ECyD is an international Catholic association of youth who participate in programs or activities that spark specific experiences, convictions and decisions that mark their Christian way of life and encourage them to build a lasting friendship with Christ and be his apostle. It is the way Regnum Christi seeks to respond to the needs of today’s youth.

10 Needs of Adolescents

Because it is a response centered on the adolescent, the ECyD formation method is therefore based on the questions youth have and gradually discover about life: themselves, their family, friends, world, Church, faith, and God. ECyD proposes the following “10 Needs of Adolescents” all ECyD mentors, programs, and curriculum seek to respond to.

The “3 x 4”

The name ECyD stands for “experiences, convictions and your decisions”. This comes from the “3 x 4”, which refers to the integral combination of the core experiences, convictions and decisions mentors help forge in the 4 main relationships in an adolescent’s life: with myself, with you, with others, with God. The “3 x 4” is presented as a response to the needs and questions of the adolescent.

Powered by ECyD

The programs and activities that ECyD offers youth are said to be “powered by ECyD”. This means that the materials and activities are imbued with all of the four essential elements of ECyD.

1. Team-based, teen-led, mentor-guided activities

Among the most effective ways to reach adolescents are through peers and respected mentors. A mentor meets youth where they are, accompanies them in their search for the answers to their deepest questions, and facilitates experiences that lead them to develop deep convictions and strengthen them to make mature Christian decisions for life.

2. Service-Driven Apostolic Outreach and Sense of Mission

Currently, Challenge and Conquest are the two main programs “powered by ECyD.” As of 2012, Challenge and Conquest offer almost 200 clubs and more than 40 summer camps throughout the US and Canada. Through these two programs, youth grow in their knowledge and friendship of Christ, serve as leaders and examples for their younger peers, and engage in service projects to serve their pastors, families, and local community. Furthermore, every year high school students can decide to offer their summer as ECyD Missionaries in many cities around the world to serve as camp counselors, to run activities for younger kids, and to serve as role models of friendship with Christ. This is called the Mission Corps. There are also other programs and activities that implement some of the essential elements of ECyD, such as Leadership Training Program, Pure Fashion, Mission Youth, camps and retreats, as well as schools via their campus ministry.

3. An Experiential Method of Evangelization Based on the Questions and Needs of Youth

Each mentor, program, and activity seeks to respond to the questions and needs of adolescents by fostering life experiences that lead to deep personal convictions, helping youth make mature decisions for life. This is where the “10 Needs of Adolescents” and the “3x4” come into play.

4. Age-Appropriate Steps to Growing in Friendship with Jesus Christ and Prayer Life.

The ECyD pledge of friendship is a simple and unique way for youth grades 5 thru High School to make a yearly public affirmation of friendship with Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, committing themselves to prayer and service. Upon making the pledge, each young person receives an ECyD pledge card adapted to his grade level. Each pledge card lists specific daily and regular prayers, sacraments, and virtues, as well as service and apostolic action, recommended for young people to grow gradually in their friendship with Christ and live their Catholic faith to the full and in a way suitable for their age.

A Way to Christ

Ultimately, the goal of ECyD is to mark the Christian way of life of adolescents with a lasting friendship with Christ and with apostleship. Adolescence is a time of self-discovery, so ECyD helps them discover who they are and their purpose in life by helping them ask the questions that reveal their needs and the path that God sets before them. Adult mentors accompany them in this period of their life as they find the answers to their questions through the experiences they have, the convictions they forge, and the decisions they make.