God bestowed you with a wide range of emotions. Despite what a good chunk of popular culture today might suggest, it simply isn’t human to avoid the feelings that aren’t so great all the time.
I often felt I didn’t fit in a cultural box. I wasn’t Hispanic enough, and I wasn’t American enough. This was especially difficult with my family.
Welcome!!!
The pages here in Youth Ministry are just for you!! If you're in Junior High School (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) check out the Edge link on the left. If you're in High School (9-12) check out the Life Teen (English) or the Grupo Amigos (Bilingual) link! I think it's good to know where what you're reading is coming from. My name is Deepu Kochuparambil (don't worry, when you see me around, just call me Deepu). I am the Ministry Coordinator of Youth And Young Adults (MC-YAYA for short). Anyways, I have been working with youth since 2002 through Life Teen and other high school related events. I never went to a youth group growing up, and in all honesty, if I knew it was anything like it is, I would've gone in a heartbeat. Where else are people your age able to go and completely be themselves? Even when I hung out with my closest friends, there were just some things I would be afraid to say. But in the youth groups here, it is a totally positive environment where we encourage everyone to not judge and treat everyone equally. Other than the sarcasm. Our gatherings drip with sarcasm. But in a good way?
Our purpose here is solely to help you teens find your faith, build on your faith, strengthen your faith. We want to help you understand it, know it, love it and live it. So browse the links depending on your age and please feel free to email any questions or come to a gathering! You can contact me at deepuk@dsj.org. Or if you'd prefer to text or call, my number is 408-874-6742.