Team Youth News
A resource for Youth Ministers and Leaders
October 2019
BEAT ON THE STREET
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Anxiety in teens is at an all time high
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Let us look at this scripture from Timothy. He speaks the "truth". The truth is, we are wired to love, to not fear and to understand that God is our "center". When we place God at the center of all that we do, we will shine, we will love and be loved and we will have PEACE, not anxiety!
We can help our young people "find their center" by turning to our Faith, and to God for guidance.
Here are a few ways to use our Faith to heal.
- Take a few minutes, turn to the bible. It's a great "handbook" and full of tips on how to live a God centered life. (Take the scripture above for example.) A great way to relay the teachings of the Bible to young people is to demonstrate how it's assisted you in your life. Teach by example and share your story, share your faith journey with the young people in your life/ministry.
- Live a Godly life. Much of the World tries to put a filter on Religion, so it is very difficult to say for example, hold bible study or even utter the word "God" in a public school or office space etc. but, by living A Godly life, you will be a bright, shining beacon of God's Love. Children are always watching you, that is how they truly learn. They see how you live, how you react to the world. Keep this in mind as you go about your days. Pay attention to how you treat others, talk about others, etc.
- Stop getting"Distracted" from what the Lord calls upon you to do. We fall into the "busy" trap just as much as our young people and it's exactly that, "A TRAP". We are busy, we have to work, we have to go here and go there etc...... Ultimately, all we need to do is what the Lord calls us to do. Pay attention to when the Holy Spirit asks you to "Stop, Look and Listen. Stop what you are doing, Look into the eyes of the child reaching out to you, and Listen to them.
I've also added a little fact sheet below on some other "nuts and bolts" tips to decreasing stress and anxiety. See below.
Trust God, trust the Holy Spirit and truly let Jesus into your life.
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Youth Rally April 25th, 2020
It's official! We have a date, place and speaker for the 2020 Youth Rally! I am super excited for this event and even more excited to have you be part of it.
The theme for the Rally is :
"Under the Big Top"
God's all encompassing Love.
The rally will be held at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid and will feature carnival style lunch and atmosphere with fun activities, games, music, key note speaker, and mass.
Our key note speaker will be Doug Tooke. Doug is a dynamic and vibrant presenter. Doug has ministered to young people for many years and in his current role as Vice President of Ministry Advancement for ODB Films fosters an encounter with Christ through artfully made, spiritually rich films. Doug is responsible for all direct service ministry content as well as consulting on ministry themes in ODB feature and short films. You can check out ODB Films by clicking the link below.
Also appearing: Gratto Family Performers (Stage Show)
I will have much more information out to you soon but for now you may want to think about how to bring forth your talents and gifts to the Rally planning and implementation.
Here are the areas where we will need help.
Event Space Decoration
Carnival Booth/s creation, build and operation
Music
Liturgy
Chaperone's and general assistance
I've added just a few photos below of carnival booth ideas, I'd love to hear some of your ideas. The booths will be located all around the interior of the main ball room. I'm hoping to find organizations or business's to sponsor the booths to help with the cost of the event.
If you know anyone in a religious organization or local business who might be interested in sponsoring a booth, please feel free to share my contact info. with them. I would truly appreciate your assistance. .
Again, this is going to be a wonderful opportunity for our young people to celebrate their faith and to also foster connections with other young people from across the Diocese. Let's do all that we can to support them by being present, and active in their lives. Please contact me if you are able to volunteer. tsemeraro@rcdony.org or 315-393-2920 ext. 1415
Doug Tooke - Key Note Speaker
High Peaks Resort
Gratto Family Performers
bottle bash booth idea
pop balloon booth idea
shooting gallery booth idea
ring toss booth idea
wiffle ball booth idea
Spin Wheel to Win booth idea
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Let's Plan Something!
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YOUTH MINISTER GATHERING
Please sign up! This will be an awesome opportunity for all of us!
This will be the first of what I hope to be many more opportunities for Diocesan Youth Ministers and Volunteers to commune and discuss Youth Ministry in the Diocese. The day is centered around an open discussion on the current state and future of Youth Ministry in the Diocese.
Lunch will be included and there is no fee to attend.
Please RSVP below so that we can have enough food prepared for lunch.
Also, let me know if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies.
Youth Ministers are the hands and feet that lead the young to Jesus
so that they may lead a Blessed life.
Youth Minister Gathering
Saturday, Nov 9, 2019, 10:00 AM
Holy Ghost Parish Center, Marion Street, Tupper Lake, NY, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
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If you need to complete your Track Course training in order to receive your certificate for Youth Ministry you can now come to our Plattsburgh or Ogdensburg offices.
Classes will be offered by appointment Monday's and Tuesday's in Ogdensburg and Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Plattsburgh.
To learn more about Track Course training or to set up your appointment/s please email me at tsemeraro@rcdony.org
or call the office line at 315-393-2920 ext. 1415
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Ministers and Mentors - I'm always here to help!!!
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Tom Semeraro
Email: tsemeraro@rcdony.org
Website: www.rcdony.org
Phone: 1-393-2920 1415
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diocese-of-Ogdensburg-Youth-Ministry-137024036346228/
Twitter: @OburgYM