Today we took the members of the DARE group in our youth group (the kids we took to Maine) to the Diocesan Outreach Conference. They were pretty much the only kids - in fact - I felt very young in contrast to those who attended! Spent the morning in the HIV/AIDS session - learned a scary new statistic - the fastest growing infection rates in North America are among girls/women between the ages of 15 and 29. What are we doing wrong that the message about safe sex is not getting across???
The afternoon I spent listening to how to grow outreach in various size parishes. Small/Rural to mid size suburban, to large corporation style. Very interesting, and may someday be very useful!
Then we celebrated the Eucharist with Bishop Johnson... when it was all over, he came up to our little enclave of youth and thanked us for coming. He expressed an honest desire to see the youth become involved and was glad we could come.
I truly shake my head when I recall what happened next.
We decided to have a group photo, and asked the Bishop if he would be in it with us. Keep in mind, he is still in his full regalia - alb, chasuble, stole, mitre and staff....
He handed the staff to one of the kids to hold, one of the other kids asked if he could try on the "Bishop's Hat". A bit stunned by the request, Bishop Johnson recovered admirably and said sure. So the kid removed his baseball hat, put on the mitre, and said - 'you should wear my hat'. So we have a photo (coming to me soon I hope!) with myself, our youth pastor, the bishop (wearing a baseball hat with his vestments) a kid in jeans and a mitre, another kid holding the staff and two other teenagers - we 7 made a very motley crew!
Tonight we had a double feature movie screening of Mrs. Doubtfire and Hitchcock's Rear Window at the church. We erected a huge screen against a tree in the cemetary at the church, set up speakers, a table for the popcorn machine, chocolate and hot chocolate and one for the proxima to play the movie. A couple of rows of chairs and we were off to the movies! There was no wind, and aside from the fact that it was only 5 degrees outside - it was a blast! Families were bundled up in coats and sleeping bags, others were huddled together drinking the hot chocolate. There were about 25 people for the first showing and the second one dwindled down to the youth group - but all in all I would say this was a truly ingenius mode of outreach. We decided to do it again in the spring when the weather is warmer. Practical outreach - the opportunity presented itself... and we took up the challenge!
I think one of my favourite parts of the evening was seeing all these teenagers huddled up watching an old movie. I served them a last shot of hot chocolate, and was given such warm appreciative smiles from each kid. How cool is that?
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