STAY Youth and Young Adult Ministry News - January 7, 2016
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January 9, 2016
Updates and Information on Confirmation, Life Teen and EDGE View this email in your browser 
JANUARY 7, 2016
YOUTH MINISTRY UPDATES
Dear Families and Friends of St. Thomas Aquinas Youth Ministry:
HAPPY NEW YEAR! It is incredible how quickly the previous year has flown by, and I am so excited to share with you what our Youth Ministries have in store for this year!
After reading this newsletter, you may want to scroll back up and read it again - this edition is PACKED with important information and updates that you and your youth will want to be a part of.
If you are involved with our Confirmation program, you'll definitely not want to miss our complete calendar for the rest of the year, with which we've included additional events and retreat opportunities that I hope will leave you ON FIRE for your faith and yearning for more.
May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly as we enter into the year of 2016.
For His Glory,
- Chris Mardesich
Director of Youth and Young Adult MinistryAs you scroll down below, you will find updates for the following:
- To Our Parents
- IMPORTANT: Meeting regarding the 6pm Life Teen Mass. Complete interest form below.
- LIFE TEEN SUMMER CAMP
- July 26 - June 3, 2015
- ONLY 2 RSVP's remaining
- Confirmation Updates
- Revised Calendar with some new events and additions!
- Edge Middle School Ministry
- Spring 2016 Semester Calendar is Here!
- EDGE kick-starts this Sunday! See you at 4pm.
- Life Teen High School Ministry
- Spring 2016 Semester Calendar is Here!
- Pray for the Echoes of Worth Retreat Next Weekend!
- Life Teen gathers this Sunday!
NEWS FOR PARENTSRegarding the 6pm Life Teen Mass:
Dear Parents,Many of you have expressed an interest in reviving the 6pm Life Teen Mass, a Sunday evening Mass with a special focus on Middle School/High school youth and family involvement. I would like to host a meeting with families who would be willing to "step up" in leadership and explore the possibility of bringing it back as a fully family supported Service.
If you believe you might be interested in this project, please click on the link below to indicate your meeting availability to gather with other parents as we have a fruitful discussion on what will be needed to move forward.6pm Mass Interest Form Click Here
- ChrisSUMMER CAMP IS BACK
LIFE TEEN SUMMER CAMP is back and better than ever. Now in an brand new location at Camp Golden State in Big Bear, California, there are a TON of new activities that will keep your teens engaged every day of the week. Combined with Life Teen's faith-deepening sessions centered on the Sacraments and a relationship with Christ, teens never leave camp the same.
St. Thomas Aquinas has reserved 5 spots for graduating 8th-graders through outgoing Seniors to travel to camp this Summer of 2016. If you are interested in sending your teen to camp and would like to find out more information, email Chris at [email protected] Total cost for the week of camp to be determined. Limited scholarships may be available pending financial need and future Youth Fundraiser support. Request to RSVP by clicking on the Google Form below:
P.S. If you have already RSVP'd using the link below, we will follow up with you as soon as possible with instructions to secure your youth's spot, in the order that we received your response. Thank you for your patience, and get excited!For a glimpse of what goes on at Life Teen Camp, click the video link below:
A REVISED AND UPDATED
CALENDAR IS HERE! SEE BELOW
Download a PDF Version of the Confirmation Calendar Here 
IMPORTANT UPDATES: PLEASE READIn order to enhance the Confirmation experience of your youth in the Confirmation program this year, we have made special additions and adjustments to the calendar for the remainder of the school year.
Among these changes are the following:- An additional session will take place on Saturday, January 16 from 3pm-5pm at St. Albert Hall. This addition was made to offer more content, especially for students who have missed sessions during the short Fall semester. Understanding that this is MLK Weekend, please let us know in advance if you have already made travel plans and we can offer supplementary resources.
- Earlier versions of our calendar included a possible weekend retreat in February (the weekend of the Knights Crab dinner and also Super Bowl weekend). Instead of a combined high school/middle school retreat weekend, we will offer 2 different retreats later in the year—one for high school youth, and one for middle school youth. We will work with youth who are unable to commit to those specific retreats, and arrange to retreat with a another parish. A portion of the Confirmation tuition fee goes toward the cost of these retreats. Further details and remainder fee will be announced in a future newsletter.
- In place of the April 16th regular session – the Diocese of San Jose is hosting its first ever Youth Confirmation day conference. This is a day event for hundreds of youth preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of San Jose. Activities include breakout sessions for youth to go deeper into their faith, a dynamic keynote speaker, and Mass celebrated by our very own Bishop McGrath! Lunch will be included. Your tuition covers the full cost of this day-experience. Just confirm with us that you are coming! Online RSVP Form coming soon.
NEXT CONFIRMATION CLASS: Saturday, January 16th
3:00pm-5:00pm
St. Albert the Great HallCONFIRMATION SPONSORS:
Don't forget to pick your Confirmation sponsors and turn in the sponsor information form!ASSIGNMENT:
Email Chris or turn in a printed paragraph that answers the following questions:
1 . Which Catholic Saint did you pick to write about?
2. What time in history did he/she live in? What about his/her family background, status, etc.?
3. What did this Saint accomplish that would make them become a Saint?
4. What was the reason you picked this person to be your Confirmation Saint?
5. Based on your choice, what are your personal goals for now and the future in regards to being like this Saint?Here is a reminder of last session's lesson from Joey! 
We hope you enjoyed your break and now ready for another semester at EDGE! This semester we will learn more about what makes the Catholic Church so different from the other churches (4 pillars). We also have some fun off-site gatherings as well as an offsite weekend retreat open to all middle schoolers!
Last EDGE Night, we learned about what makes Mary so special in the eyes of the Church. Not only is she a true example of a follower of Christ, but like the rest of the Saints, Mary intercedes for us in a powerful way! 
This Sunday,
Come join us as we kick off the new year in style with some fun games and competitions with prizes! Reminder: There will be no Edge the following Sunday due to the High School Echoes of Worth Retreat.
Join Us This Sunday!Our high school youth group meets on Sundays @ 6pm in Dermody Center. Check the calendar on our website for more info.ECHOES OF WORTH RETREAT
Retreat for High School Teens
January 15th-17th, 2016
The 2016 Echoes of Worth High School retreat is officially SOLD OUT! Please keep the 160 youth attending in your prayers as they spend next weekend in deep encounter with Christ.
Note: if youth are still interested in attending, but have not registered, please visit http://www.echoesofworth.com/registration.html to request to be placed on the wait list.YOUTH LEADERS NEEDED
Youth Leaders Wanted for Edge Middle school ministry:
Could you believe that God changes the lives of young people through passionate role-models? Could God be calling you to be that role-model for our young people? St. Thomas Aquinas is in need of leaders who are passionate about the Catholic faith, love working with young people, and can be committed to serving on Sundays for a few hours during the day, as well as powerful youth retreats and offsite events during the year. If you feel the call, please send an email to Chris. We have been praying for you.
Parent Support Needed:
Are you interested in volunteering but can’t make the Sunday commitment as a youth leader? Would you rather volunteer from home or during the week? I am actively seeking out parents who would be willing to help coordinate several important parts of our ministries, including the following:
Service Projects: Looking for a a volunteer or two who can help coordinate service projects in the next semester. Ideas include arranging a day trip for our high school and middle school youth to work at a soup kitchen, run donation drives, etc.
Communication Coordinator: Looking for volunteers who may be interested in updating future newsletters, Facebook posts, and/or serve as an overall parent-liason to ensure that all parents and teens are well-informed and up-to-date on the latest information.
Administrative support: There are many additional tasks/projects around the office that could use an extra helping hand. From data input to organizing forms and supplies. If you find yourself able to offer an hour or more worth of administrative assistance, it would be greatly appreciated. Tasks do not have to be completed in the office.
Dermody Center Cleaning Project: Our home for the youth, Dermody Center, is in great need of touch-ups and re-organization of our supply closet and furniture. We need some wonderful parents who can help organize a “cleaning day” where parents, youth and volunteers can come to freshen up our home again. If you have a passion for interior design, we would also love to dream for future projects that would maximize the space of Dermody that would be more welcoming and hospitable to all who stop by.
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- To Our Parents