SJN Youth Ministry Group
View Our Calendar HERE
Our Ministry
The GOAL: Building up the young living members of the Body of Jesus Christ in a thriving community of faith.
What is it? Ministry to youth is often a misunderstood branch of the Church’s activities. Many people don’t understand what a “youth group” actually does to help young people grow in their relationship to Jesus Christ and their faith communities. If you are one of those people, I would like to ease your mind that all of us involved in ministry to our youth at our parish of St. John Neumann are committed to being a guide and creating environments and opportunities for teens to encounter the person of Jesus Christ and develop in their love for God and their neighbor.
Our Middle School Ministry is offered for 5th-8th Grade (10-14 yrs. old)* and includes formation for the Sacrament of Confirmation.** Our High School Ministry is offered for 9th-12th Grade (15-18 yrs. old).
*While all Middle ages meet at the same time, the younger and older grade levels are engaged in separate age appropriate activities for the majority of the meeting.
**We encourage our young candidates for confirmation to be a part of the community offered during Youth Nights and once a month, confirmandi are given a lesson separate from the rest of the group during the middle school session specifically on confirmation in preparation for the sacrament.
Our Events: Our Sunday night youth meetings allow teens to have safe and fun space to recognize the unfathomable love of God for them through games and activities, lessons, discussion groups, and times of prayer. Once a month, Sunday youth nights take a special focus on building intentional community with their peers and volunteer leaders.
Middle School Youth Ministry Group meets on Sundays from 5:00-6:30pm in Seton Hall. High School Youth Ministry Group meets on Sundays from 6:30-8:30pm in Seton Hall.
Regular service opportunities are offered for teens, so as to reveal the love of God that they have experienced to those around them.
XLT (exalt) nights are times of Echaristic adoration accompanied by praise and worship music in order to facilitate authentic encounter with God in the Eucharist. At 4pm in the Church we join the parish community in monthly Family Adoration to bask in the love of Christ and then meet together in Seton Hall in order to better understand the beauty of the Mass and the Sacraments.
Different community activities are offered throughout the semester for teens to find the loving community of the Church in all parts of the world, which helps them respond to the universal call to holiness and their task of sanctifying the world by their words and deeds.
Results: All of our events are meant to introduce youth to, and equip them to have, a living and lasting relationship with Jesus. Helping them find their identity as a living and loved member of the Body of Christ. This comes through seeing and experiencing that same living faith and relationship through the real life example of other members of the Body.
Our faith is a relationship and can only be experienced and carried on through relationships; with Jesus and one another.
By being formed as intentional disciples of Jesus Christ, our young people in turn become mentors who love Jesus and feel capable of sharing that love and relationship with others.
We are all called to transform the world through our own transformation.
Support: If you would like to make a donation to support the Youth and Young Adult ministry, please visit sjnknox.org/gifts, select the Weekly Offertory fund, and write “Youth Ministry” in the memo line.
Gratitude: On behalf of all of us working to bring our young people into an ardent and authentic love for our Lord, we thank you for your support and prayers and look forward to continuing to serve our beautiful parish community.
Register: If you are interested in getting your young people involved in a great community of faith, you can register here:
“All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies.” – Bl. Carlo Acutis
“The world offers you comfort. But you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” – Pope Benedict XVI
“Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
Sara Marquardt, Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministry
Email: smarquardt@sjnknox.org
Phone: (865) 777-3442
Office Hours: Wednesday – 2:00-5:00pm; Thursday – 10:00-11:50am, 1:00-3:30pm; Friday – 10:00-2:30pm
Lisa Sinclair, Volunteer Events Coordinator
Email: sjnyouth@sjnknox.org
