“Take up the Shield of Faith”
620 East Kimberly Avenue
Kimberly, Wisconsin 54136
Ph#: 920-450-6440
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Dear Disciple,
Have you ever had a life-changing encounter with a subject matter you thought you knew inside and out? This summer was such a time for me. I attended workshops on Missionary Discipleship, and while this is a language and structure that has long since been the foundation of the Youth Ministry program, my heart was still set on fire.
Continuing to trend in national statistics are numbers like, “62% of young adults leave the church by age 18.” This is such a hard number to encounter, especially for Youth Ministers, as it tends to leave one feeling disparaged.
Yet, there is hope on the horizon, as our Bishops and Pope look to radically change the way we do “church” … to call all persons to a life of Missionary Discipleship. At its roots, this means encountering and knowing our own story of Jesus working in our lives and then going out to walk alongside others,sharing this story with them. In Youth Ministry language, we refer to this as Disciples Making Disciples.
For me, it’s invigorating that the discussion is spreading beyond the doors of the YM office so that all may see the impact I have witnessed. Some of my most precious memories are of being invited to the weddings of “my big kids,” as I fondly call them, and witness how lovingly they recite their vows, taking the Sacrament to heart; of sweeping the floors after a long day on retreat while having a deep conversation with a young man about vocation and the call of Jesus in his life; and having a young woman embrace me in a hug of pure joy because she just experienced the power of Jesus’ love during Adoration.
I know we are at a hard time in our parish life financially, and yet I must humbly come to you and ask…would you consider making an investment through our Take Stock in Our Youth program? I have personally witnessed how youth ministry can impact our young people and truly believe that with your support, statistics like the one mentioned above, can be overcome. It truly is an investment, a legacy you can leave. By helping us reach our $6000 budgeted amount, we can focus solely on Discipleship. Each dollar will go directly towards programs that inspire our young people to beMissionary Disciples. Thank you for the honor we have been given to continue to provide opportunities of making Christ known to our youththrough your generosity.
Peace,
Sarah R. ElmerFr. Robert Kollath
Youth MinisterPastor