Atlanta TEC

1. Our primary duty is to the retreat program of TEC- to build a community of prayer within the life of the Paschal Mystery. This comes directly from the Mission Statement of Atlanta TEC:

The mission of Atlanta TEC is to provide retreat opportunities TO ENCOUNTER CHRIST which enable young adults to experience the Paschal Mystery in the Sacraments and in the community, thus sending forth disciples empowered to enlighten and ignite the world for the building up of the Kingdom of God.

2. We serve as a sounding board for the community and help build and foster community

3. We follow guidelines set forth to us by the National TEC Conference; as an official affiliate of TEC we adhere as closely as possible to the guidelines and principles set forth by the TEC Conference. The guidelines set forth by National TEC, with 40 years of success, are based on the solid theological principles and the structural integrity of a movement rooted in the Paschal Mystery. Our decisions are not made lightly on the Council—we thoroughly discuss and share matters. Each council member truly has a voice, and we strive to be the voice addressing the needs of the community. As each person’s voice is heard, discussions (and meetings) are not brief or rushed.

As stated in the National TEC Conference Manual (1997), roles of the TEC Advisory Council include the following:

· Build and sustain an adult faith community that models and articulates the spirituality of the Church and will inspirit and facilitate the TEC Movement (31 and IX-5)
Listen to the TEC Community, ascertaining needs and developing responses to those needs (IX-4)

· Serve as co-ministers encouraging and enabling others in the TEC community (IX-5)
Build and sustain an adult faith community who in turn will inspirit and facilitate the TEC Movement (IX-5)

· Collaborate and coordinate with the diocese and archbishop to ensure we follow diocesan policy and procedures and help the diocese understand the context of the Paschal Mystery Movement of TEC (IX-6)

Ron Devine, better known as Robert, is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He went to college at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Indiana, and then to medical school at Indiana University. He works as an infectious diseases physician with an office at Piedmont Hospital and Piedmont Fayette Hospital. He serves as the Lay Spiritual Coordinator for the Atlanta TEC Advisory Council (TAC). He has been on the TAC since February 2005. He first experienced TEC while serving as an adult leader for Teens Encounter Christ on Gary (Indiana) TEC #4 and #16.

After moving to Atlanta in September 2002, he learned about the young adult To Encounter Christ retreat and he was a participant on Atlanta TEC #24. Since then he has served the Atlanta TEC retreats on the wheat team, as a resource, and as an assistant director. Robert is active in the catholic young adult community of Atlanta. He is a member of the TEC Navy Blue soccer team and one of the TEC softball teams in the Atlanta Catholic Sports league. He also enjoys doing missionary trips and has worked on mission trips to El Salvador and Nicaragua with Children’s Cross Connection International and to Guatemala with Friends of Guatemala. Robert’s interest on the TAC is to help improve the spirituality of the Atlanta TEC community through living of the Paschal Mystery.

Jaime Diaz (say HaimÉ) made TEC #25 and has participated in several retreats. He has enjoyed the various TEC retreats with which he has been involved and wanted to pass on that experience to other young adults. Jaime enjoys being able to play a part in the spiritual development of young people and has been teaching confirmation class at Christ the King for the last four years.

Jaime is originally from Medellin, Colombia. He studied journalism in Colombia and moved to Atlanta 8 years ago when he accepted a job as a news editor with a large cable news operation. He takes advantage of his six weeks of vacation to spend time traveling the globe. His favorite place so far has been New Zealand because it has a natural beauty that is different from that of his home country.

He enjoys hiking, biking, and being outdoors and on weekends you can usually find him out on the local hiking trails. Contrary to the South American stereotype, Jaime says he is not very good at fútbol (soccer) or any other sports. In addition to its spiritual value, Jaime says that TEC has been great at helping him perfect his English.

Mark Foster, aka Dr Maddogg Funk, grew up in Dunwoody, GA, and now resides in Vinings. Mark attended St Pius X High School and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Sport Management. Mark is officially registered at the Cathedral of Christ the King, but is known to frequent many different churches to keep in touch with his TEC family.

Mark made his first TEC experience on TEC #11. According to him, TEC was the experience that made him realize who he is as a member of the Catholic Church. Since then, Mark has been on several music teams and has directed three different music teams for TEC. He is the founder of the Polar Bear Jesus Club and the founder of the the Red and White TEC softball teams. Maddogg also has a small share in starting a TEC movement in Miami, FL.

Mark works as an Athletic Director/ Music Teacher for a private school for children with special needs. Oh, and if you are on myspace.com, check out the website he created... www/myspace.com/atlantatec.

Julie Magardo had her first TEC experience on TEC #15. Since that she has worked on the wheat team several times, been resource table twice, ran the kitchen and also directed the Hoot. Her main life priorities have been to be a mom to the wonderful, awesome, and cool kid Emily. She strives every day to be a better mom. She and her daughter just moved out to Hiram and they love it.

She has been a part of the young adult community since the summer of ’93 when she went to Kingston, Jamaica that changed her life. She worked with Fr. Holong and his ministry with the desperately poor and handicapped. She wants to eventually go back with Emily, when she is old enough.

TEC has been a central part of her life since making her TEC. She believes that the best job of a TEC weekend is being a Wheatie. She believes it is in this capacity of prayer and service that the participants are touched by the love of Jesus. For about a year she has felt that TEC is her ministry. She was always asking what she could do for TEC. She was asked to be on the TEC council in September.

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Matt Mihalek, Service Coordinator

Matt Mihalek was born and raised in Georgia. He became Catholic at the age of nine, and has continued on the path, with some pit stops of course. A self proclaimed prodical son, he has seen alot of the "darker" side of life, and really enjoys meeting others that have walked a similar walk. He made TEC #20 some years ago, and has worked on most other Tecs since that date.

He love writing fantasy stories, and spending time with his family. Tec has always been a grounding experience for him, and he strives to better himself daily, though slowly at times. He joined the council about a year ago, and hopes to help the communiy grow and move forth in their faith walk.

Sometimes perceived as a rather harsh and abbrasive person, you will always get the truth from him in matters of importance. A very real, hard, strong, but scared at times person. Unsure of his way and where it may lead him in the future. Tec's help to remind him of his constant struggle against the duality that may exists within himself. Though he is loyal to the TEC cause, and strongly believes that diversity and individuals make up the community at large.

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Tracy Morkin, Secretary

Coming Soon...

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