Youth Ministry Monthly Update- May 10th, 2023
Happy Easter! He is risen Alleluia!Dear Parents,
As we reach the end of our school year schedule I find myself oscillating between being grateful for this past year and being aware of the number of teens we have in our parish that are remain disconnected. While there always seems to be more to do in ministry, I remind myself that ultimately it is up to God. Below is a recap of the wins from this past year, upcoming summer events, and information for next year. I invite you to help me minister to the teens of the parish by helping your teens be aware of what teen ministry has to offer and by encouraging them to go. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas.
-Paul Cillo
Pastoral Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministry
As we reach the end of our school year schedule I find myself oscillating between being grateful for this past year and being aware of the number of teens we have in our parish that are remain disconnected. While there always seems to be more to do in ministry, I remind myself that ultimately it is up to God. Below is a recap of the wins from this past year, upcoming summer events, and information for next year. I invite you to help me minister to the teens of the parish by helping your teens be aware of what teen ministry has to offer and by encouraging them to go. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or ideas.
-Paul Cillo
Pastoral Associate for Youth and Young Adult Ministry
2022-2023 School year recapEvents
Sunday brunch 10-1pm
Teens can hang out after the 9:00 am or come after the 11. Brunch will be served at 12.
See the PDF above for specific dates or check the Church Calendar.
Wednesday Night Socials 7:00-9:00
On Wednesdays we will gather for a different event every week. No dinner will be provided but we will have snacks proposed activities include:
Summer Spirituality Check ins
In addition to the two events above. Teens are invited to meet for a spirituality check in. These meetings are meant to allow the teens a opportunity to meet t discuss their faith, questions they might have, and their prayer life. They can chose to meet as often as once every two weeks or as little as once during the summer. They can also meet with me individually or with a friend or two. In person or via zoom. Zoom meetings require permission from parents and will be recorded for safe environment.
Summer Young Adult Group- post high school - 30
This summer my Katie (my wife) and I will also be hosting a young adult group in the 1st and third Thursdays of the month in are home. The group will focus on creating community and faith discussions. See the flyer below. Interested adults can email [email protected] for our address.
Summer Recruitment-
Summer is also when I look to expand our team of leaders. Know someone who would make a great leader? Please let me know! Parents can also help chaperone over the summer. Please let me know if you are interested in chaperoning an event and we can go over the necessary clearances.
See more upcoming events below!Updates for next school yearThe schedule for the school year is being finalize. We will still meet on Sundays with dinner at 6. I have added more variety to our gatherings here is the breakdown of proposed Sunday nights
Number of Sundays (40 total)
Key DatesSunday September 10th- Parents night- have dinner, meet the leaders, see some content.
Sunday September 17th- High school leaders night- for teens in 10th-12th grade
Sunday September 24th- Regular Sundays resume for teens in 8th-12th grade
- 31 Sunday gatherings with dinner. Including:
- Halloween Party, Box of Joy service project, bowling social
- 4 first Friday adorations and socials
- Christmas Party
- Teen drop in day after the tragic fire
- Service at Face to Face
- Walking Stations of the Cross on Good Friday
- Praise and Worship night
- Total attendance: 375
- Number of unique teens: 40
- Teens that came to more than one event: 30
Sunday brunch 10-1pm
Teens can hang out after the 9:00 am or come after the 11. Brunch will be served at 12.
See the PDF above for specific dates or check the Church Calendar.
Wednesday Night Socials 7:00-9:00
On Wednesdays we will gather for a different event every week. No dinner will be provided but we will have snacks proposed activities include:
- Water balloon fight
- Movie Night
- Karoake
- Kickball/basketaball
- Mini Golf
- Walking down germantown ave to get ice cream or frozen yogurt
- Firepit with smores, lawn games
Summer Spirituality Check ins
In addition to the two events above. Teens are invited to meet for a spirituality check in. These meetings are meant to allow the teens a opportunity to meet t discuss their faith, questions they might have, and their prayer life. They can chose to meet as often as once every two weeks or as little as once during the summer. They can also meet with me individually or with a friend or two. In person or via zoom. Zoom meetings require permission from parents and will be recorded for safe environment.
Summer Young Adult Group- post high school - 30
This summer my Katie (my wife) and I will also be hosting a young adult group in the 1st and third Thursdays of the month in are home. The group will focus on creating community and faith discussions. See the flyer below. Interested adults can email [email protected] for our address.
Summer Recruitment-
Summer is also when I look to expand our team of leaders. Know someone who would make a great leader? Please let me know! Parents can also help chaperone over the summer. Please let me know if you are interested in chaperoning an event and we can go over the necessary clearances.
See more upcoming events below!Updates for next school yearThe schedule for the school year is being finalize. We will still meet on Sundays with dinner at 6. I have added more variety to our gatherings here is the breakdown of proposed Sunday nights
Number of Sundays (40 total)
- 19 Content/topic nights
- 3 Arise nights
- 8 social/fun nights (Plus Christmas Party on a Weekday)
- Includes: Pool Party, Halloween party, bowling, Six Flags, Senior Send off and 3 other socials/events)
- 2 service nights (Box of Joy plus one more)
- 2 Misc nights (Parents night and high school leaders night)
- 6 nights off (Christmas, New Years, Super bowl, Easter, Confirmation, Mother's day)
Key DatesSunday September 10th- Parents night- have dinner, meet the leaders, see some content.
Sunday September 17th- High school leaders night- for teens in 10th-12th grade
Sunday September 24th- Regular Sundays resume for teens in 8th-12th grade
Small Group RecapThis past year we had two small groups that met twice a month to connect and discuss different topics of faith. The guys group discussed the trinity, did a Bible study on the book of Job, and ended the year looking at living a moral life. The girls group did a study on women in the Bible, discussed the Holy Spirit, and ended the year sharing their own faith stories. Thank you to all the teens who committed to the groups and to Mike Breen, Katie Cillo, and Suzanne Laurito for leading the groups!
After prayer and reflection, I have decided to not continue with the small groups in the current format. Instead, next school year, we will meet every Sunday night for dinner and instead of having set small groups, we will break into groups based on who is there that night. I hope this format will allow more of our teens to come and experience small groups since there will be less of a commitment and more opportunities for teens to attend. Since we will be meeting every Sunday for dinner, I will need assistance with two things: 1) Adult mentors to help facilitate and assist with the small groups. 2) Families to provide meals (we will have a rotating menu)
After prayer and reflection, I have decided to not continue with the small groups in the current format. Instead, next school year, we will meet every Sunday night for dinner and instead of having set small groups, we will break into groups based on who is there that night. I hope this format will allow more of our teens to come and experience small groups since there will be less of a commitment and more opportunities for teens to attend. Since we will be meeting every Sunday for dinner, I will need assistance with two things: 1) Adult mentors to help facilitate and assist with the small groups. 2) Families to provide meals (we will have a rotating menu)
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Other Opportunities
Teen Gospel Reflections- Teens and their parents are invited to subscribe to the weekly Gospel Reflection. The reflection is sent out every Friday at 2:00 and is based on the upcoming Sunday Gospel. Teens are also invited to write a short reflection for our community. Check out past reflections Here.
