Summer is all about service at The Catholic Community of Christ Our Light in Cherry Hill, and this year was no different, especially for its youth ministry program.
The program, which operates all year, centers its summers around community outreach with programs such as Vacation Bible School and Service Week.
In recent years, the parish has brought in high school students – especially rising freshmen – to help in leadership roles for VBS. These teens help tell Bible stories, perform skits, lead dances and guide games, bringing energy and a perspective that younger children connect with, leaders say. The program not only engages children in learning the Gospel in creative ways, but also gives teenagers an opportunity to share their faith, develop leadership skills and witness to the idea that “God is alive in the young Church.”
Gabe, Julia and Evelyn Bracy are among the teen leaders. They have attended Christ Our Light since they were born. Each has participated in VBS since kindergarten and began volunteering in sixth grade. Gabe, 17, is a group leader; Julia, 16, helps with arts and crafts, and Evelyn, 13, helps with snacks.
Gabe said he learned more about his faith through participating in and helping with VBS. Julia has found value from the program because it’s taught her how to work with children.
“On the first day, [the kids] cry because they don’t want to leave their parents, and then you see the growth of how at the end of the week, they’re so excited to be there,” Julia said. “That’s partly because of the leaders. You have to learn how to make them feel like they want to be there.”
Evelyn said service is a way to evangelize – and her siblings agree. Julia recently went on a mission trip to Kentucky; every two weeks, Gabe makes casseroles to donate to Joseph’s House homeless center in Camden. All three of them help to make sandwiches for the shelter when volunteers are needed.
“Through the more recent years, I’ve learned to become closer to God through volunteer work,” Gabe said. “I feel like I have become less self-centered and don’t really care about what other people think. [I’m] trying to seek out God’s mission more.”
Another young leader, Leo Jaffe, 14, said he gained more confidence in public speaking and leadership because of volunteering with VBS. He and his sister Nina, 12, both said that incorporating Bible stories into games and helping the children understand the stories that are taught are how they actively spread the Word of God.
In a similar way, the parish’s summer Service Week – now in its fourth year – aims to draw in youth grades eight to 11, as many in that age group are busy during the rest of the year with school activities, sports and more.
In mid-July, the youth took on leadership building as they went to sites such as the Cherry Hill Food Pantry, Mighty Writers and Urban Promise. The food pantry, which serves Cherry Hill and surrounding areas, is run by multiple religious organizations of varying faiths. Mighty Writers – with locations in Camden, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and beyond – is a literacy-focused nonprofit that helps youth develop strong reading and writing skills. UrbanPromise, founded in Camden in 1988, began as a faith-based ministry and has grown into a global network. It provides educational programs, mentoring and opportunities for suburban and urban youth.
Sherine Green, the parish director of youth faith formation, said young people learn leadership skills from these site visits by taking the lessons they learn from these community partners and building upon those acts of service.
“The goal of [Service Week is] to look at our teachings in the Church … what our faith says about serving the poor and those who are disenfranchised,” Green said.
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