3 minute read
Youth Ministry Resumes Activities, Providing Young Parishioners with Safe Place to Share in Faith
Pizza, bonfire, snacks, outdoor games, ultimate frisbee, and a movie — what time should we show up? These activities and more were part of the middle and high school youth group kickoff held in late May for students in sixth to 12th grade. About 70 students attended the event, which was an opportunity to restart the youth group again following a hiatus due to staffing and the pandemic. Dawn and Lance Knopik decided to take over leading the youth group until someone can be hired for the position.
“Just the fact that we had 70 attend shows the need for youth group in our parishes,” Dawn says. Lance and Dawn have six children — five are teenagers. They know the importance of this ministry for our parish youth. They both teach CCD, so they know many of the youth already. They restarted this ministry by holding parent meetings to get buy-in and help. They knew they couldn’t do this alone.
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For now, the Knopiks are working on summer activities, which include a 6 p.m. Wednesday night Bible study, followed by volleyball at Holy Family. Volleyball runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Playing a sport isn’t the first activity that comes to mind to grow in faith, but Lance and Dawn know it’s important in building friendships and creating a safe space.
“It’s important as we are starting this up again that we evangelize,” Dawn says. “It’s about getting the youth here and getting them involved.”
“By playing a sport together, they get to interact with each other in a Christian setting,” Lance says.
Dawn and Lance both know, from raising their children, the importance of surrounding yourself with good people — it’s a bonus if they have the same faith background.
As part of youth ministry programming, Deacon Craig Korver took a group to the Steubenville Youth Conference last summer. Lance and Dawn will take three of their children to the conference in Rochester. Eighteen youth total from our parishes are attending.
The Knopiks hope youth will get involved in youth ministry this summer and bring their friends — it’s a safe place to have fun and practice the Catholic faith.
“There are so many outside influences,” Dawn says. “I tell kids at CCD and school that Catholic teaching is so counter-cultural. Society says you should do this, but we are here to tell you it’s not okay. This is an environment where they can have fun with their friends and be safe in what we believe, in our faith, and in our morals.”
The Youth Ministry offers a safe place for young Catholics to have fun and practice the faith together.
Pizza, bonfire, snacks, outdoor games, ultimate frisbee and a movie — these activities and more were part of the middle and high school youth group kickoff held in late May for students in sixth to 12th grade.
