Thanks you for supporting the Vision.

Read on for more information on Youth Ministry Visioning 
We are planning to expand and diversify our outreach efforts to teens and families.  We are cultivating ownership and support from more adults.  We invite people to discern taking a role in a ministry.  

The Problem 

“Going, Going, Gone” is a study by St. Mary’s Press that looks at WHY young Catholics are leaving the church.  

 *The generation with the highest religious unaffiliation are the young millennial ages 18-24: 36% consider themselves unaffiliated. 34% of people ages 25-33 are unaffiliated.   

 *Young Catholics are WEAKLY attached to the church

 *➡ St. Jude Youth Ministry is very intentional about engaging and inspiring the teens and families that are present.  However, the majority of teens (~80%) and families are NOT participating. 
 

These questions compelled our visioning and ideas:
 * Does anyone notice when [teens/families] leave the church?  Does anyone care that they are gone?  
 * How can we engage more teens and families?  
 * How can we help teens and families foster a stronger Catholic identity?
 * What if our primary pastoral motivation and action were to accompany people on their spiritual journey, especially as they wrestle with belief through questioning and doubt? 

Working Towards a Solution 

Idea #1: Provide Consistent, Organized & Reoccurring Service Opportunities.  This is a good place to start to get more high school teens actively living their faith with their friends; we use the service experience as a springboard to evangelize and connect the dots of life and faith (they are loved by God and sent to serve others; the joy they feel points them to their purpose).

   *We will work with all the high schools (principals & groups) to promote the upcoming service opportunities.
   *We will train & support a group of adults that are willing to lead reoccurring trips to local places (once or twice a semester): Su Casa, FMSC, Hands of Hope, Mission of Our Lady of the Angels
   *We will write out a strategic plan for promoting service & mission trips to PCHS throughout the year.

If you love doing service, are organized, and would like to coordinate two visits to the same service site, please consider joining this team!
 
Welcoming, engaging & inspiring ALL teens & Families @ Life Mass!

Idea #2: Life Mass Team
To further shared responsibility, we will find people to oversee many aspects of Life Mass to ensure teens, families, and adults are invited to participate in the ministry roles of Greeters, Readers, Teen Choir Members, and Life Night Coordinators. These people will also schedule and remind the ministers of their responsibilities. Along with St. Jude staff, these people will train teens and adults in their chosen ministry.  

If you are passionate about liturgy and would like to coordinate one of these ministries, please consider joining this team!  We will provide a handful of people who have expressed interest for you to contact and work with!
 
Idea #3: Recruit many adults to serve as small group leaders for JH & HS teens.
Junior High groups will gather 11 times throughout the school year.
High School groups will gather once or twice a month based on leader and group availability.
Group leaders will be given outlines with a relevant topic to discuss, Scripture passages, discussion questions and ideas on how to encourage the teens to put into action what they are learning (at home, at school, through Sacraments & service). We will also provide small group leader training and support throughout the year.
If you love talking with and encouraging teens and would like to build relationships with a small group, please consider joining this team!
 
 

Action Items: 

Why it is SO IMPORTANT for your help:
The majority of the teens and families “on the fringe” occasionally or rarely ever come to church or faith formation.  St. Jude staff and clergy don’t even have access to reach them.  But people like you, who are already activated in your faith, CAN reach out to them!  
 
You & Your Family:
Make a list of 2 -5 youth, ANY junior high and/or high school teen.  Pray for them.
Intentionally talk with those youth and ask them what they are looking for or need from a faith community and God.  {Relay their feedback and ideas to us!}.   INVITE them to participate at St. Jude.
Make a list of 2-5 adults you know.  Pray for them.
Intentionally talk with those adults and ask them what they are looking for or need from a faith community and God.  {Relay their feedback and ideas to us!}.   INVITE them to participate at St. Jude in any of these capacities (based on their current involvement and needs):
If they are not involved or attending, invite them to participate in something (Mass, gathering, service projects, etc.) based on their interests, openness, and availability.
If they are already participating occasionally, invite them to consider serving once or twice in a simple capacity (ie. greet at Mass, serve ice cream at a social, etc.)
If they are already actively involved, invite them to consider journeying with a small group of teens starting in September by facilitating a small group of JH or HS teens.
When you invite someone, encourage them to pray about it and participate as they feel called.  Encourage them to contact Jennifer Lebhardt or Matthew Krumdrick for more specifics.
If our faith community prays and works together, we can journey with our teens and families as they develop and deepen a personal relationship with Jesus.  The more we ACTIVATE ourselves and other parishioners, the more we all will REACH OUT to welcome, invite, and engage those on the “margins.”
 

Matthew Krumdrick   630-730-1368

If you want to sign up to support the vision, click here.