Are you interested in making a difference next summer? Would you like to live your faith and grow in your relationship with Jesus? Following are some options to check out if you are interested in answering the call to discipleship through service or mission opportunities, leadership camps or encounter experiences. Contact your youth minister or Pat Rinker, director of youth, young adult and campus ministries in the diocese, at 517.342.2485.

One Bread, One Cup is a highly experiential youth liturgical leadership conference that takes place at St. Meinrad School of Theology in southern Indiana and is recommended by the Lansing coordinator of youth ministry. Their hope is to form the young Church of today in the theology, ministry and spirituality of the Church’s gathered prayer. For more information, call 1-800-MEINRAD or visit www.saintmeinrad.edu/youth/summer-conferences.

Jerusalem Farms is a Catholic intentional community located in Kansas City, Mo. Built on the four cornerstones of prayer, community, service and simplicity, the group strives to transform lives through service retreat experiences, sustainable living and home repair. For more information, visit jerusalemfarm.org.

Diocesan Youth Leadership Camp (DYLC) is held at Bethany House each year in June. Any young person active in youth ministry is encouraged to apply with a recommendation from their youth minister. It provides the tools of leadership training and skill development, in a Christian community, necessary for effective leadership in a youth ministry program.

Young Neighbors in Action is a service camp experience sponsored by the Center for Ministry Development. Young Neighbors takes place throughout the summer in locations around the country. For more information, call 203.723.1622 or visit www.youngneighbors.org.

DYMO (Diocesan Youth Ministry Organization) Camp is a high school formation camp in the Diocese of Grand Rapids with more than 20 years of experience in inspiring and developing young Catholic disciples. If the DYLC is full, this is a good alternative. For more information, visit www.dymo.org.

Alive in You is a Catholic conference and service camp that enables participants to open their hearts and allow Christ to become the center of their lives. Through education and experiencing the sacraments, participants will have a renewed sense of their Catholic identity and a firm foundation to continue their walk with Christ. For more information, call 407.574.7396 or visit www.aliveinyou.com/.

Youth Sing Praise is a week-long Catholic camp experience for students who exhibit musical and theatrical talent. It is held at Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill. For more information, call 618.394.6272 or visit www.snowsyouthministry.org/.

National Relief Network is an ecumenical organization out of West Michigan with which several of our parishes have worked. It organizes relief service trips to areas in the United States impacted by natural disasters. Several trips have gone south to offer assistance with hurricane relief efforts. For more information, call 616.225.2525 or email info@nrn.org.

Steubenville Summer Youth Conferences. The conferences run Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Last summer, 25,000 teens attended a conference. Conferences are held on campus in Steubenville, Ohio, and in other locations around the country. The conference includes an exciting lineup of speakers, musicians and presenters that will challenge today’s Catholic youth to stand firm in their faith. For more information, visit www.steubenvilleconferences.com.

Catholic Heart Workcamp is a Catholic service experience that is offered in several locations around the country. There are several weeks and locations, including the Davison and Detroit areas. For more information, call 407.678.0073 or visit www.heartworkcamp.com/.

Notre Dame Vision is a leadership camp hosted by the University of Notre Dame. For information, call 574.631.7425 or visit www3.nd.edu/~ndvi/Welcome_to_Notre_Dame_Vision/Home.html.

Habitat for Humanity has been helping people build homes through ecumenical efforts for many years. This is an opportunity for your group to help others help themselves. For more information in the Lansing area, call 517.374.1313; for Ann Arbor and surrounding areas, 734.459.7744; for Livingston County, 810.220.9986; for the Jackson area, 517.784.6620; and for the Genesee/Owosso region, 810.603.1366.