Resource Manuel

Description

Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach

all the “peripheries” in need of the light of the Gospel. (Evangelii Gaudium 20)

At the same time, this principle impels us to put the word into practice, to perform

works of justice and charity which make that word fruitful. Not to put the word into practice, not to make it reality, is to build on sand, to remain in the realm of pure ideas and

to end up in a lifeless and unfruitful self-centredness and gnosticism. (Evangelii Gaudium 233)

Vision 20/20 is focused on sharing the joy of the Gospel with the world. Our young people yearn to make a difference in the lives of others. Summer presents us with an opportunity to connect with teens and their families in different ways from the school year. Put these three seemingly unrelated facts together and you have the rationale behind the diocesan initiative Step Out to Serve (SOS). SOS provides a local and diocesan-wide opportunity for you, your middle school/high school youth, and their families to:

1) Engage in service in organized groups or as individuals; 2) Unite your service with others from across the diocese by reporting your service to the Office

of Faith Formation; and 3) Gather as a diocesan community on September 8 together for a celebration of what we've

done and who we've been for the people of God. Whether you're looking for a way to immediately follow-up on the Vision 20/20 Convocation, or to stay connected with young people and families over the summer, or to help people understand what it means to answer the call to missionary discipleship, SOS is it! Take advantage of this golden opportunity to immediately follow-up on the Vision 20/20 Convocation, to stay connected with young people and families over the summer, and to deepen our understanding what it means to answer the call to missionary discipleship. Team up and serve the people of God in your community and beyond, track and report your service making it a part of a diocesan effort, and gather and celebrate our efforts and be strengthened to answer the call to missionary discipleship. The rest of this manual provides you with information and resources to support your efforts. Do not hesitate to contact Don Boucher (563-888-4243) or Barb Butterworth (563-888-4240) in the Office of Faith Formation for further assistance.

Step Out to Serve and bring Christ's love to people in need!

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How to Get Started

NOTE: To access all hyperlinks in this manual, press Ctrl and click on the link.

Let’s say this up front: Step Out to Serve is not something you have to do! However, it is an opportunity for you to connect what you possibly have already planned to a broader diocesan effort or to do something different for your people over the summer. In either of these scenarios, we hope you will join in this effort to share the joy of the Gospel with others throughout the summer.

What is the SOS time frame? Memorial Day to Labor Day (May 27-September 2)

What “counts” as service? Pretty much anything that people do to share the joy of the Gospel with others, especially with those we would consider “the peripheries.” Examples include: serving as VBS leaders, going on a mission trip, helping an elderly neighbor with yard or house work, serving at a local soup kitchen, and virtually anything you will find on the “Service Ideas” page of this manual.

To whom is SOS targeted? Middle and high school youth, adults serving with them, and families.

Who organizes the service? Anyone. You (the parish ministry leader) can certainly organize service opportunities that can be done in an organized group. But individuals can do service on their own and report it to you for inclusion in this initiative. So can families or self-organized groups. If you simply want to make this available to your parish, all you have to do is publicize it and simply serve as the point person for questions and to assist in reporting the service to the Office of Faith Formation.

How does service get reported? Using an online form; the link for it can be found on the SOS diocesan webpage. This online reporting can happen in a number of ways:

1. All reporting is done by you. Whether it’s something you organize and lead, or service lead/done by others in groups, as individuals, or as a family, you complete the online form for each service project done. Ten different things happen over the summer that need to be reporting, the online form gets completed 10 times. NOTE: You will find on the SOS webpage a downloadable Service Reporting Form that those serving on their own can download, complete, and submit to you for reporting.

2. You share the reporting with others. You report the service you organize. Those doing service on their own, report their service directly using the online form.

3. You delegate the reporting to others. Simply give people instructions on reporting and let them do it on their own. If it’s an organized group service project, one leader does the reporting. If it’s an individual or family serving, they do their own reporting.

Why report your service? You don’t really have to, but we hope you will. There’s a great value in being part of something much bigger than yourself. When we join our service together with others’ service, we join together in solidarity, supporting each other in our witness to the Gospel. The purpose of reporting service is not to see which parish can contribute the most hours, but to discover how much of an impact we can have when we join our efforts. So let’s see what we can do together!

What else should I be thinking about? Serving the people of God and sharing the joy of the Gospel is not just about what we do but it’s also about who we are. This is all rooted in our relationship with Jesus. So Step Out to Serve is not just about action; it’s also about reflection on our experience and how it connects to our faith and mission as disciples. Seriously consider providing some opportunity for the people doing service in your parish this summer to reflect on their experience prior to and after their service. See the “Parish Mission Day Reflection-Before You Serve,” “Questions for Reflecting on Service,” “Prayer Service for Being Disciples on a Mission,” and “Additional Resources” pages.

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Service Ideas

Partner with Parks and Rec. Parks and Recreation departments offer lots of service opportunities for one-time beautification projects, plus special events like dances for seniors, community festivals and seasonal events.

Cook for the Ronald McDonald House. Groups can serve at the Ronald McDonald House to prepare a meal or bake cookies for those in residence at the house.

Des Moines: 1441 Pleasant St., (515) 243-2111 Iowa City: 730 Hawkins, (319) 356-3939

Volunteer at a Catholic Work House. Call any of these: Davenport: Oaks of Mamre Catholic Worker House, 1713 W. 9th St., Davenport Des Moines: Berigan Catholic Worker House, 1310 7th St., (515) 282-4781 Iowa City: Iowa City Catholic Worker House, 1414 Sycamore St., (515) 729-6482

Create Birthday Parties in a Box. Make “Birthday Boxes” that include balloons, a cake mix (just add water), mug, birthday hats, candles and streamers. Donate to a family shelter so when a birthday comes up, they have an instant party available.

Create Goodie Bags . Gather neighborhood friends and put together care packs to keep in your car to serve the needy you see on the street. Include a granola bar, water, basic toiletries inside a Ziploc bag.

Cemetery Clean. Stop by your parish cemetery to clean up.

Put Plastic Bags to Use. Have too many plastic bags and a penchant for knitting? Upcycle all those bags by starting a “Plarn for the Homeless” (see this article and this video about plarn) and get your group to create waterproof blankets for local homeless shelters.

Clean Up the Roads. Adopt-A-Highway programs are free and require a commitment of only a few times a year for several years. This is a great way to beautify an area where visitors get a first glance of your city. Contact your local city or county offices for more information.

Help with Flood Relief Efforts. Contact your local city or county offices to find out how you can help.

Read to Nursing Home Residents. Ask a local nursing home if you might be able to read to residents who are visually impaired.

Rake and Run. A little competition can be fun. Get a list of community members who could use help raking their yard. Then split up into group and see who can rake the most yards.

Diaper Dump. Organize a disposable diaper collection in various sizes that will then be delivered to local shelters, free health clinics and other organization that help mothers.

Paint. Help someone paint and repair their home.

Partner with Habitat for Humanity. See how you can support an ongoing project.

Find other ideas on these websites:

100+ Service Ideas for Religious Education

145+ Community Service ideas [with Examples!]

129 Great Examples of Community Service Projects

60 Ways to Better Your Community

10 Creative Community Service Projects for Your Youth Group

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Parish Mission Day Reflection—Before You Work

Think About It — Am I Helping or Serving?

In recent years the question how can I help has become meaningful to many people. But perhaps there is a deeper question we might consider. Perhaps the real question is not how can I help, but how can I serve?

Serving is different from helping. Helping is based on inequality; it is not a relationship between equals. When you help you use your own strength to help those of lesser strength. If I'm attentive to what's going on inside of me when I'm helping, I find that I'm always helping someone who's not as strong as I am, who is needier than I am. People feel this inequality. When we help we may inadvertently take away from people more than we could ever give them; we may diminish their self-esteem, their sense of worth, integrity and wholeness. When I help I am very aware of my own strength. But we don't serve with our strength, we serve with ourselves. We draw from all of our experiences. Our limitations serve, our wounds serve, even our darkness can serve. The wholeness in us serves the wholeness in others and the wholeness in life. The wholeness in you is the same as the wholeness in me. Service is a relationship between equals.

Helping incurs debt. When you help someone they owe you one. But serving, like healing, is mutual. There is no debt. I am as served as the person I am serving. When I help I have a feeling of satisfaction. When I serve I have a feeling of gratitude. These are very different things.

Serving is also different from fixing. When I fix a person I perceive them as broken, and their brokenness requires me to act. When I fix I do not see the wholeness in the other person or trust the integrity of the life in them. When I serve I see and trust that wholeness. It is what I am responding to and collaborating with.

There is distance between ourselves and whatever or whomever we are fixing. Fixing is a form of judgment. All judgment creates distance, a disconnection, an experience of difference. In fixing there is an inequality of expertise that can easily become a moral distance. We cannot serve at a distance. We can only serve that to which we are profoundly connected, that which we are willing to touch. This is Mother Teresa's basic mes-sage. We serve life not because it is broken but because it is holy.

Talk About It — Questions before Service

What are you most excited about for today? What are you most worried about? What is one way you hope to truly serve today?

What are some ways you can be Christ hands and feet today? What is one way you can intentionally look for Jesus in the work you do today?

Pray About It — Prayer before Serving

Father, Allow me to serve others with a joyful heart; Never keeping score; Always giving; Never expecting to receive. Allow me to give myself, to give of my talents and of my good,

to give of my time and of my energy, to give of my heart and of my soul.

Help me understand the needs of other, never criticizing, Never demeaning, never scolding, never condemning.

You have been so gracious to me, always loving, Always forgiving, always restoring;

Never gloating over my defeats, even when I have been so wrong. Father, keep a condemning spirit far from my heart and further from my lips.

Allow me to serve others as you serve, with gentleness, compassion, and tenderness, Never diminishing the worth of another, Choosing to extend mercy to the brokenhearted,

Like You have repeatedly shown it to me, Amen.

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Reflecting on Service — Facilitator Tips

Talking about the experience of serving:

1. Name three things that stuck in your mind about the service experience.

2. What was most difficult for you in this service? What did you find that helped you to continue despite the difficulties?

3. What feelings or emotions did you experience during your service?

4. What strong memory do you take away from this service?

5. What was the best/worst/most challenging thing that happened during your service?

6. Describe a person you've encountered in the community who made a strong impression on you, positive or negative.

About the God and faith connection

1. What did God say to you through your service?

2. What “good news” of the Gospel did you experience in this service?

3. What did you learn about God through this service?

4. Where/when/how did you see Jesus in this service?

5. What Scripture passage/story comes to mind as you think back over your service? How does the passage relate to your experience?

Identifying personal growth

1. What did you learn about yourself through this service?

2. What similarities do you see between you and the people you served?

3. How were you different when you left the service location compared to when you entered?

4. What have you learned about yourself through your service?

5. Complete any of these sentences: Because of my service-learning, I am…/I now know…/I will…/I now realize…/I now understand…/

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Questions for Reflecting on Service

Create a secure environment. Make sure everyone knows that they can trust you and the group. Insist on respect of all individuals and their opinions. Be intentional, but also know when to be flexible. Sometimes any talking is good talking. Don’t force conversation, but don’t be afraid to take advantage of opportunities to bring everyone

into the conversation, even the quieter folks. Remember that the goal of your reflection is for the participants to be talking to one another, not

just to you. Have all group members physically on the same level (all on ground, all sitting in chairs, etc.), so

that eye contact is possible and there aren’t any feelings of being “above” or “below” someone. When someone is talking, maintain comfortable eye contact, but also let your gaze roam around

the circle…the speaker will naturally do the same, unconsciously bringing others into the sharing and achieving the above goal of group-wide conversation.

Don’t be afraid of silence… Sometimes it is necessary and normal, especially if individuals are thinking… don’t feel that you need to fill every second.

Reflective listening is typically a successful technique to practice. Keep cell phones and the like off and out of sight. Always value your group members and treat them like honored guests (because they are!).

Prayer Service to be Disciples on Mission

Leader 1: We hear these words from the leaders of our Church.

Leader 2: From Pope Francis in The Joy of the Gospel:

If indeed "the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics," the Church, "cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice" (Evangelii Gaudium, #183, quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, #28).

Leader 3: From Pope Benedict XVI in God is Love:

The mission of the lay faithful is therefore to configure social life correctly, respecting its legitimate au-tonomy and cooperating with other citizens according to their respective competences and fulfilling their own responsibility (Deus Caritas Est, #29).

Leader 2: From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person (#1913).

Leader 3: From the words of Christ himself when he proclaims:

"You are the salt of the earth. . . You are the light of the world. . . your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Matthew 5: 13, 14, 16).

And when he tells the story of the king who says to those who have cared for their brothers and sisters in need: "'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'" (Matthew 25:34-36)

Leader 1: We pray, O God, that you would inspire us and equip us to respond to your call to live out our faith in your world by defending human life and caring for the poor and vulnerable among us. We now ask you to hear the following intercessions.

Leader 2: That we might take seriously our call "to configure social life correctly," working to remake those flawed systems and structures in which injustice is found. We pray:

All: Father of all, inspire us to act according to your will.

Leader 3: That we might be leaven, healing what is broken and sanctifying the world. We pray:

All: Christ our brother, make us leaven in the world.

Leader 2: That we might respond to our own human dignity and the dignity found in all other persons by participating in public life in order to protect all life and promote the common good. We pray:

All: Spirit of life, move us to participate in promoting the common good.

Leader 3: That we might work to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger and clothe the naked in our local, national and global communities. We pray:

All: Triune God, make us salt and light in the world.

Leader 1: We now enter a moment of silence, asking to enter into our hearts the loving God who feels and knows the cries of the poor and vulnerable of the world, who longs for a world of good, where hu-man life and dignity can be respected.

Pause for a minute of silence.

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Prayer Service to be Disciples on Mission (cont.)

The Tears of Solidarity

Use Us for Your Work In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …

God the Father, We give you thanks for all the marvels you have created. We praise you and we bless you for the inestimable grace of life that you give to us.

Transform us, make us better Christians, living testimonies of your mercy and of your power. Strip us, Lord, of all roots of bitterness, of false pride and haughtiness of heart. Make us meek and humble of heart as was our Lord Jesus Christ, and never let us wound with our words or actions the dignity of any person.

Put in our hearts the ardent desire to work earnestly for those who are poor and in need. Show us the garment with which you clothed us the day we received you as Lord and savior of our lives. May we wear those garments at the service of our neighbors and this community. Use us Lord, for your work. Amen

Leader 1: We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Leader 1: We now enter a moment of silence, asking to enter into our hearts the loving God who feels and knows the cries of the poor and vulnerable of the world, who longs for a world of good, where hu-man life and dignity can be respected.

Pause for a minute of silence.

Leader 1: We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

All: Amen. USCCB - Prayer and Worship

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …

God of Compassion,

The Holy Father Pope Francis challenges us to learn how to cry To brave that pain, and so enter into true solidarity with your people.

For those who face hunger For those who face war For those who face exploitation For those who face displacement I stand in solidarity.

For those who face unjust discrimination For those who face indifference For those who face a lack of opportunity

For those who face a lack of health care I stand in solidarity.

But in truth, I stand a little reluctantly And I stand a little far off Detached and apart from the great human drama, Lingering in the orchestra, even as you call me to the center stage.

Lord, help me to look again at what has been done to your people To their lives and to their dignity So that slowly, and then more strongly, I will allow myself to cry For it is only in those tears that we truly become one My trepidations fall away And I step forward and stand anew.

Teach me to cry. Amen

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Additional Resources CRS: Prayers and Reflections for the Journey A participant manual designed to accompany Catholic Relief Services’ Resources for Short Term, International and Immersion Trips. This resource included prayers, daily reflections during the trip, pre and post-trip session reflections, and journaling pages.

CST 101: Life and Dignity of the Human Person (YouTube) CST 101 is a collaborative 7-part video series presented by the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services on Catholic Social Teaching. Learn from Bishop Robert Barron, Jonathan Reyes, and Helen Alvaré as they discuss the dignity of the human person and our right to life.

The Irresistible Revolution, Living as an Ordinary Radical, by Shane Claiborne In this updated 10th Anniversary Edition of Irresistible Revolution, Shane Claiborne uses unconventional examples from his own life to stir up questions about the church and the world, while challenging readers to truly live out their Christian faith. With new material throughout the book and a full new chapter, Shane brings readers up to date on the “revolution” – adding new stories, sharing what his community looks like now, and bringing fresh inspiration to live out this message in practical ways.

Happy Are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom, by Thomas Dubay To the modern mind, the concept of poverty is often confused with destitution. But destitution emphatically is not the Gospel ideal. A love-filled sharing frugality is the message, and Happy Are You Poor explains the meaning of this beatitude lived and taught by Jesus himself. But isn't simplicity in lifestyle meant only for nuns and priests? Are not all of us to enjoy the goodness and beauties of our magnificent creation? Are parents to be frugal with the children they love so much?

The renowned spiritual writer Dubay gives surprising replies to these questions. He explains how material things are like extensions of our persons and thus of our love. If everyone lived this love there would be no destitution.

After presenting the richness of the Gospel message, more beautiful than any other world view, he explains how Gospel frugality is lived in each state of life.

Saints and Social Justice: A Guide to Changing the World, by Brandon Vogt Catholic social teaching has explosive power for changing not just individuals, but whole societies. And it's the saints who light the fuse.

The value of human life. The call to family and community. Serving the poor. The rights of workers. Care for creation.

The church has always taught certain undeniable truths that can and should affect our society. But over the years, these teachings have been distorted, misunderstood, and forgotten.

With the help of fourteen saints, it's time we reclaim Catholic social teaching and rediscover it through the lives of those who best lived it out. Follow in the saints' footsteps, learn from their example, and become the spark of authentic social justice that sets the world on fire.

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Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, by Gregory Boyle As a pastor working in a neighborhood with the highest concentration of murderous gang activity in Los Angeles, Gregory Boyle created an organization to provide jobs, job training, and encouragement so that young people could work together and learn the mutual respect that comes from collaboration. Tattoos on the Heart is a breathtaking series of parables distilled from his twenty years in the barrio. Arranged by theme and filled with sparkling humor and glowing generosity, these essays offer a stirring look at how full our lives could be if we could find the joy in loving others and in being loved unconditionally. From giant, tattooed Cesar, shopping at JCPenney fresh out of prison, we learn how to feel worthy of God’s love. From ten-year-old Lula we learn the importance of being known and acknowledged. From Pedro we understand the kind of patience necessary to rescue someone from the darkness. In each chapter we benefit from Boyle’s wonderful, hard-earned wisdom. Inspired by faith but applicable to anyone trying to be good, these personal, unflinching stories are full of surprising revelations and observations of the community in which Boyle works and of the many lives he has helped save.

Additional Resources

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www.davenportdiocese.org/sos-reporting-form

NOTE: * denotes a required reporting field

* Name of person filling out this form:____________________________________________________

* Email to be used for communicating progress updates and details of the Celebration Event:

____________________________________________________________________________________

* Parish:___________________________________* Parish/Town:_____________________________

* This report is about: Group service Individual/Family service

* Date(s) of service:______________________ Location of service: ____________________________

Description of service:

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Who benefited from the service and How did they benefit?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Number of youth participants:_______________ Number of adult participants:_______________

* Total collective hours served:_______________ Example: If you have 5 youth and 2 adults and the service was for 3 hours, that equals a total of 21 collective hours ((5+2) x 3 = 21) How did your service share the joy of the Gospel with others?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Comments/Questions:

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

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Step Out to Serve Reporting Form