Please check page four of the weekly bulletin for more information and upcoming events.

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Hi Everyone,
Below are some of the upcoming highlights of our year.
Please mark the following dates on your family calendar.
Upcoming Youth Masses: 11/13/11, 12/11/11, 1/15/12, 2/19/12 and 3/18/12. All are at Noon and will be followed by lunch and Faith Sharing for 7-12th grades.

NCYC is Nov. 17th -20th.
Other dates to note are the Great "Advent"ure, Dec. 3rd, and the Living Nativity, Dec. 18th. You can check this space and the bulletin weekly to keep up with additional events.

Please contact me if you are interested in helping by being part of our adult or youth planning teams, so we can get your ideas on the calendar, too!

And please pray for the success of our youth programs this year!
Thanks so much,
Kathy

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Click the link to download the release of liability / permission form in Adobe PDF format.

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We are starting the New Year with a Youth Mass on Jan. 15th and ice skating at Mahoney afterwards (weather permitting.) Everyone will need to provide his/her own transportation and each car will need a day park permit.
The cost is $2.00 for admittance and $3.00 for skate rental. We will meet for lunch following the Youth Mass, then leave directly after that and skate until 4 pm.

Thursday, Jan. 26th we will be sponsoring a Bingo night at the Veteran's home in Bellevue. High school students are encouraged to help with this greatly appreciated service. Contact Kathy to help or to carpool.

Feb. 5th is "Soup"er Bowl Sunday, so please plan to help out at whatever Mass you are attending. Our Feb. Youth Mass is on the 19th. We will plan our activity at Sunday's Core Team meeting.

Sunday, Febr, 19th we will have Youth Mass at Noon, followed by lunch and a "Movie with a Message." This is open to all 7-12th graders, Youth Ministry invites YOU to participate.

Friday, Febr. 24th from 8:30 - 11:30 pm. we will be hosting our first Hour of Power, Adoration Hour, followed by open gym. Start Lent out right by joining us for Praise and Worship music, prayer and fellowship.

Hope to see you soon!
Kathy

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Our YOUth Masses need YOU! Once at month, from September, through May, our St.Gerald Youth Ministry Group assists at the Noon Liturgy. Your participation is needed as a Welcomer, Gift Bearer, Lector, EMHC, or member or our music group. Be part of the Church of TODAY and TOMORROW.

Our Youth Leadership Team meets once a month to help plan and implement activities for the Youth of our parish. All high school students are encouraged to join us. Your energy and enthusiasm are vital to our parish and the rewards are "eternal." Contact Kathy for more information.

For more service opportunities, please see the Youth Stewardship form which is available in the Parish Office.

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Need service hours? Here is a list of phone numbers and contact information for places where you can find service opportunities. Just download the attached PDF document.

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Our High School Youth Ministry Core Team and Faith Sharing groups are forming now. Please contact Kathy if you would like to participate.

Beginning in February we will be offering Theology of the Body for High School students. We will meet on two Mondays a month, Feb. - Apr., from 7:00-8:30.
This program, which was written and is presented by Jason Evert, is God's plan for life and love based on the writings of Pope John Paul II. Please contact Kathy for more information about this great program!

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7-12th graders are invited to CELEBRATE your musical gifts by joining our CELEBRATIONS youth music group. We need your help with our Youth Liturgies and special events.
For details call Kathy @ 331-1955

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National Catholic Youth Conference

Out trip to Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference was a life-changing experience for the youth and adults from our parish who attended. We joined 23,000 other youth, 30 bishops, 250 priests, 30 decons and 175 seminarians in answering God's "Call to Glory." For 3 days the Lucas Oil Stadium was on fire for Christ -- and so were we. We pray that God will continue the good work that was started on this pilgrimage. Thanks so much to St. Gerald parish for helping to sponsor this trip!

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The Church is alive and the Church is young
This summer, many young people in the Archdiocese of Omaha participated in summer youth conferences, leadership camps,
and work-camps helping those in need.
In Pope Benedict XVI installation homily in 2005, he proclaimed "...The Church is alive. And the Church is young."
As these young people return home, we might ask ourselves, are they returning to a Church that is alive and young? Or might
it scarily resemble a slow, lifeless faith?
As faith communities, there are many things that we can do to ensure the vitality and vibrancy of our Church.
• We must find more ways to inform, form, and transform the faith of parents. They are the first witnesses of faith for young
people. Whatever kids understand about the Church was likely both taught by and caught from their parents.
• We must make a commitment towards greater inclusion of young people into the ministries of the Church, especially within
our communal worship.
• When we do minister with young people, we must find ways to elicit their energy, passion, and skills towards making a
meaningful difference in the world. Pope Benedict encourages young people to make "definitive choices" regarding their
lives and faith and we should do the same.
From their summer experiences, hundreds of young people will be returning to parish pews and will look at the Church through
new eyes. Young people must recognize the Church as alive and young. Is this what they will see?
Adapted from Catholic Youth Ministry Blog

A Top Ten for Raising Teens by Glen McCall NACYML (National Association of Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders) Chairperson
10. Get to Know Your Child's Friends and Their Parents ..One of the best ways to keep a teenager on the right track is to know who they hang out
with. Getting to know their friends and their friend's parents will aid in making both your lives much easier.
9. No One Is Perfect ...There is a difference between being the best and doing your best. The pressures placed on teens today go far beyond anything we
ever experienced as teens. We as adults and parents need to realize that our children are not perfect in everything we desire for them. All we can ask is that
they do their best.
8. Teens Need to Be Taught Life Skills ...Our young people need to learn the basic life skills that we take for granted-the proper way to shake hands,
rituals surrounding a wake and funeral, or interview skills for employment or college entrance-all need to be taught to our young people.
7. Teens Need More Supervision Than Younger Children ...Not much explaining needs to be done here. However, most parents are under the impression
that as their child gets older, the less supervision they require. The reality is, they actually need more supervision because the life experiences of a teen
will carry greater challenges and consequences.
6. Fifteen Minutes Daily of One-on-One Time with Each Child..With all the craziness that life has to offer, this is probably the most challenging task for
parents to accomplish. Yet, the rewards are priceless! Whether it is in the car on the way to soccer practice or just before going to bed, this one-on-one time
will give the teen time to share both the high points and low points of their day. It also allows time for questions she/he finds difficult to ask when others are
present.
5. Be Realistic in Your Expectations of Your Child...The one question I ask parents concerning their expectations for their child is "Would you be able to
survive your child's schedule?" Most of the time the response is "No." Some of our teens, get up at five in the morning to attend a sports practice, then off to
school, followed by another sport or part-time job, then off to their tutor or SAT prep course. Finally, arriving home around 8:00 PM to have dinner and do
their homework and then bed at midnight. At five the next morning it all begins again. Why do we expect this type of schedule for our young people?
4. Educate Your Child in Financial Responsibility...If we do not do this, we are setting them up for failure. Have we taught our children to save for a
rainy day? Have we established a checking account for them and shown them how to reconcile a bank statement? Have we helped them create a budget to
pay for things such as a car (and insurance), college expenses, and other needs?
3. Saying "No," "Because I said so," and "I do not care what everyone else is doing," Will not Kill Your Child (or cause years of future therapy)
Did any of these phrases kill us when they were spoken to us by our parents? Of course not. Sometimes, these are the most appropriate words to say given
the situation. And, guess what . . . one day your child will use the same words on your grandchildren!
2. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency...Young people need consistency, especially in the area of setting boundaries. Being fair and consistent in setting
expectations and boundaries will bring positive results!
1. Foster Faith Skills for Adulthood...It is our faith that will help us through whatever should cross our path as we journey through life. But, we must encourage
our children to develop their faith skills just as we encourage them to develop their educational skills.

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