Youth Ministry Newsletter
April 2023
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Dear Friends in Youth Ministry,
I wish all of you a blessed Triduum and a joyful Easter celebration! I hope the coming weeks are a time of joyous renewal for your ministry and for each of you personally! Once again, I have to express what a pleasure it has been to visit with so many of you over the past months. If we haven’t yet had a chance to meet (or even if we have!) I’m happy to come to your parish to see you – please let me know if you’d like to schedule a visit!
I’m very excited to share some upcoming activities in youth ministry – These are being planned as a result of your feedback from the recent Youth Ministry Survey!
DEANERY/AREA MEETINGS: We are setting a date for a Seattle-area youth minister gathering later this month. If you are in Seattle, you’d like to attend, and you did not receive an email last week, please let me know! If you live in another deanery which does not currently have regular meetings scheduled, please email me! I am happy to organize a gathering with the youth ministers in your area!
HOT TOPICS / ISSUES TO DISCUSS: I’m thrilled to report that we have a date for our Spring Workshop (May 2nd) and our topic is one that many of you requested: Today’s LGBTQ+ Culture: Accompanying our Youth. A HUGE thank you to Cathleen Ito and Holy Family Parish for making this workshop possible – please see the details in the “Featured Announcements” section below!
BUSES TO STEUBENVILLE: Many of you indicated that the buses we provided for transportation to Steubenville were very helpful last year, and some of you have asked if we will be providing them this summer as well. I want to let you all know that we regrettably do not have the budget to provide bus service to/from this event each year. Last summer, a one-time funding arrangement was secured because the 2021 Catholic Youth Convention unfortunately coincided with the surge of the Delta Variant and had to be cancelled. Even though we cannot provide you with the funding for the buses, I’d very much like to help connect the parishes that would like to go, so that you can work together and save on costs! If you are planning to bring a group to Steubenville this summer and you have an interest in sharing a chartered bus, please fill out this brief survey by Thursday, 4/20: https://forms.office.com/r/DHaYgyBdmk
ZOOM LUNCHES: Many of you have let us know these are helpful, and our next lunch is coming up on Thursday, 4/13 at noon. This month, we will include a topic of discussion: Service Projects! Come and share your ideas and hear what others are doing as well. We’re looking forward to seeing you there if you can join us!
As always, I’d like you to know that you’re welcome to contact me any time. Email me 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
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SPRING WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY
Today’s LGBTQ+ Culture: Accompanying our Youth
Considerations for how we pastorally respond to and walk with our young people
Tuesday, May 2nd from 8:30am – 1:30pm
Holy Family Church, Kirkland
This Spring Workshop is designed to provide youth ministers and faith formation leaders with:
- Increased awareness of how today’s youth culture understands LGBTQ+ issues.
- Context for initial scenarios, to help you feel more prepared if/when students tell you they have same sex attraction, feel they are gender non-binary, etc.
- Talking points for you and your pastor, as you work together to accompany our youth and provide ongoing pastoral care.
The workshop will begin with Mass and include time for speakers, Q & A, lunch, and small group discussions. Here is an initial flyer. Look out for an email with additional details and registration – Coming Soon!
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CONGOLESE FAMILY FUN DAY
Congolese Family Fun Day
Saturday, June 10th from 11am – 3pm
St. Stephen the Martyr Church, Renton
The Youth Ministry, Multicultural Ministries, and Immigrant and Refugee Ministry departments are teaming up to offer a Family Fun Day to the Congolese Community! We invite youth groups to participate in this event, and there are a number of ways you can do so: Help run one or more activity stations, bake goodies for a dessert table, participate in a drive for diapers and other supplies, raise money to help sponsor this community event! View the Save-the Date Flyer.
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Ideas Exchange
Easter Activities Check out the answers to last month's question! Look in this section next month for everyone’s answers, as well as the new question!
This month’s question: Speaker Suggestions! Let us know your recommendations on great speakers.
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Monthly Zoom Lunches Link!
Please join us at noon on the 2nd Thursday of each month.
Our next one is Thursday, 4/13 at noon!
Meeting ID: 863 0253 4385
One tap mobile
+12532158782,,86302534385# US (Tacoma)
+12532050468,,86302534385# US
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Upcoming Dates
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4/15/23: Confirmation Retreat (High School, Camp Hamilton, Monroe)
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4/20/23: Lay Minister Convocation (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way)
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4/25/23: Cultivating Skills for Nonviolent Communication (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way) Flyer
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4/28/23 - 4/30/23: Fin de semana de formación para lideres de Pastoral Juvenil – Event is in Spanish (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way)
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4/29/23: Confirmation Retreat (Middle School, Camp Hamilton, Monroe) Space is limited for this retreat.
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5/2/23: Spring Workshop "today's LGBTQ+ Culture: Accompanying our Youth' (Holy Family, Kirkland)
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6/8/23: PAFF Annual Conference – includes Youth Ministers (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way)
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6/10/23: Congolese Family Fun Day (St. Stephen the Martyr, Renton)
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7/10-7/14: Franciscan LEAD/Steubenville (Spokane, WA)
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7/14-7/16: Steubenville NW (Spokane, WA) Flyer I Spiritusnw.com
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8/1-8/6: World Youth Day (Lisbon)
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8/1-8/5: Local WYD Celebrations
- 8/1: St. Mary, Anacortes
- 8/3: Our Lady of Lourdes, Vancouver
- 8/5: St. James/Immaculate Conception, Seattle
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8/5-8/10: Middle School Boys' Camp (organized through St. Nicholas, Gig Harbor, at Camp Hamilton, Monroe) Flyer
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8/15-8/17: High School Retreat – (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way)
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8/26/23: Youth Minister Volunteer Training and Retreat (Holy Family, Kirkland)
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9/6/23: New PAFF/YM Orientation and Fall Gathering (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way)
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3/13/24-3/14/24: PAFF/YM Annual Lenten Retreat (Archbishop Brunett Retreat Center, Federal Way
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