St. Joseph's God's TYM (Total Youth Ministry) at 10 Croton Falls Rd., Croton Falls, NY 10519 US - Information about the Day by Day Agape (DDA) Program (For Teens 15 and Up)

1. The DDA program is a youth oriented, family centered program. It has been part of Capuchin Youth and Family Ministries (CYFM) for over 20 years. DDA has grown in the Archdiocese of New York and is accepted as an effective tool for the development of a deepter Christian awareness in young people. 2. The goals of the DDA program are threefold: -Strengthen personal Christian awareness. -Strengthen the family as a Christian community. -Strengthen the parish as a Christian community. 3. The tool that the Program uses to accomplish its goals is the tripod of study, prayer and action. STUDY: Scripture and solid Catholic Christian doctrine are the sources of education in all phases of the DDA program. PRAYER: The importance and effectiveness of prayer are explained and encouraged. Instructions and suggestions on how to improve personal prayer life are given. ACTION: A visible, practical way in which to share with others what was learned in the study phase and discerned in prayerful dialogue with God. 4. During the three-day retreat (Thursday evening to Sunday afternoon), basic Catholic doctrine is presented in a simple and direct manner making it easy to understand and accept. It has been our experience that the three day DDA Encounter Retreat has had a MORE SIGNIFICANT AND PERSONAL IMPACT on the average Catholic teenager that a four-year high school religious education program. However, DDA is not intended to take the place of any religious education program, but rather to compliment it by inspiring a young person to more deeply pursue their faith and relationship with God. For example, at the parish level, the program offers teens the opportunity to stay involved after the retreat weekend by participating in weekly youth group meetings. These meetings are facilitated by the parish Youth Minister, in conjunction with adults and teen leaders who help foster Christian growth, service and community. 5. The goals of DDA are always to communicate in an informative manner ways to make the Church, faith and Christ important realities in their life. 6. All theological presentations are given by educated catechists (often Spiritual Directors) while most personal witnesses and other talks are given by teenagers. The retreat team is a close community of teens and adults who have prepared for several weeks by rehearsing talks and sharing prayer in anticipation of the encounter weekend. All teens who are asked to be leaders on a weekend have already attended a DDA weekend and have participated in a Leadership Training Program. 7. Some information that is covered during the retreat: A. Who is Jesus? B. An explanation of Good Friday,Easter, and Pentecost and their relevance for modern day Catholic Christians. C. God's Grace at work in their lives. D. Sacraments as living encounters with Christ. E. The relevance and importance of personal and communal prayer. F. Christianity in the world, at Church, and at home. G. An honest discussion of the challenge of living the Catholic Christian life as a teenager and as a young adult. The team uses various methods of communicating these topics in interesting and dynamic ways. For example, group discussion, poster presentations, para-liturgical services, shared prayer, and one-on-one interaction are all components to an effective weekend experience. Adult supervision and qualified spiritual direction are present throughout the DDA Encounter Retreat. To sign up for a weekend or for any questions about DDA, call or email David and Molly Dziena or call CYFM at 845-424-3609.

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