Discipleship Week

Wednesday 08-03-2022 - Saturday 08-06-2022

12:00 am

Registration is now closed.

 

Initial Communication

Youth Registration Form

Essays and Recommendations

Discipleship Week Nomination Letter (Email)

Discipleship Week Nomination Letter (Mail)

 

What is Discipleship Week?

Discipleship Week is an opportunity for high school teens from across the diocese who desire to know Jesus better and to live and serve as He did.  This week is for teens who are ready for more:  more faith in their own lives, more community with Catholic peers, and more action to spread the Good News.  This week will include growth in personal discipleship through prayer and mentoring, practical training on how to be a Catholic leader who leads from their love of Christ, and a final group project where they put these skills into practice.  They will pray, learn, and work alongside other teens from across the diocese, helping them to see that they are not alone in their love of the Lord or in their desire to serve His people.  The hope is that the high school teens who attend Discipleship Week return to their communities with a renewed zeal for their Catholic faith.

 

The final group project is EPIC, a one-day diocesan event for middle school youth (rising grades 6-8).  The high school teens from Discipleship Week will hold a variety of leadership roles at this event, from giving short testimonies to coordinating relay race games.  To find out more about EPIC, contact the Office for Evangelization at [email protected] or visit the website www.evangelizerichmond.org.

 

Where and when is Discipleship Week?

Discipleship Week will be held from the afternoon of Wednesday, August 3, 2022 until the morning of Saturday, August 6, 2022 at Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center.  In addition to Discipleship Week itself, all participants will be given roles at EPIC, a middle school event that will happen all-day on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at Saint Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Richmond. Participants will not need to coordinate their own transportation to EPIC, but they will need to provide their own transportation to Williamsburg Christian Retreat Center on Wednesday, August 3 and from EPIC on Saturday, August 6.

 

Who should attend Discipleship Week?

Discipleship Week is aimed at rising 11th & 12th graders, with the option open for rising 10th graders to attend at the discretion of their parish Youth Minister.  This week is aimed at equipping teens in parishes who are ready to be missionary disciples, whether in formal leadership positions at the parish or simply in the way they live their lives.  Youth Ministers are encouraged to identify and specifically invite teens who they think would be interested to attend.

 

Who leads Discipleship Week?  Do I need to send adult chaperones?

Discipleship Week is led by a committee of youth and campus ministers.  Local and national speakers, college student leaders, and other youth ministers outside of the committee may be brought to give talks and help with mentoring, projects, and small groups.  All adults will follow diocesan safe environment guidelines, including being VIRTUS trained and background checked.  Due to the nature of the Discipleship Week experience, parishes are not asked to send a chaperone with the youth they send to the event.

 

What is the registration fee?

The cost for youth participants is $150/person.

 

The last day to register is Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at 11:59pm.

 

Cancellations & Substitutions

Each participant cancellation on or before July 6, 2022                                      Full Refund

Each participant cancellation after July 6, 2022                                                  No Refund

Each participant substituted on or before Sunday, July 24, 2022*                    Full Refund

*The last day to request a substitution is Sunday, July 24, 2022 at 11:59pm.  Please note, correct t-shirt sizes for substitutions cannot be guaranteed.  All substitutions made between July 6 and July 24 must be the same sex as the participant they are replacing.

 

What does this registration fee cover?

The registration fee covers:

  • Lodging for 3 nights
  • Discipleship Week programming, including speaker(s) and other set-up costs
  • Discipleship Week supplies (journals, books, etc.)
  • A t-shirt, worn at EPIC
  • All meals and snacks for the duration of the event
  • Other giveaway items TBD

 

Will there by caps on registrations?

Yes.  Parishes will be allowed to choose up to 4 teens to send to Discipleship Week.  In addition, parishes can place an additional 4 teens on the waitlist (available on the online registration system after a parish’s first 4 teens are registered).  If there are remaining spots available at the end of the registration period, the Office for Evangelization will extend invitations to these additional teens through their Youth Ministers.

 

What else needs to be submitted with the registration form?

High school teens who register for Discipleship Week must submit a 250-500 word essay telling us who they are and why they are ready for more in their relationship with Jesus.  (The prompt is included on the registration form.)  This essay must be submitted via the Google Form on the registration form, https://bit.ly/DWeekEssaysAndRecs2022.

 

In addition, the parish Youth Minister must submit a brief recommendation for each high school teen.  In the absence of a parish Youth Minister, the teen’s pastor can submit a recommendation for them.  There is an expectation that Discipleship Week teens will continue what they have started when they go back into their parishes, so a relationship with the Youth Minister and/or pastor is key!  This recommendation can be submitted via the same Google Form on the registration form, https://bit.ly/DWeekEssaysAndRecs2022.

 

How do I register?

All youth must register through their parish Youth Minister.  The registration process includes:

 

  1. Registration Form: Print out and distribute the registration form from evangelizerichmond.org. A copy should be maintained by the Youth Minister in case of emergency. DO NOT SEND THESE TO THE OFFICE FOR EVANGELIZATION.

 

  1. Register Participants via the Online Registration System: If you are the parish Youth Minister, contact the Office for Evangelization to get the password for the online registration system.

 

  1. Submit Participant Essays & Youth Minister Recommendations: Participants should submit their essays via the Google Form listed on the registration form.  Youth Ministers can submit their recommendations at the same link.  Essays must be received by the end of the registration period.

 

  1. Send payments to the Office for Evangelization (if you did not pay via credit card on the online registration system): Be sure to include your parish/school name along with a list of participants for whom the payment applies. All outstanding registration fees will be invoiced to the parish.

 

Where do I go for questions or additional support?

For all questions or support, contact the Office for Evangelization directly via email at [email protected] OR 804-622-5159.