Happy St. Nicholas Day...
...a day early. December 6th is the feast day of
St. Nicholas, lover of the poor and patron saint
of children - a model of how Christians are meant
to live. As priest and bishop, Nicholas put Jesus
Christ at the center of his life and ministry. His
concern for children and others in need or danger
expressed a love for God which we are all called
to imitate. As we shop and decorate, let us not
forget to prepare our hearts too. The child is
coming! Is there room in your life for Him?
For this week, we offer you the following:
-
To learn more about
Advent
or St. Nicholas, including some blessings and
activities, visit the
St. Nicholas Center
online.
-
In case you've heard otherwise, the next
meeting of AYM, the
Association for Youth
Ministers
will be on Thursday, December 18th from
9:30AM-Noon at Holy Family in Newark, DE
(Religious Education building). Call Donna
Wakeman at 302-368-8976 if you need
directions.
AYM
is open to youth ministry staff or volunteers
throughout the diocese and meets monthly to
share resources, promote continuing education,
and stay connected!
-
There seems to be some question about 15
passenger vans and the new
FSGC
guidelines. The use of
15 Passenger Vans
for transporting young people under the age of
18 is not allowed under any circumstances for
any Diocesan or parish-sponsored event. This
restriction is in place throughout the
Diocese, and is applicable for both Delaware
and Maryland. In addition, this policy
complies with suggestions by the
National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration and
is stated explicitly on
page 18 of Section 3
of For the Sake of God's Children.
-
Be
"Sowers of God's Peace"
during Advent 2003 with resources from the
USCCB Publishers. The resources build on the
bishops' annual catechetical theme of "Sowers
of God's Peace" which is particularly
appropriate because of the 40th anniversary of
Blessed John XXIII's "Peace on Earth" and the
many world events surrounding us today. Use
the various catechetical, prayer, and
liturgical resources including downloadable
PDF files with children, families, and adults
and everyone in between.
-
Have you signed on to the
CYM Online Directory
yet? If you're a volunteer in any form of
youth ministry visit the site today and stay
connected!
-
Theology on Tap
has a few more sessions. Download a flyer to post
at your parish or place of business and spread
the word.
-
Last call! If you haven't yet signed up for
the
Chesapeake Bay
Conference,
it's not too late to enjoy a weekend of rest
and renewal. Registration absolutely closes
December 12, 2003.
-
Have
you been to YMI yet? If not, join the next
session of the
Youth Ministry Institute
(YMI) seminar series on December 13th.
Dolores Ballintyn, member of Theology Faculty
of Salesianum School, will facilitate a
session that will present innovative ways to
broaden one’s understanding of and
effectiveness in sharing the Good News of the
New Testament with young people.
Quotable:
"Life is a constant Advent season: we are
continually waiting to become, to discover, to
complete, to fulfill. Hope, struggle, fear,
expectation and fulfillment are all part of our
Advent experience. The world is not as just, not
as loving, not as whole as we know it can and
should be. But the coming of Christ and his
presence among us—as one of us—give us reason to
live in hope: that light will shatter the
darkness, that we can be liberated from our fears
and prejudices, that we are never alone or
abandoned." - Anonymous
|
