St. John Paul II Youth Group

St. John Paul II Parish has established a Youth Group for young people.  They meet in our Parish Center on the first and third Fridays of every month.  Briel Peters has volunteered to serve as the Group Leader.  This is an opportunity for our youth to form friendships and empower them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.  Based on the interests of the group, they establish goals, challenges, themes and different ministries in the Catholic Church including service projects, retreats, and other activities.  Young people have a great deal to offer parish ministry; and when they can express their faith through meaningful roles, they develop a spirit of commitment to the parish community.  Our society and culture neglect youth and their well-being.  It prioritizes false images of success and wealth rather than the well-being of youth.  Today’s youth are plunged into the distracting worlds of consumerism and technological isolation which damage relationships including both familial ties and a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is our responsibility to respond to the needs of our young people.  If we want youth to commit to parish life, the parish must commit to the development of the youth.  We must listen to the specific developmental, social, and religious needs of our young people and nurture them accordingly.  We must show our youth that the church maintains a culture of love and discipleship.  Our challenge is to help families and our parish community promote healthy living standards so our youth can grow into responsible, successful adults.  Some members of our Youth Group attended World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, in 2016.  We have every reason to believe that they will succeed in their goal to attend the next World Youth Day in Panama City, Panama, in 2019.  We invite our young people to join this group to enhance their lives with faith and friendship.