Christ the King Parish

Dear Parishioners, 
 
Today, I have the pleasure of writing about the programs we offer to the high school students and young adults of our parish. First, I’d like to talk about my peer leadership program. This year we have 27 dedicated high school peer leaders who went through the program and returned to help lead both the youth group and confirmation programs of our parish. Two weeks ago, we spent the weekend learning how to effectively be small group facilitators, liturgical ministers, and evangelizers to the teenagers who will be joining these programs. It takes a special kind of person to give up their time in the same capacity as these students whose days are already heavy with sports, school work, and social time; yet they answered the call with a resounding “yes”! I am extremely proud of these leaders. 

Next, I’d like to talk about our High School Youth Group program. This program is open to all high school students. It typically meets every Thursday evening from 7:00pm-8:30pm. Our opening night is Thursday, September 27th. You can find a full calendar and registration form in the church vestibule or online at ctkym.org. This year, we will be meeting at St. Stephen’s parish hall. Our youth group is an amazing opportunity for high school students to discover their faith and talk about topics relevant to teens such as friendship, self-care, and bullying along with many other topics. We talk about these things in the context of the gospel. There are social evenings such as game nights, a movie night, and even an escape room! It’s also an amazing way to meet other young people! Though the parent/teen meeting has already passed, we are still accepting applications for youth group! 

Our Confirmation program is open to Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors in high school. Are you ready to take the next step in your faith? The sacrament of Confirmation draws us more deeply into God’s power and love that lives within each of us and the Church. Having first experienced the Spirit of God through Baptism, we are drawn into a deeper, more intimate relationship with God the Father through a continuing unfolding of the gifts of the Spirit which gives us strength to boldly witness for Christ.  There is a mandatory parent/teen meeting on September 16th at 7pm in the church. Classes begin Sunday, September 30th. Please refer to our website, ctkym.org for requirements and expectations. 
 
Finally, I’d like to talk about our CTK/St. Stephen young adult group. Otherwise known as Y.A.A.S group or Young Adults Achieving Spirituality. It is a group for young adults in their 20s or 30s who are interested in growing their faith through bible study and social/service opportunities! Our leadership team has been hard at work building a Fall/Winter calendar! Every first Wednesday of the month, we have a prayer service in which we delve into that week’s Sunday readings. This prepares us for Sunday mass as we’ve had time to reflect on it as a group. We also offer a social activity or a service activity every month. For the month of September on Saturday, the 22nd there will be a hike in Briones! If you are interested in this group, send an email to ctkyaasgroup@gmail.com and we will add you to our mailing list! You can also find our list of events on ctkph.org under the “ministries” tab.  

I'm truly looking forward to another year of serving the CTK/St. Stephen youth and young adult community! 
 
In Solidarity,
Rick Lejano Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry