Faith

I don't talk about my religious beliefs or faith much, both in real life and through the interwebz. But, if you read between the lines you might have figured out that I am a) Catholic and b) a volunteer with high-school teens. Volunteering with the teens is one of the best decisions I have made post-college. It's up there with my decision to only go out 1 night per weekend. Somehow, those 2 things are greatly related. I'll let you figure out how... It's also been an incredible way to meet new friends and foster new relationships. I think it could even be described as a hobby :)

Anyway, I was incredibly involved with this group as a HS teen, and the program and the leaders had a huge impact on me at a time in my life when I had no idea who I was or what I wanted. Ultimately, I want to have that impact on someone else. I want to pay it forward, if you will. So I am. And it's awesome, rewarding, satisfying, exciting, funny, and a million other things. I love it.

I am telling you this because I am looking for some new, creative, exciting ideas to incorporate into some of our planning sessions. Have you heard any songs lately that could apply to a religious teaching? I have -- Never Alone, by Lady Antebellum. Have you seen any inspirational YouTube videos? Seen any emails that have a great lesson inside them? High school kids are so plugged in, so we want to relate to them on their level. I'm also looking for ice breakers, games, and fun activities to play. We do a weekly Minute to Win It challenge that I love!

I guess the whole purpose of writing this was two-fold. I'd love to hear about your beliefs, religious, spiritual, or otherwise, and how you implement them in your daily lives, and your ideas for reaching out to a bunch of teenage punks!