Where can I get the forms I need to fill out?
How do we raise funds?
Fr. Cosme de la Pena, Kristin Earl, Stanley Witherspoon, and Pat Bentley
We are very fortunate to have a great, diverse volunteer team who meet throughout the year to plan and organize activities. There is always room for you as well.
Located in
the Religious Education Building
St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton Youth Group
603B New Jersey Ave.
Absecon, NJ 08201
609-804-3422
Services
provided for Youth through Youth Ministry
1. SEAS Kids Club (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade) Junior Youth Group (6th,7th,8th grade) and Senior Youth Group (high school)
2. Links with the diocesan youth office. We make every attempt to provide information about diocesan sponsored activities that are open to youth, such as retreats, trips, etc. This is done via the web page, the bulletin, and we try to post things on the youth office door. This way anyone interested
3. Youth Masses (goal 1-2, per year open to all youth, often coincide with Lock in or Retreat).
4. Participation in parish events such as Christmas bazaar, chicken barbecue, Crop Walk, etc.
5. Community Service Days & Parish Outreach for Youth.
6. Social activities for youth (sleepovers, trips, etc)
7. Speakers relevant topics that affect youth (anger management, chastity, drug abuse)
8. Seasonal Family Events
9. Youth Web-site This is a place where students can surf and find: a monthly faith building message, a weekly prayer of encouragement. It is a place to post prayer requests, find a copy of the youth calendar, download permission slips, get messages from the Youth Ministry team, and check out diocesan advertisements, as well as retreat and Christian concert information, etc.
10. Counseling
Communication will
continue to be done via: flyers, church bulletin, postings on the Youth Group
door, web page,
calendar and by e-mail.
We
now have a YOUTH web page attached to
our parish web site. To access it
just go to www.stelizabethannseton.com
when the page comes up, click the youth page.
Those who have computers and are allowed to access the internet, check it
frequently, so that you are up to date. Please share this with friends who may
not have computers or internet as of yet.
You
can also e-mail the youth ministry
team with questions or concerns at seasyg08201@yahoo.com
When
you go to church with your family be sure to get a bulletin
and read it, so you don’t miss anything. You
can also find the bulletin on line at the web address above.
A
Lock in is a mini retreat, without traveling far from home. The idea behind
a lock in is that you make a commitment to a thought filled and often spiritual
or faith based overnight that has a theme. It’s
a combined social and spiritual event. Youth
participate both individually and in-groups.
Service projects and/or mini trips in the community are often tied into a
Lock in. Therefore, there is a start time and an end time, which means a
commitment and a decision. A
Sleepover is informal. It does
start and end at a certain time, but because it is less structured, we can be
more flexible about times people join us and leave, provided we are told in
advance. Both are a lot of fun! A
Retreat is an opportunity to take time away from your everyday life and
spend quality time with God. There
are many different types of retreats, including:
Discovery, KAIROS, Journey, Search, True Love Waits, etc.
These are usually weekend experiences and are often held at retreat
houses such as St. Pious X Spiritual Life Center or Malvern Retreat House.
Please
understand that we have to set deadlines to register for events in order to:
obtain supplies, qualify for discounts, obtain appropriate #’s of chaperones
to comply with diocesan regulations, arrange rides, etc.
We realize that it is difficult to make commitments and plan in advance,
but we hope that we all might be able to work together on this.
Please know that we understand when emergencies and problems arise.
As always, we promise to try to work this out with you.
We have tried to plan a full calendar of events for our youth. In order to make these things happen, we really need your help! Therefore we are asking for assistance from each family for two events this year. For the safety of the children, volunteers and chaperones the diocese requires the following of all volunteers (18 years and above) who interact with youth. Completion of criminal record check (finger printing) and attend CAP training (once every 5 years). This policy was implemented in 2001 for the safety of all, particularly our children.
Everyone
needs someone to talk. Miss Bentley
is available to lend an ear. Just
give her a call (804-3422) and she will gladly make herself available to you. This
is open to all youth of the parish, any age, not just youth group members.
We can also assist by providing additional resources and information
should you need that. Should anyone
need professional assist we will help refer you.
We want youth ministry to be a positive experience for everyone: the youth, the volunteers, parents, team leaders, etc; therefore we do abide by the diocesan youth and adult codes of ethics. Please treat each other and our facility with respect and care. If we are mindful that Christ lives in each of us and of all that we have been blessed with, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Inclement weather and cancellations
We will do our best to post cancelled events/ meetings on the web and leave a message on the phone in the religious education office, as soon as possible.
Please remember: For the safety of your child, no one is permitted to hang out in the parking lot before or after a youth group meeting or event. Nor is anyone permitted to go to WAWA before or after a meeting or to walk home after a youth group meeting or event. Those who share rides (youth drivers) to/ from meetings need to have this arranged with written parental consent ahead of time. Parents can and are encouraged to car pool as you would for any other activity, provided that each parent knows who is picking up which kids and when. No one is permitted to walk home from youth Group, without written parental consent