A Time Away ...
A Place Apart

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General Information

XAVIER CENTER'S YOUTH PROGRAMS:
For busy adults who work with busy young people.

Xavier Center's Youth Ministry Staff is dedicated to leading young people on a journey of discovery about themselves, each other, and God's presence in their lives. Our youth programs build skills and develop faith-awareness in a challenging, accepting, supportive environment.

We offer schools and parishes tailor-made workshops, one-day and weekend retreats, as well as consultation in youth ministry. Our staff will be happy to help you determine how we can best meet the particular needs of your group.

Xavier Center's facilities set on a beautiful 200-acre campus are available for one-day retreats, as well as workshops. Programs may also be held at a location of your choice, or at Mariandale Faith and Life Center in Nyack, NY (available for overnight retreats for teens, young adults, and the adults who nurture them).

All our Youth Programs are designed to enlighten young people as they grow in their spirituality and faith. Whatever the age of your group, our Youth Ministry Staff will present a program that is goal-oriented, age-appropriate, rooted in Christian tradition, and focused on the spirit of Christian Community. Although our programs are rooted in Christian tradition, we welcome people of all faiths.

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Children's Ministry - Grades 2,3,4,5

* Introduces the idea that a retreat is a special time away to spend with God.
* Themes are basic and reinforce religious education and scripture passages.
* Retreats include craft projects, interactive games, activities, and role plays, video and discussion.
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Junior High Ministry - Grades 6,7,8

* Introduces based themes.
* Encourages younger teens to reflect on their faith and the special role it plays in their lives.
* Programs are activity-based, focusing on interactions with each other and small group activities.
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Youth Ministry - Grades 9,10,11,12

* Challenges teens to take time to discover God as the guiding influence in their lives.
* Themes encourage faith-sharing and/or reflection and expand basic concepts to include more complex issues.
* Promotes self-awareness and a better understanding of how individual actions/decisions affect others.
* Programs are predominantly experiential and interactive.

One-Day Retreats

Xavier Center's One-Day Youth Retreats:

offer young people insight on how their faith comes to life
through their thoughts, words, and actions
provide a time to "get away for the day"
enable young people to open their minds in a relaxing environment
reinforce a sense of Christian community among your group
are 3 to 5 hours long (including break/meal-time and prayer)
may be either day or evening sessions and may be held at the location of your choice.

Retreat Program Themes:

Celebrating Diversity ? Christian Community
Freshman Survival,
Genesis: The Creation Story
Graduation
Jesus and Friendship
Peace-making
Peer Pressure
Prayer and Relationship with Jesus,
Self-esteem
Sexuality

We also offer Sacramental Retreats for Confirmation, First Penance and First Communion.
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Retreat Theme Descriptions:

Sacramental Retreats:

Confirmation
Sharing our faith is an integral part of being an active member of the Church. Our Confirmation retreat gives young people the opportunity to reflect on how they understand, experience, and share their faith as Catholics.

First Penance
Sin and forgiveness can be difficult concepts for children to understand. Using the parables of "The Lost Shepherd" and "The Prodigal Son," the First Penance retreat gives children the opportunity to think about the ways in which they "get lost through sin" and how God our loving Father is always watching over us, calling us back to be close to Him.

First Communion
Children often have many happy memories of special times spent sharing a meal with friends and loved ones. Using the story of the Last Supper, children will come to understand how important the Last Supper was to Jesus and His friends, and why it is so important to us today. The First Communion retreat helps children to see that Jesus invites them in a very special way to share a meal with Him each time they attend mass in their own parish.

Celebrating Diversity
Celebrate the ways we can be different as well as the common ground we share! This retreat introduces the concept that the many ways we are the same and different from each other make each of us special to God. This theme can also be adapted for junior and senior high to include the issues behind prejudice and racism and ways to diminish its negative effects.

Christian Community
Jesus' ministry emphasized the idea of community. He told us that whenever two or more come together in his name, He would be there among them. This retreat explores the components of Christian Community and gives young people a better understanding of how being an active member of their own communities can bring their faith to life.

Freshman Survival
The start of high school can be stressful for teens. This retreat addresses the basic concepts of our graduation program, but offers tips and strategies on how to cope with the "freshman experience."

Genesis: The Creation Story
God is all around us in the beautiful things that make up our world! This retreat explores God's wonderful creations and introduces the idea that we need to take time to show God how much we appreciate all the good things He has given us.

Graduation
Graduation opens one door while another is closing behind you. This retreat is designed to help graduates celebrate their friendships, put closure on their high school years, discuss their hopes and fears, and realize that the Lord continues to walk with them throughout their life's journey.

Jesus and Friendship
To have a friend, we first need to understand what it means to be a friend.... This retreat explores Jesus as a role model: how we can learn to be a good friend by His example and are called to see that Jesus is a friend that we can always count on.

Peace-making
Being a Christian means following Christ's example of reaching out to those in need. This retreat examines Jesus as a peace-maker and challenges young people to explore the causes, as well as the effects, of injustice, conflict, and forgiveness in their lives and in our world.

Peer Pressure
For younger teens, peer pressure can be something that impacts many different areas of their lives. This retreat examines some of the pressures teens face, especially in their peer groups, and offers strategies to help them resist negative influences.

Prayer and Relationship with Jesus
Jesus asked his disciples: "Who do you say that I am?" This question is still relevant for today's young people as they struggle to understand their faith. This retreat gives teens the chance to reflect on who Jesus is to them and discover ways to deepen their own relationship with Him.

Self-esteem
In a world full of doubt and comparisons, it can sometimes be difficult for us to believe we are each a gift from God. This retreat helps identify the many talents young people possess, and encourages them to celebrate who they are and who they want to be.

Sexuality
Love...infatuation...it's hard to tell the difference, especially if you are a young Christian in a modern world. This retreat invites teens to recognize that their sexuality is a sacred expression of who they are as well as a special gift that God gives to us.
Go to Youth Workshops information

For further information on programs, availability, and fees, please contact Xavier Center Director of Youth Programs at (973)290-5100.

A Time Away ... A Place Apart

XAVIER CENTER'S YOUTH PROGRAMS: For busy adults who work with busy young people.

A Time Away ...
A Place Apart

XAVIER CENTER'S YOUTH PROGRAMS:
For busy adults who work with busy young people.