Finding True Purpose: I
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t’s a challenging time to be a teenager. With so much uncertainty in the world, our young people are looking for answers, security and a sense of purpose. They’ll look for it in a lot of different places — in friends and relationships, sports, academic achievements, or maybe a job. Unfortunately, sooner or later, they’ll have to face the reality that none of those things bring ultimate fulfillment. Here in Grand Island, our young people have the opportunity to connect with the One Who can bring peace and meaning in the midst of all the chaos, through TEC — Teens Encounter Christ. A weekend retreat experience, TEC allows youth to get away from the noise and worries of everyday life so that they may grow in their relationship with God alongside other faithful young Catholics. “TEC is for teenagers to have an encounter with Jesus Christ,” says Eric Heckman, our diocesan Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. “You can’t manufacture an encounter, but you can create the setting that allows for it to happen.
That’s ultimately what TEC is for. We create a way for them to get away, so we can lead them through a process of opening up to what God wants for them in their lives, and then being able to respond to that, and have an encounter with Jesus Christ.” The weekend is for sophomores through seniors in high school, and is typically offered twice a year at different parishes throughout the diocese. It includes many elements of a typical retreat experience, such as talks, small-group discussions, time for prayer, and lots of food and fun. Above all, it’s an opportunity for young people to grow in their relationship with God and make new friends. “Through hearing the reflections people give and their witnesses, kids’ eyes are opened to the fact that there’s more to life,” says Megan Burkes, a member of the TEC Board, who first experienced the retreat as a teenager. “Coming away from the weekend, you see kids just wanting to know Jesus more.” One of the most valuable parts of the retreat is young people getting to meet other Catholics who
TEC is an weekend retreat opportunity for young people to grow in their faith and relationship with God.
Teens also have the opportunity to meet other youth and adults who are living their faith.