Feb. 20th 2009
VISION OF YOUTH MINISTRY
Summary of Bishops’ Document
Renewing the Vision
GOALS of YOUTH MINISTRY
Youth Ministry works to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus in our world today — TRANSFORMING
Youth Ministry works to draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community — BELONGING
Youth Ministry works to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person — BECOMING
Youth Ministry is….
TO YOUTH when the Christian Community exercises its pastoral role in meeting young people’s needs.
WITH YOUTH because young people share with adults a common responsibility to carry out the Church’s mission.
BY YOUTH when young people exercise their own ministry to others, particularly to their peers.
FOR YOUTH in that adult youth ministers attempt to interpret the needs of youth and act as advocates in articulating youth’s legitimate concerns to the wider community.
EIGHT COMPONENTS of YOUTH MINISTRY
CATECHESIS Promoting a young person’s growth in Christian faith through the kind of teaching and learning that emphasizes understanding, reflection, and transformation. This is accomplished through systematic, planned and intentional programs.
The ministry of catechesis with adolescents has several distinct features that give direction to catechetical programming. Specifically, catechesis with adolescents
• recognizes that faith development is lifelong and therefore provides developmentally appropriate content and processes around key themes of the Catholic faith that are responsive to the age-appropriate needs, interests, and concerns of young and older adolescents;
• teaches the core content of the Catholic faith as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church—the profession of faith, celebration of the Christian mystery, life in Christ, and Christian prayer—in order to provide a solid foundation for continued growth in faith;
• integrates knowledge of the Catholic faith with the development of practical skills for living the Catholic faith in today’s world;
• utilizes the life experience of adolescents, fostering a shared dialogue between the life of the adolescent—with its joys, struggles, questions, concerns, and hopes—and the wisdom of the Catholic faith;
• engages adolescents in the learning process by incorporating a variety of learning methods and activities through which adolescents can explore and learn important religious concepts of the Scriptures and Catholic faith. A variety of learning approaches keeps interest alive among adolescents and responds to their different learning styles;
• involves group participation in an environment that is characterized by warmth, trust, acceptance, and care, so that young people can hear and respond to God’s call (This fosters the freedom to search and question, to express one’s own point of view, and to respond in faith to that call.);
• provides for real-life application of learning by helping adolescents apply their learning to living more faithfully as Catholic adolescents—considering the next steps that they will take and the obstacles that they will face;
• promotes family faith development through parish and school programs by providing parent education programs and resources, by incorporating a family perspective in catechetical programming, and by providing parent-adolescent and intergenerational catechetical programming;
• recognizes and celebrates multicultural diversity by including stories, songs, dances, feasts, values, rituals, saints, and heroes from the rich heritage of various cultures;
• incorporates a variety of program approaches including parish and school programs; small-group programs; home-based programs, activities, and resources; one-on-one and mentoring programs; and independent or self-directed programs or activities;
• explicitly invites young people to explore the possibility of a personal call to ministry and the beauty of the total gift of self for the sake of the kingdom.
EVANGELIZATION Reaching out to young people who are uninvolved in the life of the faith community and inviting them into a relationship with Jesus and the Christian community; proclaiming the Good News of Jesus through programs and relationships that lead young people to discipleship.
The ministry of evangelization incorporates several essential elements: witness, outreach, proclamation, invitation, conversion, and discipleship.11 Evangelization with adolescents
• proclaims Jesus Christ and the Good News so that young people will come to see in Jesus and his message a response to their hungers and a way to live. Remember: “There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the Kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, are not proclaimed” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, no. 22);
• witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ in all aspects of our lives—offering ourselves and our community of faith as living models of the Christian faith in practice (Young people need to see that we are authentic and that our faith in Jesus guides our lives.);
• reaches out to young people by meeting them in their various life situations, building relationships, providing healing care and concern, offering a genuine response to their hungers and needs, and inviting them into a relationship with Jesus and the Christian community;
• invites young people personally into the life and mission of the Catholic community so that they may experience the support, nurture, and care necessary to live as Christians;
• calls young people to grow in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to make his message their own, and to join us in the continuing process of conversion to which the Gospel calls us;
challenges young people to follow Jesus in a life of discipleship—shaping their lives in the vision, values, and teachings of Jesus and living his mission in their daily lives through witness and service;
calls young people to be evangelizers of other young people, their families, and the community.
PRAYER AND WORSHIP Assisting young people in deepening their relationship with Jesus through the development of a personal prayer life; providing a variety of prayer and worship experiences with youth to deepen and celebrate their relationship with Jesus in a caring Christian community; involving young people in the sacramental life of the Church.
The ministry of prayer and worship with adolescents has several distinct dimensions that provide direction to comprehensive ministry efforts.13 Specifically, the ministry of prayer and worship
• promotes the authentic participation of youth in liturgy
• attends to the diversity of cultures and ages in the assembly
• provides opportunities for creative prayer with adolescents in peer, family, and intergenerational settings.);
• promotes effective preaching of the word (;
• allows music and song to express the vitality of young people Music is a significant part of personal expression for young people and that desire carries over to their participation in liturgy.
• prepares the symbols and ritual actions with particular care for their visual dimensions (Today’s young people have been educated through multimedia. Their visual sense is one of their primary ways of learning and responding to the environment.
• develops the interpersonal and communal dimensions of the liturgy.
• provides adolescents with effective and intentional catechesis for liturgy, worship, and sacraments (Young people are catechized by their participation in the liturgy; therefore, care must be taken to ensure that their experiences lead them to greater faith..);
• prepares adolescents in liturgical ministries (Ministry with adolescents can advocate for youth involvement in liturgical ministries and connect young people with established liturgical ministers for training and experience of actually performing liturgical ministry.).
COMMUNITY LIFE Building Christian community with youth through programs and relationships which promote openness, trust, valuing the person, cooperation, honesty, taking responsibility, and willingness to serve; creating a climate where young people can grow and share their struggles, questions, and joys with other youth and adults; helping young people feel like a valued part of the church.
The ministry of community life with adolescents has several distinct features that give direction to community life programming. Specifically, community building with adolescents
• creates an environment characterized by gospel values that nurtures meaningful relationships among young people and between adolescents and adults;
• develops the friendship-making and friendship-maintaining skills of young people grounded in Christian values;
• enriches family relationships through programs, activities, and resources to improve skills such as family communication, decision making, and faith sharing;
• provides opportunities for multicultural community building that promote respect for young people’s racial and ethnic cultures and develop skills for communication and understanding;
• engages adolescents in the life, activities, and ministries of the parish in meaningful and age-appropriate ways;
• provides avenues for adolescents to participate as members of the faith community and opportunities for the faith community to acknowledge, celebrate, and value its adolescent members;
• guides adolescents in developing
• a healthy perspective of the joys and pains of relationships
• skills that promote positive and healthy interaction
• an attitude of welcoming and acceptance
• an understanding of Jesus’ call to “love your neighbor as yourself”
• an appreciation for both the uniqueness of individuals and the support of a community united through faith
• an awareness of the importance of their role as members of the community.
JUSTICE AND SERVICE Guiding young people in developing a Christian social consciousness and a commitment to a life of justice and peace through educational programs and service/action involvement; infusing the concepts of justice and service into all youth ministry relationships and programs.
The ministry of justice and service with adolescents has several distinct features that give direction to programming and action. Specifically, justice and service with adolescents
• engages young people in discovering the call to justice and service in the Scriptures, in the life of Jesus, and in Catholic social teaching;
• involves adolescents, their families, and parish communities in actions of direct service to those in need and in efforts to address the causes of injustice and inequity;
• develops the assets, skills, and faith of young people by promoting gospel values in their lifestyles and choices; by increasing positive self-esteem, self-confidence, and moral reasoning abilities; by building leadership and social skills; by helping them discover their personal gifts and abilities; by helping them learn that they can make a difference in the world and receive recognition by the community for their contributions;
• incorporates doing the right thing with attention to why and how we do what we do (Four elements guide adolescents in moving from awareness to action on issues of justice. Involvement helps adolescents connect with justice issues personally and experientially. Exploration helps adolescents understand the causes, connections, and consequences of justice issues—expanding their knowledge and moving them toward action with a stronger background and motivation to work for real change when faced with injustice. Reflection helps adolescents utilize the Scriptures, Catholic social teachings, and the lived faith of the church community to discern a faith response to justice issues. Action helps adolescents respond to injustice through direct service or actions of social change—locally or globally, short term or long term.
• involves a supportive community that builds a sense of togetherness, nurtures a life of justice and service, works together to serve and act for justice, and provides support and affirmation;
• nurtures a lifelong commitment to service and justice involvement (This includes providing opportunities, support, and follow-up to help the young people reflect on their experience. People who learn to serve when they are young are more likely to be service oriented throughout their lives.).
GUIDANCE/PASTORAL CARE Developing life skills (self-esteem, assertiveness skills, decision-making skills, friend making skills, communication skills, planning skills); providing youth with sources of support and counsel as they face personal problems and pressures and make important life decisions, such as careers; providing appropriate support and guidance for youth during times of stress and crisis; developing a better understanding of their parents and learning how to communicate with them.
The ministry of pastoral care with adolescents has several distinct features that provide direction to comprehensive ministry efforts. Specifically, pastoral care
• develops the life skills of adolescents, such as relationship building, assertivenesss, nonviolent conflict resolution, decision making, and planning;
• guides young people in making important life decisions, such as career and college choices, and discerning their particular Christian vocation;
• fosters the spiritual development of young people and the healthy integration of their sexuality and spirituality;
• creates networks of care and support for young people and their families;
• provides programs and resources for parent education and skills for effective parenting that incorporate understandings of adolescent development and family life cycle tasks;
• strengthens family life by assisting families to improve family skills, such as communication, decision making, problem solving, and reconciliation;
• provides and connects adolescents and families to support services, referral resources, and self-help groups to promote healing during times of loss, sudden change, unexpected crises, problems, and family or personal transitions;
• provides support and enrichment for adolescents and parents experiencing divorce, separation, or family problems; and connects them to appropriate counseling resources;
• collaborates with the wider community in providing direct aid to youth-at-risk in the form of programs, services, and counseling.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Developing, supporting fostering and encouraging the leadership abilities and personal gifts of youth and adults in youth ministry, empowering youth for ministry with their peers; developing a leadership team to organize and coordinate the ministry with youth; developing program leaders for ministry with youth.
The ministry of leadership development has several important elements that provide direction. Specifically, leadership development
• utilizes adult and adolescent leaders in a variety of leadership roles necessary for comprehensive ministry (
• develops a leadership system that invites, trains, supports, and nourishes adult and adolescent leaders and provides for the coordination of leaders throughout a comprehensive ministry;
• develops and nurtures adult leaders of lively faith and maturity with solid theological understandings, relational and ministry skills, and organizational ability appropriate to their particular role in ministry with adolescents;
• empowers all young people for leadership and ministry with their peers—in schools, parishes, and civic communities—by affirming their gifts, equipping them with skills for leadership and ministry, and by placing them in leadership roles or giving them leadership opportunities where they can make a contribution.
ADVOCACY Discerning and Understanding the needs of youth: personal, family and social especially in the areas of injustices toward youth and acting with or on behalf of youth for a change in the systems which create injustice; giving young people a voice and empowering them to address the social problems that they face.
The ministry of advocacy includes
• affirming and protecting the sanctity of human life as a gift from God and building societal respect for those who most need protection and support—the unborn, the poor, the disadvantaged, the sick, and the elderly;
• standing with and speaking on behalf of young people and their families on public issues that affect their lives, such as support for education, quality housing, employment opportunities, access to health care, safe neighborhoods, and availability of meaningful community activities and services (We can help lift up the moral and human dimensions of public issues, calling the faith community to informed participation in the political process. We need to find ways to influence the political arena without being partisan: joining legislative networks, community organizations, and other advocacy groups. In election years, we can sponsor educational programs and forums to involve and inform others. Adolescents cannot be heard in the clamor of political and community debate and thus need strong champions for their interests.);
• empowering young people by giving them a voice and calling them to responsibility and accountability around the issues that affect them and their future (This involves education, leadership training, skills building, and organization to mobilize young people for action.);
• developing partnerships and initiatives with leaders and concerned citizens from all sectors of the community to develop a shared vision and practical strategies for building a healthy community. These partnerships also create opportunities for community-wide initiatives to address critical issues affecting adolescents and their families.
Adapted from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Document
Renewing the Vision, USCCB, 1997
