Grown Up Soda

New Guidelines for Grown-Up Soda Meetings

Issued January 2012

Dear St Thomas Families,

I am writing you today to outline new guidelines for the St Thomas Junior High School Youth Group. At Grown-Up Soda, we invite young people to grow deeper in friendship and in faith- to discover that God alone can quench their thirst. Each month we host a social event and a regular meeting for our young people. Our meetings take place at the Church in the gym and parish hall, featuring games and talks on different aspects our faith. I am proud to say that we have over 100 young people participating this year!

At our last meeting, we had a great number of teens in attendance and unfortunately some of our young people acted disrespectfully towards one another and towards our volunteer team. In order to ensure this does not happen again, I am taking a number of steps. First, from now on every GUS event that takes place at St Thomas will begin at 6:30pm. At our last meeting many showed up a half an hour early, before our volunteer team, because they were confused at the later than usual start time. Second, I will be calling on our most active GUS teens to be trained to welcome and include newcomers. This will challenge our teens to become leaders, while providing a clear integration process for newcomers. If your child would like to be trained, have them contact me.

I am also asking you to partner with me. I run Grown-Up Soda meetings with a team of high school volunteers and adults. This year, my requests for parent volunteers at our meetings have been ineffective. Diocesan guidelines for youth events require us to have 1 adult on hand for every 10 youth. This year with close to 40 teens attending our meetings, I have not been able to consistently maintain this ratio. At our last meeting I had just 1 adult on hand to assist alongside our high school volunteers. I need more hands on deck to make Grown-Up Soda a safe place for teens to connect with one another and with God.

Parents, I need you to partner with me to do what you do best! I need your eyes to be watching our young people to ensure they are making good choices. I need your voices ready to challenge our young people to treat others with justice. Parents, I need you to be at our Grown-Up Soda meetings. When you join us at a meeting, you will welcome young people as they arrive, and be a presence throughout the night to ensure our young people treat others with respect.

There are 4 meetings between January and May. These meetings are providing our young people with real opportunities to grow in faith- to discover God’s love for them and His calling on their lives! Please check our calendar, and decide which meeting you will be joining us for. Please join me in calling forth all that is great in our young people! Attached you will find a Response Card, for you to let me know which meeting you will be attending. Please fill this out and return it to me this month. You can drop it at the School or Parish Office, or simply place it in the Offertory Baskets at Mass. You and your families are in my prayers!

God Bless,

Beth Spizarny

St Thomas the Apostle Youth Minister

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