There are many ways to get involved as a young Catholics – spiritually, socially and service oriented! We invite and encourage you to join us, putting your gifts and talents to work, while also getting connected with other young Catholics for faith sharing and socializing.
Youth Ministry
Father Terry and the youth committee will be leading youth ministry until a new youth minister is hired. Father Terry is the primary point of contact. Fred Gabriele and Amanda Spencer are the youth and young adult committee co-chairs.
Please pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit as we search for a new youth and young adult faith coordinator at St. Luke.
Youth and Young Adult Planning Committee
August 30th from 1:30pm-3:30pm in Bishop Ford Hall
Please come and help plan fall youth ministry, including Sunday meetings, Retreats, and other Youth Activities
Sunday Youth Ministry Fall 2020
Fall Kick-Off on September 13th from 1:30pm-4:00pm in Bishop Ford Hall
September 20th from 1:30pm-4:00pm
September 27th from 1:30pm-4:00pm
Young Adult Ministry Fall 2020
The young adults of St. Luke meet every Thursday evening beginning at 8:00pm. Contact Alison Yang alisonmweiss@gmail.com for more information including the meeting location.
Guided by our Patron Saint, the youth of St. Luke can learn about our Catholic faith and turn this learning into action.
It is the aim of the Youth Committee that our youth grow in their faith through four main avenues:
Community
· St. Luke youth ministry offers a variety of ways that youth can get involved in the Parish community.
Middle School and High School Youth Ministry
· Middle School and High School Youth Ministry meet on Sundays from 1:30pm-4:00m. A typical meeting includes the following elements: Prayer, Fun, Faith Sharing and lots of Food!
Middle School and High School Parish School of Religion
· From September through May, the High School Youth are welcome and encouraged to join their peers on a journey of discovery. We consider the truths of the Catholic Faith and we apply these truths to our particular situations in life.
Activities
Middle School and High School Retreats
· We offer a Fall and Winter retreats for the Middle School and High School Youth
· Dates will be announced later.
Service
· Throughout the year the youth of St. Luke have various opportunities to serve the community of Beavercreek, Dayton and other communities.
Work for Donations
· This service opportunity is truly a unique experience, the youth of St. Luke work in and around Parishioners homes and the youth receive some monetary donations that assist them with paying for certain summer trips.
· The parishioners and youth have continuously stated that this service activity is an excellent opportunity for the youth and parishioners to work together.
· Retreats and trips are usually funded by Work for Donations: Gospel Road, NCYC, and Cross Training.
Gospel Road
· The youth of St. Luke spend 1 week in Harlan, Kentucky or Chicago, Illinois or Detroit, Michigan working on homes that house people who experience poverty daily.
· This trip encompasses all four avenues of faith formation, but we choose to put it under service. This mission trip offers the youth an opportunity to integrate their knowledge of faith with action.
Cross Training
· Our youth spend one week during July or August experiencing a variety of different service projects.
· The goal is for the youth to integrate their knowledge of faith with action.
· The youth are given an opportunity to understand and experience the fact that faith and fun can be and should be integrated.
Catechesis
· Teaching the faith and learning about the faith are integrated into all of the programs, events, activities and meetings for the youth.
· Catechesis occurs during every event and this is made possible by the openness of our adult volunteers and older high school youth to witness their faith and the desire of our youth to learn more about their faith and share their own experience with other youth and adults.
· We choose to adopt of model of Catechesis that is similar to Jesus’ example and the Apostles.
· When Jesus met with people he made it a point to serve both their spiritual needs and their physical needs. We follow this example and we look to bring the youth to a point of integration in their life, wherein the physical and the spiritual are united serving the Lord.
Liturgy/Prayer
· By the grace of God we have a lively community of believers that call St. Luke Catholic Church their Home.
· Our goal is to facilitate the integration of our youth into the liturgical events and practices that occur at St. Luke and within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
· We encourage our youth to pray daily and to join the other members of St. Luke once a week for our communal prayer, the Mass.
· We hope that our youth serve in a variety of ways with the Mass at St. Luke.
· Many of our youth already serve as ushers, lectures, extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and Altar Servers.
· “Prayer is the Language of Hope” – Joseph Pieper
Question and Answer
Q: Who attends youth events?
A: A variety of youth attend the events, we have attendees from over 5 different schools in the area.
Q: What do you do on at Sunday Youth Ministry?
A: We have fun! We share our experiences and learn how faith can and should impact how we live our life.
Q: What if I do not know anybody at the event or meeting?
A: No worries, we always have introductions and our youth are open and willing to bring in new people all the time.
Q: What if I cannot pay for a trip?
A: We have very generous parishioners who help with the cost of trips, please do not ever be afraid to ask for financial assistance.
Q: What if I am not sure that I believe everything that the Catholic Church teaches?
A: Have no fear! All of us involved with youth ministry are learning daily about our faith and we will have a lively discussion regarding any questions or doubts that may arise. What is unique about our meetings is that we have these discussions in a non-judgmental and open-minded setting.
Q: Are the truths of the Catholic Church taught and upheld?
A: Yes, we strive as staff and volunteers to teach the truth and teach the truths of the faith with Boldness!
Q: How do I get involved?
A: Call the Jansen center and ask for Father Terry and come to our Sunday meetings, ask a friend that is involved and come to Mass and experience our faith with the rest of our community.