2005 was a very active year for the Youth Ministry at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. We have experienced a number of challenges, seen a lot of growth, and worked through some major changes in the ministry. It can truly be said that God's blessing has seen us through the year and has been with us through both hard times and good. In 2005 the job of the Youth Pastor was very clearly outlined to include over-seeing (whether directly or indirectly) all ministries in the church from Birth to 25 years old. This major shift in responsibility has not been without its challenges, but has also provided the opportunity to prune the ministries to be more effective and purposeful.
The Youth Committee, which represents volunteers from all levels of the ministry and beyond, has met faithfully throughout 2005 to support the ministry and evaluates where we require improvement and where we are doing well. Each month the committee looks at the needs of those in our Parish from birth to 25 and provides insight to how we can best reach those needs. This group has been a tremendous resource to me as they encourage me, hold me accountable, and act as my eyes and ears throughout the ministry.
The committee members for 2005 were: Devon Arthurson, Chris Borondia, Bruce Duggan, Cheri Gillespie, Fr. David Maynard, Donald McKenzie, Heather Rochon, Brenda Still, Nichola Wigle, and Terry Vatrt. During the course of the year both Fr. David Maynard and Nichola Wigle respectfully stepped down from the committee. Thank you all for your interest in seeing youth and children grow closer to God, and for your dedication to the ministry.
Breakdown of Programs
The Nursery Program, under our Coordinator Brenda Still as well as Heather Rochon, has seen tremendous growth and development. Attendance has grown steadily since the summer and the program is bursting at the seams! The space they have, while limited in size, is now a 1st class centre for learning and growth. Each week the children are guided through lessons, crafts, and active play, and the response from the parents has been overwhelmingly positive.
In the new year the Nursery is looking for creative solutions to deal with the dynamic growth and space limitation they have been experiencing. Some time in the next few years it would be advantageous to look and see if there is another space in the church that would better suit their needs. As always, they will also continue to look for quality volunteers who can help with the ministry.
The Children's Program continues to be a fun environment of learning and sharing. Excellent teachers and leaders have made this program something really special for the children of Holy Trinity. 2005 saw a major programming shift during the fall. We decided to split the children into Age-Appropriate Classes to better meet their developmental needs. By dividing the group into three groups (grades 1-3, grade 4-6, and grades 7-8), we now have smaller groups where children can receive an appropriate level of learning and get to know their teacher and peers better. The response has been greater, more regular attendance, tighter peer relationships, and a real atmosphere of fun! More classrooms creates an obvious need for more volunteers and further planning, but many generous parishioners stepped forward during our Summer Volunteer campaign and have made the program an even greater success. Just like Nursery, the growing Children's program is always looking for quality volunteers to help with teaching, leading, and giving Homilies, and is also looking at expanding the existing space to better meet the children's needs.
The Children's Program is continuing to meet from 10:45-11:30am on Sundays for two major reasons. First, running two separate programs, one during each service, would require twice as much planning and twice as many volunteers, which is obviously something worth avoiding if possible. Secondly, having one program catering to both services allows children and parents from both services to interact with and fellowship with each other, which is a goal we in the Youth Ministry are passionate about.
During 2005 we have also established regular Teacher's Meetings, where upcoming activities and programming can be discussed and where the needs of the volunteers can be heard. We have a wonderful team of volunteers who run our programs, without whom there would be no Children's Program. Also new during 2005 was our participation in the PWRDF "Enough For All" fundraising campaign and our first ever "Family Fun Day" in which families from our Parish enjoyed a day out at the movies! More group outings are being planned for 2006
Special Thanks goes out to Nichola Wigle, our 2004-2005 Coordinator, and Father David Maynard, both of whom helped out enormously during the year. While both have moved on from our ministry here, we continue to remember them with a thankful heart.
The Junior High Group has grown this year into a dynamic group focused on Spiritual growth and Fun! Our group of youth in grades 7-8 started out the year without much individual attention. There was an obvious need to reach out to this group of preteens who are entering a very influential period of their lives. Through an increase in volunteer support we have been able to set up a specific class every Sunday Morning to address this group and to give them a place in the church to call their own. The group is slowly branching out beyond Sunday Mornings to attend special events within our parish and also across the city through Diocesan youth events. Attendance has also gone up since September, as is true with all our Sunday Morning programs.
The High School Youth Group has also seen a major shift in programming during the last year. The over-all intent has been to make our activities more Purpose-Driven, to have events that offer an opportunity for spiritual growth, for worship and ministry. We have introduced Small Group times, Community Service projects, as well as Fun Events like bowling nights and visiting the Corn Maze. We have been involved in the Alpha Program, attended Hear the Music Nights, Youth Encounter retreat weekends, Missions Encounter and Diocesan events. It is my personal hope that the youth group be a place for the youth of our parish to connect with God and to connect with their peers. In this way we can empower then and give them the tools to be life-long believers.
During the past year I have enjoyed spending more time with the youth in one-on-one settings, over a coke and some fries or while working together, and giving them individual attention. This is a particularly exciting part of the ministry and I hope to see it grow over the next year. I have also enjoyed the opportunity to connect with parents, whether to discuss the lives of their teens or just to build relationship with them.
As always, we are indebted to our excellent volunteers who have invested in our youth and have become a key part of our ministry. Our dedicated volunteers have given their energy and time to invest in our youth and we cannot run our programs without them. In the coming year we will continue to look for quality men and women of all ages who love the Lord and who like youth.
The College and Career Ministry is another addition that has come about in the 2005, with a small group of young adults meeting at different times for community building and personal growth. College and Career age is generally viewed as 18 to 30ish, but there are no hard fast rules for age. We have had a few get togethers, such as a Pot Luck Dinner and a Bon Fire, as well as a few Bible Studies, and generally have been pretty relaxed in our programming. This group is growing, slowly and steadily, with a lot of opportunity and potential. We are certainly excited to see what the next year holds for the College and Career group!
In conclusion, it has been wonderful to look back and to see God's grace as we moved through this year of transition. I, personally, have been blessed by this faith community who have accepted Janie and I and supported us through this our first year in Full-time ministry. We now look forward and see another year of great opportunity for the children, youth and young adults of Holy Trinity, and even great opportunity to witness the love and glory of our Lord.
Respectfully submitted
David Colvinson, Youth Pastor
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