We had five parents (3 sets of father/mother and two mothers only) plus 11 teens. We had a couple of little brothers and sisters. There were several parents and students that were out of town but mentioned that they are interested in joining us. Overall, the luncheon went well. The parents in attendance were extremely supportive. The teens requested that we begin meeting at 11:30 each Sunday---after mass. That is a good sign.
Johnny mentioned to them that he would like to begin working with them so they may begin serving during mass, such as ushers when the congregation goes up to communion, and anything else that you might like to see them do.
From what we could gather, their perception of a youth mass is Sunday at 10:am. There are too many activities taking place on Saturdays and their attendance might not be great - I think we are barely squeaking by on Sundays, but we hope that will change soon. They are also looking at singing some songs to play during mass when ready. This will probably take a while to get started, but this is what we are looking at so far.
One more thing, we would like for them to have a "place of their own". In other words, a location within our parish grounds that they may connect to. The parish hall would be perfect for us. There will be a stage for them to practice on, bathrooms and the kitchen for snacks and drinks we will have for them. The front of the parish would also be perfect for outdoor prayers and gatherings. The tree does provide shade and plenty of space for them. I know that the parish is often reserved for funerals, fund raisers, etc. We will definitely honor and respect this. I am willing to keep in constant communication with the parish office and move our gatherings when the hall is being used. We would also provide our own snacks and will clean up after ourselves. I really don't see us meeting at 11:30 for long. I would expect for them to eventually request a 5:00 or 6:00 pm but we will let them decide.
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