Youth Ministry

2025-2026 Youth Ministry Year

The Church of the Nativity High School Youth Ministry Program fosters the spiritual, intellectual, and social growth of young people and empowers them to serve as disciples of Jesus while drawing them to responsible participation in the life of the Church.

The Church of the Nativity High School Youth Ministry Program involves 4 components and is based on these church documents:

A Vision of Youth Ministry, Renewing the Vision, and Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age - USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops).

The 4 components of our Youth Ministry Program are:

1. Educational/Catechesis

This is the most important component and is accomplished mainly through our Sunday Topic Nights from September to June. Sunday Topic Nights are about ongoing Faith Formation and challenging teens to apply and live all aspects of their Catholic faith in everyday life. Our Sunday Topic Night topics come from the documents listed above, our 4 year curriculum from St. Mary's Press, and our Topic Survey of the most requested topics from the parents and teens that is given at the start of each year. This method allows for both a Catechetical systematic structure and the flexibility to cover current events. Attending our Sunday Topic Nights for 2 years also provides teens with the faith formation background to become eligible for the Confirmation Immediate Preparation Classes.

2. Service Projects

There are regularly scheduled Service Projects as well as many other pop-up service projects offered to the teens during the year.

3. Social Events

We do Social Events about every other month and the teens vote on what to do.

4. Confirmation Immediate Preparation Program

The Confirmation Immediate Preparation Program runs from February through May every year. The “Confirmation Immediate Preparation Class” is specifically and only education on the Sacrament of Confirmation for eligible (those who have been in our program for 2 years) sophomores, juniors, or seniors and is in addition to our Sunday Topic Nights. It involves classes, a Retreat, small homework assignments, and successfully completing a Final Interview. Confirmation is only 1 of the 4 parts along a teen’s Faith Formation journey within the Nativity Youth Ministry Program, not the end or “graduation” from Faith Formation and Youth Ministry. It is important to remember it’s place in the bigger picture of the overall and ongoing Youth Ministry Program. Teens are expected to continue with their Youth Ministry involvement after Confirmation as part of their lifelong education in our Catholic faith and to live out their Confirmation commitments. “There is more to parish youth ministry than preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation and it's celebration which is only one component or part of the total process of catechesis and faith development for adolescents”. (Diocesan Policy #310)

For more information on Confirmation go to our Confirmation page.

If you would like more information on the Nativity High School Youth Ministry Program please contact Mike James, Director of Catechetical Ministry, at mjames@nativitycatholic.org.

2025-2026 Youth Ministry Registration

Registration for the 2025-2026 Youth Ministry year is now open. Why is it important for all teens to register for the Youth Ministry Program? We track all teens in the parish throughout their high school years in the Youth Ministry Program, whether they go to a public or Catholic high school. It is important for us to have them on our class lists to determine their eligibility for the additional Confirmation Immediate Preparation Classes at the appropriate time. For more information on the sacrament of Confirmation please see our Confirmation page here on this website.

To register for Youth Ministry properly:

If your family isn't already registered parishioners please fill out the Parish Registration Form
Fill out the Youth Ministry Registration Form and Topic Survey (as a parent)
Mail all forms back to the parish along with the Registration Fee by September 21, 2025.

September 21, 2025 - New Teen and New Parent Orientation

Our New Teen and New Parent Orientation will be on Catechetical Sunday, Sunday September 21, 2025, from 5-6:15pm in the Commons. All freshmen, new teens, and most importantly their parents are invited to come and hear about the Youth Ministry Program and Confirmation Program requirements. This is the only meeting we ask new parents to attend during their teen’s 4 years in the program so they can hear how the Youth Ministry Program works, especially the Confirmation piece of Youth Ministry in sophomore, junior, or senior year. There will be plenty of time for questions after the presentation. This Orientation Meeting is actually pretty important because each parish has a different model of Youth Ministry and different model of Confirmation Preparation so it is important to know and understand how we do it at Church of the Nativity. Returning teens and families are not required to attend as it will be information they heard in previous years.

September 28, 2025 - Get to Know You Night

Our second meeting on September 28, 2025 is for all freshmen-seniors from 5-6:15pm. It will be a "Get To Know You Night" where the new freshmen from last year's grade 8 of Faith Formation and the Nativity School and any new teens are introduced to the returning teens to do sharing and icebreaker activities to help ease their transition into High School. We will also discuss our learning model and small groups for the first part of the year.

October 5, 2025 - Confirmation

At our October 5, 2025 Topic Night we will continue where we left off last year in our unit on the sacraments with Confirmation. What are some symbols of the Holy Spirit? What are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit? What is the history of Confirmation? We will answer these questions and more. We will also play some icebreakers, go over the bible readings from mass and have small sharing groups. All freshmen-seniors attending public or Catholic high school are invited to join us from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.

October 12, 2025 - Confirmation - Pt. 2

At our October 12, 2025 meeting we will continue in our unit on the sacraments with Confirmation. What are the effects of Confirmation? What is the Confirmation Rite? We will answer these questions and more. We will also play some icebreakers, go over the bible readings from mass, and have small sharing groups. All freshmen-seniors attending public or Catholic high school are invited to join us from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.

October 19, 2025 - Safe Environment

In compliance with the Diocese of San Diego’s Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the topic of Safe Environment will be introduced to your teenager at our Topic Night on Sunday October 19, 2025 from 5-6:15pm. Emails will be sent to all parents with a Parent Letter, Parent Conversation Resource from the Diocese, and the PowerPoint that your teens will be shown according to their grade level. If you have any questions please email mjames@nativitycatholic.org

For more information on the Diocesan Safe Environment Program go to https://www.safeinourdiocese.org/

October 26, 2025 - The Eucharist

The topic for our October 26, 2025 meeting will be The Eucharist. Why is the Eucharist so important? What is the history of The Eucharist? What were the major elements of the last supper? We will answer these questions and more. We will also play some icebreakers, go over the bible readings from mass, and have small sharing groups. All freshmen-seniors attending public or Catholic high school are invited to join us from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.

November 2, 2025 - The Eucharist - Pt. 2

The topic for our November 2, 2025 meeting will be The Eucharist – Pt. 2. What is the meaning of the Eucharist? What are the elements of the Eucharistic Rite? How do we prepare for and receive the Eucharist? We will answer these questions and more. We will also play some icebreakers, go over the bible readings from mass, and have small sharing groups. Finally, we will review All Saints and All Souls Day.

November 9, 2025 - Service Project - Giving Tree Ornament Making

Our November 9th meeting will be a Service Project making the Parish Giving Tree Ornaments. These ornaments are the start of a project that delivers about 400 Christmas Gifts to people in need during the holidays. All freshmen-seniors attending public or Catholic high school are invited to join us from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.

November 16, 2025 - Guest Speaker

Our November 16^th meeting will have a guest speaker, Annelise Gazale, who is a recent convert. She will speak about her faith journey and the new Social Group she is forming. We will also play some icebreakers, go over the bible readings from mass, and have small sharing groups. All freshmen-seniors attending public or Catholic high school are invited to join us from 5-6:15pm in the Commons.

November 23, 2025 - No Class - Thanksgiving Break

There will be no class on November 23 due to Thanksgiving break.