Dear Families,
May God’s peace be with you. The Catholic schools Office in the Diocese of Manchester has launched a state-wide research project to learn more about the perception and influence of Catholic schools. Please help our schools by completing this survey at the link below. Your input is critical to the future of our Catholic schools! If you have any questions, you may email research@maguireassoc.com. Thank you!
Take the survey now: https://tinyurl.com/DioceseOfManchesterSurvey

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Keep Christ In Christmas Poster Contest (sponsored by Knights of Columbus) - Use your creativity to develop an 11 x 17 inch poster reflecting the theme Keep Christ In Christmas. Posters due to gk10896@comcast.net by December 15th. If your poster wins at state level, the prize is $200 (national level is $250)! Click on links or see Cheri Andersen for Rules or to get  poster cardstock paper and an Entry Form.

WELCOME

St. John Neumann Parish uses the EDGE Program for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade religious education. EDGE is a Catholic middle school youth ministry experience created for early adolescents.  EDGE is designed to meet the educational, spiritual, emotional, and social needs of young adolescents. These students are always welcomed and encouraged to bring their friends to The EDGE Program.  Each Edge session contains four parts in order to meet the needs of our youth: Gather, Proclaim, Break it down and Send off

Our next meeting is on December 16, 2019!  Each night will have a different theme about our faith, and will challenge our youth to grow in a deeper relationship with our Lord. This semester's theme is the Corporal Works of Mercy.

Our Edge program meets twice a month on Mondays from 7 to 8:30 pm. So far this year we learned:
 - Color My World! - Jesus wants us to live a full and exciting life for Him
 - Love One Another - We are to love everyone (not just those nice to us/easy to love) as Jesus loves us.  This requires a choice, sometimes it is a simple act of kindness and other times it means putting someone else's needs ahead of our wants.
 - Hunger Games - We are called to feed the hungry & give drink to the thirsty. We talked about both physical hunger and spiritual hunger. Together we put together 50 bag lunches that were donated to the Nashua Soup Kitchen.  Most of us are blessed to not worry about where our next meal is coming from and have a loving home.  What can you do to answer our call to help those that are hungry? Can you share our snacks at school? Can you talk to someone we see sitting alone at school/invite them to join our group? Remember in Matthew 25:40 it says "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
 - Operation Body & Soul - We are called to bury the dead.  We talked about how the body is to be treated with dignity upon death -- it is NOT to be thrown away like trash.  Because the body is sacred, and equally as important as the soul, the remains are to be honored with a Christian Burial.  Although the soul is temporarily separated from body, it will be reunited on the last day when Jesus comes again, and will rise to heaven as Jesus did.
 - For the Love of God - We have many gifts in our lives and are called to share those gifts with our brothers & sisters in need. We talked about our call to clothe the naked. Most of us have a lot of clothing... some of which we no longer wear.  Wouldn't our clothes we no longer/seldom wear be more beneficial to someone in need? Maybe during this month that we celebrate Thanksgiving, we can take a few moments to see what we can share with others so they too have much to give thanks for. NOTE: Many kids got email before class & brought in coats/clothes to donate.  From the EDGE night donations alone (2 of 3 clothing pictures below, 3rd is from parishioner donations on 11/9-10), we donated 17 coats and several bags of various clothing!
- A Stranger and You Welcomed Me - 

All Middle School students are invited to attend even our Catholic School students!

Besides the bi-weekly gatherings, we ask that each student participate in  

• Assist at a Teen Liturgy at Least once  
• Attend the Passion Play
• Particpate in one Specific Works of Mercy Project offered throughout the year
• Attend at least 2 Community Events
• Particpate in at least one Parish Work of Mercy project (Serving at a dinner, Church clean ups, etc)

All About Edge

Within the context of faith, middle school youth are moving from a child-like spirituality to one that will hopefully reach its pinnacle, through the work of EDGE, into an adult faith commitment to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Community.

The name “Edge” recognizes that middle school youth are on the Edge in their life, and if we as a church don’t do something about it, they’re going to fall off the Edge and we are never ever going to see them again. But, at the same time, we as a church are going to give them the Edge they need in life: Jesus Christ, the Sacraments, Sacred Scripture, the Teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, and a Catholic Community to love, nurture and challenge them.

In Middle and High School, we ask all of our students to assist at least once a year in at our 6 PM Mass as Lectors or Hospitality.  Those who are active altar servers, lectors, or hospitality ministers who serve throughout the year, do not have to sign up.

When signing up, either choose to be a Lector or Hospitality.
When serving, please arrive by 5:30 pm on that Sunday evening, dressed in your Sunday best.  

What is
       Hospitality - Greet people as they come into the Church and hand out any worship aids
                           - Help with the collection and bring up the gifts
                           - Pass out bulletins
                           - Help organize the Church after Mass
        Lector - Proclaim one of the readings - Must prepare ahead of time!  

Contact Cheri' Andersen
Youth Minister
(603) 880-0825 x 111
youth@sjnnh.org