New youth ministry at St. John the Baptist

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DRAPER — A new concept for youth in middle school and high school has been incorporated into a ministry at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Draper.

The ministry, called YES! (Youth Events and Service), will have activities for students in grades six to 12.

“As we were looking at the youth group model, we wanted to revamp our programming for the youth by bringing forth a new energy and excitement,” said Liz Canto, the parish’s director of youth evangelization.

From community service projects to inspirational talks and fun gatherings, all the events of the YES ministry will be tailored to meet the unique needs and interests of the students.

In the past, “while our youth ministry program emphasized a numerous number of gatherings with some catechesis sprinkled in, this new concept will emphasize a community aspect – something that these youth are all craving,” Canto said.

The events will be scheduled on various days of the week; one problem in past years was that students would want to join the youth group, but couldn’t based on their schedules and responsibilities, Canto said. “They felt like they would constantly be missing out on opportunities to meet other people their age doing something fun.”

Because the parish has limited indoor space for activities tailored for youth, the new ministry will have “an emphasis on events primarily happening off site and outside the parish boundaries,” Canto said.

Among the expectations for this youth ministry “is to help our youth to make some fun memories with each other in a unique way,” she said. The events “can vary from playing kickball, going to a sporting event, hikes, retreats, playing trivia, going to the movies or the theater, helping the Carmelites, partnering with CCS, wrapping and making Christmas presents for people in need, or helping deep clean a church or two.”