"Young saints they can conquer the world, if they recognize the fire and the forces it unfurled."
-Michael V. Novak
Faith in youth is alive and well. They are not afraid to put their stock in Christ and challenge the world before them. Mr. Novak is simply there to help, to give them an avenue and to make faith fun, exciting, adventurous, thought provoking, introspective, and highly entertaining. Instead of rambling on and on for pages and pages about his 32 years in youth ministry, here is a list compiled by a few of the more recent youth group graduates. It is an insight of the experiences the youth have shared with youth minister Michael V. Novak and it is also found as the foreword in his 2014 published book of poetry, On Earth As It Is In Heaven.
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FOREWORD (From On Earth As It Is In Heaven)
Hello, this is Brooke, Paige and Jenna! We met Mr. Novak in 2009, when we joined his youth group at St. Rene Goupil. We, along with several other youth group members and alumni, have played a part in Mr. Novak's life and his poems. While he writes poetry about experiences in his life, we are going to give you an insight as to how we know Mr. Novak and the experiences we have shared.
1. Bring your walking shoes.
2. Don’t argue Mr. Novak’s logic, you are wrong.
3. Be prepared to not shower, be told when you can shower or shower outside.
4. McDonalds and Pancakes are reoccurring meals on youth group trips.
5. You learn to pack VERY lightly.
6. Be prepared to be taken to places you never thought you would go and see things from a new perspective.
7. Do not expect beds on youth group trips but appreciate them when they are given.
8. Mr. Novak gives great advice.
9. Black coffee will be your new friend.
10. Papa Novak becomes your second father.
11. He is someone you know you can always go to, no matter what.
12. Prepare to be amazed. The places you will be taken are once in a life time.
13. We are a group, not individuals, so don’t expect special treatment.
14. Be prepared to relate songs to your life.
15. Lifelong friendships will be made.
16. Be prepared to cry for all different kinds of reasons.
17. Deep and emotional conversations will be had and will be awesome.
18. You will make a new family with these people.
19. Youth group stories are always the best stories even when outsiders think you are crazy.
20. Again, don’t forget your walking shoes and pack lots of socks.
21. Your faith will grow, be tested and be changed in ways you would never have expected.
22. You learn a lot about yourself through others in the group.
23. You will play volleyball, football and ultimate frisbee.
24. Special Olympics and tubing at CMU are basically acceptance rituals.
25. Building houses, golfing, and breaking into stadiums are normal adventures for youth group.
26. You will find a waterfall everywhere you go, no matter how strange the place.
27. We don’t read straight from the bible, we re-create it and live it.
28. Photo ops happen anytime, anywhere and it doesn’t matter what you look like.
29. You will never forget your youth group experiences.
30. You are always welcome back.
31. You will meet many of the members of the Novak Clan. They are awesome!
32. Fifteen passengers have a staple to the group and everyone fits.
33. Made up words become annual events, such as Djabububu.
34. Finding Djabububu increases your map reading and symbol deciphering skills.
35. If you haven’t seen Mr. Novak with a Big Gulp in a while, something is wrong.
36. Be prepared to be the unintentional tourist group with matching t-shirts.
37. Sleeping is for the weak on Youth Group trips and bad things might happen. You can sleep when you are dead.
38. The best talks and experiences usually happen around 3am.
39. Bonfires and outdoors are a great bonding experience.
40. Being kidnapped by a youth group member is no reason to be alarmed.
41. Your friends and family are always welcome.
42. You will most likely attend a mass in a different language; try your best to stay awake.
The numbers on this list have both silly and serious experiences. Both demonstrate how Mr. Novak came into our lives to show us that our faith in each other is not only strengthened through going to church, it can also be strengthened through our friendships, service and selflessness. His poems have elements of faith and life changing experiences that will strengthen your understanding of the world. Through these captivating poems you will be taken through a journey that we were there to witness.
To su četiri riječi
These are four words
Brooke Trombley, Paige Trombley and Jenna Kotula
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
FOREWORD (From On Earth As It Is In Heaven)
Hello, this is Brooke, Paige and Jenna! We met Mr. Novak in 2009, when we joined his youth group at St. Rene Goupil. We, along with several other youth group members and alumni, have played a part in Mr. Novak's life and his poems. While he writes poetry about experiences in his life, we are going to give you an insight as to how we know Mr. Novak and the experiences we have shared.
1. Bring your walking shoes.
2. Don’t argue Mr. Novak’s logic, you are wrong.
3. Be prepared to not shower, be told when you can shower or shower outside.
4. McDonalds and Pancakes are reoccurring meals on youth group trips.
5. You learn to pack VERY lightly.
6. Be prepared to be taken to places you never thought you would go and see things from a new perspective.
7. Do not expect beds on youth group trips but appreciate them when they are given.
8. Mr. Novak gives great advice.
9. Black coffee will be your new friend.
10. Papa Novak becomes your second father.
11. He is someone you know you can always go to, no matter what.
12. Prepare to be amazed. The places you will be taken are once in a life time.
13. We are a group, not individuals, so don’t expect special treatment.
14. Be prepared to relate songs to your life.
15. Lifelong friendships will be made.
16. Be prepared to cry for all different kinds of reasons.
17. Deep and emotional conversations will be had and will be awesome.
18. You will make a new family with these people.
19. Youth group stories are always the best stories even when outsiders think you are crazy.
20. Again, don’t forget your walking shoes and pack lots of socks.
21. Your faith will grow, be tested and be changed in ways you would never have expected.
22. You learn a lot about yourself through others in the group.
23. You will play volleyball, football and ultimate frisbee.
24. Special Olympics and tubing at CMU are basically acceptance rituals.
25. Building houses, golfing, and breaking into stadiums are normal adventures for youth group.
26. You will find a waterfall everywhere you go, no matter how strange the place.
27. We don’t read straight from the bible, we re-create it and live it.
28. Photo ops happen anytime, anywhere and it doesn’t matter what you look like.
29. You will never forget your youth group experiences.
30. You are always welcome back.
31. You will meet many of the members of the Novak Clan. They are awesome!
32. Fifteen passengers have a staple to the group and everyone fits.
33. Made up words become annual events, such as Djabububu.
34. Finding Djabububu increases your map reading and symbol deciphering skills.
35. If you haven’t seen Mr. Novak with a Big Gulp in a while, something is wrong.
36. Be prepared to be the unintentional tourist group with matching t-shirts.
37. Sleeping is for the weak on Youth Group trips and bad things might happen. You can sleep when you are dead.
38. The best talks and experiences usually happen around 3am.
39. Bonfires and outdoors are a great bonding experience.
40. Being kidnapped by a youth group member is no reason to be alarmed.
41. Your friends and family are always welcome.
42. You will most likely attend a mass in a different language; try your best to stay awake.
The numbers on this list have both silly and serious experiences. Both demonstrate how Mr. Novak came into our lives to show us that our faith in each other is not only strengthened through going to church, it can also be strengthened through our friendships, service and selflessness. His poems have elements of faith and life changing experiences that will strengthen your understanding of the world. Through these captivating poems you will be taken through a journey that we were there to witness.
To su četiri riječi
These are four words
Brooke Trombley, Paige Trombley and Jenna Kotula
