Turn: 'There is a God and he is here.'

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

When Father Brian Feller gave his keynote talk at the Turn: Made in God’s Image regional youth conference at St. John Church in Ogden, he told the youth that God was everywhere but sometimes they had to look at things a little differently to actually find him.

Father Feller acknowledged that sometimes people can get in the rut of daily life – eat, sleep, school, work and fun. Many may question where they fit in and if there is anything truly meaningful in this life.

“There are tons of us in the world, all going at a fast pace and sometimes we just want to slow down,” he said. “We may wonder if this is all there is?”

What do you see?
With his keynote, he included a visual presentation with powerful images. One image, it had the letters   – godisnowhere – and he asked the youth what they saw. The priest noted for some the words God Is Nowhere may have jumped out but for others it may have been God Is Now Here.

Depending on how the teens look at things, they could be part of something bigger. He proposed there is something more to life than mere routines – something special that they could choose to be a part of.

“There is a God and he is here,” he said.
Using photos and video, Father Feller shared experiences – some great and some imperfect - of World Youth Day and the Eucharistic Congress held last summer where he gathered with thousands of fellow Catholics.

He conveyed to the youth that they can have powerful experiences and a true sense of belonging but it was up to them if they wanted to fully be a part of the body of Christ.

The priest’s keynote was delivered after the conference opened with Mass and an icebreaker game that divided the youth into small groups for the entire conference.

More than 60 youth in middle and high school attended the evnt hosted by Ascension Parish of Boone County. The conference was organized in a collaborative effort of the Diocese of Sioux City with Ascension Parish, Jefferson St. Joseph Parish and Our Lady of the Plains Parish DREs.

Turn organizers were pleased with how engaged the students were throughout the day that including two panel discussions, service projects and adoration.

Powerful messages
Danielle Fennessy, a diocesan coordinator of the faith formation, pointed out that at the end of the day students left with powerful messages.

“The choices we make in our day-to-day life really do make a difference,” she said was one key message the students walked away with. “It is our choice to participate and use our gifts that Christ has given us. To use our talents, to live out the beatitudes, to welcome each person at the table.”

Fennessy mentioned the image Father Feller used – godisnowhere – and because of freewill “it is our choice to accept Christ in our lives.”

Megan Ulrich, DRE with Ascension Parish, said the students asked a lot of good questions and were attentive throughout the day.

In the conference, she said they tried to convey that that every single person on earth was made in the likeness of God and is loved immensely by him.

“I pray that they realize that they were made by God for a specific purpose and they are not an accident. I pray they are able to reflect and notice the gifts God has given them and that they never cease to share those with others, even those who don’t look or live like they do,” said Ulrich.

Students’ perspectives
Students who attended TURN had positive things to say about the conference.
Christopher Smith of Boone, a seventh grader, acknowledged that while he didn’t expect the event to be bad he didn’t realize it would be fun. He mentioned he saw some friends there he didn’t expect and liked the topics of discussion and even the lunch.

“I really enjoy it,” he said. “It’s interesting to hear other people talk about how they found God.”

The speakers, added Smith, gave him ideas on how he could serve God.

“If people didn’t attend, I think they should think about it for next year because this is a lot of fun,” he said.

Emily Grell, a junior from Danbury, said the conference was awesome and the speakers fantastic.

“They made it so personal with how they encounter Jesus,” she said. “They explained it so well how we are part of the body of Christ, how you can see that in everyone you are around and how easy it is to make a difference.”

Along with hearing the various perspectives of the speakers, Grell pointed out that it was great to be around other youth on fire for their faith. She found it “hopeful and encouraging” to know there are other young people who want to live for Jesus.

Bek Anderson, a sophomore from Ogden, also liked Turn and noted that he connected with the message of many of the speakers.

“I enjoyed listening to them. It helped me grow in my faith,” he said. One message that stood out for him in particular is that Jesus can “be everywhere and in everything.”  

Ulrich shared some comments left by those who filled out recap surveys: “God’s got my back.” “Making an impact on the world every day of my life.” “Jesus is in Everyone.” “Jesus will never leave you.” “I want to be a priest.”

Panel speaker, insight
Ulrich, who has organized this retreat a few years now, said the students appeared to like format of the day that featured just one keynote talk and two sessions with a panel of speakers.
The youth were divided into middle and high school groups for the panel discussions. Both, divided by grades, participated in a panel discussion with guest speakers, individuals who spoke about the ways they use their gifts for God and how that helps others.

The panel speakers, added Fennessy, conveyed how incorporating small choices can make a large impact.

“I loved the change to panel discussions this year,” she said. “I know the Holy Spirit led these speakers because they were saying everything that our theme was meant to be about that I couldn’t convey. Their passion in sharing their gifts and seeing the dignity of all of God’s people really shined through in a way that the attendees could understand.”

The panels speakers included: Emily Crosman, special education teacher at Ogden High School; David Thielen, executive director of the Ames Romero House assisting those in poverty; Sarah Heineman, executive director of Landus Corporation who has assisted with immigrant and refugee support; Addie Kerr, an Iowa State University student offering perspective on living the faith as college student and Tom Braun, an educator and coach.

“After hearing about how others use their gifts, they could prayerfully think about what gifts God has blessed them with and how he might be calling them to use them,” said Ulrich.

A personal highlight of the day for Fennessy was watching several boys “leave the confessional cheering. It was a joy for them to get to encounter God’s mercy and a joy for me to witness it.”

The evening concluded with skating for ​all those who could stay.