1. thách thức và khó khăN: LÀm sao đẶt chúa làm trung tâM ĐIỂm của cuộc sống và sinh hoạt challenges and difficulties in how to place God at the center of life and all activities

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  Linh thao không phải là mỗi năm mà là phải thao luyện mỗi ngày
  
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  Nhớ đến Chúa từng giây từng phút , mọi nơi mọi lúc, nhất là kết hợp với Chúa qua bí tích thánh thể hàng ngày.
  
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  Con ao ước Chúa bao nhiêu? Nếu cảm thấy chưa ao ước Chúa đủ thì xin thêm ơn để được ao ước gần gũi Chúa hơn.
  
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  Sinh hoạt Đồng Hành đưa tới đời sống nội tâm tốt hơn, gần Chúa hơn
  
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  Khi gặp khó khăn, cầu nguyện với Chúa ngay khi đó thì vượt qua được những mệt mỏi, khó khăn bực bội…
  
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  Nhắc nhở nhau cầu nguyện thì sẽ nhớ đến Chúa nhiều hơn
  
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  Những Lời nguyện ngắn ngủi đưa ta tới gần Chúa ví dụ như “Lạy Chúa con yêu Chúa. Con chỉ muốn yêu Chúa hôm nay và trót đời con”
  
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  Bản chất con người là bất toàn, ngoài đời sống cầu nguyện, đời sống phục vụ cũng dẫn ta tới Chúa
  
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  Nhớ lấy một vài chữ nào đó như hy sinh, tha thứ, và nhẫn nại làm trung tâm điểm cho suốt ngày.
  
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  Trong đời sống vợ chồng, cho dù có những xung đột, nhưng khi đối thoại luôn đặt Chúa ở giữa, những lúc nói chuyện.
  
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  Nghe những bài suy niệm chẳng hạn như Kinh Thánh 100 tuần, khi đi xe, khi làm việc nhà sửa xe, rửa chén…
  
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  Phút hồi tâm quan trọng, vì cả ngày bận rộn mệt mỏi, tối đến ngồi thinh lặng xét gẫm lại, sẽ thấy trong ngày hôm nay mình đã gần Chúa ra sao, đến mức độ nào?
  

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  Mỗi thời điểm trong cuộc sống mình có những suy nghĩ khác nhau, cần cả một thời gian dài và sống để có những cách gần gũi Chúa
  
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  Chân lý của cuốc sống mình là đặt Chúa làm trung tâm điểm của đời sống. Khám phá ra chân lý thì mọi thứ đều có ý ngĩa
  
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  Confirm và đào sâu hơn qua linh đạo thánh Y-Nhã
  
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  Chú muốn nói gì với con?
  
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  Nhìn sự kiện không vui với tâm tình của Chúa sẽ giúp ta vượt qua cơn buồn bực.
  
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  Trưởng thành qua những thử thách
  
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  Phải đi tĩnh tâm hàng năm, làm phút hồi tâm hàng ngày, phân biệt thần loại trong đời sống.
  
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  Đọc Thánh Kinh hằng ngày, cái nhìn của mình sẽ mở rộng hơn
  
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  Khi chấp nhận đâu là chân lý của cuộc sống mình, rồi mọi sự sẽ đến sau.
  
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  Mình không make decision (quyết định) được mà do Chúa chọn và uốn nắn tôi
  
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  Đôi lúc Chúa nhắc nhở mình qua lời nói xúc phạm của người khác, như vậy là giúp ta từ bỏ mình.
  
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  Đặt Chúa làm priority cho đời sống của mình, để dành giờ cho Chúa
  
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  Mỗi ngày, khi dâng thánh lễ, khi làm phép, cầu nguyện một câu, lập đi lập lại trong lúc đó, giúp gần gũi với Chúa
  
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  Nhờ nhiều người âm thầm cầu nguyện cho mình, mà mình được đến gần Chúa .
  
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  Mỗi sáng, mỗi tối, cầu nguyện: “Lạy Chúa , Chúa là tất cả của đời con.”
  
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  Tập nói chuyện với Chúa như hai môn đệ trên đường Emmaus.
  
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  Phải biết kính sợ Chúa: có thưởng có phạt.
  
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  Khi muốn trả thù thì lại giao phó người đó, chuyện đó cho Chúa để Chúa giúp.
  
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  Sống đời sống nhóm, đời sống cộng đoàn, những chia sẽ vui buồn, những khó khăn, trăn trở, những an ủi, nâng đỡ,… giúp gần gũi với Chúa.
  
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  Mỗi người có độ trưởng thành khác nhau, tuỳ vào cách nhìn của mỗi người mà có cách gần gũi với Chúa. Một trong những cách là cầu nguyện qua âm nhạc.
  
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  Nên thao luyện nhẹ nhàng.
  

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  Tĩnh tâm với nhau.
  
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  Họp mặt vùng.
  
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  Hành hương.
  
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  Cruise (Chị Trang is expert on this subject)
  
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  Teleconference.
  
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  Học qua internet với nhau. i.e. youth
  
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  Họp liên nhóm.
  
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  Would like to share opportunities, graces with others.
  
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  Chances to attend Đồng Hành events to feel a sense of communities.
  
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  Connectedness and understanding.
  
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  Nghĩ là một nhóm bạn hữu mà thôi nhưng thực sự là một nhóm apostolic, community to have source of life, nếu không nhận ra  Why am I here?
  
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  Point of view about nhóm. What nhóm can do for me?
  
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  Be aware of doing mission and being sent( group has to understand i.e. both way)
  
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  Làm việc với giáo xứ outside mission mang lại connectedness among others having same desire.
  
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  Work mission but feel connectedness through God.
  
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  Sự đồng tâm cùng hướng về một tâm i.e. God prayer. Chúa là trung tâm điểm. Không phải là dựa theo desire của con người. Không quan trọng kết quả và hoàn toàn tin tưởng Chúa.
  
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  Cho nhau thời gian, cho đối phương và cũng cho mình.
  
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  Since of commitment and carry out mission.
  
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  Qua TLNN mang lại sự liên đới, nhưng cần sự huấn luyện.
  
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  Đa dạng bao gồm sự nhiệt tâm và sự ơ hờ.
  
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  Create some entertainment atmosphere i.e. movies với nhau.
  
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  Create more activities events among groups.
  
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  Require so much planning  not happening  go ahead with planning.
  
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  Sudden visits.
  
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  Để ý thêm nhu cầu của người bạn đồng hành một cách thầm kín hơn.
  
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  Communication, thời gian, gặp gỡ. Need time to attend events, not only qua conference  boudies.
  
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  Cùng một ngôn ngữ i.e. Đồng Hành – feel connect, spend time.
  
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  Building first, sự tin tưởng - sự thân thiện.
  
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  Between 2 generations i.e. youth & adults, much focus on one group only  not work between 2 groups  get …
  
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  One on one. Conversation.
  
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  Có một bạn để giúp việc liên lạc.
  
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  Nên có một vacation, get together i.e. picnic, Christmas, camping, etc.
  
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  Each family has their own plan, why don’t we plan together.
  
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  Plan, schedule với nhau để biết được chương trình của nhau , i.e. MRW,
  
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  Xoay tua.
  
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  Plan trước.
  
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  CHƠI
  
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  Carry out mission, knowing that other regions, nhóm doing the same mission  fl connectedness.
  

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  Change the focus of the group
  
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    At dourer ages, focus might be more social to have fun
    
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    College: how to deepen my relationship
    
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    Married: family, raising kids
    
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  Be willing to accept change
  
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    People are always changing, moving
    
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    Ups and downs – stay consistent
    
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    Accept the challenge of change
    
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  May need to split the groups according to needs
  
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    One or two may have to sacrifice and build new groups
    
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  Evaluate as a group to discern God’s calling for the group
  
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  Help each other find a common goal so that all may strive towards it
  
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    Many differences in group
    
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  Come together as a whole once in a while
  
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    Different age groups
    
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    Have activities together
    
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  Document, forum, challenges faced to let other learn from your experiences
  
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    On-line
    
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  Design online site:
  
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    Blog, resources, guidelines
    
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    Updates
    
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  Common goal to deepen relationship with God
  
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    Be flexible
    
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    Accept new members
    
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    Each individual has to be committed to the group.
    
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    Don’t get stuck on one way
    
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    There is no one right way
    
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  Generation gap, different stages of life
  
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    Maybe have two people – one younger and the other of a different generation talking together about certain topics, struggles, experiences etc.
    
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    Must include youth in planning of events, must coordinate and not decide
    
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    Should have strong youth and young adult ministry
    
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  Connection with people who aren’t/ are no longer in the group
  
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    Some people don’t go to events where several different groups come together
    
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    Try to keep in contact
    
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  Email, call each person individually, personal touch is extremely important because people don’t always show up if an email is sent
  
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    Contact person have someone assigned
    
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    Keep up relationship
    
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    One person needs to be in charge/ take responsibility
    
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  Deciding on focus
  
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    Formation program: topics
    
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    What brings group together? Same faith
    
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    What can we do to bring prayer lives together
    
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    Prayer program – every night/week similar to Light Work
    
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    Sharing through email didn’t quite work
    
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    Understanding, meeting people’s needs.
    

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  Stick them in retreats- expose the opportunity
  
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    Intro to the concept of retreats @ a young age
    
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    How do you get older kids to be interested in retreats?
    
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    Make it fun for them
    
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    Allows them to invite friends.
    
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    Get them to meet other young Viet Catholics
    
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    Allow them to get use to the group (let them be comfortable with each other then let them start more spiritual exercises)
    
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  Get some “fun events”
  
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    Jam sessions (P + W)
    
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    Camping trips / canoeing / skiing / road trips
    
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    Have activities for them to do.
    
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    Specifically sports –great way to get them to bond
    
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      Have people advertise & spread the word
      
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      Watch out for hormonal outbreaks!
      
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  Have an adult (priest and w/e) to devote to the group
  
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    Adult must be reliable + appealing to youth
    
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  Keep them in a Viet Catholic community
  
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    Allows them to be influenced by people with similar values as parents.
    
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  Ease them into the spirituality – don’t intimidate them
  
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    Initial invitation is hardest but crucial
    
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    get them to join an already existing group.
    
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  They want a sense of belonging  give it to them
  
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    bring them in , God will do the rest.
    
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    Have an easy transition from “retreat high” to be weekly youth group meetings
    
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    Don’t force them into anything
    
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  Allow them to reflect on issues relevant to them
  

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  Don’t tell them, show them
  
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    be good examples of what you want them to be
    
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    Don’t be hypocritical
    
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  Bring them to HMV
  
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  Look at things from their point of view + judge accordingly
  

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  Get them use to sharing
  
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    Not necessarily teaching them but allowing them to be more aware of their religions
    
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    Expose them to overnight activities + sharings
    

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  Try to get them into mentality before college
  
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    Much easier to control them
    
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  Pay attention to age and maturity
  
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    can’t get 5 year olds to do deep sharings
    
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  Everyone has their own path to God
  
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    Maybe going to mass once a week isn’t their way
    
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    Maybe dancing with music isn’t their way
    
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  Respect them
  
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    The minute they feel you are lecturing, they stop listening
    
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    Be patient – it may take years for them to understand
    
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    Everyone matures at their own pace
    
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  Empower them
  
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    Give them jobs: they will feel more obligated to go to gatherings
    
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    If they don’t feel ready, don’t push them
    

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  When it is co-ed, better to have male and female leaders
  
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    Consider separate gender groups
    
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    Depends on resources
    
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    Once you reach teen years, females lead female group etc.
    
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  Find them interests
  
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    Something upbeat and active
    
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  Intro Ignatian spirituality as a tool
  
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  Differentiate whether you are trying to develop a youth ministry ( for reaching over regions) or are you trying to start a youth group in regions ?
  
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    Does YAYA ministry want to embrace the call of introducing Ignatian spirituality to youth?
    
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  Begin with the groups we already have
  
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    start by introducing Ignatian Spirit to their groups first
    
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    set up a model for them follow
    
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    later as how can we let different groups work together?
    
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    there must be a connection between DH + YAYA
    

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  Adapt Ignatian Spirituality to a youth full feel
  
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    make it relevant to them
    
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    make it lively
    
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  Encourage DH people to invite youth in
  
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    Youth wont come in unless they know someone
    
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    Make the atmosphere very open and welcoming
    
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  We need people who are dedicated to the age group
  
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    plan yearly retreats
    

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  Support each other through
  

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  When parents meet older kids babysit
  
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  When youth group meets, parents may cook
  
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  Other groups can come in, offer guidance support
  

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  People change so must have activities that are interesting and fun to continue to attract new members
  

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  Be careful not to become stale
  
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  Constant evaluation of state of group
  
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  everyone has struggles ups and downs
  
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  as grow deeper in relationship with god , accept that numbers will be reduced!
  

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  Accept God’s will: pray that we are like water, able to adapt to the situation / change
  
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  Reach out to others
  
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    Be with them during their struggles
    
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    So that when they are in need, they can come to the group for peace, support, help.
    
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  Call people to remind them of events
  

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  communication is key~~
  

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  Change—may be afraid of it
  

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  Disruption/ chaos / frustration.
  
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  Must be accepted as inevitable.
  
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  Must realize everyone goes through evolutions.
  
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  Help us mature, deepen spiritually.
  
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  Don’t become stagnant
  

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  Accept changing focus of other groups
  

1. 
   Make sure have mentorship!!!
   

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  How do we serve without being burn-out
  
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  Boy scout model
  
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  If leaders are not trained, groups will have support and runs well or else groups have conflicts
  
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  Leadership is the responsibility of everyone in the group
  
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  Training has to be ongoing, simple and sustainable
  
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  Clearly define what leadership is
  
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  Clearly define what Đồng Hành is
  
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  Empower people to run the group, topics, phút hồi tâm
  
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  When say “leaders”, a lot of people automatically pull away
  
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  Leadership/leaders, understand that I’m the smallest, để serve anh em
  
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  Leadership formation is necessary!
  
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    Core group support leaders to help with loneliness
    
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  Can leadership be invisible? Yes.
  
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    When you support my group leader, I am exercising my leadership role
    
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  Communal discernment is a form of leadership
  
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  If we have the bond and communication (from session 1) leadership formation will emerge
  
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  Define needs
  
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  Start from needs
  
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  Survey/bá cáo/ report feed back to regions/ BPV where we are
  
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  Local groups have to speak up, and in order to speak up, have to participate- therefore collaboration is needed.
  
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  Living the Gospel, we’re good at that, but administration is not clear. Formally/structure is not clear. Our organization is not formal.
  

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  Phải hiểu thêm về Đồng Hành
  
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    What is the structure?
    
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    What is the progression of groups
    
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  Đồng Hành is growing at a fast rate,
  
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    How do we document?
    
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  Support the leadership
  
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  Formation to remind the group
  
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  Leadership for the whole group, principles of leadership concrete structure, start young and early
  
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  Influence people by the way we live, Ignatian Spirituality is about journeying people
  
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  Lòng quảng đại, khiêm tốn, listening to help group grow giống như leadership cho con cái, nếu direct and control, children clam up. How do we help members open, cởi mở và lắng nghe.
  
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  Using different connections with the group to relate with one another
  
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  Nhiều người hiểu lầm về leadership
  
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  Cho nhóm viên dễ chia sẻ, break groups into a smaller ones: sharing helps one to feel belonging
  
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  During họp mặt vùng, workshops to help everyone
  
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  Knowing who we are (who Đồng Hành is)
  
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    Biết cách chia sẻ
    
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    Biết cách lãnh đạo
    
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    Biết cách chọn người lãnh đạo
    
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  Có training cho tất cả những nhóm viên
  
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    Vai trò của nhóm viên
    
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    Hướng đi của Đồng Hành
    
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    Cách chia sẻ
    
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    Nhóm cần có refresh training tại lúc nào nhóm cũng có người ra vô
    
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  Cho mỗi người có trách nhiệm, và phải có thay đổi cho cơ hội thực tập
  

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  Start from the needs
  
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  Communication, need to know about what’s going on with different groups
  
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  For this we are a committee (mot ban)
  
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  Sharing our experiences regarding needs: help other groups learn and grow from your experiences.
  
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  Need a plan
  
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  Provide training for a core group: this group can then train others
  
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  With regards to training, materials are important
  
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  Make use of the time when you have a priest available
  
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  Training for nhoms on how to grow
  
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    Need to recognize and understand how groups grow, their experiences in bringing new members
    
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    Use this to help formation
    
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  Formation workshops
  
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    Any follow up? Any updates for materials? E.g. TLNN – any revision to materials
    
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  Make use of materials that we use for formation outside of DH
  
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    But who can we share these resources with in DH?
    
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    How can we archive these?
    
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    How can we make showing of these resources easier?
    
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    Through BHL
    
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  How can BHL be aware of and recognize the needs that we have?
  
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    Once groups are able to communicate and share with each other their needs, we can look at common needs and start planning formation sessions to address these
    
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  YaYA:
  
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    We have a need to find out what the needs are and reconnect
    
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    A need to connect YaYA with adults
    
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  Need to ensure that formation programs cover all different age ranges
  
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  Retreat as a way of formation for YaYA
  
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  Retreat for leaders/people responsible for formation to help form them
  
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  Who should be in BHL? Have a coordinator and committee  this will provide structure
  
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  People who have the desire to find out more about formation will be BHL
  
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  We need formation for BHL (the people who will be doing formation)
  
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  These people need to have been through some sort of formation experience to share this with others
  
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  You may not be able to actively participate in forming others, but if you have the desire and if you are able to put yourself through learning and understanding about formation, this is what we need. People who are ready.
  
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  Each region needs to have people in BHL
  
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  It should be open to all so that people can understand and see what BHL does, what needs to be done and be able to support people in BHL.
  
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  E.g. understanding what people in leadership positions go through – then we will be able to support them.
  
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  Train the trainers!
  
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  Recognize who the trainers are
  
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  Forming leaders, deepening spirituality, many other issues can be addressed by having a clean structure for formation and BHL
  
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  Letting others know that we have a group for BHL and also what formation and training is available and that this is open to all.
  
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  Needs to include all in being formed (adults, youth, young adults)
  
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  Reaching out to YaYA for formation
  
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  Structure needs to start from the local level, bottom up rather than top down
  
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  Having groups connecting with each other and support
  

Challenges

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  Structure: if the structure is not active, it has to be open to others who have a desire to be a part fo this. An example is YaYA ministry. If the structure is not actively working, then it is hard for people to participate or get involved.
  
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  You have a need, you create a structure that tries to address this need, but it is not effective
  
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    Have a structure that is flexible and adaptive to the needs
    
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    Desire is important. This is how things start.
    
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    If a structure doesn’t meet the immediate needs, it goes stale. THE NEEDS NEED TO BE REAL.
    
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    There is a danger in forming a structure just for the sake of it and it doesn’t meet the real needs.
    
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  DH website is a good medium for formation. But it needs to be up to date. Resources here are very helpful but also needs to be updated.
  
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  Communication: using electronic media to faciliate this.