Donate to Youth Ministry

Bi-weekly Youth Group on Tuesday nights from 7:00 PM-8:30 PM
Don't forget to register for Youth Group HERE.
More information about the Middle School Youth Group can be found on the 6-12 Enrollment Page.
If you have any questions please contact Jozie Pinkowski at jpinkowski@elcatholics.org

Weekly Thursday Night Youth Group from 7:00 PM- 8:30 pm
Don't forget to register for Youth Group HERE.
More information about the Middle School Youth Group can be found on the 6-12 Enrollment Page.
If you have any questions please contact Jozie Pinkowski at jpinkowski@elcatholics.org

Hello everyone, I am Jozie Pinkowski! 

I am so excited to be the new Coordinator of Youth Ministry, and at St. Thomas Aqinas School as a part of the fifth-grade educational team! I graduated from Michigan State in 2021 with a degree in Elementary education and finished my student teaching in April 2022. During my junior and senior year at MSU I played Bass 1 in the Spartan Marching Band and MSU Drumline. During those years as a Catholic Spartan, I was the Music Intern as well as a lunch aid at STA. In June of 2020, I entered the Church through RCIA, right here in East Lansing! I consider the Catholic community here in East Lansing to be an extended family and I am overjoyed to be coming back! 

Let’s welcome Jozie to our Parish Family and pray for the success of all of our Ministry Programs! 

The High School Youth Ministry program is for all high school teens of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish and St. John Student Center in grade 9-12.  Our youth ministry program seeks to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today, to draw our teens to responsible participation in the life of the Catholic faith community and to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.   

The sole purpose and goal of STA-SJSC Youth Ministry is to lead teens to a personal encounter with Christ, especially in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the “source and summit of our Catholic faith.” As Youth leaders, it is our job, with God’s help, to lead teens to this Eucharistic encounter by not only building Christ-centered relationships with teenagers but also providing teens with opportunities for service, events that foster fellowship, youth nights that teach discipleship, times of prayer and worship, and the encouragement they need to be bold for Christ, in our culture and among their peers.