About Us

Who we are

EMPOWERED Ministry is the Parish Youth Ministry of St. Joseph’s Cathedral Parish, Kuching.

We offer youths – which includes upper elementary school, high-school, college-university students and young working adults – an avenue to learn about our Catholic faith, while journeying together with other youths of various ages and backgrounds. We worship, pray, praise, encourage, minister, learn, study, love and serve together.

Our main focus is to grow in our personal relationships with GOD through Christ Jesus, as led by the Holy Spirit; while sharing the Good News of GOD’s Love and Hope with other young people in our community.

This Ministry aims to build a generation of young Catholics who are excited about GOD, in Love with Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to minister to many other youths and be fully participative in the life, mission and work of the Church.

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Empowered Ministry

Our Vision

Empowered Ministry exists to glorify GOD.
To gather youths (secondary school, college/campus, young working adults) of our Church for a time of fellowship and ministering to each other through Christ.
Inviting all youths to enter into GOD’s presence through corporate worship, praise and prayers that will eventually equip them to find, pursue and fulfill their GOD-given purpose.

Our Mission

To realize the Love of GOD through His Son, Jesus Christ.
To impart a better understanding of the role of Jesus in our lives.
Focusing on what Jesus can do in our lives rather than what we can do for Him.
To plant the love for the Word of GOD in this new generation of Catholics.
To assist young people to experience and understand the richness of Christian life within the context of the Catholic faith.

Hopes & Dreams

It has always been our Ministry’s hope to see more people – young and old, individuals and whole families alike; come into personal relationship with Christ, experiencing in fullness the LOVE of GOD the Father, and be empowered through His Holy Spirit, to rise up for mission – to share the Good News message of Hope and Love with all people!

A great task indeed … but not impossible for our GREAT GOD! … Amen!

2003

When we were still known as PRAISE MINISTRY, we were not “officially” recognized or appointed by the Parish Council as any parish-based lay-ministry. Yet despite the lack of recognition, we continued to serve faithfully the parish and its community as best we can – especially through our service as the Saturday Sunset Music Ministry.

In 2003, we were approached by the Parish Youth Council of St. Joseph’s Cathedral – then comprising of different Parish Youth Groups as members of it’s main coordinating body (such as KYCS, CHOICE, Altar Servers, Legion of Mary, Joyful Vanguard, St Vincent de Paul, Campus Ministry) – to host the 1st ever YOUTH LEADERS RALLY.

With not much experience under our belt, we still moved forward in faith, trusting GOD to provide us with the necessary wisdom and expertise to host this small, yet significant event, which eventually became the catalyst for greater faith events to come.

2004

After the YOUTH LEADERS RALLY of 2003, the team saw a strong stirring and hunger in the lives of the young people in our church. This strong call to “do something”, to ignite the faith of the youths in our parish, finally led to YOUTH GATHERINGs being hosted once a month; later every fortnightly after Saturday Sunset Mass in 2004.

As we met together to Worship and to seek GOD’s Holy Presence as a youth community, our faith and numbers grew. Before long, we couldn’t contain the fire of GOD’s Love we have come to experience in our lives. Naturally, we started giving it away by sharing this Good News with others – starting with the 1st ever KUCHING YOUTH DAY of 2004.

It was during a PRAISE MINISTRY’s LEADERS’ RETREAT in February 2004 that saw many of our early ministers catching GOD’s vision to gather all youths of Kuching City for a time of Worship, and growing in Faith. Thus our very 1st YOUTH E.R was born.

The event was appropriately named “E.R.”, following the acronyms for “Easter Rally” and “Emergency Room” because we saw a great urgency for faith revival in the lives of the youths of this city.

2005

With GOD moving ahead of us, we continued to trust in Him for providence and guidance. Finally in 2005, the team caught on GOD’s vision to move and setting ablaze the hearts and lives of youth all over the Archdiocese of Kuching.

Up until then, we only hosted small-scaled parish-based events. But what GOD was calling us for was to rise up and host an archdiocesan-scaled event – where youths from all over the Archdiocese would come together for Worship, learn from His Word and to grow in Christian Fellowship.

It was indeed a test of faith, as we “walked in faith, not by sight”, trusting Him throughout the planning, preparing and hosting of this event – which saw one of the 1st ever Catholic Outdoor Concert in Kuching.

By the end of that same year saw our very 1st Youth Camp: CAMP ONE WAY – an avenue for youths to grow further in faith in a fun, youth camp environment.

From the 2 major events of 2005 (ER & CAMP ONE WAY), many lives dedicated themselves to the Lord and came into Ministerial Service. This led to the establishment of the 7 main EMPOWERED Service Ministries: Music, Logistics & Technical, Hospitality, Intercessory, Dance & Drama, Massmedia, and Administration & Finance.

Today

Over the years, EMPOWERED Ministry has grown into a sizable community, co-hosting various unique faith events, catering for specific aged youth groups, which includes:

Weekly community Youth Gatherings & Youth Bible Study, now called EMPOWERED HANGOUT – every Friday, open to all.
CELL Ministry – avenue to further faith form committed ministers and servant leaders.
Easter Rally (ER) Experience – Catholic Conference & Concert Rally for all ages.
CAMP EMPOWERED (CE) – youth camp targeted toward senior High School youths (Form 3 & above).
EMPOWERED Weekend Away (EWA) – weekend retreat targeted for High School-leavers & College-University Students.
THE SEED – weekend retreat for junior High School youths (Form 1 & 2), co-partnering with the Catholic Teachers’ Guild.

Growth

And of recent, we also see this Ministry ministering outside our usual youth target groups:

Kids Conference – for young children & pre-schoolers
Women’s Conference – for all women
Men’s Conference – for all men
Power Partnership – Christian parenting session & support group.

Outreach

Aside from hosting events, this Ministry is actively and passionately sharing the Good News Message of GOD’s Love & Hope throughout – whether within Malaysia or abroad, through outreach and mission events such as:

International Conferences & Mission Trips overseas to Kerala (India), Brunei & The Philippines.
SERVE:LOVE and SHARE:CARE outreach programmes – ministering to the Urban Poor & marginalized of Kuching City.

Community Support

EMPOWERED Ministry has truly been blessed to carry out our many Ministerial works through the prayers, encouragement and support received from the following who continue to believe in the this Ministry’s Mission:

Archbishop, Priests & Religious
Parents
Dedicated Servant Leaders, Committed Youth Ministers and Passionate Youths in our community
Generous sponsors and benefactors

Thank you all for your gift of LOVE towards our Ministry, and the young people of our community in Malaysia.