30 March 2009

Village News!

Dear Village Family,

Thank you to so many volunteers, parents, and teens who helped to make our Spring Retreat such a meaningful experience! We sent teens out Saturday morning for 4 hours of service in the local community. Some went to serve in a Detroit Soup Kitchen, others visited with the elderly at Glacier Hills, and a group baked muffins for a local soup kitchen. Everyone returned with powerful stories of how they served Jesus in the 'least of the brothers'.

Beyond the service, there were some beautiful sacramental encounters with our Lord, especially Reconciliation. Several said they were consumed with anxiety beforehand, but afterwards they felt a weight was lifted! The Christian life is too hard to be lived without the graces we receive in the Sacraments. We are strongly encouraged to go to Confession regularly, especially during Lent. If you weren't able to join us, and haven't been to Reconciliation in awhile- don't be afraid to go! Our Lord is waiting to extend His mercy and forgiveness.

This coming Sunday will be our last Village for a couple of weeks! Join us as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week by praying the Stations of the Cross. Our meeting will be from 5-6:30pm, as usual.

You are all in my prayers!

----The Village News----

Fully Alive, Spring Retreat Pictures Now Online
http://www.flickr.com/photos/findthevillage/collections/72157607096833965/

Village 4/5: Behold The Man
As we hear those words of Pontius Pilate, ‘Behold, the Man’, let us hear the call to come and adore our Lord through the Stations of the Cross. Catholics are especially encouraged to celebrate the Stations of the Cross in the Lenten season. Join us next Sunday at Village for a prayerful look at the sufferings Jesus bore for our sins.

No Village 4/12- Happy Easter!

No Village 4/19- Congrats!

13 March 2009

Are You Fully Alive?

Our Spring Retreat is themed 'Fully Alive', after the moment in the Gospel of John where Christ says, "I have come that they might have life- and have it to the full." What does it mean to be fully alive? How can we discover the fullness of life that Jesus promises?

We will be mixing all the beloved elements of our Village Retreats with real service in the community. As Pope John Paul II once said, "life flourishes in the gift of self to others, in accordance with each person's vocation...so that all can share the gifts they have received, in a spirit of solidarity, especially with the poor and the needy."

Join us as we discover and serve Jesus in the poor! Be present for a powerful time of Eucharistic Adoration. Get excited for games in the gym, our late night Taco Bell run, and much much more! Registration deadline is this Monday 3/16 to avoid a $10 late fee.

This Sunday at our regular Village Meeting we will continue our focus on the three pillars of Lent: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting. This week we will hear from Guest Speaker Mary Cavnar on Keeping the Fast!
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Fully Alive, The Village Spring Retreat, March 20-22ndThe Village Spring Retreat is a great opportunity to grow in your faith, worship God, and have tons of fun! The goal of this retreat is to discover the fullness of life in Christ through real service to the poor around us. This retreat will include Mass, Reconciliation, talks, service in the local community, small groups, Eucharistic Adoration, free time, games, and of course- our Late Night Taco Bell run! Deadline for to avoid late fee- Monday, March 16th. (Registration packet @ www.findthevillage.com.)

02 March 2009

It's Retreat Time!


A big thank you to our guest speaker last night, Sean Lavell, who spoke about the importance of using our time- talents- and treasure for the glory of God! We had some great games in the gym, and nearly 30 teens came out. Thanks to everyone who helped make it such a fun night!

Get ready- our Spring Retreat here at St Thomas is just around the corner! Mark off your schedule for Friday, March 20th to Sunday, March 22nd. Our theme is 'Fully Alive' and the goal of our Spring Retreat is to discover the fullness of life in Christ through real service to the poor. We'll be doing real service in the local community during the retreat! In addition, we'll have all the beloved components of our Village Retreats- Mass, Reconciliation, open gym, Eucharistic Adoration, Taco Bell, and our crazy prize giveaways. Early bird registration deadline is Wednesday, March 11th- to get in on the prize giveaways!

Join us Sunday for our regular Village Meeting from 5-6:30 as we continue our focus on the three pillars of Lent: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting. This week we'll be covering the Top Ten Prayer Tips!
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Village News

Question of the Week (http://www.findthevillage.com/, Question of the Week)- What should I do for Lent??

Sunday's Village-- Top Ten Prayer Tips
As part of our Village Lenten Observance, we’ll be focusing on the three pillars of Lent: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting. The Catechism tells us that prayer is a vital necessity- that prayer and the Christian life are inseparable. Join us next Sunday for the Top Ten Tips to improve your prayer life, and some time in Eucharistic Adoration!

Fully Alive, The Village Sring Retreat, March 20-22nd
The Village Spring Retreat is a great opportunity to grow in your faith, worship God, and have tons of fun! The goal of this retreat is to discover the fullness of life in Christ through real service to the poor around us. This retreat will include Mass, Reconciliation, talks, service in the local community, small groups, Eucharistic Adoration, free time, games, and of course- our Late Night Taco Bell run! Deadline for Early Bird Prizes- Wednesday, March 11th.