Changing Youth Ministries @ HTAC

I would first like to say hello to all of you and share how much I appreciate your interest and efforts on behalf of the youth of our parish. I feel very strongly that we should be making every effort to provide for the spiritual nurturing and growth of our young people. To that end there are two items I’d like to discuss with you. First, I’d like to meet with the parents and Sunday school teachers to speak about ideas and goals for our Sunday school program. I’ve set aside some time to meet on Sunday Oct. 10, immediately following our worship service. Please grab a cup of coffee at the fellowship hour and join me in the corner of the Great Hall.

Secondly, I wanted to alert you to a new format and resource allocation enhancement for our Jr. & Sr. High Youth. I am allocating Fr. Jonathan for 3 Sundays a month to work with our youth. What we wish to do is begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday with the Jr./Sr. High youth group. The schedule will be: 10 a.m. food and fellowship followed by some worship, consisting of prayer and music. Parents of the youth group, as well as Sunday school children, Nursery children and their families, are welcome for the food and prayer components. Nursery and Sunday school children do not have to attend this first half-hour but are welcome; they will begin Sunday school at 10:30 a.m. as they currently do.

At ~10:30 a.m. the Jr./Sr. youth would meet with Fr. Jonathan and work through the Rite 13/ Journey to Adulthood Curriculum (http://leaderresources.org/j2a) which includes instruction, discussion and service components. Then at the time of “the Peace” all children would come up to the sanctuary where I will then have a “children’s time” just prior to the offertory instead of at the very beginning of worship. I would also like to offer an opportunity for any young people (ages 8 and older) who wish to be acolytes at the 10:30 service to come and speak to me. I’d love to see more youth participation in the liturgy including acolytes, torch-bearers, lectors, intercessors and greeters, among others.

We also are in the planning stages of a monthly worship/ gathering for youngsters and their families led by Fr. Jonathan (more to follow).

I invite you all to gather on Sunday Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. in the Parish Hall for some fellowship and an informal kick-off to our new Jr./Sr. youth ministry. Food will be available. Please invite your friends and pass the word around to any other who may be interested.

Fr. Chris