Three 24:7 youth ministers on board for 2023 and excited for ministry
By Josh Low
24:7 Youth Ministry will continue its collaboration with the Archdiocese of Hobart in 2023, with three youth ministers on board for the year.
Myles Hall, Samuel Excell and Angela Gethin have been contracted as part of the continuing strategy to support and build up youth ministry across the state.
Office of Youth Evangelisation Director, Sam Clear, said it is great to have both Angela back onboard following her first year of ministry in 2022, and for her to be joined on the team by two locals.
“It was the hope last year when we invited the qualified Youth Ministers from Western Australia to help us with youth ministry, that in time our local youth and young adults would put their hand up to study the same Diploma in Youth Ministry while assisting to facilitate youth groups here,” he said.
“It’s also pleasing that a third local will be working alongside the 24:7 Youth Ministers, with Maggie Sandric working specifically on assisting with the growth of the Kingston-Channel Parish Youth Group.
“Our hope this year is to consolidate the pre-existing youth groups, concentrating on walking with the youth group members, building them up in faith, hope and love, and to provide an atmosphere that is genuinely enjoyable and sees the youth groups continue to grow,” he concluded.
Angela said her love for Tasmania and work in youth ministry here played a big role in deciding on staying on for another 12 months.
“I’ve found my experience of youth ministry here to be really fulfilling and meaningful,” she said.
“We’ve been doing some amazing work in beautiful schools – I’ve loved interacting with the students and seeing the direction in which this ministry is going, so I wanted to give it another year to hopefully help the ministry to flourish and grow.
“It will be a big transition from last year to now working with two home-grown Tassie boys taking on the ministry, so that will be very exciting.”
Coming from South Hobart Parish, Samuel is currently undergoing a diploma of Catholic Youth Ministry online with the Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation based in Perth.
He explained that his desire to serve in youth ministry came a passion for teaching and a desire to help the youth grow in their faith.
“I would love for other young people to feel the transforming power of God in their own lives.
“My hope is that I’m able to touch the lives of the youth, help them understand the Catholic faith more, and to find the faith attractive, helping to form strong Catholic youth for future generations,” he said.
For Myles Hall from the Kingston-Channel Parish and Guilford Young College, the decision to become a 24:7 Youth Minister in his final year of secondary education wasn’t easy, but one he eventually discerned God was calling him to.
“Being religious and growing up [today] is not an easy task – especially when society is against you.
“However, I’ve managed to learn through this and hope to educate others through my own struggle with faith and how to live up to Catholic values in a chaotic world.
“I hope we can grow the mission of 24:7 in our schools and parishes throughout Tasmania over 2023 and continue the valued work that was produced in 2022, bringing it to the next level,” he concluded.