The church of St Francis of Assisi held its first ever CCR Youth Rally on the 3rd of August. This event was planned by the youths, for the youths. The two speakers, Norman Bismer and Michelle Ann, were founders of Ablaze Ministry. The theme is 'A call to renewal’, which resonated deeply with the young audience and reignited the flame of their faith.
Both of these speakers brought up unique struggles associated with today’s youth. Oftentimes, the voices of the world may influence the hearts of young people, so a call to renewal is needed for them to return to God. In one of the activities, attendees took turns role-playing an angel, a devil, and a human. This exercise shows the dangers of heeding the wrong voice; it is a cautionary tale about the prevalence of modern-day media attempting to dictate the choices of the public and obstruct free will.
Another activity separated participants into groups and required them to build the longest bridge using the items around them. It was not an easy task. This portrayed that when building a bridge to God, it may be difficult to find the resources and time, but no one is an island—relying on friends and family would make the journey easier. Hence, it is imperative to form relationships that bring one closer to God.
Norman and Michelle were lively and highly engaging throughout the session. They reminded the audience that out of many, we have been chosen by God. He has shown us His love through prophets, kings, and even the death of His son. Therefore, as Catholics, we are here for a reason: to live a life that glorifies our God.
The youth participants enjoyed the event and were inspired by the notion that no matter where life brings us, we would always have God on our side.
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