Every two years, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry hosts a powerful, three-day experience of prayer, community, catechesis and empowerment fro Catholic teenagers from around the country.  This conference called Nataional Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) draws over 17,000 teenagers, 4,000 adult chaperones, and over 2,000 speakers, performers and exhibitors.  The conference includes workshops for parents of teenagers and professionals involved specifically in youth ministry, priests and clergy can attend classes about ministering to young people.  

Participants also have the opportunity to be involved in service projects, such as packaging non-perishable meals that are sent around the globe to families in the greatest need.  

The conference is held in Indianapolis, Indiana with the next event scheduled for November 16-18, 2017.  The theme of this year's conference is "Called".  Click here to watch the promotional video.

For the 2017 conference, St. Matthew is taking 14 teens and 4 adults as part of a large Diocese of Raleigh contingency.  The estimated cost for each person is $950.  Each family is contributing $250 towards the cost of the trip.  The rest will be raised through various fundraising activities beginning in April 2017.  The total cost of the trip is estimated at $17,100 of which $4,100 has been rasied as of March 15.

What do these costs cover?
Three nights of hotel accomodations with 4 teens per room
Round trip airfare to Indianapolis
Three dinners at local restaurants
Transportation to and from the airport in Indianapolis
Diocesan tee shirts, backpack, hat, and give aways
Registration for the conference

How can you help?
By making a donation you help a teen experience their Catholic faith on a much larger scale and encouraging him to continue active participation in his faith.  Of the 5 teen who attended NCYC 2015, all 5 came back making plans to attend SEARCH with others they met from around the diocese.  All five have remained active participants in TYM and other diocese youth events.

What would a gift do?

• $50 would cover the cost of tee shirts or transportation to and from the airport in Indianapolis
• $100 would cover the cost of 3 dinners
• $150 would cover the cost of the hotel for three nights for one person
• $200 would cover the cost of registration for the conference
• $250 would cover hotel and dinners 
• $300 would cover hotel, dinners, and tee shirts
• $350 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, and transportation
• $400 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation, and $50 towards conference registration
• $450 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation and $100 towards conference registration
• $500 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation and $150 towards conference registration
• $550 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation and $200 towards conference registration
• $600 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation and $250 registration fee
• $650 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation, registration fee, and $50 towards airfare
• $700 would cover hotel, dinners, tee shirts, transportation, registration fee and $100 towards airfare.

• Shop with Scrip program where you purchase gift cards for items you use all the time and a portion of the purchase is rebated to St. Matthew. Click this link to watch a promotional video on how the program works.  https://shop.shopwithscrip.com/Support/promotional-tools    To enroll, register using St. Matthew's code: FBL8DEA45LL21.
• Join us of April 30 for a BBQ Fundraiser.  Pre-orders will be taken the weekend of April 22 and 23.