Frequently Asked QuestionsHigh School Youth Nights
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do the youth nights start and end?
Youth Nights will begin immediately following the 5:00pm Mass on Sunday night. This time will vary slightly during the year. We encourage all our HS Teens to come to mass at 5:00pm! If your family would like to attend another Mass, that is great! Simply arrive to the Communion Hall around 6:15pm. We will finish about 8:00pm.
What happens in a typical youth night?
FOOD is first! Well fed teens are happy teens! As soon as the teens arrive they will be greeted with dinner! This year we will be going to popular restaurants around the area for a catered dinner. They will bring their food to the Household meeting space and eat as a household! After dinner, the households will have time for conversation about life and all the happenings of the past week. Then all Households gather in the Parish Hall for music from Glory Be, a large group activity, and a short message - then back to Household time! During some nights we will have a large group prayer (short adoration/prayer experience) prior to breaking back into households.
What if my teen does not want to come? How can I get my teen to COME?
We have found that there are several factors that play into a teens desire to attend High School Ministry. Two reasons we hear most often are "my teen does not know anyone" and "my teen is very anxious about coming". These a very valid and real reasons for not wanting to attend.
Our household system is specifically designed to help with these two issues. By taking a large group of over 100 teens and breaking them down into 9-10 small groups, it does not seem as overwhelming. The hardest part is walking in the door. When any teen walks in, they are greeted with excitement, given food, and directed toward a household to eat and have conversation with other teens and CORE Leaders in the household!
One bit of advice we offer as a staff is to highly encourage parents to have your teen attend the 1st 3 youth nights. By coming to the 1st 3 consecutive nights, they give our Household activities and conversations a chance to work. The 1st night is typically a fun, welcome, high energy night. The 2nd night is typically a household bonding night, and the 3rd night is typically a deeper night on some aspect of our faith. If after these 3 nights, they don't feel connected to the household or the nights. That is ok! We know that this style of ministry does not appeal to all teens. We have options for personal study at home or with a few like-minded friends. Simply let us know how we can best support your teen and family!
My teen picked a household at the beginning of the year. Can they change households if they wish?
Any teen can change Households at any time! Our hope is that all teens find a household to call their home. If at first one doesn't click, try another!
Simply let us know you would like to change households! We will ask you if there is another one that you have been thinking about OR we can suggest a different one. We will not ask why. We will be excited that you are trying to find a place to call your home!