As a parish Youth Minister for 8 years, I always heard of the importance of making sure I was taking care of myself, especially spiritually, but honestly, this was hard. I often found myself going from event to event or meeting to meeting, and by the time I got home, all I wanted to do was crash on the couch.
One thing that always held me accountable to spending time in prayer and community was called the Life Teen 2:42 Gathering, based on Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” These gatherings seek to bring Youth Ministers together in a spirit of community to pray, share the faith, and get up-to-date news on Youth Ministry locally and nationally.
If you are the Youth Minister for your parish, here are 5 important aspects of Life Teen 2:42 Gatherings:
- Teaching of the Apostles: As Youth Ministers, we tend to do a lot of teaching, but it’s also important that we spend time learning as well. 2:42 Gatherings give Youth Ministers an opportunity to dive deeper into the teachings of the Church. This may be done through reading and studying the Sunday scriptures, a papal encyclical, or a book by the Saints.
- Community: Community is such a vital part to living a Catholic life. 2:42 Gatherings offer Youth Ministers the opportunity to get to know each other and support each other in this blessed, but challenging, ministry.
- Breaking of the Bread: What would a Youth Ministry gathering be without food? Most 2:42 Gatherings offer some food, and some even offer an opportunity to celebrate Mass together.
- Prayers: In my 8 years as a parish Youth Minister, I always wanted as many prayers as I could get. Each 2:42 Gathering gives Youth Ministers an opportunity to pray together and share any prayer intentions they may have.
- Connection to Greater Community: Have you ever felt like you were out of the loop? 2:42 Gatherings give Youth Ministers an opportunity to get up-to-date information on what’s going on with Life Teen on a national level, as well as go over any local business that needs to be discussed.
Each 2:42 Gathering is unique and planned by one of our Area Contacts throughout the country. Area Contacts are Youth Ministry veterans who desire to support other Youth Ministers. Below are some dates for upcoming 2:42 Gatherings. For time and location contact the local Area Contact listed.
- Central Texas: August 12th, contact Tony Deosdale tonyd@sfasat.org
- St. Petersburg, FL: August 13th, contact Neil Kennedy nkennedy@annunciationorlando.org
- Fresno, CA: September 12th, contact Martha Perry holyspirityouthminister@gmail.com
- Houston: September 24th, contact Brian Johnson bjohnson@archgh.org
- Kentucky: September 26th, contact Joan Root jroot@cdlex.org
- Eastern Ohio: October 6th , contact Nancy Fiamingo nancyf1223@gmail.com
- Phoenix, AZ: October 6th contact Eric Porteous eporteous@lifeteen.com
- Virginia: November 5th, contact Angela Hamrick amhamrick@att.net
Don’t see your location listed? Contact your local Area Contact to find out when the next 2:42 Gathering is scheduled in your area.
