An adaptable administration

      Last Advent our local Catholic Church adopted a new policy for dealing with teenagers struggling through adolescence. The new priest, originally from New York, addressed the issue that day in his sermon about adjusting our view to administer help to those young people who were helpless, without support and suffering during this difficult time of life. This would include dealing with drug addicts, young single mothers, and youth with disciplinary problems that most people simply wanted to avoid, It was admittedly a controversial talk, but his words spoke to us all and we all decided to be adaptable to trying something new for our community.

      The local catholic administration was more adverse to the concept. They did not want to have troublemakers adjacent to lonely widows, young children, orphans and others that the church was already adept at dealing with. The new priest gave his admission to this and promised to build a separate addition for the adolescents he would work with. He also agreed to adhere to all traditional administrative procedures and to submit to their ultimate authority.

      The adaptation to the Church’s focus was a great success. Troubled youth began coming in and out of the new building adjoining the Church with smiles on their faces and a renewed hope for life. And while it was advisable forthe priest to work with a team of volunteers, each adolescent began to see him as the father that they had never had. Lives were changed, needs were met, and attendance grew. The administration was very pleased.

      Tomorrow is Advent again. It has been One year since we changed our outlook and we have much to celebrate!

                            隨機應變的管理部門

    上次降臨節的時候，本地天主教堂采取了一項新政策幫助那些青春期有問題的青少年。新牧師來自紐約，在那天的布道當中談到了這個問題，他讓大家調整看法，給那些在這個困難時期無助、無援而且飽受痛苦的年輕人以幫助，其中包括幫助癮君子、年輕的單身媽媽以及那些大部分人不愿理睬的不良少年。無可否認，牧師的這段話容易引起爭議，但他的話引起了大家的興趣，于是我們決定適應新形勢，為社區建設做一些新的嘗試。    

    我們這里的天主教管理部門對這個觀念更加充滿了敵意。他們不想讓那些搗蛋鬼們鄰近獨守空房的寡婦、小孩子、孤兒以及其他人，因為教堂已經很擅長于照顧這些人。新牧師對此表示接受并且答應對教堂進行單獨的擴建，供他開展幫助青少年的工作使用。他還同意遵守所有傳統管理程序，服從他們的最高權威。

    對教堂工作重點的適應取得了巨大的成功。那些問題青年開始在田比連教堂的新建筑中進進出出，每個人臉上都帶著微笑，對生活重新充滿了希望。盡管牧師與一群志愿者們一起工作可能更明智一些，每個青少年都已經開始把他看成是他們不曾有過的父親。生活得到了改變，需要得到了滿足，來參加活動的人越來越多。教會管理部門對此非常滿意。

    明天又是降臨節。我們改變觀點已經有一年了，我們有很多東西值得慶祝。

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