Eleison Youth Movement, Guide Book
E-CLUB
FOR LEARNING INSTITUTIONS AND CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
IN UGANDA& INTERNATIONALLY
“Go Forth to serve Christ” Matt 25:34-40
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
SECTION 1
-The Eleison Emblem
SECTION 2
-What is Eleison?
SECTION 3
-Eleison Background – History
SECTION 4
Eleison basic principles
E-member Identification (T-shirts/badge)
SECTION 5
Eleison membership structure
SECTION 6
Mission of the Eleison:
Mission, Truth & Task of the Eleison
SECTION 7
The task of Education and Formation
Eleison is Education
SECTION 8
Christ Calls Us
Why Use The Gospel?
SECTION 9
SECTION 10
EleisonSpirituality
SECTION 11
E-Pioneer Youths – Their vision
SECTION 12
Eleison, a movement of Practicality and transformation
SECTION 13
Eleison meetings
Preparations of the meetings
Important notices
SECTION 14
Finance
SECTION ONE
THE ELEISON YOUTH MOVEMENT EMBLEM (E-club Emblem)
Eleison: Eleison is a Greek word whichmeans mercy.Mercy can also be referred as a quality of justice mainly because like justice it controls relations between distinct persons.
The heart: The heart is a symbol of love. Eleison was built on compassion. We are called upon to love those in pain and to share their sufferings with us.
The cross: The cross is a symbol of Christ. Christ was courageous and sacrificed his life for us; so we should also sacrifice the little we have to those who are in need. For St. Paul the second said no one is too poor that he has nothing to give and no one is too rich that he can’t be given.
The red colour: The red colour is a symbol of blood. It is thicker than water meaning that we are one Eleison community/ family and we do all the activities of mercy together.
KMD: KMD is an abbreviation for Kiyinda Mityana Diocese the diocese from where the movement was born.
ELEISON YOUTH MOVEMENT MEMBERSHIP PRAYER
ELEISON YOUTH MOVEMENT GREETING
This E-code of greeting among members in a meeting or even outside. The one speaking first says
Kyrie…………………………….. (And the others reply) Eleison.
Christe……………………… Eleison (members)
Kyrie………………………… Eleison (members)
SECTION TWO
What is Eleison?
“Eleison” is a Greek which means “Mercy”. Mercy is the main virtue that the movement is built upon. Mercy calls us to have compassion to the others by sharing their pain with us.Mercy encourages us to practice what is preached in the gospel. This we by performing works of mercy like visiting the sick, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirty, counsel the doubtful, comfort the afflicted, pray for the living and the dead. With these acts we are always able to suffer together with those in pain.
Eleison youth movement is a students’ movement in primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities around the world. Students practice works of mercy locally in the school by engaging themselves in activities like visiting sick students in the sick bays, buying eats for those without, collecting a few items like books and pens for those without, hearted giving of a little amount of money to the Eleison treasury, fellowshipping and bible study with potential believers, voluntary cleaning around the premises and many more. These works of mercy can also be performed outside the school environment by collecting material among students for the sake of donating it as a school, organizing talent show fundraising for the sick, volunteering to serve at a nearby clinic or babies, shelter and much more.
Eleison youth movement is a Christian youth movement. It is made up of young people who having been touched by Christ’s mission on earth, choose to carry on mercy to others who are in need. These members
Eleison youth movement respects all the variousChristian denominations.Eleison welcomes all the Christian youths who wish to participate in the acts of mercy to be part of the Eleison mission.
Eleison youth movement is an international youth movement. The movement has its head quarters in Mityana cathedral parish Kiyinda Mityana diocese. It is now spreadingin the different parishes and dioceses of Uganda. The movement is already running in Tanzania and in Europe the movement is running Ireland and United Kingdom.
SECTION THREE
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ELEISON MOVEMENT
Having been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, the movement was started by a team of young men and women from Mityana Cathedral parish of Kiyinda Mityana Diocese. These had a burning desire as youths to go forth and serve those in need. This team of youths was headed by Bruno Habimana assisted by Noah Kirigwajjo, Aaron Tumusiime, Teddy Nakasule, Br. Danniel Comboni and Joseph Kiwanuka Kyambadde. These were directed by Rev. Fr. Augustine Kalule Lukenge their patron and Rev. Fr. Thomas Ggabula the movement spiritual director.
Eleison youth mercy movement was later launched in Mityana Cathedral Parish church on 28th February 2016. These are the 9 pioneer members who were there in the three masses when the movement was being launched: Joseph Kiwanuka, Aaron Tumusiime, Helen Nakato, Noah Kirigwajjo, Peter Bruno Habimana, Stella Mudenge, Teddy Nakasule, Lydia Kiwanuka and Julius. This mass was led by Rev. Fr. Augustine Kulule Lukenge who officially blessed the mission of the movement.
SECTION FOUR
SECTION FIVE
Eleison Branch membership structure:
A E-branch is a single community of E-members either in a Church or a school. Each E-branch is named according to the Church where the members meet or School where the students meet. There are two types of members; (i) A Devotee (ii) a servant
(i)A servant
Is a member that joins the E-club for service and participates fully in all activities. A person becomes an E-servant as soon as he or she joins the youth mission of serving Christ through the needy. A servant must wear the movements T-shirt in any of the practical activities for the sake of Identification.
(ii)A devotee
Is staunchly committed E-member that never misses field activities/meetings and works to his or her best to fulfil Christ’s command of loving one another and doing to others as we would have them do to us through their works. An E-servant becomes a devotee after a period of 3months of active participation and after that is distinguished by the E-badge of devotion handed only to a member by any other 3 devotees or a Churches pastor/priest for witness. This member is free to wear the E-badge anywhere but like the E-servant must wear the movements T-shirt in field activities for Identification.
Each branch of service has an organised leadership structure that humbly leads the members and is voted by the E-members. These are the roles and responsibilities of the leaders:
E-President: Is the head of member of a branch that’s biggest role is to serve and guide its members as true power means service and to be the first means you must be the last. His/Her role will be to chair the E-activity meetings, direct the members on where to go or what to do on a field activity,Introduce and guide the club to the potential servants of Christ and make sure that the branch is actively functioning according to this guide book.
E-vice President : Is the assistant member to the president and like the president is chosen to serve the Eleison branch not to rule. His/Her major roles is to identify potential surrounding locations where there are needy people or places that need God’s love and mercy and after suggesting the places to the members and making a visit to those places, makes an agenda of the field meetings. He/she also chairs the meetings in the presidents absentia, records weekly reports about the E-branch in general (activities, members and treasury statement etc) signed by the president and makes sure that the E-branch is actively functioning according to the guide book.
E-Secretary : Is the member that is in Charge of recording the minutes of weekly activity meetings, keeps a record of the branches activities , plans, scripture readings, projects etc according to what was said in a meeting. He/she can also help the president on duties assigned to him/her.
E-Treasurer: Is the member that keeps track and records of the branches Financial status. He/she is in charge of the fundraising of the branch and ensures that the movement has enough money or materials like (food,soap, sugar,toothpaste, scholastic materials etc) to keep the branch equipt in case of an activity. It is important for him/her to work with E-members to do so and make sure that the branch has a strong financial background. The finances gained or given out must be recorded and reported by the E-treasurer to the members in an activity meeting. Only with the permission of the members can any bit of finance be used and not by the treasurer himself. He/She must find creative ways of getting people everywhere to contribute to the cause of helping the needy.
E-mobiliser: Is the member that brings all the members together for any field meeting or planned activity. He/She must keep records of all the members of the branch and must report any absent member in a field meeting or activity. The E-mobiliser keeps full records of members’ contacts and makes updates each member on new upcoming meetings. He/She is also in charge of filling orders of the clubs T-shirts and makes sure that each member has one for a field activity.
It is important to note that only E-devotees can take up the leadership positions. In case of no devotee like in a starting up service branch than a committed servant can start the annual term of service.
THE INTERNATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE E-CLUB
SECTION SIX
Mission & guide of the E-Club
The mission of Eleison Youth movement is to reach out to those in need and it gives its members a chance to practice what they preach as they physically deliver Gods love and Gospel to those that need it the most.The movement activities are guided by the corporal/bodily works of mercy and the Spiritual works of mercy as listed below.
The 7 corporal works of Mercy that motivates us to:
- Feed the hungry
- give drink to the thirsty
- clothe the naked
- shelter the homeless
- visit the sick
- bury the dead
- comfort the imprisoned
And the7 Spiritual works of Mercy Motivates us to:
- Instruct the Ignorant
- Counsel the Doubtful
- Help Bear wrongs patiently
- Admonish sinners
- Help forgive offences willingly.
- Comfort the afflicted
- Pray for the living and the dead
These works guides the E-members on where their weekly activities/projects should be focused and gives them a chance to be creative on where and which people they can extend these works of mercy to according to the Church or School environment. An E-member is expected to Understand and know how to apply these works of mercy in their everyday life.
SECTION SEVEN
SECTION EIGHT
JESUS CALLS US
Eleison youth movement is a Christian foundation that works under the call of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ calls us all to be merciful to others as He is. Jesus Christ himself was a worker and did works of mercy which among others included him doing miracles. These wereall done to human beings and they reflect a sign of God’s love to them.
Eleison youth movement takes our lord Jesus Christ as the model for He was infinetely mercyful and He still is. In the Gospels we read that Jesus Christ reached out to the human race a number of times perfoming many miralces these included and others. Through those miracles, Jesus Christ expressed His endless love to the human race. Therefore Jesus Christ calls us as Eleison youth Movement members to reach out to our fellow human beings with compassion through performing the works of mercy as He did.
Jesus Christ our master suffered for our sins; He agonised, He was scrouged, He was crowned with thorns, He wept, He carried His cross, He was cruxified for the sake of our sins, and He died! He beared all this pain for us the human race because He loved us and He still loves us. So He calls upon us to love our fellow human beings espcially those in need by carrying out acts of mercy unto them as he did.
Eleison indulges it members to carryout acts of mercy and the movement encourages its members to read and spread the gospel and above all leave a practical faith.
SECTION NINE
SECTION TEN
ELEISON SPIRITUALITY
Eleison is a movement that is spiritually based on Jesus Christ. For the in the Gospels we read that Jesus Christ who himself was human and at the same time divine prayed hard and at one time he reached an extent of sweating blood while he was prayed for us. But besides praying Jesus Christ worked hard.Therefore we as Eleison youth movement members are indluged to follow his example. Our spiritual life is built on Jesus Christ.
Like all members of the church, Christ is the center for Eleison youth. He continously calls upon us to be humble as He was. By being humble, Jesus gives us the grace to couragously carryout the works of mercy.
We all members of Eleison Youth movement have a mission of Christ to fullfil. For we are called upon to give out all hearted to our fellow human beings how are in need.
Since Eleison youth movement is a community, members are called upon to live peacefully in a brotherhood spirit.