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.
Faith Formation Prayer Corps: Join Now!
Faith Formation’s Prayer Corps ministry is back for its second year! Last year, thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we were able to make sure that almost 800 youth, parents, and volunteers were being prayed for every single day. We are hoping to expand this ministry so that we can guarantee that every student, family member, and volunteer in our program has someone praying for them by name.
Members of Prayer Corps are given a list of 10-15 names and asked to pray for them every day over the course of the school year. You can pray for them in any way that you see fit. This is a very accessible and flexible ministry, but it is so important! Prayer is the lifeblood of our ministry, and we need your help!
For more information or to sign up, you can reach out to Joe at jschiltz@st-therese.org. You can also sign up at the link below or at the table located outside the Adoration Chapel.
Middle School Faith Formation
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, tubing, laser tag, climbing walls, archery, 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. Middle schoolers will be placed in groups with other kids from their parish, and 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 13th–July 17th, 2026
Who Can Come to Extreme Faith Camp?
EFC welcomes campers who are currently in grades 5–8. We also need teen (grades 9–12) and adult leaders. Adults interested in volunteering should reach out to Joe (jschiltz@st-therese.org or 952-261-0591). Applications for teen leaders will be released soon.
How can I sign up for Extreme Faith Camp?
Registration will open up later this fall. Keep an eye out for registration and payment information coming soon!
Check out this video for a look at last year’s camp!
Charge Nights
Charge Nights are our monthly series of social nights for middle schoolers. Every evening features food, games, music, talks, and prayer, so that middle schoolers can have fun together and be encouraged and strengthened to grow deeper in their love of Christ.
Charge Nights are FREE and open to anyone in grades 6-8, even if they do not go to St. Therese.
We hope to see you there!
To register for Charge Nights, please fill out this one-time Charge Night permission slip. Ahead of each event, please also RSVP for that month, to help us plan for food and chaperones. RSVPs will be due the evening before.
Check out the graphic to the right for complete dates & times!
For questions, please reach out to Joe Schiltz at jschiltz@st-therese.org or (952) 826-9211.
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.
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.
High School Faith Formation
Small Group Faith Formation
Small groups are the primary means of high school Faith Formation at St. Therese. Small groups are a chance to build community, pray with friends, and learn more about the faith. Moreover, they provide mentoring in Christian life. Here is another benefit of small groups: they are extremely flexible. It is very easy to tailor a small group to the needs of its participants. Once started, the participants, in consultation with their mentors, get to pick what they study.
Small groups usually meet for an hour once a week at the church. But they can meet for more or less time, if needed. Similarly, they can meet once every two weeks, if that is helpful for the participants.
To join one or get one started, contact James Gilbert at jgilbert@st-therese.org or (952) 261-0564.
Steubenville Conference
In addition to Extreme Faith Camp, one of our great summer events is attending a Steubenville Conference. At Steubenville Conferences all over the country, thousands of high school students travel to worship, learn about their faith, and encounter God. Think of it as a retreat for thousands of young people. The theme of the 2025 conference is on being consumed by the love, mercy, and goodness of God.
Please register at this link for the conference: giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/9672abad-05b2-4736-9e45-8df491e1964c
Looking for more information? Take a look at the frequently asked questions below. If your question is not answered below, please contact James Gilbert at 952-261-0566 or jgilbert@st-therese.org.
Q: Who is a Steubenville Conference for?
A: A Steubenville Conference is for anyone who is rising from grades 8-12.
Q: How long is a Steubenville Conference?
A: It is a weekend-long event, starting Friday evening and ending Sunday afternoon.
Q: Is food provided at a Steubenville Conference?
A: Yes! Meals and snacks are provided.
Q: What might I get out of attending a Steubenville Conference?
A: Different people get different things out of attending the conference. Some people make new friends; some people have their first moving encounter with Jesus; all get to enjoy a restoring and fun weekend, and all get to grow in their faith and worship God.
Q: When and where is this year’s conference?
A: July 25-27 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.
Q: How much is the cost of the conference?
A: Due to the generosity of several benefactors, we can attend for free, although our spots are limited! So sign up soon!
Q: By what date must I sign up?
A: May 1st, 2025