In the second post of this series I gave some pointers for giving the youth some tools that they need to keep their faith going after a retreat or conference. This post is similar but different. I finished the last post talking about loving a man he is able to love a man. This is what I want to focus on in this post.
An important part of follow-up is helping the youth realize that the foundational things they were able to experience at the retreat are also available to them in their own parish. Your goal is to extend an open invitation to them, how do you do that?
Help Them Find The Body of Christ In Your Parish
The Mass is obviously the most important area where Christ can be found in your parish, but hopefully you have at least one consistent group in your parish for youth as well. If not, you should start one. Have it youth led if needed and keep it relaxed, just make sure it is a comfortable place where youth can share, pray, and grow with one another. When they were at the retreat they felt a part of something special where they were loved. Do what you can to provide them with a similar opportunity.
No Outcasts
They will fall and will be tempted to go back to their old ways. Do the best that you can to maintain open arms no matter what the person goes through. The relationship that we called you on to build in the first post of this series is a relationship that MUST remain after the trip. You and your chaperones do not just have a responsibility to love because you asked them to as part of their commitment for the trip, their responsibility to love is scriptural.
This does not mean you need to call each other and hang out on a weekly basis or send each other messages, but the minimal should be a quick message or note to them a week or so later just asking how things are doing. The minimal should also include a commitment to prayer for at least once a day for a week after the retreat.
A single contact after the retreat will help them realize your time with them on the retreat was not part of your job or task that you were given. It will develop a trust with them that will bring them back when they realize they have strayed too far on their own. If you notice three months later that they are hanging out with the same people and are avoiding you more than usual, give them a call again. Since you made the first call ‘just cuz’ it will be more believable when you call a second time ‘just cuz’ but are really calling them to make sure things are okay.
As mentioned previously they should have a group of peers that they can belong to. Be sure there is an adult overseeing it just in case that group becomes a place where they can not feel welcome back if they screw things up and everyone in the group finds out. As the adult, you are the one who fills in what their peers lack. Again, you must love them until they are able to love others. It may take awhile for some, and be sure you are caring for yourself and your family first, but when they do come back, you can celebrate like the prodigal son coming home to his Father.
In the next post we will give you simple events or ideas you can put in to place to give more opportunities for you and your volunteers to re-connect with the youth they developed relationships with on the trip.
