Enquiring parents want to know.

Q.: My youngster has received the basic sacraments.  Isn't that enough?
A.:  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 for physical and emotional growth; it should also be a time for spiritual blossoming.  

When childen are young, their love is focused in the family.  As they grow up, they start learning what it means to love someone by choice.  The person they need to love more than any other person or thing is Jesus.  If they learn how to do that, then they learn to love everyone.

Teens feel lots of pressure to conform to their peer group.  Yet today's culture contains many elements which can lead teens away from Christ.  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.  

Youth ministry is part of the life-long faith formation that all of us should pursue.  Experience shows that if a person is not consciously growing in faith, then that person is sliding backwards.  

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. Jesus was all about how to live as he lives.  Our programs will challenge our youth and teens to live their lives as disciples in service to others and to be active in our parish community. Parts of the ministry will be teen-driven, giving them ownership of their faith, as they grow closer to Jesus. 

Q.:  My child is so busy with sports, other activities, homework, part-time jobs, he just can't do anything more.
A.  Part of being a parent is setting priorities for children, while helping them to grow into that responsibility as adults.  Jesus, our risen Lord, spelled out his priority:  “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.