Sponsored by the Diocese of Fort Worth Office of Youth Ministry

Disciple Now Retreat Disciple Now Retreat is a weekend discipleship/youth leadership training program for middle school youth. March 28-30, 2014 Lone Oak Ranch &Retreat Center Gainesville, TX Sponsored by the Diocese of Fort Worth Office of Youth Ministry

Disciple Now! The Disciple Now retreat was developed in recognition of the great gifts that middle school youth have to offer our parishes and the Diocese. How to call these gifts out of middle school youth in order for them to become disciples of Jesus Christ in their families, with their peers and in the parish community was the challenge. The Disciple Now retreat has been offered as a diocesan retreat for over 10 years to do just that!

DISCIPLE NOW CORE PURPOSE

To encourage young adolescents to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world now through a deeper awareness of their own gifts, a deepening relationship with Jesus, their parents and their parish community.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF DISCIPLE NOW

GOAL 1: To develop a retreat that invites early adolescent youth into discipleship with Jesus in concrete ways.

Objective 1: Discern personal & spiritual gifts of participants Awareness of ministry opportunities and needs An awareness of how God is calling youth now Objective 2: Develop Christian leadership skills Practice Christian leadership skills Objective 3: Continue to develop a relationship with Jesus Ability to share about their relationship with Jesus Objective 4: Awareness of and an ability to articulate their role(s) in Christian community

GOAL 2: To develop strategies for parishes and schools that support youth discipleship. Objective 1:To ask DRE’s/CYM’s to recommend early adolescent youth that they recognize leadership potential within to the Disciple Now retreat. Objective 2: To invite DRE’s and CYM’s to recognize the gifts that early adolescents bring to the parish community. Objective 3: To support the DRE’s and CYM’s in developing concrete ways to involve early adolescent youth in parish ministry opportunities. Objective 4: To give DRE’s and CYM’s a way to evaluate how effectively they are using their early adolescent resources in the parish.

Goal 3: To give parents a way to recognize and support discipleship at home.

Objective 1: To prepare parents for what Disciple Now can bring forth in their child participant through a pre-retreat and post retreat packet. Objective 2: To give parents a way to reflect on their own call from God and give them an outlet to share this with their early adolescent child. Objective 3: To invite parents to participate in the experience of Disciple Now through the closing mass.

How to Register… The cost for Disciple Now is $95 per person (or $475 for a team of up to 5 people, with an additional $95 for each additional member of your parish/school team). This cost includes the program content, room and board at Lone Oak Ranch & Retreat Center in Gainesville, TX. (limited partial scholarships are available through your parish youth minister). Parishes/schools can send a team of up to 10 people, (1 adult for up to 6 youth and 2 adults for more than 6)

Parish/School teams who wish to participate in Disciple Now should fill out the attached Commitment Form. This form, plus a non-refundable deposit of $50 per person, will reserve space for your team at Disciple Now this March 28-30, 2014. The deadline for this Commitment is January 28, 2014. Upon receipt of your team’s Commitment Form, you will be forwarded a Disciple Now Retreat Packet. This packet will contain information, health forms, packing lists, and registration forms to register the individual members of your team. Final registration and payment will be due February 28, 2014.

For more information contact: The Office of Youth Ministry 817.560.3300 ext. 261 or 255 and speak with Kevin or Melissa. You may also contact Michele Gilmore at [email protected] Disciple Now Retreat Commitment Form

Parish/School______

Adult Leader______

Address______

City______State______Zip______

Phone______Email______

My parish/school is committed to participating in Disciple Now on the weekend of March 28-30, 2014 at Lone Oak Ranch & Retreat Center in Gainesville TX. We believe that this training will help our middle school youth to develop as disciples of Jesus Christ and that our parish/school is ready and willing to grow from their contributions.

Please reserve space for ______adults and ______youth at Disciple Now March 28- 30, 2014.

I have enclosed a $50 non-refundable deposit, per person, to hold places for our team.

Number of adults______x $50 = ______Number of youth ______x $50 = ______Total ______

I understand that the Final amount due for the registration fee is $45.00 per person and will be due no later than February 28, 2014.

NOTE: You may choose to pay the entire $95 per person using the Disciple Now payment form. If so, you do not need to send in the deposit with this form but let me know below that you intend to do that. However, I still need your Commitment Form for planning purposes.

_____I have chosen to pay the amount for our group in full using the DNOW payment form so I have not included a deposit amount at this time. I understand that all money is due February 28, 2014.

Signature of Adult Leader:______

Send this Disciple Now Commitment Form to: Office of Youth Ministry 800 West Loop 820 South Fort Worth TX 76108 Make checks payable to: Diocese of Fort Worth

Deadline: January 28, 2014