THE SHINING SON

A Note from the Deacon Dear TECites, What a wonderful season we have been having. Now that we have four TEC weekends behind us, we can concentrate on encouraging candidates for the last girls’ weekend and then the celebration of Jesus’ Paschal Mystery during the Easter season. St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians when he was in prison and said: "We are all parts of one body, we have the same spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. Etc." In versus 15-16 he says: " By speaking the truth in a spirit of love, we must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. Under his control all the different parts of the body fit together, and the whole body is held together by every joint with which it is provided. So when each separate part works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up through love." God reveals His will through a community of believers, and Jesus speaks to believers through believers. I was driving down Rt. #251; my eye saw a traffic light. The sensors within my eyes perceived that the color of the light was red. My brain checked my memory bank and announced the meaning of a red light to my right foot. My right foot responded by leaving the accelerator and pressing the brake pedal. Now, what if my body hadn’t functioned properly? What if my eye had decided not to be a part of the body because the nose had hurt its feelings? Or what if the foot was tired of being bossed around and decided to press the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal? Or what if the right foot was in pain, but too proud to tell the left foot, so the left foot didn’t know to step in and help? In all instances, a wreck would occur. God has given each part of the body of Christ an assignment. He has called each one of you to be on a TEC weekend. To be the body of Christ. God revealed His will to you, so you can speak of Him to your peers, your relatives, and your friends. You received the Light of Christ on the your weekend, and now to share that Light of Christ with others. You can do this by inviting a friend, relative, or an acquaintance to attend the last TEC of this season. But it is up to you. "Christ Is Counting On You!" In Christ’s Love and Peace, Deacon Vince WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!    Welcome candidates from TEC# 158 to the TEC family: Joe Buchanan, Ethan Koehler, Drew Loebach, Jacob Mead, Steve Puhr, Tim Steinz, and J.P. Tiger.   PASSING IT ON:  Adult volunteers (18 and older) involved with the TEC program are asked to attend a training session to complete the requirements for the Diocese of Peoria "Protecting God's Children for Adults" program. Sessions are listed on the Virtus website at www.virtusonline.org and on The Catholic Diocese of Peoria website at www.cdop.org. Sessions allow for 100 participants and require pre-registration. There are several scheduled in April, May, June and July in Bloomington, Normal and Moline. Please check the websites for dates, times and locations. Any questions, please contact me. A Summer TEC Get Together and Lock In is being planned! More details will be shared at the next Hoot. Permission forms will be required for those under 18. Please watch for information in the next newsletter and via email. Any adult interested in helping and staying through the night, or any TECite willing to help with some portion of the gathering, please let me know. We need your WHEAT for it to be a success!! Write Wheat Letters for TEC #159!!  Send them via email to ewblb82@copper.net or deliver them to the TEC Center. Letters are needed for team meetings, for individuals during the Paschal Mystery meditation (Saturday afternoon), to the team and candidates as a group throughout the weekend, and for individual packets that go home on Monday. WHEAT is a sacrifice done prayerfully. Pass On what you are doing as WHEAT for the weekend. Encourage someone to experience the March weekend as a candidate! Christ is Counting on You!! We're praying for a full house!! Third TEC Congress (formerly National TEC Convention) - 2008 theme: A Prayer of Wheat - Aug 1-3, 2008 at Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, Kansas. Registration Deadline: Friday, July 15; $50 deposit due at registration. Forms will be available at the next Hoot or in the TEC Office. Anyone interested in attending, please see me. On behalf of the TEC Program, I'd like to give thanks for the blessing of a generous donation to cover the unexpected expense of replacing the stove in the small kitchen, as well as the WHEAT in the form of installation etc. It made my heart smile and was truly appreciated. Brenda Barnickel Lay Director GET TEC APPS IN! The time for getting in candidate applications is NOW!  Encourage a friend, sibling, or cousin to make a TEC, challenge them to enjoy a growing experience. Get those applications out so we can fill the list of candidates for upcoming TEC's. Need an application, Team or Candidate - Click here Please send your team applications to Nanette Gillan, and candidate applications to Rich & Chris Goodbred. TRANSITION INFO / TEC CHANGES:  New Lay Director:  Brenda Barnickel New Asst. Lay Director:  Karen Mecagni Tec is for young adults from ages 16 - 23.  Candidates must be at least a junior in high school to attend a Tec weekend. Tecites may now be on a Wheat Team before a regular Tec team;  teenagers are encouraged to do so. Wheat Letters for the Paschal Mystery meditation. In addition to wheat letters directed to the team & candidates as a group, and individual letters put in packets to be taken home, we now need individual wheat letters for each team member and candidate.  These particular wheat letters will be handed out and read silently at the end of the Paschal Mystery meditation on Saturday evening.   Please direct these letters to Becky Noel or Betty Wenzel. Wheat letters need to reference what you are doing as prayer and sacrifice for the Tec weekend. FOLLOW UP:  Come and enjoy some fun and fellowship at the TEC Center by coming to the Follow-ups.  It's a great way to stay involved with the TEC program and to see your TEC friends and family. The follow-ups are held on the Sunday following the TEC weekend, and start at 5:30 pm. (Click on the "Upcoming TEC Weekends" button for dates of Follow Ups.)

KITCHEN WHEAT!   Help and a commitment of "wheat" is needed working in the kitchen and possibly being in charge of a meal, or a portion of the day. Rose will be starting to fill the weekend schedule soon.  Please email Rose of any available times you may be able to help out in the kitchen. Please consider giving TEC some of your time and talent. We need good help in the kitchen for meals.   Thanks!

KEEP GOD ALIVE!!    No matter what path you're on, remember that you always have a companion on the journey, Jesus.  He will be right by your side in everything you do. We encourage TECites to stay close to God no matter where your path takes you. There are so many organizations like TEC you can get involved with.  For example, Koinonia for college age students, and Cursillo for adults. Keeping God alive in your heart will take you where you thought you could not go.

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