Youth Ministry & Confirmation


Youth Ministry at St. Anne includes Pathways Youth Ministry, Confirmation, DiscipleWays Youth Ministry, and EMMAUS Peer Ministry programs.

Guidelines for Youth Ministry
In all our functions we ask each person to respect one another, be considerate when others are talking, keep strict confidentiality on what is shared, encourage each person to participate, and always keep a welcoming spirit to those who join us.

Pathways Youth Ministry
PATHWAYS Youth Ministry is open to youth entering the ninth grade, or for those not having a youth ministry experience previously. Our purpose is to build a community of young people examining issues at the forefront of their minds & lives, to encourage growth socially, provide interaction through community service projects, and faithfully deepen the relationship with God.

In April of the PATHWAYS program all the students are eligible for and invited to register for the sacrament of Confirmation preparation program, however this is not a requirement of any student. In order to register for Confirmation, you must be registered for and have participated in the PATHWAYS Youth Ministry.

During the school year PATHWAYS Youth Ministry group meets on Monday evenings in the parish hall. From 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. youth may arrive and have time to socialize and check out upcoming events. At 6:30 p.m. we begin our meeting and will finish with closing prayer by 8:30 p.m.. There is a phone available if anyone needs to call locally for a ride home.

In addition to PATHWAYS, we are connected into Diocesan-sponsored events like leadership retreats and YOUTH DAY in the spring, and we encourage involvement on that level.

Confirmation at St. Anne
The Confirmation preparation program at St. Anne's is a two-year process, with the first year completed as a participant in the PATHWAYS Youth Ministry program. Students may begin the enrollment process for Confirmation as early as spring of their freshman year. The process begins with the enrollment interviews in May, and a decision is made at that time if you would like to enter the program. Those deciding on enrollment are given a candidate agreement that is returned with baptismal & sponsor information, along with a registration fee. The immediate preparation for the sacrament begins in the fall. The Confirmation sessions meet usually twice a month on Sunday evenings from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There are 15 scheduled sessions, along with a weekend retreat, service hours, sponsor-candidate sessions, and 3 celebrations of different Rites. The Rite of Confirmation usually takes place in late spring.

DiscipleWays Youth Ministry
DiscipleWays is an exciting, ten month Youth Ministry program for juniors & seniors already confirmed! This answers the question "What do I do after Confirmation?!" DiscipleWays is an opportunity to experience and interact in skills workshops on ten important themes that deal especially with older high school students. It's a comprehensive program that includes special events to build COMMUNITY throughout the year, JUSTICE & SERVICE projects to serve the larger community, WORSHIP & PRAYER services to increase your spirituality, LITURGIES prepared & led by YOUTH---for youth and the faith community of St. Anne's, and PARENT-YOUTH CONNECTORS to support the faith you share at home. DiscipleWays starts in October, and meets twice a month on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m.

EMMAUS Peer Ministry
For the past ten years, Youth Ministry at St. Anne's has focused on a peer ministry model to promote and foster leadership among youth. We use the example of the road to EMMAUS (Luke 24:13-35) as a model that we journey together, with the Lord, in our everyday lived experiences. It is through these experiences that young people are able to encounter the role of being a minister with their own peer group. EMMAUS is an existing group of young people who have expressed an interest in serving the Church through the Youth Ministry program for one year. Some of their responsibilities include planning and leading workshops, icebreakers and prayer for youth ministry meetings & facilitating small group discussions. The peer ministry group also takes on different projects throughout the year, such as the Halloween Party for children, the children's liturgy at Easter, the CCD kids faire and the children's liturgy of the word program on various Sunday's during the year.

The EMMAUS peer ministry group has an annual 5 day training retreat during the summer, and also meets monthly for enrichment and planning. Peer ministry is open to all high school students sophomore and above, and applications are available in the spring.

News and Announcements
Look for Youth Ministry announcements on the news page of this website . For the Confirmation program news, calendar, downloads, and staff information, go to www.stanneconfirmation.com .

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