I had this dream about two weeks ago, and it’s been hanging around since then. Well, that’s not really true; it was more of an idea that I woke up to than a dream, but it was planted in my brain for a reason, and somehow it’s stuck there, not wanting to go away.
Before I explain about it, I need to give some background as to why this idea has been stuck. When I was a freshman in high school, I was just coming out of what I call my Dark Days, or the depression that plagued me for most of my middle school career. My parents and I had just transferred from one parish to another, and some of the adults from my previous parish came to the same one I was at. These adults, God bless them, took on the task of starting a youth group.
Before I was old enough, there had been this awesome youth group at the parish I had attended before. It always looked so much fun, and I waited for the day I could join in. So when we moved and this new youth group started up, I was apprehensive, but I had an idea of what we might do. I met a bunch of new people, and we weren’t instant friends, but it was pretty quick.
We had so much fun those years; fundraising for a workcamp we never went to, going to Youthfest and Steubenville East conferences, and just plain volunteering around the parish. We even acted out skits during the homily in Mass. It was such a blur, but I still remember the feeling I would get every time I would walk into the church.
Then, all of a sudden, things just . . . stopped. I remember there was something that happened; I think the funds for Youth Ministry were pulled from the Diocese or something. I just remember there was a solid reason why we didn’t get together anymore. Then, it’s like the community just forgot that there were a bunch of teens in church. Our lives went on, we grew up, and now the youngest member from the group is now a senior in college. I can’t help thinking that I’m not the only one who wants kids to be involved in the Church. Youth Group made being Catholic fun.
This brings me back to my dream: I want to bring Youth Ministry back to St. Joe’s. Now, I realize this would mean a lot of work and I’d probably have to get paid for it and I can’t create a full functioning Youth Group on the side which means I’d have to quit my job and get hired by the diocese. Still, there’s a big enough hole in my church community that could be filled by at least some programs in the summer (Vacation Bible School, trips to Jordan’s for the older kids). Plus it would take some time to get a whole program running.
My ideal program would be as follows, and I know that this would be way too much to handle myself. The whole goal is to help kids to learn about service and show them it’s not a bad thing. I’d start off with a high school-aged group, and we’d come together once a week to eat and talk; maybe get a movie to watch some weeks. Together we’d plan to do things for the community. Then I’d start a younger group, and they would do things like make decorations for bulletin boards and help serve coffee and donuts (I'd do the coffee, I'm not that stupid). I’d want to create a younger group that would feel like family for them when they do get older, it's an easy transition.
I know that I gained so much from hanging out with young Catholics like me. Even if it was just for an hour or two each week, it was an hour or two with people who have the same beliefs as me. It rooted me in my faith; showed me that I wasn’t the only one my age who believed like I believed.
I have so many different ideas and thoughts that I can’t help but get super excited when someone brings it up in conversation. Working in Cornish is fun and I’m getting a lot out of it, but I just can’t afford the gas and it’s kind of lonely riding up by myself. Youth ministry would be my dream job, and I find myself really wishing my priest or the DRE would pull me aside, offer me $20,000 a year (which is more than I’m getting now, but less than a teacher gets), and ask me to start Youth Ministry again. *Sighs* That would be so awesome. Not awesome as in surfer awesome, but full of awe, awesome.
There’s a passion inside of me, and there’s a need for it. I’m pretty sure that I have the talent for teaching kids about God. Plus, I’d be around my parish family. It’s the perfect job for me, and I really hope and pray that something like this comes along.
Before I explain about it, I need to give some background as to why this idea has been stuck. When I was a freshman in high school, I was just coming out of what I call my Dark Days, or the depression that plagued me for most of my middle school career. My parents and I had just transferred from one parish to another, and some of the adults from my previous parish came to the same one I was at. These adults, God bless them, took on the task of starting a youth group.
Before I was old enough, there had been this awesome youth group at the parish I had attended before. It always looked so much fun, and I waited for the day I could join in. So when we moved and this new youth group started up, I was apprehensive, but I had an idea of what we might do. I met a bunch of new people, and we weren’t instant friends, but it was pretty quick.
We had so much fun those years; fundraising for a workcamp we never went to, going to Youthfest and Steubenville East conferences, and just plain volunteering around the parish. We even acted out skits during the homily in Mass. It was such a blur, but I still remember the feeling I would get every time I would walk into the church.
Then, all of a sudden, things just . . . stopped. I remember there was something that happened; I think the funds for Youth Ministry were pulled from the Diocese or something. I just remember there was a solid reason why we didn’t get together anymore. Then, it’s like the community just forgot that there were a bunch of teens in church. Our lives went on, we grew up, and now the youngest member from the group is now a senior in college. I can’t help thinking that I’m not the only one who wants kids to be involved in the Church. Youth Group made being Catholic fun.
This brings me back to my dream: I want to bring Youth Ministry back to St. Joe’s. Now, I realize this would mean a lot of work and I’d probably have to get paid for it and I can’t create a full functioning Youth Group on the side which means I’d have to quit my job and get hired by the diocese. Still, there’s a big enough hole in my church community that could be filled by at least some programs in the summer (Vacation Bible School, trips to Jordan’s for the older kids). Plus it would take some time to get a whole program running.
My ideal program would be as follows, and I know that this would be way too much to handle myself. The whole goal is to help kids to learn about service and show them it’s not a bad thing. I’d start off with a high school-aged group, and we’d come together once a week to eat and talk; maybe get a movie to watch some weeks. Together we’d plan to do things for the community. Then I’d start a younger group, and they would do things like make decorations for bulletin boards and help serve coffee and donuts (I'd do the coffee, I'm not that stupid). I’d want to create a younger group that would feel like family for them when they do get older, it's an easy transition.
I know that I gained so much from hanging out with young Catholics like me. Even if it was just for an hour or two each week, it was an hour or two with people who have the same beliefs as me. It rooted me in my faith; showed me that I wasn’t the only one my age who believed like I believed.
I have so many different ideas and thoughts that I can’t help but get super excited when someone brings it up in conversation. Working in Cornish is fun and I’m getting a lot out of it, but I just can’t afford the gas and it’s kind of lonely riding up by myself. Youth ministry would be my dream job, and I find myself really wishing my priest or the DRE would pull me aside, offer me $20,000 a year (which is more than I’m getting now, but less than a teacher gets), and ask me to start Youth Ministry again. *Sighs* That would be so awesome. Not awesome as in surfer awesome, but full of awe, awesome.
There’s a passion inside of me, and there’s a need for it. I’m pretty sure that I have the talent for teaching kids about God. Plus, I’d be around my parish family. It’s the perfect job for me, and I really hope and pray that something like this comes along.
