The mission of Saint Cecilia Life Teen is to lead teens closer to Christ. Whether you are a parent, young adult, long-time parishioner, or a teenager yourself, here are the different ways you can help us grow:
Life Teen Core Team
Core are expected to attend Life Nights each Sunday night, and actively, enthusiastically participate in the Sacramental life of the Church. They are called to share the joy of Christ with our teens by providing an authentic witness of the faith.
The Core are split into three planning teams that plan and implement one Life Night a month. Though Core members are responsible for setting up and facilitating over one Life Night, they are present for all the Life Nights to lead small group, help with environment, skits, etc., and follow the directions of the lead team.
The Core are present. They build relationships with teens and are interested in reaching out to them. They are dedicated to supporting & encouraging them in the pursuit of holiness.
To apply, you may download the Core Information Packet and find out more about our current Core Team.
Edge Core Member
Do you remember what it was like to be in middle school? From the shy kids to the silly ones, middle schoolers clearly need as much attention and as many positive role models as they can get.
Our Edge Core Team is determined to provide just that. The Edge Core consist of high schoolers and adults working together to provide a safe, fun, vibrant community for our middle school youth group. Edge meets once a month on the 2nd Wednesday. We begin with an icebreaker, provide some free time, gather for a short witness talk and conclude with small group. Core Members facilitate over the games, supervise the free time, hang out with the middle schoolers, provide discipline when necessary and lead small group discussion. Core Members also lead the witness talks or "proclaim" if they are passionate about the topic. Serving as an Edge Core Member is a great way to show our middle schoolers that our Church cares about them and wants to challenge them into a deeper relationship with Christ. We do our best to provide an environment that is kind and encouraging.
With Edge, we frequently leave St. Cecilia for outings at Perfect Games, movie theatres, bonfires, etc. Our priority is safety and supervision.
You can view the Life Teen Core Team packet for more information on what it takes to be a Core Member!
Small Group Bible Study Leader
Teenagers learn the love of Christ by the example of adults who are excited to live their faith and share it with them. Through small group ministry, we are able to provide teenagers with the attention and environment they need to share their daily and weekly struggles and questions.
Small groups are divided by gender and grade and meet once a week on Wednesday evenings. Small groups are offered to any teenager who wants to share and dive into the faith with teens that have similar issues, even though they may be on different stages on their faith journey.
We have found that the fellowship and support built up in small groups is one of the most positive, life-changing ministries we can provide to our teens in our parish. The leadership of one small group leader, or co-leader, is able to make a huge difference in the life of a teenager, just by listening.
Small groups often meet at Saint Cecilia, but can meet in the homes of the Small Group leaders if the participant has parent approval. Small groups meet from 7-9pm on Wednesday evenings. The group usually studies Theology of the Body materials in 9th and 10th grade, before moving on to other approved texts for 11th and 12th grade. Small groups may also focus on fun activities as they get started, or simply study the weekly readings and discuss what is going on in their lives.
Small group leaders will receive training and support from Faith Formation to help them in their ministry. Small groups can be as independent, or as dependent, as the leader requires.
Confirmation Team
The Confirmation Teams at Saint Cecilia provide effective catechesis to prepare our 9th and 10th grade candidates to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. There are just 4 Confirmation sessions each year, so each Team (9th or 10th grade) meets to plan their next session on the months between sessions. They also attend the two retreats with the candidates and provide support, lead small groups, set-up sessions and help with administrative duties to ensure a smooth process that meets our Candidates where they are at.
The Confirmation Teams are in place to help lead teens to greater discipleship. They are present to instruct our teens in the way of a Spirit-led life, beginning with Baptism and lived in a special way through Confirmation. We focus on the local and global mission of the Church, discerning our gifts of leadership within the Church, strengthening our prayer life and coming to a deeper understanding of Eucharist and the liturgy, particularly the Rite of Confirmation.
Each year, we host a Spring, Fall and Confirmation Retreat for our high schoolers. Retreat Teams meet twice before the retreat to discuss and plan the retreat, practice skits, assign and rehearse witness talks, and work on the retreat schedule. this is a great way to assist with youth ministry programs without having to commit to a Core Team or regular, weekly obligation, but still make a huge impact as an emcee, small group leader, or even just an extra helping hand with set-up and skits.
Core Support
Our Core need as much help as they can get to make the most of our limited time with the teens. If you'd like to help with our Life Teen or Edge ministry, but can't commit on a weekly basis, consider volunteering in the following ways on an as needed basis:
* Provide snacks
* Help set up environment
* Provide technology support
* Serve as an extra chaperone or driver for retreats and special events
* Pray for our young people
* Web design/maintenance or Graphic design
* Videography
* Photography at special events
* Music Ministry for XLT, Retreats & Life Nights
Liturgy Coordinator
We will have one Life Teen mass on average each month for 2011-2012. Coordinating teenage volunteers to fill the liturgical roles is a large task. The Core are happy to help find volunteers and even train the teens in the different liturgical ministries, however, we could use help with adults who would be willing to meet with the lectors, ushers, EMHC's, etc., about 30 minutes before mass begins to go over their role and answer their questions, make sure they are confident, dressed appropriately, etc. If you are trained in one form of liturgy, or just want to help set-up or make yourself available to serve as a substitute if needed, please consider helping us coordinate our liturgies.
Liturgy coordinators will also help us evaluate our liturgies to make sure we are providing vibrant Eucharistic celebrations that are engaging for young people and share the gifts of our young people as much as possible with our parish community. This may mean recruiting more talent for our choirs, training more teens for the different liturgies, etc. The more hands & hearts - and critical eyes! - the better, when it comes to coordinating Life Teen mass.
Regular Support for Core & Catechists
Our Catechists & Core Members play a pivotal role in our community, however, not everyone is comfortable or ready to lead a classroom or small group. There are a variety of ways to help out, including:
* Office Assistant or Hallway Monitor: We can always use an extra hand in the office making photocopies, supervising the hallways during sessions, sitting in on classes that need extra adult assistance, etc. On either Monday evenings or Wednesday afternoons/evenings, consider lending 1-2 hours a week to be present in the Faith Formation office so our staff members can concentrate on ministry.
* Provide childcare for catechists & core onsite at Saint Cecilia: This is great for parents who have to bring their children to faith formation class anyway. Arrive approximately 30 minutes before class begins and stay with the catechist's children onsite until approximately 15 minutes after classes release. This allows catechists the ability to provide their students with all of their attention, and increases catechist attendance and allows catechists with small children to answer their Baptismal call!
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Take time to discern what area God may be calling you to serve our teenagers and respond to their needs and share their unique gifts with our larger community.
All volunteers must be active, practicing Catholics who uphold the teachings of our faith.
All volunteers must be active, practicing Catholics who uphold the teachings of our faith.
VIRTUS Training is required for all adults active in the ministries listed above which involve weekly interaction with minors.
You may contact Anna Steele at annajsteele@gmail.com or 515-232-3514 to find out more and discuss training opportunities for our different ministries.
We are thankful for a supportive parish. Please continue to let us serve you at our fundraisers and through our different ministries. Continue to encourage our teens through a smile and a word of affirmation. Applaud their efforts when you see them succeed in sports, academics, or in our parish. Our goal is to lead young people into greater participation and celebration of their faith. The more that you are joyfully active in your own faith, even if you are not a formal "youth ministry volunteer," the greater example they have to follow.
Thank you for your interest in helping Saint Cecilia Life Teen grow.