Blog

Tag Archives: Community

Blog

How to Rock the Parish Bulletin

By | March 21, 2011

I visit a lot of parishes in the course of a year and I usually will pick up a parish bulletin to see what is happening. Since my passion squarely is with parish youth ministry, I always look at how the youth leader communicates with the community via the bulletin. First of all, let me say that I have seen some great examples and some epic fails on the part of my fellow Catholic youth ministers. If you ever struggle with the concept and wonder if it makes any difference at all, here are three ways

Blog

Why Not?

By | February 8, 2011

At times over the past few years, I have found myself serenaded by a chorus of “Why?” Why would we suggest this or that? Why did we start summer camps in the midst of a Church safe environment crisis? Why does Life Teen continue to grow even in the midst of youth ministry cutbacks in the Church? To all the members of the “Why Chorus” – I simply say you may want to change the tune to “Why Not?”

Liturgy Planning Guide

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – 06/19/2011

Keywords: | | | |

Life Night

Ya’ll Come Back Now, Ya Hear? | Active membership in the Church

Keywords:

The goal of this night is to recognize the need for action in our faith lives. To be an active member of the Catholic Church involves a life of service beginning in the home and the parish. Our participation in the life of the Church should be more than just weekly attendance of mass; we are all called into full and active membership of the Church.

Life Night

On a Role… | The Visible Structure of the Church: a Hierarchical Communion

Keywords: | | | | | | | |

The goal of this Life Night is to help the teens understand why Christ set up a hierarchical structure within the Church. The night will also show the teens the importance of the role of the laity within the mission of the Church.

Blog

How to Overcome the All or Nothing Mindset

By | January 3, 2011

I tend to be an all or nothing person when it comes to my expectation of doing things. I know that this is a weakness for me. God has lately kept reminding me of how merciful He is to me and how much of a work in progress I am. So last year I decided to apply a new rule for getting things done within the ministry of Life Teen.

Blog

Move That Bus! 3 Elements of a Catholic Youth Ministry Makeover

By | December 28, 2010

What if you could take a week long break with your family and go to Disneyworld while a team of youth ministry “guru’s” came in and did an extreme makeover of youth ministry at your parish? When you returned and yelled – “Move that bus!”, and the bus rolled away – what would be different?

Blog

The Graphic Tee and Latin Mass Parts Generation

By | September 22, 2010

You have seen them. You know the teens and twenty somethings that are sporting the large print graphic t-shirts and wearing the jeans with the holes worn in them. They are looking the part of the edgy generation, but in reality they are part of the growing population of the sold out younger generation of Orthodox Catholics.

Blog

3 Books That Can Help You Keep Your Heart Open

By | September 19, 2010

People are often asking me to recommend books to read. As a Catholic leader we need to be reading on a regular basis. I have made a commitment over the past several years to read books. I read all types of books and often people recommend books for me to read. I have grown to really love reading and learning from what I read. Here are 3 books that I believe have the ability to make you stronger in your Catholic faith by helping keep your heart open.

Blog

It Goes with the Territory

By | July 20, 2010

When I was growing up almost every time I would whine and complain about something, my dad would simply say – “It goes with the territory” – meaning that more than likely what I was complaining about was something that went along with either the choices I had made or that it was part of being the age I was and wishing I was more grown up. The reality for us in Catholic youth ministry is that there are a lot of potentially unpleasant things we face simply because it goes with the territory. The key is not focusing on all the negatives we face but in realizing the positives that go with the territory.