parent packet 2019-2020 · 2019. 9. 19. · teens to an average of 45+ teens per night. the lord...

Parent Packet 2019-2020

www.stjosphbcs.org/youthministry

Hello Parents of St. Joseph Catholic Church,

Thank you so much for being a part of our parish and youth ministry. We are excited that you are investing in your child’s formation and education and are so excited to work with you and your family this coming year. This packet includes information that you will need for the year.

Pope Francis tells us in Christus Vivit,

Young people are not meant to become discouraged; they are meant to dream great things, to seek vast horizons, to aim higher, to take on the world, to accept challenges and to offer the best of themselves to the building of something better.

Youth ministry is important because our youth are important. The St. Joseph Youth Ministry Team desires to bring our young people closer to Christ and to encourage them to do what Pope Francis says they are meant to do. Ultimately, we want our young people to live in freedom and to love and serve the Lord.

The mission of SJYM is to bring our young people into an encounter and relationship with Christ so that they may pursue eternal life with Him. We do this by walking alongside them in relationship, teaching them how to pray and worship, and providing truths of the Catholic Church established by Jesus.

As parents, your role in your child’s faith life is infinitely more influential than ours could ever be. If there’s anything we can do to help you take the faith home, let us know. We also ask that you pray for our young people in SJYM, that they may be open to the ways the Lord wants to move in their hearts. We encourage you to take a step further and participate in our youth program. We have many opportunities for the parents and our parish to volunteer, including as small group leaders, as meal team helpers, and on our leadership team.

We want to give you some insight into who we, your St. Joseph Youth Ministry Team, are. Each one of us works for Ablaze Ministries, a nonprofit organization that provides mentored, trained, and supported youth ministers to parishes. The Ablaze Ministries Bryan Office serves in three parishes: St. Joseph's in Bryan, St. Mary’s in Brenham, and St. Anthony's in Bryan. We, the 3 missionaries dedicated to serving St. Joseph’s, are overjoyed to be serving here and to be a part of the faith formation of your children. We are so excited to create a youth program where your children can grow in faith and love, create lifelong community, and explore the mission Christ has put in each of their hearts. We would love to get to know each one of you and answer any questions you may have. Our contact information can be found below.

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St. Joseph Youth Ministry Team

Sarah Lessmann // Ignite Middle School Youth Minister I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences - Youth Development. The Lord called me to Ablaze Ministries in December 2017 -- and I have been filled with immense gratitude and excitement ever since. My heart is full of joy as we enter into another year with our young people. Matt Rice // Interim Journey High School Youth Minister I have been working in youth ministry since August of 2001. I began ministry at St. Joseph in 2009, building the middle school ministry from 9 teens to an average of 45+ teens per night. The Lord led me to founding Ablaze Ministries in 2011 and have since been working with our missionaries to mentor and form them. Debra Borski // Confirmation and Youth RCIA Program Coordinator I graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences - Youth Development. I joined Ablaze in the Spring of 2016 as the Confirmation Coordinator. I am excited to accompany your youth in preparation for their sacraments!

Thank you and God Bless,

Sarah Lessmann Middle School Youth Minister [email protected] 979-485-9910 Ext. 711

Matt Rice Interim High School Youth Minister [email protected] 979-485-9910

Debra Borski Confirmation Coordinator [email protected] 979-485-9910

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Table of Contents Goals for the year 4

- Curriculum - Youth Nights - Attendance - Meals

SJYM Fall 2019 Calendar 6 Events 7

- Encounter - Retreats

• AWAKEN Lock-In • How He Loves • Confirmation

- Camp BASIC

Communication 10 - Flocknote - Social Media - Bulletin Announcements

Resources 11 - Beyond the Pew - Formed

Other Opportunities 12 - High School Leadership Team - Youth Mass Participation - Youth RCIA

Forms 13 - Online Registration - Consent Form - Discipline Policy - Dress Code - Medical Release

Volunteers 14

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Goals for the Year We desire to do more than teach. We absolutely love the Faith, and our job is just a small part of that. Our personal goal is to offer every youth a true encounter with Jesus Christ and to cultivate an environment of discipleship. It is never too early - or too late - to encounter our Lord and Savior and live a life with full abandon to Him.

CURRICULUM This year, the Middle School Program, Ignite, will cover the Creed, the prayer prayed at every Mass that states what we believe as Catholics, and sacraments, an outward sign of an inward change. Ignite will be using The Catholic Connections Handbook. The High School Program, Journey, will study how, the revelation of Jesus in scripture and the mission of Jesus. Journey uses The Catholic Faith Handbook For Youth 3rd edition. Through our programs, we hope to bring a greater understanding of the Church’s teachings and how they apply to us today.

YOUTH NIGHTS Our yearly topics will be covered through our youth nights. At each youth night, we will preach about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, along with whatever our topic is that week. There are a variety of types of youth nights we use in order to reach youth:

Teaching/Catechesis: These are the most common youth nights and when the base curriculum is taught. They typically involve a dynamic talk given by the youth minister, a core team member, or a guest speaker.

Issue/Pastoral: These youth nights look very similar to teaching nights. However, the topic of the night is not specified by the curriculum. Instead, issue nights are primarily about issues we face in our world today. These range anywhere from bullying to gay marriage to good/bad literature. We typically choose a topic recognized to be prevalent in the lives of your children.

Prayer: On these nights, we will be learning about different ways to pray, so that your children can discover how they prefer to communicate with God and how God may communicate with them. These nights will be carefully guided by the core team and the youth minister and may involve the Mass, the Rosary, Journaling, or Praise and Worship.

Social: Social nights are important for a variety of reasons, including bringing in youth who may not be open to their faith and building trust with youth so they are more willing to participate in small group. These nights are typically found at the beginning, middle, and end of the semester, but may vary depending on the curriculum and how many nights we have in a semester. Social nights are an important part of building a well around person and faith, and is needed within our curriculum.

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ATTENDANCE

For those preparing for Confirmation, attendance is vital. According to Diocesan Policy, to be eligible for Confirmation Preparation, students must be in 10th to 12th Grade and have regularly attended formal faith formation 2 years prior to receiving the sacrament of Confirmation. For example: If a student would like to receive the sacrament of Confirmation in their 10th grade year, they must have an 80% or better attendance at SJYM (or Catholic schooling) their 9th and 10th grade year. Students who fall below the 80% attendance point will not be able to count that year toward the Diocese required 2 year prerequisite for Confirmation preparation and would thus not be eligible for Confirmation.

● Over a period of 2 years, SJYM has an average of 60 youth nights. Each night counts as 10 attendance points. In order to have at least 80% attendance, students must have at least 480 attendance points earned 2 years prior to Confirmation to be eligible for Confirmation. Retreats and other opportunities are offered throughout the year where additional attendance points can be earned.

● Tardy Policy: ○ When a person arrives tardy it can be a distraction and difficult for them to engage

and be engaged by the youth night in progress. We recognize this happens from time to time and have a tardy policy for these instances.

○ If a teen arrives after 7:15 p.m., they will only receive half of the attendance points. ○ If a teen arrives after 7:45 p.m., they are still welcome, but will receive no attendance

points. ● Teens can earn additional attendance points through a variety of ways:

○ The Middle School AWAKEN Fall Retreat on October 19-20 will add 40 attendance points to a youth’s total.

○ The High School Fall Retreat on November 22-24 will add 40 attendance points to a youth’s total.

○ The Confirmation Retreat on November 9-10 will add 40 attendance points to a youth’s total.

● When a teen is to be absent, the Youth Ministry Office (Sarah Lessmann and Matt Rice) does not need to be contacted. The attendance policy is generous with opportunities for added attendance points. Since we are adhering to Diocesan requirements, no absences are to be excused.

*Please don’t take youth night attendance lightly. The Diocese of Austin requires at least 2 consecutive years of youth group attendance preceding the Sacrament of Confirmation (for most of our youth, that is their 8th and 9th grade years).

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MEALS We provide meals at youth night. The suggested donation is $2 per meal or $20 per semester. We will have a basket where the youth can place a donation for the meal. If a student does not have money for a donation, they will not be turned away; all are welcome to the table!

SJYM Fall 2019 Calendar Below are the Ignite & Journey dates for Fall 2019. Dates are subject to change, but you will always know in advance if we move any youth nights around.

DATE EVENT LOCATION

9/8 FALL KICK-OFF [HS & MS] ST. JOSEPH’S SECONDARY SCHOOL FIELD

9/15 YOUTH NIGHT SJSS GYM


9/29 ENCOUNTER [ALL PARISH] CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHAPEL



10/19-10/20 AWAKEN [MS RETREAT] ST. ANTHONY’S

10/20 HS ONLY YOUTH NIGHT SJSS GYM



11/9-11/10 CONFIRMATION RETREAT CROSS ROADS RETREAT CENTER // CALDWELL



11/22-11/24 HOW HE LOVES [HS RETREAT] MESSIAH’S RANCH

11/24 NO YN

12/1 ENCOUNTER [ALL PARISH] CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD CHAPEL


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12/15 CAMPFIRE SOCIAL [HS & MS] ST. JOSEPH’S COMPLEX

SPRING 1/5 SPRING KICK-OFF [HS & MS] SJSS GYM

SJSS GYM: St. Joseph Secondary School Gym YOUTH NIGHT: Represents youth night for both middle school and high school. We gather in the SJSS gym together, but separate for our curriculum. Typically, middle school stays in the gym and high school moves to Christ the Good Shepherd Chapel. High school will be transferring to a “small group model” this coming year.

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Events Every semester, Ablaze Ministries and SJYM offer a number of events for youth of all ages and levels of faith. Below is some information for some of these events. If you have any questions or would like to register for any events, please contact us!

ENCOUNTER September 28 and December 1 Encounter is a prayer ministry held each semester and hosted by Ablaze Ministries for the parishes within Brazos Valley. Typically each night has praise and worship, a talk by a guest speaker, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Everyone is invited to attend. This event is always free and is held at St. Joseph’s Secondary School in Christ the Good Shepherd Chapel.

RETREATS Every semester, we offer a middle school and high school retreat for all parishes in the Brazos Valley. Our retreats are filled with prayer, teaching, and fun! Registration cost and theme will be announced closer to the retreat date. AWAKEN: Middle School (6th-8th) // October 19-20 AWAKEN is an annual lock-in open to ALL 6th-8th grade students and includes talks, adoration, games, and staying up all night! Through the lens of the parable of the lost sheep, AWAKEN 2019 should encourage youth to recognize their identity as a son or daughter of God. Youth should understand that even when they are lost, the Lord is still seeking them, and their identity never changes. Youth should also be inspired to respond to the call to share their identity with others, and accompany others into knowledge of their own identity in the Lord. Watch Highlights from our last AWAKEN lock-in: https://vimeo.com/350191113 Who: 6th-8th grade What: Middle School Retreat/Lock-In Where: St. Anthony's in Bryan When: 10/19 (3pm) - 10/20 (8am) Early-bird (9/22-9/25): $60 Regular (9/26-10/6): $70 Late (10/7-10/18): $85 [will not receive t-shirt] Non-refundable deposit: $40 How to register: Link will be sent as we get closer to registration First 5 to sign up: First to every meal, get a different colored shirt than everyone else, get a VIP Pass (with a secret prize!)

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https://vimeo.com/350191113

How He Loves: High School (9th-12th) // November 22-24 Every semester we attend a retreat hosted by Ablaze Ministries and their missionaries, including the SJYM youth minister. Friday of the retreat will be for upperclassmen and Saturday and Sunday will be for all classes. Our retreat this year will specifically focus on the Love of the Lord. The retreat will be at Messiah’s Ranch. Who: 9th-12th grade What: High School Retreat Where: Messiah’s Ranch Early-bird (9/29-10/15): $60 Regular (10/16-11/8): $80 Late (11/9-11/15): $100 How to register: Link will be sent as we get closer to registration First 5 to sign up: First to every meal, get a different colored shirt than everyone else, get a VIP Pass (with a secret prize!) Confirmation // November 9-10 To best prepare our young people for Confirmation, we provide a Confirmation retreat for our youth to attend. The retreat will be at Cross Roads Retreat Center.

CAMP BASIC Date TBD Camp BASIC is our annual summer camp available for all incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. This 5 day, 4 night camp offers a week of fun outdoor activities, including basketball, volleyball, swimming, canoeing, the BLOB, and more. We have talks given by dynamic speakers, praise and worship, dramas, and other faith-filled activities. This is a one-of-a-kind summer camp, and we hope to see your youth there! More information and registration will be available in the spring semester.

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Communication It is important to us that you are a part of our ministry. One way in which we do this is through communication. We want to keep you informed about our upcoming youth events and the curriculum your youth is learning. Below are the different forms of communication we use to keep you informed. This year we have made changes to our weekly Flocknote, so please fill out the registration form whether you have already been in the program or it’s your first year. Please, let us know if your contact information changes during the year so we can keep you updated.

FLOCKNOTE Flocknote is an email/newsletter database that will be our primary means of communication with you. Every week, you will receive an email containing any announcements for upcoming events and any extra resources we might have for you that week. If you do not have an email, but you have a cell phone, these newsletters will be sent as a text message to your phone. If you do not have an email or a cell phone, or you do not sign up using the links below, you will not be able to receive these emails, which could mean loss of vital information for you. If you need accommodations to be made, please let us know. Otherwise, we will assume you have the information by other means. To set up Flocknote, go to the following link

Class Year Flocknote Registration Link

Middle School Ignite Class of 2024 https://StJosephBryan.flocknote.com/Ignite2024



High School Journey Class of 2020 https://StJosephBryan.flocknote.com/journey2020




SOCIAL MEDIA We use Instagram and Facebook to make announcements, share resources, post pictures from our events and youth nights, and update you on what the youth program is up to.

● Instagram: follow us @st.josephsbryan ● Facebook: like us at St. Joseph’s Bryan Youth Ministry

BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENTS Bulletin announcements will be used for large events, such as retreats, service events, and area-wide events. Anything in a bulletin announcement will also be sent out in a Flocknote, so you should not be missing any information.

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Resources Ablaze Ministries also has resources which can help bring the Catholic faith into your home. We hope it is something that you and your child may benefit from!

BEYOND THE PEW www.youtube.com/user/CCFMtx

Beyond the Pew is a vlog (video blog) for parents that discusses topics we cover at Ignite and Journey and ways to live out the faith as a family. Led by our directors of youth ministry, Beyond the Pew gives short, easy videos for you to watch and apply. Each semester series of Beyond the Pew focuses on a specific topic, typically chosen from issues faced in the world today and common issues you may come across while raising your children in the Catholic faith. This FREE resource is specifically for you, the parents, and is a great way to help you help your child grow in relationship with Jesus Christ. Follow the URL above to get started!

FORMED https://stjosephbcs.org/formed

St. Joseph’s has subscribed to a dynamic new online platform called FORMED. This is an extension of the Symbolon program and adds some of the best Catholic programs, videos, audio, movies and e-books. Every parishioner has 24/7 access to the best Catholic content on any device, including your computer, smartphone and tablet with internet access. With FORMED, you’ll find video programs that explain the Catholic faith, explore the deepest meaning of marriage, receive Bible studies on a variety of topics and includes inspiring audio talks. You’ll find presenters like Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Edward Sri, Dr. Mary Healey, Chris Stefanick, Dr. Scott Hahn, Bishop Robert Barron and a lot more. They’re all part of our parish subscription. It truly is the Catholic faith - on demand. It’s free and easy to join. You have access through the FORMED website and mobile app on iOS and Android devices: 1. Go to stjosephbcs.formed.org 2. Click “Register” 3. Enter your name, email address, and desired password 4. You’re all ready to access the inspiring and engaging content on FORMED!

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http://www.youtube.com/user/CCFMtx

Other Opportunities HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM Youth often get labeled as not being mature enough to lead, but given the right guidance and direction, we know they can be incredibly creative and influential. During middle school retreats, we will have an opportunity for these high schoolers to volunteer by helping lead small groups, plan and be in skits, and give talks. Contact our High School Youth Minister for more information.

YOUTH MASS PARTICIPATION As the 5:30 Mass in the Good Shepherd Chapel is directly before our youth nights, we want to give the youth in our parish the opportunity to serve and to be a part of the Mass. Thus, we are putting a large emphasis this year on having youth serve in different ways throughout the Mass. The purpose of this Mass is not to discourage other age groups from going, but, instead, to encourage the youth to attend and to make them feel a part of the community. If your youth would be interested in serving as a lector, altar server, or in the choir, please contact Sarah Lessmann at [email protected] or Pat in the church office.

YOUTH RCIA If you are interested in your middle school or high school youth receiving any of the following: Baptism, First Reconciliation, and/or First Communion, please reserve Wednesday nights starting in September for youth RCIA classes. More information will be available in the bulletin and on the parish website, so please keep an eye out for more details or contact Debra Borski at [email protected] to be added to the list.

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mailto:[email protected]

Forms Before our semester can begin, there are some policies and forms that we need you to fill out during your online registration. Below are descriptions of the forms. ONLINE REGISTRATION We are moving our registration online. To register, go to: stjosephbcs.weshareonline.org/youthMinistry CONSENT FORM Grants permission for your youth to attend SJYM youth nights and events and gives Ablaze Ministries the right to photograph and video record your youth to use, including the right to post or publish on the internet. DISCIPLINE POLICY Discipline looks different from family to family, and our youth group is its own family. After evaluating and discussing our last couple years in ministry, we compiled our own discipline policy for youth nights. Attached to this packet is a version for you to keep at home for your own records.

DRESS CODE Because we will be having some youth nights in the Christ the Good Shepherd Chapel and will be offering Mass and Adoration at other events, we want to make sure that we are prepared, through our dress, to encounter Jesus at all the Ignite and Journey events. Please see the dress code included in the registration packet for more information. MEDICAL RELEASE With so many events happening within a semester, keeping track of who has and hasn’t signed a medical release can be kind of crazy. By signing one now, it takes care of the entire fall and spring semesters’ worth of events.

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Volunteers This ministry is only possible with your help! Please take the time to sign up with your youth minister in person or through email. Each role only has so many spots open so it will be first come first served.

MEAL TEAM MINISTRY (1) Meal team coordinator

- Orders, picks up, and serves food at each youth night - Leads a team to serve the food

SMALL GROUP LEADERS All Adult Leaders & Small Group Leaders will be responsible for calling and checking in with their small group once a week.

(2-4) Adult Leaders for the 11th and 12th grade group (6) SGL for the 10th grade class

(6-7) SGL for 9th grade class (2-3) SGL for the 6th grade class (3-5) SGL for the 7th grade class (4-6) SGL for the 8th grade class

Welcome/Greeters (2-3) Welcome the youth to each youth night and making sure they sign in.

Registration (1-2) During the youth night these volunteers will check in with parents of the youth who did not come to the youth night.

Security (2) Walk around during youth night and keep up with head counts, making sure no youth leaves and there isn’t anyone that isn’t supposed to be there. Also, help with drop-off and pick-up safety.

Transportation (5) Be willing and able to transport youth to and from different locations for events and retreats.

Chaperones We are required to have a specific number of adults per child at each event. It is easy to meet the requirement on Ablaze events, but not when we attend Diocesan events such as DCYC (Waco) and Discipleship week.

Retreat Team (6) provide one retreat meal per semester (4) partake in retreat activities/ lead small groups on retreat, security (sleep by doors) on retreat

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parent packet 2019-2020 · 2019. 9. 19. · teens to an average of 45+ teens per night. the lord...

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