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Our Lady of Grace

&

St. Joseph’s Church

Youth

Ministry

Handbook

2015-2016

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Welcome to Our Lady of Grace &

St. Joseph’s Youth Ministry

In this booklet you will find:

A Note from the Youth Minister

Expectations/ Attendance Policy

Code of Conduct

Curriculum Overview Grades 6-10

Youth Ministry Schedule Grades 6-10

Retreats: Dates and Information

The Sacrament of Confirmation

Confirmation Preparation Process & Requirements

Confirmation Sacramental Preparation Schedule

Senior High /Young Adult Group

2014-2015 pictures

Service Projects and Opportunities

Participant/Parent Contract & Sign-Off

For more information and news visit online:

www.olgsjym.org

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Participant/ Parent Contract

I _________________ as a participant in the Our Lady

of

(Participant Name)

Grace/ St. Joseph’s Youth Ministry Program, have read the

Youth Ministry Handbook and agree to follow the rules and

regulations determined by Our Lady of Grace & St.

Joseph’s Churches, the Youth Ministry offices, and the

Diocese of Albany, for ALL Youth Ministry functions. I

also understand and agree that I will notify my parent or

guardian at the time of any violations. If my dismissal is

required from ANY Youth Ministry function, I will be sent

home at my own and/or my parent’s/guardian’s expense.

I also understand that this contract does not expire. The

contract is good for as long as I am a participant in the

Youth Ministry Program at Our Lady of Grace & St.

Joseph’s Churches.

Signature of Participant: _________________________

Date: ______________

Signature of Parent/ Guardian:

________________________

Date: ______________

PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN THIS PAGE TO THE

YOUTH MINISTRY OFFICE!

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Some of the Possible Service Opportunities

Youth Ministry provides an opportunity for greater participation

in the parish community. Youth Ministry challenges our Middle

and High School youth to mature spiritually and personally

through participation in classes, community events and Christian

service. Students are invited to share their gifts and talents

with the parish and local community. If you have a service

project that you are interested in, please contact Grace.

Here are a few of the projects that Youth Ministry supports

each year:

Altar Servers

Greeters

Lectors

Thanksgiving/Christmas Food Boxes

Giving Tree - November/December

Christmas Craft Fair with Santa

Breakfast with St. Nick

City Mission - Meals etc.

Homebound cards & baskets

College Care Packages – November

Food Drives - Various times through the year

Cards for the Homebound/Nursing Homes

Crafts made for Nursing Homes and Homebound

Parish Tag/ Yard Sale

Vacation Bible School

And much more…………...

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Dear Youth Ministry Families,

As you can see by the

previous page, this booklet

contains all of the major

information about the Youth

Ministry Program at Our Lady

of Grace and St. Joseph’s Churches. Since I split my time

between the two churches, you will find that each church

has similar programs; but some may be adapted to meet

the needs of each particular community.

A few things to keep in mind as we embark on this

catechetical journey together:

- You are your teen’s first catechist! The way

you live your faith sets the example and can enrich the

faith of your teen.

- Celebrating the sacraments is a community

event. This includes the celebration of the Eucharist at

Mass. Regularly attending Mass is strongly encouraged in

order to give your teen the basis for our faith.

- Be active in the Church and local

communities. Each grade level will be asked to take part in

service projects, both during and outside of the Youth

Ministry Sessions. Please support these projects.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns

please feel free to contact me.

Peace, Love and Light, ~ Grace

Phone Numbers: OLG– 384-0109 ext.3

St. Joseph’s– 374-3382

Cell Phone– 424-6329

Email: olgsjym@gmail.com

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Program Expectations

It is expected that each youth participant will:

Be present for one grade level session each month. (If you are unable to attend your session, plan on attending another session that month.)

Take part in one service project during the year.

Attend and participate in a grade level retreat.

Attend and participate in Sunday liturgies as often as

possible.

Do your best to attend parish events and be part of parish

life.

Attendance Policy

Ideally, there should be no absences. Each group gathering is

important and attendance in the session you registered for

helps keep consistency. But I do realize that things come up

and people get sick. If you are unable to attend your session,

please call or email Grace prior to that session. If you are

unable to attend your registered session, please plan on

attending one of the other sessions that month to make it up.

I have arranged the program so that there are three

opportunities to attend your grade level session each month.

Please look at the session dates ahead of time and put them on

your calendar, so that you know ahead of time if you need to

attend a different session in a specific month.

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Senior High/Young Adult Group-NEW!

Our newly Confirmed and college age youth will begin meeting

monthly on the FIRST SUNDAY of every month from 6—8pm

for fellowship, to explore issues relevant to their lives, and

support each other on the journey. The group will also plan the

graduation liturgy, as well as assorted service projects

throughout the year. We will start at October 4th at OLG

for the Fall and then rotate to St. Joseph’s for the Spring.

Come join us and bring a friend! If you have any questions,

please let me know.

Youth Ministry Pictures 2014-2015

8th graders having their last

class outside.

Parents of the Confirmation Candidates pass-

ing on the light of faith to their child.

NCYC Participants

working together

during their Car

Wash Fundraiser.

Friends taking a break from lifting boxes

during the Thanksgiving Boxes Project

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Confirmation Preparation Schedule

Parent Meeting Wednesday, September 16th from 7:00-8:00 pm (@ OLG)

OR

Thursday, September 17th from 7:00-8:00 pm (@ St. Joseph’s

Church)

Candidate Commitment Mass Sunday, October 25th 10:15 am Mass (@ Our Lady of Grace)

Sunday, October 18th 10:30 am Mass (@ St. Joseph’s Church)

Note: Candidates dress appropriately and be 15 mins early.

Rituals/Sessions All Rituals take place from 6-8pm and are required for both

the Candidate and the parent/sponsor

September 27th – at Our Lady of Grace

October 18th – at Our Lady of Grace

November 15th – at Our Lady of Grace

January 31st – at St. Joseph’s Church

February 21st – at St. Joseph’s Church

March 13th – at St. Joseph’s Church

Confirmation Retreat- Attendance at one of these retreats is required. Day Retreat: December 12th at Our Lady of Grace

Or

Overnight Retreat: January 9-10th at Powell House

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Conduct

All participants are expected to conduct themselves

according to Christian values in regard to attitude,

behavior, language and dress.

All participants are expected to treat all catechists,

fellow participants and church property with respect and

dignity.

NO CELL PHONES or I-Pods (unless specifically used in

your session and allowed by the catechist) are permitted

to be out during session time. Inappropriate use of any

electronics during the session will result in the device

being held by either the catechist or Grace until the end

of the session.

Smoking is NOT permitted on church property.

Any participant who exhibits signs of being under the

influence of drugs and/or alcohol will not be permitted to

participate in any parish/diocesan function.

Any of the above behaviors will be brought to the

immediate attention of the Youth Minister and pastor/

PLD.

In the event that any of the above behaviors results in

the catechist asking you to leave the room, you must

report to Grace. You will be asked to call your parent to

explain the situation and immediately get picked up. If

this happens a second time, you will only be allowed to

return to your session after a meeting with you, your

parents, the catechist, and the Youth Minister.

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Grade 6-10 Curriculum Overview

6th Grade- Knowing the Bible

The 6th grade program is based around the Bible and the

people in the stories. Youth Ministry participants will learn

about the different parts of the Bible, how to find passages in

the Bible, along with the major characters in the Bible, their

impact on the story of our faith and how they are models of

faith.

7th Grade- Jesus: Who am I?

The 7th grade program revolves around the question,

“Who is Jesus?” Participants will learn about Jesus’ life,

ministry and passion. They will also take part in projects and

activities that allow them to delve into a deeper understanding

of how Jesus lived his life.

8th Grade- Moral Decision Making

The 8th grade program helps participants learn how to

make moral decisions. It will cover such topics as respecting

life, dating, working for justice, responsible use of technology

and more. In covering these topics, participants will learn

about the Catholic teaching on each topic and will gain critical

thinking skills to aid them in making their own decisions.

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Confirmation Preparation

The process of preparation for the Sacrament of

Confirmation is a time of growth for not only the Candidate,

but also their family and sponsor. Each Candidate comes to

the sacrament from a different place on their journey. This

process is meant to help the Candidate become closer to God

and grow in their relationship with Him.

Requirements:

- Parent/Candidate Meeting

- Attendance at all of the Rituals/Sessions

- Participation in the “Soup”er Bowl Project

- At least one Service experience & reflection on the

experience.

- Participation at ONE of the Confirmation Retreats

- Confirmation Interview

More information on each of these requirements will be given

out at the Parent/Candidate Meeting.

In addition to these requirements, it is expected that as part

of their preparation for the Celebration of the Sacrament of

Confirmation the Candidate will:

-Regularly attend weekend Mass, in order to come

closer to God.

-Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, prior to

Confirmation.

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The Sacrament of Confirmation

The Sacrament of Confirmation completes a person’s

initiation into the Catholic Church. Our faith and religious

tradition teaches us that at Confirmation we are filled with

the Holy Spirit, a gift with endless potential.

In the Albany Diocese, youth become eligible to receive

the sacrament during their high school years. At St. Joseph’s

and Our Lady of Grace, the Sacrament of Confirmation is

celebrated every spring. In order to enter into Confirmation

Sacramental Preparation, a person MUST meet the following

requirements:

Be a baptized Christian

Be at least 16 or entering their junior year of high school.

Been registered and completed at least one full year of

catechesis directly prior to entering Confirmation

Preparation. (Usually the 10th grade Youth Ministry

Sessions)

If your child does not meet these requirements and you wish

for them to participate in Confirmation Preparation, please

contact Grace.

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9th Grade- Catholicism 101

The 9th grade program is focused on understanding

Catholicism. This course allows participants to learn about

the basic Catholic beliefs, the Creed, the Sacraments and the

Liturgy. Participants will also experience the life of the

Liturgy by taking over many of the roles at one of the Sunday

liturgies.

10th Grade- Justice and Service

The 10th grade program builds upon everything the

participants have learned and experienced previously in Youth

Ministry and asks them to take it all a step further. Built

around discussion and exploration of Catholic Social Teaching,

participants will engage in service projects, decision making

activities, and deep discussion about topics in order to help

them expand their critical thinking skills and make informed

decisions in their lives.

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Our Lady of Grace & St. Joseph’s

2015-2016

Youth Ministry Class Sessions

Grades 6-10

Our Lady of Grace Sunday 11:30am-1pm

Our Lady of Grace Wednesday 6:30pm-8pm

St Joseph’s P.C. Sunday 6:00pm-7:30pm

1 October 4th

*Parent Meeting

(11:30-12)

October 7th

*Parent Meeting

(6:30-7)

October 18th *Parent Meeting

(6-6:30)

2 November 1st November 4th

November 8th

3 December 6th December 9th

December 20th

4 January 10th January 13th

January 24th

5 February 7th February 10th

February 28th

6 March 6th March 9th

March 20th

7 April 3rd April 6th

April 10th

8 May 1st May 4th

May 15th

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Retreats: Dates and Information

Retreats are an integral part of Youth Ministry. It gives

youth time away from their busy lives to connect with other

youth and with God. The retreats are formatted to take

what the youth are learning in the Youth Ministry sessions

and help them relate it to their every day lives.

Attendance at your grade level retreats is a requirement

of the Youth Ministry program.

Retreat Dates and Locations

Grade 6:

March 19th at St. Joseph’s 12-5pm

Grades 7 & 8:

February 13th OLG

Or

March 12th St. Joseph’s

Grade 9: February 27th at St. Joseph’s

Grade 10: January 30th at OLG

Confirmation Retreat Options:

Day Retreat: December 12th , 9-6pm at OLG

Or

Overnight Retreat: January 9-10th at Powell House