Youth Ministry Newsletter

October 2023

Dear Friends in Youth Ministry,

Registration is open for the Catholic Youth Convention! We invite you to check out our amazing line-up of speakers and activities at High School Catholic Youth Convention. You’ll also find the link to register your high school students and chaperones!

The theme for CYC 2023 is REVIVAL, focusing on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and what this really means. We’d like your high school students to share their thoughts!

High Schoo Video Challenge:

Use this link to upload a short video and let us know what the Eucharist means to you!
This can be a group production or individual clip.
Simple videos should be 20 seconds or less.
Are you an aspiring filmmaker? Want to do a little more with this challenge? Mini movies can be a little longer but must be 45 seconds or less.
We will feature a selection of videos at CYC!
Share your voice with other students from all over Western Washington!
Deadline to submit videos: Sunday, 10/29 at 11:59pm!

This year’s theme also connects us all to the National Eucharistic Revival. As we look ahead to the National Eucharistic Congress taking place next July, we will be offering a series of Youth/Young Adult Adoration Nights with Praise & Worship music “PNW Adoration Nights,” on the first Saturday of each month from December to June. Stay tuned for the schedule, locations, marketing materials, and additional details – coming soon!

And speaking of the National Eucharistic Congress, please email me if you’re planning to take your high school youth group to Indianapolis for this once-in-a-lifetime event! You’ll find details about the youth track at Track Options and other important information about the Congress at Standard Registration.

As you get settled into this school year, please know I am here to assist with your questions and other needs! This is a great time to schedule a youth ministry support visit, and I’m happy to come to your parish or high school. Whether you are new or seasoned, and whatever your location in the Archdiocese, I’d love to meet you and your ministry team and talk about ways I can support you.

As always, you’re welcome to contact me any time at Kimberly.abadir@seattlearch.org, or give a call at 206-274-3175. I look forward to talking with you soon!

Blessings to you!

Kimberly

FEATURED ANNOUNCEMENTS

CATHOLIC YOUTH CONVENTION - REGISTRATION OPEN!

We’re looking forward to seeing you and your high school students at CYC 2023, taking place on November 4th at St. Michael, Olympia! You’ll find marketing materials here and registration information here.

CONFIRMATION RETREATS - UPDATE

Spaces are still available at some of the upcoming Confirmation retreats. If you are interested, please fill out the parish interest form. We have some openings for the following dates (space is limited):

January 27, 2024 – Mary, Queen of Peace, Sammamish – MS & HS
April 6, 2024 – Camp Don Bosco – MS
April 13 – St. Frances Cabrini, Lakewood – (Run by Net Ministries) – HS

EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING IN YOUTH MINISTRY:

Behind the scenes, SO many things are in the works! Here’s a look:

Policies: We have a team working on our Youth Ministry Policies – they are 10 years old and in need of an update… if you have any questions about the current policies that you’d like us to review, please let me know! You can find the current policies at: Guidelines

Website: As noted in last month’s newsletter, we’re making updates to our youth ministry website – check back often, and let us know if you’d like us to include any additional resources: Youth Ministry Leaders

Youth Council: As our young people have seen from the synod, we are a listening Church, and a new Archdiocesan Youth Council is forming to represent the many voices of Catholic youth in the Archdiocese of Seattle! Applications to serve on the Council will be available soon, and in this initial year, which begins this January, we are inviting high school sophomores and juniors to apply. The Council will include 2 representatives from each deanery, plus representative members of cultural Catholic communities living within our archdiocese. Additional details and marketing materials will be available soon – In the meantime, please keep an eye out for potential youth leaders you can invite to apply!

IDEAS EXCHANGE

This section is back from summer break! Over the past couple of months, we have received a variety of inquiries about speakers and musicians... and whether we have a list of recommendations. We aren’t able to provide an official list of endorsements, but we CAN share the recommendations that YOU offer! Please provide your suggestions here.

YOUTH MINISTRY ZOOM GATHERINGS

Zoom lunches are resuming as well! Join us on Thursday, October 12th at noon! We will try this out for the fall months, and if this is helpful, we’ll continue to meet in the new year. Here are the NEW Zoom details:

Join Zoom Meeting

https://scu.zoom.us/j/98000832557?pwd=aUIzOTlmakROUmYwbmYyMjdBTG5tdz09

Meeting ID: 980 0083 2557

Password: 360555

Join by phone:

+1 (669) 900-6833

Meeting ID: 980 0083 2557

One tap mobile

+16699006833,,98000832557#

UPCOMING DATES

10/14-10/15: Overnight Confirmation Retreat, MS (Camp Don Bosco)
11/4/23: Catholic Youth Convention - High School (St. Michael, Olympia) DETAILS
1/27/24: Confirmation Retreat, MS & HS (Mary, Queen of Peace, Sammamish)
3-2-24: Middle School Encounter (Kennedy Catholic High School)
3/13/24-3/14/24: Faith Formation Leaders' Lenten Retreat (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way)
3/16/24: Confirmation Retreat, MS & HS (St. Edward, Shelton)
4/6/24: Confirmation Retreat, MS (Camp Don Bosco)
4/13/24: Confirmation Retreat, HS - NET Ministries (St. Frances Cabrini, Lakewood)

Youth Ministry Services