Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Communicative and Adaptive Team Building for Teens




Handling cases of divorce, civil litigation, and personal injury, William “Bill” Arata represents clients throughout the Bogalusa, Louisiana, community. Since his father passed away from cancer in 2007, Bill Arata has maintained a strong commitment to furthering education among youth through activities that build group capacities; he believes that one of the core benefits of such activities is in providing a sense of group togetherness, which instills a greater capacity to stay focused and positive during times of stress.

A key focus of team building for teens involves getting beyond the “I” that tends to be a core focus in academic pursuits. Instead, participants become attuned to working with and helping others. They develop effective communicative skills through the multifaceted problem solving required in reaching goals.

Among the basic types of team building activities are those that emphasize communication, from message relay games such as “telephone” to the “human knot,” which requires close coordination to untangle limbs.

There are also adaptability activities that require an evolving approach as challenges progress. An example of this is the egg catapult activity, which requires groups to plan and design progressively better means of protecting eggs launched from a height.                            

Friday, May 13, 2016

Episcopal Community Services Offered by the Diocese of Louisiana





The owner of Bogalusa, Louisiana’s Arata Law Offices, William “Bill” Arata has lived in Bogalusa for more than 50 years. An active resident of his hometown, Bill Arata is a member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church.

St. Matthew’s Church was founded in 1907, only one year after the founding of Bogalusa itself. It is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana and the only Episcopal church in Washington Parish.

St. Matthew’s has access to Episcopal Community Services from the Diocese of Louisiana (ECSLA). This program was developed by the diocese to provide church leadership with skills and support that increase the impact of the church’s ministry. Programming through ECSLA includes professional development trainings, planning assistance, program assessments, and clergy coaching. The program works to assist laity with the knowledge and skills they need to better serve their church community and communities beyond the church. More information is available at www.edola.org.