Summer in youth ministry – it’s flipping sweet. While much of the parish seems to be slowing down and relaxing, summer is when youth ministry hits high gear. Why? Teens are off of school and looking for things to do! During the school year, we’re competing with everything from homework overload to play and choir to sports and other extracurriculars. Add in some good family time, and Church offerings are often squeezed out. But using the opportunity of summer right can really help your
iPhone games are the best.
Angry Birds, Plants Versus Zombies, Infinity Blade, Fruit Ninja, Temple Run – the list of our favorite games to play on our phones could go on and on. It’s really convenient to pull out my phone and be entertained while waiting in line somewhere, or for a few minutes at home before we’ve got to saddle up to head out somewhere.
Maybe it’s the dark earlier that makes your nights seem later when you’re turning off the lights alone. Maybe it’s the cold. But I always seemed to lose focus around here – worrying about numbers and fundraising goals. I forgot the real reasons I was in youth ministry and the blessing of the call and started thinking about the “work” I was burdened with.
He went on, that we have this refrain in our faith, that you’ve probably all heard countless times: “This is the day the Lord has made!” This day. He didn’t make this day for another day, God gave us this day for this day.
So what are we fighting for today? That can be complicated in a youth ministry mindset. We have big picture dreams and goals. We have events to plan that are months, sometimes years away. It is easy to let our focus be on these tomorrows – and on these events.
But today, Christ has placed you in this ministry to love and serve and lead teens closer to Him.
I think we’ve all seen them. You know . . . the holy people. And we always want to be more like them – we want to be the prayer warriors, the people that are in church, praying our rosaries, hanging out with Jesus in the Adoration chapel, learning scripture and reading spiritually inspiring books.
Some Sunday nights, after the floors have been swept and the chairs put away, as I was turning off the lights and locking the doors, I would just think “I can’t do this.” Countless nights after rough bible studies or Life Nights gone wrong or social events that seemed more solo than social, I would have similar thoughts.
Rodd, the Core Team, and the teens of St. Rose of Lima are simply asking for your continued prayers – and to gather as a group to pray a rosary for all those affected by the shooting in Newtown last December.
To go along with this praying of the rosary, he’d love for you to take a picture of the group who prayed together (perhaps holding a sign with your parish name & location). You can then forward that photo to me – joec@lifeteen.com – and I will send them all along to Rodd, who will share them with his community. If you are able and willing to participate in this prayer with us, please send your photo along by January 31.
Dear Core Members,
Maybe I say it a lot, maybe I don’t. It can’t possibly be enough. I’m pretty sure teens don’t say it very often – either way, again, it isn’t often enough. Parents probably say it, but they most likely don’t really know what they’re saying it for, exactly. I know our pastor says it, but again, not enough . . .
That opportunity lays before us at our parishes all the time – but too often we are stuck in routines, or afraid to take the risk. We’re afraid of spending a little more than we planned for that kick-off or that Christmas break all-nighter-of-awesomeness . . . but maybe if we got a little more creative and were willing to go big – Go big or go home! – (and tighten the belt on the pizza budget maybe?) we can make that kick-off or that all-nighter or that retreat first night activity the talked of the year – where grads are still talking about the awesome sumo-wrestling night or that huge bounce-house-sprinkler-pool-combo-water-war or whatever you can think of.
We can’t go into our Life Nights pretending. We can’t just go through the motions. This ministry to teens – this loving and serving of others – isn’t about putting on a show or an act. Our hearts, our entire beings must be behind this “yes” to Christ with how we will live our lives and how we live out this ministry that we are called to.