| Jr. High Youth Ministry
Director: Valerie Della Penna
Phone: 469-0404 ext. 4113
e-mail:
dellapennav@stpetschurch.org
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Purpose, Goals
and Values
Junior High Ministry exists to excite and empower all young
adolescents of St. Petronille Parish in grades 6-8, to fully
participate in the life of the Catholic Church. The goals of this
ministry are best summarized in the USCCB pastoral document,
Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry.
Specifically, these goals are:
1. To empower young adolescents to live as disciples of Jesus Christ
in our world today.
2. To draw young people to responsible participation in the life,
mission, and work of the Catholic faith community.
3. To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young
person.
In order to accomplish these goals, the church uses a comprehensive
approach with its ministry to and with young adolescents and their
families. This approach is designed to be developmentally
appropriate, family friendly, intergenerational, flexible and
adaptable, and multicultural. The ministry strives to provide
advocacy for youth as well as leadership opportunities for young
adolescents.
The following core values are at the heart of all programming for
young adolescents at St. Petronille Parish:
*Respect and acceptance of all youth for who they are and where they
are on their spiritual journey
*Faith centered programming that supports the mission of the parish
and teachings of the Catholic Church
*Welcoming, safe and inclusive atmosphere
*Youth are viewed as assets to the community with gifts to share
JHM Permission and Medical Release Form
Any student participating in a JHM sponsored event must submit a
completed JHM Permission and Medical Release Form. This form can be
downloaded from this site, or hard copies are available outside the
REO office in the Education Center.
Help Wanted: Adult Volunteer Opportunities
Junior High Ministry can’t serve the young people of St. Petronille
without the help of the adults of the parish. Many opportunities
exist in Junior High Ministry for parishioners to be of service to
their parish, as well as role models to the young people of Glen
Ellyn. Please contact the Junior High Ministry Office if you are
interested in any of the following volunteer opportunities:
Parent Advisory Team (4-6 adults)
Description: Dedicated adults are needed for the Junior High
Ministry Advisory Team. Parents will form a committee, which will
meet quarterly to review programs, provide input on upcoming plans,
brainstorm for new ideas, and occasionally attend a junior high
program.
Time: 1 year commitment (only 4 meetings)
El Centro Donation Committee (2-3 adults)
Description: Volunteers would contact local businesses via
letter and personal follow-up for either monetary or product
donations for the annual El Centro Christmas Gift Bag Service
Project. Training and supplies provided.
Time: 6-8 month commitment on your own time. Concludes by
early December.
P.A.D.S. Lunch Coordinator (1-2 adults)
Description: Responsible adults needed for general
organizing--recruiting junior high volunteers, assigning
ingredients, overseeing production of 80 sandwiches and the delivery
of the lunches.
Time: 11:00-11:45 am on the 2nd Sunday of each month
Oct.-Apr. plus organizational activities which can be done at home.
Benefits: Live out your faith and be a role model for the
parish’s young people!
Outreach Service Project Team (2-3 adults)
Description: Dedicated adults needed to organize outreach
service projects where our Confirmation Candidates can be of service
to the civic community. This is an established program that needs
your hands! Responsibilities include contacting agencies,
establishing dates, mailing letters to students and follow-up with
students, organizing permission slips and coordinating parent
chaperones.
Time: Successful candidates will need to commit themselves to
8 months of service.
Training and assistance provided.
Benefits: This is a great opportunity to have a significant
impact on the youth and the parish’s ministry with them.
Youth Service Week Team (1-2 adults)
Description: Adults needed to organize outreach service
projects in our community for students in grades 6-9 for one week
during June. Responsibilities include contacting local agencies,
setting dates, coordinating carpooling and chaperones.
Time: (May-June) Much organizational activities can be done
ahead of time in May and on your own. The last two weeks of June
would require the coordinating of the carpooling and chaperones.
Training and assistance provided.
Confirmation Prayer Sponsors (150 adults!)
Description: Adults parishioners are needed to pray for
students as they journey towards Confirmation.
Time: This can be done at your convenience in your daily
prayers. Nov.-May.
Benefits: A wonderful opportunity to show the youth that they
are important to the parish.
Prayer Sponsor Coordinator (1 adult)
Description: Organized individual needed to match up
Confirmation Candidates with parishioner prayer sponsors.
Responsibilities include assigning names and mailing out letters. No
follow-up required.
Time: 1 week in early November
Student Stewardship Committee
The mission of the Student Stewardship Committee is to promote
the concept of total stewardship among all children of the parish,
primarily those between the ages of 4 and 14 years, through the use
of student offertory envelopes, flyers, and bulletin notices. Any
money collected through the use of the student offertory envelopes
may only be donated to organizations whose missions are to help
children.
Committee Members: This committee is composed of six
students from the parish (half school reps, half RE reps, half
male/female, half 7th/8th grade) Each student serves a 2-year term
beginning in 7th grade. Membership terms expire at the end of the
8th grade school year. The graduating 8th graders are replaced at
the end of the school year with incoming 7th graders. Specifically,
the 2003-04 committee breaks down as follows:
1 – 8th grade girl, school
1 – 8th grade girl, religious ed
1 – 8th grade boy, religious ed
2 – 7 th grade boys, school
1 – 7th grade girl, religious ed
The Director of Junior High Ministry upon the recommendation of
teachers, catechists and other parish staff invites new committee
members.
Adult Advisors: The Director of Junior High Ministry
acts as an adult advisor, in addition to facilitating all meetings.
A parish Stewardship Committee Representative acts as another adult
advisor and parish council liaison.
Membership Requirements: Committee members are
expected to attend the quarterly meetings and participate in
discussions in a responsible and respectful manner. Upon occasion
members will need to assist with display booths at Donut Sundays or
at other presentations as deemed necessary by the committee, design
flyers, or write copy for newsletters. It is expected that members
will always be looking for children’s organizations that need our
financial assistance.
2003-04 Meeting Dates/Times
September 24, 2003 (6-7:15 pm)
December 3, 2003 (6-7:15 pm)
March 10, 2004 (6-7:15 pm)
May 12, 2004 (contingent upon date for Confirmation)
Committee Responsibilities: The following
responsibilities are assigned to the Student Stewardship committee
*Selection of student offertory envelopes (stock or custom)
*Distribution of student offertory envelopes
*Promotion of the use of the envelopes
*Research on organizations whose missions are to help children
(organizations can be local, national or international)
*Distribution of the money collected from the student envelopes
*As the program evolves committee members may assume other
responsibilities on an “as needed” basis.
The Meaning of Stewardship:
Stewardship has often been defined as “time, talent and treasure.”
However, stewardship is even more than just this phrase. According
to Father Kemberling of St. Thomas More Parish in Centennial,
Colorado, (Catholic Stewardship: Sharing God’s Gifts, Smith)
stewardship has four core values:
Identity: We are created in the image and likeness of
God. We don’t
belong to ourselves—we belong to God. We don’t own our
talents--they are gifts from God.
Trust: We are not in control—God is in control. God is
at work in the
world and in our lives; how we get our money and how our
talents develop. Let go and let God.
Gratitude: We need to understand that everything we
have is a gift from God.
Love: Love and charity are the same word. Love isn’t
optional for
Christians, so charity is also a requirement for Christians.
As stewards, we always give our best and always put God first.
To put God first we need to develop a relationship by spending time
with God. This means taking time for prayer. Mass, morning prayer,
evening prayer, prayer before meals and at other times during the
day. Prayer is what is necessary for
living stewardship.
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(Mark 16:15 NRSV)
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