We are His people, the flock of the Lord At OLPH, we use what's known as the Comprehensive Youth Ministry (CYM)  model. The CYM is a wonderful youth ministry resource for many reasons:  * It meets teens where THEY are in life * It recognizes and appreciates the various components of a young person's  life * From a coordinating perspective, it is a well-balanced model to follow The CYM is broken down into the following 8 components: 1. Advocacy  2. Catechesis 3. Community Life  4. Evangelization 5. Leadership Development 6. Pastoral Care  7. Prayer & Worship  8. Social & Justice  These components are each applied in the following places: 9. School  10. Life of the teen 11. Family  12. Parish  13. Community  The OLPH Youth Ministry is divided into the following age groups:  * Junior Youth Ministry Grades 3-5  * Jr. High Youth Ministry Grades 6-8  * High School Grades 9-12  * Young Adult Ages 18-35   Goals  In keeping with the CYM model, the goals of the YM are (in no particular order): * For teens to feel a real sense of belonging in the parish (it's not just their  parents Church, but it's theirs too) * To help bring teens closer to Christ * To create an environment that is non-judgmental and trustworthy, so that  teens feel comfortable & confident to be themselves * For teens to meet and form friendships with peers who share the same faith * For teens to become more/stay involved in the parish, particularly after  Confirmation  * To help teens grow in their faith * Meetings * We don't have meetings on a regular basis.  Instead, we have activities.   Membership (who can join, number of members) The YM tries to avoid the term "member".  Instead, the YM is open to all teens  and young adults, without any required long-term commitment. The most  important thing to note is what age group each activity is for (sometimes our  events are age-specific, and other times we have all ages activities).