Ruah Woods Outreach Event

Ruah Woods Theology of the Body for Teens testimonies

For Ruah Woods' inaugural banquet, two teens and two parents shared their experiences with the life-transforming message of Theology of the Body.

“Theology of the Body for Teens” alumni share their stories:

“Theology of the Body for Teens” alumni share their stories:

“As a teen, life for me has been one full of emotional turmoil and changes. Theology of the Body has helped me in several ways to note the changes and emotional battles in a positive way. Before these classes, I basically had no relationship with God. I often mistook the emptiness I felt as being unfilled and tried to fill the void with empty relationships with guys. I rarely was happy and my self esteem has plummeted to new lows I’ve never previously seen. I was doing everything I could to rectify the loneliness but nothing seemed to work. Then, I was directed to this class in the summer going into my senior year. To be honest, I didn’t think much of the class. I thought it was just going to be “Jesus-talk” and tell us everything we did wrong. But even the first day I went I realized I was sorely mistaken. The leaders were relatable and welcoming, no matter how we acted.

“I met a group of young people my age who seemed to be going through the same things I was. We talked about our relationship with God, our bodies, marriage, and how important we were to Him and to our loved ones. I can honestly say for the first time on my life I had the most self-worth I could ever imagine. I felt like I belonged. The space in my heart that was empty for so long became filled, and I became happier with each class. Towards the end of the class I could tell I had matured  into the loving young adult I am today. I will always remember this class and how much of an impact it had on me. It was the best last weeks of summer I could ever ask for.”

  -- High School young lady

This is where the Healing begins!

“Theology of the Body for me, really was an eye opening experience. It gave me the chance to actually say what I wanted to say about my faith, but the best part really was being [able] to listen and add to what other teens said. Theology of the Body was just that one outlet for me, because in a world with so much evil, it’s easy for someone like me to lose God and my faith. I know this first hand, I’ve had so [many] struggles in my life concerning religion, and I’ve taken many steps in the wrong direction, but this class was my first step in the right one.

“I’ve come away with so much enthusiasm for the faith, and I have to say that when you come here and come with an open heart, it’s so easy for God to tear down those walls of pain and let the real healing begin. “This class is where the healing begins”. I can honestly tell you that after this class I have gained such a beautiful new respect for myself, for women, and ultimately for God and everyone. If I had the chance to give a struggling or confused teen advice, I would say to take this class, and not just go to it, but go with an open heart, talk, and engage in this class, because that’s what made it so truly amazing and indescribable for me. Well that and the instructors made the class awesome too. I’m so excited, and I just can’t wait for the new Kenosis program to start, and I hope to see a lot of new faces around. Thank you.”

-- High School young man