Evangelizing the University of Idaho Campus through Creating a Welcoming Culture and Planning Innovative Events to Encourage Students

to Get Involved at St. Augustines Church 2014-2015

Background and Introduction

St. Augustines is a parish in the mission Diocese of Boise, on the University of Idaho Campus, in Moscow, Idaho. Due to insufficient funds, poorly planned and advertised events, and failing to organize exciting and interesting events. These limitations are dictating what events are being held and how frequently they occur. For the 2014-2015 academic year, I am proposing to further fund, better advertise, and introduce new events to happen on and around campus. The addition of an intern, who can focus amending these issues, would produce positive results, which would be seen within the Catholic community and, especially, on the University of Idaho campus. St. Augustines has developed a mission statement: To evangelize the University of Idaho community. By recognizing the needs of St. Augustines, evangelizing the university community will follow naturall y, if the needs are addressed. The proposed tasks for an intern, below, will be followed by a corresponding goal, which is outlined in the mission statement. -Plan and execute service events enables the community to be a prophetic voice through service. -Plan and execute faith and community building events will help create a welcoming, serving and loving culture. -Plan and execute retreats will help the community be a prophetic voice through education. -Introduce and encourage students to consider Catholic volunteer opportunities post graduation will develop leaders in the Church. In order to expand campus ministry at St. Augustines, we are looking for $10,500. This grant would be used to pay for a student interns time, create new events, advertise for all events, and help fund current and new events. A more detailed and comprehensive budget will be in pages following.

Methodology

Plan and Execute Service Oppotunites: A service event will be planned for one Saturday a month. These events will include, but not be limited to: Community clean up opportunities: For example, raking leaves for the elderly in the fall. Previously, a Rake and Dash even has been held in the fall. It has been a fun way to surprise parishioners with less fall lawn work. Encouraging college youth to become involved with high school faith formation: Every year, St. Augustines organizes a retreat for high school students who are looking to be confirmed in the Church. Asking students to mentor those high schools students, before and after confirmation will benefit these students greatly by allowing them to make real connections with people who have had more life experience but are still relatable. Joining the University of Idaho for any planned service events on campus: Currently, the University of Idaho plans multiple Saturday of Service events every semester. By attending these events as a part of St. Augustines will help create more of a presence for the Church on campus and also allow students who may want to participate in service events with both communities to do so without concern they may fall on the same day. Soup kitchen opportunities: Presently, St. Augustines attends the Salvation Army soup kitchen twice a month. This has been a well attended opportunity St. Augustines would like to continue. Plan and Execute Faith and Community Building Events: At least one each faith and community building event will be planned weekly. Members of St. Augustines Leadership Team will be asked to lead a group and maintain relationships with members to encourage regular attendance. Events requiring a speaker will be planned and organized by the intern. The intern will also be responsible for finding an appropriate venue. These events will include, but not be limited to: Bible Studies: Depending on popularity, more than one time for a bible study will be available. Fall semester will always study an Old Testament book and spring semester will study a New Testament book. Bible studies will have a dinner to accompany and will be prepared by volunteers involved with the group. Womens and Mens Faith Groups: These groups will meet once a week for dinner and fellowship. They will discuss aspects of the faith, in an open forum, and how it relates to them as women and men, respectively.

Young Adult Book Groups: These will be open for all members of the community. One book a semester will be at the center of discussion. These will be about faith and/or living a Christian life. Movie and/or Game Nights: These events will be a purely social event. They will also be open for all members of the community. Weeks will alternate between movies and games.. Catholic Dinner and Speaker Series: Every other week, a talk will be given at a local restaurant. This event has been going on for a couple of years. Previous topics have included Catholic divorce, Catholic influence in developing Europe, FGHJ. These events have been well attended and could be even better with more advertising and exciting topics. These events will be advertised the same as the service events. They will also each include either dinner or a light snack. Group leaders will be asked which they prefer and volunteers will be asked for to prepare the meal, snack, or beverages. Members of the student leadership team will be asked to lead and organize each group or event. It will be the responsibility of the intern to find speakers and schedule Theology on Tap events. Plan and Execute Retreats: Two retreats will be held each semester. These will include the annual Vandal Awakening in the fall and Busy Person Retreat in the spring. In addition, there will be a fall leadership retreat and a spring discerning retreat. Vandal Awakening: The Vandal Awakening Retreat will be the only retreat to happen away from St. Augustines and be an overnight retreat. Vandal Awakening takes place on Lake Coeur D Alene, just outside of Harrison, Idaho. The camp, N-Sid-Sen, provides weekend housing, food, and event center for the retreat. This event will be lead by a student team, with the intern heading the team. Other team members will be volunteers. Guests will be asked to speak and attend different retreats. Typically, around 40 students attend. Busy Person: The Busy Person Retreat takes place over four days. It consists of a half hour of prayer and a half hour meeting with a spiritual director. Lay people, priests, deacons, and religious sisters and brothers will be asked to be spiritual directors. This retreat will be organized by the intern, in conjunction with the campus minister. Historically, about 50 community members participate. Leadership Retreat: Two speakers will give a series of talks on leadership in the Church. Workshops will be designed to develop leadership skills. Previously, the St. Augustines leadership team has traveled to Boise to attend similar retreat with F O C U S (FOCUS) missionaries organizing the event. The hope is FOCUS would be able to send two missionaries to Moscow or ask other speakers who have years of experience working in positions of leadership within the Church. Bringing the retreat to Moscow and opening it up for all students will develop needed leadership skills within the St. Augustine and University of Idaho communities. Discernment Retreat: Four evenings in a week, an hour long talk will be given by individuals involved with different vocations. For the first evening, the group will be split. Men will hear a talk from a priest and women will hear from a religious sister. The second evening will have a talk from married couples. The third will consist of former or current members of a Catholic volunteer organization. On the final evening, a talk, with all of the speakers, will be

given about a typical discernment process and hints they may have to young people looking for their vocation or vocations. These events will be advertised in the following ways: At Mass at least two weeks in advanced, placed on the event calendar in the parish bulletin, posted every two to three days, for two weeks prior, on the parishs Facebook, and be placed in a weekly event email to all registered students. Advertising and brainstorming more ways to advertise these events will be the responsibility of the intern. Introduce and Encourage Students to Consider Catholic Volunteer Opportunities Post Graduation: Many recent graduates are unsure of their next step after graduation. This gentle recruiting will give students the opportunity to discern if a yearlong volunteering position is right for him or her. Exposure will be by handing out information about different organizations, discussing post graduation plans with seniors and potentially volunteering, and a chance to ask questions to those formerly or currently involved with volunteer opportunities during the spring discernment retreat.

BUDGET

ITEM Intern Wage Service Events After Event Pizza (Saturday Events) Faith and Community Events Bible Study Dinner Movie/Game Nights Mens/Womens Faith Group Dinners Young Adult Book Group Retreats Vandal Awakening Fall Leadership Retreat

BREAKDOWN FOR EACH TIME $10/hour, 10 hours a week for 36 weeks $40 for 2 26, 10 Saturday events

TOTAL AMOUNT $3600

$400

$20 for each dinner, 30 dinners total $10 for snacks for each events, 30 events total $20 for each group, for each dinner, 60 dinners total (30 for each Mens and Womens) $10 for snacks, 30 events total IYUIOP Friday Dinner- $40 Saturday Lunch-$20 Saturday Dinner-$40 Guest Speaker Travel Cost $500 each, 2 speakers Final Dinner- $50 Spiritual Director Travel Cost $150 each, 6 directors Speaker Travel Cost $150, 4 speakers

$600 $300 $1200

$300 $1400 $1100

Busy Person Retreat

$1000

Discernment Retreat

$600 TOTAL 10,500

QUALIFICATIONS St. Augustines has a need for a focused, motivated, and experienced intern who can help campus ministry with planning, advertising, and funding of events for the community. Having been involved at St. Augustines and on the University of Idaho campus for four years, I have been exposed to and understand the needs of the Catholic community and the University community. I have been in leadership positions in my prior employments. During the summer of 2011, I was the manager of a small amusement park in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Following that, I worked for the summer of 2012 at Taco Time in Moscow, Idaho, and was promoted to shift supervisor at the end of the summer and held that position for one year. At St. Augustines, I have been president of the Leadership Team for two years. I have fully led and organized one retreat for high school students in 2013. I have been a small group leader and instrumental in planning the annual Vandal Awakening Retreat for two years. The Leadership team has taught me the challenges involved with event planning, but also the great joy in succeeding.