Youth News – September 2020
Lisa Ortiz, Youth Director
What we’ve been up to lately…
VIRTUAL TEEN CAMP
CSL hosted the first ever CSL Virtual Summer Teen Camp from July 13 – 16, 2020. Recognizing the immense loss felt by the CSL youth community when the in-person camp that takes place at Buckhorn Camp in Idyllwild was canceled, A team of dedicated volunteers, teen leaders and adult advisors worked very hard to put together this online camp experience with intention, creativity, plenty of hard work, and a whole lot of love, The teens and volunteers who participated created a virtual camp experience that captured the magic felt in other years; an experience that enabled true connection, the sharing of laughter and tears, and moments of profound growth. Everyone really showed up…. embracing the new (and yes, a little weird!) way of creating camp, and finding community, acceptance, love, transformation, and awakening.
CONTINUING TO EMPHASIZING CONNECTION
During one of our favorite lessons in August, we made leis out of macaroni and paper flowers (thank you, Ms. Lisa, for dropping off supplies for every Youth Program kiddo!). We made them as symbols of love, friendship, celebration, and connection in the spirit of the ancient Hawaiian custom of lei-giving. We talked about Aloha – the Hawaiian word for love, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy. While known to many as a simple greeting, the word has a deeper cultural and spiritual significance to native Hawaiians, who use the term to define a force that holds all of existence together… the oneness of which we are all a part. We connected while crafting together during Zoom church, and each child has the lei to remind them of this connection.
PASSAGE WAYS
The Passage Ways Ceremony is a much-anticipated annual tradition at SBCSL. It celebrates, empowers, and encourages members of the SBCSL Youth Program as they pass into a new grade level. This year, we held the ceremony on Sunday, August 30th, as part of the 10:00 a.m. Zoom service. It was so great to see the kids in the “big church” (so to speak) again, and to remind them that they have the support of this wonderful SBCSL community as they start a new school year that looks and feels very different from any that have come before it.
Zoom Youth Church: Pre-K – 3rd 10:30 – 11:00 * 4th – 6th 11:00 – 12:00 * Jr High and High School 12:00 – 1:00
Please contact Lisa or any of the Youth Program volunteers for Zoom details.
Lisa Ortiz
Lisa Ortiz has served with the SBCSL youth since 2014. She became Youth Director in 2017 and is loved by the entire Youth program. “Young people require authenticity,” she says, and this is my “passion in working with the youth”. She continues, “I am committed to youth church because without young people there is no church. A great teacher himself, Thich Nhat Han says “children are the flowers in the garden of humanity.” I delight in spending time with kids and I like who I am when I am in my role as director. I am showing a whole new generation how they might use our principles to navigate and create their own world. That is a very rewarding experience and one that every parishioner should be engaged in one way or another. Because without those flowers, our garden simply will not grow”. Lisa welcomes questions and communication with any and all parents. She has also established a required training program for all youth leader volunteers. If you are a parent, or desire to volunteer, and have questions, please feel free to send her a message.