the participants. This principle springs from the basic belief that Christianity can only be lived out if it begins with an individual’s personal decision to follow Christ (e.g. during pray-over session, we don’t force the participants to commit to Christ) 4. Faith The camp provides the participants a lot of opportunities to learn more about Jesus and grow in their Faith (e.g. prayers, worship, talks, discussion groups). ATTITUDES OF A TEAM LEADER 1. The Team Leader should strive to be a person of vision a. He must at least understand by heart the 7 Pillars of YFC b. He sees that the Youth Camp is not an end in itself but rather the beginning of a process of growth. c. 3He knows that follow up must be done after the camp (Covenant Orientation etc.) and begins to make arrangements for this with the Couple Coordinator.
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Note: For new areas where there is no local YFC Chapter, he makes arrangements for YFC to be set up. (The team leader therefore should be always ready with training manuals, especially when going on mission). d. He is always on the look-out for potential leaders and points them out to the Couple Coordinators of the area.
2. The Team Leader should strive for clarity a. He makes sure that others see what he sees b. As the one who will actually be speaking to the participants, he clarifies and makes sure that his co - team leader, the Couple Coordinator/ School Coordinator and the team have the same understanding that he has about circumstances in the camp. c. He finds ways to make the participants relate to the talks and sharing. These are done through jokes, anecdotes, examples in current movie and music trends and illustrates these in terms familiar to the participants.
3. The Team Leader should strive to have a heart for God and His people a. He listens to the Lord. - He prepares spiritually before the camp (confession, prayer, and fasting) - He constantly intercedes and consults the Lord throughout the camp. b. He has a feel for the people. - Mingles and relates with the team. - Mingles and relates with the participants. c. He loves the people He serves.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TEAM LEADERS 1. Each Youth Camp has two team leaders; a brother and a sister. a. The brother Team leader leads the sessions - Leads prayers, worship, introduces the speakers. - Wraps up, summarizes, emphasizes points for clarity - While the talk is in progress, he should sit in front to listen to the talk. - Leads the Dedication Ceremony. b. The sister Team leader is there to respond to the needs of the sisters and provides input in planning and conducting the camp. - The sister always stays in front so she can remind the brother team leader of things that should have been said or coordinate with him on practical and pastoral matters.
Note: In the same way, there are also two camp servants; one for the brothers and the other for the sisters. Have one camp servant sit near the team leaders for more effective coordination. The other camp servant should be at the back, ready to bring input from the Couple Coordinator. 12
c. Both team leaders work in consultation with each other for unity and provide focus for the team. d. Both team leaders should be prepared to give any of the five talks. e. Makes sure that the Camp Schedule is followed. - Start and end the sessions on time - Let the speaker know when the time is up. 2. The team leaders can give input regarding practical and pastoral matters to the Couple Coordinator and/or School Coordinator. 3. The team leaders lead the team a. Facilitate the youth team meetings - Listens to input from the team - Gives instructions to the team / receives instructions from the Couple Coordinator - Leads worship (in cases where the group is mixed, the brother always leads) b. Make sure that the team knows what to do and actually does it. - Runs through the regular activities with the team before hand (e.g. one to ones, pray- over session, tongues workshop). - Goes around during one to ones and baptism - Regularly supports and instructs the camp servants c. Correct the team. - Corrects both the group as a whole or approaches individuals in the team for more personal matters. - Corrects the participants through the facilitators.
Note: In situations that are highly personal, correction is done one to one, brother to brother, sister to sister. The Couple Coordinator should course his corrections towards the youth through the team leaders. d. Encourages the team - Exhorts - Takes every opportunity to commend them. e. Gives advice to the members of the team. 4. Assist the Speakers a. Makes sure they get to the camp on time b. Helps the Speaker in preparing for the talk (i.e. Pointing out the “practical tips in giving talks” found in Chapter 3 of this manual). c. Lets the Speaker know if time is “up” for the talk.
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5. Makes sure that the four F’s (fun, friendship, freedom & faith) are used properly. 6. Make sure that the 7 Pillars of YFC is in the heart of respective activities in the camp.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Couple Coordinator in the Youth Camp 1. They must have a close coordination with the team leader before, during, and after the camp 2. They should coordinate with the CFC Chapter in the area about the camp 3. They should act as parents to everyone in the camp 4. The Couple Coordinator needs to follow up the parents that they should really go to the youth camp. 5. Conducts the Parents’ Forum 6. They must be in charge of the liturgy (including the choir & the logistics). 7. Be an example in speech and in conduct to the youth 8. Intercede for the whole youth camp Note: One of these initial team meetings may be used for Youth Camp Training if the Couple Coordinator and/or team leaders feel that this is necessary. PRACTICAL MATTERS TO ATTEND TO Pre-Camp: 1. Conduct initial meetings between Youth Leaders and Couple Coordinators and/or school administrators. a. Set expectations for the camp b. Make suggestions for camp assignments c. Set a youth camp training at least 1 week before the camp 2. The team leaders, coordinators, and camp facility administrators should clarify and agree on Camp rules (e.g. curfews, and entertainment activities, bonfire, types of prayers -- Pray over session, noise level etc.) 3. Plan follows up activities to the camp Note: Make sure that you will be able announce at least one follow up activity to the participants after the camp. 4. Set the next team meetings to: a. Exhort/Encourage the team to prepare both physically & spiritually b. Go through schedule of the camp c. Give out assignments (You may ask for volunteers) d. Intercession for the camp 5. Decide on team assignments (facilitators, speakers, sharers etc.) a. Speaker’s Profile: 14
Talk no.1 speaker should be someone who can relate well and can capture the attention of the participants. Talk no. 3 speaker should have integrity and conviction in advocating 100% PURE program. Talk no. 4 speaker should be a brother except for the all girls camp. Talk no. 5 speaker should be a well-experienced Kasangga member. His/ her growth in YFC should be very evident in his service and life. He/ She should be a person who walks his/ her talk.
b. Sharer’s Profile: Talk no.3 sharer should be someone who had a victorious conversion story. For Talk no. 5, it should be someone who really used the tools in his/ her growth towards holiness. (1 boy and 1 girl; one of them should have recently graduated in a Youth Camp)
6. The team should go to confession before the youth camp. 7. Limit the number of service team. (It is more effective to have few equipped service team than a large crowd so that everyone has a chance to serve and not just to visit the camp.) 8. All potential Discussion Group Leaders should undergo the Household Leaders’ Training since they will be the future Household Heads of the new YFC. The coordinator should set the time and place for these meetings. Be at the campsite early to intercede and have an ocular inspection of the place. Conduct worship and binding and casting upon arrival of the service team on the camp site.
Camp Proper 1. Things to consider: Upon the arrival of the participants, there should be a welcome committee to assist them going to their respective rooms then to the session hall for registration. Be sure to make the participants fill up the info sheets (2x2 pictures should be submitted together with the info sheets for documentation purposes) IDs should be given before the sessions start and should be collected after the day It is required that there will be a Youth Camp Kit (copy of songs, sheets of paper, and ball pen). There should be separate rooms for boys and girls Service team members must share the same room with the participants to control things that should be addressed. (Lights off, vices, wake-up call etc.) Meaning of songs should be explained It is suggested to have at least one game/energizer/ice breaker before the session. (Suggested games: Do you love me? Bahay-Baboy-Bagyo, Rabbit-Archer-Wall) The presence of a Coordinator is required in the whole duration of the camp.
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Make sure that there is more than 1 participant in every youth camp. It is highly recommended to have a creative presentation in every talk except Talk 4 Note: You can have a prepared AVP, skit, dance etc. (see annex) It will be better if the whole service team will undergo confession before serving in the youth camp. Ideally, the priest should be scheduled a month before the Youth Camp.
2. For Session 4: There’s no need to use candles for reflection. There’s no need for unnecessary drama. No need for rosary and bible during pray-over. Doesn’t have to turn off the lights. Conduct pray over session in a conducive and well-lighted room. Prayer warriors should pray until the end of the pray- over session. Dress decently. Must have a crucifix inside the session hall. During pray- over session, DGLs must not leave the place unattended. Speaker must be a brother, unless in an all girls camp. There should be full worship instead of praisefest after the pray-over session. Closing exhortation should be given after the worship.
3. General Pattern of sessions: Gathering/Teaching of songs (Note: Suggested songs to be taught at the start: My Life, God is Enough) Ice breaker Prayer (worship) Introduction/ Connection of Talks Talk Sharing Wrap up/ summary Discussion Groups/Activity 4. The Sessions and their purpose a. Orientation Session - Sets the tone for the camp - Clarifies expectations and the house rules. b. Talk 1: God’s Love and His Plan f or Us - Makes the participants aware of the truth that God loves them. The talk also leaves them with the challenge to respond to this love. c. Common Prayer Time - Allows the participants to experience what having a personal prayer time is like. - After a brief explanation of this activity, one or two songs may be sung to help make the participants see the importance of singing in giving worship to God 16
- For reflection, the participants may be asked to read scripture readings that will help them recall the first talk (i.e. John 3:16; Psalm 139: Jeremiah 6:16). Ask the participants to write down their reflections. - Explain ACTS during the common prayer time.
Note: It is during this time that the “In His Steps Prayer Journal” should be introduced. d. Talk 2: Who is Jesus Christ to Me? - Makes the participants aware that Jesus is alive in our lives, that he is someone we can know in a personal way and that He is inviting us to have a personal relationship with Him. e. Talk 3: Repentance, Faith, Healing and Forgiveness - Helps the participants become aware that sin and hurts in our lives become obstacles for us to experience God’s love. The talk helps the participants realize that a personal relationship with Jesus can only happen when we first admit and become sorry for our sins, repent and forgive those who have hurt us. Activity: Team Leader leads the participants to make 2 lists (list of people who hurt them & list of people whom they hurt) they are then led to forgive those in the first list and ask forgiveness for the second list. After, the participants may be encouraged to write a letter to their parents for the same purpose. The team leader can make sure that this letter is completed during the third day’s prayer time. f.
The Team Meeting The Team Leader
- leads the team in worship and intercession - gives feedback - gives inputs for the Baptism session - leads prayer for empowerment
g. Talk 4: Receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit - Impresses the need for the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide our lives and clarifies how we can experience this power personally during the pray-overs. h. Entertainment Night (Pure, Clean, Fun Entertainment) - The program is used as a time of celebration after the participants have received the Holy Spirit. This also becomes a good venue for building strong and lasting friendships among the youth. - Encourage both participants and service team to prepare presentation numbers that are brief and wholesome. For this evening, the curfew is often set to a later time. I.
Common Prayer Time for the third day - Reiterates the importance that the prayer time must be made into a daily habit. - The reflection activity for this prayer time may be used to finish the participants’ letters to their parents. 17
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Talk 5: Growing in the Spirit, Dedication to the Life and Mission of CFC Youth for Christ. - Equips the participants with the knowledge of how to grow in their relationship with God. - The session should be conducted in a prayer meeting format (there should be full worship before the session). This further imparts the YFC culture to the participants in showing what an assembly is like. It is in this session that the participants are asked to join YFC.
Post Camp: 1. The Team Leader should conduct leaders training especially for new areas where structures are not in place (Refer to Fast track Leaders Training) 2. Make sure there are scheduled activities scheduled immediately after the camp the participants to look forward to (e.g. fellowships, assemblies etc.) 3. Prepare the facilitators to become Household Heads (Refer to Household Heads Training Program) 4. Set evaluation meeting with the team and Couple Coordinators 5. There should be a batch picture for Documentation 6. Make sure Completion Report is filled out by the Couple Coordinators.
PRACTICAL TIPS Purpose of Mingling 1. Becomes basis for determining discussion groups 2. Allows you to relate to the participants/ team and makes you more effective 3. helps you spot leaders (among the participants and the team) 4. Evangelistic 5. Builds friendships Purpose of Seating Arrangement (the ideal arrangement is U shape) 1. It is easier to speak to the audience because distance is cut 2. Removes the formality of a classroom setting 3. Participants end up encouraging one another to be more participative 4. The one speaking in front becomes part of the group. Purpose of Songs 1. teaches us to pray, and helps make prayer more enjoyable 2. Because songs are enjoyable, God’s message is received with the least resistance from the participants 3. Makes each activity participative 4. Energizes the sessions (wakes people up) 18
5. Can be used to emphasize a point in any of the talks/ sharings 6. Used to gather people Note: The Music ministry should always stay in front. - To establish rapport with the participants. This makes it easier to teach songs and encourage the participants to sing. - Allows better coordination between the music ministry and the team leader - The Music Ministry should be sensitive during sessions specially in tuning up the guitar and other musical instruments.
Purpose of Humor 1. Makes participants listen/ enjoy the sessions 2. Establishes support/ interaction between the team leader/ speaker and the participants 3. Makes a point easy to remember Purpose of Games 1. Makes sessions enjoyable 2. Makes activities participative 3. Energizes the camp TEAM LEADERS ORIENTATION OUTLINE (To be given by Team Leader before the first session) I. Welcome the participants A. Make the atmosphere light and joyful. (Give a joke as an icebreaker.) B. Make it your goal to help everyone build friendships by the end of the camp. You may ask the participants to mingle for a minute or two for them to get to know one another. C. Welcoming Remarks: 1. Introduce yourself as the Team Leader, 2. Introduce the team, 3. Explanation of terms: What is it that they are getting into? What is YFC (Youth for Christ), a Youth Camp? II. Expectations A. What the participants may expect 1. Meet new friends 2. Have fun 3. Know more about God and grow close to Him 4. Give a general picture of what the camp will be like (e.g. fun, friends, talk...etc.)
Note: A lot of people have different expectations about this Camp. Some may know that it’s something like a Life in the Spirit Seminar. Some expect to cry or have an emotional experience. While some may have no expectations. Others may expect to come to great revelations or may expect to be helped in making big decisions. Although, these may happen, these are not the goals that we are aiming for. Rather, if they come out of this Camp being able to say that they 19
know God a little bit more, that they are closer to Him even more.... then, they have reached the goal of the Camp.] B. Attitudes to take. (What we expect from the participants) 1. God brought you here. Whatever reasons you have for being here, it was God who brought you here. He wants to do something in your life during the Camp. 2. Make the most of the Youth Camp. How much you give of yourselves in this Camp, is how much you will receive. 3. Participate. Don't anticipate. Don't keep thinking of what might happen next. But rather, participate in the present activity. Pray, when it's time to pray. Sing, when it's time to sing. Rest, when it's time to rest. 4. Don't analyze or criticize. Be open to new things. 5. Expect God to work. If we truly desire Him and seek Him, we shall find Him. This is God's promise. III. What They Should Know (At this point, the team leader may pass on the microphone to the camp servant, preferably a youth as well, as one who is being trained for leadership, for the following information.) A. House rules of venue and other related important information. (Get house rules from retreat house and Couple Coordinators) B. Whom to approach, if the participants need anything 1. Practicalities (e.g. bed sheets, phones, toothpaste) 2. Emergencies (First Aid) C. It would be helpful to always have a pen, paper/notebook, and a Bible with you during the sessions. IV. Ask everyone to move into the dining hall for dinner.
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Chapter 3: The Youth Camp Talks
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THE GOSPEL MESSAGE In this day and age when so many ideas abound and so many different philosophies are taught, the youth are often placed in confusing situations. So many different influences around say what to run after and what to live for. Still in the budding idealism of their young minds, the youth search for the truth that they can believe and live by. So often, however, young people fall into whatever whim their peers invite them into. Whether it be drugs or drinking, being popular, being "in" or just simply living for the moment. Still the thirst is there for the truth -- their hearts restless for God It is in this situation that the Gospel message should be brought to the youth. A message that speaks of God's love and mercy -- That in our sinfulness, He is always willing to forgive us. And, if we come before Him and place our lives at His feet, our restlessness ends, and we begin to experience a new life with Him. It is this message which the talks in the Youth Camp seek to share.
SHARING THIS MESSAGE IN THE YOUTH CAMP The Gospel message, however, is so great, so vast and so wonderful that our minds can only begin to comprehend it. Moreover, to explain it thoroughly is hard enough for more knowledgeable Christians to do, what more for young people, who in our case, will explain it to other young people as well. In this perspective, we cannot even begin to teach the Gospel. What we can do, however, is to share it. We don't have to be Biblical Scholars or Church Theologians to share the Gospel with others. All we really need to do is look into our lives, recognize God's work and share what we know with conviction. Then, in our limitations, we will see God working through us, in these talks and the activities of the Youth Camp.
THE GOSPEL AND THE YOUTH CAMP TALKS To be able to share the Gospel message in an orderly and simple way, its different points were divided into five (5) talks. Each talk helps the speaker impart this message effectively. So as not to compromise nor give an incomplete Gospel, the talks include truths which are basic enough for young people to begin a meaningful journey with God in their Christian lives. Other teachings may then be imparted later, if the participants decide to join YFC . Here are the basic points or truths with their corresponding topics in the Youth Camp.
BASIC GOSPEL TRUTH God's Love for Mankind; His Plan for Man's Fullness of Life with Him Introduces the ultimate expression of God's love -- Jesus Christ Man’s sin as he turns away from God’s plan
YOUTH CAMP TALK * God's Love For Us
* Who is Jesus Christ To Me?
* Repentance , Faith, Healing and Forgiveness 22
Man's Response: Accepting God's Invitation and Living as His People
* God’s Gift: The Power of the Holy Spirit * Growth Talk/ Life and Vision of YFC
Some of the talks in the Youth Camp have more than one basic Gospel truth included. These truths sometimes even overlap between two or three talks. The talks are given in this way and order so as to help bring the participants through a process where they can make a real and sincere decision to live a life pleasing to God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit. The speaker should be able to realize that each talk, especially the one that he or she will be giving, is part of one message ; “ God's love reaching out to man and man's choice to respond to this love." (Refer to “The sessions and their Purpose” in Chapter 2 -Team leaders Guide, to see how each talk flows to the next). The speakers and Youth Camp Service Team should understand this flow to be able to place themselves in the proper position where God can work through what they say and do, in order to effectively help the participants make a decision to know, love and serve Jesus Christ.
FINAL TIPS 1. Married couples are discouraged from giving the talks in the Youth Camp. We have to recognize the fact that it is easier of young people to be influenced by their peers. No matter how true the message is, and even if the participants thirst for this message, when older people (as in Parent age) speak to the youth, a natural barrier often stands between them and the young people they are speaking to. These speakers represent the parents of the participants -- parents who may have damaged relationships with their children. As a result adult speakers then begin to lose their effectively in sharing the Gospel to the youth.
2. The speaker should share and not preach. The world needs witnesses not teachers. Most Youth Camp participants have heard the same message we speak time and time again. What will make these talks different is when they realize that what we are saying is true and concrete because we have actually experienced it.
3. Maintain a light atmosphere. Feel free to give jokes from time to time. But never to the point of letting them forget the truth and importance of your message.
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Often jokes can even be made use use of as means to drive at a certain point. In the same way, anecdotes and stories are good means of explaining or stressing certain points in your talk. talk. Make use of of stories. stories. The youth youth like listening to stories. If it is possible to make the points of your outline flow from a story to the next, all the better. better. Stories keep the interest of young people and allow them to remember points that you made.
4. Speak from the heart with confidence and conviction. You are speaking of a truth which which all men thirst thirst for, including the youth. youth. Therefore speak with conviction, because it they who will benefit from what is being spoken in the camp more than anyone. anyone. Speak of the the joy of knowing knowing Christ. Speak of the the gift that God wants to give. The gift that you yourself yourself are beginning to experience, a new life with Christ, knowing that what Saint Augustine mentions is truth for yourself and everyone else, "Our hearts are restless, until we rest in you, Oh God."
5. The presence of scriptural verses in the talk requires the speaker to prayerfully reflect on the passages before giving the talk. It would be better if these verses are narrated in the speaker’s own words. Reading scripture scripture verses word-for-word takes takes away away eye contact between you and the participants. 6. Listen to / study other speakers This may help give you ideas in giving your talk
7. Undergo the Speaker’s Workshop (This can be found in the Youth Camp Training Program of YFC).
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Talk 1: God’s Love and His Plan for Us Expanded Outline I. INTRODUCTION A. The Crazy Crazy Dream NOTE: The crazy dream exercise is done so that the speaker may have an amusing way of ( NOTE: making the participants participa nts realize God's tremendous love for them. Just as the participants may have their own "crazy dreams" their own nearly impossible hopes of things that are better, God has His own seemingly impossible dream for us, "a plan for a future and a hope" in union with Him. It is this plan for us that may be used to introduce God's love to the participant participants.) s.) 1. Ask the participants about their greatest ambition ambition or craziest dream. Give them 30 30 seconds to do this. Allow 3-5 persons to share. 2. Even God has a crazy dream. (Referring to the "crazy dreams" of the participants.) All of us have our own crazy dreams, but even God has his own "crazy "crazy dream". I say this, because like many others, others, our dreams may seem far out, hard to believe. But then again, again, He is God, and nothing nothing is impossible with Him. Let's see what God's crazy dream is. (Illustrate creatively, reflect and share the essence of Isaiah 65:17-25) This is God's crazy dream, His plan for us, "a plan to give us a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11). All because of of His great love for us. This is his great great plan for us. 1. Plans for your welfare, not for woe. God is always after our wellbeing, our happiness and safety. As God’s own, everything that comes from Him is good. When He created us, He created us to last forever. f orever. 2. Plans to give you a future full of hope. As uncertain as the future is, God guarantees us that not even a part of it will be in despair and that the whole and everything in it is positive and desirable.
B. You may have your own reasons for being here (your friends are here, you want to meet new friends, your parents forced you, you are truly seeking God). I believe God brought you here, to hear about His love, and His plan in your life.
II. WHY WE ARE NOT EXPERIENCING GOD'S PLAN * You may be asking. “If God loves us so much, why are our lives and situations so different from what He says His plans are for us?
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* Show the disparity between God's plan (Isaiah 65:17-25) and the situation around us.
- On a larger scale: scale: poverty (ex. people are starving), same sex marriage, marriage, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, terrorism etc. scale: state local issues relevant in your area like drug addiction, - On a local scale: corruption, street crime etc. - In our families: we have broken relationships; relationships; some people we we know have broken families
A. We experience these these sufferings because because we choose to. - They think that they are victims of their circumstances circumstances but must emphasize that that each of us has a CHOICE. Each of us is given a FREE WILL to choose choose a response to any given situation, good or bad. 1. (Gen. 3:1-21) When our first parents chose to disobey, and rebel against God's commands, they chose to turn away away from God the source of all all life. In doing so, they chose death, and suffering. From the moment this happened, happened, our world that was was full of life and blessing began to experience difficulties, pain, suffering, and even death. 2. (Romans 6:23) Even today, whenever we choose to go against God, (or the authorities He has placed over us, e.g. parents, government and school authorities), we continue to choose the suffering and death that our first parents chose. (Mention specific experiences to bring your point across)
B. God did not end it it at that. God wants us to experience the fullness of life but we continue to follow our own preferences. By choosing to turn away from this promise, God could have just as well chosen to turn away from us, destroy us as we deserve, and create a more faithful people who would gladly accept His love and and the life that He offers. Instead, He decided decided that His love, His mercy should prevail. 1. He began by sending His prophets. 2. John 3:16 Finally, He chose to send His only Son to die for us because He did not want to see us suffer in our sin and die forever.
NOTE: Make use of the diagram to illustrate how Christ bridges the gap that sin creates between God and man.
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DIAGRAM: Sin separates God from man.
GOD
MAN
Christ bridges the separation
GOD
JESUS
MAN
SIN
III. CONCLUSION “ God loves everyone of us as if there was was but one of us to love.” (St. (St. Augustine) God has a seemingly insane insane love for us. us. A love that would suffer even death on a cross. Even if you were the only one who needed saving, saving, God would do it all for you. you. Let’s respond to this love. Let’s decide to love God back. back. ( Note: One way to challenge the participants to respond is to seek God during the camp, to participate, but all the more, to receive God’s love and try to respond by desiring to know about about God and to live for Him.) Lead to a short reflection about the talk. Song Profile: Song about God’s unconditional love for us Suggested Song: Strong Arm or other song that is related to the talk. Suggested Activity: 1. Opening Video about the current situation. 2. Closing video about about Wonderful world that that shows all the beauty of all creation and ends with a statement and God made all these truly loves you (90 sec)
DISCUSSION STARTERS: 1. Have a getting to know activity and/or create a name for the group, a chant or a gesture/clap, gesture/clap, etc. 2. Share about yourselves. a. Why are you in this youth camp? b. Give a background about yourself . yourself . 3. Share an experience or area of your life where you felt most loved by God. a. What do you believe you should do in order to respond to God’s Love for you? b. If at the moment, you think you are far from God or have turned away from Him, what can you do to return to Him?
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Talk 2: Who is Jesus Christ to Me? Expanded Outline I. INTRODUCTION When we hear of how great God's love is for us, many of us genuinely want to respond to Him by loving Him back and living a life that's pleasing to Him. However, it is difficult to live a life pleasing to God, if it lacks the most basic factor, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Living the Christian life by our own strength is impossible. Only the strength we have in Jesus can make this happen.
II. WHO IS JESUS? A. Impact in History Did you know that? Jesus was born some 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem, Judea in the poor country of Palestine. Jesus grew up in poor family of carpenters. During his 3 years of public life, He challenged the authorities and after a formal trial on charges of rebellion and blasphemy, was put to death at age 33. He split History in two (B.C. - Before Christ, and A.D. Anno Domini or Year of our Lord). Jesus is one of the most portrayed historical figures in history?
Like most religious leaders in His time, Jesus should have faded into oblivion, forgotten in the pages of history. Yet no other person has affected history as much as Jesus. No other person has had as many books and stories written about him. The book that tells His story, the Bible, has been the No. 1 bestseller, of all time. Until today, Jesus of Nazareth is the most controversial, most popular, most revered and most respected person that ever lived. There are so many things said about this man. What was He really like?
B. Misconceptions 1. Jesus is strange Then.. a. Some say he was some freak with new ideas. He said things like, "The first will best..." and "Love your enemies". b. He wasn't a freak, because so many were attracted to His personality that they l eft everything to follow Him. (Mark 1:16-20) 28
2. Jesus as a coward a. Others perceive him as a coward, a loser who gave into all his persecutions. b. I wouldn't call Him coward or a loser since He was bold and courageous enough to stand up against he known authorities of His time. (Matthew 23::1-27). 3. Jesus as boring a. Many say He lived a boring life because He was focused on saving the world and didn’t have any fun or adventure b. His life wasn’t boring because He met a lot of people and traveled to many different places, performed great miracles, and had many close friends. 4. Jesus unsuccessful leader a. Others simply say, "He was a very unsuccessful leader -- talented. But unsuccessful. After all, He got himself killed. Didn't he?" b. Lastly, I would not consider Him unsuccessful, because 2,000 years after He first preached His message, the Christian Faith remains to be the most widely preached and received faith in the world today.
C.
The best way to know Jesus is to know who He claimed to be.
He took upon Himself qualities that belonged only to the person of God. 1. He claimed to possess all authority in Heaven and on Earth; a characteristic that only one person can claim to have--God. (refer to Matthew 28:18) Jesus is my Father . As sons and daughters we are heirs to His Kingdom Nature seemed to believe Him and recognize this authority. (Refer to Luke 8:22-26) 2. He forgave sins; The people during Jesus’ time strongly believed, that only God had the authority to forgive sins. In Luke 5:17-26, Christ showed just what kind of authority he had Jesus is my best friend because He accepts me for who I am. He is my hero because He saved me from my sins. 3. He claimed to give life (John 5:26) A power that only God has. In times of difficulty I’m able to get through it, because He is my Source of strength and He is always there for me. Jesus is my Healer and Miracle Worker
III. OUR RESPONSE The claims that Christ makes concerning Himself are so great and different from the claims of other great teachers in history (i.e. Buddha, Confucius, and Mohammed), that we just need to stop and seriously consider them because, our acceptance or rejection of these claims greatly affect us. A. If we begin to realize that the claims that Jesus made are false, then we should forget Christianity altogether and even correct the great hoax that has deceived men for 2000 years. 29
B. But if deep down we believe that Jesus’ claims are true. . . then we cannot just leave Him in one corner of our lives like most people do. In fact, we will have to begin to find a way to relate to Jesus as the Mighty God, as the risen Savior that He really is. We will have to follow Him as Lord, and accept that personal relationship He offers us today.
IV. WHO IS JESUS TO ME? Personal Testimony (3-5 minutes) : The speaker should give a brief sharing on his/her personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
V.
CONCLUSION.
God loves you. That's pretty good news, but it gets even better. Not only does He love you, but He wants to have a friendship with you. (John 15:13-15) Think about it. Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. He already knows you, and He wants you to know Him. Suggested Reflection Song Profile: The general message of the song expresses the identity of Jesus like Above All, How great is our God, and others.
DISCUSSION STARTERS: 1. Who is Jesus to you? 2. What can you do to respond to Jesus invitation of having a personal relationship with Him?
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Talk 3 : Repentance, Faith, Healing and Forgiveness Expanded outline I. INTRODUCTION We have just heard of God's love for us, and how it brings us to the point where we just have to decide for ourselves how we should respond to Him. We have heard how He himself invites us into a personal relationship with Him. In this talk, we will learn how we can begin to do this.
II. REPENTANCE AND FAITH Creative Skit or AVP depicting various sins of humanity (global and local) Intro.. Christ began His preaching ministry with these words "The right time has come, the kingdom of God is near, turn away from your sins and believe in the Gospel..." (Mark 1:15), or repent and have faith. Christ used these words because repentance and faith in Christ's message are the first steps we need to take to truly respond to God's love and invitation for us.
A. Repentance Sinfulness in our lives and the hurts we've experienced are hindrances in coming to Christ and receiving His spirit. This is the reason why Christ called those who came to Him to repentance. 1. Misconceptions about repentance a. Feeling terrible about yourself. Some people believe that repentance is sincere only when you despise yourself because you're a hopeless sinner. b. Feeling regret. Repentance brought about only because of the consequence of what was done, and the regret that comes with it. There is no repentance because the sin was evil, but because of the punishment that will be received because of it. (e.g. Feeling sorry you were caught cheating in an exam. If you weren't caught you wouldn't have been as sorry). c. Getting rid of all tendencies to sin . Some people think that true repentance can only happen when we are able to rid ourselves of that tendency to sin. But that will never happen. What we can do, however, is to say no to that temptation. This is the reason why many Catholics don't go to Confession, saying, "Why will I confess when I'm just going to sin again?" 31
All of these may be effects of repentance but are not repentance in itself. All of these focus on feelings; repentance is much more objective and concrete. 2. What is Repentance? a. The Greek word for repentance is "metanoia" which literally means change of mind. b. It is an act of the will, a decision. c. In this case, it is deciding and to turn away from sin and look towards God. 3. Some sins to repent from: All of these sins could be summed up to 7. They are better known as the 7 deadly sins because of the very reason that they take God out of the picture.
a. GREED You thirst for material wealth to find purpose in your life… - materialism - consumerism - social status b. PRIDE You may feel that everything revolves around you…You feel that you are the most important person in the world, and the best one… - smoking – Since you are pressured by your peers to smoke, you will do so because you don’t want to let them feel you are not taking on the challenge - family – The feeling of not needing parents anymore because you are all grown-up - need to belong – you win friends through the wrong way - Studies – you don’t claim your weaknesses when you have a low grade c. GLUTTONY You maybe be demanding yourself more than what is expected from you…You consume more than what you really need - Food - Vices – young people drink, smoke and sometimes take in drugs and most of the time with a quantity that can truly destroy them. In the first place, these things aren’t needs of the bodies as what people think they are - Bisexuals and Homosexuals- people who are not contented of how God created them to be
d. SLOTH You may be lazy to be excellent and productive because of the lack of drive and confidence… - Spending time unproductively - addiction to computer games, talking hours on the phone, hanging out with friends even if there are things to do at home and for school 32
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cheating When one is already okay in his/ her life (priorities are right), one doesn’t strive to look for other ways to glorify God even more and doesn’t accept the challenge of inspiring other people
e. ANGER You may get easily irritated while proving your point…You don’t allow forgiveness to take place - during a defeat in a competition (Intramurals feud) - you refuse to understand other people (homosexuality, broken families) - irritability to inefficiency - self-righteousness f. ENVY You may feel lacking of what you have because the world says they are better off than you… - Gossips - Intention of having a boyfriend or a girlfriend is only because others already have - Insecurities of assets of other people (long straight hair, slim body f igure, tall height) g. LUST You may fail in the area of purity because you misinterpret love from pleasure… - Pornography (watching pornographic sites) - Public Display of Affection - Premarital Sex
Note: Give examples that are appropriate to the participants. In some cases, the speaker should be able to explain why these sins are actually wrong. Such as pre - marital sex, gossip and other related things like the stated. These sins have been so widely accepted that people do not see them as immoral anymore. Note: Speaker can insert at least two sharers between the points. 4. What Must We Do To Repent? (4 H’s: Attitudes to take in repentance) a. Honesty - call sin a sin. (e.g. Some say sin is a growth experience . . . or that cheating during exams is sharing) b. Humility - Admit you fell into sin because you are weak. You need God to overcome your sins. . c. Hate the sin - Hate sin and not the sinner. If you hate sin you'll stay away from it and you won't make any justifications for doing it (e.g. "I am just human", “somebody else made me do it"). 33
c. Have a good confession. Go to confession, it allows you to be humble. You get sound advice from priests and support from brothers and sisters in Christ when you share your weaknesses to them.
B. Faith 1. We need to have faith that when we come to the Lord in repentance He will forgive us and give us the strength to follow Him. To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see (Heb 11: 1). a. We place our trust in Christ, believing that He will conquer our sinfulness, that He will forgive us and heal us of our sins. b. Trusting, committing ourselves to the person of Christ. 2. The characteristics of faith that we are talking about is shown in Matthew 14:22-33. a. Faith is relying on what God said. When Christ told Peter that he could walk on the water, although he knew it was impossible, he still believed. In the same way, when Christ promises that He will save us from our sins, we should believe that He can and He will. b. Faith is not just a feeling but is a decision to believe. Peter acted in spite of fear. He was scared of drowning. Still, he believed in what Christ said that faith is not a feeling but rather a decision that we should make. Faith is deciding to put our trust in Christ. c. We should accept and believe in Christ as our personal Savior and in His promises. (Acts 16:31, Luke 11:9-11)
III. HEALING AND FORGIVENESS A. The need for healing 1. When we come before God and respond to Him, we first acknowledge our sinfulness and come before Him in repentance and then in faith, ask for forgiveness. 2. As we do this, we also ask Him to heal us, because these hurts, sinful ways are obstacles which keep us from totally receiving God's grace. Healing will not be complete if we haven't forgiven those who have hurt us, especially if they're the ones closest to us.
B. Healing through Forgiveness 1. Share how hurts in the different areas of our life listed below can hinder us from drawing near to the Lord, and how forgiveness begins the process of healing. a. Our parents/ family, 34
b. Our friends, c. Others
2. Healing Occurs a. When we forgive b. When we ask for forgiveness c. When we humbly ask God to heal us d. When we serve others, focus more on helping others “heal” instead of focusing on ourselves ACTIVITY: Ask the participants to write down on a piece of paper, the things that they want to give up to God (Sins, People whom you have hurt/have hurt you). IV. CONCLUSION God wants us to experience the fullness of life in His love, by knowing Him. However, our sins and hurts block much of His blessings for us. Christ wants to remove these hindrances and extend His mercy towards us, but we have to do our part and repent from these sins. We need to believe that He will forgive and strengthen us and bring us healing. Then we can fully receive God's blessing, His Holy Spirit which strengthens us and allows us to live our lives as truly pleasing to God. We will hear more about this in the next talk.
Note: Refer to Team Leaders guide -- “The Sessions and their Purpose” for the activity after this talk Song Profile: Song of surrender to the Lord (Suggested song: I Give My All)
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Talk 4: Receiving God’s Gift: The Power of the Holy Spirit Expanded outline Note: Should be given 1 hour at the most. Goal of the speaker should make the participants willing to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It would be better if the speaker can illustrate the bible verses of the talk.
I. INTRODUCTION: Christians Today and Before A. Christians today:
Christians today can't seem to live as they should; they seem weak, lacking power. (Give examples / illustrate) However, Christians were not always like that.
B. Christians before: The Christians in the early Church possessed certain strength and boldness of character, a power that attracted so many to join this group of fishermen, slaves, Gentiles and Jews. So many converts from different races, nations, social strata were brought into their fold. By 325 AD, the Emperor of Rome himself became a Christian. And today, it is the largest faith in the world. What was this power that transformed 12 insignificant men and their brethren into the pillars that established Christendom? It wasn't human might or intellect, it was the Power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that continues to fill and transform the lives of so many Christians today.
II. THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT A. Misconceptions: 1. God's messenger 2. The dove in Christ's baptism B. The Holy Spirit is God, the 3rd Person in the Blessed Trinity. C. God's promised spirit 1. A New Heart and a New Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27) God promised a spirit that will enable all men to follow Him. He promised to give men "A new heart and a new Spirit...” 2. The Valley of the Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37 : 1 – 14) This story gives us a vision of what the Power of His Holy Spirit can do. In scriptures, the wind is often used to refer to God’s Sprit. -- God’s Holy Spirit can fill us and bring life, help us live as His sons and daughters.
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3. God’s Spirit brings about a. United with God - When we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we begin a personal and intimate relationship with God. God’s word becomes alive in us as we read scripture. We hear Him speaking to us in our hearts and we experience Him touching our lives. b. A new you (Galatians 5: 22 - 23) - As we grow in our personal relationship with God, He slowly molds us into His likeness, removing the selfishness in our hearts, making us more loving, more like Jesus. c. Power to serve (Acts 1:8) - God’s Spirit empowers us to serve, giving us the boldness to speak His words and making us willing to face the challenge of bringing others to Him, in spite of the difficulties and trials we may face.
(Note: In sharing the 3 points above, the speaker should share his own experiences of these 3 points.) III. HOW DO WE RECEIVE THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT A. The Coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-8) Narrate in your own words this passage. Praying for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit may not be exactly like this event. But we can take certain points from this event to help and guide us in receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 1. We ask. (Luke 11:9-10) In faith, we know that when we ask for it, it will be given to us. 2. We believe. (Luke 11:13) We should believe that when we ask for God's Holy Spirit, He will surely give it. B. What do we specifically as for? 1. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 2. Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) a. These are gifts that God gives to help us in our Christian lives. Include the gifts of the Holy Spirit with brief explanation of each gifts, should have a standard list of gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1. Wisdom – is not just good practical judgment or common sense or a high degree of knowledge. The wisdom that is of the Spirit is centered on Jesus. 2. Healing – is the supernatural ability to effect a cure of physical or other human illness through prayer 3. Miracles- is the supernatural ability to perform miraculous act, acts that are not the result of any known natural law or agency but are caused by divine intervention. 4. Prophecy - is the gift by which a person is used by God to speak on his behalf 37
5. Discernment- is the gift by which a person can recognize the spirit behind a particular situation. 6. Faith- is not just an intellectual belief in God, but a confident assurance in God which allows us to move forward without any doubt at all. 7. Tongues- is a charismatic gift by which a person is able to utter words or sounds which are not known or understandable to his human intellect. 8. Knowledge – is not just knowing a lot of things through study or experience. Knowledge that is of the spirit is the fruit of revelation, founded on faith, and synthesized by Christian experience. 9. Interpretation- is a companion to the gift of tongues, when used for prophecy, and is necessary so that those who hear may understand, and so be edified. (Each gift should be explained thoroughly by the Facilitator during one-to-ones session) b. Explain especially the Gift of Tongues. It is a gift of prayer - It is a prayer that only God can understand and only we can speak. Because of this spiritual gift, our souls are able to say what it really wants to express to God. This spiritual gift pleases God. We humble ourselves when we pray in a language we don't understand. This total humility pleases God. The gift of tongues becomes a doorway to the other spiritual gifts. C. Hindrances to receiving the Holy Spirit. 1. “ I am never wrong” (self righteousness) Sin alienates us from God. When we refuse to be repentant for our sin, we keep ourselves from experiencing God and His Spirit. This is why we need to go to confession. 2. “ Am I worthy?” (self pity) Everyone is unworthy, what the Lord requires is simply a humble spirit that approaches Him in repentance and asks for forgiveness. 3. “I am too cool for this” (pride) Keeps us from acknowledging our need for God, and asking Him into our lives, but God will keep on knocking until we're humble enough to ask Him in. If we're afraid of looking foolish, we must humble ourselves if we are to receive God's Spirit.
Note: People are often willing to look foolish for other reasons, e.g. concerts, games, celebrities. We should be more willing to look foolish for God.
basketball
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4. “Are you for real?” Doubt Encourage the participants to focus on what's true. God promised His spirit and He won't go back on His word.
IV. CONCLUSION (This portion may be omitted if the speaker will be conducting the baptism or Pray over Session) Recall Ezekiel 37:1-14 Living the Christian life seems almost impossible. But we have a hope, a hope in god's promise. . . His Holy Spirit which strengthens us and gives us the gifts we need in order to live as true sons and daughters of God.
Note: Our next activity will be the commitment ceremony and pray over session. Give the participant a general view of what they can expect. The Speaker must ask the participants to stretch and exercise a bit to avoid people sleeping while the session is ongoing.
V. PRAY OVER SESSION EXPLANATION (omit the term Baptism Ceremony) Note: We recommend that the speaker should conduct the baptism or pray over session. Our purpose tonight is to ask the Lord for the power of His Holy spirit that enables us to live as true Christians. To do this, we will first have to come before our Lord, believe and accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior and commit our lives to Him. After this, we will pray with one another for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. A. Explain the Baptism. 1. This is not a new baptism. We were all baptized when we became Catholics. What we want to do now is to pray for one another so that we can immerse ourselves in God's Spirit and be empowered as Christians. 2. Explain the process of Baptism / praying over session a. First, we will be having a “Commitment to Christ Ceremony” where you will be encourage accepting the Holy Spirit because receiving the Holy is receiving Christ. b. After this, your discussion group leaders will approach you and bring you somewhere more conducive and private for the pray-over. c. Process of praying over. * Prayer of Thanksgiving: Your discussion group leaders will thank the Lord for the commitment that you just made. * Prayer of Deliverance: Casting out the works of Satan in you life. (e.g. "In the name of Jesus, spirit of deceit we cast you out".) * Prayer for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit / spiritual gifts. 39
d. After the pray over. * Go back to your seat, we will end together once everyone has been prayed for. * We encourage you to continue to be in an atmosphere of prayer. B. Final tips 1. Relax. Our pray over session, and your decision to follow the Lord, is very important, but don't let this make you anxious. Relax and be at peace, this will make it easier for you to open up to the Lord. 2. Don't expect a particular experience. Expecting one particular type of experience might keep you from recognizing God's work in you. God knows you more than you know yourself. He knows exactly how he should touch you. 3. Don't analyze the sounds you make. In speaking or praying in tongues, just focus on the Lord and praise Him. What comes out of your mouth and how you praise God is up to Him. 4. Initiate. God respects you, and won't force you to praise Him in tongues. You have to initiate praying in a language you don't know, and then God will inspire you and give you the words to say. (e.g. Even if God has already inspired you to write a song, the song will never be heard unless you actually pick-up a guitar, play the tune and write the words. In the same way, you have to begin praying in tongues by first initiating it.) * Focus on God. Worship Him in your own words. * Once you've run out of words to worship God, utter the first syllables that comes into your mind and use this for worship. * Focus on worshipping God and not the words you use to worship, then let God take control.
C. COMMITMENT CEREMONY 1. After the explanation, the speaker or team leader asks the participants to meditate about all the talks. 2. While the participants are meditating, a meditative song may be played (e.g. Here I am to Worship , Heaven). We recommend that there should only be one song for reflection and participants are asked. 3. After the song is sung, the speaker asks those who want to make a commitment to Christ to stand up. Then, the Prayer of Commitment is recited together.
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COMMITMENT TO CHRIST Leader : Do you renounce Satan and all wrongdoing? Participant: Yes, I do. Leader : Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died to free you from sins that He rose to bring you new life? Participant: Yes, I do. Leader : Do you choose to follow Jesus as your Lord, to love Him, honor Him and obey Him? Participant: Yes, I will.
PRAYER OF COMMITMENT (Ask participants to repeat after you.) Lord Jesus Christ,/ I want to belong to you from now on./ I want to be free / from the dominion of darkness/ and the rule of Satan,/ and I want to enter into your kingdom/ and be part of your people./ I will turn away from all wrong doing,/ and I will avoid everything/ that leads me to wrongdoing./ I ask you to forgive/ all the sins that I have committed/ I offer my life to You,/ and I promise to obey you as my Lord. 4. Everyone is then asked to be seated, and wait for their turn to be prayed over.
(PRAY OVER SESSION) VI. WORSHIP -is being able to come before the presence of GOD and being able to acknowledge that he alone is GOD. We are created to worship and glorify him. In glorifying him we sing songs of praise and worship. As said by St. Agustine “he who sings praise twice”. We can Jump and dance like David as he celebrate God’s love in the book of Psalm. We can raise up our hands as a we surrender our lives in prayer. VII. CLOSING EXHORTATION (After the worship) A. Different people different experiences. 1. Some may have prayed in tongues, cried or simply felt God's presence. Others may have had a very simple experience. The Holy Spirit comes to each of us differently. 2. An emotional experience is not an indication of God's Holy Spirit. Rather, focus on the fact, that you committed yourself to Jesus Christ and that is the most important. If you asked for His Spirit, whatever experience you had, He surely gave it to you. B. Satan will tempt you to doubt. * He will never cease in trying to take away the treasure you have just received today. (The speaker should give an example on how satan will tempt them to doubt.) C. Don't expect all your problems to go away. 41
* Focus on the truth. Now you have God and through all your problems, He will always be there. And these problems will never overwhelm you. D. Go easy on sharing with others what you have experienced. 1. All of these things were first explained to you before they were done. Don't expect your friends to understand you. 2. Try to explain what you went through in a very ordinary and understandable way. Better yet, share to them what you experienced by showing the change in you as Christ begins to dwell at the center of your life. E. Be faithful/ Take care of the Spirit. 1. Like any gift, the gift you received tonight can be lost, so use it. 2. You committed to follow the Lord, be faithful to that decision. 3. Have a daily prayer time where you can experience and get to know God and where He can slowly but surely work in your life daily.
VII. CONCLUSION “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power and you will be witnesses for Me in Jerusalem in all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ( Note: Encourage the participants to be faithful in their commitment to the Lord. God has begun a powerful work in their lives today, He will always be faithful to us, by His Spirit we can be faithful to Him.)
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Talk 5: Growing in the Spirit Expanded outline I. INTRODUCTION We have heard a lot of good things in this camp, God's love, His salvation, and received His Holy Spirit. All of us in one way or another have experienced God's goodness this weekend. But after all these, what do we do next? In this talk, we'd like to share with you what we can do to sustain our new found relationship with God.
II. HOW CAN WE GROW AS SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD? We know, clearly now more than ever, that God's love is real. That the Holy Spirit is real and that He is truly in us. God is truly good. All His plans for us are for our own good. But what happens after this Camp when all of us are no longer in this exciting environment. What happens when we go back to our friends at home or classmates in school who do not understand what we have gone through -- friends who might even convince us that what we have gone through is weird and out of this world? A. Attitudes we should have:
1. We have God's gift of salvation. We should leave this place with the conviction that what we have gone through was truly a gift from God, for our good and our salvation. The way to God through Jesus is the only way and we should fight any idea or direction that tells us otherwise. 2. We have God's Spirit. We now have God's Spirit in us to strengthen us, to protect us and to help us overcome obstacles to our decision to grow as men and women of God. 3. We need to grow. We need to realize that we have to invest time and effort learning the tools to growth and support pillars to preserve what we have and to receive much more. B. Tools for Christian Growth: The Four Spokes All the tools to Christian Growth are available when you j oin Youth for Christ.
NOTE : You can illustrate this portion by likening the tools of Christian growth to the four spokes of the wheel. The wheel represents our Christian life which draws power from the center of the wheel, or the hub, which represents Christ. The power is transmitted through the four spokes of the wheel. If any one of the four spokes is missing, the wheel will not function. 43
1. Prayer and Study of Scriptures If we want to grow in our relationship with God, we need to spend time with Him in prayer and reading scriptures. a. Decide on having prayer time - 15 minutes will do. b. Have a regular time and place for prayer. c. Use of prayer and scripture guides will be very helpful.
2. Fellowship a. Fellowship is important to us. * It is in our nature to enjoy the company of people our age. It is for this reason that teenagers have their own groups in the neighborhood, and fraternities and sororities in school. * There seems to be a strong need for us to belong to a peer group. In a peer group, there is oftentimes peer pressure, which could be either positive or negative. b. The YFC provides a real environment where genuine friendship can happen. * It is a place where we experience positive peer pressure, to speak what is true and to do what is right in accordance with God's plan. c. The YFC is a place where building strong bonds friendship and brotherhood are considered as important goals of its activities. 3. Service a. When we are given the opportunity to serve, we grow in our relationship with God. * Youth are endowed with a lot of talents and energies that oftentimes are not tapped for productive use, especially in serving God. We have a lot of opportunities to serve such as YCOM (YFC Communications). A special program that involves events, music min etc. * Youth are the hope of today. We are called to love the poor and move towards nation building. We have this good news called GK (Gawad Kalinga). Where we don’t just build houses we build lives. * We know that given the right motivation and challenges, we can be responsible and productive. 44
b. YFC, just like CFC , is an evangelistic group for young adults. * Our mission is to bring God to other teenagers. * In doing this, we develop a sense of mission. We develop our gifts and we start to make a real effort to be effective witnesses for the Lord as we serve. 4. Sacraments: Taking Active Part in the Church In addition to all these tools that we could use in our Christian growth, we should be aware that another important tool to further enhance this growth is to participate in the sacraments of the Church. (Attending Mass on Sundays, having a regular Confession).
Brief explanation of the Seven Sacrament Baptism- We were baptized in order to be saved. (See Jn3:5). The original sin is forgiven. We become children of God and members of the church. b. Reconciliation-(see Jn 20:22-23) All of us need the sacrament of penance, because all of us are sinners. (See 1Jn1:8-9). We cannot say that there is no need to confess our sins to the priest, and that we can confess our sins straight to God (see Mt16:19). Penance remits all sins, and gives us the sanctifying grace. c. Holy Eucharist - (see Mk14:22-24) We receive the body and blood of Christ. We are in communion with the Church and we receive eternal life. d. Confirmation- (see Acts 2:1-4 and Acts 19:6) We receive the Holy Spirit and become soldier of Christ. e. Marriage- (see Mt19:5) Covenant of love between a man and a woman. f. Holy Order- (See Lk22:19-20) When we receive the vocation from the Lord we should have the courage to abandon everything and follow him g. Anointing on the sick - They will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover (Mk 16:18) Confers the sacramental grace on the sick person. a.
III. CONCLUSION God calls us to live a life that is pleasing to Him. He loved us first, He has already died for us, He has given us His Holy Spirit, but even more, He gives us tools that we can use to grow in our relationship with Him. The challenge is left to us. . ."will we respond to that call?" We're not saying that after giving through this youth camp, we'll be living perfect Christian lives. We'll be probably fall but it's standing up those matters most. After all, it's faithfulness, not success that God wants. God died for us . . . Now it's time we live for Him. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. John 15:5
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DEDICATION CEREMONY NOTE: Either the team leader, or speaker may conduct the dedication ceremony. This portion is done immediately after the "Growth Talk" is given. A. “Living out the Christian life is not easy. We need an environment that can support us in this. It is in to this that YFC would like to help." B. “Many of us through God's grace, and with the help of the brothers and sisters have been helped in our commitment to Christ because of the environment we have in YFC. We would like to invite you to join us where we can continue support one another." 1. First, read to the participants the YFC Statement of Commitment.(Inside the YFC ID) 2. After reading the entire Commitment once, ask the participants to recite the Commitment (you may do this by reading a line at a time and asking them to repeat after you). C. Some participants may feel discouraged to join YFC upon hearing the difficult demands of the Statement of Commitment. This happens when living out this commitment perfectly is perceived to be a prerequisite in becoming a member. It should be made clear that the Statement of Commitment is simply a goal. To agree with this Commitment means supporting one another as we try to achieve this goal.
DIALOGUE WITH THE PARENTS Ask parents to spend 30 minutes alone with their children. Ask them to begin the dialogue by giving / reading to each other the letters that they prepared. Note : It is advisable to insert a time where the participants will be able to share their experiences in the camp
PRAY OVER After the dialogue, the team leader explains the pray over session. Ask parents to go to their children and pray over them using this prayer.
Note: Choose a parent and a child from the participants to lead the pray over. (You may ask the parents to first say their own prayers for their children and then repeat after the prayer below).
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PRAYER FOR CHILDREN God has given you to me,/ (name of child) / as a gift/ to love and to guide./ I wish all good things for you./ Forgive me for any hurts that I may have given you./ As I forgive you/ of the hurts you may have given me./ I now call upon you God's blessings./ May the Lord bless you and keep you./ May the Lord make His face shine upon you/ and be gracious unto you./ May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you/ and give you peace. Amen. 2. The participants/children will now pray over their parents. a. (To the participants) we believe that the people who love you the most are your parents. But as they have striven in their own way, to express this love they may have made mistakes. Often, our resentments stem from this. b. If we are to live a Christian life, we must first ask the Lord to heal these hurts between our parents and ourselves. c. Ask participants to pray over their parents. (Follow the same format that was done when the parents prayed over their children).
PRAYER FOR PARENTS God has given you to me,/ (Papa and Mama or Dad and Mom) / as my guides in His place/ here on earth./ I know that you love me / and in your love / you may have committed mistakes / that hurt me. / I forgive you for these./ I want you to know/ that I love you/ and ask for forgiveness/ for all the hurts/ I have given you./ May God bless you in everything you do./ This I pray / in the name of Jesus Christ/ my Lord and Savior./ Amen.
DEDICATION CEREMONY NOTE: Either the team leader, or speaker may conduct the dedication ceremony. This portion is done immediately after the Talk 5 is given.The parents will be asked to witness their child/ren in the dedication ceremony. A. “Living out the Christian life is not easy. We need an environment that can support us in this. It is in to this that YFC would like to help." Identity of YFC through the 7Pillars of YFC
NOTE : You can illustrate this portion to show the importance of the seven pillars supporting our Christian life.
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1. Be a Missionary- Appreciating the work of evangelization and our mission as our duty, our call and our privilege. 2. Be a Model of Excellence (Living in faith) - Focusing on learning, understanding and deepening of faith; Growing in personal holiness and renewal of faith. 3. Be a Source of Unity to the Family – Growing in the different stages, facets, and states of life; Love and commitment to one’s own f amily. 4. Be Patriotic – Helping the young grow in servanthood, stewardship, and leadership; Strengthening the value of excellence, dedication and total commitment in all areas of the life of the young. 5. Be a Champion of the Poor – Establishing caring relationships among individuals by upholding the value of selfless giving and sharing. 6. Be 100% Pure – Emphasizing the sacredness of life and defend the culture of life; Living a life of Holiness and lead the path that pleases God. 7. Be Single-minded for God – Appreciating the importance of loving and following the teachings of Jesus; Awareness of our Vocation.
NOTE: You can play the proposed seven pillars video. B. “Many of us through God's grace, and with the help of the brothers and sisters have been helped in our commitment to Christ because of the environment we have in YFC. We would like to invite you to join us where we can continue support one another." 1. First, read to the participants the YFC Covenant.(Inside the YFC ID) 2.
After reading the entire Commitment once, ask the participants to recite the Commitment (you may do this by reading a line at a time and asking them to repeat after you).
C. Some participants may feel discouraged to join YFC upon hearing the difficult demands of the YFC Covenant. This happens when living out this commitment perfectly is perceived to be a prerequisite in becoming a member. It should be made clear that the Statement of Commitment is simply a goal. To agree with this Commitment means supporting one another as we try to achieve this goal.
The Covenant of a Youth for Christ Member 1. I am special because I am a son / daughter of God. * I will spend time in prayer where I can grow in loving, honoring and serving Him. * I will learn and grow in living out these ideals and principles of my Lord Jesus. * I believe that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I will not dishonor the Lord through drunkenness, drugs or immorality. * I will participate actively in the life of my Church.
2. My family is God's gift to me. * I will love, honor and respect my parents in spite of whatever state or circumstances 48
they are in. * I believe that my blood brothers and sisters are God's gift to me. I will strive to grow in unity and understanding towards them. * I will be a source of healing to any family brokenness or hurts.
3. It is my privilege to be studying I my school. * I will show love and loyalty to the Lord and to my school by being a good student. * I will take responsibility in my studies. * I will respect school authorities. * I will serve my classmates and build good relationships in sc hool.
4. I belong to the bigger family of CFC Youth for Christ. * I will relate in love and loyalty to the brothers and sisters from other schools, cities, Provinces, states and countries. * I will serve the Lord in YFC in whatever way I can, whenever / wherever the Lord chooses to call me. * I will follow the directions of my elders and leaders in YFC.
5. God has a special purpose in allowing me to be born / live in this country * I commit to love and serve my country with all my heart. * I will honor our culture, our traditions and our values. * I will give the best of myself to bring out the best to my countrymen. * I commit to being a champion of the poor and inspire my family, friends and areas of influence to be the same. * I will strive to preserve and protect the environment.
I. The speaker or the team leader presents participants to parents explaining that their child/ren have just made their commitment to live a Christian Life. The team leader will encourage the parents to support their child/ren in the commitment they have made. Note: Have an appropriate song played at this time. (e.g. Welcome to the Family) II. Discuss the culture of CFC YFC: 1) YFC brothers and sisters greeting: Sister to sister cheek to cheek Sister to brother pat on the back Brother to brother pat on the back (For foreign missions it depends to the culture) 2) Show proper respect to your YFC couple coordinators 3) Wearing your official YFC identification card (I.D.) in all YFC activities or any CFC community related activity. III. Allow a few minutes of sharing. (participants, parents and service team)
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COVENANT
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CFC Youth for Christ Covenant Orientation Talk 1: Loving, Honoring and Serving God Expanded Outline I.
I believe that I am special to God. A. God Loves me. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life. ”(John 3:16) We can personalize this sentence as if the Lord is speaking to us: “For God so loved me that He gave me His only Son, so that if I believe in Him, I will not perish but I will have eternal life” God loves us despite of our sinful nature. He accepts us for who we are.
B. God forgives my sins. “…for this is My blood of the Covenant, which is poured out to many for the forgiveness of sins”(Matthew 26:28) God is full of mercy. He wants to forgive our sins so we can always be close to Him.
C. I am son/daughter of God. “You yourselves are no longer a slave but a son or a daughter; and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace” (Galatians 4:7) We were once “slaves” of sin, but Jesus free us. We become sons and daughters of God the Father and Jesus our brother. We are also prince and princesses because we will soon inherit the kingdom of God.
II.
Our response. Since we know that God loves us and that we are special to Him, He has forgiven our sins and we are His children, then the Lord is also special to us. He is so special that it makes us want to love Him more than anything else. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. “(Matthew 22:37) We are called to love the Lord… …with all our heart
1. For the writers of scriptures, the heart meant the “center” or “core” of oneself. 51
a. Loving God with all our heart means loving the Lord with our whole being. “With all our heart” means to accept totally and live out the ideals and principles of our Lord Jesus Christ even if it means to deny ourselves. b. Loving God means that we should always include God in our decisions is it big or small. c. Loving God means being pure in body as well as in spirit. We do this by not disgracing it through the abuse of drugs, drunkenness and immorality. 2. Loving God also entails sacrifice because sometimes, it is hard to give up something for the Lord (A bad habit, fasting, being generous with our time, talent and treasure, etc…) The phrase “Putting your heart into it” means to work hard for something to achieve high standards. (e.g. a high grade, a good thesis or project). It means sacrifice and perspiration. …with all our soul
1. Our souls were created by God, who is a pure Spirit. There is a longing for our souls to be unite with God and being “one” with Him (Ps 84:12) - Prayer is a means of communication with God, and being “one” with Him. - We must be consistent with our prayer time. Participating actively in joyful and reverent worship bring us in the presence of the Lord together with our brothers and sisters. - Decided to pray for least 15mins. a day - Make prayer a habit- allocate a certain place and time for prayer. - Make your prayer dynamic- sing song, read scripture, talk with God. 2. Practicing the sacraments expresses our souls’ longing f or God Hearing Mass nourishes our souls. Receiving Holy communication is receiving Jesus himself. Going to confession, our souls are washed and polished by Jesus and reunites us with the Father. 3. We should be eager to bring other souls to the Lord by serving actively in YFC activities, Youth Camps or Church activities. …with all our mind
1. The mind includes our thoughts, intentions, and learning. - Sometimes, we think about people who we love. We should practice also thinking about Jesus and the things He has done for us. 52
2. We should learn about Him and study about His teachings to gain wisdom We can achieve this by reading and reflecting on Scriptures and /or other Christians books. 3. We must learn how to witness to other people how the Lord is working in our lives.
III.
There will be times when our love for God will be tested. A. We will experience suffering, trials and doubt. -In all things, we should realize that loving God is not based on feelings but on solid commitment. -We should believe and be faithful to Him no matter what happens in our lives. B. When we sin, we feel guilty to come back to the Lord -This dampers our love for God. -Solution: Go to confession and ask for God’s mercy. -He will not only be happy to see you come back to Him, but he will embrace. C. We will experience dryness in prayer as if God is nowhere to be found. -The Lord will test our faithfulness. The more we pray to Him in times like these, all the more He will be pleased with us and will reward us.
IV.
Conclusion God is our Creator and our Father. He cares for us. He wants to see us happy and live fruitful lives. He loves us and He thinks were special. Lets acknowledge this and respond to Him by telling Him how special He is in our lives. Let us love Him will all our heart, soul and mind.
Memory Verse: “You shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.”(Matthew 22:37) Discussion Starters: 1. How have I s shown my love for God? a. With all my heart? b. With all my soul? c. With all my mind? 2. What more can I do to express my love for God? (Choose one concrete example in your life where you can grow in your love for God.)
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CFC Youth for Christ Covenant Orientation Talk 2: Loving, Honoring and Serving Family Expanded Outline I.
Introduction There are two things that we should realize about the family: A. The family is God’s plan (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 18-24; Gen. 7:1) - God created the family for a purpose – to be a means by which His kingdom is established on earth. B. The family is under attack / is being destroyed. - People say it is outmoded - Some say it is a barrier to progress (e.g. issue on abortion – too many children hinder economic growth) - “The greatest oppressors of women today are the church, the state and the family.” – Cyndi Lauper 9rock star) We need to see the spiritual side to this, and take our part in this battle by bringing our families back into the plan of God.
II. Our Role in the Family A. Relating With our Parents 1. Honor and Respect (Ex. 20:12) – only commandment with a promise attached to it. a. Show them their importance to us (e.g stand up to greet them, pleasing our parents) b. Attitude of gratitude: express our appreciation c. Speak well of them / Avoid speaking negatively about our parents. 2.
Obedience (Eph. 6:1) a. Accept direction / listen to advice: Our parents are God’s stewards on earth. b. Accept correction (Prov.13:1) c. Serve our parents (joyfully doing our household chores / doing well in our studies.)
3.
We respect our parents primarily because they are our parents (Sir. 3:1 -15) a. They chose to participate in God’s work of creation; this in itself should be enough reason to honor them. b. We respect and honor our parents’ inspite of their faults, mistakes and problems.
B. Relating With Our Brothers and Sisters in Our Families 1. Seeing our families (even our brothers and sisters) as God’s gift to us. a. Expressing to them their importance to us and appreciating them. 54
b. Respecting and listening to what they have to say – even if they are younger 2.
Finding opportunities to share a. Our time (spend quality time together – enjoying, helping one another out – homework, school projects of brothers/sisters b. Resources – sharing our talents
C. Being Instruments of Healing 1. Loving – (Mt.22) Loving your neighbor is the direct consequence / effect of loving God. a. Our closest neighbors are our families b. Type of Love – 1 Cor.13:4-7 2.
Witnessing a. Be forgiving, patient and loving towards your brothers and sisters b. Initiate healing – find ways to reconcile differences within the family
3.
Praying and interceding for family members
4.
Serving God with our family whenever possible (especially for children of CFC members)
III. Conclusion There is an attack on the family. As YFC members, we need to take a stand to protect and build the family – become witnesses and a hope to other families and take part in “renewing the face of the earth.”
Memory Verse: “ As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15) Discussion Starters: 1. What area in my relationship with my parents can I grow i n? 2. What area in my relationship with my brothers and sisters ca n I grow in? 3. If there is one thing I could do to be an instrument of healing to my family, what would that be?
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CFC Youth for Christ Covenant Orientation Talk 3: Loving, Honoring and Serving Country Expanded Outline I.
Introduction As Christians, we don’t believe in coincidences. We know that God has a purpose for everything. God has placed us where we are for a purpose. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the Nations.” (Jer. 1:5) God calls us to be a light to the nations. We should be able to do that wherever it is that He has placed us – our own countries.
II.
To Love, Honor and Serve Our Country A. Showing our country honor and respect 1. Avoid treating our country like one big trashcan / toilet - Let us not liter – as if we can “flush” down our dirt in our surroundings. - We don’t vandalize 2. Taking pride in our heritage. - Take pride in national symbols (flag, national anthem) - Learn about your heritage (if your parents migrated, learn about the country they migrated from. Keep positive aspects of that culture. 3. Take a positive attitude about our country. - We avoid jokes or negative comments about our country, culture and government B. Serving our country – being model citizens (Rom. 13: 1-8) 1. We obey the laws of the land - Traffic laws, pedestrian crossings - This includes the laws and regulations of our schools. (We do not look loopholes to cheat our school – we come to class at the time the school says we should). - We should help in furthering the vision and mission of our government and schools especially if our school is catholic/Christian. (however, this also means that we have to speak up when our country/government begins to adopt unchristian policies – e.g those against life, family, and God like abortion, divorce, etc.) 2. Being aware and actively taking part in the affairs of our country. - If we are of voting age – we should exercise this right at every opportunity 56
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Condemn corruption in government and society without condemning the government and society itself.
C. Loving our country. Mt. 22:39 “Love your neighbor” Genuine love and Christian Charity are essential. 1. Charity : the love for all god loves a. It is not heartless. It is not just alms giving – It is genuine concern for each person and God’s creation b. Each person bears the image of God and is loved by God. If we love God, then we must love those whom he loves. (1 Jn. 4:20) c. All creation belongs to God. We protect the environment. 2. Our love for all those God loves namely our country, should give us a greater desire to evangelize. (Mt. 28:18-20)
III.
Conclusion Mt. 22:15-22 God has places us where we are, according to His purpose, so that we can use the circumstances that surround us to be witnesses for Him. As we do this, we also become witnesses and lights to the nations, by giving to our countries the love, honor and respect it deserves as responsible citizens, and giving to God our whole lives as true children of God.
Memory Verse: “You are the light of the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven.” (Mt. 5:14-16)
Discussion Starters: 1. What things do I do that show dishonor for the country that God has placed me i n? How can I correct these? 2. What concrete decision can I make that will help me love, honor and serve my country better?
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CFC Youth for Christ Covenant Orientation Talk 4: Loving, Honoring and Serving Our Brothers and Sisters Expanded Outline I.
Introduction: Loving Youth for Christ as a Family A. Blood relations are often the strongest type of relationships 1. Families have strong ties because of the same “blood” they share. 2. Comrades in arms/soldiers feel a close bond among themselves after they have sacrificed and “shed blood” together. B. The blood that unites us in greater than any of these – the blood of Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16) 1. He has made us God’s children – we are brothers and sisters 2. Because we are a family; we should relate to one another in ways a family should.
II.
Characteristics of Family type Relationships A. Commitment 1. Consistency in our relationships – being committed whether we feel like it or not. (e.g. attending YFC meetings faithfully and punctually) 2. Being ready and willing to be inconvenienced on behalf of a brother/sisters. (e.g. brother giving his seat for a sister, making sure everyone has their share of food before eating.) 3. Being brother/sister no matter what happens. (Choosing to be loving inspite of misunderstandings) B. Unity (Ps. 133:1) 1. Avoid being exclusive a. Being a brother to all in families, you don’t choose your parents, or your brothers & sisters, they simply are. b. Being a brother/sister even to those you aren’t close to. c. Go beyond your chapter, sector area. 2. Decide to grow in your relationship with the brother/sister. a. Go out of your way to get to know all brothers & sisters. 3. Pray for unity always within YFC, the Catholic Church, all Christian Churches. (Jn.17:20-23) C. Loyalty 1. Protect the brothers/sisters a. Protecting the character of brothers/sisters (refuse to believe/listen to gossip about brothers and sisters) b. Loyalty means correcting a brother or sister c. Protecting the brother/sister physically (e.g. making sure a sister gets home safely, having concern looking out for one another) 2. Protect YFC as a body/community 58
*Keep yourself from doing things that will destroy the name of YFC D. Love Love should always be part of our relationships as brothers and sisters “If we love God, we must love our neighbor”. (Mt. 22:39) 1. We love by showing honor and respect – giving importance (Rom. 12:10) (e.g. greeting one another, listening to one another’s ideas and opinions) 2. It is God’s command that we love one another (Jn. 13:34-35) 3. 1 Cor. 13:4-7 expresses the kind of love we should have E. Service Like any family, love and loyalty is expressed through service 1. Have a “What can I give?” attitude as opposed to “what can I get?” (The attitude of servanthood is more important than the actual service) 2. Be open/willing and ready to serve in any ways (e.g. speakers, music ministry, household heads, facilitators, clean up committee etc.)
III. Obstacles that Hinder Us from Growing in Our relationship with Our Brothers/Sisters A. Fear of rejection - We should draw our confidence from knowing that the King of Kings has accepted and loved us as we are. Rejection from others won’t affect us as much because of this fact. - We should then grow in confidence in relating to our brother/sisters. - Let us be the ones reaching out. B. Pride
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Take on the attitude mentioned in Phil.2:3 Love others and reach out to others because God loved you even if you did not deserve it.
C. Cliquishness 1. Let us avoid sticking just with those we are comfortable with because it causes division. - (1Th. 4:9-10). Instead let us learn to grow in loving all the brothers/sisters more and more each day. 2. Entering an exclusive “boyfriend/girlfriend” relationship often hinders other relationships. - If we do have to enter into such relationships, we are to make sure that we are guided accordingly (e.g. by our elders, our parents)
IV. Our Love for God and the YFC Family should Extend and be Expected in our Schools We do this by being: A. Witnesses 1. Being responsible students - Being the best we can be for the Lord 59
2. Being good examples to our classmates (by not cheating, respecting school authorities and property) B. Evangelistic 1. Inviting our classmates to youth camps *sharing our faith in the Lord/service in YFC to our classmates 2. Helping in establishing/sustaining YFC in your school C. Loving our neighbors – classmates
V.
Conclusion If we love God, then it follows that we should be one another (1 Jn. 4:20). As God’s family, each of us is called to love, honor and serve one another, building up God’s community as a witness to all. Memory Verse: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live in unity” (Ps. 133:1) Discussion Starters: 1. Which obstacles hinder me at present from growing in my rel ationships with brothers/sisters? 2. What can I do to grow in these relationships?
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YOUTH CAMP TRAINING PROGRAM
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CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST YOUTH CAMP TRAINING PROGRAM Goals 1. Help Youth for Christ members come to a better understanding of the Youth Camp. 2. Train YFC members to effectively serve in Youth Camps as speakers, facilitators, team leaders, etc. 3. Help consolidate youth camp service teams in preparation for upcoming youth camps. The Youth Camp Training Program includes: Understanding the Youth Camp Spiritual Warfare: The Unseen Battle Being a Facilitator Speaking God’s Word
Top youth leaders who have already taken this training track give this training (in preparation for youth camps). It is planned by the Couple Coordinator, in consultation with the core group of youth leaders in the area. It may be planned by the chapter or as a joint effort of the cluster or sector. It is given either as one whole day training session or two consecutive half-days, depending on the availability of the speakers, participants, as well as the ve nue and schedule.
Resource Persons 1. Youth team head 2. Worship leader 3. Music ministry 4. Service team (seat arrangements, registration, food committee etc.) 5. Speaker for each talk Resource Materials 1. Expanded outlines of this training program (to be given by the team head/ Couple Coordinator to the assigned speakers.) 2. Expanded talk outlines of the Youth Camp (to be given to potential speakers right after the fourth talk of this training). 3. Handouts (see addendum) 4. Sound system/ tapes to record talks 5. Registration sheets 6. Snacks
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Schedule AM 8:00 8:30 8:45 9:15 10:00 10:30 10:45 11:30 12:00
- 8:30 Arrival/ Registration - 8:45 Teaching of songs - 9:15 Morning worship - 10:00 Talk 1: Understanding the Youth Camp - 10:30 Mock Service Team Meeting - 10:45 Break - 11:30 Talk 2: Spiritual Warfare - The Unseen Battle - 12:00 Sharings and Open Forum - 1:00 Lunch
PM 1:00 1:15 1:30 2:15 2:30 3:15 3:45 4:45 5:00 5:20
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1:15 Gathering songs 1:30 Afternoon worship 2:15 Talk 3: Being a Facilitator 2:30 Mock Group Discussion 3:15 Talk 4: Speaking God’s Word 3:45 Preparation for giving talks 4:45 Mock Youth Camp 5:00 Evaluations / Feedback 5:20 Open Forum 5:30 Prayer for empowerment
Procedure for Mock Youth Camp: (refer to talk 4) 1. Choose potential team leader, speakers and sharers . God’s Love and His Plan: speaker and sharer Who is Jesus Christ to Me: speaker and sharer Repentance, Faith, Healing and Forgiveness: speaker only Receiving God’s Gift - The Power of the Holy Spirit: speaker only Growing in the Spirit - Life & Mission of YFC: speaker only 2. Distribute Youth Camp expanded talk outlines to potential speakers. 3. Simultaneously (from 3:15-3:45 p.m.), the: Team Leader will prepare in introducing and connecting talks; Speakers will prepare for their respective talks (speakers need not give the whole talk, but just the main points). Sharers will prepare for their personal testimonies. 4.
The team leader, speakers and sharers will deliver their mini-talks/ testimonies in front of the audience. Each speaker has 5 minutes; each sharer has 3 minutes. Meanwhile, the audience will be listing their comments /observations (both positive and negative).
5. After all talks and personal testimonies have been delivered, the audience must orally evaluate the team leader, each speaker and sharer, constructively, taking into consideration all their learning’s from the talk “Speaking God’s Word.”
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Training Program Talk 1: Understanding the Youth Camp I.
Introduction One of our main means of evangelization is the Youth Camp. We therefore have to come to a better understanding of this in order to place ourselves i n the position where we can be effective instruments of the Lord.
II.
Goals of the Youth Camp A. For the participants: 1. Introduce Jesus into their lives - we simply point to Jesus and His truth 2. Encourage the participants to invite Jesus into their lives. 3. Invite the participants into the support environment of YFC, as active members. B. For the team: 1. Personal and spiritual growth in service. 2. Leadership training - the best training is actual service (as team leader, facilitator)
III.
Elements of a Youth Camp A. Fellowship Fellowship periods (including games, bonfire, sports, joke sessions, etc.) allow opportunities for building friendships. Fellowship allows the participants to see that they can actually have good, clean fun.
B. Prayers 1. Prayers bring people into God’s presence where they begin to be transformed. It is during these times with the Lord that we are able to talk to Jesus and invite Him into our lives. We teach the participants to pray one step at a time short prayers common prayer time vocal prayers spontaneous praising singing in the Spirit and praying in tongues full worship
2. Importance of songs “He who sings, prays twice”--- St. Augustine
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“Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock o f our salvation. Let us come to Him with thanksgiving, let us extol Him with music and song.” (Ps. 95:1-2)
C. Service Service allows you to look more on others rather than just concentrate on your own problems. As you help people who are “broken” you are also slowly healed from your brokeness. IV.
Flow of the Talks Talk 1: God’s Love and His Plan for Me Allows us to see that God loves us and has a plan in our lives. Discussion groups allow us to see this plan in our lives; how far we have strayed and what we can do to get back on track. Talk 2: Who is Jesus Christ to Me? Allows us to realize the role of Jesus in our lives. Accepting Him as Lord and having a personal relationship with Him is essential in God’s plan. Discussion groups allow us to begin to think of the response we should make to God’s plan and that relationship with Jesus. Talk 3: Repentance, Faith, Healing, and Forgiveness Repentance is basically a response to God’s mercy and love. All of us have sinned, experienced hurt, and therefore need to be healed. The letter writing activity that follows allows us to examine our conscience, and lift up areas of hurt to the Lord. Thus, the process of healing begins. Talk 4: Receiving God’s Gift: The Power of the Holy Spirit Life in the Holy Spirit begins with accepting Jesus’ Lordship and then receiving the Holy Spirit through baptism. This session gives the participants the opportunity to decide for themselves if they really want to follow Christ, through the “Commitment to Christ” ceremony, and the pray-over session (Baptism of the Holy Spirit). Talk 5: Growing in the Holy Spirit: Life and Mission of YFC Explains how we can sustain our Christian Life and gives us the opportunity to invite the participant into active membership and service in YFC.
V.
Roles and Responsibilities Within the Team A. Team Leaders 1. Each Youth Camp has two team leaders; one for the brothers and one for the sisters. a. Just as we expect the brothers to take responsibility for the group, we expect the male team leader to lead the sessions (i.e. introduce the speakers, lead 65
prayers, etc.). However, in leading the Youth Camp, he must also consider the suggestions of the whole team. b. The female team leader is there to respond to the needs of the sisters and provide input in planning and conducting the camp. c. Both male and female team leader work hand-in-hand with the team. 2. They take general responsibility for the camp. a. Plans and conducts the camp in coordination and partnership with the couple coordinator. b. Rallies the team together, leads team meetings, inspires, encourages and gives “loving” correction when necessary. c. Team leaders are not given discussion groups to handle because as the discussion facilitators care for their groups, the team leaders care for the team (guidance, advice etc.). They are concerned with the spiritual aspect of the camp. d. They must be prepared to give any of the talks in the event any of the speakers is not able to arrive. B. The Team Servants 1. Two team servants are usually chosen; one male and one female. 2. They take charge of the practical aspects within the camp. a. Announcements/ House Rules b. Wake-up call/ writing down the schedule and the songs c. Preparations for the Mass ( readers, lector, songs) 3. Team Servants are usually not given a discussion group, so that they can concentrate on their responsibilities. C. Facilitators (Discussion Group Leaders) 1. 2. 3. 4.
Leads discussion groups Facilitates one to one sessions and pray-over sessions Acts as a peer guide to help participants come to Jesus Should stay in the camp, so that he/she will be able to build relationships with the participants.
D. Other Assignments (Do not necessarily have to stay in the Camp---receive instructions from Team Leader) 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Registration Team Set-up Team (Seat arrangements etc.) Music Ministry In charge of games/ energizers In charge of sports Emcee for program/ bonfire 66
VI.
The Team Meeting A. Purpose 1. Planning 2. Instructions/ Evaluation 3. Consolidation of the Team 4. Intercession B. Suggested Team Meetings 1. Planning (Includes Youth Camp Training) 2. After first talk of camp (impressions, evaluations, instructions) 3. Before Baptism (reminders, feedback, instructions) a. May be used as tongues workshop b. Intercession 4. Before final session a. Opportunity to commend the team/ each other b. Sharing of experiences from the team
VII.
Conclusion God gives us plenty of opportunities to evangelize. In YFC, our number one means of evangelism is the Youth Camp. It is a gift from God, and like any other gift, we try to understand its proper use, so that He who gave us this gift may be pleased.
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Training Program Talk 2: Spiritual Warfare - The Unseen Battle I.
Two Kingdoms A. The Kingdom of Darkness There is a war that began with Satan’s rebellion (Rev. 12:7-10) 1. He was defeated and hurled down to earth. 2. Since he could not defeat the all-powerful God, he devours those whom God loves: man. 3. He tempts man, making him his captive, a slave of sin and death. B. Kingdom of Light 1. Although Satan has been defeated, he continues to deceive people, taking as many of God’s children with him. 2. As YFC members, we are part of God’s army a. We are a threat to Satan, and he will surely attack us. b. We should place ourselves in the front-line, being always ready to defend the Lord.
II.
Our Weapons and Protection A. The whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) 1. The belt of truth (Eph.6: 14) When we prepare to do something difficult, we tighten our belts. Satan is the father of lies and he will tempt us to doubt in God, His word, and ourselves. We need to make sure we live in the truth at all times, tightening our grasp of what is true. Let us place our confidence in God’s truths, His love and His power. 2. The breastplate of righteousness - protection against sin (Eph.6: 14) If Satan cannot succeed by making us lose our faith, he will fill us with evil thoughts. He may even try to make us irritable, or quarrel with parents/friends, just to stop us from serving. He knows we will not be credible/ believable if there is unrighteousness in our lives. Resist those temptations (temptations are not sins unless they are entertained.) 3. Our boots- our readiness to preach the Gospel of peace (Eph.6: 15) Our eagerness to serve: Like army boots let us be ready to go even where it is difficult to serve the Lord. 4. Shield of faith- protection against the devil’s flaming arrows of doubt (Eph.6: 16). Doubts, like flaming arrows, strike us down. It seems small at first, but then it begins to eat us up and consume us. We should stand firm in faith in spite of doubts, for faith is knowing that God has never failed us. 5. The helmet of salvation (Eph.6: 17) Pray for God’s protection, spiritually and physically. 68
B. Our weapons in this spiritual battle. 1. The sword of the Spirit - God’s Word (Eph.6:17) Reading scripture should be our sword that we can use to fight. God’s Word applied in our lives often destroys barriers of doubt among those we serve. 2. Prayer (Eph.6:18) and Fasting (Acts 13:2-3) Let us fight with the spiritual weapon of prayer by being faithful to our personal prayer time and by worshipping and interceding as a group (esp. in our Youth Camp service team meetings). Fasting is a very powerful form of prayer, for it is love and service expressed in sacrifice. 3. Humility This is a very powerful weapon because Satan cannot stand against humility. He is too proud. But Jesus defeated Satan in humility by becoming man. 4. Love Love is our primary reason in fighting this battle: Love for God and His people. By this love, even the hardest of hearts surrender to God.
III.
Conclusion Let us always be ready to fight, with the armor of God firmly in place, weapons in hand, knowing that it is a spiritual warfare that we are in, and that victory is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Training Program Talk 3: Being a Facilitator I.
Introduction As the participants go through the Youth Camp, they need to be guided in order to understand God’s message for them. The Lord uses instruments in spreading His love, and we are His instruments.
II.
How to Lead a Discussion Group Group discussions take place after the first talk and after the second talk. This allows further understanding of God’s message, especially through personal sharings within the group. A. The Process 1. Begin with a short prayer. 2. Introduce each other in the group. 3. Make the participants comfortable / Establish rapport first before dwelling into the discussion. Also, stress the confidentiality of sharings within the group. 4. Proceed with the discussion, having the assigned discussion starters as guide. 5. End with a short prayer. (You may also ask one of your group mates to lead). B. Some Tips 1. You are not expected to know all the answers to their questions. If you can’t answer the question, tell them that you will ask somebody then get back to them. 2. We are not there to convince them but simply lead them to the truth. 3. Avoid using Christian jargons. 4. Keep the discussion on the topic. 5. Budget your time. 6. Strive to make the participant comfortable with you. Hang around them as much as possible. 7. Show concern for your participant. 8. Intercede for each of your participants. 9. Listen to all the talks and sharings even if you’ve heard these many times already. You will always learn something new. 10. Be a good example to your group. Participate in all activities (e.g. singing).
III.
How to Conduct a one-to-one Session A. Goals 1. Clarify questions concerning the sessions. 2. Find out factors that may hinder the participant to receive the Holy Spirit. 3. Know the participant’s prayer concerns (including special gifts of the Holy Spirit that he/she wants to receive). 4. See if the participant will make a personal decision to accept Jesus. 70
B. The Process 1. Greet the participant and ask how he/she is doing in the camp. 2. Go through with the one-to-one session, keeping in mind the goals (mentioned earlier). C. Some Tips 1. Before the whole session, pray for each participant in your group. Be open to the Lord’s leading (He will give you the wisdom to conduct the one-to-ones). 2. Be aware of the time. We aim for quality time, taking into consideration each participant in the group. 3. Keep the session light - just like having a relational conversation with a friend.
IV.
How to Pray-over Your Participant A. Format 1. Ask participant to confess with his own lips that Jesus is Lord. - Ask him to join you in a prayer or to begin the prayer himself 2. Spontaneous Praising - Worship and glorify the Lord with the participant 3. Prayer for Protection - “Lord Jesus, we ask You to cover us with Your Most Precious Blood and Mother Mary’s Mantle of Protection.” 4. Binding and Casting; In-filling - In Jesus’ name, bind and cast any negativity (vice, addiction, sin) that he/she has (e.g. anger, fear, lust, envy, anxiety, pride, doubt, etc.). - Then pray for in filling of the positive counterpart (e.g. faith when there’s doubt; humility when there’s pride). - “In the Mighty Name of Jesus, we take authority and gather all the evil spirits around us, above us and below us. We bind and cast them at the foot of Your Cross to be gone forever. And we ask the Holy Spirit to fill the void that the evil spirits have left behind. We pray for protection against any backlash from the evil one.” 5. Lifting of Concerns - Pray for the concerns of the participant. 6. Baptism of the Holy Spirit; Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit - “Father, we now ask You, in Jesus’ name, to pour upon _(name of participant)_ Your Holy Spirit, so that he/she may receive new life. We also ask You, in Jesus’ name, to grant him/her the gift of tongues and any other gift that You want him/her to receive. - Encourage the participant to pray in tongues with you. 7. Closing Prayers - Prayer of thanks - Prayer for a strong Christian life - Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be B. Tips 1. Baptism of the Holy Spirit does not depend on the amount of time you pray. 5 to 10 minutes is enough. 71
2. Remember that it is God who sends down His Spirit, not you. 3. Be aware of what is happening (keep your eyes open). 4. It is the participant’s prayer, you are merely guiding him/her and praying with him/her. 5. In case of disturbances (i.e. demonic oppressions), pray for and claim for God’s peace in the name of Jesus. Don’t panic. 6. Feel free to ask for help from your couple coordinator or the Team Leader. 7. If you do decide to go for help, ask one of your prayer partners to do it. Do not leave your participant at any time during baptism 8. Ask for support from the CFC-YFC family during baptism. You must have prayer warriors during this session.
V.
Conclusion “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6) We may have fears, and not know how to take up the roles and responsibilities of serving as a facilitator. However, it is good to know that we have a God who is always victorious. He has given us His Spirit and as long as we seek Him, He will teach and guide us in everything that we do.
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CFC Youth for Christ Youth Camp Training Program Talk 4: Speaking God’s Word I.
Introduction “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity,” (1 Tim. 4:12) God is continuing to work in our midst and we, as His young people should strive to be witnesses in speech and actions. As we are given the opportunity to speak God’s word, we should be able to learn and improve ourselves in such a way that we will be effective mouthpieces of the Lord.
II.
Giving a Youth Camp Talk A. Preparing for a talk 1. Begin with the end in mind. a. Read the goals stated at the beginning of each expanded talk outline b. What message is your talk trying to impart? c. What part does it play in the series of talks to be given? (e.g. Youth Camp Talks, Covenant Orientation etc.) d. Stick to the outline provided. This will help you avoid overlapping into other talks. e. Make sure that you don’t lose the message saying too many things. 2. Internalize the talk---understand it. a. How do the talk and its points apply to you? b. People can see if you believe in what you are saying. In this way you can come up with your own example. Your examples will be more effective because they are personal. (e.g. God’s love in your life) 3. Prepare your outline. a. As you go through the outline, begin finding out ways to get across your message. What does my audience need to hear? How can I effectively bring that message across? b. Imagery is important. Come up with examples, anecdotes, stories that might help illustrate your point. c. Inject stories. People prefer hearing stories rather than theoretical teachings. d. Make your outline personal. Don’t preach---share. People are not looking for teachers, but witnesses. People that they can relate with and where they see the work of the Lord actually taking place. 4. Prayer Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Ask the Lord what He wants you to say to your audience. 73
B. Presenting the Outline 1. Prayers a. Before you deliver your talk, make sure someone prays over you. Aside from the strength your receive from prayer, it puts you in the right perspective of being an instrument of the Lord. b. Pray as you speak. Listen to the Lord. 2. Speaking to the Audience a. Communicate to the people, look at them, and scan. b. Rapport- be able to generate good reaction from your audience. This is where jokes are useful. 3. Clarity a. Your audience should have an idea where you are. b. Number your points c. Speak clearly with enough volume and pitch. (e.g. use a microphone/sound system if you need to.) d. Avoid Christian jargons - For example, “The Blood of the Lamb has redeemed the people of God from the bondage of sin, through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” - If you do have to mention some, make sure you explain to the participants what they mean. 4. Tailor-fitting Your Talk (Speak in a way that fits your audience). a. To particular age group: language and examples that your audience can relate to. b. To the level of commitment of audience. c. Never use green/ negative humor. 5. Posture a. Be confident b. Avoid mannerisms (e.g. letting your hands play around) c. Walk around. Use helpful gestures. 6. Dressing Decently 7. Time a. Be ready to adjust your talk depending on the time. b. The ideal time for a talk usually ranges between 30 to 45 mins. 8. Ending With a High Note Challenge/ encourage your audience at the end of your talk. C. Attitudes 1. Good speakers are made not born. 74
2. Stage fright is natural, you can even use it to your advantage. Trust in the Lord. God often allows us to experience this so that it will allow us to pray. 3. It is the Lord’s work to save, not yours. a. Don’t impress. Speak only what the Lord wants you to say. if you have prepared, you’ve done your part. The Lord does the rest. b. Your goal is not to make the participants cry or to convince them, but to tell the truth. “ The word of the Lord is never spoken in vain.” c. Speak your best, because it is the Lord who is asking you ---Be a faithful mouthpiece of the Lord. 4. Love the people you are speaking to. As Christ allowed you to experience this love, He wants the people you are speaking to, to experience it as well. 5. Remember that they need the Lord, and that’s why you are speaking to them. 6. Availability a. Accept assignments to speak or share. b. Not accepting would be tantamount to saying that God has not been able to do anything in your life.
III.
Sharing your personal testimony A. Personal Testimonies given after a talk is used to show that what is said in the talk can actually happen. These are stories of “bad to good” or “good to better” situations in our lives. B. The ABC’s of Sharing: A – Audible B - Brief C - Christ-centered C. Prepare your personal testimony/ sharing. 1. Choose one aspect in your life that the Lord is working in, one that is related to the talk being given. (e.g. resentment) 2. Divide your sharing into 3 parts: a. Before: share what you were experiencing in that area of your life before the Lord began to work. (E.g. I was resentful of my parents...) b. During: show what the turning point was. What did the Lord do? (E.g. I found out the Lord forgave me so I should forgive...) c. After: How has that area in your life improved so far. (E.g. Slowly my relationship with my parents is healing. We can now talk to each other more...) 3. The ideal time for sharing your personal testimony is 3 to 5 minutes. 4. Make your sharing personal, concrete. This makes it real. 5. Stick only to what is true. Don’t exaggerate your sharing.
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D. Attitudes 1. Be confident. It is good to note that nobody will disagree with your sharing because it’s subjective. 2. Whatever you’re sharing is, somebody out there needs to hear your story. Somebody will be able to relate with your experience. 3. As the Lord continues to work in new areas of your life, so will your sharing evolve as well. Update your sharing.
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Conclusion Many of us will feel unworthy and unprepared to speak the word of God. But it is the Lord Himself who touches our lips and empowers us to speak His Word.
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HOUSEHOLD TRAINING PROGRAM
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CFC Youth for Christ Household Heads Training Program TALK 1: Servanthood Expanded Outline I.
Introduction In order to become effective servants of Christ (as household heads, unit heads etc.), we need to understand the nature of Christian service not in the way we see it, but in the way Christ meant it to be. We need to have a clear idea of what true servanthood is.
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Lk. 10:38-42 the story of Martha and Mary The emphasis is on being a servant rather than doing service.
What the scriptures say about servanthood A. The identity of a servant 1. “Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:1) -We have lost touch with the real meaning of “servant” as understood in Jesus time. -During those times, a servant (or slave) was someone who was another person’s property and had no rights whatsoever. 2. “Christ Jesus who though in the form of God did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather he emptied himself taking the form of a slave.” (Phil 2:5-7) -We have no right to insist that God give us work that suits are personality, interest and personal gains. -Instead, we humble ourselves, placing ourselves in disposal of everyone else. B. The duty of a servant 1. Lk. 17:7-10(Narrate) -Jesus’ story must have been amusing to his listeners. They could not comprehend a situation where the servant is served by his master. 2. We are the Lord’s servants. We have been bought at the price of his blood. We are no longer ourselves--- we serve without thinking of ourselves. C. The obedience of a servant 1. “…coming in human likeness. He humbled himself becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:7-8) 78
-A requirement of the lordship of Jesus is obedience to his authority. -Jesus is either Lord of all areas of our life or not at all. Obedience cannot be halfway or half hearted. D. “I no longer call you slaves…I have called you friends” (Jn.15:15) 1. Christ introduced a new concept in servanthood by calling us friends’ in spite of the fact that he is our king and master. 2. Because of this, we not only serve him out of duty but out of love.
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Obstacle to obedience A. Having disinclination towards being a servant. 1. We think of servants as people, who have no rights, are treated like possessions, and who do menial work. 2. Solution: We need to correct our concepts of being the Lord’s servant. It is an honor to be serving the lord. “Focus on the Lord of the service not on the service of the Lord.” B. Natural tendency to think of ourselves first before other people. 1. We often think of first of what will benefit or fulfill us. 2. Solution :( Refer to Phil 2:5-11) we need to reorient our way of thinking and take one mind of Christ. Realizing that a servant of Christ never goes into a situation for himself but rather to serve those around him C. Human Rebelliousness 1. Our fallen nature is inclined to say “I can do it on my own” 2. Solution: Repent and decide daily to obey the Lord. D. Lack of Trust (in the Lord, our leaders/elders, brothers and sisters) 1. If I obey, will I be taken care of? Can I rely on them? What if others don’t obey and I’m the only one does? Because people let us down before, it has become difficult for us to place complete trust on our brother and sisters. 2. Solution: Have faith - Realize that God has always been and will always be more faithful that we are to him. - Realize that God places and works through those he has replaced in authority over us. - Realize that God has called us in YFC to experience brotherhood/sisterhood, and that he is working in the lives of others as he is on us.
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Growing in Maturity as Christian Servant A. God’s love is such that he accepts us and allows us to serve the way we are, but even greater is his love because he does not leave us the way we are--- he wants us to grow and mature as Christian servants. B. Some signs of Maturity 1. We see Christian wisdom and teachings take effect in our lives -we begin working on various obstacle and shortcomings in our Christian lives. -every new day should be an opportunity to become more Christ like. 2. Faithfulness in our life -in our prayer time -in our service -attendance in our meetings 3. We become men and women of our word. We are able to stick to the commitments we have made. 4. We become servants who can serve without having to be acknowledged, appreciated or rewarded. -there will be times when people will not give us recognition for our efforts, but this should not stop us from giving more service. -though we will receive appreciation from the Lord and brothers/sisters, our motivation to serve is not recognition.
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Conclusion A. Our lives must be like grains of wheat (Jn. 12:24-26) 1. We need to fall to the ground and die. - To ourselves/ preference - We put the Lord first. 2. But as we die, we become fruitful and produce a bountiful harvest for the Lord B. Our goal is to hear Lord say, when we meet him face to face “Well done my good and faithful servant.” (John2 5:21)
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CFC Youth for Christ Household Heads Training Program TALK 2: The Household Expanded Outline I.
Introduction In the same way the family is the basic unit of society, the household is the basic unit of YFC. All members of YFC belong to a household. We realize that there are times it becomes difficult for us to share with our parents or we experience certain things that are difficult to understand for someone who is not of the same age. The household gives us a sense of belonging and support as we try to grow in our relationship with the Lord.
II. What is Household? A. A group composed of 4 to 6 young adults from general membership. Households are grouped according to gender and age. B. The household is lead by a household head who acts as an older brother or older sister to the Household members.
III. The Household Meetings A. The household meeting is a prayer meeting where young adults get their spiritual nourishment. They are venues where personal matters may be discussed to help one another in their Christian life. 1. Household meetings are held at least once a month. For metro manila, meetings are held on the fourth Saturday of the month. 2. Household meetings may be done on a collective basis, where one venue is
reserved for all the households of the unit, or on a house-to-house basis. a. Households done on a house to house basis encourage but should only be done when transportation is available or when the houses are close to each other. b. Decisions on whether to use the collective or house to house type of household meeting is decided upon by unit under the supervision of the Couple Coordinator. B. How to go about a Household Meeting: 1. The format of a Household meeting is as follows: a. Opening worship (20 to 30 minutes) b. Activity(1 hour and 30 minutes) c. Fellowship(30 minutes) d. Closing prayer(5 to 10 minutes) 81
2. Suggested Activities a. Fellowship- casual and creative activities done to strengthen relationships between members (e.g. watch a movie, picnics etc…) b. 7 Step Bible Sharing Steps: 1. Opening Prayer 2. Read the passage for the first time 3. Read the passage for the second time 4. Choose a word or phrase that stuck you most then say it three times with your voice getting softer. 5. Reflection 6. Sharing 7. Closing Prayer c. Homily- asks members about their reflection on the homily of the priest from Sunday Mass. Pick one verse and memorize it for that week. d. Saint- Ask members to read about any saint and share it with the group. Take note of The characteristic/ attitudes that the whole group would like to imitate.
IV. The Roles and Responsibilities of the Household Head A. Make sure the members attend every activity of YFC. B. Leads household meetings C. Follow up on members, especially those who backslide. (Call or visit members to check on how they are doing and inform them of up and coming YFC activities.) D. Takes care of the group, gives peer support and acts like an older brother or older sister to members who are younger.
V. Relating with the Unit Head A. Your unit head is committed to you and the other members of the group. Do not hesitate to call on him/Her at anytime for support, prayers and advice. B. Don’t be afraid to tell your unit heads your problems and difficulties, especially those concerning the household you are leading. You don’t always have to give him/her a good report about your household. It is more important that he/she is able to help you in those areas you are having trouble in. C. Be able to plan with your unit head the activities of your unit or household. It is up to you to tell him the needs of your members.
VI. Planning The activities of the chapter are planned by the YFC core group (composed of unit heads and household heads), supervised by the chapter couple coordinator. 1. The chapter couple coordinates must be present in all pl anning meetings. 82
2. The YFC core group, together with the chapter couple coordinator, must hold planning meeting at least once a month.(The first weekend of the month is suggested).
VII. Conclusion As we serve the Lord and our brother and sister in YFC, let us take on the attitude of Christ… to have genuine love and concern for his people, to sacrifice and have true humility, which are attitudes of a real servant of God
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CFC Youth for Christ Household Heads Training Program TALK 3: Character of a Servant Expanded Outline I. Introduction “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:5) As we have heard before, servanthood is not what you do but who you are. Servanthood is something that we constantly take in as part of our character.
II. Characteristics of a Servant A. Zeal for righteousness 1. Four kinds of people a. Those who do no evil, yet do not devote themselves to what is good. b. Those who do the good that is required of them and nothing more. c. Those who do good and avoid evil for their own sakes, but have no concern for the holiness of other. d. Those who desire personal holiness as well as have the seal to bring others to the lord. 2.”Zeal for your house consumes me.” (Jn 2:17) a. We should be like the fourth person, wanting to be righteous before God and desiring to win others for Christ. b. We should express our zeal in practical terms (e.g. in the way we worship/we pray, in evangelism, in seeking guidance/direction from elders.) B. Being a good example 1. Actions speak louder than words a. Jesus (Jn 13:15) b. St. Paul (1Cor. 11:11) 2. Areas where we can actively be good examples a. YFC Covenant/ way of life b. Humility c. Maturity (Know when its time for work, fun etc.) d. In your attitude towards school---be responsible students e. In your judgment/wisdom (e.g. your choice of movies, music etc…) f. Integrity- consistency to the commands and principles of God’s word, especially in the area of morality.
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C. Single-mindedness for God 1. Read Hebrews 12:1-2 Christian life and service has its own difficulties and trials. We always have to look to Jesus for strength 2. How can we be single-minded for God? a. Burn your boats When Cortez set out to conquer the “new world” (America), he instructed his men to burn the ships they had used to get there. Having no way of getting back, Cortez’ men ended up fighting twice as hard helping them to succeed in their mission. Many of us keep our “boats” so that if necessary, we can return to our past lives. We should remove this completely, so that we will not have the option of returning to our old ways. b. Persevere and be patient Read Philippians 3:13-14 The Christian life is a task of a lifetime – it doesn’t matter how long it takes, our goal is to finish the race. D. Brotherly love Our task as Households Heads is not just to lead a group but to care for God’s people. 1. To serve as an expression of love for one another. 2. To express affection (laugh with out bothers/sisters in times of joy, sympathize in times of sorrow). 3. To have patience and forbearance a. We must realize that each person has each his/her own pace in spiritual growth. b. We do not condone/pamper sinfulness, but rather understand that the person, finding ways to correct and strengthen him/her. 4. To go the extra mile – going beyond the call of duty.
III. Areas We Should Strengthen to Help Us in Our Service A. Prayer Our prayer times should be intact if we to care for God’s people – listening for the Lord’s instruction and interceding for our members
B. Faith in God Although our faith may falter, we should remember that we have a faithful God, and because of his faithfulness, we too can decide to be faithful by his grace. 85
C. Humble leadership - We should always be aware of our intentions in service - We should continue to serve inspite of our weaknesses, asking God to purity us daily.
D. Evaluation 1. We should always evaluate our service to God, to the suggestions of others, humbly seeking God’s will. 2. How we evaluate - Begin with the over-all view/situation - Concentrate on the positive before the negative (e.g. commend people for the things they did well). - After recognizing good points/strengths – discuss areas that can be improved. - Do not criticize or question the “person” or his commitment but rather the action or the situation. - Find opportunities to regularly evaluate our service
IV. Conclusion We may try different things to help us grow in Christian service, but in the end only God can give us the grace we need. Let us keep ourselves connected to Jesus so that he himself can nurture us and transform us into the servant he want us to be.
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CFC Youth for Christ Household Heads Training Program TALK 4: Building Up the Brethren Expanded Outline I. Introduction “And so there is no division in the body, but all its different parts have the same concern for one another. If one part of the body suffers with it if one part is praised, all the other parts share its happiness” (1Cor 12:25-26) When we talk of “brethren” we refer to the Body of Christ which also means our brothers and sisters in YFC. As household heads, our role is to reach out and help our members grow in their relationship with the Lord, and with other brothers and sisters. To do this, we need to develop a caring and personal relationship with them.
II. Being an Older Brother or Sister Our relationship over our members should not be authoritarian. By caring for one another, we encourage our members to grow in their relationship with God A. We must be gentle with our members - Be firm if there is a need, but it can be dine in a loving and gentle manner. B. Have a personal concern for each member. -Our relationship with our members should be that of a “Barkada”. Let us take interest in their interest: school, family, goals, prayer life, personal problems etc… -Remember what they tell you. Keep a journal. C. Always be diligent in reaching out to them - Persevere in gaining their friendship and trust - Be open and available to them. - Meet outside the regular meetings, where you can get to know each other better in the spirit of good clean fun.
III. Intersection Like a father who wants the best for his children, our father in heaven desires only the best for us. He wants us to come to him and ask for these things. A. Intercession is prayer for God’s will to happen. It is most important that God’s will takes place in our life, family, and in the lives of the people we care for. 87
The prayer that God wants to answer is the prayer f or his will to happen. B. As leaders, we need to pray for our members regularly. -Know the concerns of your members and intercede for each one of them -Let them know you have been praying for them and encourage them to pray for each other.
IV. Correction “To preach the message, to insist upon proclaiming it (whether the time is right or not), to convince, reproach, and encourage, as you teach with all patience” (2 Tim 4:2) A. As household heads we have been given the responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters. This includes correction. B. How do we correct in YFC? 1. We should be confident to approach and correct the brother/sister. - We do this by consulting our leaders (e.g. Chapter heads or Cluster Heads) on how to go about in correcting brother/sisters involved, and to help check ourselves of our intentions in correcting the brother/sister. 2. Our love for one another obliges us to correct one another. a. We want our brothers and sisters to grow in character and be the best he/she can be b. We do not want our brothers/sisters, to experience the consequence of his errors/sins. (e.g. if we see a brother/sister committing a sin, since we do not want them to fall out of grace from God, we correct them). 3. Un correcting someone of the opposite sex in an area which seems too personal to correct by ourselves, we must seek the help of a “ mature” brother and sister who can give the correction for us (if the persons being corrected is a sister, seek help of a mature sister if it is brother then seek a mature brother). 4. Correction is a private matter -Let us avoid telling other people about our resentments or disagreements. Tell only those concerned or those who need to know (e.g. brothers/sisters we wish to correct, our leaders/elders if we have consult them.) 5. Always be ready to receive corrections -Be humble enough to know the areas in our lives we need to grow in 88
