Youth Ministry at Church of the Holy Family

Sewell, New Jersey

What is Parish Youth Ministry? Parish Youth Ministry is the program that serves our 5th-12th Graders at Church of the Holy Family, formally known as Youth Group. Youth Group has been transformed from the idea of a one group offering into a multifaceted program. Our Youth Ministry Program is based on the Document Renewing The Vision and focusing specifically on the 8 Components of Youth Ministry as Outlined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops which was published in 1997.

There are 3 Main Goals in Parish Youth Ministry:

• Goal 1: To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.
• Goal 2: To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the      Catholic faith community.
• Goal 3: To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.
• The 3 Goals Lead into the 8 Components or areas of Focus for Youth

Ministry program offerings:

The Ministry of Advocacy

The Ministry of Catechesis

The Ministry of Community Life

The Ministry of Evangelization

The Ministry of Justice and Service

The Ministry of Leadership Development

The Ministry of Pastoral Care

The Ministry of Prayer and Worship

Youth Ministry at Church of the Holy Family focuses on offering a variety of programs and opportunities for the young people of the parish while supporting the individual faith journey of each young person and supporting the families of the parish on their family faith journey. Programs focus on involvement in parish life as well as involvement in the community of Washington Township and in Our Lady of Hope Catholic School and Washington Township Public Schools. Activities and opportunities with area Youth Ministry Programs are also offered.

Youth Ministry Programs are offered for 6th-12th graders with activities in comprising of topic presentations, prayer experiences, community service and community building activities. Larger events are offered once a month during our First Friday activity which starts with youth Mass and culminates with an EPIC event (see ‘programs’ tab for details).

Youth Ministry Volunteers are comprised of young adults, parents, older siblings and parishioners. Volunteers are assigned for specific tasks and activities and receive proper training and information for their role. All volunteers 18 years and older are subject to the Safe Environment Policy and are managed by the Safe Environment Coordinator.

The Youth Leadership Council is a group of young parishioners who are active members in youth ministry activities, Religious Education Classes/ Catholic School Classes and parish life. The Council meets six times a year and shares ideas for the future of Youth Ministry at Holy Family.

Each year a Youth Representative from the Youth Ministry sits on Parish Council as a Liaison between Parish Council and Youth Ministry. The Representative is also a member of the Youth Leadership Council and uses Youth Council Meetings to prepare for Parish Council and share the hearts and needs of the Youth Church.

Our Youth Ministry Program is and has been a vibrant area of our church community, but we need YOU! We welcome any person, from any faith seeking to build spiritual community and develop their relationship with God. Come out and see what we are all about- check out our ‘Youth Ministry Programs’ tab to read about our events, and be sure to follow our Instagram to keep up to date on events and details!