GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME! CRS Speaker Kevin Hartigan

We have had some feedback since the completion of Youth Convention expressing concern about the MC's doing the "God is Good!"..."All the Time!" cheer during Kevin Hartigan's talk.

That was something Kevin had requested the MC's do because he wanted to do a "rah, rah" cheer during his talk in order to return the energy that he experienced the night before in General Session 3 which he attended. At the same time, that is not part of his personality so he asked Tim and Joy to interject it every once in awhile. As you remember, Jeanine (CRS West Youth Programs Director) shared the story about Tanzania where she referenced the "God is Good!"..."All the Time!" so he wanted to connect it to that story to both reinforce that message of gratitude to God as well as bring some energy to his talk.

We appreciate the care and concern expressed for Kevin. Any of our speakers deserve that same respect but it is especially true when someone has travelled so far to share a message that is so important. Rest assured, in OYYAM staff conversations with Kevin and Jeanine they were incredibly moved by the experience of being with us and called it a "beautiful moment" for both of them. They were thankful to spend time with the youth and chaperones of the Archdiocese of Seattle at Youth Convention 2009.

Please keep them, the people they work alongside and the important work they do in their ministries in your prayers!

MEALS AT BELLEVUE COLLEGE - UPDATE

Bellevue College staff graciously extended our deadline for giving them food numbers. Therefore we are extending our deadline so that you have until 11pm on Sunday, October 25 to give us your numbers for the optional Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner. It is possible we may be able to do something with the numbers we receive after that but cannot guarantee it. Please include the amounts in your check made payable to OYYAM for $9 for lunch and $12 for dinner. You may find the menu in the previous post.

BIGGER THAN BEFORE, Special Discount Offer!

Because we want it to be Bigger than Before, we are offering a special deal to all groups coming to Youth Convention 2009. For every youth your parish brings above the number it brought last year, you will receive a $50 discount. That’s right, a $15 registration fee for each youth over what you brought to convention last year!

For example, if you did not attend youth convention last year, your group can bring each of your youth for $15. If, for example, you brought 50 youth last year and you bring 65 this year, the last 15 youth will only cost $15/youth participant.

Paid out across all your participants, you can reduce the per youth cost for your parish significantly and use this as an outreach opportunity for families that have not participated in youth convention in the past.

Please note the following in terms of the Bigger than Before registration deal:

1. It is for youth participants only. Young adult and adult volunteers must still pay the full registration fee. (Each group must meet the 1:7 ratio of chaperone:youth)

2. Registrations must be received by the deadline at Noon on November 2 to be eligible. Registrations received after noon will be charged full registration and will not receive a t-shirt due to our ordering deadline.

3. Parishes that accept scholarship assistance are not eligible for this deal. A choice must be made between scholarship and Bigger than Before.

We look forward to seeing you at Bellevue College on November 7-8. Please let us know if you have any questions.

REMINDER: PARISH LEADERSHIP FORMS ARE TO BE POSTMARKED TODAY

Just a reminder that the Parish Leadership Forms are due to be postmarked today. Here are the 3 ways that we can receive the forms:
1. Mailed to OYYAM, Attn: Tauno, 710 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
2. Emailed to tauno.latvala@seattlearch.org. If you email Tauno, please also cc to oyyam@seattlearch.org in case his mailbox gets filled up. This will ensure that we do receive your form
3. Faxed to OYYAM, Attn: Tauno to 206.903.4627
Thanks so much!

MEALS at BELLEVUE COLLEGE

While these meals may be more expensive than what you will find at Bellevue Mall or elsewhere, it does increase your time with your group and means you don't have to drive off site.

Saturday Lunch - OPTIONAL - Pizza (variety including cheese for vegetarians), Caesar Salad, Dessert, Pop/Water = $9

Saturday Dinner - OPTIONAL - BBQ Chicken, Baked Potatoes (with all the fixins), Green Salad, Dessert, Pop/Water = $12

Sunday Sack Lunch - Sandwich, chips, cookie, beverage = provided as part of convention registration fee.

If you are planning on participating in Saturday Lunch or Saturday Dinner, we will need to know your numbers to communicate to Bellevue College on or before WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST. We realize that this is prior to even our initial deadline for registration and a week from today but this is the deadline that the college has given us so they can order food. We are pushing to see if we can get them to do it later but we should act as if they won't. Sorry for any inconvenience.

"LOUDER THAN BEFORE!" - COFFEE HOUSE ON SATURDAY NITE

Our theme of Catholic Youth "Louder than Before!"Convention 2009 challenges us to come forward and make our voices heard. Come share your gifts and talents with the wider community! The coffee house in the main gym on Saturday nite will be an opportunity to shine your light for all to see...the deadline for submission of acts is Friday, October 16th. Please see the Leaders Packet and your convention coordinator for more details!!!

Prayer Request

Kevin Hartigan, Regional Director for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in South Asia is one of our keynote speakers for Catholic Youth "Louder Than Before!" Convention 2009. With the earthquake in Indonesia and the floods in the Philippines and India, you can imagine that Kevin and CRS are inundated with many requests for assistance, resources and support. Please keep all of those affected by these natural disasters in your thoughts and prayers.

Catholic Youth Convention 2009 - General Overview of Event

In the translation of technology, we seem to have misplaced one of the pages for the pdf version of the Catholic Youth Convention 2009 brochure. Here is the information. We will update the online pdf next week but here is the information that is not there. Thanks to the CYM who pointed it out for us!

FRIDAY
Optional Pre-FUNc Parties

Pre-FUNc’s
Get a jump on your Convention Experience! Join together with other
parishes for a night of fun, new friends, and music in anticipation of
Youth Convention.

AT THE PRE-FUNC YOU’LL:
• Meet new people from all over the Archdiocese
• Mix-n-mingle
• Play games
• Learn & sing Convention songs, including this year’s theme song
• Pick up your T-shirts and registration information early
Ask your youth leader how you can join in for the Pre-FUNc!
A Note to Group Leaders: Please see your Leader’s Packet for more
information on the Pre-FUNc. Pre-registration is required. Please indicate
on the registration form if you plan to attend the Pre-FUNc.

SATURDAY
8:00 Registration
9:00 – 10:30 General Session 1
10:45 – 11:45 Workshop 1
11:45 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 3:00 General Session 2
3:15 – 4:15 Workshop 2
4:30 – 6:00 Liturgy
6:00 – 8:00 Dinner
8:00 – 9:00 General Session 3
9:00 – 10:30 Saturday Nite Entertainment including Coffee House
(see Leaders Packet for information on how to participate)

SATURDAY NITE!
There will be an opportunity for youth to present and share their gifts in
a “coffee house.” Preconvention act submission is required; please see
the Leader’s Packet for details.
Also available:
• Inflatable games
• Game / Movie / X-Box Room
• Sacrament of Reconciliation and Prayer Chapel
• Pre-Functions

SUNDAY
8:30 Doors Open
9:00 – 10:00 General Session 4
10:15 – 11:15 Workshop 3
11:15 – 12:15 Lunch
12:15 – 1:00 Prayer Experiences
1:15 – 2:30 General Session 5 / Commissioning

CHAPERONES LOUNGE
A room will be open for Chaperones and Youth Ministers
during each of the workshop sessions. Come join us for a
cup of coffee and an opportunity to meet others who work
in Youth Ministry.

CONVENTION AWARDS
The following awards will be presented at Convention, nomination
forms and instructions for these awards were sent to each parish in the
Leader’s Packet.

FOR GOD AND YOUTH
Recognizing adults who contribute their talents in outstanding ministry
“For God and Youth” consistently over a period of six or more years.

DIAKONIA (IN THE LORD’S SERVICE)
Presented to parishes and high schools whose youth have contributed an
outstanding service in response to the Gospel message within their parish
and community.

EAGLE OF THE CROSS
Recognizes youth who exemplify Christian service, Catholic leadership
and good moral values. In addition to the Eagle of the Cross Award, the
judges will select one outstanding young woman and one outstanding
young man from this group

Catholic Youth Convention 2009 - hardcopy brochures available Tuesday, October 6

While the Catholic Youth Convention 2009 brochure pdf will continue to be available on the OYYAM blog site under the events section, the hardcopy brochures will be delivered to the OYYAM offices on or before Tuesday, October 6.

Make sure you have communicated how many you want sent to your parish and they will go out on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Tauno has replied to the requests that we have received as of Friday.

Some of you have indicated a desire to pick up your brochures, please confirm with us at tauno.latvala@seattlearch.org that you will be doing so and we will set them aside for you. Thanks for your patience! Remember to live your faith, "Louder than Before!" and we look forward to seeing you at Catholic Youth Convention 2009...

Catholic Youth Convention 2009! Brochure Information Available and Downloadable

Please find the all information from the Catholic Youth "Louder Than Before" Convention 2009 Brochure available and downloadable for your use. Hard copies of the brochure will be mailed out or available for pick up next week!

Complete YC Brochure

Singing at Catholic Youth Convention 2009: Louder than Before!

As you know, our theme for Catholic Youth Convention 2009 is "Louder than Before".

It is based on a theme song by Jeremy Camp entitled "Speaking Louder than Before" . Our Youth Convention Band for 2009, "Truthful Reign" from St. John the Baptist, Covington has made some appropriate adjustments for using the song at Bellevue College in November and will be ready to rock out in conjunction with our theme! Will you?

"Truthful Reign" will be sharing parts of their playlist so that you can get ready for singing loud and proud throughout convention. Look for it in the week to come.

Do you ever hesistate to sing because you are not sure of your singing voice? Take a moment to review a studio executive's assessment of Fred Astaire on his first screen test, circa 1930:
"Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little."

If he had let one person's assessment stop him, he never would have become one of the greatest entertainers of his generation and perhaps of the century. And if we don't sing to the best of our ability (no matter what it is!) we are missing the opportunity to give thanks to God.

For as it says in Psalms 95: "Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; cry out to the rock of our salvation. Let us greet him with a song of praise, joyfully sing out our psalms"

So get your throat lozenges ready, be sure to hydrate your vocal chords and prepare to sing the psalms of today. Don't let people doubt the enthusiasm of the young Church. As St. Augustine shared, "to sing is to pray twice"...and who doesn't need to get some extra credit in our prayer life?!?

Make sure that you are living it "Louder than Before" and we will hear you at Catholic Youth Convention 2009!

Youth Convention 2009 Leaders Packet

The leaders packets for Convention 2009 is out and available for download.

Download the 2009 Youth Convention Leaders Packet and the Registration Form for more information.

Contact Tauno Latvala for more details.

Youth Convention 2009

Planning for Youth Convention 2009 is currently underway.

The tentative date for Youth Convention is November 7-8 at Bellevue Community College.

For questions or to be involved, please contact Tauno Latvala.