Our Mission
The purpose of the Youth Ministry Program is to create an environment which leads high school teenagers and middle school adolescent youth into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and His Church. This is the command of Jesus to his first disciples: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Everything we do at St. Augustine is directed toward the evangelization of our young people, leading them to know and love Christ and His Church!
This mission is accomplished in three ways:
1. Through celebration of the Eucharist - Leading Catholic youth to a deeper love for the Mass and Jesus' Real Presence in the Eucharist is essential! This happens primarily through the 5:00pm Sunday Mass with a special emphasis on ministering to the youth of our parish.
2. Through the teachings of Christ and His Church - In a culture that is engulfed in moral relativism, our belief is that young people are searching for answers. They are searching for the truth as well as a concrete way to go about living their lives. We are driven by the belief that Jesus Christ is "the Way, the Truth and the Life," and so we dynamically and boldly present the Gospel of Jesus Christ as passed on for 2000 years through the Catholic Church. While we place a high priority on a transforming experience of Jesus, solid formation in the Catholic Faith is also an integral part of our responsibility.
“Catechesis is an education in the faith of children, young people, and adults which includes especially the teaching of Christian doctrine imparted, generally speaking, in an organic and systematic way, with a view to initiating the hearers into the fullness of Christian life.”
(From the Prologue to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 5-6)
To be faithful to this call, St. Augustine High School Youth Ministry follows a Four Year Curriculum and the Junior High Ministry follows an 3-year Curriculum. One of the most exciting things about the program is teaching the truths of our faith in a way that is dynamic and that appeal to teens and adolescents of all types.
3. Through an experience of being loved and accepted - The foundation of this ministry is creating an environment where every young person - no matter their past, their hair color, or their level of faith - can come and feel a touch of the unconditional love of Christ in our church. This is most specifically carried out through the Core Team, a team of adults who have responded to a call to minister to high school teens. The Core Team actively seeks to love and support young people at this challenging stage of life by building healthy relationships through interaction at youth events, especially through small group discussions, and also through outreach.
