About St. Peter's Youth Group
Our faith is more fun when we share it with friends, so St. Peter’s Youth Group is all about faith, friendship, and fun! This year, we’re getting out the video cameras and creating YOUTH TV, giving you lots of opportunities to be camera operators, actors, set designers, and more! This year we are “Generation Mercy and the Rock Stars,” which is all about having fun while learning about Jesus and His Church, and looking for opportunities to serve those in need.
Our curriculum is "Sharing the Sunday Scriptures with Youth" by Maryann Hakowski, published by St. Mary's Press. We also use other resources such as the Total Youth Ministry Series, also published by St. Mary's Press, a variety of activity resources from Group Publishing and from St. Mary's Press, as well as the YOUTH TV model that was created by Dr. Larry Katz for the Collaborative Electronic Learning Project, which took place in the mid to late 1990s, and which Judith was privileged to be involved with for several years.
Contact Judith at FFC@st-peters.ca or 403-286-5110 to receive a registration form and join our Youth Group. Visitors are also welcome to come to any Tuesday meeting to check it out.
What Happens at Youth Group?
Our meetings normally begin with Mass in the Church at 7 pm.
Members of the Youth Group lead the music, proclaim the readings, and serve at the Altar. Training and direction are provided for these roles, as needed. Of course the most important role at Mass is the one we all have, of arriving on time, and being attentive and prayerful throughout the Mass.
After Mass, we come downstairs to the Parish Hall and get to know each other better through activities related to our topic of the evening, and welcoming conversations. You can make yourself a name tag, and keep it on during the meeting so that your new friends at Youth Group can learn your name easily, and so that everyone knows that you belong.
We then get into the topic of the evening (which is based on the lessons found in the Sunday readings for the coming Sunday) through an activity, including YOUTH TV, skits, role playing, game shows, visual arts, discussions, and even, from time to time, guest speakers.
Our snack is pizza and juice. (If you have any allergies, please let us know!)
After snack we return to the Church for a time of quiet in the presence of Jesus, to hear Him speaking to us in our hearts. Clean-up and dismissal take place at 9 pm.
Your ride comes to the lower entrance of the building to pick you up from the
Parish Hall. This is when you pick up registration forms for special events and
information pamphlets about various topics that are of interest to teens
and their families.
While you're waiting for your ride to arrive, you can assist the volunteers to put
tables and chairs away, tidy up, sweep the floor, and mop up any messy spills.
Can I Join the Youth Group?
Activities of the Youth Group are intended for students ages 11-17.
High school students are also welcome to join in as mentors, role models,
and hospitality leaders.
Who’s in Charge?
Judith McRae is an experienced Catechist with a special interest in adolescent faith development. She has many years of practical experience in Catholic Youth Ministry, and also taught the Junior High Catechism program at St. Pius X for more than 10 years. She has Catechetical certification from the Diocese of Calgary, and has studied under the Canadian Redemptorists for the Canadian Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies.
She is assisted each Tuesday by a group of enthusiastic young adults, many of whom are studying to be teachers and who all have an interest in sharing their Catholic faith with teens.
Adult volunteers at St. Peter’s Youth Group have been screened and trained with “Called to Protect.”