Just 5 Days Mon – Fri, June 27 – July 2, 2016 Santa Cruz Catholic Church in Buda, TX (outside Austin) Open to current 6 th - 8 th graders (incoming 7 th - 9 th grades)

Notes on Just 5 Days: Developed by Center for Ministry Development 23 years of leading service camps for HS (serving over 2,500 Catholic teens each summer) Middle School service camps since 2010 Solid reputation for providing quality service, experienced & talented program leaders, and a consistent record of providing a safe environment for young people

Importance of Middle School Service Experiences Middle schoolers love to work on projects, meet people, and make a difference with their time. They deserve the opportunity to do this in a way that will have a positive impact on others and will connect to their Catholic faith. Middle Schoolers are open to new experiences and are excited about learning new things. We should capture these gifts and provide a Catholic experience that will launch them into a new understanding of what it means to be Christian.

Importance of Middle School Service Experiences Middle schoolers are looking for ways to discover who they are and what they are good at doing. Service is an excellent way for them to discover their own giftedness and to learn to answer the call to live the Good News in our world. Who better to walk that journey with them than us, their faith community? In our own communities, we often don’t recognize needs or social issues. Sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zone in order to be opened up to really seeing. When we go into communities and meet the poor and the marginalized face-to-face and get to know their stories and see them as brothers and sisters…we are able to recognize those needs in our own communities when we come home.

Why We Chose Just5Days Just5Days program is designed & developed specifically for Middle Schoolers … to meet their developmental needs—with engaging learning, the right amount of sleep, time for play, service that is appropriate to their age and skill, and prayer and faith conversations that will capture their imagination and their heart. Just5Days is a Catholic service learning experience grounded in Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching. Participants will really learn about our Catholic call to respect the dignity of others and to work for the common good.

Why We Chose Just5Days Prayer is integrated into each day and is the foundation of the program. Morning prayer and evening prayer book-end the days, and the program culminates in the celebration of the Eucharist. Our parish team will stay together for the week. Our Adult Leaders will stay with our team for the week, and never be asked to be responsible for youth from another parish. The Safe Environment rules from our diocese are always respected and complied with at Just5Days.

Why We Chose Just 5 Days † Program offers materials to help us prepare our youth participants, Adult Leaders, and even the families of participants ahead of time † We will have a Participant Preparation Day a few weeks before the camp for our group to get to know each other, discuss important logistics, and to prayerfully prepare for the service camp. Tentatively set for June 8 from 5:30-8:30pm in the Youth Hall. Dinner will be provided.

Notes on Just 5 Days † We attended Austin site last year (different church) and had wonderful experience † 75 participants max – currently 25 registered (around 50 spots left available; camps typically fill in April & May) † Open to any Catholic parish in US. In 2013, five other parishes joined us (representing Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, & Illinois) † Camp has 3 leaders: Program Director (same as last year), Prayer & Music Leader, & Site Coordinator

Notes on Just 5 Days † J5D is a SERVICE learning opportunity- not a fancy conference. To walk in solidarity with those we will serve, we will live humbly. Sleeping is on airbeds we bring with us in shared rooms. Showering is done at parish after the workday. No cell phones… just simple living. † J5D participants should be ready to get their “hands dirty” and able to stay positive and flexible. † J5D is great for youth who have a heart for helping others, like adventure, & are working on building their leadership skills. Just 5 Days is not the “right fit” for every youth.

Notes on Just 5 Days † Variety of service opportunities, many of which are physical in nature (painting, cleaning grounds, etc) but could also be office work (filing, organizing, etc). Holy Spirit chooses our service tasks so we stay flexible and open to what He calls us to do.

Schedule For Camp Monday, June 27 Depart from Sacred Heart around 7:00am for Santa Cruz Catholic Church (south of Austin) Stop for lunch on the way First Day includes Orientation, Community Building, Prayer, Preparing for Service, & a Social

Schedule For Camp TUE – THUR, June 28 – 30 Prayer, approx 5 hours at Work Site, Shower Time, Group Sharing, Dinner, Dynamic, Educational, & Prayerful Evening Program, Recreation/Relaxation Each day there is a morning meeting and afternoon meeting for Adult Leaders so they can serve the needs of there youth the best they possibly can

Schedule For Camp Friday, July 1 Morning Prayer, Closing Session, Mass, & Closure of Camp Fun Lunch with just Parish Team Austin Activity as a team Overnight stay at a Catholic parish

Schedule For Camp Saturday, July 2 Breakfast Austin Activity (tentative; depending on time) Departure from Austin to return to Wichita Falls

J5D follow Up Post-Camp Gatherings: Mass & reception to share experience with the parish (parents normally assist with this in some way) Follow Up meeting a few weeks after to look at photos, pray together, share stories, & “break open” what we learned during our experience.

Cost $350 (includes transportation, meals, lodging, camp programming, camp Tshirt, personalized back-pack, J5D Journal) Participants need to eat before arriving on Monday or to pack a breakfast Participants are asked to bring a 12-pack of their favorite beverage along with snacks to share Participants are responsible for buying our parish Youth Tshirt if they don't already own one ($12).

Cost $100 deposit due WEDNESDAY, FEB 17 (only spots for 10 Middle Schoolers) Deposit is non-refundable (Sacred Heart will have to pay non-refundable deposits J5D so we are unable to offer refunds.) FUNDRAISING OPTIONS AVAILABLE!! Fundraising can be done on your own looking for sponsors as well as through the parish. Stewards of Sacred Heart each year have given our participants the chance to raise 50% of their fees by making & selling tamales.

Deposit Schedule $100 deposit due WED, FEB 17 $50 payment due WED, MAR 2 $75 deposit due WED, APR 6 $75 deposit due WED, MAY 4 $50 final payment due WED, JUNE 1