S.E.E.D. Ministry
How It All Started...
S.E.E.D. began with a Christian Life Community family group in Arizona called Nazaret. Every year, the adults in the group attended an Ignatian silent retreat, and when the children saw how their parents came home better parents and spouses, they wondered what this "retreat" was that could have made their parents so much happier. When they asked if they could also go on retreat, their parents realized that children do not have opportunities to attend retreat every year. The earliest chance would be Confirmation retreat, and beyond that they would have to wait until college or adulthood to attend a retreat on their own. Why would a child have to wait to start building their relationship with God?
In a world that is challenging for Christian values, it is all the more important for children to have a space where they can develop a personal relationship with God. The dream of having such a space gave birth to S.E.E.D. Retreat. The first S.E.E.D. Retreat took place in Flagstaff, Arizona in 2006 after Nazaret invited young adults from Mustard Seeds, a CLC group at the University of California Irvine, to create the program. Since then, S.E.E.D. Retreat has been adopted in various states throughout the United States - now providing 7 retreats each summer.
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A Growing Ministry
Starting from that one humble retreat in Arizona, S.E.E.D. ministry has grown to 8 retreat centers. We are currently serving God's children in 3 regions throughout the United States. The 3 regions are Southwest, Midwest, and Northeast. The 8 centers include Northern California, Southern California, Arizona, Denver, Dallas, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Boston.
S.E.E.D. Ministry is headed by a National Coordinating Team that includes the National Chair, the Secretary, 3 Regional Coordinators, and 8 Center Organizers. Center Organizers focus on retreat logistics such as putting together organizer team, site booking, retreat registration, funding, working with parents, etc. Regional Coordinators form the leaders to serve on retreat and work as the leaders' liaison. National Chair coordinates logistics between the different regions, carries out the missions and visions of the ministry, and acts as the bridge between the ministry and the bigger Đồng Hành and CLC Community with the help and support of the secretary.
Together In Mission
S.E.E.D. is one of the three national ministries under Đồng Hành Christian Life Community (CLC) - a lay community of Vietnamese Catholics who practice Ignatian Spirituality and the CLC way of life.
S.E.E.D. works together with other ministries of Đồng Hành to share resources ranging form formation to prayer materials. For instance, couples working in Marriage Renewal Workshop Ministry are sometimes invited to give presentations during S.E.E.D. Parent Tracks. Individuals who serve in Lightworks Ministry sometimes provide guidance and materials for S.E.E.D. Leader trianing and formation.