You can make a difference in the lives of our parish's teens!
I am a parent or adult parishioner and I am thinking about becoming a Youth Ministry Team Member. What do our teens and our Youth Ministry Program need?
Well, thanks for contemplating becoming a Youth Ministry Team Member! Our Youth Ministry's plan is to change the world, one teen at a time. Today's teens do not connect to programs, they connect with people. The most effective way to impact teens is through significant relationships with caring adults. One of the common roadblocks for adults volunteering is the misconception about what it takes to be a Youth Ministry Team Member.
The common misconceptions are:
You must be young
You must be a biblical scholar
You must be a perfect example of a Catholic Christian
You must be a captivating communicator
You must feel secure
You must be able to act like the teens
You must have plenty of free time
You must play guitar
You must know and like every popular song and TV show the teens know
You must be wild, crazy, and dynamic
You must be liked by all teens
You must be in your twenties or thirties to serve
Middle School and High School Youth Ministry are not the easiest ministries in the Church, and it's normal and okay for you to feel inadequate about your skills. Your confidence will grow the more you're around teens and see how God can use inadequate people like us to do great things. God does not call the qualified. God qualifies the called. God will provide the gifts.
Here's the truth about what our teens need - Teens need adults who will...
Love God and live for Him
Love teens and be interested in their lives
Take the initiative to get to know our teens
Pray for our teens
Be real
Say encouraging things
Believe in teens
Laugh and have a good time
Remember names
Share God's love through personal experiences
Be consistent with your attendance
Be patient
Love being Catholic
There are many different roles and jobs in our Youth Ministry that need to be filled. Look below to see all the possibilities!
Small Group Leaders - MSM Sunday, Confirmation, and HSM Sunday
Your main job is to help create a safe and welcoming environment for the teens in your small group. Other duties include leading the group discussion after a presentation, teaching, or testimony (presented in the front of the room by the Youth Minister, fellow team member, or guest speaker), knowing, and caring for your teens, helping them to know and care for each other, lead them to a deeper relationship with God, His Church, and St. John Neumann parish. Lesson plans, training, and all materials will be provided!
Confirmation classes will be held on a couple of Wednesday evenings a month. MSM (Middle School Ministry) Sundays happen on Sunday mornings between the 9:00 and the 11:00 AM Masses, and HSM (High School Ministry) is on Sunday Nights after the 5:00 PM Mass.
Welcome and Environment Crew
At each event, we need a happy crew of folks to set up the snack station, chairs, and tables, and decorate and set the environment of the room to reflect the season and topic of the day. Other duties include manning the welcome table, collecting attendance, running errands, etc.
Supply and Snack Czar
Each ministry event needs a person who loves to shop and drive! Your job is to pick up all the needed supplies and snacks we will need for each event, deliver them to the room or building we are using, and organize them for our use. A large trunk and a love of driving and Costco runs are really helpful!
Dinner Coordinator for High School Ministry
At every HSM Sunday event, the parish will provide dinner for our hungry teens. This group of loving adults will purchase and organize all of the needed meal supplies and utensils, plan menus, order and pick up food, and clean up after the meal is over. The teen's tummies will be sure to love you!
Christian Service Projects Coordinator
To help seek out service opportunities in our community and parish that our teens can participate in, help plan and advertise these Service Projects to our teens, and secure parent drivers to help with transportation.
Helpful Hands
There are some busy seasons in Youth Ministry throughout the year and we will next have some extra organized and helpful hands. We may from time to time need some general office help during the week! If you like to work behind the scenes, this is the job for you!
Please call Jaymes Gregory Curran, our parish’s High School Minister, for details! 512.328.3220 ext. 110