Young adults gathering slated for March 22

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
March 9, 2006

What's on your mind? Young adults in the Diocese of Sioux City are invited to a gathering from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on March 22 in the Blessed Sacrament Parish Center in Sioux City.

The gathering will include music, prayer, discussion and social time. Young adults are encouraged to come and share concerns and issues they would like to see their parish or the diocese address regarding young adults.

"The general idea of this young adult gathering is to open the doors for young adults, which is people in their 20s and 30s," said Jessica La Fleur, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Sioux City. "People sometimes think of young adults as teenagers and it is not. A lot of times, if we don't have children in the school system or in religious education or something, we are lost as far as finding a place in the community."

She continued that the gathering is to open the doors to young adults and ask them what they want.

Questions to be discussed include: Not sure how you fit into the Catholic Church as a young adult in your 20s or 30s? How can you contribute to your parish as a member of a unique age group? What would you like to see in your church?

The event is for any young adults - single people, married people, married people with children, single people with children - in their 20s and 30s.

"Part of my job is young adult ministry, but before I can do anything, I need to see how I can serve them - what can I do?" said La Fleur. "My goal is to have these at different sites, so that we meet the needs of all those in the diocese. My job isn't to serve the young adults directly but to help them help the parishes serve young adults."

La Fleur explained that at one point during the evening those gathered will split into pairs and talk about what they see as being a need in the church. They will write two or three ideas on a note card. Then that group of two will join another group of two and narrow their ideas down to the most important and so on.

"Then we will brainstorm ideas of what we can do," said La Fleur. "An example would be, 'I don't feel like I have a community in my parish.' Something that I would suggest would be to start a faith sharing group, a Bible study or small group service activities."

She noted that it is important to get the young adults involved because "it is another way of spreading the Gospel message. How can we better build the kingdom of God? How can we be inclusive in our church?"

"This is a way of meeting their needs," said La Fleur.

For more information, contact Jessica La Fleur, director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Sioux City at (712) 233-7561.