At Immaculate Conception, we embrace the concept of "Comprehensive Youth Ministries". The goal of Comprehensive Youth Ministries is to utilize the 8 components of youth ministry to ensure that teens are fully engaged in all aspects of our Church. Most people think of youth ministries as "religion classes" - "catechesis" (learning about your faith) is one of the 8 components but youth ministries is so much more than just religion classes.
Components of Comprehensive Youth Ministries
Catechesis Leadership Development Community Life Prayer & Worship | Advocacy Pastoral Care Evangelization Justice & Service |
Youth Ministries Program FEATURED in The Evangelist
Our Youth Ministries program was selected by The Evangelist, the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, as an example of a successful Youth Ministries Program! What an awesome honor to be choosen! It says an amazing amount not only about the teens of our parish and their wonderful families, but also about our entire parish community. We are blessed to have a Parish that values our youth, and recognizes that they are not only the "church of tomorrow" - they are in-fact, the CHURCH OF TODAY!
Many thanks to the countless volunteers who make our program possible, to the staff at ICC, especially Patty Nally and Fr. Jerry - who are a consistant support to me, and to the teens of this community whom I adore - teens who have the courage to stand up for what they believe in, even when that might not be viewed as the "cool" thing to do - teens who reach out to those in need and are available for every project big or small - teens who are changing this world one person at a time!
- Christine Goss, Pastoral Associate for Youth Ministries
To read the full article from The Evangelist - please click HERE.
Registration Information for 2010-
2011
Registration will be held on Sunday, August 22nd from 9am - 1pm and on Monday, August 23rd from 9am - 8pm. Please note, all families will need to register in-person. If you are not available on these dates, please contact our office at 399-9203 or via email.
INFORMATION FOR RETURNING FAMILIES
Preprinted registration forms will be available during registration. Informational letters were mailed in mid-July to all returning families. If you did not receive that letter or would like another copy, please click here.
If you are new to our community, WELCOME! We would encourage any new families to contact the appropriate office (Faith Formation for students in K-6 or Youth Ministries for students in 7-12) prior to Registration, if possible.
When you register in our program for the 1st time you will need to complete a NEW FAMILY REGISTRATION FORM (click to print). Please note, this is NOT the same as our Parish Census and Registration. Additionally, we will need copies baptismal certificates for each child that will registered in the program.
GENERAL INFORMATION FOR ALL
- A parent/guardian must be present at registration to sign the required forms.
- Selection a of specific day/time for each child will take place at registration. A one-page printable summary of all of the available options for every grade can be found by clicking here.
- Students in Grades 7 - 10 will have the following options:
Independent Study - students complete the course materials independently at home. This option is reading and writing intensive. Participants meet with an evaluator in a small group setting 4 times during the year. Evaluations are scheduled on Monday evenings from 7-8:30pm - attendance at all 4 evaluations and satisfactory completion of the written assignments is required.
Mini-Courses - students select 2 topics to complete during the year. Each topic is scheduled to meet over 4 consecutive weeks for 90 minutes each session. A variety of topics are offered each year. Mini-course topic descriptions and calendars will be available by mid-August - please check back for details. Participants in mini-courses are expected to engage fully in the discussion and activites of the course. Attendance at all sessions is required unless an emergency situation arises.
Bi-Weekly Sessions - students meet in grade-level sessions with a catechist. Sessions are scheduled for a total of 10 - 90 minute gatherings throughout the year. Participants have a choice of evenings - either Mondays or Wednesdays. This model is a more traditional classroom model. Participants are expected to attend all sessions.
Confirmation Candidates in 11th grade will receive a welcome letter in mid-August, along with a detailed schedule for confirmation. Confirmation sessions are scheduled on Monday evenings. Candidates for Confirmation are reminded that they are still required to REGISTER during the August 22nd and 23rd registration times.
- Please note, that detailed calendars for each grade will be available on the website prior to August 22nd - so check back.
- All classes will be filled on a first-come basis and will be capped at the discretion of the Pastoral Associate
TUITION for 2010-2011 is $50.00 for 1 child; $100.00 for 2 children and $135.00 for three or more children in the same family. Payment in full is due (cash or check only) at the time of registration. If the tuition represents a financial hardship for your family, please contact us.
Youth Ministries Community Service
Youth Ministries Participants are expected to have a demonstrated commitment to Community Service. Each year, students in grades 7 -10 are required to complete a minimum of 1 inside service project and 1 outside service project. Inside service directly benefits our parish, while outside service benefits the community at large. We recognize that teens are participating in community service with other organizations and groups - that service will fulfill outside service! Please notify our office of the service hours you complete!!
Teens will be expected to SELECT their community service projects at REGISTRATION. A listing of available community service projects will be available on the website by early August. Please check back!
Volunteering with Youth Ministries
Please click HERE if you would like to volunteer with Youth Ministries. Available opportunities include: being a catechist or evaluator; chaperoning service outings, social events, and functions; set-up, baking, clean-up for a variety of receptions; adult and teen members of the Core Youth Ministries Team.
