Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community

The first APSE Evangelisation Training School in PNG, at Wewak, is now finished. The School had 52 participants and was an outstanding success. It seems that it was a great work of the Spirit and APSE will provide a significant vision for formation and mission across PNG in the future. The participants came from across the four regions of PNG:
Momase Region (29 people) - Wewak Town, Medang, Vanimo, But, Boiken, Hawam, Wombisa, Turingi, Chambri, Avatip, Kanduanam, Angoram Highlands Region (13 people) - Mt Hagen, Tari, Wabag Diocese and Chimbu Diocese.
Islands Region (7 people) - Bougainville (Buka, East Siwai and Tinputz).
Southern Region (3 people) - Port Moresby.

The School had many highlights, including:
* Many leaders from the charismatic renewal participated.
* A strong anointing across all aspects of the School, but especially in praise and worship.
* The building of a strong sense of community amongst the participants.
* The desire for many to receive formation in evangelisation and the Catholic Faith.
* The strong cross-cultural mixing and sharings.
* A strong impact on the local Church in Wewak, but also on the Church in PNG.
* The drawing together of people from different places in the renewal under the APSE structure and the great opportunities to serve the Church in PNG with the APSE vision.

The local APSE Regional leaders have a lot planned for development of APSE fellowships and various missions. There may be an opportunity to run a School in Mt Hagen in 2006 that would be the initial development of an APSE Mission Base for that region.

There was strong support from those present from the Highlands region at the School (Fr Simon who is from Mt Hagen also participated in the School). It would be likely that the School conducted there would be larger than the Wewak School and a limit would have to be set on the numbers.

Participants were invited to:
be commissioned to go out on mission in PNG Some Previous Participants

... prepare to join in the Church’s mission to …

“ ... go and make disciples of all nations.” Matthew28:19

PRAYER and LITURGY

• Guidance and encouragement in personal prayer and the opportunity for retreat days.

• A rich experience of communal prayer including Eucharist and Divine Office, Adoration, charismatic praise and worship, intercession and Rosary.

LECTURES AND SEMINARS

• Lecture courses covering areas of theology, scripture study and spirituality that will strengthen and inform faith for the years ahead

• Seminars will focus on practical tools that will enable the sharing of the Good News with others, including drama, preaching, teaching and testimony.

• 'Building Community for the Purpose of Evangelisation'. This course focuses on the importance of building community in the evangelisation process and specifically looks at the history and elements of the lifestyle of the Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community.

• Courses will be conducted in the English language.

COMMUNITY LIFE

• Life transforming experience of building strong Christian brotherhood and sisterhood relationships.

• Participation in the lifestyle of Disciples of Jesus Community.

MISSION

• An optional mission phase of 10 to 14 days to Bougainville conducted at the conclusion of the Training School.

• involvement in outreaches of various kinds, for example into Catholic high schools, parishes and youth groups, together with outreach weekends and street work and community building activities.

Expressions of interest:

More detailed information about future schools will then be sent to you.