2023-2024 Youth Ministry Year
The Church of the Nativity High School Youth Ministry Program fosters the spiritual, intellectual, and social growth of young people and empowers them to serve as disciples of Jesus while drawing them to responsible participation in the life of the Church.
The Church of the Nativity High School Youth Ministry Program involves 4 components and is based on these church documents: A Vision of Youth Ministry, Renewing the Vision, and Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age - USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).
1. Educational/Catechesis
This is accomplished mainly through our Sunday Topic Nights from September to June. Sunday Topic Nights are about ongoing Faith Formation and challenging teens to apply and live all aspects of their Catholic faith in everyday life. Attending our Sunday Topic Nights for 2 years provides teens with the faith formation background to become eligible for the Confirmation Immediate Preparation Classes. Our Sunday Topic Night topics come from the documents listed above, our 4 year curriculum from St. Mary's Press, and our Topic Survey of the most requested topics from the parents and teens at the start of each year. This method allows for both a Catechetical systematic structure and the flexibility to cover current events.
2. Service Projects
There are regularly scheduled Service Projects as well as many other pop-up service projects offered to the teens during the year.
3. Social Events
We do Social Events about every other month and the teens vote on what to do.
4. Confirmation Program
The Confirmation Immediate Preparation Program runs from February through May every year. The “Confirmation Immediate Preparation Class” is specifically and only education on the Sacrament of Confirmation for eligible (those who have been in our program for 2 years) sophomores, juniors, or seniors and is in addition to our Sunday Topic Nights. It involves classes, a Retreat, small homework assignments, and successfully completing a Final Interview. Confirmation is only 1 or the 4 parts along a teen’s Faith Formation journey within the Nativity Youth Ministry Program, not the end or “graduation” from Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. It is important to remember it’s place in the bigger picture of overall and ongoing Youth Ministry. Teens are expected to continue with their Youth Ministry involvement after Confirmation as part of their lifelong education in our Catholic faith and to live out their Confirmation commitments. “There is more to parish youth ministry than preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and it's celebration which is only one component or part of the total process of catechesis and faith development for adolescents”. (Diocesan Policy #310)
For more information on Confirmation go to our Confirmation page.
If you would like more information on the Nativity High School Youth Ministry Program please contact Mike James, Director of Catechetical Ministry, at [email protected].
2023-2024 Youth Ministry Registration
Registration for the 2023-2024 Youth Ministry year is now open. Why is it important for all teens to register for Youth Ministry? We track all teens in the parish throughout their high school years whether they go to a public or Catholic high school. It is important for us to have them on our class lists and know what high school they attend to determine their eligibility for Confirmation Immediate Preparation Classes at the appropriate time. For more information on the sacrament of Confirmation please see our Confirmation page here on this website.
To register for Youth Ministry properly:
- If your family isn't already registered parishionerers please fill out the Parish Registration Form
- Fill out the Youth Ministry Registration Form and Topic Survey
- Mail all forms back to the parish along with the Registration Fee by September 17, 2023.
2023-2024 - New Teen and Parent Orientation
Our New Teen and Parent Orientation will be Sunday September 17, 2023 from 5-6:15pm in the Commons. All freshmen, new teens, and most importantly their parents are invited to come and hear about the Youth Ministry Program and Confirmation Program requirements. This is the only meeting we ask new parents to attend during their teen’s 4 years in the program so they can hear how the Youth Ministry Program works, especially the Confirmation piece of Youth Ministry in sophomore, junior, or senior year. There will be plenty of time for questions after the presentation. This orientation meeting is actually pretty important because each parish has a different model of Youth Ministry and different model of Confirmation Preparation so it is important to know and understand how we do it at Church of the Nativity. Returning teens and families are not required to attend as it will be information they heard in previous years.
2023-2024 - Get to Know You Night
Our second meeting on September 24, 2023 is for all freshmen-seniors from 5-6:15pm. It will be a "Get To Know You Night" where the new freshmen from last year's grade 8 of Faith Formation and the Nativity School and any new teens are introduced to the returning teens to do sharing and icebreaker activities to help ease their transition into High School. We will also discuss our learning model and small groups for the first part of the year.
October 1, 2023 - Being Catholic: The Cliff's Notes View
On Sunday October 1 we will start our topic of “Being Catholic: The Cliffs Notes View”. Why are we Catholic? What are some core Catholic beliefs? What are some core Catholic practices and attitudes? We will answer these questions, play some icebreaker games, go over the bible readings from mass, and have small sharing groups. All freshmen-seniors attending public or Catholic high school are invited to join us from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.