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THE COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES

The Community of Disciples is a term that we are adopting from the National TEC Movement. It is a community of people who have made a TEC who wish to learn more about the TEC retreat, about their faith, and about the ways that they can do solid youth ministry. The Community of Disciples is open to any person who is baptized and who has made a TEC retreat (in any center).

THE PURPOSE OF THE COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES is to gather the TEC community to grow in a deeper awareness of Christ's presence through prayer, study, articles, meditations, and reflection. The Community of Disciples meet once a month to cover a pre-chosen aspect of the New National TEC Manual. As the Community of Disciples evolves and Committees are restructured, Representatives from these committees will form a Core Group of leaders. This Core Group will take responsibility for the activities of the "former" TEC Board. The Community of Disciples meeting occurs at the same time that a Board meeting would have occurred. It will be from the members of the Community of Disciples (or C. of D.) who have attended regular "C. of D." meetings that Meditation Mentors, Core Group leaders, members of future TEC teams, and leaders in the TEC community will be chosen.

All Baptized persons who have made a TEC are encouraged and eligible to attend all Community of Disciple meetings. Indeed, those who attend regularly will be the first persons chosen to work a TEC weekend after the implementation of the New Manual.

The Community of Disciples meet once a month for an hour and a half. The first twenty minutes will be spent in Paschal Circle sharing. The remainder of the meeting will consist of a meditation focusing on a faith related aspect of the new National Manual, followed by small group sharing related to the topic. For example, a priest who has been a Spiritual Director may give a meditation on Paschal Mystery and its importance in the TEC retreat weekend. The members of the Community of Disciples will discuss the presentation and try to find ways of putting that information to good use on a TEC weekend and in their daily lives.

THE NEW NATIONAL MANUAL AND THE SWITEC COMMUNITY OF DISCIPLES are one entity. In order for us to call ourselves, "TEC", it was necessary to implement the new National Manual, one third of which is concerned with the creation of a Community of Disciples in our local TEC Center. The Community of Disciples will go through every aspect of the New National Manual and the ways that we conduct our TEC Center retreats. The new National Manual will serve as the guide for all TEC functions, including the Community of Disciples.

THE CORE GROUP IS A LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE that the Community of Disciples selects to make decisions and to insure that the New National Manual gets implemented. The Core Group meets for a half hour after the regular Community of Disciples meeting to make decisions, accept committee reports, evaluate the success of the New National Retreat as it applies to the SWITEC Center, and to delegate issues to committees.

The Core Group consists of the Chairs and Co-Chairs of the Committees who work on behalf of the TEC Center: Marty/Martha; Reunion, Follow-ups, Team Selection, Mentors, Education, Communication, Energy Check In addition to this, the Community of Disciples selects, through gift discernment, the Chair, Assistant Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Core Group.

The Chaplain (Father Jason Gries) and the Liaison to the Bishop (Mike Eppler) are permanent members of the Core Group because of their appointments by the Bishop.

The role of the Core Group or of its committees is not so much to make policy decisions, but rather, to make sure that the TEC weekend runs smoothly and that it follows the National Manual.

MEMBERSHIP IN THE CORE GROUP
Membership in the Core Group requires that the person be a Baptized, active and practicing Roman Catholic, in good standing, who have made a TEC retreat in the Diocese of Evansville. Terms are set for every position and a "Gift Discernment" process for selecting members of the Core Group will occur at least once a year.

Questions and Answers

Q. Will there still be a TEC board?
A. The SWITEC Board, in response to the New National Manual, decided to adopt the Community of Disciples model for leadership in our TEC center.

Q. When and where does the Community of Disciples meet?
A. Third Monday of each Month, except December at different locations throughout the Diocese. Check the News section of this website.

Q. When did the new TEC retreat manual begin?
A. TEC 34, November 1999 TEC weekend.

Q. I'm not Catholic, but I made a TEC. Can I be in the Core Group?
A. Core Group membership is limited to Baptized, active and practicing Roman Catholics, in good standing, who have made a TEC in the Diocese of Evansville. However, you are invited to join the Community of Disciples to learn with us about the Catholic faith and the new manual.

Q. Do you have to attend the Community of Disciples to be on a TEC Team?
A. It is highly encouraged.