Confessions of a Teens-Connector
By Melissa Chin and Juliana Teo
It’s difficult to believe that it is now 3 years to the day of our first meeting to discuss the formation of Teens-Connect. As one of its original members, the satisfaction and joy I feel at our group having made it thus far is immense.
Why the need to start a youth group? With Confirmation and the end of catechism lessons during our Secondary Four year, some of us felt that we wanted to participate more in church, beyond simply attending Sunday mass. We longed for a youth support network and for youths to see the church as a place to seek direction in their lives, as well as an avenue for them to meet new friends.
Today, the meaning behind our name, “Teens-Connect” still holds true, because we want to connect all youth to the church and make them feel that they belong. With help from Uncle Lawrence, our catechist, we took the first tentative steps towards forming our new youth group.
The journey has not been smooth. Commitment to the group has and always will be a problem. With our busy schedules (school, CCAs, hobbies, family, friends), it is always difficult to take time off to plan activities and to help out in church events. I myself wanted to withdraw on many occasions and it took a drastic re-evaluation of where church came in on my list of priorities to make me decide that I wanted to fully commit to the group.
Another challenge facing us had to do with our image in the church. The adults viewed us as only wanting to have fun and not making any serious contributions, while the youths we were targeting saw us as only doing ‘boring’ organizational work and not having any fun at all! Due to our limited manpower, the initial plan was to have the group gain some stability before launching recruitment drives. However, the image created became that of Teens-Connect being exclusive. It was frankly an extremely frustrating and demoralizing time. Much credit has to be given to Father Bruno, who supported us whole-heartedly through this difficult period, as well as to the sheer determination of the members to work towards what they knew was a worthy goal of growing our youth group.
On the 3rd anniversary of Teens-Connect, I am proud of what we have accomplished. From our initial membership of fifteen, we have expanded to more than thirty members and are still growing. Through our participation in church events such as running a stall on Feast Day, ushering for masses and helping out in confirmation classes’ plays, we have managed to contribute actively and have great fun in the process.
There is now a solid structure to the Youth Ministry, led by Father Bosco, with the coming together of the various youth groups in church: the youth choir, Agape Youth Theatre, The Saints and Teens-Connect. Our eagerly awaited Youth Room has finally been created and it is a cool yet cosy place for us to hang out after mass and to have discussions. Two recent events organized by the Youth Ministry, namely the Car Wash (which raised $4204.75 for the youth fund) and the Passion Play showcased what the youth were really capable of.
To help us grow in our Catholic faith, regular Praise and Worship sessions are organized and some of us have begun participating in external spiritual camps. Yet, despite all that Teens-Connect and the Youth Ministry have accomplished, there is still much progress that can be made.
On a personal note, I am grateful for the chance to be part of Teens-Connect. This fun-loving and crazy group of people has really brightened up my life and in them; I know that I have loyal friends whom I can turn to for support. The problems we faced in getting the group off the ground have made us even closer, while all the events we organized or participated in have provided me with wonderful memories.
Teens-Connect has also helped me to grow closer to God through our Praise and Worship sessions and the encouragement of my friends to understand more about him. In the end, the group has managed to ‘connect’ me to the church and make me want to come back to it, week after week.
What does the future hold for the group and for the Youth Ministry? It is not sufficient to be satisfied with what we have achieved. We know that the parish expects more of the youth and are definitely going to contribute in whatever ways we can. We have plans to provide a support network to youths, help our members develop a deeper relationship with God and provide a forum to discuss controversial issues.
As a parting note, I (on behalf of the group) would like to sincerely thank all those who helped us make it thus far: Uncle Lawrence, Auntie Dorothy, Father Bruno, our lovely parish priests and everyone who supported us in one way or another. Happy 3rd Anniversary Teens-Connect!
Cheers!
It’s difficult to believe that it is now 3 years to the day of our first meeting to discuss the formation of Teens-Connect. As one of its original members, the satisfaction and joy I feel at our group having made it thus far is immense.
Why the need to start a youth group? With Confirmation and the end of catechism lessons during our Secondary Four year, some of us felt that we wanted to participate more in church, beyond simply attending Sunday mass. We longed for a youth support network and for youths to see the church as a place to seek direction in their lives, as well as an avenue for them to meet new friends.
Today, the meaning behind our name, “Teens-Connect” still holds true, because we want to connect all youth to the church and make them feel that they belong. With help from Uncle Lawrence, our catechist, we took the first tentative steps towards forming our new youth group.
The journey has not been smooth. Commitment to the group has and always will be a problem. With our busy schedules (school, CCAs, hobbies, family, friends), it is always difficult to take time off to plan activities and to help out in church events. I myself wanted to withdraw on many occasions and it took a drastic re-evaluation of where church came in on my list of priorities to make me decide that I wanted to fully commit to the group.
Another challenge facing us had to do with our image in the church. The adults viewed us as only wanting to have fun and not making any serious contributions, while the youths we were targeting saw us as only doing ‘boring’ organizational work and not having any fun at all! Due to our limited manpower, the initial plan was to have the group gain some stability before launching recruitment drives. However, the image created became that of Teens-Connect being exclusive. It was frankly an extremely frustrating and demoralizing time. Much credit has to be given to Father Bruno, who supported us whole-heartedly through this difficult period, as well as to the sheer determination of the members to work towards what they knew was a worthy goal of growing our youth group.
On the 3rd anniversary of Teens-Connect, I am proud of what we have accomplished. From our initial membership of fifteen, we have expanded to more than thirty members and are still growing. Through our participation in church events such as running a stall on Feast Day, ushering for masses and helping out in confirmation classes’ plays, we have managed to contribute actively and have great fun in the process.
There is now a solid structure to the Youth Ministry, led by Father Bosco, with the coming together of the various youth groups in church: the youth choir, Agape Youth Theatre, The Saints and Teens-Connect. Our eagerly awaited Youth Room has finally been created and it is a cool yet cosy place for us to hang out after mass and to have discussions. Two recent events organized by the Youth Ministry, namely the Car Wash (which raised $4204.75 for the youth fund) and the Passion Play showcased what the youth were really capable of.
To help us grow in our Catholic faith, regular Praise and Worship sessions are organized and some of us have begun participating in external spiritual camps. Yet, despite all that Teens-Connect and the Youth Ministry have accomplished, there is still much progress that can be made.
On a personal note, I am grateful for the chance to be part of Teens-Connect. This fun-loving and crazy group of people has really brightened up my life and in them; I know that I have loyal friends whom I can turn to for support. The problems we faced in getting the group off the ground have made us even closer, while all the events we organized or participated in have provided me with wonderful memories.
Teens-Connect has also helped me to grow closer to God through our Praise and Worship sessions and the encouragement of my friends to understand more about him. In the end, the group has managed to ‘connect’ me to the church and make me want to come back to it, week after week.
What does the future hold for the group and for the Youth Ministry? It is not sufficient to be satisfied with what we have achieved. We know that the parish expects more of the youth and are definitely going to contribute in whatever ways we can. We have plans to provide a support network to youths, help our members develop a deeper relationship with God and provide a forum to discuss controversial issues.
As a parting note, I (on behalf of the group) would like to sincerely thank all those who helped us make it thus far: Uncle Lawrence, Auntie Dorothy, Father Bruno, our lovely parish priests and everyone who supported us in one way or another. Happy 3rd Anniversary Teens-Connect!
Cheers!
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