Top 10 reasons to apply to Summer Projects
Summer Projects involves a dynamic, jam-packed weekly schedule with various spiritual, intellectual and social opportunities. Our formation aims to make the topics relevant while challenging participants to seek out their faith in the real world.
- Prayer. Students are
invited to develop their prayer lives, spending approximately 30 – 60 minutes
in silent prayer daily. Fear not! Summer Projects chaplains, missionaries and student
leaders are all available to help students meet this goal. Jesus desires to enter into conversation with you!
- Sacraments. Every
location offers Mass daily alongside regular
times for confession and adoration. While students may not be
able to attend Mass on site every day, the general expectation is that
participants should attend Mass 3 – 7 times per week. Imagine what consistent participation in the sacraments could do in one's prayer life.
- Discipleship. Summer
Projects students meet with their leader every week. This is a
peer mentor (either a missionary or returning student leader) who will
accompany the participant throughout the summer. At FOCUS, we call these
mentorship relationships discipleship. At its core, discipleship entails
a relationship between two Christians, each committed to spending time together
in mutual imitation of Christ. These groups are able to ask the harder questions while reviewing at least five of the articles from "Foundations for Discipleship."
- Community. The mysteries of the Gospel are often realized in the context of community. Summer Projects includes a lot of formal and informal programming. Each is to invite you into the Christian community we are made for. Formal programming includes: 1) discipleship groups, 2) bible study, 3) speaker series, 4) retreat and camping trip, etc. These programs aim to build understanding of how to live out the faith. Informal programming - hikes, incarnational day, coffee shop hangs, etc. These aim to build relationship within this community of faith and grow in awareness that this is the live we are called to live.
- Intellectual Formation: A vibrant intellectual life is critical for the effective evangelization of the culture. At Summer Projects, the intellectual life is most exemplified in the speaker series. Hear from top speakers in the Catholic faith and be able to ask the "why" behind what we believe.
- Spiritual
Direction. Spiritual direction is a time to meet with a spiritual mentor for direction in
building virtue and divine intimacy. Imagine receiving counsel and guidance with Christ at the center of making decisions. Consistent spiritual direction is offered at our program.
- Apostolate. Service to the local community is an essential component. As we are given much, we are asked to give in return. Service days are integrated in the summer to give back to the community directly.
- Bible Study. Enter into scripture with a small group this summer. Be challenged to lead personally one of the weeks and be able to receive input from peers how to be a leader in the Word.
- Virtue. Learn to develop good habits within the 10-week program. Persevere in freedom to choose virtue over vice and to be uplifted in a community that desires to foster this reality.
- Excellence. To give the best of ourselves in our vocation and daily responsibilities. The Christian life invites us to live above the standard "ho-hum" of a mediocre life. We invite you to enter this program, your summer job, striving to represent the faith