Youth Ministry Monthly Update- January 18, 2023
Happy New Year! We are now in ordinary time in our church liturgical calendar which is symbolized by the color green. The color green reminds us of growth. During this time we are called to follow Jesus during his ministry and to grow. Often this growth happens slowly and subtly. With the new year it is also common to begin resolutions. I hope this new year and ordinary time can be filled with your own growth and improvement.
-Paul Cillo (Youth Minister)
-Paul Cillo (Youth Minister)
| updated_teen_ministry_sunday_night_schedule_spring_23.pdf |
Recaps
Christmas Party- We had a small Christmas gathering between Christmas day and New Years. We enjoyed Chick-fil-a, watched Elf, had a white elephant gift exchange, built gingerbread houses, and ended our evening with a prayer service. Some houses were more abstract than others.
First Friday Prayer, Dinner and Social- On January 7th, we had a simple pizza dinner and service project following evening prayer. Our teens assembled caring for friends meal packages for the parish.
Christmas Party- We had a small Christmas gathering between Christmas day and New Years. We enjoyed Chick-fil-a, watched Elf, had a white elephant gift exchange, built gingerbread houses, and ended our evening with a prayer service. Some houses were more abstract than others.
First Friday Prayer, Dinner and Social- On January 7th, we had a simple pizza dinner and service project following evening prayer. Our teens assembled caring for friends meal packages for the parish.
***Upcoming Events***
First Friday Adoration- February 3rd 5:30-8:30.
5:30-Adoration
6:00- Dinner
6:45- Social
8:30- Pick up
In light of Valentines day coming up we are going to do speed meeting. Teens will have a set amount of time to talk with one another. Questions will be provided. Icebreaker, reflection, and games, including our new ping pong table, will be included.
Camp Veritas for 10th-12th graders- August 12th-17th
Many parishes make conferences, retreats, service camps, and summer camps a regular part of the youth ministry. As we look to our third full summer of teen ministry I am looking to accompany teens to Camp Veritas at Lake Champion. Rather than creating a fun experience and sneaking Jesus/faith in, the camp aims to present an integrated experience of faith where fun and adventure, sacraments, community, and creation can all be combined and experienced together. It will be a challenge to get teens and families to take a chance on this new experience especially as this seems to be a first for our parish but I think it will be worth it for those who go.
Cost is $500 plus potential transportation cost.
Transportation will depend on the number of teens going. Parents register their own children. Complete the RSVP below if you or your teen is interested so I can plan accordingly and start reserving transportation if need be.
5:30-Adoration
6:00- Dinner
6:45- Social
8:30- Pick up
In light of Valentines day coming up we are going to do speed meeting. Teens will have a set amount of time to talk with one another. Questions will be provided. Icebreaker, reflection, and games, including our new ping pong table, will be included.
Camp Veritas for 10th-12th graders- August 12th-17th
Many parishes make conferences, retreats, service camps, and summer camps a regular part of the youth ministry. As we look to our third full summer of teen ministry I am looking to accompany teens to Camp Veritas at Lake Champion. Rather than creating a fun experience and sneaking Jesus/faith in, the camp aims to present an integrated experience of faith where fun and adventure, sacraments, community, and creation can all be combined and experienced together. It will be a challenge to get teens and families to take a chance on this new experience especially as this seems to be a first for our parish but I think it will be worth it for those who go.
Cost is $500 plus potential transportation cost.
Transportation will depend on the number of teens going. Parents register their own children. Complete the RSVP below if you or your teen is interested so I can plan accordingly and start reserving transportation if need be.
Group Me group chat
We have created a group chat using groupme. This app allows us to connect with teens and to connect them with each other while keeping personal information (cell phone numbers) private. The groupme has several adult leaders in it as well as a parent to monitor it. Teens are invited to join after they attend an event. |
Sunday Night Update
We are in the middle of a 7 week series on prayer. During this series teens are learning about prayer, different ways of praying, and have also received a prayer journal. This series is meant to help the teens put what we learn into practice.
Teens are always welcome to join. No meeting on Feb 12th!
Attendance Raffle
Since our Sunday gatherings are divided into series, ideally teens would be able to attend the whole series to get the most out of it. For our prayer series, teens will receive a raffle ticket for each session they attend. They can also get an extra ticket if they bring someone who has not been before. A $25 dollar gift card will be raffled this coming Sunday and a $50 will be raffled out at the end of the series.
Leader testimonies
Starting in January our leaders have started to share part of their faith stories during the last 15 minutes of dinner. Each leader will have a designated night and teens will be able to ask questions afterwards. The goal is to allow the teens to hear about why God and our faith are important to us and why we each have decided to be teen ministry mentors. Part of the goal of teen ministry is to connect teens with faithful adults so that they can encounter living faith. We hope this sharing will also lead to the teens being more open with their own sharing
We are in the middle of a 7 week series on prayer. During this series teens are learning about prayer, different ways of praying, and have also received a prayer journal. This series is meant to help the teens put what we learn into practice.
Teens are always welcome to join. No meeting on Feb 12th!
Attendance Raffle
Since our Sunday gatherings are divided into series, ideally teens would be able to attend the whole series to get the most out of it. For our prayer series, teens will receive a raffle ticket for each session they attend. They can also get an extra ticket if they bring someone who has not been before. A $25 dollar gift card will be raffled this coming Sunday and a $50 will be raffled out at the end of the series.
Leader testimonies
Starting in January our leaders have started to share part of their faith stories during the last 15 minutes of dinner. Each leader will have a designated night and teens will be able to ask questions afterwards. The goal is to allow the teens to hear about why God and our faith are important to us and why we each have decided to be teen ministry mentors. Part of the goal of teen ministry is to connect teens with faithful adults so that they can encounter living faith. We hope this sharing will also lead to the teens being more open with their own sharing