Youth Ministry
Middle School Retreat

Friday December 6 | 5:30-9:30 PM (includes dinner) | Good Shepherd | Due Date: Nov 29 | $20 per person | Open to 6th-8th graders from Good Shepherd, St. James and any friend who would like to join us | Advent will just be starting so we will take some time away from everyday life to draw closer to God during this 3 and half hour retreat.

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Catholic Heart Niagara Falls Workcamp Youth/Young Adult Registration

Niagara Falls | July 19-26 | Current 7th – 12th Graders Sign Up | College-Age Youth Up to 20 Years Old Sign Up

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Catholic Heart Niagara Falls Workcamp Chaperone Registration

Niagara Falls | July 19-26 | Adult Chaperones Sign Up

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Youth Ministry

Youth ministry should begin to teach adolescents what a life of discipleship looks like. As baptized members of the Church, youth are called to serve others and to serve Christ, bringing about the Kingdom of God in unique ways. It is the youth minister, pastor, or parent's job to empower adolescents to live Christian lives of discipleship. Youth are empowered when they are welcomed into a Church that speaks to their hearts with the "joy of the Gospel and the strength of the Eucharist" (St. John Paul II, 1995 World Day of Prayer for Vocations). When youth frequently engage the Gospel, challenge their spiritual lives, and are shown the adventure of discipleship through the Church they can begin to commit themselves totally to Jesus Christ in concrete ways.

"The Church is concerned for the whole person, addressing the young people's spiritual needs in the context of his or her whole life"

Generations of Faith 

Generations of Faith (GoF) is our core formation program and is intergenerational. This is because here at Good Shepherd we see Christian Formation as an ongoing, life-long process. A living faith is always growing and changing as we experience God and interact with one another. Sessions run once a month and follow both of our weekend Masses. The goal of Generations of Faith is to help all parish members to engage the presence of Christ in the Eucharist and to embrace the mission to which we are called and for which we are sent forth each week.

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Growing Faith

Recognizing that adults bring a basic instruction in the faith and a lived experience of the practice of the faith they can more easily enter into faith sharing conversations than most children. In order to build up the knowledge base of the children of the parish we include a monthly session for children called Growing Faith. This program offers a systematic presentation of the core of the Catholic faith for children K4 through 11th Grade. The groups are divided by developmental levels to explore who we are, what we teach, and what we do as a Catholic community. All children in Generations of Faith are automatically enrolled in Growing Faith, no additional registration or payment is needed.

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Confirmation
Youth Ministry Events

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL CALENDAR

“Dog Days of Summer” Trip to Mt. Olympus

When: Tue Aug 8, 8:00 AM-9:00 PM
Who: Those going into 6th grade through those who just graduated from high school
Cost: $65 (includes lunch, dinner, admission and transportation)
Friends ALWAYS welcome!
REGISTER HERE!

We are always excited to offer youth ministry events outside of our Generations of Faith and Growing Faith sessions. The purpose for our youth events is to help them live out their faith with fun and purposeful events. Christian friendships are so important and often we see those lifetime friendships started through our youth group. It’s a time for our youth to be themselves with other youth in a place where they feel comfortable and safe while becoming closer to God too.

Events we have provided in the past are:

  • Ice Cream Socials
  • Wisconsin Catholic Youth Rally
  • Snow Tubing
  • Middle School Retreats
  • High School Retreats
  • Outings to dramas
  • Scavenger Hunts
  • Game Nights
  • Service Projects
  • Open Youth Room Nights
  • Trivia Nights
  • Escape Rooms
  • Pizza Night
  • Trips to Holy Hill

We are always open to ideas from our youth and their families of new things to do both at church and away. Stay tuned to our website, parish app and bulletin to see when the next event is being offered.

Matthew 25 Local Work Camp
  • Since 2011, during one of the last weeks of June each summer we serve people right here in our own area by going to residential houses and non-profit organizations in the local area.
  • Camp is offered to those currently in 5th-12th grades and costs no more than $100 for the whole week.
  • Campers learn a lot about themselves, what Jesus teaches in Matthew chapter 25 and how serving the poor, homeless, elderly, less advantaged and vulnerable can make a difference in the campers’ lives as well as in the lives of the people they serve.
  • It’s a great week of fun, friendship, service and faith that has changed world views and the lives of those who have attended in the past.
  • Work Campers meet at Good Shepherd at 8:00am Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Drop off time is 12:00pm on Wednesday. We travel in assigned Work Camp groups to assist in serving food, do yard or landscaping work, make/serve lunches, assist the elderly, paint and other service projects throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.
Catholic Heart National Work Camp

 

  • Since 1993, Good Shepherd has been sending a team of youth with adult chaperones to places all over the United States that need our help. We’ve been to Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Montana, Pennsylvania and more.
  • Each year we spend time fundraising, preparing and forming our youth and chaperones to go on a mission trip. This camp if offered to those currently in 7th-12th grades.
  • For the last several years we have partnered with Catholic Heart Work Camp to provide a week of service, memories, fun, praise, worship, growth and prayer. This camp gives the participants a different way to look at their lives and the lives of the people they serve.
  • We typically leave from Good Shepherd one Saturday in July and return a week later filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to share our story with others.

Get Involved!

Below you find various groups to engage in, whether they be discussion groups, serving teams, committees, classes or events. Join the following groups to stay abreast of updates, join in discussion with other members, and find important related files.

Join a Group

Committees

Events

Corinna Ramsey

Director of Child & Youth Ministry

Mary Oswald

Formation Ministries Associate

News

Upcoming Meetings and Events