Youth Ministry
GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. LEARN WHAT HE WANTS FOR YOUR LIFE. LEARN HOW TO TRULY LIVE.
OUR STRUCTURE
BOTW acknowledges that there needs to be a strong connection between home, parish, and school in order to create optimal support for all individuals in our Catholic Church. To best achieve this we believe that a new model of doing Youth Ministry is essential. Our model involves hiring engaging, knowledgeable Youth Ministers who, under the direction and supervision of the parish priest, actively work and serve in the affiliated school(s) on a daily basis in cooperation with the Principal and staff of the school. With a continual presence in the school our Youth Minister(s) are able to build relationships with both church going and non-church going students AND with the teachers and staff; this has a positive impact on fostering a connection between school, church and ultimately the home. BOTW helps support this initiative by providing wages for one administrative workday and workplace for each Youth Minister hired.
Once a relationship is formed, students are more compelled to join the weekly Youth Night program at the parish, and become more involved in the parish life overall. Often times our Youth Minister is invited to help catechize students in the classroom by selecting a topic of discussion each week which is presented to all elementary school classes. In addition, prayer services for staff and students are held, and lunch programs for Grades 5-8 run twice per week.
Youth Nights take students on a journey of understanding and embracing their Catholic faith as part of their everyday lives. In a one-month cycle, Youth Night consists of two Catechesis Nights,a current Issue Night, and a Social Night, where games, activities, music, and dinner are incorporated to contribute to the experience.
Every Saturday for Teen Night, high school aged students gather for the evening Mass, and spend an hour afterwards discussing issues and topics relevant to them through the lens of the Catholic faith. A social night is held once per month!
Youth Ministry also includes an annual youth conference trip (Steubenville Toronto), fundraising, Vacation Bible School, Sacramental preparation, parent learning and involvement, and more!
OUR “BIG, HAIRY, ODACIOUS” GOALS
- to hire (in collaboration with the parishes) one engaging, knowledgeable, faith-filled Youth Minister as a full-time position for every two parishes in our diocese…
23 YOUTH MINISTERS!
- to raise enough monies/donations to support BOTW/Parish Youth Minister’s administrative wages and cost of workspace…
$8,820 X 23 = $191,360.00 per year
- to raise enough monies/donations to host one major Youth event for our diocese…
$20,000.00 per year
- to foster and spread this model of Youth Ministry to surrounding dioceses through our measured success of growth and to build networks between our diocese and others…
Priceless
OUR MISSION
We often take it upon ourselves to define “love” according to our own perceptions—our emotional wants and biases—losing sight of what the word truly means. What does it mean to love oneself? What does this love require? How does it shape the mind, body, and soul?
It is only when we love ourselves according to the way our Lord loves us that we can truly love another human being. This love requires insight and understanding; it is life-giving and unconditional, dignified and respectful, profound and joy-filled. It is the love with which Christ built his Church. The teachings of the Church are our guide on this Earth. Our mission is to bring our youth to this understanding, making their faith part of their everyday decisions and actions, helping them to be who they were created to be!
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself…”
Matthew 22:37-39
“Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
1 Timothy 4:12
TESTIMONIALS
“Our youth are our future—the future of our Church, and the future of our world. Society and sin has convinced a vast number of people that there is no real truth—no right and wrong. These young people, if raised in the hope and love of Christ, will stand up and prove that truth does exist—in all corners of the world—and they will live that truth through being disciples of Jesus Christ. In order to fight the battle between good and evil, our youth need to be properly formed in Christ and equipped with knowledge. There is no greater investment that our Church can make than into that goal. The power of our youth population is confirmed each time I witness a young person learning about their faith; nothing can take away the truth that is depicted as they realize how beautiful the world is through the eyes of the Church. These children understand dignity and integrity, and learning about it literally puts a twinkle in their eyes. Though they are not afraid to strive for true, faith-filled love, a support system needs to be there to expose them to it, and THAT is Youth Ministry. These young people, in turn, will change this world.”
Roberta Plantic, Director of Youth Ministry
“Roberta Plantic, the Director of the Youth Ministry at Branches of the Word and the Youth Minister at St. Mary of Assumption Parish, is nurturing our students’ faith, and helping them see the importance of the interconnectedness of home, school and church.”
Michael Hendrickse, Principal of St Anthony Catholic School
“Youth Ministry is a fun way to connect with fellow Catholics and to be closer to our faith and God…incorporating faith and fun together!”
Mackenzie I., student
“It’s a great way to learn… about what our society tells us and what our faith tells us.”
Tyler W., student