The Office of Youth Ministry - Donors

Inaugural Golf Classic

Sr. M. Consolata Crews FSGM — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:02:04 -0500

Start: Sep 30 2008 - 12:00pm

End: Sep 30 2008 - 8:00pm

Consolidated Construction Group,

St. John's Mercy Medical Group and Paddy O's present the

Catholic Youth Apostolate

Inaugural Golf Classic

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 - 12 noon registration

$125 per person includes Four-person Scramble - Cart - Lunch - Cocktails - Dinner Buffet - Silent Auction

Please call George Kerry at 314.792.7568 to register or for more information.

Location

Norman K. Probstein Golf Course at Forest Park

Saint Charles, MO

See map: Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest

Score a Touchdown for Youth!

Sr. M. Dolorosa — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:12:02 -0500

The Catholic Youth Apostolate is again embarking on our fall fund-raiser, “Score a Touchdown for Youth”. It’s an easy and fun game for the fall and a great fund-raiser for the Catholic Youth Apostolate.

Here’s how it works. Each registered participant will receive a “Score a Touchdown for Youth ” certificate with the names of three National Football Conference Teams. This certificate is valid for the season and the three teams named on your certificate become your participating teams for the entire 17 week football season.

Each week of the regular season, beginning on Thursday and ending the following Monday, our Football committee will total up the number of points each National Football Conference Team scores during games played that week. The holder of the certificate with the three teams that scored the highest combined total number of points for that week will be awarded $ 50.00. The holder of the certificate with the three teams who scored the fewest combined total number of points for that week will be awarded $25.00.

If any of your teams have an open date during the week, they will be replaced by an American Football Conference partner team. In addition, we draw two certificate numbers at random each week and the holders of those certificates will be awarded $10.00 each. The awards will be distributed weekly during the entire 2007 football season. You register once and you are eligible all 17 weeks for both the point’s totals and the drawings. It’s that easy.

Registration for the entire season is only $25.00. That’s less than $1.50 per week. To register for the season, complete the enclosed form and return it with $25.00, (checks only no cash please),

Week #1 begins Thursday, September 6, 2007, so don’t miss the kick-off!

Once you receive your certificate you will be eligible to win $10, $25 or $50 each week of the season. That’s all there is to it! Come join us and “Score a Touchdown for Youth”. Invite your family and friends to play, too. Feel free to make copies of the enclosed form for additional certificates or to give to others. It’s Simple; it’s fun; register today!

Score a Touchdown Committee

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yes, I want to “Score a Touchdown for Youth in 2007!

Please print clearly

Please register me. Enclosed is $ __________ for __________ certificates

for the 17 week, 2007 season.

Name: ______________________________________

Phone: __________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip: ____________________________________________________________

Please make check payable to Catholic Youth Apostolate and mail to:

Score a Touchdown for Youth

Cardinal Rigali Center

20 Archbishop May Drive, Suite 3210

St. Louis, MO 63119

Play Ball for Youth!

stlyouth — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:18:55 -0500

Play Ball!

Donor Update: Because You Are THERE!

stlyouth — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:50:09 -0500

Our BE THERE campaign is underway and we thank those who have already made a donation!

BECAUSE YOU ARE THERE…

Brief comments from teens about Project Life 2006:

“It was fun and it definitely made my faith strong again.”
“It shows me how other people’s lives really are and how mine is great! Also to humble myself b/c Jesus did for us.”
“It made reconciliation and adoration more meaningful for me.”
“I grew in my faith and I realized how hard it can be to be homeless.”
“Made me realize how little I think of the 60% who have nothing and how quick I am to judge them.”
“The Hunger Banquet was amazing. I was in the 3rd group. It really put into perspective how much I should be thankful. I wish more people could experience this!”
“It made a diff. b/c I plan on going back to 2 of the places.”
“I was weak in my faith, but now I can feel the Lord in me now.”
“Indescribable. It was like awesome because it made me realize that I don’t need to have everything to survive.”
“It showed me how God can be with me more.”
“It really opened my eyes to what poverty is like and certain areas of the city.”
“I was very far from Jesus when I came. I am now considerably closer. I needed this guys, thanks.”

…THANK YOU

Will you make an online donation today at www.stlyouth.org/donate?

BE THERE: LIGHT THE WAY

stlyouth — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:39:03 -0500

During this Advent Season, the OYM invites you to LIGHT THE WAY for young people. Yes, we invite you to BE THERE through making a gift of a donation to our ministry. Your donation will help us to:

Continue to evangelize young people through REAP retreats
Offer R&R (Resource and Renewal) Sessions for youth ministers and core members
Empower more young people to serve their brothers and sisters through Project Life
Connect people with one another through resources on our Website
Host two spirit-filled Steubenville St. Louis/Mid-America Youth Conferences this summer
Assist youth minsters by establishing a Scholarship Fund

…and much more!

To those who have given generously in the past, we say, THANK YOU! Please help us "light the way" again this year. You can either donate online at www.stlyouth.org/donate or mail in a check made payable to the Office of Youth Ministry to

BE THERE

Office of Youth Ministry

20 Archbishop May Dr.

St. Louis, MO 63119

Thank you for your support! May the Lord bless your generosity!

BE THERE - LIGHT THE WAY

Sr. M. Consolata Crews FSGM — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:28:12 -0500

Our BE THERE - LIGHT THE WAY Campaign is under way!

This year the OYM is particulary excited about the campaign. We hope to establish a new fund: a Youth Minister Scholarship Fund! In years past we have received requests to assist youth ministers with their continued education and formation, but we just haven’t had the funds to do so. We want to support our youth ministers by helping them continue their education, formation, and training in theology and youth ministry.

WE NEED YOUR HELP to raise $20,000 to do this! Please prayerfully consider a donation to the OYM to help establish this fund and/or to help with other events, programs, and services. Check out this article for more information.

Please send donations payable to

Office of Youth Mininstry
20 Archbishop May Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63119

You can now DONATE ONLINE! Just click here to find out more.

Thank you to those who have already donated! Your support is greatly appreciated! If you have any questions, please contact Sr. M. Consolata at 314.633.2508 or by email at srmconsolata@archstl.org.

Help Katrina Victims

Liz Buncher — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 23:00:00 -0500

Have you been watching your TV wondering what you can do to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina? Now is your chance. Many families are relocating to St. Louis MO. As you know most refugees are left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. In cooperation with the Archdiocesan Education Office we are sponsoring an “adopt a family” program. As families enroll their children in schools, principals will be in touch with the Office Of Youth Ministry to inform us of any families in need.

Maybe your youth group, your family, your co-workers, your friends, would like to adopt a family that is in much need of our assistance. Please contact Liz Buncher if you are interested in helping with the project via e-mail lizbuncher@archstl.org or phone 314-633-2503.

Appealing to Your Heart

Sr. M. Consolata Crews FSGM — Thu, 26 May 2005 23:00:00 -0500

Did you know that the Annual Catholic Appeal directly supports the Office of Youth Ministry and REAP Team? Did you know that this support enables us to minister to teens through such events as REAP retreats, Project Life, and the Steubenville Youth Conference?

There have been many concerns within the Archdiocese: restructuring of parishes, St. Stanislaus, and those who have suffered from abuse by priests. With these changes and concerns, the Archdiocese is certainly aware of many who experience pain and grief during this time of transition.

Well, this year the donations for the Appeal have not flowed in quite as quickly as previous years. This may be for a variety of reasons, but the bottom line is this: if the goal is not reached then fewer people in need will be helped. Please prayerfully consider a donation to the Annual Catholic Appeal today and check out their website for more information and how to donate.

Good News

Sr. M. Consolata Crews FSGM — Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0500

We have GOOD NEWS to share with you! Our Steubenville St. Louis Mid-America conference sold out within 2 weeks. This is 1/5 of the time it took last year - 10 weeks. Over half of the 2,050 participants are from the St. Louis area this year!

Project Life registration will open March 1st and we anticipate another sold out event for 100 teens to experience a community service week this coming June. Throughout the week the teens will experience how their service changes their heart more than those they serve.

We held our third VITAL training this past weekend. Youth ministers and adult core members left re-energized and equipped to continue building youth ministry within their parish.

Thank you to everyone who supports the OYM! These are just a few of the fruits of your prayers and finances! We still need your support! Please continue to pray for the OYM, all youth ministers, young adults, and young people of the archdiocese, and all of the upcoming summer events. Please consider supporting us through a donation. Our Be There Campaign is still running and we invite you to “BE THERE” for young people of the archdiocese. You can donate online or send your donation directly to our office.

Be There: Light the Way

Jennifer Brinker — Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

This year, 16 archdiocesan parishes enrolled in a youth ministry training program.

One hundred and twenty young people served the needy through a weeklong service project. And 2,100 traveled to Springfield, Mo., for a weekend youth conference.

Those activities were made possible through the archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry, which is embarking on its third annual “Be There: Light the Way” fund-raising campaign.

This year’s goal is $70,000, according to Sister M. Consolata Crews, FSGM, acting director of the Youth Ministry Office. The campaign will conclude in Spring 2005.

Donations will go toward staffing and services that the office provides. This past year, the office provided services to about 20,000 youths and others involved in youth ministry, said Sister Consolata.

“The ‘Be There’ campaign is vital for the operation of our office,” she said. “We rely on the support of generous people. It’s an opportunity of trusting the Lord and His provision through the generous giving of so many.”

In a letter to potential donors, Sister Consolata said that a gift of $400 would provide online consultation for a parish that participates in VITAL, the office’s new program that trains parishes to have comprehensive and effective youth ministry programs.

A gift of $50, she wrote, would allow five teens to take part in a REAP Team retreat. The REAP Team is an archdiocesan youth retreat ministry that falls under the umbrella of the Youth Ministry Office.

And $20, wrote Sister Consolata, would fund the office’s Web site www.stlyouth.org for a month. The site, which currently gets about 200 visits each day, offers resources for those involved in youth ministry.

In the last several years, the Office of Youth Ministry has undergone a number of staff and budget changes.

Over the last two years, more than $300,000 has been eliminated from the office’s budget. Office funding comes from a grant from the archdiocesan Annual Catholic Appeal (formerly the Archdiocesan Development Appeal), a limited-time archdiocesan grant and the “Be There” campaign.

Several staff positions also were eliminated in the last several years. The office now has two-full time staff members: Sister Consolata and Joel Stein, the office’s Web developer; a part-time event coordinator, Rosanne Twellman; and an intern, Sister Mary George Brown, FSGM. The Reap Team has two full-time staffers, Paul Masek and Heather Gallagher; and one part-time member, Susan Farrar.

“We are very grateful for the support and prayers of our donors, whom we pray for daily in our staff prayer,” said Sister Consolata. “They play an important role in ‘being there’ for young people. The ‘Be There’ campaign is important because it is a source and means to be able to continue on the work of strengthening youth and young adult ministry in the archdiocese.”

To make a donation to the “Be There: Light the Way” campaign, call (314) 633-2500 or visit the office’s Web site at www.stlyouth.org/donate/.

Reprinted with permission from the St. Louis Review.

Be There - Light the Way

Sr. M. Consolata Crews FSGM — Wed, 17 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0500

The annual “Be There” fundraising campaign is off and running. The Office of Youth Ministry needs your help to keep providing the ministries that have affected so many young lives. With staff reductions and budget cuts, we need you more than ever.

Did you realize that a gift of:

$400.00 provides on-line consulting for a parish participating in the VITAL program.

“When I was at the first Vital training session… My passion, my love for teens and to serve the Lord was revitalized.. I felt affirmed in my decision to say Yes to God and serve in youth ministry.” -Kim, youth minister

$145.00 allows one teen to experience a life changing weekend at the Steubenville St. Louis Mid-America youth conference.

“Sooner than I could imagine, adoration was over. It had seemed to be, at most, a half hour. It wasn’t until the ride home that I found out it was 2 hours!” –Melissa, teen

$50.00 allows 5 teens to encounter the Lord on a REAP retreat.

“…how AWESOME the retreat was! I think I made a big connection with God and my classmates… I felt the stoning activity was a very good idea because I have wanted to say sorry to a lot of people for a LONG time, but have never had the courage to do it.” –Ashley, teen

$20.00 funds our website for one month, serving hundreds of visitors with Youth Ministry related articles and resources, including the Catholic Blogs and the E-man!

“…wanted to thank you for your website. I got a huge blessing out of it by stumbling across it for an English project. Keep up the good work and God bless!” -Joy.

“I do enjoy very much receiving each issue of the E-man. There is good ministry building here… Your tireless efforts do aid in converting many young people every year…” -James

In the next week we will be mailing out the fundraising material. Please consider a donation and together we can LIGHT THE WAY! You can donate at any time online here.

Youth ministry holds promise of our future

Steve Givens — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 23:00:00 -0500

I make no bones about it: I am a Catholic because of youth ministry.

Twenty-five years after my young-adult conversion to Catholicism, I love the Church for its traditions and its sacraments. I love it for the beauty of its liturgies and cathedrals and for its unfailing support for life and the poor.

But when I was 19, I didn’t know all those things. I just knew I had found a place where I was understood, a place where I could fail then seek forgiveness. I found there was real power in coming before an altar and receiving the Real Presence of Christ with a handful of other equally confused young people, each of us trying to find our way in the world.

I found all of these things through youth ministry programs. And I know that I am not alone.

Now as a parent of teens, I have witnessed youth ministry programs that are stronger and more innovative than ever. I see the impact that these programs are having on my son and daughter and on many of their friends.

Here are a few examples.

Thousands of teens are swarming to weekly Life Teen Masses. Some come with their parents, but others come because they have been evangelized by their peers.

Their friends are inviting them to Church (imagine that!), safe in knowing that what their friends experience will be relevant, exciting and life changing. They know their friends will discover what they already know: Jesus is real and living in the Eucharist, as well as in the hearts of those gathered.

They know that their friends will be welcomed and made to feel like family. Youth ministers are allowing our young people to be evangelists.

Thousands of teens and pre-teens are learning that it’s possible (and even cool) to commit to a life of faith and chastity through retreats and programs offered by the Office of Youth Ministry’s REAP Team.

This ministry, made up of both adults and teens, travels the St. Louis Archdiocese offering innovative, fun and deeply meaningful retreats for confirmation classes, high school students and youth groups.

It is asking our young people to commit their lives to Christ and His Church and to lives of purity. And it is seeing lots of committed hands raised in the air. Youth ministers are allowing our young people to make the choice for Christ.

Thousands of teens are being challenged to become more fully involved in the lives of their parishes through youth groups.

They are working as spiritual cells within their parishes, organizing youth masses, Eucharistic devotions, retreats and Bible studies; but they are also traveling together to experience the power of the larger Church at events like World Youth Day and Steubenville and Life Matters conferences.

Youth ministers are allowing our young people to mature into full-grown, full-blooded Catholics.

So who out there is for youth ministry? Can I see some hands, please?

Well, here’s the rub. We’re all for it, but we’re not all ready to support it.

If we are serious about the future of our Church and its leaders, there is no better place to begin than with the spiritual and financial support of youth ministry.

I’ve heard several pastors say they would like their parish to have a full-time youth minister or a program like Life Teen, but the money is not available. The REAP Team struggles to make ends meet and pay living wages to a handful of committed employees who spend more time than they should raising money instead of saving kids from spiritual and physical destruction.

It’s time to make a moral and theological decision about the programs that are bringing us tomorrow’s priests, religious brothers and sisters, and committed Catholic parents.

Youth ministry is the future of our Church, and we need to treat it that way.

Reprinted with permission from the St. Louis Review. Givens is a member of St. Ferdinand Parish in Florissant and the author of several children’s books on faith issues.

VITAL Signs!

Brian Niebrugge — Wed, 05 May 2004 23:00:00 -0500

Remember when the E-Man asked you to contact the youth ministry program in your parish to see if they would go to the “VITAL” informational meeting? Well, it worked! After the meetings, 36 different parishes have expressed interest in the program.

We are very excited! With the recent restructuring, Vital is going to be an incredibly important part of our parish support effort. It will allow us to do more with less and help to create solid youth ministry programs across the area.

It is not, however, a magic bullet. VITAL will help to guide parishes, but parish employees and volunteers are still going to have to do the work necessary to create strong, vibrant, and VITAL programs. The E-Man is asking all our donors to pray for these parishes so that they may effectively deliver the Good News to the teens of the Archdiocese.

On another note, check out our website at www.stlyouth.org. We have recently made some improvements. We now have Catholic bloggers, a calendar allowing people to post their own youth ministry events, a new section bringing you news stories from across the nation that impact Catholic Youth Ministry, as well as information about our events. You can even register for an OYM event online!

Please keep the staff and the mission of the OYM in your prayers. You are in ours!

The E-Man needs your help!

Brian Niebrugge — Tue, 13 Apr 2004 23:00:00 -0500

The OYM is starting a program called VITAL! (Vision, Inclusive, Tools, Accountability, Life-Giving!) We are partnering with Cultivation Ministries to bring this innovative new youth ministry training program to St. Louis. VITAL aims to train those who will be working directly with teens in parishes and to help parishes develop effective strategies for developing youth ministry in that parish. In short, VITAL wants to help people create successful youth ministries in parishes across St. Louis.

VITAL will be a two-year program with four training sessions a year. In addition to the training sessions, VITAL parishes will participate in an ongoing online consultation and assessment session which will track progress made on quantifiable, measurable goals. VITAL parishes will also have access to coaches that will receive similar training and make visits to parish functions to help parishes get an outside, objective, and fresh look at youth ministry activities. At the end of the two-year period, each parish will receive a final assessment evaluating the success of their efforts based on their own goals.

What’s more, this program isn’t just for professional youth ministers. Youth ministry volunteers will find this program very helpful in developing their ministry.

This is where YOU come in.

The E-Man wants all of our donors to contact the youth ministries in their parishes to encourage them to participate in this plan. They have already received a mailing from us, so they should be somewhat familiar with the goals of the program. We will be hosting an informational meeting on April 28, and we want representatives from as many parishes as possible at this meeting. Give the person in charge of youth ministry at your parish a call. If nobody is in charge, call the pastor. Tell them about this innovative new program and ask them to come to the informational meeting.

Thanks for your help in making this a successful program!

The OYM needs your prayers

Brian Niebrugge — Sun, 04 Apr 2004 23:00:00 -0500

As you have already heard, Archdiocesan agencies have recently been required to make some significant budget cuts in order to balance the budget. These new cuts, along with cuts in other funding sources for the OYM over the past few years, will force significant changes in the OYM starting in July.

More information about staff and programs that will have to be cut will be made public soon. Some good programs and good staff members will be lost. Despite these cuts, the OYM still has some exciting plans for the future, such as our VITAL program where we will collaborate with Cultivation Ministries to provide coaching and consultation to parishes. We will still be collaborating with Catholic Camps of America to develop camping opportunities for Catholic Youth. In addition to these exciting new programs, you can expect to see some of the familiar OYM events and programs, like Steubenville St. Louis and REAP retreats, which have impacted the lives of teens for the past five years.

Despite this disappointing turn of events, the OYM remains blessed with resources and resolute in its commitment to serve the young people of the Archdiocese. The staff of the OYM is committed to minimizing the impact of these cuts on the teens of the Archdiocese.

As these changes are announced in the coming weeks, please remember to keep the OYM in your prayers. Also, it is extremely important that we continue to build up our base of donors. As costs like liability insurance and health care continue to rise, the OYM will need donors like you to continue sharing the Good News of the Gospel with teens who desperately need to hear it.

OYM and the ADA

Brian Niebrugge — Mon, 01 Mar 2004 00:00:00 -0500

As our annual campaign has progressed, a few people have commented about the Archdiocesan Development Appeal. Since the OYM is supported by the ADA, some have wondered why we need to conduct our own separate campaign.

The ADA is a wonderful campaign that gives a generous grant to the OYM as well as other charities every year. Because the ADA supports such a wide scope of agencies, ministries, and other charities, it cannot typically fully fund an agency or program. It would be impossible for us to emphasize enough the importance of the ADA and we encourage everyone to make a gift to the ADA as it kicks off this year’s campaign.

For the OYM to provide all the events, programs and services that it does, however, it is necessary for us to seek support from the many people who have a special concern for young people and their faith. Even with our ADA grant and the revenue generated by our events and programs, we still lack the necessary funds to support all our efforts. What is necessary is significant support from those who especially want to see the Church reach out to our youth and young adults.

This is why the Be There campaign is so important. Without it, we would be unable to meet the needs and expectations of young people today. We would have to eliminate free services such as our OYM Update, our web site, E-man, and parish consulation. We couldn’t offer events like Life Matters or Project Life without charging a fee that would be prohibitive for most young people. If you have not already given this year, please consider making a donation to the OYM. You should have already received a pledge card and return envelope. If you would prefer, you may make a donation online by clicking [http://www.stlyouth.org/donate/]here[/url].

Thank you for all of your support. Your financial help is greatly needed and greatly appreciated.