INFORMATION ABOUT LUKE 18

Luke 18 is a three-day retreat program that invites 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders into a deeper relationship with the Catholic Church.  It is a chance to help our junior high school students see that they are not just the future of our Church—they are also the Church right now.  The program welcomes the participants (called "Lukers") into the Church by helping them experience the presence and love of our God who embraces them just as they are.  Through games, songs, skits, worksheets, personal sharing, and a series of talks given by high school students, the Lukers are encouraged to have fun, "break down their walls," and see that the love of God is present in their relationships at home with family and at school with peers.  The weekend offers the opportunity to experience God's love on a more personal level than is often possible in the classroom and the Lukers are challenged to share that love with those around them.

Luke 18 focuses on inviting young people to open themselves to God by sharing their experiences and learnin­g from each other in an environment of mutual respect.  It is about welcoming youth into the Church—a spiritual family where they are needed, trusted, and appreciated as the good and beautiful children of God that they are.  Topics such as Catholic Identity, Sacraments (especially Reconciliation), Prayer, and Spiritual Gifts are woven into the retreat process.  The Communion of Saints offers a wonderful focal point for each aspect of the weekend as well.  Luke 18 is not, however, a miracle program that will fix all the problems young people have.  Luke 18 is a community where youth can feel the warmth of love that comes from sharing in the journey of life and faith together.  It is Church done well for young people.

THE GOAL OF LUKE 18

The goal of Luke 18 is to invite the Lukers into a deeper relationship with the Church.  This goal is accomplished by building a team of high school students who already have a good relationship with the Church and are comfortable sharing their personal experiences of God and His Church with everyone present on the retreat.

HOW DOES LUKE 18 WORK?

Each of the talks is designed to move the Lukers from saying “yes” to God’s invitation (Talk 1) to understanding who they are and how they relate to family, friends and the Church (Talks 2-4).  Once those foundations are laid, the retreat challenges us to claim responsibility for being Catholic (Talks 5-7) and to use the gifts we have to make the Church the best that it can be (Talks 8 & 9).

SIGN ME UP!!!

New information about the 2008 Luke 18 will be available soon. Kurt Wuebbels will be in charge of the program until a new Coordinator of Youth Ministry can be hired.  His email address is wuebbe30@hotmail.com

When is the next Luke 18?

January 18-21, 2008 at St. Teresa's Parish Center.