New summer events for youth

By Christina Galeone
CFP Correspondent
WORCESTER – In the past month, many people have heard the cheerful, familiar melodies played by ice cream trucks, smelled the charcoal embers from neighbors’ grills or seen colorful fireworks lighting up the sky. All of these things bring people together for fun summer activities. And such activities can strengthen communities.
The Youth Ministry Office of the Worcester Diocese has been offering local youth groups activities that do just that. This summer, it has expanded its events to include more adventurous excursions. It’s also offering new activities that strengthen the leaders of local youth ministries.
The office’s exciting new offerings include a July 24 outing to Boundless Adventures, an aerial adventures park in Berlin, and an Aug. 7 whitewater rafting experience on the Deerfield River.  Additionally, about 50 young people accompanied the office to the Steubenville East youth conference last weekend. In August the office will hold retreats for its Diocesan Youth Discipleship Team and local high school boys, and – through the Diocese of Springfield – it will bring local youth groups to Six Flags New England.
But while all the events offer teens fun and fellowship, they offer something more powerful as well. They can lead to greater, life-changing adventures.
“The primary goal of youth ministry is to build disciples of Jesus Christ,” said Timothy T. Messenger Jr, diocesan director of youth and young adult ministry, adding that it’s not something that happens overnight. “It requires a gradual process that oftentimes begins with the fundamental need for community, which is especially evident for teenagers. This gives us a starting point so that, over time, we can gradually help a teen deepen their faith in Christ.”
The Youth Ministry Office has been striving to deepen that faith in another way as well. It has been offering a Youth Ministry 101 series to help local parishes start youth ministries.
“We also are offering a summer core team training for youth ministry leaders and adults who volunteer in parishes. This will happen twice during the summer – July 27 and Aug. 25,” Mr. Messenger said, noting that even though the training is the last part of the series, it’s open to all parishes regardless of whether they were enrolled in Youth Ministry 101.
“The main goal is to give basic training in relational ministry to prepare leaders and core team for the upcoming year in youth ministry,” he said.
And whether that year includes gliding among the trees, navigating rocky waters or enjoying less adventurous youth group activities, there’s likely a common hope among the ministry leaders.  Mr. Messenger shared, “The main hope is to give teenagers a sense of community within the Church.”

– For more information about any of the summer youth events or the core team training for adults involved in youth ministries, visit the New Evangelization Worcester website, https://neworcester.org/.