Roisin O'Rourke

Our Lady's School of Evangelisation (OLSE), situated in Knock, Co. Mayo, will very shortly be heading into its 5th year of existence, and is currently looking for prospective students to herald in the academic year, 2010-2011. This school, the first of its kind in Ireland, is a lay organisation which provides a nine-month residential course for young people between the ages of 18 and 36 years. Empowering young people for life and mission is at the core of what this school stands for.

As one of the students who graduated this year from the school, I can attest to the excellence and effectiveness of this course. Undeniably young people nowadays are being besieged by an increasingly secularised Ireland and it can be very difficult for us to stand up and say: ''This is what I believe in'', never mind actually allowing this belief transform every aspect of our lives. See, this time last year I found myself at a major crossroads in life and on the verge of coming into my faith in a big way; I had a strong desire to live a Christian life and to deepen my relationship with God. However, the chances of my desire surviving the onslaught of secular Ireland were very slim; I needed to be empowered to live this kind of life.

Was I disappointed? Absolutely not - hand on heart I can say it surpassed all my expectations; the year for me was an amazing time of healing, renewal and growth. Being put out of your comfort zone a little can reap major benefits as I discovered being a team leader in a weekend residential retreat for 12-15-year olds run by the Elijah Fellowship in Dublin.

Relationship

Here I had one of my most powerful experiences of what being a Christian means; here I was challenged to forget about myself and what I wanted so that I could serve the young people under my care. It wasn't about me; it wasn't about what I wanted; it was about showing them the beauty of a relationship with Christ - my relationship with them was intended to be a reflection of what a relationship with Him is like, so no matter how tired I was, or fed-up or no matter how much I wanted time to myself, I couldn't let that effect how I spoke to them and related to them; I couldn't allow myself to be overcome by my feelings.

So I emerge from OLSE having learned and experienced a lot. Many fears and misconceptions were challenged; many beauties were discovered; many lessons were learned. The important thing is I'm no longer so afraid to stand up and say, ''This is what I believe in''.

Students this year also have the option of attaining a Certificate or Diploma in Evanglisation and Ministry from Maryvale Institute in Birmingham via distance learning, an option also open to anybody interested in doing this course on a non-residential basis from the local area.

For more information on this and on what OLSE has to offer, check out the school's website, www.olseknock. com