At our last Family Faith Formation Session, I had the pleasure of meeting with the 6th graders alone, while the 7th and 8th graders were with “Livonia Save Our Youth Coalition” for an age appropriate presentation on dangers of drugs and addiction. I presented a chapter that we started the junior high off with only two years ago when we launched the new family formation approach. The chapter introduces the purpose of the series with a session titled “Why am I here?” Two years ago, when we asked the question, “What are five goals you want from your life?” we got very typical junior high answers. - Fast cars, fame, fortune, and maybe a smattering of family, faith and, only one or two considered eternal life in heaven. The question sort of set them up to write the wrong answer so that I could say, “but wait, will any of that get you into heaven?"
Well, in only two years, I am here to tell you things have changed with our junior high students. These 6th graders, soon to be 7th graders, were not to be tricked. Almost all had “to get into heaven” on their list when asked to fill out the same worksheet. There was a “find a renewable energy” and an “improve myself so I can be a saint” among the answers. At one point in the small group discussion, I found myself saying, “Well it seems this lesson is a waste of this table’s time, and we should move on to the next.” They already got it.
For all of you with younger children, for all of you who wonder if our unorthodox approach is worth the extra effort and all of you who are crushed at the 9:30 Mass every month as our families invade, it is obvious to me that we are doing the right thing. The, Holy Spirit, Archbishop and Synod ’16 have led us to this approach and whether or not you trust in all of that, I, for the first time in over 20 years of working with teens, have verified evidence of progress in our approach.
Paul Pyrkosz
Coordinator of Youth Ministry
Well, in only two years, I am here to tell you things have changed with our junior high students. These 6th graders, soon to be 7th graders, were not to be tricked. Almost all had “to get into heaven” on their list when asked to fill out the same worksheet. There was a “find a renewable energy” and an “improve myself so I can be a saint” among the answers. At one point in the small group discussion, I found myself saying, “Well it seems this lesson is a waste of this table’s time, and we should move on to the next.” They already got it.
For all of you with younger children, for all of you who wonder if our unorthodox approach is worth the extra effort and all of you who are crushed at the 9:30 Mass every month as our families invade, it is obvious to me that we are doing the right thing. The, Holy Spirit, Archbishop and Synod ’16 have led us to this approach and whether or not you trust in all of that, I, for the first time in over 20 years of working with teens, have verified evidence of progress in our approach.
Paul Pyrkosz
Coordinator of Youth Ministry
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