What is TEAM?
TEAM is St. Perpetua’s middle school (6^th-8^th grade) youth ministry program that meets twice a month on Sundays from 6:15-7:30 pm. We use the acronym TEAM to remind us of what our middle school youth need most in their faith development:

TEACHING: As our youth are going through this incredible period of growth, they begin asking some important questions, such as:

• What is my purpose in life?
• How do I know that God is real?
• Who are my real friends and am I a good friend to them?
• Who can I believe and trust?
• Why should I be part of a Church community?

As their critical thinking skills continue to grow and develop, we want TEAM to be a place where they can find answers to their biggest questions. We want to offer them a space to learn and to be challenged by the Gospel and the wisdom of our Church.

ENCOURAGING: As we all know, middle school can be a time of intense peer pressure as our youth seek out ways of belonging. Unfortunately peer pressure can lead to conformity—our youth just following the crowd or that popular clique. We want TEAM to be a place where students are encouraged to take a risk, to stand up for what they believe in and to be unafraid to courageously live out what they know to be right and true.

AFFIRMING: In their search for clarifying their own values and identity, our middle school youth do some pretty amazing things! Oftentimes these great things (e.g. serving at a homeless shelter, taking care of an elderly grandparent, standing up to a bully, etc.) go unnoticed. We want TEAM to be a place where the good work that our youth do is celebrated and affirmed. Our hope is that TEAM is a safe space where our students have their good affirmed so they will continue to make a difference in this world.

MIDDLE SCHOOLERS: Although middle school is a relatively short three-year time in the lives of these young people, it is a time of GREAT change. It is during this time that our youth are changing socially, physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. Unfortunately, according to the most robust study of young people in the Catholic Church, it is at the age of 13 that most young people make their decision whether or not to stay in the Church. And many do not stay. (Read Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics by St. Mary’s Press for more information.) We want TEAM to be a place where our middle school students recognize how vital and important they are to the Catholic Church. They are a huge part of the TEAM!

How does TEAM work?
Throughout the school year TEAM will be meeting a dozen times on Sunday evenings 6:15-7:30 pm. At each gathering middle schoolers can expect good music and singing lead by a worship band consisting of high school and college students. They can expect fun activities and icebreakers. They can expect to hear a challenging message based on our year’s theme. They will have time to meet in smaller groups (led by high school and college students) where they can talk in a safe space about things important in their lives. And they will be sent home hopefully more informed, encouraged, and connected to the rest of the TEAM.

What is this year’s theme?What is this year’s theme?
Our theme this year is simple—CONNECTED! Although this is a simple word, it is difficult, especially for middle school students, especially during a pandemic, to feel connected. Throughout this year we will be exploring ways for our students to know, feel, experience, and help others feel connected. Now this is not just about being connected socially, although that is very important at this time in their lives. We also will explore ways for our students to be connected to this parish community, especially if they aren’t able to physically be on the parish grounds. Beyond just the parish boundaries, we will explore ways our students can be connected to the larger Church community. Finally, and most importantly, we will explore ways our students can maintain their connection to the one who is the source of all connection—God, through his son, Jesus Christ. The following passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans will be our guide: 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  (Romans 8:38-39)

How do I join TEAM?
We want all students in 6^th-8^th grades to feel welcome at TEAM meetings. We hope TEAM can become a supportive community for all middle schoolers. Students are encouraged to invite their friends to be a part of TEAM. Please fill out the “Registration Form” tab on this page to be part of the TEAM.

Welcome to TEAM!
Elizabeth and Andrew Berkes

Let's get started with registration!