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Tag Archives: Core Team

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After Life Night: What To Do?

By | March 18, 2013
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What could a Core Team do to still create community time that doesn’t involve eating or drinking? Here are a few fun ideas to do prior to, or following a Life Night, or any other random night to build a strong Core family.

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Dear Core Members . . .

By | December 6, 2012
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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 . . .

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The One Person You Need on Your Core Team

By | November 13, 2012
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Isn’t that what we want from our Core Members? If you’re anything like me in my early stages of youth ministry, you’re just happy with anyone who wants to be a part of the Core Team. As long as they were Catholic and breathing, they had a spot on my Core.

And guess what? We struggled. That’s not to say that these people were bad people. They were just in the wrong ministry. And as time went on, I realized that I didn’t need lots of bodies to be on my Core Team.

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A Good Shepherd Smells Like the Sheep

By | October 18, 2012
Image from http://www.ClipartOf.com/

All of a sudden between innings the song “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber came over the loud speakers as I was sitting in the stands of a high school baseball game with a group of parents. By instinct I commented “Oh. it’s the Bieber!” I immediately drew the stares of my peers who quickly commented “you knew that’s Justin Bieber?” I replied – of course. The rolling eyes told me that while these parents may be my age, they may not be as keyed into the lives of middle school and high school aged

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Multi-Generational Core: Commitment

By | March 19, 2012
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Commitment! This word takes on different meanings in every generation. Some people fear it; some embrace it with their entire being. In ministry it is something that we struggle with a lot: teen’s commitment, Core Team’s commitment, staff commitment, even our commitment. When you start talking about everyones different levels of commitment it’s tempting to end up doing what Generation iY does and take some anxiety medication to feel better about our responsibility or lack there of.

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Multi-Generational Core Teams

By | February 29, 2012
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Communication can be just one of the challenges when working with a multi-generational Core Team. Teaching and learning styles, work ethic, conveying expectations and affirmation all need to be managed in different ways. No matter when you were born, it can be intimidating to mentor and manage a generation younger or older than you. However, when you understand how to communicate, clearly articulate your expectations, encourage ongoing formation in Core’s spirituality and religious study, aid them in teaching this current generation with various techniques while affirming them in ways that speak to their gifts and talents, you will not only have a stronger Core Team, you will have stronger teens with a deeper relationship with Christ.

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Who’s Your Jeremy Lin?

By | February 28, 2012
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If you’ve turned on your TV at all in the past few weeks, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard the name Jeremy Lin, especially if you watch ESPN. Standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds, Jeremy Lin is the starting point guard for the New York Knicks. But it wasn’t always this way. Although a star in high school, Lin did not receive an athletic scholarship to play basketball in college. After playing at Harvard, he went undrafted but eventually got a deal to play

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The Catholic Youth Leaders Top 10 Christmas Songs

By | December 21, 2011
Christmas Ipod

You can’t go anywhere these days without catching some Christmas music. Radio stations, stores and even airplanes are playing Christmas music. So keeping in the spirit of Christmas, I have compiled the ultimate top 10 list of music that Catholic youth leaders are reflecting on this year. 1.) Little Drummer Boy – For that teen that you have playing excellent liturgical drums at Mass each week. 2.) Silent Night – for those times when you simply bring the teens in front of the Blessed Sacrament

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What’s Your Kryptonite?

By | December 9, 2011
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Virtually every superhero has some weakness that makes them weak or unable to perform. For Superman it is Kryptonite: a rock-like green substance from his homeland that causes him to lose all super powers. A couple of weeks ago, on a flight traveling home from NCYC, I sat next to what the world would say is a highly successful businessman. We began talking about a lot of topics, including God and many other parts of life. I asked him what was the key to his success — without hesitation, he turned

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Success: To the Core.

By | November 14, 2011

Across the board as I talk with many of you and listen to your joys and struggles, I hear consistently of a deep desire to have a vibrant, effective youth ministry in your parishes. Often in that same conversation I hear the difficulties of working with “volunteers” and the challenges that that brings. More often than not at the heart of the problem is not having spent the time properly “recruiting” Core Members and adequately preparing them for the ministry they are about to undertake.