Youth Ministry Listening Session Minutes

Strategic Planning Committee

Saint Michael and All Angels

Sunday, June 12, 2005 ~ 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.


at the home of Kathy and Patrick Jenevein


What do we appreciate most about current youth program?

Mission trips are the highlight and the most positive part of Youth Ministry. Expand the number and location to include national destinations but keep international destinations as well. The youth REALLY like going overseas – especially high school students. Consider junior high mission trips to Mississippi, Appalachia, etc. For the younger crowd, consider work retreats locally or at the All Saints Retreat Center in Sherman.


Suggested changes:

•         Move EYC AWAY from Sunday night. Let kids have dinners with family. Kids don’t enjoy EYC because “their friends aren’t there”. Concentrate on breaking down the barriers between the kids from different schools. Improve EYC programming and ASK The Youth for their input and suggestions. (Youth Vestry)

 

•         Separate 4th graders from 5th and 6th graders. There is a huge developmental difference.

 

•         Have representatives from each of the schools represented in our youth program to sit on the Youth Vestry and make the Vestry partners with the staff in programming and decision-making. Give them ownership and responsibility.

 

•         Make our diversity in student diversity a positive attribute and not a liability.

 

•         Increase the scope of the confirmation requirements; include some “rites of passages” in the following years – bigger and better trips, pilgrimages, retreats.

 

•         Offer retreats and lock-outs for all ages in our youth program.

 

•         Do Not encourage parents to be teachers in Sunday School. Let the youth ministers be responsible for teaching those classes.

 

•         Offer in-house (SMAA) opportunities for youth stewardship. Let them get to know the 60+ groups that are active in our parish and create opportunities for shared events between the youth and the adult groups, ie. The youth would sponsor a luncheon for Seniors, etc.

 

•         Be respectful of our children’s time.

 

•         Combine 9&10th and 11& 12th grades for Sunday School.

 

•         Always have a spiritual event at every function.