STM Peer Mentor Program
"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain."
John 15:16
Take Your Faith To The Next Level
Peer Mentor Job Description
Purpose:
To give High School students a opportunity to become leaders and role models to Middle School students by sharing their faith journey. As a High School student, they have had many of the same experiences as the Middle Schoolers are having and through small groups, social activities and various Crossfire activities they are able to help younger youth grow in their faith.
Qualifications:
• At least a confirmed 2nd semester Sophomore in High school
• Active in their Catholic Faith
• Desire to continually strive to grow in their faith through prayer, community and service activities
• Be willing to share experiences with younger youth and humbly practice being a strong Catholic Role Model
Responsibilities:
• Commit to mentoring for at least one 4-month period per year
• Attend monthly Servant Leadership Night (usually 3rd Friday of the month). On this
night we will socialize, pray, brainstorm and do necessary training
• Attend the planning meetings once a month for the night you are running
• Build personal relationships with youth in your small groups by calling or emailing weekly, having lunch or attending school activities, etc.
Time required:
(15 hours per month)
4 hours per month for Servant Leadership Night
2 hours per month for Planning Meeting
2 hours per Sun or Wed for Crossfire
1 hour per month for phone calls, emails, lunches and other activities
Reward:
If you complete at least one 4-month commitment per year the next fall we will pay for your attendance on the Servant Leadership Weekend. Servant Leadership weekend is an incredible 3-day retreat created especially to help train and empower youth leaders.
For more information about mentoring please contact Christy or Chris at 303-220-3388.
An Introduction to Mentoring: Patrick Reidy
Thought the Catacombs were only in Europe...not quite. Simply descend below the St. Thomas More Evangelization Center and Parish School to discover a different kind of evangelization that's as crisp and refreshing as a cold summer shower. Yes, Italy's tombs contain the remains of some of the great early followers of Christianity, a characteristic ours will probably never be able to claim. Both do, however, share a common trait: Catholics go to both seeking inspiration in their lifelong journeys toward a deeper relationship with Christ.
Every Sunday and Wednesday evening, just after the sun has dropped below the horizon and the wind proceeds to nibble on uncovered arms and legs, at a time when most sane people are at home enjoying their evening meals and sharing fellowship with loved ones, a number of brave souls descend into the Catacombs of St. Thomas More, home of Crossfire, the middle school youth ministry program. If you were thinking that youth group was just for high school, well you'd be wrong. Crossfire meets on Sunday from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. for 7th and 8th graders and Wednesday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for 6th graders.
At the helm are Christy Burke and Chris Roth, two phenomenal youth ministers who care more about 6th, 7th, and 8th graders than a great many teachers I've heard of over the years! But you've probably heard about them already, and frankly, that's not who I was asked to write about. For another group of even more courageous souls exists, a group who makes a descent of their own each week, high-school students on fire for Christ and willing to subject themselves to intense questioning and youthful abuse to help those Crossfire teens grow in a deeper understanding of the faith they profess each week at Mass. Some call them crazy, others zealous, but for the sake of normalcy and a fear of libel, we'll stick with the title of "Mentor."
Mentoring is a ministry that, before the start of the summer, was as real for me as a tap-dancing polar bear. I never knew such a group existed! A plea went out for juniors and seniors in high school, especially those already in our youth group Breakaway, to join the mentor brigade and serve Christ through a "mini-me-ministry," one apparently similar to our youth group but on a younger curriculum. I bought into the idea in a second, considering a career in education or the religious life. We were educated in the ways of youth care and instruction thoroughly, and finally around mid-summer, 2002 B.W.Y.D. (Before World Youth Day), we were introduced to the harvest. Wednesday nights were "Meet me at Crossfire" apparently, because from that time until Confirmation, the youth ministers, adults, and mentors catered to an assortment of over a hundred youth!
The whole process has been on both sides of the coin; I often question who gained more from coming on a given night, myself or the youth I work with. I say this because there are few experiences in our lives as Catholic men and women which force us to question what we may have been taught or struggle to justify our beliefs. If that's something you desire, please talk to Christy or Chris and join us on Sunday or Wednesday night. My opportunity in being able to work with the youth of our parish and help them understand a little more about their faith has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my high school career and that's saying something, having the privilege to attend Regis Jesuit High School!
One of the dreams I've had for the larger portion of my existence has been to travel to Italy and visit the sites in Rome and the Vatican. No doubt, if given the opportunity, I would make a descent of my own into the Catacombs under the city. My reasons would be slightly different than that of many other Catholics, however. I'm forming a deeper relationship with Christ each week through our youth, right here; I don't need to go to Italy for that! 
