WHY WATCH?What
makes WATCH different from the other programs?
Visual
The weekend incorporates many visual presentations in the form
of slides and music. There are also many paraliturgies which
incorporate symbols. Six slide presentations, four paraliturgies
and a guided prayer meditation are given over the weekend. They
are extremely important because the participants will readily
identify with them and remember them.
Flexible
The WATCH program is written in such a way that there is room
for each individual church to be able to insert or replace
things so that it will individualize it for that church. In
other words, it becomes that church's program, not just a
program that was written by another church. So far, the weekend
has been adapted for the Catholic Maronite Rite and several
other non-Catholic churches. It is also written in such a way
that the schedule is very flexible so as to accommodate the
working of the Holy Spirit during the weekend. The result is a
very relaxed setting for sharing, prayer and reflection.
Teaching
The WATCH program is a teaching as well as a spiritual renewal
program. Some retreat programs are mostly witness programs, but
the WATCH program encompasses both witness and teaching. Each
speaker is given an extensive outline along with material
related to their talk to help them write an informative and
inspirational speech.
Support
WATCH offers a church, which wants to start their own WATCH
program much support. There is a 200 page manual which includes
everything from team preparation, talk outlines, job
descriptions for the team and a board which is formed to oversee
and run the program, over 300 slides for the slide
presentations, the music and paraliturgies for the weekend.
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"The love that was shared truly came from Jesus. I
was able to relax, felt free to be myself, met new
friends, increased my spiritual life and learned to
pray in a new way. An inspiring weekend that I will
never forget." |
A seasoned team from a WATCH parish will come to present the
first weekend and will help with the second weekend as well. All
of the WATCH communities receive support from each other in the
form or Agape letters on their weekends. There is also a WATCH
council which helps deal with any problems a community is having
as well as an annual Leadership Retreat for all leaders and
potential leaders of WATCH communities. Each of these helps
connect communities together with the sharing of Spirituality,
leadership skills, new ideas and fellowship.
Each individual WATCH community has the opportunity to share
with one another during Fanning the Flame days (a one day
mini-retreat) picnics, monthly masses, bible studies, work
within the parish and individual WATCH weekends.
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