Service Team arrives Monday!

We are so excited for the four Young Adult Service Team Members to arrive on Monday! The OYYAM staff is working hard at Camp to prepare for their arrival. They have finalized all the last minute details. Everyone at the office is very excited to meet these wonderful young adults when they begin their service year on Monday :) Please keep all of our new interns in your prayers in the coming weeks.

Fall Youth & Young Adult Ministry Gathering September 9 - 10

Save the date!

The Annual Youth and Young Adult Ministers Fall Gathering is taking place on September10 (Thursday) at the Palisades.

Wednesday will be the New Ministers Orientation co-sponsored with the Office of Catholic Faith Formation and will include resources such as an overview of Diocesan Policies, Chancery contact information and other helpful resources to get you started in your ministry.

The Fall gathering begins with the traditional Wednesday night Social - a fun time not to be missed! Thursday is the Fall Gathering for all Youth and Young Adult Ministers This is the largest gathering of the year for Y&YA Ministers and it is a great way to meet new people and learn about how our office can help you in your ministry! We will have a well known speaker in attendance and will address and answer any questions about the new structure of ACCY which will be a key agenda item. There will be lots of important information that you wont want to miss out on. Both days will range from 9 AM - 6 PM with lunch and coffee service included. Stay tuned for more information and how to RSVP as the event approaches.

Fall Athletic Director's Meeting

The Fall Athletic Director's Meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 11th from 6 - 8:30 PM in the Isaac Orr Conference Room at 910 Marion St, Seattle, WA 98104. Please bring a notebook and something to write with in case you need to record important details from the meeting. The CYO Athletics Staff will be discussing the introduction of kindergarten soccer, as well as going over general information for the upcoming year including registrations, rosters, coaches meetings, Play Like A Champion, etc. If you have any questions, feel free to reach Ross Brownell at 206.654.4643 or at ross.brownell@seattlearch.org

Welcome New YA Service Team Members!

The Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry will welcome 4 new members of the Young Adult Service Team this weekend. We are pleased to welcome our largest service team yet to the office. Check back regularly to see how their year of service is going.
Click HERE to read about the four individuals and for a message from Bridget.

CMD Year 2 Ends

Year 2 of the CMD Certification Classes have ended with the 3rd and 4th classes which were Course #3: July 20-21, 2009 - Prayer & Worship and Course #4: July 22-23, 2009 - Justice & Service. Congratulations to all of those that have completed year two! It all went very well and was very beneficial to all of those in attendance!

The Center for Ministry Development has developed the most comprehensive Catholic Youth Ministry training program in North America. This program is designed for those in ministry with youth, ages 11 to 18 in both parish and school settings. It equips leaders with the knowledge, skills, practical tools and techniques needed for creative and comprehensive ministry with youth.

Please contact Tauno Latvala at 206.382.2019 for more information! You can also download the brochure HERE to read further about it.

ONE Week Senior High in Hoquiam

This week, our ONE Week high school students will be serving at Our Lady of Good Help in Hoquiam, Washington from July 19th - 24th. Lets keep them all in our prayers and be thankful to God that they felt called to make a difference in our greater community!

ONE Week Senior High is a service learning program especially designed for teams of adults and young people in the 9, 10, 11, and 12 grades from Catholic parishes and schools. It is a 6-day, 5-night experience that offers participants the opportunity to challenge themselves by living in solidarity with the poor in a supportive community environment. It puts service learning in the context of Catholic identity. Participants will be challenged to learn and grow in their Catholic faith while seeing service as a core Gospel value and a major part of what it means to be Catholic.

If you would like more information about ONE Week, please contact Tauno Latvala, Director of Youth Ministry at 206.382.2019 or at tauno.latvala@seattlearch.org

Register for the Hispanic Youth Retreat!

La Oficina para Jóvenes y Adultos Jóvenes de la Arquidiócesis de Seattle y La Red de Jóvenes se complace en invitarte al próximo
RETIRO JUVENIL
el 29 y 30 de Agosto del 2009 en Camp Hamilton
(25402 Lake Fontal Rd, Monroe, WA 98272)

El costo será de $35 por adolescente. Si eres un jóven o una jóven de 14 a 17 años, esta onda es PARA TI

¡Animate y Ven a pasarte un fin de semana fenomenal! Donde reflexionarás, aprenderás, crecerás y te divertirás. Más información e indicaciones de cómo llegar a Camp Hamilton en www.seattleoyyam.org o contáctanos al 206-903-4615 o a corina.alanis@seattlearch.org

Summit 2009 Registration Due Today!

Summer Leadership Camp for Student Leaders at Catholic Grade Schools - Discover what it means to be a disciple in your Catholic School! Develop concrete skills to faithfully lead your peers. Experience powerful prayer, inspiring talks and dynamic liturgy. Identify the gifts God has given you. Network with other students leaders from around the Archdiocese. Enjoy the setting and activities of Camp Don Bosco!

For Catholic youth entering grades 7 - 8 involved in leadership within their school communities, Summit begins at 11 AM on Thursday, August 20th at Camp Don Bosco and concludes at 1:30 PM on Saturday, August 22nd. To register, download the registration form HERE! If you have any questions, please call or email Bridget Harris at 206.274.3175 / bridget.harris@seattlearch.org

Camp 4:12 Registration Due on Friday

Hello! This is a reminder that all Camp 4:12 Registrations need to be completed and returned to our office by end of day Friday, July 17th. You can email Debbie Fisher, OYYAM Registrar at debbie.fisher@seattlearch.org or call her at 206.382.4591 for registration questions. You may also contact Bridget Harris, Associate Director of Retreats at bridget.harris@seattlearch.org or at 206.274.3129 if you have further questions about the program. Read the BLOG HERE to learn about the program and for dates and the location. Thank you!

Register for Family Camp!

August 31st - September 3rd marks the dates for the CYO Family Camp Retreat at Camp Don Bosco! Spend a carefree Labor Day weekend at Camp. You can join in on the fun with your kids or just hang out and read a book. Here's your chance to spend some quality family time without having to drive hours into the country to stake out a campsite. AND, we do the cooking!! Accomodations are rustic, but clean and comfortable. Contact the OYYAM Registrar Debbie Fisher at 206.382.4591 or email her at debbie.fisher@seattlearch.org for more information and to register!

Summer Training Program Open to Youth Ministers!

Join the Young Adult Service Team in a summer training and orientation program for leaders within the Youth and Young Adult Ministry community! This program is open to anyone serving as a Lay Ecclesial Minister within an Archdiocesan parish, school or faith community. A special invitation is extended to those new to ministry or to the Archdiocese. Paid and volunteer leadership are welcome to join us for these eight days of ministry training which will help you to:

· Gain a greater understanding of ministry within the local church;
· Develop effective skills for ministry to youth and young adults;
· Acquire a theological and pastoral framework for Catholic ministry to youth and young adults.

Check out the BLOG HERE for more information and to download the complete Brochure!

Camp 4:12 - Registration Deadline July 17th

All junior high aged youth are invited to join us at Camp 4:12 on August 17th - 19th at Camp Don Bosco! This will be a wonderful chance for them to grow as leaders for Christ! The registration deadline is quickly approaching so be sure not to miss out to get your spot. Click HERE to read the entire blog and for the link to download the registration form. There is also contact information and more details!

What a Great ASCEND!!

This year's Ascend High School Leadership Retreat was definitely a time to remember! It finished up on Friday, July 3rd and all I keep hearing is that it was truly an amazing experience for all in attendance. Held at Camp Hamilton for 5 days, the campers and staff enjoyed gorgeous weather, exciting team-building activities and an enormous growth in faith - they left "on fire" for Christ! There were dynamic presentations, inspirational testimonies and the encouraging challenge for each participant to leave as a leader for Christ. The Holy Spirit was truly at the center of everything that was being learned, experienced and shared. For a message from Bridget Harris, one of the Co-Director of the Retreat, click HERE. Thank you to all who participated in and led this wonderful experience for the Catholic Youth of Western Washington :)

Bosco & Hamilton Begins!

Camp Bosco and Camp Hamilton Start their Session 1 of summer camp today! The camp staff members are very excited to meet their campers and start a journey of summer fun, learning and faith building! Lets keep everyone in our prayers that they all have a great first session to start the summer out right!

4th of July Holiday

Hello! This is just a reminder that the Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry will be closed today, Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day. All of us here at the office hope that you and your family have a wonderfully relaxing and blessed holiday! We will be back on Monday to resume the normal work week schedule. Thank you!

Thank You Young Adult Service Team Members!

The Office for Youth and Young Adult Ministry would like to extend a very warm Thank You to our two Young Adult Service Team Members for their year of service. June 30th marked their last day on the Team and we are so thankful for everything they have helped us with!

Scott Bailey, our Athletcs Team Member, is persuing his Masters in Sports Administration at Seattle University while also finalizing details to complete work study through our office starting in August. Bridget Harris, our Retreat Ministry Team Member, has accepted the position of Associate Director of Retreat Ministry and CYO Camp Guest Services. It looks like both of them are finding wonderful ways to continue aiding us in our ministry and we are so thankful! We all cant wait to work together again!

CPR Training Today at OYYAM

Today was an awesome day for our CYO Camp Staffers - those that needed it were all given a 4 hour CPR and First Aid training and certification class! It was held in the OYYAM living room and about 20 of our staff members were in attendance where they were able to see a power point of examples in emergency medical situations, hear real stories of emergency calls and how to respond, and learn how to administer CPR & the Heimlich Maneuver among other life saving tips.

This training was provided by the American Heart Association which was taught by the wonderful Fire Chief and Paramedic Scott Kelly of the University Place Fire Department in Tacoma whose real life examples of situations and clear instructions of how to act were incredibly valuable. His use of repetition of instructions and using abbreviations (ABC = A:Airway, B:Breathing, C:Compression for CPR) to help everyone easily remember what to do in an emergency were extremely helpful. He stressed that the more training and preparration you have before an emergency, the greater the liklihood of you being calmer and clearer thinking in an actual emergency.

If you haven't already, I would highly recommend that everyone take a CPR class as it opened my mind to a lot of incredibly valuable information as well as corrected a lot of misconceptions that the common person has about emergency situations! We are very thankful for this training and the CYO Camp Staff members feel even more prepared for Camp Sessions to begin!