Welcome to Youth Discipleship Ministry!
Our Mission is “To inspire youth to an ongoing encounter with Christ in His Church and to empower each one to live their whole life in His love.” We live out this mission by providing thought provoking formation, habit forming prayer experiences, and providing opportunities for authentic friendship.
Please see the opportunities below for ways for our youth to grow in virtue together. All opportunities have fundraising and scholarship opportunities available.
Summer at Youth Ministry
Summer Blast
The school year may be wrapping up, but Youth Ministry will be going strong all summer long! Once a week this summer on Wednesday evenings, we will meet at the soccer field to play games, including kickball, spikeball, gaga ball, ultimate frisbee, four square, nine square, and more. Some weeks me might also visit Snuffy's or hang out in the youth room, and we will always conclude with some time for prayer. We are also planning a few dates to do service in the community—those details will be announced very soon.
Summer Blast will be every Wednesday this summer from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., starting on June 12th. Register for FREE at this link!
Extreme Faith Camp
What is Extreme Faith Camp?
EFC is a high-adventure summer camp for middle schoolers. It is packed with incredible activities, including high ropes, zip lines, climbing walls, water activities, and more!
EFC is organized and led by youth ministers from around the Archdiocese. Our aim is to give middle schoolers an awesome week of camp, grounded in the Catholic faith and Sacraments, where they can see that faith and fun can coexist, personally encounter the God who loves them so much, and form life-long habits of faith and prayer. This week of camp has changed lives.
What Makes Extreme Faith Camp Special?
There are a lot of great summer camps out there, even a number of great Christian camps. But there are some things that make EFC truly unique:
Catholic Identity — EFC is firmly rooted in the Catholic tradition. Every day is enriched with the Sacraments, including Adoration, daily Mass, and Reconciliation
Link to the Parish Community — EFC is designed to not only provide a great week of camp, but also establish community and relationships that can carry on at the parish for years after camp is over. Middle schoolers will be placed in groups with other kids from their parish, will be led & mentored by teens and adults from St. Therese. This is key to giving them a community that will continue to nurture their faith after camp.
Life-Long Faith — One of the most beautiful aspects of camp are the personal, life-changing encounters with Jesus that our campers will have. But we know that faith is about a life-long relationship with Christ, and we empower our campers to integrate their experiences at camp into their everyday lives.
Where is Extreme Faith Camp?
EFC will be held at Trinity Woods Catholic Retreat Center in Trego, WI. Transportation will be provided.
When is Extreme Faith Camp?
EFC will take place from July 8th - July 12th. (Adult and teen helpers will come up two days earlier, on July 6th).)
Who can come to Extreme Faith Camp?
EFC welcomes campers who are currently in grades 6-8. We also need teen helpers (grades 9-12) and adult leaders. Teens and adults interested in volunteering should reach out to me (jschiltz@st-therese.org or 952-261-0591).
How can I sign up for Extreme Faith Camp?
Registration for EFC is now open—just follow this link!
The early-bird price of camp is $425. Early Bird registration lasts until March 31.
Starting April 1, the price will rise to $500.
Needs-based scholarships are available. Please reach out to me for information (jschiltz@st-therese.org or 952-261-0591).
High School Faith Formation
High School Youth Group
St. Therese’s High School Youth Group provides opportunities for youth to connect with their peers, enrich their spiritual lives, and learn about Christian living. And of course, there will be plenty of opportunities for fun throughout the year, including bonfires and lazer tag night. This year’s focus is learning and deepening how to live as a Christian.
The schedule for the year can be found here. Please note that the meetings from January to April are subject to change.
High School Faith Formation
In addition to the High School Youth Group, we are offering High School Faith Formation on Wednesdays. This will involve looking at how the Catholic church responds to contemporary issues. Moreover, we will spend ample time reading Mark’s Gospel. This is a great opportunity to become more familiar with Scripture and learn to read it well.
The schedule for the year can be found here.
Middle School Faith Formation
Friday Night Bash
Friday Night Bash is our monthly series of middle-school social nights, back for its fifth year!
Once a month, we will meet either at St. Therese or in the local community for fun activities, snacks, games, prayer, and more! All FNB events are open to middle schoolers in grades 6-8; anyone is welcome to join us—even friends from outside St. Therese.
ADULT CHAPERONES ARE NEEDED FOR ALL FNB EVENTS. If you would like to help, please reach out to Joe at jschiltz@st-therese.org or (952) 261-0591.
Chaperones must have completed the VIRTUS Safe Environment training process. Instructions can be found here. Reach out to Joe with questions.
May 10th: Game Show Bonanza!
We’ll wrap up the year with a Game Show Bonanza! We’ll form teams and compete in a series of game show-style challenges and events to compete for BIG PRIZES!!!
There will be pizza, snacks, candy, and INTENSE COMPETITION. Bring some friends and join us!
Date: Friday, May 10th
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: St. Therese Community Room
Price: Free!
Middle School Catechesis
Ascend
Grade 8 Faith Formation
ASCEND has been created especially for St. Therese 8th graders to help them understand what they believe and why, give them the tools to defend those beliefs, and fall in love with Christ while doing it. This program will feature basic Christian apologetics, teachings on how to live a Christian life, and opportunities for them to encounter Christ. We will be drawing from a variety of resources for this program, including Made for More by Curtis Martin, LifeTeen's Unleashed program, and videos from Fr. Mike Schmitz.
Blaze
Grade 6-7 Faith Formation
St. Therese’s BLAZE is a Catholic middle-school youth discipleship program. It provides a safe, fun place for youth to find solid Catholic Community, get answers to their questions about faith, and most importantly, to experience Jesus in a profound and personal way. BLAZE resources speak to the spiritual, relational, cognitive, psychological, and physical maturation of middle school youth. The BLAZE program is a two-year cycle that covers the essential and key teachings of the Catholic faith—centered on The Creed, The Sacraments, The Moral Life, and A Life of Prayer, as well as Salvation History as described in the Old and New Testaments. Youth will encounter an environment of prayer fellowship and openness where they will feel safe to express their thought and ideas about their faith.
Please support our Faith Formation ministry with your prayers! Join our prayer team to receive a weekly prayer intention via email.
To sign up, fill out this form, or email Joe at jschiltz@st-therese.org.