As St. Catherine of Siena once said, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.” It’s such a powerful idea — that you can change the world by being the person God wants you to be. And it’s a beautiful thing to teach our youth, too, as they prepare for adulthood.
Anna Porting, Director of Youth Ministry, is building the program from the ground up. She has been with the parish for one year this month and, this last school year made the effort to get to know the youth and build relationships. This fall, she hopes to start offering small groups and Bible studies after school for middle school youth.
“I think small groups and Bible studies are great for forming your own opinions and creating your voice when it comes to your faith,” Anna says. “I remember for myself, at that age, my faith was really just what I learned in religion class. I think Bible studies are a great step in building a relationship with Christ.”
With last year being a year to introduce herself, Anna looks forward to more regular programming this year. She wants youth to have time to dive deeper into the Catholic faith. Her programming will begin by focusing on middle school and then, hopefully, expand to high school.
Anna looks forward to taking a group to the Steubenville Youth Conference in Springfield this month. The group from our parish will attend with the Columbia parishes to the weekend retreat held at the Missouri State University campus. Anna has previously participated with the Columbia parishes.
“Each year, we would have teens whose highlight of the weekend was Eucharistic Adoration and others who finally saw what their Catholic faith could look like,” she says.
As the school year ramps up, Anna is ready to work with the youth. Middle schoolers are an absolute joy to work with, she says. She enjoys their personalities.
“Their humor is quick and random, and each one is so different,” she says.
Anna has found that, at first, it can be intimidating to work with this age group — but you get to know the youth, and you love them each in their own way.
Given the secular world in which we live, Anna wants to encourage youth to attend youth group offerings this year. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends with the same faith and values.
“During these years of growing into the person you are meant to be, it’s so important to surround yourself with a solid and supportive group of friends who will encourage you and push you to be the best version of yourself,” Anna says.
Plus, the Catholic faith is exciting and offers a constant learning opportunity.
“It’s the adventure of a lifetime, always changing and moving,” Anna says. “Why not have some friends along the way who love and support you?”
In addition, Anna hopes to see more adults involved in Youth Ministry in the coming years. It’s important that our parish supports these youth — they are the future of our church.
“We are always in need of help to form our youth, and it’s not something I can do alone,” Anna says. “I hope you can consider investing and giving of your time to the future of our church.”
To help out with the Youth Ministry, contact Anna Porting at 573-635-7991, ext. 307, or Anna.p@cathedraljc.org.