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Youth Volunteers

Why Volunteer with us?

Our volunteer team is an important and vital aspect of the mission of our Church to build a community of young disciples of Jesus Christ.

Volunteering with our youth is one of the many ways to answer the call of Jesus to “make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28).

 

Why YOU?

Our adult volunteers minister to the youth of our parish through community, encounter, discipleship, and mission.

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One of the temptations of youth ministry is to consider the paid “youth ministers” as the only qualified people to reach the youth of our parish. But the reality is that Alec is *Director* and MJ is the *Coordinator* of Youth Ministry. This means that they help equip and empower our parish, and most especially parents, to better evangelize and catechize our youth. Our ministry efforts only support and enhance the efforts of our parish and parents. None of us can deny Christ’s call to evangelize, to “make disciples of all nations.”

The staff members of St. Francis can’t reach and know personally every single one of the hundreds of teens and their parents that are part of our Church. With this in mind, it is true that any adult who comes in contact with the youth of our parish, whether their own child or someone else’s, are the youth ministers of our parish.

"Modern man listens more willlingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."

- Pope Paul VI -

What makes a good Volunteer for our Youth?

  • Volunteers have a love for God and a heart for teens.

  • Volunteers aren’t perfect!

  • Volunteers don’t have all the answers and they aren’t all “cool” and “young” and “relevant”.

  • Volunteers are merely Christians trying to live out the Catholic faith and striving to walk daily with Jesus.

What is the Criteria for Volunteering with out Youth?

We aim to provide an inviting and welcoming environment for each of our teens to come and encounter Christ in during our Youth Nights. Part of this environment includes the adults that we trust to care and lead our teens. We ask that each of our adult volunteers meet the following criteria:

  • Be a Catholic in good standing

  • Be 18 years of age or older*

  • Be Confirmed and actively living out their Catholic identity by participating in the Sacramental life of the Church

    • Includes regular reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist​

  • If married, the marriage must be formally recognized by the Catholic Church or blessed by the Catholic Church through Convalidation​

Volunteer Opportunities

Small Group Leader

Our Small Group Leaders is a group of adults who are willing to sit with our teens and foster authentic and Christ-centered conversations. Though we are a large parish, our hope is that each of our teens feels known, loved, and cared for by at least one of the leaders in our parish (YOU!). By coming to know our teens, we hope that they too are inspired to get to know us, but more importantly Jesus-Chris. While there will be formation(catechesis), the small group leader's main role is to clearly communicate the love of God through authentic relationships within the group.​

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In summary, each Small Group Leader Volunteer will lead a small group during our weekly Middle School and/or High School Youth Nights. Within each small group,  volunteers will...

  • Facilitate small group of 8-10 teens each week

  • Encounter teens where they are at during our youth nights

  • Build relationships with the youth so that each teens feels known, loved and cared for by a leader in our Church

Opportunites

Hospitality Team

Our Hospitality Team is a group of adult volunteers who use their gifts to create an environment that fosters authentic relationships through the space that they create. Each night, we aim to make our teens feel welcomed and inspired by our Church community. The Hospitality Team's role may vary as needed but may include...

  • Greeting students as they arrive 

  • Assisting parents with questions 

  • Helping design, set-up, and tear down a creative environment for each session

  • Planning for snacks and distributing snacks to small groups throughout the night

Office Team

Our Office Team is a group of adult volunteers that assist our Origin Faith Formation Team on a weekly basis with administrative support in the Parish Office.​ There are many administrative elements that often go unseen, but are essential to the success of our Sunday Youth Nights and other events we provide for our teens.  Being part of our Office Team, your role would be to assist with...

  • Preparing materials/activities for youth events

  • Entering data into computer systems

  • Translating materials (English to Spanish)

  • Other miscellaneous jobs as needed

 

*Multiple days and times available. 

Step-by Step

Register

Go to our Volunteer Registration form and submit your information to us! Throughout the form, you will be prompted to choose one (or multiple) of the options we have for you to volunteer with us. When you submit the form, we will have your information so that we can reach out to you and provide the next steps depending on the option you chose.

Step-by-Step

Safe-Environment Clearance

We aim to provide an inviting and welcoming environment for each of our teens to come and encounter Christ in during our Youth Nights. Part of this environment includes the adults that we trust to care and lead our teens. We ask that each of our adult volunteers go through our Safe-Environment training and are cleared by our Diocese to volunteer with our Youth. You can use the link below to find out more about Safe Environment and begin your training now!

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