Our Lady Youth Program

A time of transistion for OLV Youth Program

2010-11-02T21:35:00.001-06:00

Well, the time has come for me to bid OLV farewell. I am honored to have been a part of this parish for the last 20 months. This is a wonderful parish and unlike any I have ever been a part of.
As I move on to Alamosa know that you have made an impact on my life and the life of my family. I will miss OLV and the youth who I have had the privilege to work with. I will continue to maintain my parish e-mail address until the end of December but can be reached via e-mail at pittmanmandy@gmail.com or find me on Facebook (under Mandy Schneider Pittman). I don’t have a phone number as of yet but I will sometime soon. Also, we keep up a family blog and that address is http://rbpittman.blogspot.com.

That being said, there are still opportunities for the youth at OLV at least until the end of the year.

The High School will still be meeting at 7 pm on Wednesday 11/10, 11/17, and 12/1.

Middle School students wishing to take part in the Mountain Madness Youth Rally (February 18-20 at YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park) you can contact one of the surrounding parishes to go with them. Approximate cost is $180 per person and you need to contact one of the following parishes’ youth ministers by December 10 if interested: St. Mary’s in Greeley (970-352-1724), St. John’s in Loveland (970-635-5800), or St. Joe’s in Fort Collins (970-482-4148).

Once again, thank you for your support and prayers!
Peace, Mandy Pittman

PS Pray for a new youth minister to join the parish staff soon!

Fall is upon us

2010-10-17T19:38:00.000-06:00

Well we are officially in the fall season. Just a reminder that we are going to play paintball on October 23 at 9 am with St. Joseph's youth group. Permission forms are available at the church or by e-mailing Mandy at mandy@ourladyofthevalley.net. Forms and $10 are due by Wednesday, October 20.

Fall Calendar

2010-09-08T17:51:00.002-06:00

Below is our fall youth calendar. Click on it to see a larger version. As with everything in life, this is subject to change. See the parish bulletin, this blog, and the youth e-mail (contact mandy@ourladyofthevalley.net to get on the list) for more information.

Schools back!

2010-09-02T13:15:00.000-06:00

There are always mixed feelings about the new school year. Sometimes we are excited to see new friends and begin new adventures but there is also that longing for the "lazy days" of summer.

We have a great year planned for the OLV youth program. We started our regular Wednesday night meetings for the high school students yesterday and are eager to get the new year rolling.

Fall schedules are availabe in the back of the church on the youth bulletin board and the parish bulletin has information about upcoming programs.

If you would like to be added to our e-mail or text list, please contact me at mandy@ourladyofthevalley.net with your name, grade level, and contact information.

Peace and have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!
Mandy

Summer fun!

2010-06-22T13:57:00.000-06:00

This summer has started like a rocket! We had a great turnout for the youth kick-off on the 9th, Elitch Gardens on the 12th, and the first week of youth group last week. The youth have been enthusiastic and excited for each event and to see each other. This is a sign of a great summer.

We will continue to have youth group each Wednesday this summer (June 23, 30, July 14 and 21) as well as other youth events like the Summer OLV-ympics for Middle Schoolers on June 27 from 3-5 pm and Rosary Making in July. If there are local events that you think the youth would be interested in, please drop me a line.

I hope that you are all enjoying your summer! If you would like to meet little baby Simon (1 month old today) be sure to come to a youth event; he's the new's youth group member and is very consistent about coming to events!
Peace, Mandy

PS I thought that I should include at least one picture of the new baby!

Upcoming Youth Events

2010-04-28T21:13:00.000-06:00

The Summer Youth calendars are now available. If you didn't get one already, they are available on the youth bulletin board in the back of the church. Please keep checking the blog and the bulletin for all the current info.

May is a light month for the youth program; this allows everyone time to finish up the school year and get geared up for the summer. We have a great summer planned and are adding more events as they come up. My due date is 2 weeks from today (May 12) so I may be a little disconnected for the month of May but will be back and ready to go in June.

Have a great end of the school year and see you in June!
Mandy

Sunday events for Middle and High School

2010-04-13T15:25:00.001-06:00

This Sunday, April 18, the OLV youth program will be hosting Jenny and Dave Uebbing for our youth groups. Middle school will begin at 4 pm and High school at 5:30 pm @ OLV. Dinner will be served to both groups. Here is a brief description of their talk:
Dave and Jenny Uebbing, married FOCUS missionaries from Denver, will speak on some of the practical applications of the Church's teachings on chastity, human love, and sexuality through the lens of John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Their presentation will use humor, personal testimonies and a gender-segregated Q & A session at the end of the presentation. The middle and high school sessions will be tailored to age-appropriate audiences.

Parents are always welcomed to attend any youth event but please keep in mind that this event is for the youth. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact Mandy.

This will be our last Middle School Youth Group of the School year and the last Sunday Night High School Youth Group.

A Colorado Spring

2010-03-24T10:52:00.021-06:00

Last week the ground was covered with snow and yesterday we got into the 70's. I have to chuckle at spring in Colorado. The unexpected change from sunny to snowy days is a reminder that though winter is still upon us spring is on the way. Lent also is on its way out and Easter will soon be upon us. No matter if you have been faithfully praying everyday and have given up your favorite treat or have put Lent on the back burner there is still time to remind ourselves about the importance of this holy time of year. There are a variety of activities for us to get an idea of Jesus’ sacrifice for us:

*You can read your Little Black Books or do the Rice Bowl donations and readings.

*Below is the schedule for the Parish events for Holy Week:

Thursday, April 1 Mass of the Lord’s Supper 8:00 p.m. (Followed by Eucharistic Adoration)
Friday, April 2 The Lord’s Passion 3:00 p.m. and Stations of the Cross 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 3 Decorating the Church 10:00 a.m.; Easter Food Blessing 12:00 noon; Easter Vigil 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 4 Easter Masses 7:00 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 11:30 a.m.
Easter Egg Hunt 12:30 p.m.

Take the time to go to as many days of Holy Week as you can and talk about the experiences with your family. This is a great opportunity to experience our faith through all of our senses!

February 2010

2010-02-19T21:46:00.001-07:00

February has been a full month for the OLV youth program. We started the month out with an extremely successful bake sale! The following weekend, a group of 14 of us attended the Archdiocesan Middle School youth rally, Mountain Madness. The middle school students were able to experience their faith in new and exciting ways and really came out of their shells throughout the weekend. Pictures from the event will soon be on the blog.

This Sunday, (Feb. 21) we will be having our Middle School Winter OLV-ympics: fun winter inspired games that will give the youth a chance to engage in friendly competition and get to know each other better. If you have never been to a youth event before, this is a great one to try out. We will be having snacks similar to what you would get at a fair or carnival.

Next weekend we are offering two activities for 7-12 graders. The first is our OLV/St. Joe’s ski trip (Feb. 27). We are taking a bus to this event and have a few seats left so if you would like to sign up as a participant or a chaperone, please let me know by 2/22. The second event is the “Ain’t Misbehavin’ Purity Rally” at St. Thomas More Parish. We are still accepting individuals until 2/24 for this event (Feb. 28). To attend all you need is to fill out a permission form (in the back of church) and return it with $15 to Mandy in the Youth Office.

I hope that you are all spending some time this Lent strengthening your relationship with Christ either by sacrificing something that you really love or by giving of your time to engage in something new.
Peace, Mandy

Youth Reminders and Thanks

2010-01-26T11:52:00.002-07:00

Thanks so much to all of the families who donated time and food for our soup dinner (1/17) and high school youth group (1/24) this month. The youth program relies on help from the parish and you have been great in giving of what you have to our 6-12 grade students.

We have our next fundraiser on the horizon. We will be holding our second (and most likely last) bake sale of the year on February 6 & 7 after all masses. We are in need of all kinds of baked goods and snacks. If you are interested in helping sell or donate items, please contact Mandy asap.

February is a busy month for the youth program. We have Mountain Madness on the 12-14 and are taking a group of almost 20 middle school students to this amazing event. We are also taking a combined parish ski trip to Eldora on the 27 for all 7-12 graders. Parents are needed for this event. Sign up by returning a permission form and money (varies by age and needs) to Mandy by February 14.

Finally, we have a great opportunity to attend the Ain't Misbehavin' Purity Rally in Denver on February 28. This event is open to high school students with a limited number of spots for 7-8 grade students. Cost is $15 per person and permission forms and money are due to Mandy by February 14.

We have a great winter and spring planned for our youth. If you haven't volunteered for a youth event, I urge you to do so. We have amazing young people in this parish and it is important that we have lots of adult involvement so that this program can serve as many youth as possible.

Stay warm,
Mandy

Calendars are almost ready

2010-01-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

The spring semester calendars are going out at youth group this week (at both middle and high school) as well as to all the 6-9 graders in RE next Wednesday. If you aren't attending either youth group or RE look for them in the back of church or contact Mandy to get your copy! The blog will have the most updated information asap.

Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T21:29:00.001-07:00

The Youth Office is excited about the upcoming calendar of events. Keeping checking the blog for all the latest updates and info! Here's to a great 2010!

Peace and Happy New Year,
Mandy

Register for Mountain Madness by Wednesday 12/16

2009-12-15T15:26:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to turn in your Mountain Madness registration form and $50 by Wednesday, December 16. This is an awesome experience for our Middle School Students to go to a great Archdiocesan event, learn more about their faith, and to have a great time!

Contact Mandy with questions.

A great weekend for the youth

2009-12-14T16:08:00.001-07:00

Our youth program had a busy and spiritually fulfilling weekend. On Saturday, the middle school students learned about Advent, other winter holiday traditions, and even explored their creative sides by making their own nativities and ornaments for a service program.

We were also reminded of the generosity of our parish by the support at our youth bake sale. We sold all of the donated baked items and the money raised is helping to get us on our way for events like Mountain Madness, Steubenville of the Rockies, and High School Mission trip.

We are wrapping up the year with parish caroling on Wednesday evening at 6 pm along with the RE students and anyone from the parish who enjoys singing. Keep checking the blog for the new year calendar.

Happy Advent and Merry Christmas,
Mandy

Happy Advent!

2009-12-04T10:25:00.002-07:00

Everywhere we go, we are reminded that Christmas will soon be here. Don't forget to take some time during Advent to really pray about the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus. All the 6-9 grade RE students received an Advent and Christmas reflection book just before Thanksgiving. If you still need one, they are available in the back of the church or you can contact me.

Happy Advent,
Mandy

Operation Christmas Child a huge parish success!

2009-11-19T14:06:00.001-07:00

As a parish we donated over 100 boxes to the Operation Christmas Child program this year. That means that OLV is helping over a 100 children have a brighter Christmas.
We had a great youth turnout last night at Cornerstone Baptist helping to pack boxes and do odd jobs.
We have a group of about 10 people going to Timberline Church in Fort Collins on November 21 from 11 am - 2 pm to continue helping with this program as well.
Thanks again for all who have helped this program in one way or another. You are truly helping to spread Christ's love throughout the world.

Peace and have a Happy Thanksgiving,
Mandy Pittman (on behalf of the Youth Ministry Program)

Fundraiser Dinner a great success!

2009-11-04T18:04:00.003-07:00

A big thank you to everyone who helped with the fundraiser dinner on November 1! We could not have done this event without you. And a huge thank you to the OLV Parish because without you we would have had no one to serve our delicious food to. We had about 85 people attend and raised money that will be very helpful for youth events. Our next dinner will be in January and we will be serving soup. More details to come.

Also on November 1, we had our first Sunday night youth group for high school students. We had a great turn out and our college student speakers did a great job! Our next Sunday night youth group for high school students will be on December 6.

November 1st update!

2009-10-29T11:14:00.001-06:00

Here's what's going on for the high school youth program on Sunday, November 1!

1. 6-7:30 pm is our fundraiser dinner. It is all you can eat Italian food and suggested donation is $5 per person. All high school students eat free so bring lots of friends. We still need help with set-up/ prep, serving food, clean up, and supplies donations. Contact Mandy if you are able to help (mandy@ourladyofthevalley.net).

2. Altitude Adjustment application and $50 dollar deposits are due on November first as well. (Look at older blog entry for more info). LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!

3. Finally, on Sunday at 7 pm, we are having a Sunday night installment of youth group. 3 college students will be coming to speak to the group. It should be a great event and is open to all 9-12 grade students.

See you all on the 1st!
Peace, Mandy

No youth activities tonight

2009-10-28T14:03:00.003-06:00

High School youth group is cancelled for tonight due to the weather. Don't forget that we have our fundraiser dinner on Sunday (6-7:30 pm) followed by a Sunday High School Youth Group (at 7 pm). We will have college students coming to tell us their stories.

We still need volunteers to help prepare for the dinner on Sunday so if you can help, let Mandy know (mandy@ourladyofthevalley.net) or contact her on her cell at 970-978-8248.

Altitude Adjustment (HS) and Mountain Madness (MS)

2009-10-22T14:30:00.002-06:00

Altitude Adjustment (January 29-31, 2010) is a ski retreat for high school students (although you can attend and not ski). If you are interested in attending this event, you must pick up a packet at the church and return the permisson form along with a $50 deposit by November 1 (no execeptions!) and the balance is due by December 16. This event will be help at YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch.

The entire cost of this event is as follows:
$130 for non-skiers; $165 to ski Sol Vista; $187 to ski Winter Park (equipment rental not included). If money, is an issue, please contact Mandy at the youth office.

Mountain Madness (February 12-14) is a middle school youth rally hosted by the Archdiocese of Denver. This exciting event is filled with fun, faith, and making new friendships. The event costs $160 and we will do some fundraising to help offset the cost. If you are interested in this event, pick up a pack at the church and return the permission form with a $50 deposit by November 13. The final balance will be due by December 16. This will be a great event in a beautiful setting (YMCA of the Rockies at Estes Park).
Contact Mandy with any questions.

Operation Christmas Child begins October 21

2009-10-15T15:27:00.003-06:00

The youth (K-12 grades) of OLV are participating in a program called Operation Christmas Child this year. All participants in RE and youth events will recieve information about this program in October. The gist of the program is that you fill up a shoe box for a young girl or boy between the ages of 2-14 years of age, return the filled box to OLV and then it will be shipped throughout the world to brighten the Christmas for a child in need.

If you have not recieved info or have misplaced it, you can contact Mandy via e-mail (mandy@ourladyofthevally.net) or go the the OCC website at the following address: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/ . This is a fun project and a great way to share your good fortune with others. If every family committs to filling one of these boxes we can really make Christmas more fun and exciting for children who have so little.

Have fun with this!

Mandy

Hiking cancelled

2009-10-10T07:53:00.003-06:00

Due to all the snow, we will not be hiking today. Thanks for the interest and we will try again in the spring.
Enjoy the early snow, Mandy.

Fall Paintball

2009-10-06T12:27:00.001-06:00

We had a great day on Saturday playing paintball. We didn't have too many injuries for the day. There is definatley interest in doing this again so if anyone knows of a close and inexpensive place to play, let Mandy know!

Summer of 09

2009-09-06T12:34:00.000-06:00

We had a great summer with the parish youth program. Here are a few shots from some of our activities...

The summer started out with a BBQ and Captue the flag at Main Park

We played lots of games at Water Olv-ympics in July!

The Totus Tuus crew taught us a lot and we had a great time with them!

Welcome to our blog!

2009-08-27T13:33:00.000-06:00

This blog is to be used for posting questions, ideas, sharing our Catholic faith, and information about upcoming youth events and programs. Visit often and let me know what you would like to see.
Peace, Mandy

Youth Minister
Our Lady of the Valley Parish
Windsor, CO