ONE BREAD - Youth Ministry

Engaging Our Catholic Youth in Evangelization

Young Catholics make excellent evangelists. They're full of energy, enthusiastic, and idealism. Most are not shy about witnessing for their faith. Below are a few ways you can get your parish youth group involved in evangelization:

Raleigh, NC, Area Catholic Youth! Fun, Fun, Fun!
Evangelize in the Raliegh St Patrick's Day Parade, Saturday March 11

For the third year in a row, our Catholic evangelization apostolate will be marching in the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade. As with many holidays that have their origins as Christian feast days, St Patrick’s Day has become secularized and its Christian meaning obscured.

Our organization seeks to bring back the true spiritual meaning of these holidays by using them as evangelization opportunities and a means to educate people about Christ, his holy Catholic Church and the heroes of the faith, like St. Patrick.

This year, Raleigh Area Catholic Youth who participate are eligible to receive the first annual Catholic Youth Evangelism Award from One Bread. The Catholic youth group that has the best costumes, signs, and performance in the parade win a trophy, free St Patrick medals, and more. For details contact One Bread at youth@1bread.catholic.org.

If you live in the Raleigh area and would like to join us on March 11, print out this sign-up and t-shirt order form or sign-up online using PayPal. Read more about the parade on the official Raleigh St. Patrick's Day Parade Website. The parade was actually started by the Ancient Order of Hibernians to promote the Catholic faith.

Youth Evangelism Ideas

Get the youth of the parish to put on a Bible Story Play, preferably illustrating an event in Jesus life, like his birth, his passion, his resurrection, etc. Invite the community at large via ads in newspapers, mailings to other churches, and public service announcements on radio or TV. Sell tickets and donate the proceeds to One Bread, or charge two canned goods per person and donate them to the local food bank.
Hold a Carwash as a Fundraiser and Evangelization event. Get your parish youth group to sponsor a carwash and charge between $3 and $5 per carwash. Give away pamphlets on the importance of Baptism and donate the funds raised to One Bread.
If your town has a St. Patrick's Day Parade, find out who the organizers of the parade are and ask if your youth group can march in the parade to witness to your Catholic faith. Make sure that all of the youth participating in the parade wear a Catholic t-shirt of some kind.
Get the youth involved in making crafts for One Bread to sell in our Catholic book and gift store to raise funds for the pamphlets we give away. They can make Christmas ornaments, rosaries, Christian jewelry, rosary boxes, and framed pictures.

Cool Catholic Youth Links
http://www.omegarock.com/
http://www.nfcym.org/resources/pastoralrscs/adocatechesis/index.htm
http://www.ncyama.org/
http://www.ccmanet.org/ccma.nsf/index?OpenForm
http://www.onerock.com/
For more information, contact:
youth@1bread.catholic.org