ST.

JOAN OF ARC PARISH

YOUTH
MINISTRY

FALL 2020 SEMESTER PLAN

YOUTH MINISTER:
Maddie Cronin
maddiecronin1@gmail.com
 FROM THE YOUTH
MINISTER
My name is Maddie Cronin, and I am the new youth minister here at St.
Joan of Arc parish! I am so excited to be here and to join into the
community! This parish has so much life, and I am so excited to see how
God will continue to work in the life of this parish!

Youth Ministry. It is so much more than pizza and a small group. Youth
ministry is fun, crazy and messy. It is also impactful, inspiring and
powerful for a young person’s life. Youth ministry is a necessity for the
Catholic Church, because they are the future of the Church.

A Pew Survey says that 79% of former Catholics leave the Church before
age 23. These young people are leaving because they are not given a
reason to stay. They have no reason to stay if they don’t know Jesus, and
if they don’t have a good community of people to encourage them.
Another reason young people leave the Church is because they do not
believe in the teachings of the Church. Belief in Church teachings
comes from passionate teaching and encounter with Jesus. Together
with God’s help, this statistic can change. 

The mission of youth ministry is this: to first, bring about a personal

encounter with God, and also form the teens through passionate and
applicable teachings of the Church. Through this, we are able to
encourage the youth to continue to follow Jesus as disciples and be
sent out to share God’s love.  Through discipleship small groups for
those teens who are ready to go deeper, they will become equipped in
this way to practice this in their daily life.

This Fall 2020 semester we will focus on the theme of The Friend we
have in Jesus. Jesus is real and he wants to be our best friend! This the
message I want to share with the teens. Through community nights,
Jesus-centered relationships with others will show the teens that loyal
and caring friends do exist! These authentic friendships lead to
encounter with Jesus . Through our Life Nights, teens will come to see
Jesus as both friend and lover. He teaches us how to live an abundantly
joyful life and calls us to follow him.
Let's enter into this adventure of youth ministry!
 SCHEDULE OF
EVENTS
Sunday Life Nights
September 13 - Community Night  
September 20 - Life Night
September 27 - Life Night, Families
welcome
October 4 - Community Night
October 18 - Life Night
October 25 - Life Night
November 1 - Community Night: Prep
for Retreat
November 15 - Life Night
November 22 - Life Night
December 6 - Life Night
December 13 - Life Night
December 20 - Community Night

Fall Retreat: November 7-8th

Nights off
October 11 - sky zone night
November 8th
November 29
 YOUTH NIGHT OUTLINE
SEPTEMBER  13 6:00 - 8:30 PM

COMMUNITY NIGHT

As the opening night of the Fall semester, we are going to have a fun night focused on meeting new

people and helping new faces start to feel comfortable. This is going to be a night of creativity that will

allow the teens to feel free to be themselves in this place. This night will also give the core team a chance

to build relationships with the teens

The night will start with some upbeat pop music as the teens all arrive. When all the teens arrive we will be

doing, make your own pizza night. There will be crusts already cooked and then the teens can put

whatever toppings they would like. There will be some unusual toppings too, because later on we will put

everyone into groups based on what toppings they have chosen.

In the groups, we will have a photo scavenger hunt. The crazier the pictures the better. The pictures will all

be sent to a lead core member of the group. We will share the photos all the together and the winner is

chosen by the core team. The winning team gets to make their own pizza out of the youth minister. The

crust is the baby pool and the toppings will most likely be non-edible.

SEPTEMBER  20 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CATECHETICAL LIFE NIGHT

Topic: Jesus- Fully Man, Fully God.
This night will focus on learning who Jesus is to us and how he dwells with us. Focusing on how Jesus' death and
Resurrection bring about restored friendship with us

Gather: The atmosphere is exciting with music and core team is inviting everyone in. We will start out with an
activity. In this activity we will get everyone involved. Each core member will have a roll of duct tape and

then in groups they will attempt to tape someone to a wall. The group that hangs on the longest wins. We will

start the talk with one praise song.

Proclaim: The name of Jesus is above every other name. He is not just a word, he is The Word made flesh.
- Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins so that we can live eternally with Him. We are made free.

- As we pursue friendship with Jesus he is all around. He is in our friends, family, our daily life.

Break: Go into a time of adoration with soft praise and worship. During this time, one or two teens will share
a testimony that was prepared about how they have seen Jesus actively working in their life.

Send: After adoration we will close in a group prayer where anyone can share an intention. We will have
snacks and relational time with music before everyone goes home!
 SEPTEMBER  27 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CATECHETICAL LIFE NIGHT

Topic: Growing in Friendship - Prayer
Families are welcome to join us for this night. Babysitting is provided.
Gather: Families and teens can come after mass, there will be a dinner provided. After eating/towards the end we
will play a pictionary game. Everyone will be able to watch because they will draw on a tablet that is hooked to a

projector. We will go into the talk afterward by moving into a different room.

Proclaim: "I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I
have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father." John 15:15

- This is prayer. We do not go to prayer to be condemned or put down. He builds us up and looks into our eyes.

- The Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner

Break: We will go into a time of adoration and during this time we will be able to write down how we desire to grow
in prayer. This is an activation of just being authentic in prayer, you may not know what to do, but we learned to let

Jesus guide our prayer.

Send: The teens will be sent out with a handout of different ways they can pray. It has scripture and prayers that they
can use in prayer.

OCTOBER 4 6:00 - 8:30 PM

COMMUNITY NIGHT

This is a big night of the semester. It will be a great chance to bring in new teens who have not been to youth

group before. The night will begin with a grill/potluck style meal and parents can send food with their teens if

they would like. The meal will allow the teens to meet each other and the core team to meet new faces as

well.

Next, we will enter into a color wars night. It will basically be a series of messy games that the teens and core

members will play as teams. First each team will put that color of paint on themselves so they are ready to go!

Some examples of the games are, capture the flag, color ballon toss, and a cheer battle.

These activities will bring about community because the teams will be large enough that teens will get to know

a variety of people. Through fun activities like messy games, I think it breaks a wall down. It helps the teen to

be more open to coming back because of the fun and shows them that Church is not boring, we can have fun

too!
YOUTH NIGHT OUTLINE
OCTOBER 11 6:00 - 8:30 PM

NO LIFE NIGHT
FUN NIGHT AT SKY ZONE TRAMPOLINE PARK 
INVITE FRIENDS!

OCTOBER 18 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CATECHETICAL LIFE NIGHT

Topic: Jesus in the Eucharist
Gather: Have some snacks and music as the teens come. We will start in a game of shuffle your buns, which gets
everyone involved and is a very crazy, energizing game to get them excited.

Proclaim: The Eucharist is the Source and the Summit of everything we believe as Catholics.
- His body and blood are a living sacrifice. He suffered so we don't have to. He is the Bread of Life.

- we are remined of our heavenly home when we are in his presence and receive him. This is a true home. When

we receive His Body in the Eucharist we receive his Sacred Heart - our Home.

Break: After the talk we will go into a differnt room and the doorway will look like Jesus' Sacred Heart. The room
has differnt features of his heart, the wound, the thorns, light, flames, etc. Each area will have a core member that

will explain this portion of his heart and how it relates to his love for us.

Send: We will close with snacks and fellowship. Each teen will be given a Sacred Heart medal to remind them
that when we receive the Eucharist, it is more than bread, it is Him.
YOUTH NIGHT OUTLINE
OCTOBER 25 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CULTURE LIFE NIGHT

Topic: Human Dignity - Finding Our Identity
Gather: Once everyone arrives we will start the night with a skit. This skit could be about anything but would
eventually bring about the theme of the night.

Proclaim: We are made for more than trying to get certain amount of likes on instagram. When we ask the world,
"how do you see me" it may not be the things we want to hear. They are lies.

- the voice of truth is the voice of God the Father. And when we ask him, "how do you see me," he speaks words of

truth that say we are made good, and beautiful and unique.

- Our identity lies not in what we do, but who we are- a son or daughter of the Father

Break: We will break into small groups after the talk: How have those lies that we talked about earlier has an effect
on you? How does hearing the truth make you feel?

Send: At the end of small group everyone is given a paper that says I claim the truth that I am ___. And they can
fill it in with the truth that the Lord spoke to them. We will end with snacks and fellowship

NOVEMBER 1 6:00 - 8:30 PM

COMMUNITY NIGHT
Preparation for Retreat

This community night will be a lip sync battle, anyone can do a lip sync routine to any song (that is appropriate). We

can make different categories such as best coreography, best tik tok dance, most real lip sync. This will build

community to get the teens excited to spend time together on retreat. It also helps the teens to loosen up and

gives them the freedom to be themselves. There will be food and drinks available throughout the night. At the end

we will have an awards ceremony. One of the winners will be able to go on the retreat for free.

At the end of the night when we pray together as a group we will have some time to ask the Lord, what do you

want to do in my heart on this retreat? Let him respond to you. After this, we will hand out pieces of paper to each

teen with someone's name on it. They can pray for this person who is also going on the retreat throughout the week
YOUTH NIGHT OUTLINE
NOVEMBER 7-
8TH

FALL RETREAT

NO LIFE NIGHT ON SUNDAY NIGHT

NOVEMBER 15 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CULTURE LIFE NIGHT

Topic: Retreat Follow Up - Come Follow Me
Gather: We will start the night with a trivia activity. It will involve silly questions from retreat, about core team
members or just random things that relate to youth culture. This game gets the teens excited, allows many to

participate and feel included.

Proclaim: "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes
to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Mt. 16:24-25

- Following Jesus requires us to walk on a narrow path that leads to life.

- What is that one thing in your life that is causing you to want to walk on the broad path? Is that thing really bringing

you life?

Break: Time of small groups: What has been one of the challenges since coming off of retreat? How have you seen
God move in your life this past week? During small groups we will leave time to pray with each other for

empowerment to follow Jesus on the narrow path.

Send: We will close with snacks and fellowship. The chapel will remain open with core memebers to talk to or if you
need to pray.
YOUTH NIGHT OUTLINE
NOVEMBER 22 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CULTURE LIFE NIGHT

Topic: The Importance of Thanksgiving
Gather: The teens will come into a welcoming atmosphere and with fun music playing. To start the night we can do
a fun activity to get the the teens engaged. This will involve a few people bobbing for a plastic turkey in a giant bowl

of cranberry sauce. After that, a friend will cover their face in feathers so they look like a turkey. First one finished,

wins!

Proclaim: “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every
day in His goodness.” – St. Gianna Beretta Molla

- God is worthy of all thanks. He created you, thank him. No matter how big or small, he wants to receive thanks.

- The ability to give thanks in all circumstances comes simply from love of God.

Break: Praise and Worship is thanksgiving, so we will go into a time of praise when we specifically thank God for
everything, the highs and the lows, because he is always good.

Send: The night will end with snacks and some thanksgiving desserts. Giving thanksgiving, gives us a reason to
celebrate God's goodness and so we will close the night with a little Thanksgiving party.

DECEMBER 6 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CATECHETICAL LIFE NIGHT

Topic: The Reality of Sin, The Gift of Freedom
Gather: We will have some community time at the beginning and then will start the night with a short time of
praise and worship.

Proclaim: "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Romans 5:20
- the reality of sin: it harms us, we are weak, and sin is an offense against God

- we are responsibile for our acts, we have freedom. But also the more someone does what is good, the freer they

become. This freedom comes from Jesus' victory he won for us.

Break: We will enter into a time of adoration. Confession will be offered as well. When we go in to adoration we
pick up a chain. When we pray about what this chain means for us in our life we can go place it before the altar,

or after going to confession.

Send: We will close with snacks and a time of celebration becuase Jesus brings us freedom! We can have music
and a dance party.
YOUTH NIGHT OUTLINE
DECEMBER 13 6:00 - 8:30 PM

CULTURE LIFE NIGHT

Topic: Finding Peace within the Stress of School and Life
Gather: Once all the teens arrive we will have some time for snacks and hangout. We will have an activity where the
teens can creatively make something to help relieve stress. For example, you can make a stress relieving ball, draw or

paint something, or go over to the gym and hit tennis balls at the wall. A core team member will lead a different

station.

Proclaim: "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God." Phillipians 4:6

- Our God is steady. When waves around us seem rough and intense, he calms them when we ask for his help.

- What are we defining ourselves by? Our grades, your sports or activities? Only Jesus can tell us who we really are

Break: Break into a time of small groups: What is one practical way in which you can invite Jesus into the moments
when you might feel stressed out?

Send: End with more time for snacks and fellowship. Each teen will receive a little handout of ways that they can

battle the stress and work to enter into peace and joy when they ask for the Lord's help.

DECEMBER 20 6:00 - 8:30 PM

COMMUNITY NIGHT

This community night is open open to families if they would like to join. The night will begin with a meal and

spending time together. We will play some different Christmas themed games. One will be a giant seran wrapped

ball that you have to pass around and try and get random object out of. We will also have Christmas song

guessing games, unique gift wrapping contests and cookie decorating. We will close the night all together with a

prayer and the teens will receive a little Christmas gift.

This Christmas community night will be a great way to end the year. We can come together to talk about

everything that has happend throughout the semester. Having families welcome is great because they can join us

in all the fun and those that are new can see what youth ministry is about. Youth ministry cannot just be done

within the setting of a youth group, the parents help form their children in their faith and help cultivate it.