Youth Ministries- Our Youth Ministry invites all teens in grades 6 through 12 of the parish, in both public and parochial schools, as well as their parents to share in our programs for students.

 

Youth Ministry Vision

To be a family of Catholic faith made up of people young and old whose goal is to embody the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to evangelize the world with the attitudes we should be (Beatitudes- Matthew 5:3-10).

 

Youth Ministry Mission

To disciple students to become mature Catholics who “love the Lord your God with all [their] heart, with all your soul and with all [their] mind, and to love [there] neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).”    This will be accompished through experiential faith formation, participation in the liturgy and the Sacraments, as well as service to those in need. We hope to promote a mature Catholic faith in our teens and in our parish which will foster a closer devotion to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

 

What We Are Trying to Prevent/Correct:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/27/almost.christian/index.html

 

2010-2011 Youth Ministry-Calendar and Registration (pdf)

 

Grades 6-8

Students in Grades 6-8 will meet every Sunday evening in October and January from 5:30-6:45pm. The goal of the junior high program is to provide the students further understanding of their faith through physical, emotional and cognitive methods. The fee is $90 per student. For more information, please e-mail Youth Ministry Coordinator Paul Larson or call 662-7361, ext. 23.

 

Confirmation Preparation Program

Confirmation classes are held every year beginning in September and ending in May. This program is open to any high school student who has not yet been confirmed.  Most students participate in this program during the 9^th or 10^th grade. Classes are held on Wednesday nights from 7:30-9:00 pm throughout the school year with the Confirmation Liturgy TBA. An independent service project, an outline of a book and vocabulary, resume of your saint, and interview is required and expected to be completed by the end of April. Students must be registered YM members to participate in the Confirmation Preparation Liturgy Program. Cost is $140.

 

Fees
The Youth Ministry Registration Fee is $90 if paid by July 18 and increases $35 to $125 if registration takes place after the deadline in July. For those studetns enrolling in the Confirmation program the fee is $140.  The Confirmation fee is due in September. These fees are used to operate the YM Program. However, this modest fee does not cover the entire cost and it is necessary to have some additional fund raising events to help defray expenses.  Events to help defray the costs are a Sunday Breakfast on August 22nd and the garage sale.

 

High School

High School students have the opportunity to meet every Sunday evening in October and January from 7:00 to 8:45pm. Our high school program invites the students to reflect on the Catholic faith in relation to: sports, celebrities, music, environment, Halloween and it's Christian roots, Doubt, Grief, and your general questions about the Catholic faith. There will also be two meetings on an Basic Beliefs of Catholicism and Art and Liturgy.  The high school relies heavily on Sacred Scripture, films, as well as addressing their faith in relation to personal needs. The fee is $90 per student. For more information, please e-mail Youth Ministry Coordinator Paul Larson or call 662-7361, ext. 23.

 

Dead Theologians Society- Starts Sunday October 31st @ 7pm

The Dead Theologians Society is a  Catholic apostolate for high school age teens. Through the Saints of yesterday, the Dead Theologians Society inspires the youth of today to become the saints of tomorrow. Its motto is, “Dead to the World, alive in Christ!” This is inspired by Romans 6:11 where St. Paul tells us to be dead to sin but alive in Christ Jesus.

 

T.E.C. (Teens Encounter Christ) For boys and girls 16 and up.

TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) is an opportunity for a special time in a young person's life. At TEC you can experience that you are not alone at the in between time of moving into adult life. In the three day weekend of TEC, you can experience being part of a vibrant, loving, and supportive faith community.

Throughout a TEC weekend Team members consisting of adults and youth from various walks of life entrust to the participants their struggles, joys, and feelings they have experienced in their own lives. TEC provides a space to reflect upon one's own ideals, hopes, dreams, and problems; to discover a God that you can believe in. An experience in which you can encounter, Christ as risen and alive in your midst.

 

Youth Ministry Service Projects

Are offered to encourage our teens to live the Gospel and become aware of the needs of others here at St. Patrick Church of Merna and within our community, service projects are conducted throughout the year. Each activity is open to YM members and guests and is designed to enrich faith formation and promote a lifestyle of service. “To love is to serve, and to serve is to love.” Many of our service projects include some fundraising requirements which may be used for donations to other organizations. Typical projects include One Homeless Night, volunteering at the Midwest Food Bank, and the Catholic HEART Workcamp Mission Trip.

  

Sites-The following links are to websites that can provide additional resources for you.

 

For Leaders:

• Catholic Connections Curriculum  (for Jr High)

• Catholic Education

For Parents:

• Conversations on the Go (Book)

• Activities on the Go (Book)

• Youth Culture News (Website)

• Family Facts (Website)

• Parent Further (Website)

• Spirituality of Parenting (Article and Mp3)

• All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting (article)

• Family Matters (article)

• Affluent Kids at Risk (article)

• Psychology Today (article)

• Letting Go (pdf)

• PBS Documentary on Teen Suicide

• Parent/Teen Handout Helps (pdf)

• Frontline Documentary: Inside the Teenage Brain

• Frontline Documentary: Digital_Nation

• Frontline Documentary: The Medicated Child

About Youth Ministry:

• Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project: A Revitalized Approach Meets Youth Needs (pdf)

• Forming Young  Disciples: Are We Asking the Right Questions? (video)

• National Initiative on Adolescent Catechesis

Contact: Paul Larson, Coordinator of Youth Ministry @ 662.7361, ext 23

On Facebook as: "St. Patrick Church of Merna - Youth Ministry"