youth camp training manual -...

YOUTH CAMP TRAINING MANUAL

CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE │ 2009



I. Rationale: The Youth Camp is the entry point of a youth to CFC Youth for Family and Life. It is in this event where the participating youth will probably experience Jesus Christ for the first time. Thus, it is very important for those who will be serving in the youth camp to be prepared so that the participants will fully experience God’s love. II. Goals of the Youth Camp Training 1. To help YFL members come to a better understanding of the Youth Camp 2. To train YFL members to effectively serve in the Youth Camps as team leaders, assistant team

leaders, camp servants and facilitators 3. To help consolidate Youth Camp service teams in preparation for upcoming Youth Camps III. The Youth Camp Training includes: 1. Session 1: Understanding the Youth Camp 2. Session 2: Youth Camp Facilitator’s Workshop 3. Session 3: Making God’s Love Real 4. Session 4: Spiritual Warfare: The Unseen Battle 5. Session 5: Tongues Workshop IV. Participants: ONLY potential/incoming YFL household leaders who have already completed the 1-year Basic Formation Track should serve as FACILITATORS in Youth Camps. However, for those who haven’t completed the said track, they can still serve as part of the music ministry, registration team, etc. Ideally, implementation of a Youth Camp Training is a chapter effort, but in certain cases, it could be a joint effort of the cluster or district, as well. It is given either for a whole day or two consecutive half-days depending on the availability of the service team, and the venue of the training. Youth Camp Trainings must be conducted prior to every Youth Camp. V. Resource Persons 1. Team Leader 2. Worship Leader 3. Music Ministry 4. Registration Team 5. Logistics Team 6. Speakers (for each session) VI. Resource Materials 1. Youth Camp Training talk outlines (for the assigned speakers and team leader) 2. Sound System 3. Registration sheets



4. Handouts VII. General Schedule of Activities

AM

8:00 - 9:00 Arrival / Registration 9:00 - 9:15 Teaching of songs 9:15 - 9:30 Opening worship 9:30 - 9:45 Ice Breaker / Games 9:45 - 10:30 Session 1: Understanding the Youth Camp 10:30 - 10:45 Break 10:45 - 11:30 Session 2: Youth Camp Facilitator’s Workshop 11:30 - 12:00 Activity: Mock Discussion Group

PM

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch 1:00 - 1:15 Gathering 1:15 - 1:30 Energizer activity 1:30 - 1:45 Afternoon worship 1:45 - 2:30 Session 3: Making God’s Love Real 2:30 - 2:45 Ice Breaker / Games 2:45 - 3:30 Session 4: Spiritual Warfare: The Unseen Battle 3:30 - 3:45 Break 3:45 - 4:30 Session 5: Tongues Workshop 4:30 - 4:45 Announcements 4:45 - 5:00 Closing Prayer 5:00 - 6:00 Youth Camp service team meeting Note: After the Youth Camp Training, the couple coordinators and the Youth Camp team leader

may set a Youth Camp service team meeting.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Youth Camp Training Session 1: Understanding the Youth Camp I. Introduction Our mission in CFC Youth for Family and Life is to bring Jesus Christ to others. Being evangelistic and missionary is who we are and what we do, and our primary means of evangelization is the Youth Camp. We therefore have to come to a better understanding of it for us to be effective instruments of the Lord in His work. II. Goals of the Youth Camp A. For the participants:

1. Introduce Jesus Christ into their lives - we simply point to Jesus Christ and His truth. 2. Encourage the participants to invite Jesus Christ into their lives. 3. Invite the participants into the support environment of YFL, as active members.

B. For the service team:

1. Personal and Spiritual growth in service. 2. Leadership training - the best training is actual service.

III. YFL Culture in the Youth Camp All YFL activities, most especially the Youth Camp, are defined by our YFL Culture. Our YFL culture is the F.A.C.E. that we want people to see. Ensuring that such a culture is promoted in the Youth Camp will help in achieving its goals.

A. Fun

By enjoying the company of the participants in the Youth Camp and always seeking to make them comfortable; by always wearing a smile and being joyful in everything; by being the best examples for the participants in the Youth Camp and abiding by the Youth Camp house rules will encourage them to open up to God and to others better

B. Acceptance By making the participants feel welcome in the Youth Camp and by not allowing any moment that would make them feel left out; by treating all the participants equally, regardless of how they look or act; and by taking time to talk and listen to every participant will make them feel secure in God’s love and give them a sense of belongingness.

C. Christ-Centered

By showing the participants in the Youth Camp that Jesus Christ is at the center of everything we do in YFL and that He empowers us and gives us strength; by letting them see that it is He who inspires and motivates us will allow them to accept Jesus Christ as well into their lives

D. Excellence



By giving the participants the best Youth Camp possible; by ensuring that everything is done properly and on time; and by going the extra mile will make the participants feel that they are important and loved by Jesus Christ and by YFL members. This is why we make sure that the 10 -Minute Rule is applied during the Youth Camp. The 10-Minute Rule states that the set-up and preparations should be done 10 minutes before the first participant or member arrives, thus allowing the service team to greet and welcome all the participants as they come in

IV. Dynamics of the Youth Camp The Youth Camp is designed to achieve its goals, mainly through its five sessions. However, the different interactive activities, visual and creative presentations, as well as the various songs and games make the whole experience of the Youth Camp even more personal to the participants. The sessions and their purpose 1. Orientation Session

Sets the tone for the Youth Camp. Clarifies the expectations and house rules of the Youth Camp.

2. Session 1: God’s Love and His Plan for Us

Makes the participants aware of the truth that God loves us immensely and that He has a great plan for all of us. The session also leaves them with the challenge to respond to this love.

3. Common prayer time

Allows the participants to experience what having a personal prayer time is like. After a brief explanation of this activity, one or two songs may be sung to help make the

participants see the importance of singing in giving worship to God. For reflection, the participants may be asked to read scripture readings that will help

them recall the first session. (E.g. John 3:16, Psalm 139, Jeremiah 6:16). Ask the participants to write down their reflections.

Note: It is during this time that the idea of using a daily devotional or prayer journal to aid in

one’s personal prayer time is introduced.

4. Session 2: Who is Jesus Christ to me? Makes the participants aware that Jesus Christ is alive in our lives, that He is someone

we can know in a personal way and is closer to us than we think and that He is inviting us to have a personal relationship with Him.

5. Session 3: Repentance, Faith, Forgiveness and Healing.

Helps the participants become aware that sins and hurts in our lives become obstacles for us to experience God’s love.

Helps the participants realize that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ can only happen when we first admit and become sorry for our sins, repent and forgive those who have hurt us.



The participants are asked to write down on a piece of paper provided their sins, the people that have hurt them and those they have hurt. After which they are led to prayer to lift all these up to God, then are asked to throw their pieces of paper on a trash bin placed in front. This symbolized that they are rejecting those sins and are closing in from their hurts.

Note: The participants should confess to a priest after the activity. Also, after they have

confessed, the participants are asked to write a letter to their parents. 6. Session 4: Receiving the Power of the Holy Spirit.

Impresses the need for the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide our lives and clarifies how we can experience this power personally during the pray-over session.

There is no need for unnecessary dramatic effects during the Baptism / Pray-over session. Participants need not be in white. There is no need to turn the lights of the session hall off; in fact the pray-over session must be conducted in a well-lighted area. Crucifixes, rosaries and candles need not be placed in Pray-over stations, but a crucifix can be placed in the session hall.

Note: During the evening worship, the worship leader should not be the team leader.

7. Entertainment night

The Entertainment night is used as a time of celebration after the participants have received the Holy Spirit. This also becomes a good venue for building strong and lasting friendships among the youth

The participants and service team are both to prepare presentation numbers that are brief and wholesome. For this evening, the curfew is often set to a later time.

8. Common prayer time on the third day

Reiterates the importance that the prayer time must be made into a daily habit. The reflection activity for this prayer time may be used to finish the participants’ letters

to their parents.

9. Session 5: Growing in the Spirit Equips the participants with the knowledge of how to grow in their relationship with

God. The session talks about Mary and her importance. It also states the importance of

praying the rosary. The session should be conducted in a prayer meeting format (There should be full

worship before the session). This further imparts the YFL culture to the participants in showing what an assembly is like. It is in this session that the participants are asked to join YFL.

The session concludes the Youth Camp. V. Roles and Responsibilities of the Service Team A. Service Team



1. ONLY YFL members who have already completed the 1-year Basic Pastoral Formation Track for the COMMUNITY circle should serve as camp servants and facilitators in Youth Camps.

2. Furthermore, ONLY YFL leaders who have completed the YFL Pastoral Formation Track for the COMMITTED circle should serve as team leaders and assistant team leaders in all Youth Camps.

B. Couple Coordinators

1. The couple coordinators are active members of CFC FFL in their area. 2. The couple coordinators ask permission from and the support of their CFC FFL area head

in conducting the Youth Camp. 3. The couple coordinators oversee both the pastoral and practical matters of the Youth

Camp by closely coordinating with the team leader, assistant team leader and camp servants.

4. The couple coordinators guide and support the service team by providing direction and assistance when needed.

5. They conduct the Parents’ Forum prior to the Youth Camp and ensure that the parents of the participants will be able to write a letter for their children; and make it to the Dedication Ceremony and Parent-Child Dialogue on the third day of the Youth Camp.

6. The couple coordinators coordinate with a priest for the confession after Session 3 and as well as to celebrate the Holy Mass on the last day.

7. The couple coordinators intercede for the whole Youth Camp. C. Team Leader

1. Every Youth Camp has a sole team leader. The team leader is always a brother, except in special cases like the Youth Camps of all girls’ high schools, colleges and universities.

2. The team leader takes responsibility for the Youth Camp, together with the couple coordinators and the assistant team leader. a. Facilitates the service team meetings. b. Leads the service team. c. Corrects the service team if needed. d. Encourages and affirms the service team.

D. Assistant Team Leader

1. Every Youth Camp has an assistant team leader. The assistant team leader is always a sister.

2. The assistant team leader responds to the needs of the sisters and provides input in planning and conducting the Youth Camp.

3. The assistant team leader oversees the registration on the first day of the Youth Camp. 4. The assistant team leader assigns and reminds the whole service team to be prayer

warriors during the Youth Camp. E. Both Team Leader and Assistant Team Leader

1. The team leader and assistant team leader take care of the pastoral and spiritual aspects of the Youth Camp.

2. The team leader and assistant team leader are normally not given discussion groups to handle because as the facilitators care for their discussion groups, the team leaders care



for the service team. However, in extreme cases, they can handle discussion groups, if needed.

3. The team leader and assistant team leader must be prepared to give any of the sessions in the event that any of the speakers will not be able to arrive in time.

4. The team leader and the assistant team leader make sure that the Youth Camp schedule is followed.

5. The team leader and the assistant team leader give input regularly regarding practical and pastoral matters of the Youth Camp to the couple coordinators.

6. The team leader and the assistant team leader assist the speakers 7. The team leader and the assistant team leader ensure that the Culture of YFL is

promoted and followed in the Youth Camp. F. The Camp Servants

1. Every Youth Camp has 2 camp servants; a brother and a sister. 2. The camp servants take care of the practical aspects of the Youth Camp, such as

providing logistical needs etc. 3. The camp servants are normally not given a discussion group, so that they can

concentrate on their responsibilities. However, in extreme cases, they can handle discussion groups, if needed.

4. The camp servants do the announcements and ensure that the Youth Camp house rules are followed.

5. The camp servants do the wake-up call every morning and write down the Youth Camp schedule.

6. The camp servants prepare for the Holy Mass, by assisting the couple coordinators. G. Facilitators

1. The facilitators lead the discussion groups. 2. The facilitators conduct the one to one sessions and pray-over sessions of the

participants. 3. The facilitators act as a peer guide to help the participants become closer to Jesus

Christ. 4. Every facilitator should stay in the Youth Camp, so that he/she will be able to build

relationships with the participants. H. Music Ministry

1. They provide the music required during the Youth Camp for worships and praisefests, gathering and reflection songs etc.

2. They prepare the song sheets or the song lyrics that will be projected on screen. I. Other Assignments

The following do not necessarily have to stay in the Youth Camp.

Registration Team

Logistics Team

Documentation Team

Prayer Warriors

Game Masters

Program Team and Emcees for the Entertainment night



VI. The Service Team Meeting A. Purpose of service team meetings

1. Planning. 2. Instructions/ Evaluation. 3. Consolidation of the service team. 4. Intercession

B. Suggested service team meetings

1. Planning. 2. After Session 1 of the Youth Camp. (For impressions, evaluations, instructions) 3. Prior to Session 4 of the Youth Camp. (For reminders, feedback, instructions) 4. After the Youth Camp

a. Opportunity to commend each other. b. Sharing of experiences.

VII. Conclusion In YFL, we are all missionaries. We seek to bring Christ to others at every opportunity. The Youth Camp serves as our best means of doing this. The Youth Camp is a gift from God, and like any other gift, we try to understand its proper use, so that He who gave us this gift may be pleased.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Youth Camp Training Session 2: Youth Camp Facilitator’s Workshop I. Introduction Earlier in the first session, we heard that our mission in CFC Youth for Family and Life is to bring Jesus Christ to others and that our primary means of doing it is the Youth Camp. We are called to make God’s love known to others particularly to the participants of the Youth Camp. God’s message of love is so important that it should not be missed. The participants of the Youth Camp need to be guided in order for them to understand what God is telling them. In the Youth Camp, we are God’s instruments in conveying His message of love to the participants. II. How to Lead a Discussion Group Group discussions take place after the first and second session. As Facilitators, it is our responsibility to lead the participants in discussing their understanding of the sessions. By doing so, it allows them to express their realizations, thoughts and feelings and gives them the opportunity to ask questions. Discussion groups allow further understanding of God’s message, especially through personal sharings within the group. It also fosters friendship among the participants. A. The Process of a discussion group

1. Begin with a short prayer. 2. Introduce each other in the group. 3. Make the participants comfortable first. Establish rapport before dwelling into the

discussion. Also, stress the confidentiality of all sharings within the group. 4. Proceed with the discussion, having the assigned discussion starters as guide. 5. End with a short prayer. You may also ask one of the participants in your group to lead.

B. Some Tips

1. You are not expected to know all the answers to their questions. If you can’t answer the question, tell them that you will ask somebody then get back to them.

2. We are not there to convince them but simply lead them to the truth. 3. Avoid using Christian jargons. 4. Keep the discussion on the topic. 5. Budget your time. 6. Strive to make the participants comfortable with you. Be around them as much as

possible. Be joyful and outgoing. 7. Show concern for your participants. Be warm and friendly to them. Remember their

names and important details. 8. Intercede for each of your participants. Pray for them constantly during the Youth

Camp. 9. Listen to all the talks and sharings even if you’ve heard these many times already. You

will always learn something new. 10. Be a good example to your group. Participate enthusiastically in all activities, like singing

etc.



III. How to Conduct a One-to-One Session A. Goals of a One-to-One session

1. Clarify questions concerning the sessions. 2. Find out factors that may hinder the participant from receiving the Holy Spirit. 3. Know the participant’s prayer concerns, including special gifts of the Holy Spirit that

he/she wants to receive. 4. See if the participant will make a personal decision to accept Jesus Christ.

B. The Process of a One-to-One session

1. Greet the participant and ask how he/she is doing in the Youth Camp. 2. Go through with the one-to-one session, keeping in mind the goals mentioned earlier.

C. Some Tips

1. Before the whole session, pray for each participant in your group. Be open to the Lord’s leading, as He will give you the wisdom to conduct the one-to-ones.

2. Be aware of the time. We aim for quality time, taking into consideration each participant in the group.

3. Keep the session light. Treat it just like having a relational conversation with a friend. IV. How to Pray-over your participant A. Format of the Pray-over session

1. Ask the participant to confess with his own lips that Jesus Christ is Lord. Ask him or her to join you in a prayer or to begin the prayer himself.

2. Spontaneous Praising Worship and glorify the Lord with the participant.

3. Prayer for Protection Ask Jesus Christ to cover you and the participant with His Most Precious Blood and

ask Mother Mary to protect you the participant with her Mantle of Protection. 4. Binding and Casting; In-filling

In Jesus Christ’s name, bind and cast all negativities, like vices, addictions, sins that the participant has. (E.g. vices, addictions, sins, anger, fear, lust, envy, anxiety, pride, doubt, etc.)

Then pray for in filling of the positive counterpart. (E.g. faith when there’s doubt; humility when there’s pride)

“In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, we take authority and gather all the evil spirits around us, above us and below us. We bind and cast them at the foot of Your Cross to be gone forever. And we ask the Holy Spirit to fill the void that the evil spirits have left behind. We pray for protection against any backlash from the evil one.”

5. Lifting of Concerns Pray for the concerns of the participant.

6. Baptism of the Holy Spirit; Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit “Father, we now ask You, in Jesus’ name, to pour upon (name of participant) Your

Holy Spirit, so that he/she may receive new life. We also ask You, in Jesus’ name, to grant him/her the gift of tongues and any other gift that You want him / her to receive.

Encourage the participant to pray in tongues with you.



7. Closing Prayers Prayer of thanksgiving. Prayer for a strong Christian life. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be

B. Some Tips

1. Baptism of the Holy Spirit does not depend on the amount of time you pray. 5 to 10 minutes is enough.

2. Remember that it is God who sends down His Spirit to the participant, not you. 3. Be aware of what is happening. Keep your eyes open. 4. It is the participant’s prayer; you are merely guiding him / her and praying with him /

her. 5. In case of disturbances, pray for and claim for God’s peace in the name of Jesus Christ.

Don’t panic. 6. Feel free to ask for help from your couple coordinators or the team leader. 7. If you do decide to go for help, ask one of your prayer partners to do it. Do not leave

your participant at any time during the Pray-over session. 8. Ask for support from others. You must have prayer warriors during this session.

V. Activity: Mock Discussion Group The Youth Camp Service Team members are grouped into 5; for each group, one member will play the role of a facilitator, another member will act as an observer and the other 3 members act as participants in a Youth Camp and will each assume different roles to play. Each group is given 30 minutes to apply what they have learned as Youth Camp facilitators such as the process of leading a discussion group and attitudes a facilitator should have in relating with participants of the Youth Camp. A. Situation

It is the first day of the Youth Camp and Session 1: God’s Love and His Plan for Us, has just concluded. It is the 1st time the participants met you and each other.

B. Discussion Starters

1. Share an experience or area of your life where you felt most loved by God. 2. How can you respond to God’s love for you?

C. Participants Profile Basketball varsity player - girlfriend / boyfriend forced him to attend the Youth Camp. Student council president - an achiever. Rock band guitarist - apathetic to everyone. Ex-seminarian - know it all. ‘Emo’ punk - depressed. Fraternity / sorority member - went to the Youth Camp just to meet girls / boys. Out of school youth - had nothing else to do. Loner -has no friends and is silent all the time.



Party Girl / Boy - parents promised her / him they would allow her / him to go out if she / he attend the Youth Camp.

D. Evaluation

The different observers then give an evaluation on how the facilitators of each group led their discussion groups. (E.g. What they did right and thing to improve on etc.)

VI. Conclusion It is normal for us to be anxious and worried of our role as facilitators in the Youth Camp. However, it is good to know that we have a God who is victorious. He has given us His Spirit, and as long as we seek Him, He will teach and guide us in everything that we do as facilitators. “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord” Zechariah 4:6



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Youth Camp Training Session 3: Making God’s love real I. Introduction As we have already heard in the previous sessions, our mission in CFC Youth for Family and Life is to bring Jesus Christ to others and to make His love known, in particular, to the participants of the Youth Camp. More often than not, we need to translate to them God’s message of love in a more personal way. We need to learn how to make God’s love real to the participants and convey it in such a way that they could relate to it easily, using our own personal experiences and realizations. II. Sharing personal testimonies of God’s love Personal testimonies are used to show the participants of the Youth Camp that what has been said in the sessions can and do actually happen. These are always testimonies of ‘bad to good’ or ’good to better’ situations, that make God’s love real in one’s life.

A. The ABC’s of sharing personal testimonies:

A - Audible B - Brief C - Christ-centered

There are three guidelines in sharing personal testimonies of God’s love in our lives:

1. Audible - When sharing personal testimonies of God’s love, we must make sure that our

sharing is audible. We must speak in a clear and confident manner. Everyone present must be able to hear and understand what we are saying.

2. Brief - It is important that when sharing personal testimonies of God’s love, we must make sure that our sharing is brief. We must go straight to the point. We must not complicate our sharing neither by beating around the bush nor by using flowery words that make it long. 3-5 minutes is enough time for a sharing.

3. Christ-centered - More importantly, Christ should be at the center of our sharing. Everyone present must be able to realize that it is Christ who is great and not us. The reason behind our victory is Christ and it is He who made it possible.

B. Preparing personal testimonies of God’s love

1. Choose one aspect in your life that God is working on and one that is related to the session given. (E.g. Resentment towards my parents)

2. Divide your sharing into 3 parts: a. Before: Share what your experiences in that area of life were before God began to

work. (E.g. I was resentful of my parents...) b. During: Show what the turning point was. What did God do? (E.g. I found out the

Lord forgave me so I should forgive...)



c. After: How has that area in your life improved so far? (E.g. My relationship with my parents is healing. We can now talk to each other more...)

3. The ideal time for sharing your personal testimony is 3 to 5 minutes. 4. Make sure that your personal testimony is personal and concrete. This makes it real. 5. Stick only to what is true. There is no need to exaggerate your personal testimony.

III. Attitudes to take in sharing

a. Be confident. It is good to note that nobody will disagree with our personal testimonies because it’s subjective.

b. Whatever our personal testimonies are, somebody out there needs to hear our stories. Somebody will be able to relate with our experiences.

c. As the Lord continues to work in new areas of our lives, so will our personal testimonies evolve. It is important that we always update our personal testimonies.

IV. Conclusion Many of us may feel unworthy and unprepared to share how God has been victorious in our lives and how we have felt God’s love through our personal experiences. But it is God Himself who touches our lips and empowers us to do so in order that other youth, like us, get to know Him and His love more. Activity: Choose two sharers from the Youth Camp service team who will give their personal testimonies on the points of Session 1: God’s Love and His Plan for Us and Session 2: Who is Jesus Christ to me? of the Youth Camp. Give them 10 minutes to prepare for their personal testimonies. The 2 sharers will deliver their testimonies in front of the group. Each sharer has 3-5 minutes. After both testimonies, the group will constructively evaluate the sharings, based on what they have learned. (E.g. What they did right and thing to improve on etc.)



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Youth Camp Training Session 4: Spiritual Warfare: The Unseen Battle I. Introduction We have learned from the previous sessions that God calls us to make His love known to others, especially to the participants of the Youth Camp. It is crucial for us to realize that what we do, in CFC Youth for Family and Life, is very important. We should not take our mission lightly. By allowing God to fully use us in introducing Him and His love to the participants in the Youth Camp, we become God’s instruments in changing lives. II. The Unseen Battle

Our enemy is not pleased with what we do. It makes him really angry when we bring Jesus Christ to the youth and tell of His immense love for them, particularly during the Youth Camp. Our enemy will do absolutely everything to hinder us from doing our mission.

Hence, every Youth Camp is a spiritual battle. An unseen battle between good and evil, that began with Satan’s rebellion against God. (Rev.12:7-10). Our enemy was defeated and hurled down to earth. Since he could not defeat the all-powerful God, he turned his attention to those whom God loves: man. Satan wants to hurt God by tempting man and making him his captive, a slave of sin and death. Although Satan has been defeated, he continues to deceive people, taking as many of God’s beloved with him. When we do God’s work, our mission in YFL, particularly during the Youth Camp, we are a threat to Satan and he will surely attack us. But God promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. With God by our side, there is nothing to fear.

III. Our Weapons and Protection A good soldier never goes into battle unprepared and ill equipped. He does not fight the enemy without his weapons and protection. We must be good soldiers for God, as well. We must be ready and prepared to go into battle in the Youth Camp by equipping ourselves with God’s weapons and protection.

A. The whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)

1. The Belt of Truth. (Eph.6:14) When we prepare to do something difficult, we tighten our belts. Satan is the father of all lies and he will tempt us to doubt in God, His love, His word and us. We need to make sure we live in the truth at all times, tightening our grasp of what is true, that He loves us immensely and that He wants to use us in introducing Him to the participants. Let us place our confidence in God’s truths, His love and His power.

2. The Breastplate of Righteousness. (Eph.6:14) Our protection against sin. If Satan cannot succeed by making us lose our faith, he will fill us with evil thoughts. He will surely tempt us to commit sin. He may even try to make us irritable, or argue with



our parents and friends, just to stop us from serving in the Youth Camp. He knows we will not be credible or believable if there is unrighteousness in our lives. We must resist those temptations to sin.

3. Our Boots. (Eph.6:15) Our readiness to preach the Good news of God’s great love to the participants and our eagerness to serve in the Youth Camp. We must always be ready to go even to places and in circumstances where it is difficult to serve God.

4. Shield of Faith. (Eph.6:16) Our protection against Satan’s flaming arrows of doubt. Doubts, like flaming arrows, strike us down. It seems small at first, but then it begins to eat us up and consume us, hindering us from serving fully in the Youth Camp. We should stand firm in faith in spite of doubts, for Faith is knowing that God has never failed us and never will.

5. The Helmet of Salvation. (Eph.6:17) Pray for God’s protection, spiritually and physically. By the blood of Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross for our sins, we have been saved. Be confident in that fact. It is this blood that protects us.

B. Our weapons in this spiritual battle.

1. The Sword of the Spirit - God’s Word. (Eph.6:17) Reading scripture should be our

sword that we can use to fight our enemy. God’s Word applied in our lives often destroys barriers of doubt among those we serve, particularly in the Youth Camp.

2. Prayer. (Eph. 6:18) and Fasting. (Acts 13:2-3) Let us fight with the spiritual weapon

of prayer by being faithful to our personal prayer time and by worshipping and interceding as a group. (Esp. in our Youth Camp service team Meetings) Fasting is a very powerful form of prayer, for it is love and service expressed in sacrifice.

3. Humility. This is a very powerful weapon because Satan cannot stand against

humility. He is too proud. But Jesus Christ defeated Satan in humility by becoming man. Humility is acknowledging that we are nothing without God. It is when we realize that we do not know everything there is about serving in the Youth Camp and we acknowledge that we need God.

4. Love. Our primary reason in fighting this battle and serving in the Youth Camp is love

for God and His people. By this love, even the hardest of hearts surrender to God. IV. Practical Preparations As we prepare for the Youth Camp, it is important and will really help us, both individually and as a whole service team, if we:

A. Pray. We must intercede for the Youth Camp. We must pray for ourselves, our service

team and the participants. We should also pray the rosary and ask the intercession of Mary Blessed Mother for the Youth Camp. It is also best if the whole service team sets a daily common prayer time and prays for the Youth Camp at the same time.



B. Fast. We must offer our sacrifices for the Youth Camp. We give up something that is very dear to us and ask God to honor our sacrifice.

C. Read Scriptures. We must take time to read and reflect on scriptures. The following are the best Bible verses to reflect on: a. Revelations 12:7-10 b. Ephesians 6:10-18 c. Acts 13:2-3 d. Zechariah. 4:6 e. 1 Timothy 4:12

D. Have Confession. It is very important that we have a good confession prior to the Youth

Camp in order to be cleansed us of all our sins. The whole service team can opt to go to confession together.

E. Hear Mass. It is highly encouraged as well that the whole service team go and hear mass

together and receive Holy Communion. V. Conclusion Let us always be ready to fight, with the armor of God firmly in place, weapons in hand, knowing that it is a spiritual battle that we are in, and that victory is ours in Jesus Christ our Lord.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Youth Camp Training Session 5: Tongues Workshop I. Introduction After everything we have heard in the previous sessions, it is very clear to us without doubt that it is our calling as members of CFC Youth for Family and Life to proclaim Jesus Christ, and to make His love known to others, particularly to the participants of the Youth Camp. However, it is also very important that we realize that we cannot possibly do it on our own. We need to connect to the source of our strength. We need God to empower us with his Spirit. II. The Day of Pentecost – the coming of the Holy Spirit

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:1-4

After Jesus Christ had ascended into heaven, 120 of His disciples met in one place, an upper room, to pray. They were all terrified and none of them knew what to do. They felt alone without the Lord among them. Then suddenly, the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, descended upon each of them - God’s Spirit that Jesus Christ himself had promised them before His ascension. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they were empowered to speak in tongues. When the disciples of Jesus Christ prayed in tongues, they were able to do many extraordinary things, simply because the Holy Spirit enabled them to. The rest was history. These men and women made a difference, as the whole world got to know Jesus Christ. III. The Gift of Tongues Just like the disciples of Jesus Christ back then during the day of Pentecost, we too may feel terrified of what we will do in the Youth Camp. We may not really know what to do. But just like them, when tongues of fire descended on each, the Lord promises to us His same Spirit that will enable us to extraordinary things for Him. All we need to do is ask for it and He will surely give it.

A. The Gift of Tongues is:

1. A spiritual gift that was first used during Pentecost. 2. A direct prayer to God. A prayer that Satan cannot understand. 3. A doorway for you to use the other gifts of the Holy Spirit easier and better.

B. Reasons why other people do not pray in tongues:

1. People are unaware of it. Thus, you are very blessed to be aware. 2. Praying in tongues is done in private, among those who also understand it.



IV. How to Pray in Tongues A. Like any gift, the Gift of Tongues can be lost, so we must always use it.

1. Come before God’s presence. Focus on Him alone. 2. Utter praises to God spontaneously. Sing songs of worship to God. ( Repeating ‘Alleluia’

might help) 3. Ask God for His Holy Spirit. 4. Believe that God will give you His Holy Spirit.

B. Examples of praises and exultation to God:

1. From the book of Revelation: Alpha and Omega - Rev. 1:11 First and Last - Rev. 1:17 Lord God Almighty - Rev. 4:8 Faithful and True - Rev. 19:11 Word of God - Rev. 19:13 King of kings and Lord of lords - Rev. 19:16 Beginning and end - Rev. 21:6 Bright morning star - Rev. 22:16

2. From the prophets: Emmanuel - Is. 7:14 Father-Forever, Prince of Peace - Is. 9:5 Son of man - Dan. 7:13

3. From the Gospels: Messiah - Mt. 1:16 Son of God - Mt. 4:3 Lord - Mt. 7:21 Son of David - Mt. 15:22 Holy One of God - Mk. 1:24 Lamb of God - Jn. 1:29 Bread of Life - Jn. 6:35 Good Shepherd - Jn. 10:14 Resurrection and the life - Jn. 11:25 Way and Truth and Life - Jn. 14:6 True Vine - Jn. 15:1

4. Others Holy and Righteous - Acts 3:14 Author of life - Acts 3:15 Judge of the living and the dead - Acts 10:42 Blessed and only ruler - 1 Tim. 6:15

V. Activity: Worship A. In community, the best opportunity to pray in tongues is during worship.

1. The speaker must exhort the Youth Camp service team into worship. 2. The speaker must encourage the Youth Camp service Team to pray in tongues and sing

in the spirit after every song, during worship. 3. Suggested song line-up:



2 fast songs (E.g. Spirit of Revival, Redeeming Love etc.) 2 slow songs (ex. Spirit of the living God, I give my all, Heart of Worship etc.) Repeat as necessary.

B. Processing

Ask members of the Youth Camp service team to share how they felt and what God told them during worship.

VI. Conclusion We may have felt and experienced things differently during worship but rest assured it is the same Spirit that moved us. May we always use, nurture and develop our Gift of Tongues.



CFC YOUTH FOR FAMILY AND LIFE Youth Camp Training Youth Camp Facilitators’ Handout I. Spiritual Preparation for the Youth Camp A. Prayer and Fasting

Let us fight with the spiritual weapon of prayer by being faithful to our personal prayer time and by worshipping and interceding as a service team.

Fasting is a very powerful form of prayer, for it is love and service expressed in sacrifice.

B. Scripture Reading Reading scripture should be our sword that we can use to fight our enemy. Bible verses to reflect on:

a. Revelations 12:7-10 b. Ephesians 6:10-18 c. Acts 13:2-3 d. Zechariah. 4:6 e. 1 Timothy 4:12

C. Confession and Holy Communion.

It is very important that we have a good confession prior to the Youth Camp to cleanse us of all our sins.

It is highly encouraged as well that the whole service team go and hear mass together and receive Holy Communion.

II. How to Lead a Discussion Group

1. Begin with a short prayer. 2. Introduce each other in the group. 3. Make the participants comfortable first. Establish rapport before dwelling into the

discussion. Also, stress the confidentiality of all sharings within the group. 4. Proceed with the discussion, having the assigned discussion starters as guide. 5. End with a short prayer. You may also ask one of the participants in your group to lead.

III. How to Conduct a One-to-One session

A. Goals of a One-to-One session Clarify questions concerning the sessions. Find out factors that may hinder the participant to receive the Holy Spirit. Know the participant’s prayer concerns, including special gifts of the Holy Spirit that

he/she wants to receive. See if the participant will make a personal decision to accept Jesus Christ.

B. The Process of a One-to-One session

Greet the participant and ask how he/she is doing in the Youth Camp.



Go through with the one-to-one session, keeping in mind the goals, mentioned earlier.

VI. How to Pray-over your participant

1. Ask the participant to confess with his own lips that Jesus Christ is Lord. Ask him or her to join you in a prayer or to begin the prayer himself.

2. Spontaneous Praising. Worship and glorify the Lord with the participant. 3. Prayer for Protection. Ask Jesus Christ to cover you and the participant with His Most

Precious Blood and ask Mother Mary to protect you the participant with her Mantle of Protection.

4. Binding and Casting; In-filling. In Jesus Christ’s name, bind and cast all negativities, like vices, addictions, sins that the participant has. (E.g. vices, addictions, sins, anger, fear, lust, envy, anxiety, pride, doubt, etc.) Then pray for in filling of the positive counterpart. (E.g. faith when there’s doubt; humility when there’s pride)

5. “In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, we take authority and gather all the evil spirits around us, above us and below us. We bind and cast them at the foot of Your Cross to be gone forever. And we ask the Holy Spirit to fill the void that the evil spirits have left behind. We pray for protection against any backlash from the evil one.”

6. Lifting of Concerns. Pray for the concerns of the participant. 7. Baptism of the Holy Spirit; Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. 8. “Father, we now ask You, in Jesus’ name, to pour upon (name of the participant) Your

Holy Spirit, so that he/she may receive new life. We also ask You, in Jesus’ name, to grant him/her the gift of tongues and any other gift that You want him / her to receive.

9. Encourage the participant to pray in tongues with you. 10. Closing Prayers. 1) Prayer of thanksgiving, 2) Prayer for a strong Christian life, 3) Our

Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

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