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FAITH FORMATION: Teen Ministry
- U.N.I.T.Y.
Last revised:
August 22, 2008 12:13 PM
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"Jesus is living next to you in the brothers and sister
with whom you share your daily existence."
~ Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day XII
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On This Page:
About Us | FAQ about Youth Ministry
| Witness: Blessing of Teen Ministry | Goals
of Youth Ministry
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A New Season for Teens! U.N.I.T.Y.
All 9th through 12th grade teens are invited
to join us for what promises to be a faith and fun-filled year.
If you are about to be a 9th grader, then it is time to join us,
is you are in a higher grade but have never attended a U.N.I.T.Y.
function, it is time to join us. Come every week or come when you
can ...but be there! Come alone or bring a friend but you better
be ready to make new friends, cause it's gonna' happen! Take a look
to what is happening this year. Mark your calendars...NOW!
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- September 14th First Weekly Session
Sundays from 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
- October 3th Trunk or Treat!
- October 11th Saturday, Step Out Walk
for Diabetes at the Detroit Zoo
- Fall Retreat November 14th - 16th
Camp Copeneconic
- Caroling / December
- New Year's Eve - St. Michael
- January 2nd - Lock-In
- Spring Retreat April 24th-26th - The
Subiaco Retreat House
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STEP-OUT
WALK FOR DIABETES
October 11, 2008 at the Detroit Zoo
All 9th through 12th grade teens are invited.
On Saturday, October 11th the youth ministry team and I will
be at the Detroit Zoo with as many teens that are willing
to participate for this worthy event at a very cool spot.
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The walk will be two miles and will start at 8:00
am and afterward we will be able to spend a couple of hours at the
Zoo. There are forms in the Parish Office and you can register online
at diabetes.org/step-out
and click on join a team. Look for St. Blase youth group and register.
The minimum contribution is $15.00 to cover entrance into the zoo
and anyone that raises $125.00 in pledges will receiv a tee shirt
and commemorative photo.
There are 10,000 children in Michigan with diabetes
and 885,000 adults, that is almost one in ten for each person in
Michigan. Please join us for this great activity. For more information,
please contact me.
Joe Wilseck |
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About Us
Our teen ministry - U.N.I.T.Y- is where the teens of our church
go on Sunday afternoons from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm so they can be with
people their own age and find a better understanding and share the
love, joy and wisdom of the Catholic Church. This happens in a fun
and friendly environment. U.N.I.T.Y is for teens in 9th-12th grade
(yes, this includes all incoming freshmen!). Joining U.N.I.T.Y
in 9th grade is a good idea because it is actually a part of your
confirmation process.
The teens of St. Blase have had many U.N.I.T.Y. sessions, retreats
and a lock-ins. Their energy is truly amazing. We have had overviews
of the Old and New Testaments and examined the Ten Commandments
and even managed to create a modern version that we dubbed the "Teen
Commandments."
If you are a 9th through 12th grade student that has
not attended a Sunday afternoon session, PLEASE DO SO. If you are
the parent or guardian of this age group, please discuss this with
them and encourage them to attend a session or two.
This youth group is a safe haven for young Catholics
to share with their peers the rich traditions of OUR Catholic heritage.
If you are on the outside looking in, this is a group
of vital energetic, trendy young people that know how to have fun
and be proud of who they are. So stop being on the outside looking
in and join us every Sunday, or ANY Sunday from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Come and put the YOU in UNITY!
~ Joe Wilseck, Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult
Ministry
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FAQ about Youth Ministry
I am in 12th grade and never been to a session, is it too late
to start now? NO!
I can't come every week, can I come as often as I like?
YES!
I go to a catholic school and may not know anyone there, should
I come? YES!
Can I bring a friend? YES!
Youth ministry is not about how much you know about your faith;
it is about how much you live up to your faith. The more you learn
the easier it is to live out the gift of faith that God has given
us. By the way, yes it is right and proper to have fun while you
are doing that. So, young people, come to Mass at noon (or any Mass
of course) and stick around and explore, participate and enjoy YOUR
youth ministry.
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WITNESS THE BLESSING OF TEEN MINISTRY
Several youth ministers recently
had the wonderful opportunity to spend the weekend together at a
cozy little camp in Fenton with fifteen faith filled teens.. This
camp was nicely tucked away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday
life. No big name restaurant chains, no large stores. No loud music,
no television, and no cell phones. Completely cut off from the world,
except, that is, for the best parts of it…
Sometimes, we can get so caught
up in the rush of everyday life that we forget to “stop and
smell the roses.” We forget to look around and see all the
beauty that God has created. We don’t notice the beauty of
the trees, but that it’s time to rake the leaves again. We
don’t see the flowers, because we’re worried about the
weeds.
It is clear to me now, more than ever before, that you don’t
need to go to a camp “in the middle of nowhere” to experience
the beauty of God’s creation. You simply need to look around.
It is there, in the faces of those around you, that you will find
God’s greatest gift. It is in the face of your loved ones,
and the face of your friends and it sure is in the faces of
our teens. It is in the face of your co-workers, that person at
the gym, the cashier at the grocery store, and the homeless on the
street. God’s beauty is all around us, but do we see it?
I see it every week as I sit in the pews of this community. I look
around and see the beauty of the parents, the grandparents, and
the godparents. I see it in those who sing, those who teach, and
those who serve. It is there, in the smiles of the young, and the
eyes of the elderly. You do not need to go to the woods to experience
the beauty of God’s creation; you
only need to look around.
So today I wish to thank all of you who make the world beautiful,
but in a special way, I would like to thank the youth of St. Blase.
You are a great gift to all those around you,
but especially to me. Thank you for making retreat, and every Sunday
a beautiful experience. By your faith and your honesty, you have
once again left an imprint on my heart. Always
remember you are made in God’s image…and you are BEAUTIFUL!
God Bless!
Jason Trepkowski, Youth Minister
Once again my brothers and sisters,
you are witnessing the blessing of youth ministry. Jason, as many
of you already know, came up through the youth ministry program
and now sits on the parish council. My thanks to him, his wife Amber,
also a youth minister and our newest addition, Mary Deschryver.
Of course, thank you to this community for all of your support.
Joe Wilseck
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Goals of Youth Ministry
- To help young people feel like a valued part of the Church
- To provide community for young people where they can develop
meaningful relationships with other youth and adult leaders
- To assist young people in developing a healthy self-concept
- To assist young people in forming a responsible Catholic Christian
approach in sexual matters
- To provide youth with guidance as they face personal, spiritual,
and vocational decisions
- To involve young people in reaching out to serve people in need
in the community
- To involve youth in leadership.
Youth Ministry is a lifestyle that encourages young people to witness
their faith by word and example. Weekly sessions, held Sunday afternoons
at 1:30 p.m., are led by a team of Youth Ministers who act as mentors
for the teens. Sessions include faith sharing, speakers, prayer,
social gatherings and community service.
All teens are welcome -- any time!! Teens are invited to participate
every weekend; but, because we know that it isn't always possible
to be here, teens are welcome to participate as they are able --
every other weekend, once a month, etc.
The Youth Ministry program also offers young people a chance to
participate in two retreats a year. The retreats are weekend-long
and are offered in the Fall and in the Spring.
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Our vision for teens includes: Advocacy, Catechesis, Community Life,
Evangelization, Justice & Service, Leadership Development, Pastoral
Care, Prayer & Workship.
"This is what is needed: a Church
for young people, which will know how to speak to their heart and
enkindle, comfort and inspire enthusiasm in it with joy of the Gospel
and the strength of the Eucharist; a Church which will know how
to invite and to welcome the person who seeks a purpose for which
to commit his whole existence; a Church which is not afraid to require
much, after having given much; which does not fear asking from young
people the effort of a noble and authentic adventure, such as that
of following of the Gospel." ~ Pope John Paul
II
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St. Blase 12151 E. Fifteen Mile Rd. Sterling
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