Tucker Redding, SJ
YOUTH MINISTER.
I spent four years (from 2007-2011) working as the Coordinator of Youth Ministry at St. Justin Martyr Church in Houston, Texas. I was in charge of all activities for middle and high school youth. I had the great opportunity to help form many young people in their faith and they formed me into the man I am today. This page highlights some of the aspects of my job and the experience I gained.
I received the Rosemary Hood Memorial Recognition Award for Outstanding Coordinator of Youth Ministry (Youth Minister of the Year) from the Office of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 2011. (Pictured receiving the award from Cardinal DiNardo.)
Religious Education
Youth Group and Social Events
The parish had about 250 students enrolled in religious education from 6th - 12th grade, which included preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. It was my responsibility to set the curriculum for each grade level, choose books, recruit and train volunteers. Middle School youth were separated into classes of about 15 since with a single teacher. High school groups were put together by age and separated into small groups of 8-10. The catechists were leaders of small groups and took turns leading the larger group in prayer and reflection of the topic of the week.
Preparation for Confirmation included regular classes, retreats, days of reflection, and service. It was my hope to provide experiences both learning about and engaging in activities of faith so that the youth might make their faith their choice rather than someone else's.
Leading a religious education night.
The youth group met once each week. For most of my time at the parish I was the sole youth minister and coordinated activities for both middle and high school youth. I tried to create a balance between building community, exploring our spirituality, learning about important issues, and having fun. The parish is very multicultural so the youth group also became a place to learn about how our cultures and faith intertwined.
Outside of youth nights I organized special events to allow the youth to have fun and build community with each other and meet youth at other churches. We also attended most events hosted by the Office of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
Retreat Ministry
Getting soaked at a summer youth night.
Participants of the 2008 Confirmation Retreat.
I hosted many retreats as a youth minister. The biggest retreats that we had were part of the Confirmation program. Many people from the church volunteered to help with these retreats, including youth who were confirmed in previous years. The large staff requied training from me as well as coordination to make sure that everyone had a job rather than just sitting around. For most of the youth, these were the first experiences with retreats. We tried to provide an experience for the youth to get to know each other in a new environment and experience their faith in a new way.
I also hosted retreats throughout the year and teamed up with other youth ministers to provide larger retreats. I started a week long retreat during the summer for middle school youth that was planned and staffed almost entirely by the high school youth group. This was a great opportunity for the high school youth to exercise their leadership skills.
Service and Outreach
I believe that service is a crucial part of teaching youth how to live out their faith. Throughout the Gospels Jesus tells us to love and serve one another. I noticed that service opportunities appealled to my youth group. They wanted to actually do something to help others. I organized service projects each month and different sites to ensure that they had a variety of experiences. Service opportunities included working in a food pantry, soup kitchen, day center for the homeless, as well as visiting people in hospitals and nursing homes, and helping in a coast wide beach cleanup.
Getting ready to help at a cleanup.