It was the summer of 1998 that newlyweds, Augie & Dawn, began working in a Texas parish. Dawn was in charge of programming and Augie was in charge of leading music for Life Teen Mass. They both had  a passion for empowering and working with teens so, in the summer of 1999 they took their teens to a Steubenville Conference followed by a "work camp." Although they knew nothing about "work camps," they had a great experience. The idea of doing back-to-back summer trips was crazy and something most youth minister's would never take on. Yet, Augie & Dawn were up for it. The following summer, Augie began searching for something Catholic based that offered serving those in need, daily mass, adoration, and most importantly, the Eucharist. His vision would change the dynamics of their ministry forever and transform the lives of their family, teens, and parish. After a lot of prayer and consideration, Augie & Dawn decided to create a new style of "work camp."

 

This camp was not going to be like anything else out there. They planned to create something that would combine daily mass the way Life Teen did, adoration the way Steubenville did (on a smaller scale), and serving the needy and elderly the way the work camp experience did. It would begin each day with mass; have awesome, high energy praise and worship music; focus four days of serving the needy and elderly; have awesome staff members that were fun, approachable, and made everyone feel like family; have a night just for fun and games; have powerful skits, great testimonies, and a time to pray for one another; have a night of adoration and reconciliation; have nightly youth group prayer time and chapel; have delicious home cooked style meals and would end with a night of open mic and fellowship. Now, it would need a name!

 

"We allow Christ to be within us through the Eucharist and then go out and serve one another. It is then that we become the light of Christ and SHINE" - Augie

 

Hence the name, SHINE!

 

Since the summer of 2000, SHINE has impacted many through the Eucharist and through serving those in need.

 

At SHINE, it has never been about being the biggest. Rather, it has always strived to be the best mission week experience where the focus is on faith, family, and friends.

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If you are looking for something Catholic, unique, and fun, then please pray about and consider joining us this summer! You too can become a part of the SHINE family where you are free to "let your light SHINE!"