Register Today for the Minnesota Benefit Banquet!

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For questions about registration please email Tizoc Rosales at tizoc.rosales@spoweb.org,
or call (651) 451-6114 x122.

SPO Mission Leaders Kick Off 2012 Together in Prayer

SPO is proud to serve 16 universities in 7 states across the country, and owes its success and growth to the close to 20 Mission Leaders answering their call to service with SPO. At the start of 2012, the SPO Mission Leaders came together for the first time since their sending forth in August to share their successes and struggles, and build one another up in fellowship and prayer. Over those four days in Kansas City, Kansas, the SPO Mission Leaders strengthened their community bond and left renewed with the spirit of mission. SPO Ohio Mission Leader Terry Cahalan shares her reflections on the reuniting of her fellow laborers and friends.

One of the things that SPO has given me is an abundance of wonderful relationships.  This isn’t limited to just the relationships that I have here in Columbus, but includes awesome men and women from the other chapters of SPO around the country. This year, as a Mission Leader, I have had the opportunity to get to know those serving in the same capacity around the nation a little better.

Last week I was blessed to be able to join my fellow mission leaders in Kansas City, Kansas for a Mission Leader Retreat. I can’t think of a better way to start a new year and launch into a new term of service at OSU. It was so good to be with one another—to share how our service has been going, both the struggles and the joys. I loved hearing about how outreach is going at each of the other campuses, and stories of different ways that people have been serving the Lord, and growing in service of Him.

We spent our time praying together, going to daily mass and hearing talks and reflections aimed at helping us refocus on our task as mission leaders: building the Kingdom of God on the college campuses where we are serving. I was reminded how important this work really is. But the best and most important thing that I took away from this retreat is a reminder that my work isn’t worth too much if I’m trying to do it by my own strength. Serving the Lord is about focusing on him, gazing steadily on him and allowing him to work in me and through me.

-submitted by Terry Cahalan, OSU Mission Leader

SPO Ohio Grant Request Open for Individual Funding

SPO Ohio is blessed to report The Catholic Foundation, a non-profit Catholic organization stewarding the assets entrusted to them for the betterment of the Columbus Diocese, is opening up remaining 2011 Focus Grant candidates for individual funding.The Focus Grant is open to all Diocesan schools and select social service agencies for project funding. Unfortunately, The Foundation’s Focus Grant Committee is only able to fund 28% of the total grant funds requested, leaving many grant requests unfunded. In an effort to fund these worthy projects throughout the Diocese, The Catholic Foundation is providing individuals with access to the remaining grant requests. If you would like to make a contribution to SPO’s grant request, please click here to see SPO Ohio’s project needs and contact Amy Parker, Vice President Grants & Diocesan Partnerships, at 614-443-8893 for more information.

SPO Ohio thanks The Catholic Foundation for this wonderful opportunity! To find out more about The Catholic Foundation, please visit their website at http://catholic-foundation.org.

Give to the Max Day Success!

A sincere thank you for your gift to Saint Paul’s Outreach via Give to the Max Day last week.  Together with 72 people around the country, you helped generate over $15,000 towards keeping the Catholic faith alive on college campuses.

This has tremendous impact on the work of SPO. Because of you, this could provide a Fan into Flame retreat for over 100 students and help defray costs of the School of the New Evangelization or make possible six full time missionary’s training to evangelize students….Truly amazing!

Among the nearly 4,000 non-profits that participated in this on-line event, your contributions put SPO near the top 100. Several of you also left heartwarming and encouraging comments the impact SPO has on young people in the Church.

We give thanks for your support of the work of Saint Paul’s Outreach.

7th Annual Ohio Benefit Banquet A Success

Relevant Radio: City Winds Interview

Listen to Tizoc Rosales (Development Director) and Brian Fischer (National Mission Supervisor) on Relevant Radio:

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A truly blessed summer!

It was clear from our first prayer time together as a group, that the Lord was about something special this summer.  The young people gathered from around the country made many sacrifices and gave up other good opportunities to participate in the Summer Project 2011. An on going theme throughout the summer, was a call to ever more faithfully surrender our own will out of obedience to the Lord. Truly the Lord wanted to invite us into a deeper knowledge of him, a life completely given over, and a better understanding of true discipleship. It didn’t stop there. As we continued to seek the Lord through our weekly prayer meetings, we heard God assuring us of his power. The call to obedience and surrender can seem threatening to our freedom.   However, The Lord spoke of the true freedom and fulfillment that is found in trusting him.  Ps. 33 “But the Lord’s eyes are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for His gracious help, delivering them from death, keeping them alive in times of famine.”

The summer project was a time of equipping, and many of us were here to prepare ourselves for the mission work on our individual campuses. Two months is a relatively short period of time to work with, however we sensed that God wanted to use us powerfully, even in our brief time together. This summer, the Lord wanted to not only speak through us, but also to use us as his voice to those around us. The projects we were involved with this summer required us to share our faith, and to at times take a step outside our comfort zone. Things like fear, a lack of confidence, feeling unworthy can all be obstacles that hold us back from being used by God. A scripture verse that came out of our prayer time made it clear that the Lord wanted to use us, despite our age, despite our faults, and despite our lack of ability. But the Lord said to me “Do not say, I am only a youth; for to all to whom I send you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. Be not afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Jer. 1:7-8

Before we knew it, the summer had come to an end and we were wrapping up with our big closing event, “Elegate”. What a way it was to end an incredible summer. Over three hundred young people were in attendance as we heard inspiring music from Audrey Assad and a great talk from Fr. Mike Schmitz. To Elegate means, to entrust a task to one greater. I find this a fitting conclusion to our summer as we all head off into different directions, campuses and environments. It seems to be an overwhelming task we have received from the Lord, to be his servants and become builders of his kingdom. It looks like an impossible project and at times we feel ill equipped for the job.  When faced with this reality, what other choice do we have but to trust in the greatest one? Father we wait upon the power of your Holy Spirt and together we say, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

-Max Haben (SPO staff)

Alpha Course

This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to assist with the Alpha Course sponsored by SPO Summer Project. The Alpha course is designed to be an introduction to Jesus for any religious background. Using the talks and questions they provide, we go out into the community and invite others in for fellowship and conversation, and offer an open forum for them to discuss the big questions in life without any outside pressure.

We start by building fellowship with a shared meal. This not only attracts people to the course, but it allows us as small group leaders to interact with peopleand as they grow more comfortable with us, they will be willing to open up. Next we move into the actual talk for the evening. Usually we would watch a video from Alpha’s website, with one of the founders giving the talk. Alpha does a great job of providing a dynamic talk that engages the mind and offers facts that can bediscussed later. Then, when we move into small group, we are able to lean back onwhat was said as we invite the participants to go deeper. The questions we use offer a chance for them to reflect on the core of the talk without actually having to sayanything.

One of the best things Alpha does is teach its small group leaders how to listen. We are there to prompt discussion if necessary and offer questions to ponder. Other than that we just sit and care for these individuals, but by opening our ears and shutting our mouths, we give them permission to begin this journey on their own terms.

-Kevin Bailey  (Benedictine College)

Click here to learn more about the Alpha Course…

Women’s Night

I was fortunate enough to attend the first women’s night of the summer at the Women’s House inDinkytown. The theme of the night was Hawaiian, and everybody looked smashing in their floweryapparel. We had some fellowship time and delicious snacks (including puppy chow- yum!), and spentsome time just getting to know each other. I think that one of the greatest things about women is thatwe have a natural desire to know each other’s hearts, so any time we have to just sit down and chatwith each other is such a blessing! It was so amazing to hear how God led women from all over thecountry to spend the summer in Minnesota with SPO- He definitely works in crazy ways! We also playeda hilarious game called telephone charades, which was slightly confusing at first, but still ridiculouslyfun. It’s not often that the ability to silently reenact a pumpkin carving comes in handy, but for this gameit did.

After our time of fellowship, we listened to a wonderful talk by Jessica Shell about femininity. Jessicawas so inspirational, and had many insights about how we relate to God specifically as women. Onething that really touched my heart from her sharing was a quote from Edith Stein which read,

“Only God can welcome a person’s total surrender in such a way that one does not lose one’s soul in the process but wins it.”

This idea made me think of all the things that we as women are tempted to give our total surrender-even inherently good things like family, relationships, or causes that are meaningful to us. I realizedhow easy it is for us to be led astray when we focus on anything but the One who created us. Jessica talked about how sometimes the deepest desires of our hearts are fulfilled in ways we never would have imagined, and that when we look for God to give us our vocation in a certain way we might overlook theplan He already has. For me, her talk was like a gentle but much needed nudge from the Holy Spirit tokeep actively seeking the Lord in my prayer and daily life rather than becoming complacent in the path I walk, because He could be calling at any moment!

After Jessica’s talk, we concluded the evening with a praise and worship session. There are few things more beautiful than the sound of sisters worshiping our Heavenly Father together, and the time of song was the perfect end to a lovely night. I felt so fortunate to have spent time with these wonderful women of God, sharing our faith and growing closer to the Lord. What a fabulous way to spend a Monday!

~Maureen Harrington  (University of St Thomas)

Elegate Highlight Video

A few weeks ago Saint Paul’s Outreach along with EideCom Productions, NET Ministries, and Catholic United Financial sponsored an event for college students and young adults in the Twin Cities. Over 350 people showed up to hear great music from Audrey Assad and a powerful message from Fr. Mike Schmitz. Our hope is that this would be just the beginning of this sort of outreach to college students and young adults in the Twin Cities.

‘Elegate’ 2011 Saint Paul’s Outreach from EideCom on Vimeo.

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