|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Pastors/DCE's FAQ
- What is a TEC weekend?
- What is the purpose of a TEC weekend?
- What to expect if one of your youth or adult members attend?
- How will you know if one of your members attends a TEC weekend?
- What is the theology of TEC?
- How do participants “encounter” Christ on a TEC weekend?
- More on the content of a TEC weekend
- How did TEC get started?
- Is Holy Communion celebrated on a TEC weekend?
- How can the Show-Me Lutheran TEC retreat program compliment my congregation’s youth ministry?
- Some of my youth have been to more than one weekend. What’s that about?
- What are the some opinions and thoughts from Pastors who have participated on TEC weekends?
- Who can attend a TEC weekend?
- Can I participate in a TEC as a pastor or DCE?
- Who leads these retreats?
- What is the big secret?
- What is the role of pastor as spiritual director?
- Where are TEC weekends held?
- How many youth are involved?
- Is it true they will take my watch?
- Is every weekend the same or different?
- How is private confession/absolution introduced and conducted?
- What if individuals or churches can’t afford the expense to attend a weekend?
- What is so unique about TEC that would make me want to send my youth to a
TEC weekend instead of or in addition to a church sponsored retreat?- What role does prayer play in the weekend?
- How is Scripture incorporated/used in the weekend?
- How is law and gospel portrayed throughout the weekend?
- What kind of follow up, if any, is there with the youth after the weekend?
A TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend is a three day retreat program for young adults between 16 and 21 years of age. Within those three days a schedule of activities are carried out to help the participants strengthen their relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Adults are also welcomed as observers.
What is the purpose of a TEC weekend?The purpose of the TEC weekend is to enable older youth, at a time when they are making life decisions, to encounter the presence of Christ in their lives and to commit themselves to a life under Him. Use of Word and Sacrament under the power of the Holy Spirit is the primary means by which the purpose of TEC is fulfilled.
What to expect if one of your youth or adult members attend?
Each individual responds to a TEC retreat differently. Because the retreat is infused with Holy Scripture throughout the weekend in its talks and activities, most attendees leave having experienced a spiritual growth spurt. Jesus makes the most of these three days set aside by participants.
Following a TEC weekend, it is not uncommon for youth to return to their churches and youth groups seeking opportunities to get involved in study and service. Youth often have a greater appreciation for the Word and how it speaks to their life. TEC can be a “mountain top” experience for some youth and they may exit the weekend very excited about their faith and relationship with Christ.
Adults who attend a TEC retreat often are capable of absorbing more and taking even more away from a TEC retreat because of their maturity level. Adults also come away with a positive experience with the youth and often express encouraging remarks regarding the future of the church. Many adults continue participate in the TEC program through service and leadership. Their volunteer effort is essential to the program’s continuance.
How will you know if one of your members attends a TEC weekend?Participants must apply to attend a TEC retreat. Part of the TEC application includes acknowledgement of where the participant attends church and who their pastor is. The application also calls for the pastor’s signature.
If a person discloses where they attend church and their pastor’s name, Show Me Lutheran TEC registration process includes a letter sent to the pastor to notify them that one of their members will be participating on a TEC weekend.
Youth are also encouraged to talk about their experience on a TEC weekend with clergy or DCE from their church (in addition to their parents) upon completion of a weekend.
Show Me TEC takes this matter very seriously and considers it a privilege to have one of your sheep attend a TEC retreat. We treat the matter with the utmost care and strive to provide notice to pastors but admit that we are not perfect in this regard.
We are always delighted when it is at the suggestion of the Pastor or DCE that a youth comes to TEC. We desire to provide you with any additional information or references that can build your understanding and confidence of the TEC program
The theology of TEC can best be described by looking at the spiritual themes of the three days of TEC. The first day of the weekend, Saturday, is called Die Day and focuses on Lent. The second day is called Rise Day and focuses on Easter. The third and final day is called Go Day and it’s focus is on Pentecost.
How do participants “encounter” Christ on a TEC weekend?It is altogether appropriate to explain what is meant by “encounter” on a TEC weekend. Merriam /Webster has three definitions for “encounter” and something can be lifted something from each of these as to how encounter is exemplified in TEC.
1 a : to meet as an adversary or enemy b : to engage in conflict with
2 : to come upon face-to-face
3 : to come upon especially unexpectedly
intransitive senses : to meet especially by chanceThe first definition, to engage in conflict, does not apply directly to TEC, although this kind of encounter does take place. On Die Day, participants are encouraged to see their sin as their enemy. Christ is not certainly presented as an adversary or enemy, but as their Savior from sin. But the sense of conflict does exist as participants are asked to die to self. This is often a struggle as well as a highlight for many on the weekend. The opportunity for private confession and absolution is given on Saturday evening.
The second definition, “to come upon face to face”, perhaps most captures the essence of encounter on the TEC weekend. The pinnacle event in the TEC schedule is the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion on Sunday, Rise Day afternoon. This “encounter” with the real presence in the body and blood of our Lord is the epitome of encountering Christ. Alongside Holy Communion, the other primal way of encountering Christ on the weekend is through the Word of God. Each participant is given a copy of Holy Scripture on the first day of the weekend. Holy Scripture is treated with utmost respect on the weekend. To highlight this, there is an Entrance of the Word ceremony when the Word of God is first introduced on the weekend. In these encounters we are particularly reminded that our relationship with Christ are always at his behest and doing, we are but grateful recipients. Secondary to Word and Sacrament, other aspects of encountering Christ include opportunities for absolution, worship, prayer, and observing Christ’s love through the service and sharing of other Christians.
The final definition, “to come upon especially unexpectedly”, is one of the best surprises of the TEC weekend. Participants make a major commitment from their busy lives to set aside three days for a retreat with Jesus and find themselves being pleasantly surprised by how they are blessed through the weekend. It starts by focusing on Lent, with a day called Die Day. But then as the TEC weekend unfolds, the great joy in our Risen Lord and His call to us on our life gives a fresh of sense of excitement to our faith that is unanticipated.
Being Updated
More on the content of a TEC weekendBeing Updated
Is Holy Communion celebrated on a TEC weekend?Click here to download an MS-Word document regarding Holy Communion
How can the Show-Me Lutheran TEC retreat program compliment my congregation’s youth ministry?TEC is a one-time retreat that relies on the local parishes to continue the nurturing process and the task of overseeing the spiritual growth of the soul over the long run. TEC is not a church, nor does it replace a church youth program. TEC counts on the youth’s home church and youth program to help continue to process things learned on the retreat.
Having acknowledged that TEC is not a church nor does it replace the function of the church’s youth program, a TEC retreat can help pastors and DCEs provide an intensified spiritual growth opportunity for youth that are ready. Sending youth on a TEC retreat can help draw them in to the youth program in a fuller sense, develop them as a leader within your youth group and make them more open and excited about the spiritual dimensions of your youth ministry.
We recommend that pastors and DCEs attend a TEC weekend themselves to gain a total comfort level with the program and then subsequently try to slot two or three kids from your church to attend each TEC weekend that follows.
Some of my youth have been to more than one weekend. What’s that about?Having said that TEC is a one-time experience, youth and adults can return to serve. They can serve on the presenting team where they facilitate a table of youth discussion and other activities and are assigned a talk to present. There are four preparatory meetings they attend where they workshop their talks and receive additional training for the weekend. They may also return to serve on the “service team” (called Wheat Team in TEC). Here also they attend four preparatory meetings before the weekend. Their weekend experience parallels the weekend with a focus on joyful service and prayer.
What are the some opinions and thoughts from Pastors who have participated on TEC weekends?Mandatory on every TEC weekend is a member of the LCMS Lutheran clergy as the Spiritual Director of the weekend. His overall responsibility is for the theological content of the weekend. He attends preparatory weekends to participate in reviewing the talks and provide theological instruction. On the weekend he oversees the spiritual direction of the weekend (i.e. introduces spiritual theme of the day, presides over confession/absolution services, prepares and leads worship services, etc.). He selects an assistant spiritual director for the weekend, so normally there are at least two LCMS clergy on each weekend. In addition, there is a place for a seminary student to participate on the weekend. Over the years, many clergy have participated and served on TEC weekends. We have asked several of them to write a letter of reference for your purview.
For additional questions or to discuss further, feel free to contact:
Rev Ron Roma
Address
PhoneRev Gary Dehnke
Address
PhoneYoung adults between the age of 16 and 21 may attend. Adults are welcome and encouraged to attend as observers. There does not need to be a certain level of spiritual maturity to attend, but if someone has significant fundamental doubts about the Christian faith, this is probably not the best choice of a retreat weekend for them to attend.
Non-Lutherans are also welcome to attend. The application form does ask for church affiliation and the spiritual director meets individually with any non-LCMS participant regarding Holy Communion. Also note that this is a liturgical weekend and anyone from a non-liturgical background will find various aspects of the weekend unfamiliar. (Pastors vest for services, references to Lent, Easter, Pentecost, liturgical colors used, Easter Vigil Service, the Chicago Folk Service liturgy is used for communion services, Confirmation Renewal, etc.)
After attending once, both adults and youth are provided service applications they can fill out submit back to TEC in order to return and serve in some capacity on a subsequent weekend.
Can I participate in a TEC as a pastor or DCE?We welcome and encourage your participation in the weekend. You can come as an observer and use that experience to evaluate the program and know first hand what your youth experience. Opportunities also exist to serve the program in various capacities if you would ever so desire. Our hope would be that you would find a comfort level with the program and encourage members in your own congregation to attend.
The leaders of the weekend are a LCMS lay person/married couple and LCMS pastor who have attended previous weekends and are selected by the Show Me TEC board for leadership. Their titles on the weekend are Lay Director and Spiritual Director respectively. In addition to the two directors, teams comprised of both youth and adults serve on the weekend.
There are no big secrets. There are some surprises on the weekend that, like finding out ahead of time what a birthday gift is removes some of the delight in a gift when it is actually received. Different people handle concealing the TEC surprises with different approaches. Unfortunately, sometimes the effort taken to conceal the surprise aspect is overemphasized and makes it sound more secretive than surprise. There is really no event on the weekend that cannot be told to a participant ahead of time. This may diminish the fun of one or two events, but will not effect the spiritual impact of the weekend.
What is the role of the pastor as Spiritual Director?Being Updated
Weekends are held at various LC-MS church/school facilities in the St. Louis area.
There are places for a maximum of thirty-six first time youth attendees on a weekend. The number of youth who return to serve on each weekend is around sixteen.
Is it true that they will take my watch?
Yes. And they will take your cell phone, Ipods, blackberry, walk-man, and some other items as well. The purpose for this is twofold - removal of distractions and security. First, there is a purposeful effort made to alter the physical surroundings in order to promote focus on the spiritual. For watches, the distraction of “what time is it?” is removed. Needs to know time for specific reasons, such as taking medication, are accommodated. Other items such as cell phones and Ipods are taken for the same reason. Secondly, there is also the concern for security, as valuable some items would be left unattended in sleeping areas and may be a temptation for the weaker brother/sister. Items taken are stored in a secure place for the duration of the weekend and returned upon the close of the weekend.
Is every weekend the same or different?
Weekends are all alike in that the exact same schedule of events are followed on every weekend, but because the teams of people serving and first time attendees are new each weekend, every weekend takes on its own unique personality. So while life stories of the participants make each weekend different, the TEC schedule never varies from weekend to weekend. Weekend to weekend TEC follows a rigorous, very ordered, three day schedule full of varied activities, each day correlating to a liturgical season, each event building upon the previous events making the entire weekend a robust experience from beginning to end. A TEC weekend is not a place to catch up on pleasure reading or sleep. The weekend is a fulltime activity.
How is private confession/absolution introduced and conducted?Being Updated
What if individuals or churches can’t afford the expense to attend a weekend?TEC has two scholarship funds. One is a general fund and the other is specifically for pastors, seminarians and their families. If financial assistance is needed please note on the application and/or contact one of the Show Me TEC Board members at the time of application.
There is no official policy governing the requirement for the distribution of these funds. Requests are dealt with on a one by one basis. We certainly do not want to turn anyone away because of financial limitations. We will work with any applicant on this issue.
What is so unique about TEC that would make me want to send my youth to a
TEC weekend instead of or in addition to a church sponsored retreat?Being Updated
What role does prayer play in the weekend?Prayer is a vital part of the TEC weekend. There are two aspects of prayer on the weekend. One is prayer support for team and participants before and throughout the weekend. The second is the effort during the weekend to strengthen the participant’s personal prayer life through example and practice.
Prayer begins early on in the TEC process as directors and teams are selected for the weekend. The preparatory meetings include prayer time for the upcoming weekend. The service team on the weekend is the prayer warriors for the weekend. For example, they pray with each speaker before their talks, during the presentation, and again with the person after the talk is complete. Prayer support for the weekend is crucial.
With regard to the personal prayer life of participant on the weekend, there are several activities that highlight prayer. First, the lay director provides an example of personal prayer to the participants. Second, there is a prayer service where the participants have another opportunity to hear personal prayers. Last, there is an activity called a “chapel visit” when small groups, have a time for personal prayer.
How is Scripture incorporated/used in the weekend?Scripture is the foundation of the TEC weekend. This can be seen in more detail in the more detail in the weekend schedule. But to briefly highlight, each day has a them base on a scripture verse which the spiritual director reviews every morning. Also, on the first day participants are given a bible which is theirs to use as reference on the weekend and take with them when they leave. The talks have multiple scripture references throughout. One of the e talks called “Sacred Scripture” is entirely focused on scripture itself. This can be seen in more detail in the TEC talks
This can be seen in more detail in the weekend schedule.
How is law and gospel portrayed throughout the weekend?Being Updated
What kind of follow up, if any, is there with the youth after the weekend?
Being Updated