New Youth Director Colin Moore Looks Forward To Fostering Young Disciples
There’s something beautiful in discerning and finding our vocation. Whether it’s the religious life, marriage, or a specific career path, we all are called to something. Newly hired Youth Director Colin Moore feels a call to work in youth ministry.
“Any time I do anything ministry-related, people notice a sense of joy,” Colin says. “My parents have even pointed that out. They believe it is something I should be doing. It’s something I have a passion for, and I’m hoping to do this for a long time.”
This youth director position is a new one at St. Francis Solanus, and Colin began here in February. He is hoping to build the program, called Ignite, to weekly sessions for the high school students and monthly sessions for junior high students. He is also hoping to take students to conferences like Steubenville and the National Catholic Youth Conference.
Working with youth is familiar territory for Colin. He’s been involved with Quincy Notre Dame’s youth group program for many years — in fact, he runs the music ministry for the program, and he graduated from Quincy Notre Dame in 2017. This fall, Colin will return to Quincy University, where he has about three semesters remaining to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in theology. He is currently taking classes from the University of Dayton for a catechesis certification.
“My goal is to increase fellowship among youth in our parish,” Colin says. “I want them to get to know each other better and develop relationships that are rooted in faith.”
Colin looks forward to starting regular Ignite meetings this coming fall. He credits the youth group at Quincy Notre Dame for helping lay a firm foundation of faith in his life. He believes that if youth have that firm foundation, they are likely to continue growing in faith as they go on to college and adulthood.
“Having been in high school within the last decade, I have a sense of what high school students are going through,” Colin says. “It’s very easy for high school students to get pulled in the wrong direction.”
Colin wants to be sure the youth know that Jesus is a loving and merciful God — He is there for us, no matter the circumstance.
“A relationship with God isn’t static — there’s no booming voice,” Colin says. “You should strive to be like Jesus and really have a relationship with Him.”
The name for the program, Ignite, is taken from the Book of Acts — “Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:3-4).
Like these verses, Colin wants to foster a group of disciples who are well-suited to go out and make more disciples. He wants the youth to know the power of the Holy Spirit.
In his free time, Colin enjoys watching and playing sports, playing guitar, and singing. Colin is the second of four siblings to parents, Jon and Gen. His parents are parishioners at St. Peter’s in Quincy.
Please be sure to watch the church bulletin this fall for information on the dates and times for Ignite.