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Mission Field Program Tries to Steer Teens' Faith
Lauren Lexa, Tennessee Register
December 27, 2005
FRANKLIN. Parishioners at St. Philip Church have created a unique retreat called Mission Field to help
teen boys grow in faith and develop a personal relationship with Christ.
Based on Romans:12 and the message of many parts forming one body, the weekend focuses on what it means
to be a man of God, according to Frank Cash, who conceived the idea for the faith-building program.
"I was approached in spiritual ways to do this," Cash explained. "I have a son who’s 16, so that probably
had a lot to do with it. But, I was reading the book Wild at Heart at home one day, and the Holy Spirit
kind of beat me over the head with a 2-by-4 and said, ‘Hey man, something needs be done for these teenage
boys.’ I started writing copious notes to a friend at church, and he said wow, this is great, and it grew
from there."
A core component of the experience is that while the teens know that they’re going to be spending the
weekend in an outdoor environment learning about, exploring, and growing in faith, as well as enjoying
typical outdoor activities, the details of the retreat’s activities are not known to them ahead of
time. That’s by design, according to Cash.
"We don’t want them to know every element of the weekend before it begins," Cash said, "and while we
do urge those who have gone through the weekend to talk it up to their friends, we also ask them not to
reveal specific details so that it remains a powerful experience."
Cash’s son Zachary was one of the four participants in the first Mission Field weekend in April which
was held at a farm; 11 more high school-aged teens from St. Philip participated in the November
weekend held at Camp Marymount. Parishioners Richard Triggs, Steve Bramlage, Joe Griffey, Randy
Tolliver and Brendan Reynolds, the senior CYO youth leader, served as team leaders for the retreats,
along with Cash, and the Serra Club of Williamson County provided the group’s meals.
"Through all the activities and the talks, one of the biggest things I realized was that I went into
it thinking I was already there as far as where I was in faith," said Zach. "It was kind of a shocker
coming out of the weekend realizing that faith takes work, and I’m definitely not there yet.
"They hit us hard with so many things to think about, so much about what it means to be a man of God,"
he continued." When I went back in November to help with the second one, I was almost dreading it because
I wanted to experience it like I did during the first one. I didn’t think that it would be as good the
second time around, but it touched on so many new things that it was great. It got better the second time,
and I didn’t think that would have been possible."
The elder Cash hopes that the program spreads through the diocese.
"We don’t really have the ability to go into other churches and put it on for them, and we really don’t
want to see the number of participants per weekend grow to a large group because we want the interaction you
get in a small group setting," he said. "But a church could send one or two male leaders and one of their
teens to experience it, and then they would take it back to their parish and start it there."
Cash added, "The thing that struck me most about Mission Field was just like adults or anyone else,
teenagers are all on different paths, at different stages in their faith. By throwing them all together,
they all learn so much in this amazing camaraderie.
"We want them to understand their faith, to bring them together as many parts of one body, that powerful
message of Romans: 12," Cash said. "Some of this may be new because they might not get it at home or they
don’t regularly attend Mass. Being high schoolers, they’re going to be leaving home soon, and it’s not like
this is the last time in their life that they’re going to get this message, but I want them to go away
knowing the basics of their faith, knowing that people love them, and that God loves them."
For more information on Mission Field, call St. Philip Church office at (615) 794-8588.
Eleven teen boys from St. Philip Church in Franklin participated in the Mission Field retreat in November
at Camp Marymount. Participating were: Tobbe Autry, Rudy Recktenwald, Trey Perry, Ethan Eilermann, Dustin
Hargrave, Ryan Cagle, Ben Bedock, Francisco Marisral, Steve Drone, Tyler Thessin and Zach Cash. The retreat
program is designed to help high school boys grow in their personal relationship with Jesus and to better
understand what it means to be true men of God.
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