Serving Our Youth

There is so much JOY to be found here! You don’t teach faith, you show them the way, open their hearts, and then Jesus does the work. // Michele J., Catechist and Core Team
We love our youth teams! Both our Awaken Catechists and Edge/Life Teen Core Team members work tirelessly to provide an environment where the youth of our family of parishes thrive and seek a relationship with Jesus more deeply every day. Are you interested in joining one of our youth teams? We invite you to peruse the needs of our programs below and reach out to our listed staff members with any questions.
AWAKEN CATECHISTS (Preschool + Elementary)
AWAKEN is the PK-5th grade program for Our Lady of Light. We also provide services to youth with special needs, and we provide preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
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TIME COMMITMENT
AWAKEN meets weekly at the Incarnation Campus in the PAC and weekly at the St. Francis Campus. We ask that you come 15 minutes before the start of classes. *Times listed below are for the 2025-2026 school year. 
  • Sundays from 9:00-10:15 a.m. Incarnation Campus
  • Sundays from 10:00-11:15 a.m. St. Francis Campus
  • Tuesdays from 4:30-5:45 p.m. Incarnation Campus
  • Wednesdays from 4:30-5:45 p.m. St. Francis Campus
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CONTACT
Sophia Hosford
EDGE CORE TEAM (middle school)
EDGE is the middle school program for Our Lady of Light. We serve grades 6-8, including assisting with the Sacrament of Confirmation. EDGE follows the model of breaking open a topic for 3-6 weeks using the structure from Mass: Gather, Proclaim, Break, Send. Gather involves an activity or icebreaker; Proclaim is the talk and/or video where content is delivered; Break is the heart of EDGE, where youth join their small group for discipleship check-in, breaking open the teaching, and faith sharing; Send is the recap and prayer experience.
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TIME COMMITMENT
Weekly EDGE gatherings (and any additional retreats/service projects you are able) to build relationships and accompany youth on their faith journeys through facilitating small group conversation, sharing testimony, teaching the faith, and prayer. While the special events are not required, they significantly help to build greater community with your youth. Core Members for 8th graders should be aware that they will have more preparation than the normal Core Member, as you may be doing teaching or guiding a book study, etc. (versus the talk given from the front of the room by the youth minister or another core member). Please note that volunteers must be 15+ to help with Middle School.

EDGE meets weekly at the Incarnation Campus in the PAC Lobby and at the St. Francis Campus. While the program is 75 minutes, we ask Core Members to set aside an hour and 45 minutes (15 minutes prior with final set-up and greeting teens; 15 minutes after for clean-up and debrief). Times listed below are for the 2025-2026 school year. 
  • Sundays from 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. St. Francis Campus
  • Sundays from 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. Incarnation Campus
  • Wednesdays from 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. Incarnation Campus
EDGE Connect meets weekly; offered once on both campuses. While the program is 75 minutes, we ask Core Members to set aside an hour and 45 minutes (15 minutes prior to with final set-up and greeting teens; 15 minutes after for clean-up and debrief). ​Times listed below are for the 2024-2025 school year.  
  • Sundays from 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. St. Francis Campus
  • Sundays from 7:00 – 8:15 p.m. Incarnation Campus
EDGE 180 meets weekly at the St. Francis Campus. While the program is 90 minutes, we ask Core Members to set aside a full 2 hours (15 minutes prior to with final set-up and greeting teens; 15 minutes after for clean-up and debrief). ​Times listed below are for the 2025-2026 school year. 
  • Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. St. Francis of Assisi Campus

​CONTACT
Gabby Hruby
LIFE TEEN CORE TEAM (high school)
Life Teen is the high school program for Our Lady of Light. We serve grades 9-12, and help teens to form spiritual habits as they prepare for graduation. Life Teen follows the model of breaking open a topic for 3-6 weeks using the structure from Mass: Gather, Proclaim, Break, Send. Gather involves an activity or icebreaker; Proclaim is the talk and/or video where content is delivered; Break is the heart of Life Teen, where youth join their small group for discipleship check-in, breaking open the teaching, and faith sharing; Send is the recap and prayer experience.

TIME COMMITMENT
Weekly Life Teen gatherings (and any additional retreats/events you are able) to build relationships and accompany teens on their faith journeys through facilitating small group conversation, sharing testimony, teaching the faith, and prayer. While the special events are not required, they significantly help to build greater community with your youth. Please note that volunteers must be 21+ to help with High School. Times listed below are for the 2026-2027 school year. 

  • Life Nights take place weekly on Sunday evenings from 6:30-8:45pm, and they are the large group weekly gatherings open to all high school teens. Each Life Night includes dinner, games, a talk, prayer, and a consistent small group component whereby teens grow in friendship, faith, and discipleship. Content is based around a semester theme.
  • Life Teen 180° takes place weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00-9:00pm. LT 180° is a weekly Bible Study (~15-25+ teens) where teens select the content (Sunday readings, special topics/issue nights, The Chosen...). For the first session each month, LT 180° is geared towards teen leadership formation with special topics.
  • Life Connect (Mondays and/or Thursdays from 6:30-8:00pm) are specifically designed for the teens who either 1) are not available on Sunday evenings for Life Nights or 2) prefer a smaller group environment over the large group environment of Life Nights. Teens in a weekly LT Connect session commit to meeting weekly to grow in friendship, faith, and discipleship together.
  • Breakfast Club takes place weekly on Tuesday mornings from 6:30-7:30am. Teens attend 6:30am Mass at Incarnation Church on Tuesday mornings. Following Mass, teens eat Chick-Fil-A breakfast and pray over the Mass readings before heading off to school.
  • Intentional Discipleship is an opportunity for upperclassmen to meet regularly with an adult disciple (Safe Parish trained) for ongoing, specific formation, usually 1-2 times per month. This is scheduled with the teen, their family, and the Core Member. The content is catered to areas in which the teen desires to grow in understanding. These meetings can take place at either Our Lady of Light campus or at a public space like a coffee shop - regardless of location, a second Safe Parish adult is always present in the space.
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​CONTACT
Matthew Himes
LIFE TEEN/EDGE SUPPORT STAFF
We’ve heard the expression, “It takes a village...” and youth evangelization is no different. Support Staff are those who can volunteer their time on a monthly or as needed basis in any of the following areas:

Core Team Sub (for EDGE or Life Teen)
  • Able to sub for a Core Member (relational ministry/small group facilitating) during EDGE and/or Life Teen.
  • Potentially open to assisting as a small group leader on a retreat.

Hospitality (for EDGE)
  • Assist with final room set-up/environment for EDGE Nights & can greet youth as they come in. Time commitment is approximately 20 minutes before EDGE begins into the first 15 minutes of the session.

Kitchen Ministry (for Life Teen)
  • Join a team of 4-6 parents that serve dinner at Life Nights once every 5-6 weeks. This includes preparing food that has already been purchased for dinner, serving, and cleaning up.

Prayer Partner
  • One thing is for certain, we could all use more prayer in our lives and more people praying for us. Prayer partners intentionally pray for our youth, their families, and those who serve them. Additionally, prayer partners may be given specific intentions to pray for.

Do you have other gifts or talents that might benefit our youth? Reach out to us and let’s set up a time to talk!

How do I know if I should be a Catechist or a Core Team Member?

Catechists

​A Catechist is an adult who lives as a disciple of Christ and is enthusiastic about serving our youngest disciples in youth evangelization. Catechists bring kids to Jesus, to form disciples, and send them out to spread God’s word. They share their personal stories and guide kids to have a relationship with Jesus. You don’t have to know everything about the church to be a catechist. You can and will learn something new about your faith. The Awaken program focuses on our younger disciples so catechists are called to make the experience joyful and fun for the kids, to excite them about church and Jesus. If you enjoy spending time with younger children, consider walking with them on their faith journey.

Core Teams

​A Core Member is an adult who is living as a missionary disciple and is responding to his or her baptismal call to serve in youth evangelization. Life Teen and EDGE are a movement where you can be in a healthy, ministerial relationship with young people helping to lead teens closer to Christ, walking with them wherever they are in their faith journey. Core Members serve in a mentor-type relationship with teens to help them understand their Catholic faith. It is "both/and" not "either/or." Being a Core Member is about relational ministry/discipleship and catechesis; it is about both listening and teaching through testimony. Youth are looking for authentic adults who are living what they preach and will listen to and walk with them on their journey. All that is needed is a faithful heart, a willing spirit, a love for God’s youth, and a desire to help lead them to Jesus Christ.

An Experience Like No Other!

Best decision I have made to be more engaged in the life of the parish! If you want to let teens know you appreciate them, spend time with
them. Core team is a great way to do that. I love being surprised by how much the teens teach me! Every week I look so forward to Sunday night. Pondering the big questions with teens takes me deeper in my own faith journey. // Jo Anne M., Core Team
​Being on EDGE core team has been such a blessing in my life! I became an educator because I wanted to help shape young minds and guide children towards becoming the best versions of themselves, and being a small group leader is an even more direct way to engage with the kids. Since joining EDGE Core Team, my faith has become a much more profound part of my life. I have been a Catholic since birth, but until EDGE it has always felt like a solo adventure. Leading children who are on fire with their faith is such an inspiration, and it brought the community aspect of our Catholic community to the forefront. Being on retreats, engaging weekly in faith-based discussions, and breaking down the head and heart knowledge of our faith has enlivened my own connection and understanding of Jesus' life and mission. I truly feel like I am making a difference by participating in EDGE; I cannot recommend it enough! // Robert Cornwell, Incarnation School Teacher and Core Team
Being on Core Team is a phenomenal way to practically live out the Gospel calling to ‘Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.’ If you have any interest, come and see! // Alex B., Core Team
Sunday Mass Times
Incarnation Campus | 8:00am, 10:30am, 12:00pm (5:00pm Saturday Vigil)
​St. Francis of Assisi Campus | 9:00am, 11:30am, 5:30pm (4:30pm Saturday Vigil)
Contact Us | 937-345-0101
​Incarnation Campus | 55 Williamsburg Lane, Dayton, OH 45459
​St. Francis Campus | 6245 Wilmington Pike, Dayton, OH 45459
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