Origins in Youth Ministry

I remember becoming a father and feeling both excited and afraid of my ability to raise a child. Seeking guidance, I got involved with the school district and the PTA. I noticed a need for a Christian perspective in my daughter's life, which led me to enroll her in a Religious Education class at our church after discussing it with my wife.

As my daughter progressed through the program, I became interested in helping. Despite my initial apprehension about my lack of qualifications, I approached the Faith Formation Department and soon found myself volunteering in a first-grade class. Through this experience, I discovered a desire to share my faith with others.

Throughout my children's faith formation, I volunteered and eventually had the opportunity to serve as a Staff Member on the Middle School Ministry team. With my daughter entering Middle School, I saw the importance of sharing the Gospel and knew I needed the right tools. I recognized the community's lively involvement in sharing the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, the love of Jesus Christ, and its teachings. Still, the challenge was how to implement this energy while considering adolescents' unique qualities.

I adopted the phrase "Traveling Companion of Young People" from Saint Pope John Paul II and sought to meet the unique needs of the youth. Inspired by the document "Renewing the Vision," I identified three primary goals for our ministry: empowering youth to live as Disciples of Christ, engaging them in the life of the Catholic Church, and fostering their personal growth.

There it was! Goals to begin ministering to youth in a format that is complete and fulfills the mission of the church.  Recognizing that social events alone weren't enough to achieve our goals, I began integrating various aspects of ministry that I learned at the Diocese of Austin and the Center of Ministry Development, including Advocacy, Catechesis, and Evangelization. I worked with volunteers to plan using these aspects around a calendar of activities and to evaluate our ministry, ensuring it was age-appropriate and involved family participation. This collaborative effort led to the creation of "Solid Spirit," a Youth Group inspired by the mustard seed parable from Matthew 13:31.

Solid Spirit impacted the Parish in two ways, increasing youth participation from 72 teens to over 400, and fueling a family participation in parish life.

Reflecting on my journey as a father, I realized that my vision for my children mirrored the vision I had for all the youth in our Parish. Allowing opportunities for faith, love, mercy, and discipleship to fulfill the lives of youth and their families.

We have only begun to renew our vision with young people, but if they know we will be consistent and always be there when they call, young people will find a life in Christ. 

If you’d like to chat about how to connect with young people today or figure out a youth group's goals, just let me know!

I’m here to help, contact me.