Common questions from parents and guardians:

Q.: My youngster has received the basic sacraments.  Isn't that enough?
A.:  Faith formation is lifelong!  A wise former pastor of our parish once said, "The chief task of parents is to prepare their children to reach Heaven."  So it makes sense for parents to seize every opportunity for their children to grow in faith, hope and love for God.  Teenagehood is a time of physical, intellectual and emotional growth; it can also be a time of spiritual blossoming.  Questioning, sorting, challenging and exploring are all signs of healthy spiritual growth. Learning to dig for answers to life's important questions is a skill that our teens are entitled to get help with.

When childen are young, their love is focused within the family.  As they grow up, they start learning what it means to love someone by choice.  The being they need to love more than any other person or thing is God.  Loving, knowing, and serving God is the compass that directs us to develop right relationships. "Belonging" is as important to teens as it is to adults.

Teens are continually tugged to  be accepted by their family and peer group and to make healthy choices.  Parents find it difficult to shield their kids from those pressures, but encouraging their children to participate in youth ministry offers the kids an alternative to those pressures.   If we send our children out into the world with a 4^th grade understanding of their faith, they will not be equipped to morally face our culture.  

Q.:  When you say "Growing in Faith," what does that mean?  What are you  aiming to accomplish?
A.:  In 1997 US Catholic Bishops outlined three goals to guide the Church's ministry with adolescents:

Goal 1: To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.
Goal 2: To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community. 
Goal 3: To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

These three goals are the foundation for our Youth Ministry.  Using the Bible, the Catechism, and other  Catholic resources, we will be journeying with our youth and teens as they encounter Jesus while answering their call to discipleship with Him.

Q.:  Is this just a matter of learning more rules?  They get enough of that in school.
A.  Our faith is based on the person of Jesus, so our parish ministry will always be Christ-centered and Eucharist-centered. It is Jesus, our teacher and Lord, whom we follow, not some distant and abstract ideology.   Youth Ministry is guided by caring mentors and it is teen-driven, making discussions and activities relevant to them. Youth Minsitry exists to support our youth.

Q.:  My child is so busy with sports, other activities, homework, part-time jobs, he just can't do anything more.
A.  One's faith is not one more added "thing to do".  It is the way we live our every day natural life; a compass that directs how we live out each day.  A parent or guardian sets priorities that will help their children set their own priorities of health and faithfulness to God.  Jesus, spelled out his priority as he readied to ascend to heaven:  “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold I am with you always, until the end of time.”  This is a command which we as Catholic Christian parents must take seriously.