Passion + presence = communication
For our youth, the remoteness of Camp Cross is one of its greatest features. It is a place away. Likewise, our youth events held in and with congregations from around the Diocese are times away; times to rediscover a bit of themselves. These away times are important aspects of formation but, as has been continually emphasized to me as I meet people from around the Diocese, there is a constant challenge to integrate them into the overall formative life of our youth
Of course, communication is at the heart of this challenge, but the term needs to mean more than talking or letter writing, more than just communicating facts about events. If we think instead about how to communicate support, encouragement and genuine concern, our signals and behavior are underutilized tools for communicating with our youth.
Behavior in this case goes beyond being a good role model; it means participating together in what is important. By volunteering at Camp Cross, whether at Labor of Love or working in the Camp kitchen, a shared experience is created. Empathy is demonstrated by service and by the shared songs and jokes. By sharing in their experience, we signal to the youth that the place is special, that their journey is important, and that a community of people supports them. Even something as simple as learning the campfire songs the youth love demonstrates the strong connections between the spirituality they feel at Camp and the spirituality of the adults in their congregation.
The same goes for our Diocesan youth events. Whether through cooking or chaperoning, organizing trips or leading a small group, we develop relationships and shared experiences that help integrate these events into the youth’s formation with our own congregation. Our presence is a signal that youth events are an extension of, not an escape from, life at home. And on top of that, we meet involved and passionate people from around the diocese who also want to give our youth formative experiences that will sustain them through the challenges of high school, college, and the rest of their life.
Your passion and your presence are the most powerful tools for communication with the youth of our Diocese. When our youth return to church, whether from Camp or Winter Weekend, I look forward to more of us being able to remind them and ourselves how much fun we had and what we learned. So get in touch, right now.
Operators are standing by … !
Email Chase at chases@spokanediocese.org or call 509-624-5780 right now to learn how you can be involved in any number of ways.
