By ALEXA DONCSECZ Special to The A.D. Times
What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the 99 in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?” This passage from Luke 15:4 sets the tone for “Save the Lost,” a new adventure game for Christian youth.
“Save the Lost” was the center of the Aug. 20 youth ministry event co-hosted by Queenship of Mary Parish, Northampton and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Roseto. The event, held at St. Michael Spiritual Center, Northampton, was attended by 13 teens from the two participating youth ministry programs.
The evening began with Eucharistic Adoration led by Deacon Michael Doncsecz, followed by an interactive activity to help the teens get to know each other, snacks and several rounds of “Save the Lost.”
A fast-paced glow-in-the-dark game, players must search through darkness to find “The Light,” a small blue orb hidden within the boundaries of the playing field.
“Tempters” are players who hide the orb and try to prevent the rest of the group, the “Lost Souls,” from reaching it and becoming “Saved.” The goal of the game is for all the Lost Souls to find The Light and become saved before time runs out.
“‘Save the Lost’ was such a great team-building game,” said Linda Basso, who coordinates the youth ministry program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “It was uplifting to see the teens interact with each other. My kids are still talking about how much fun they had that evening.”
The game begins with the two groups of players: the Tempters and the Lost Souls. The goal for the Lost Souls is to find The Light and become saved without being tagged by the Tempters, who wear glowing red wristbands to distinguish themselves from the others.
After a player has reached The Light, they receive a light-up cross and can no longer be tagged by Tempters. They are now saved, and are able to guide other Lost Souls toward The Light so they can be saved as well, but they must do so without speaking.
The game ends when all the lost become saved or the allotted time runs out.
The teens enjoyed the game night and viewed it as a meaningful bonding experience with peers from a different parish who they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet and interact with.
“For a night of awesome Christian fun, I recommend the game ‘Save the Lost,”’ said Kaitlin Merlino, a teen from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “This is a great icebreaker for teens, and best of all, a recipe for a great time. Not only is it enjoyable, but the Christian themes give it even more relevance to our daily lives.”
“This was a great way to combine faith and fun,” added Patrick Smith, youth minister at Queenship of Mary. “It was great for building teamwork and fellowship among the teens, and they had a lot of fun – they didn’t want to stop playing.”
“I believe that our teens can strengthen their Faith through new friendships within our diocesan youth groups,” Basso noted.
“It's an exciting time of planning and collaboration among the diocesan youth group leaders. It’s a blessing to be supported by the dedicated people in the Office of Youth, Young Adult and Family Ministry.”
“Save the Lost” is now available to parishes and youth ministry programs through the Office of Youth, Young Adult and Family Ministry Resource Library. For more information on borrowing materials from the resource library, email Alexa Doncsecz at [email protected].
For more information on “Save the Lost,” visit www.savethelostgame.com or https://www.facebook.com/SavetheLostGame/.
