Welcome to the Alive in You family!

Greetings in Christ!

First and foremost we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Alive in You. We understand the many demands and expectations placed on youth ministers today. Our goal and job is to put together an amazing experience that both you and your youth group will never forget.

This page serves as a guide to help you prepare for your Alive in You experience. Included are important dates and information needed as you and your group begin this journey. Please read through this page in its entirety and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

The Alive in You staff is here to help you every step of the way. The most important tool that we have is prayer! Alive in you has a prayer team that will be praying for you and your young people as you prepare to embark on this amazing faith filled journey.
Thank you again for your trust and faith in our ministry!

In Christ,
Heather and Jim Weir
Founders
Alive in You

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Before Camp

  • March 1st: Mail 50% of your registration balance

  • April 15th: Email your participants and have them complete the online release forms. (The link to the online release forms will be sent to you in March).

  • April 15th: Mail Final registration payment

  • April 15th: Mail or Email the Chaperone and Young Adult Verification Form.

Participant Booklets/Journals:

In the Spring, participant booklets will be mailed to your parish. We will send one for every participant. This booklet contains information to help prepare your group for camp: camp theme details, what to bring, daily schedule, theme dinners, etc.

At camp, each of your participants will receive a journal to help walk them through the week. We will send you an electronic copy of the journal in May so you know the specific content we will be cover at camp!

Info on Additions:

Please make requests for additions via email.  Additions are at the same rate as your original registration fee.

Tool Donations

Please Please Please bring tools!!!  Tool donations are an essential part of your Alive in You preparation.  Alive in You uses donated tools at numerous projects throughout the summer. Please do your best to have your parish bring the following supplies (as noted on the “what to bring” page of the participant booklet):

  • Paint Brushes

  • Paint Roller Covers (we have plenty of rollers)

  • Paint Trays & Liners (we have plenty of trays)
  • Paint Roller Extenders
  • Drop Cloths & Paint Rags
  • Heavy Duty Garbage Bags
  • Safety Goggles
  • Coolers (1 per 7 campers)

  • Snacks for Youth Group

Additional tools that are greatly appreciated include:  rakes, brooms, shovels, hammers, screwdrivers, sandpaper, ladders, etc.

* A great way to get your entire parish involved in your mission experience is to ask them for tool donations before traveling to Alive in You. Many parishes will make an announcement at Mass or place a request for donations in the bulletin.
* If your group is traveling to Alive in You by plane we understand that you will have limited space for supplies – do the best you can.

Transportation

Your group will use your own parish vehicles (bus, vans, etc.) to transport your work teams to/from their work locations. Please be sure to send an email to your work project coordinator so they know what form of transportation you will be taking to camp.

If your group is traveling by plane, you will need to rent vehicles upon arrival. Please arrange this in advance to ensure vehicle availability.

If your group is traveling by charter bus, your bus driver will drive you to/from your work locations each day. Please be sure to make hotel arrangements for your bus driver prior to arrival.

Arrival Information

Check-in is from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Please plan travel accordingly and arrive on time! Please be aware that you may be traveling to a different time zone!

Upon arrival

Your group will check in and be assigned a Staff Host for the week.

Group Picture

Prior to taking a tour of the host facility, we would like to take a group photo for use in our opening session

Tool Drop Off

Upon arrival, please bring your tools to the Alive in You traveling tool room (the white MHC truck near the check-in table). If you bring tools that you want to use, but do not want to donate, please leave them in your vehicle.

Your new home

Your group will be escorted to your rooms so that you can get situated before the Alive in You opening session. Please be aware that other groups may be coming in after you and try to leave adequate space for their belongings.

Snacks

If your group brought snacks, please bring them to the area designated for snacks (we’ll show you where it is).

Opening Session

Feel free to gather with your parish outside the auditorium or gymnasium where our opening session is being held. This helps create a high energy, upbeat environment. Your Alive in You experience is about to start!

Communicate with parents

Please don’t forget to notify parents that you have arrived safely!

Get Involved!

Please be on time, dive into the experience and get fully engaged.  Have fun! Your teenagers will feed off of your enthusiasm.

Every dinner at Alive in You will have an awesome theme.  Over the years, our theme dinners have become one of the most highly anticipated activities each night.  Many groups go all out and get crazy with the costumes! Theme dinners for this summer are listed in your participant booklet.

Friday night, we like to have a nice Italian meal.  We ask that all of the work teams sit together for this meal – it will be a great way to conclude your three days of service.  Please talk with your adult participants and have them encourage your teens to take their time and enjoy this meal.  Also, feel free to dress up for the Agape Dinner!

Every day at Alive in You, your group will have the opportunity to come together as a parish community and reflect on the message for the day.  Your journal will come in handy during this time. Please prepare your adult leaders to help your young people dig deeper into their Catholic faith.
Prior to camp, we encourage our youth ministers/group leaders to communicate with the work project coordinator at your particular camp. This will help you to be prepared for your work project and will allow you to communicate details to participants and parents. At camp, please encourage and support all of the teenagers on your work team and make it a positive experience for everyone.  Teens will look to you to set the tone for the group.  This is a great opportunity for you to build and strengthen relationships.
Creating a balanced environment at Alive in You is very crucial to the success of the camp. Throughout the week, we will be creating different opportunities for young people to build friendships, share their thoughts, connect with God and grow deeper in their faith.

Parish Time

Each evening at Alive in You we will provide you with an opportunity to come together as a parish community. This time will be referred to as “Parish Time.” The goal of Parish Time is to bring your group together in order to process the day’s events.
Witness Talks: each night during Parish Time, 1 or 2 of your young people will deliver a witness talk to your parish group based on the topic of the day. These young people should be selected and prepared by the youth minister prior to coming to camp. The topics and a brief outline of each talk are available by clicking the link below:

CLICK HERE for the witness talk questions!

Family Time

After your group meets as a parish, you will then break into smaller “family” groups for more in-depth activities and discussion about the day’s topic. The goal of family time is to make the experience more personal and allow teens the opportunity to share experiences or feelings that they may be hesitant to share in a large group setting. Small group questions that relate to the daily topic will be available in your Participant Journal (every participant will get a journal when they arrive at camp).

Family groups should be formed before you arrive, and should range in size from 5-8 people. Alive in You recommends that you put a lot of thought and prayer into forming your family groups.

As with forming your work teams, this decision is yours and we trust that you will do what you feel is best suited for the dynamics of your group. Please pray about this and help prepare your adults for this experience.

Teen Witness Talks

Each evening at Alive in You, your parish group will have the oppotunity to come together and process the daily activities and discuss the daily theme. This is known as Parish Time. During the first 3 nights of Alive in You, there is a teen witness talk component to Parish Time. This will allow your teens to share their personal experiences and how they relate to the daily theme. By doing this, your teenagers will be able to make the connection between their lives and the theme of the week.

This summer our theme at Alive in You is “ONE.” In collaboration with the Eucharistic Revival of the Church, we will spend the week focusing on the source and summit of our faith: The Eucharist. We will see how we are united in the body of Christ in One Truth, One Mission and One Worship. Our hope is that every teen attending this summer will encounter Jesus in the Eucharist. In the words of St. Angela of Foligno, “If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament, I am sure that the thought of Christ’s love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude.”

We truly believe that the witness talks given by your young people will help set the tone for your group and bring them closer throughout camp. We also think it will be a great opportunity to empower your youth and encourage participation. Every other activity for parish time and family time will flow from these witness talks… please follow the instructions in this section.

  1. Click the “witness talk questions” link above and read about the different talk themes.
  2. Pray!
  3. Pick 1-2 teenagers to deliver a witness talk for each session (Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday). Pick different people for each night.
  4. Give the chosen teen the document (with) the details of the witness talk.
  5. Please encourage your teens to look at the Catechism and the Bible to help with their witness talks. Provide them with helpful tips on where to find information if they need it.
  6. Challenge them to be honest and speak from the heart. Honest and open talks provide the best foundation for meaningful group discussions.
  7. Listen to the talks prior to coming to camp to make sure your teens are on the right track.

Participant Journal

Alive in You will be emailing you the journal by the end of May. This will allow you to look at the daily themes, songs, bible verses, journal questions, parish time and fun activities. Please take the time to look it over and get familiar with the daily topics so you can be ahead of the game when you get to camp. Also, please share the info in the journal with your adult leaders so they are better prepared to help during parish time. Our hope is that by giving you the journal early, you can tailor your experience to meet the needs of your teens.

The Goal

The goal of the journal is to help guide all Alive in You participants through their week at camp.  The journal also gives our participants a fun and creative way to document their experience and bring it home.  We want your young people to have a meaningful reminder of their week at camp so they can continue to learn and grow spiritually when they return to their community.

When to use the Journal

The journal has activities for the participants while they travel to/from worksites.  It has information on the daily theme and song lyrics for reflection.  The journal also contains the  questions and activities for use during parish time.  Participants are encouraged to keep their journal with them at all times. Helpful tip: many youth ministers use the first 5-10 minutes of parish time to have their students journal about their day and the daily theme.

Our Guide To Discipline

“..Love one another, as I have loved you.” – John 15:12

As Catholics we are called to live as examples of Christ. Alive in You expects an environment in which everyone can feel safe, have fun and be treated respectfully. In order to provide this environment, we rely on participating youth ministers and adult leaders to monitor the behavior of the youth from their parish.
Every participant is expected to respect the host facility, adult leaders, staff and each other. Should a situation occur where an individual is not acting appropriately and disciplinary action is required please keep the following in mind:

  • Keep your cool and evaluate the situation…most incidents can be resolved in a calm manner by simply communicating with the individuals involved.
  • Should the situation be more serious, the next step would be to inform the individual’s youth minister and notify a member of the Alive in You staff.
  • If serious disciplinary action is required, Alive in You reserves the right to send individual(s) home at his/her own expense.

The following actions can lead to dismissal:

  • Fighting

  • Inappropriate sexual behavior

  • Vandalism or stealing
  • Inappropriate behavior such as cruelty or mistreating others
  • Vulgar language
  • Mistreating the host facility
  • Possession of alcohol or drugs
  • Possession of weapons and knives

  • Possession of explosives, lighters, matches, fireworks

  • Possesion or use of any kind of e-cigarette Juul, etc.

*Please share this information with all of your participating teenagers and adults during your preparation for Alive in You. This information goes hand-in-hand with our Code of Conduct form that is signed electronically by every participant.