Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Community
Welcome to the Senior High Youth Ministry for Grades
9-12
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
|
Upcoming
Event Calendar
for 2010: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 Six Flags Great Thursday, July 15, 2010 Softball Practice 7-8PM Wetlands
Park Saturday, July 17, 2010 Mission Trip Commissioning Mass
and Packing 4PM mass Sunday-Saturday, July 18-24, 2010 Mission Trip to Wednesday, July 21, 2010 Marketday Orders Due Saturday, July 24, 2010 Marketday Pick-Up from
9:30-10:30AM Thursday, July 29, 2010 Softball Practice 7-8PM Wetlands
Park Sunday, August 1, 2010 Softball League Thursday, August 5, 2010 Softball Practice 7-8PM Wetlands
Park Sunday, August 8, 2010 Softball League Thursday, August 12, 2010 Softball Practice 7-8PM Wetlands
Park Sunday, August 15, 2010 Softball League Wednesday, August 18, 2010 Peer Ministry Team Mtg. at CiCi’s Restaurant @ 7PM Wednesday, August 18, 2010 Marketday Orders Due Thursday, August 19, 2010 Softball Practice 7-8PM Wetlands
Park Saturday, August 21, 2010 Marketday Pick-Up from
9:30-10:30AM Sunday, August 22, 2010 Softball League Monday-Wednesday, August 23-25, 2010 R.E. & Confirmation
Placement Nights Sunday, August 29, 2010 Teen Tailgate Party & BBQ Full Calendar of Events for the year To Contact Us: Phone: (630) 851-3444 x232 OR 225 Fax: (630) 851-3468 Click here for a
map to Our Lady of Mercy E-Mail |
WELCOME!!! The Senior High Youth Ministry welcomes
you to its website! We hope you enjoy and find it useful! You will find
information on our active ministry for and with high school teens (Grades
9-12). There is also information on various leadership and service
opportunities for youth, calendar of events, our mission statement and
printable PDF permission forms and event information. You can also learn more about being
catholic and find other links to cool sites! Please let us know if you have
any questions. Parent Tips: “How to Pass Your
Faith to Your Kids” Parent Tips: “Five Reasons why kids want
You to set Boundaries for them” Parent Tips: “The 10 building blocks for
a happy family” Parent Tips: “10 ways to build
relationships with your children” Protecting our
Children: Parent Guide for Preventing Abuse Pastoral Policy Regarding Sexual Abuse of
a Minor Standards of Behavior for those Working
with Minors
|
Quick Links: Religious Education
Registration for 2010-2011 Sign-Up
for Teen Softball League! Confirmation Lvl 2 Ceremony Information Order
Marketday and Support Our Teens! Additional Links: v Teen Challenge-Help for those on drugs v Disciples Now-find out
about being Catholic! Send us your cool links so we can let others see it too!
Email the Youth Minister at DaveM@olmercy.com You will
need Adobe Acrobat reader to view some of the pages on this website! Help
Support our Teens! Did you know Marketday proceeds (10 %
of all items ordered) go to our teen mission trip! Please help by placing
your order today! Go to www.marketday.com and use our account # 21199 Orders need to be placed by Noon on
the Wednesday before pick-up! You can order online (www.marketday.com)
or get an order form in the church atrium and return to the marketday box (in
the atrium) or to the youth ministry office located in the Parish Life Center
(PLC). |
Copyright 2001-2010.
Site Updated 07/13/10
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
What We Are About:
The primary focus of youth ministry is to draw teens into an
everlasting relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! We do this
through actively living in view of eternity, thus becoming ALIVE! All high
school teens are invited to our many ministries. You don’t even have to be
catholic for some! Teens use their God-given gifts to grow this ministry. We
also have active adults who assist with this ministry Youth Ministry at Our
Lady of Mercy Catholic parish is concerned with the faith growth of young
people and their families! We are guided by 2 all-encompassing principles:
What is
Catholic Youth Ministry?
The
Catholic bishops of the
“What
is needed today is a church which knows how to respond to the expectations of
young people. Jesus wants to enter into dialogue with them and, through his
body, which is the church, to propose the possibility of a choice, which will
require a commitment of their lives. As Jesus with the disciples of Emmaus, so
the church must become the traveling companion of young people...”
(Pope
John Paul II, World Youth Day 1995, Philippines)
The
church must become the traveling companion of young people—and that is what we
mean by youth ministry. If, indeed, “it takes an entire village to raise a
child,” then it certainly takes an entire church to journey with young people
as they grapple with the Good News and respond in discipleship.
The
National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in their 1997 document, Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth
Ministry, identified three goals and eight components which provide
direction for this ministry. Youth ministry, at its best, is characterized by
the following five hallmarks:
- Discipleship
- Connection
- Giftedness
and growth
- Comprehensiveness
- Entire
church (parish) involvement
Goals of
Youth Ministry
Goal 1
Youth Ministry ... it’s about discipleship
The
first goal of youth ministry is “to empower young people to live as disciples
of Jesus Christ in our world today.” (RTV 9). Young people are “searching for a
noble adventure”, a compelling and challenging vision of life, and a cause
worth their commitment. They hunger to hear the Good News that finds response
in discipleship. As their companions on this spiritual journey, some of the
ways the Church fulfills this first goal of youth ministry is by...
- Proclaiming
the Good News of Jesus through witness and word to young people.
- Enabling
young people to live as disciples through their involvement in service,
ministry, and leadership opportunities.
- Providing
young people the faith skills for discipleship.
Goal 2
Youth Ministry ... it’s about connection
The
second goal is “to draw young people to responsible participation in the life,
mission, and work of the Catholic faith community.” (RTV 11). Young people have
a hunger for connection, to be in relationship, and to belong. Family, peers,
school, youth serving organizations, and church are primary connections for
young people. Some of the ways the church fulfills this second goal of youth
ministry is by...
- Being
a ‘youth friendly’ community that welcomes young people, values their
participation, and calls forth their gifts.
- Integrating
young people into the liturgical, pastoral, and ministerial life of the
parish community.
- Creating
opportunities for young people to enter into healthy relationships of
trust and respect with their peers and with adults.
- Promoting
Catholic identity and religious literacy through programs of adolescent catechesis.
Goal 3
Youth Ministry ... it’s about gifts and growth
The
third goal of youth ministry is “to foster the total personal and spiritual
growth of each young person.” (RTV 15). Adolescence is an important time for
mental, spiritual, social, and physical growth. Their experiences and
relationships greatly influence their healthy and positive development. The
Church strives to surround young people with the best possible external
scaffolds—networks of caring relationships of family, school, peers, and other
adults—while young people are developing their internal psychological and
spiritual backbone—their values, life skills, commitments, and moral compass.
The Church fulfills this third goal of youth ministry by...
- Enabling
young people to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.
- Actively
supporting positive youth development and fostering healthy values and
life skills.
- Supporting
families of young people by providing resources, programs, and services.
- Providing
opportunities to experience and express caring, service, and compassion
for others.
Youth Ministry ... happens comprehensively
Youth
ministry is more than programs and events. It is “the response of the Christian
community to the needs of young people, and the sharing of the unique gifts of
youth with the larger community.” (A
Vision of Youth Ministry, p. 6, quoted in RTV 1). To be most
effective, this is a ministry to, with, by, and for young people that involves
their families, their parish community, and the larger community. At the heart
of ministry with young people is the presence of caring, supportive
relationships where youth experience the Good News in the flesh.
A
comprehensive approach to youth ministry utilizes the eight components
identified in Renewing the Vision
as a framework: advocacy, catechesis, community life, evangelization, justice
and service, leadership development, pastoral care, and prayer and worship.
These components guide our efforts in proclaiming the Good News, connecting young
people with the faith community, and calling our young people to the challenge
of discipleship.
- “The
Ministry of Advocacy engages the Church to examine its priorities and
practices to determine how well young people are integrated into the life,
mission, and work of the Catholic community” and within society. (RTV, p.
27) The ministry of advocacy includes protecting the sanctity of human
life, speaking with and on behalf of young people, empowering the voice of
young people, and developing partnerships in building a healthy community.
- “The
Ministry of Catechesis most effectively promotes the faith development of
young and older adolescents when the curriculum is focused on important
faith themes of the Church and on the developmental needs and life experiences
of adolescents.” (RTV, p. 30) It helps young people enrich and expand
their understanding of the Scriptures and the sacred tradition. It
provides a healthy future by encouraging youth to live faithfully in
providing real life applications so that they may grow as disciples of
Jesus Christ in their daily lives.
- “The
Ministry of Community Life builds an environment of love, support,
appreciation for diversity, and judicious acceptance that models Catholic
principles; develops meaningful relationships; and nurtures Catholic
faith.” (RTV, p. 34) This included relationships between youth and caring
adults, but not exclusively.
- “The
Ministry of Evangelization shares the good news of the reign of God and
invites young people to hear about the Word Made Flesh.” (RTV, p. 36)
Drawing from Jesus’ example, evangelization involves the community’s
pronouncements and living witnesses of adults and young people that the
reign of God is realized in and through Jesus. The ministry of
evangelization incorporates several essential elements: witness, outreach,
proclamation, invitation, conversion, and discipleship.
- “The
Ministry of Justice and Service nurtures in young people a social
consciousness and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in
their faith in Jesus Christ, in the Scriptures, and in Catholic social
teaching; empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts to
address the causes of human suffering; and infuses the concepts of
justice, peace, and human dignity into all ministry efforts.” (RTV, p. 38)
- “The
Ministry of Leadership Development calls forth, affirms, and empowers the
diverse gifts, talents, and abilities of adults and young people in our
faith communities.” (RTV, p. 40)
- “The
Ministry of Pastoral Care is a compassionate presence in imitation of
Jesus’ care for people, especially those who were hurting and in need.”
(RTV, p. 42) It involves promoting positive adolescent and family
development through a variety of positive adolescent and family
development through a variety of positive (preventive) strategies, caring
for adolescents and families in crisis through supports, counseling, and
referral to appropriate community agencies; providing guidance as young
people face life decisions and make moral choices, and challenging systems
that are obstacles to positive development.
- “The
Ministry of Prayer and Worship celebrates and deepens young people’s
relationship with Jesus Christ through the bestowal of grace, communal
prayer, and liturgical experiences; it awakens their awareness of the
Spirit at work in their lives, it incorporates young people more fully in
the sacramental life of the Church, especially Eucharist; it nurtures the
personal prayer life of young people, and it fosters family rituals and
prayer.” (RTV, p. 44)
Youth Ministry ... it takes an entire Church
“This
is what is needed: a Church for young people, which will know how to speak to
their heart and enkindle, comfort, and inspire enthusiasm in it with the joy of
the Gospel and the strength of the Eucharist; a Church which will know how to
invite and welcome the person who seeks a purpose for which to commit his whole
existence; a Church which is not afraid to require much, after having given
much; which does not fear asking from young people the effort of a noble and
authentic adventure, such as that of the following of the Gospel.”
(Pope John Paul II. 1995 World Day of Prayer for
Vocations)
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
Youth Ministry
Commission (Y.M.C.)
The Youth Ministry Commission ensures
that the pastoral care of young people at Our Lady of Mercy Church is rooted in
the parish and is integral to the life, work, and mission of the parish
community. The Commission consists of adults who provide vision, direction,
support, and advocacy for the parish’s ministry to young people.
The Youth Ministry Commission has the following critical
tasks:
- Provide
support for the coordinator of youth ministry, the Leadership Team, and
adult volunteers involved in youth ministry.
- Develop
long-range planning, budgeting, and program assessment, ensuring that the
changing needs of young people are being met.
- Advocate
for young people and their responsible participation in the life of the
parish.
- Accountable
to the parish Faith Formation Commission, Parish Council, and pastor.
Members of the Youth Ministry Commission are responsible for:
- Attending
the quarterly meetings of the Commission.
- Serving
on Commission committees as needed.
- Being
actively involved in the functions of the Commission, such as advocacy,
long range planning, budget formation, and support.
Members of the Youth Ministry Commission exhibit the
following qualities:
- A
commitment and love for young people.
- A
willingness to share their faith in Jesus and their ongoing journey to God
with others.
- A
willingness to further their understanding of comprehensive youth ministry
and youth culture.
Members of the Youth Ministry Commission receive the
following benefits:
- To
be a positive influence in the lives of young people.
- To
impact on the quality of parish youth programs.
- To
use their gifts and talents in furthering the mission and ministry of Our
Lady of Mercy Catholic Parish.
Term: Members of the Youth Ministry Commission serve a
two-year term starting June 1 and this term is renewable.
Youth
Ministry Commission (Y.M.C.) Meetings for 2009-2010
September 3
December 3
February 18
May 20
Time: 7:00-8:30 pm.
Please contact
the Youth
Ministry Office if you are
interested in learning more about this team or if you want to join.
Peer Ministry Team
(PMT)
The P.M.T. Team is for high school teens (Freshman through
Seniors) who are interested in becoming leaders in the Church, Youth Ministry,
School and Community. Any high school
teen may join the team. Our focus will be on leadership event planning and peer
ministry training for the youth ministry. Members of P.M.T. help plan and
implement the overall youth ministry.
The P.M.T. Team Requires the Following
1)
You must be willing to work hard. You must be a Christian who
desires to follow Jesus Christ.
2)
You must be committed to be at the P.M.T. meetings and be on
time.
3)
You must be willing to support the high school events through
your presence, prayers & hard work.
4)
You will have the responsibility of helping plan and
participate in at least one event over the course of the year.
5)
The length of the commitment will be 1 year with an option to
renew.
Benefits of being on the P.M.T. Team:
§ You will learn how to be a Peer Minister to your friends at school and in
your Church.
§ You will be able to learn more about what it takes to be a leader.
§ You will be able to grow in your own faith by serving and helping others
in our Community.
§ You will help spread the Good News of Jesus Christ by your actions-Living
Out Loud!
Members of the Youth Ministry Leadership Team exhibit the
following qualities:
- Leadership
- Good
Ambassador
- To
guide and influence the direction of the program
- Visible
leadership
- Enthusiastic
- Be
Prepared
- Fresh
Ideas
- Inclusive
- In-Charge
- A
good example
- Energetic
- Self-Confident
Peer Ministry Team Meetings for Summer
2010
June 23 (CiCi’s
@ 7PM)
July 7 (Culvers and Bowling @ 7PM)
August 18 (CiCi’s
restaurant @ 7PM)
Please contact
the Youth
Ministry Office if you are
interested in learning more about this team or if you want to join.
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
Links and Forms for Confirmation:
What is the
Confirmation Program?
The Our Lady of Mercy Parish Confirmation program is for
high school teenagers. The Sacrament of Confirmation is celebrated at the end
of the Sophomore year of high school. The program is a 2 year process of
formation (Freshman = Level 1; Sophomore = Level 2) and discernment that leads
the participant to a richer understanding of the Catholic Church, it’s
teachings and the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives!
Who can participate in the Confirmation Program?
Any registered member of the parish who is of high school
age may join in the process for Confirmation. Generally, Freshman in high
school will enter Level 1 and Sophomores (Level 2) will continue the process
started in Level 1
How to register for the Confirmation Program?
Registration is held in the spring and summer of each
year. A registration form is required. Contact the Youth Ministry Office for
registration information.
Registration for the 2009-2010
year is now closed.
If you would
like to learn more about the Confirmation Ministry at OLM please contact Dave
in the youth ministry office at DaveM@olmercy.com
You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to view some of the pages on this website!
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
Service Opportunities
QUICK LINKS: Service Project Reflection Form
(Confirmation Candidates: Please fill out a Service Reflection form for
The Service Ministry focuses on living out the Gospel
message of “Love Your Neighbor”. Therefore, we take time out of our busy
schedules to provide care for those in need. We participate in service
projects, not only as a requirement for being a Christian, but out of love for
our fellow humans!
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Marketdays Teen are needed to help unload the truck, sort food and
fill orders for our monthly marketday fundraisers. All proceeds from
marketdays go to our annual teen mission trip. Help is needed from 8:00 to 10:30 AM in the PLC Multi
Purpose Room on the following dates:
Contact
Dave in the youth ministry office to sign-up and get additional information. This will count as 1 project towards your Confirmation
service requirement. (Please remember
to fill out a Service Reflection Form and return
it to the youth ministry office to get credit for this service project.) |
Parish Family
Feast TBA |
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Teens Serve in
Parish Nursery TBA |
Teens Serve as
EDGE Co-Leaders TBA |
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Teens Serve as
Confirmation Co-Mentors TBA |
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Help Support
our Teens!
Did you know Marketday proceeds (10 % of
all items ordered) go to our teen mission trip! Please help by placing your
order today!
Go to www.marketday.com and use our account # 21199
Orders need to be placed by Noon on the
Wednesday before pick-up! You can order online (www.marketday.com)
or get an order form in the church atrium and return to the marketday box (in
the atrium) or to the youth ministry office located in the Parish Life Center
(PLC).
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
What is the
Retreat Ministry?
Our retreats are planned for high school teens. Retreats
happen yearly to help teens get away from the everyday hassles of life so they
can explore a deeper relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Some
retreats are required, such as the Confirmation retreats, and some are
optional, such as the Winter Search Retreat. A team of adults and teen leaders
help plan and run our various retreats. If you would like additional
information on helping with a retreat or just learning more, please contact us
at DaveM@olmercy.com
or (630) 851-3444 x225.
Upcoming Retreats
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DATE |
RETREAT |
|
TBA |
TBA |
SOCIAL
EVENTS
Home Mission Leadership Team Confirmation
Service Retreats Social Events
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DATE |
EVENT |
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Wednesday,
July 14, 2010 Trip Closed |
Six
Flags Great 9:00AM until 9:00 PM. Cost is $45 and
includes admission ticket and bus transportation. |
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Sundays, August 1, 8,
15 & 22 |
Teen Softball
League Sign-up to play on our OLM team this
summer. Games are on Sundays on August (times TBA). Practices on Thursday nights, July 15,
29, Aug. 5, 12 & 19 from 7:00-8:00 PM at A permission form and fee is DUE at the
first practice on July 15th! Contact Dave to sign-up at DaveM@olmercy.com |
|
Sunday, August
29, 2010 |
Tailgate Party
& Mission Trip 6:00 to 9:00 PM BBQ, games, mission trip pics, social! |