Diversity in youth ministry
By KATIE LEFEBVRE
Globe staff writer
Posted September 12, 2002

Youth ministry is administered differently at parishes around the diocese. The main source of information for the youth is their youth minister, which is an adult who facilitates the group.

The youth group at Sacred Heart parish in Manning calls themselves SHOUT which stands for Sacred Heart Organization of United Teens. This group does activities from fundraisers to service trips.

"We try to plan a broad range of activities so our youth can participate in what interests them," said Charlotte Willenborg, director of youth ministry at Sacred Heart.

Fundraisers for this group include a Waffle Breakfast and Chicken Supper. Some of the fun activities that students participated in last year were Adventureland day, coed slow-pitch softball with the Willey parish, Raccoon River tubing with four surrounding parishes and skiing.

"I think that keeping diverse activities shows the students that there is more to being involved in church than just having fun and going to church on Sundays," said Willenborg. "Reaching out and doing service to other communities is all part of it."

Service in and outside of their community included spending a week at a women's shelter in Chicago in July, helping in a homeless shelter in Des Moines, playing Bingo at a nursing home during summer months and doing a music workshop at the youth rally each year.

"We have a large core group of students," said Willenborg. "They come up with the ideas and do most of the planning. They tell other kids and that keeps students interested. My job as youth minister is to help them stay focused, do the background work and recruit adults when needed."

The core group includes 21 students and in all, there are about 90 students in the high school youth group.

The group also helps within their own parish. Willenborg added that they had 25 kids helping and teaching for Bible school, Advent Fair, Grandparents Stone Soup Appreciation Supper, and a Spaghetti Benefit for a foreign student with heart problems.

"We do a freshmen welcoming at the beginning of the year," said Willenborg. "We go and get the freshmen out of bed on a Sunday morning about 6:30 a.m. They don't know about it and we bring them into church and welcome them into the group."

There are several groups that are very active like the Manning group and then many are still trying to take root.

"I do better at plugging kids into different events around the diocese," said Shannon Duffy, director of youth ministry at St. Joseph's in Milford. Our youth group is still struggling to find our identity."

Some of the group's activities include a dance, fundraising and a lock-in for the middle school children. There is also a youth choir that students participate in. A few students were taken on a service trip to Denver.

"We need to work more on faith sharing and consistency of attendance," said Duffy. "It is hard to find a time when everyone in the group is able to meet due to the school calendar."

Each group does their own thing. The groups are there for the students - letting them share their faith and having fun.