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A Practical Vision of Youth
Ministry
The definition of youth ministry
offered by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Renewing
the Vision, is formed by our love for, and our commitment to
youth: “Youth ministry is the response of the Christian community
to the needs of young people and the sharing of the unique gifts
of youth with the larger community” (RTV 1). This vision is most
importantly an affirmation of the faith, gifts, energy, and fresh
ideas of young people. It is a Christ-centered vision. It is a
call to empower young people for the mission they have been given
by Jesus.
The Bishops remind us to see within youth the incredible potential
and capacities they have, and to respond to their present and very
real needs. Youth ministry doesn’t exist because youth are
particularly troubled or needy. Youth are growing in ways intended
by God. They are encountering the joys and challenges of life as
adolescents in our time. In the midst of their “growing pains”
they have wonderful gifts to offer. We minister to youth because
we are church and we follow the example of Jesus: we respond to
needs and empower youth to use and share their gifts.
There are three goals, which serve as direction for ministry with
youth:
- To empower young people to
live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. We know
that young people are seeking. They look for a way to contribute
something of importance, they look for a cause to belong to. As
church, we offer our young people the challenge of life as a
disciple of Jesus Christ.
- To draw young people to
responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the
Catholic faith community. We know that a young person’s most
fundamental need is to belong, to be accepted. They want to feel
connected to people with whom they feel safe. As church, we
offer young people community. Not as a guest, but as an integral
part of the whole.
- To foster the total personal
and spiritual growth of each young person. We know that young
people are growing. They are experiencing dramatic physical,
social, intellectual, and spiritual changes. As the body of
Christ we offer youth a safe place to grow. We offer experiences
and opportunities for youth to grow in positive ways, to learn
about their faith, and to use their gifts.
The eight components of
comprehensive youth ministry describe specific areas of the
mission of the Church that work together to provide this ministry.
They are:
Advocacy - the ministry of
advocacy engages the Church to examine its priorities and
practices to determine how well young people are integrated into
the life, mission, and work of the community;
Catechesis - the ministry of catechesis fosters growth in
the Catholic faith in three dimensions – trusting (heart),
believing (mind), and doing (will);
Community life - this ministry builds an environment of
love, support, appreciation for diversity and acceptance, which
models Catholic principles; develops meaningful relationships; and
nurtures Catholic faith;
Evangelization - drawing from Jesus’ example,
evangelization involves the community’s living witness that the
reign of God has become realized in and through Jesus. The
starting point is our recognition of the presence of God already
in young people, their experiences, their families, and their
culture;
Justice and service - here a social consciousness and a
commitment to a life of justice and service is nurtured in young
people, and the concepts of justice, peace and human dignity are
infused into all ministry efforts;
Leadership development - this ministry calls forth,
affirms, and empowers the diverse talents, gifts and abilities of
adults and young people in our faith community for comprehensive
youth ministry;
Pastoral care - this is most fundamentally a ministry of
relationship – one of compassionate presence, which nurtures
growth toward wholeness;
Prayer and worship - this ministry celebrates and deepens
the young person’s relationship with Jesus and awakens their
awareness of the spirit at work in their lives.
These components provide a framework for the Catholic community to
respond to the needs of young people and to involve young people
in sharing their unique gifts with the larger community (RTV).
Ministry with youth is a journey, not a destination. Youth today
face many challenges as they grow to adulthood. Comprehensive
Youth ministry has been a reality long enough that its efforts
have been proven to be effective. I would like to challenge the
community of St. Clement’s to join in the effort to help young
people grow as disciples. All of us can contribute to this effort,
as individuals, as families, as community organizations, as
service groups and as a parish community – because together, we
are church!
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