While, for many young people, the beginning of the year is a time of preparation in order to keep up with the resuming pace of society, for more than 160 young people in Perth, this January was a time to stop and contemplate their Christian faith, its meaning and its relevance within today’s world.
The Summer School of Evangelisation ran from 4 to 11 January and was contextualised within the theme of Light, taken from the Gospel verse, “Let your light shine” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Each night session focused on one of the letters of the acronym LIGHT: L (love of God), I (identifying our sin), G (giving ourselves to God), H (Holy Spirit), T (Transformation). The retreat was filled with live music leading the participants in praise and worship, drama acts which addressed the theme, preaching and spontaneous testimonies, as well as adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
The significant number of attendees this year has made it the largest Summer School ever held in Perth, a clear confirmation that the retreat is indeed shining a light into the lives of Western Australian young people.
Those who attended were mostly youths aged between 14 and 30 and arrived from as far as Darwin (NT), Toowoomba (Qld), Yass (NSW) and Canberra (ACT).
Chris, 24, shared his testimony, saying he was born into a Christian family but decided to be an agnostic before finally becoming an atheist.
“A family friend invited my sisters to Summer School and then challenged me to go along – I had nothing to lose,” Chris said.
“This week has showed me beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is alive and active and wants to be a part of my life. [The event has been] truly life-changing,” he said.
The Summer School of Evangelisation is run by the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community and is under the direction of priests from the Missionaries of God’s Love. Its primary aim is to give young people an opportunity to participate in a week-long, live-in retreat so that they can have a profound experience of faith.
A range of lectures and seminars were also run by various local and interstate speakers who have formal theological training or extensive personal experience of faith and Christian community.
Some of the topics addressed at the retreat dealt with issues such as faith and persecution, knowing right from wrong, love and responsibility, Church history, recognising where God moves in one’s life, living a ‘purpose-driven life’ and how to pray with and through the Virgin Mary.
The sessions allowed participants to explore different areas of faith, ask questions to foster spiritual growth, and discuss numerous topics relevant to evangelisation and the Church.
Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community Pastoral Director Mario Borg said Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, Bishop Don Sproxton, played a key role in launching the event this year.
“Bishop Don Sproxton set the scene for us beautifully when he preached on the feast of the Epiphany and spoke about the power of community – a community that could be experienced by the participants if we allow the light of Christ to shine within us and in so doing also then honour the light of Christ in each other,” Mr Borg said.
“The Summer School of Evangelisation is often referred to as life-changing and there is no doubt that, through the combination of prayer, sacraments, lectures and seminars presented by excellent teachers, fellowship, small groups and dynamic night sessions, there is ample opportunity for God to deeply connect with each participant,” Mr Borg said.
The Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community Summer School of Evangelisation has been serving the needs of young people around Australia for 30 years.
For more information, visit www.summerschool.org.au.