of Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry involves everyone in the parish community, it is a mission that adults with children and those without children should be passionate about, for it is the youth of our parish who are the future of our Church.
St. Columban provides ministry to youth of all ages; we have preschool classes on Sunday, liturgy of the word for children, ERE, religious education in the school, junior high CORE and SMILE for high school students, yet none of these are possible without the help of trained adults to educate the youth about their faith, listen to them and love them for who they are.
It is important that every member of the church discern their gifts and talents to see where it is that they are called to be stewards. If you are interested in preparing retreats for junior high and/or high school students, leading prayer and small groups, planning and participating in activities, and/or spending a week on a mission trip, please contact Leslie Caulfield for more information.
Youth Ministry is: Advocacy, Catechesis, Building Community, Evangelization, Justice and Service, Leadership Development, Pastoral Care, and Prayer and Worship.* What does that mean you ask? Well, Youth Ministry is divided up into eight categories (listed above) each category or component is a piece of the ministry pie, when all eight pieces are present, you have what is called "Comprehensive Youth Ministry". That's great you say, but what exactly are those eight pieces?
Advocacy is promoting youth issues, both within
and outside of the parish. It involves regular communication to youth and
the parish about youth ministry needs, perspectives, and events.
This includes advocating for a greater youth role in parish life as well as
standing up for young people in the civic community. For example: youth
representation on parish council, teams and commissions; youth newsletters;
bulletin board with photos of young people and activities etc.
Catechesis provides opportunities for growth
in faith, exploration of issues of church and church teaching, morality,
scripture, sacraments, etc. Ex: opportunities for mini-courses, youth forums,
speaker programs, retreats, religious education classes, diocesan and national
conferences.
Building Community
involves young people in activities for the broader community life of the faith
community; involvement in ministries, service projects, socials gatherings,
trips, retreats, parties, gathering with other parishes, seasonal celebrations,
athletics etc.
Evangelization includes efforts designed
to reach out to young people on their terms and turf, to proclaim the Good News
and to welcome them into our family of faith. Which means being available
for them, attending their sporting events, providing special speaker programs,
retreats, hospitality events etc.
Justice and Service
provides an opportunity to reach out to those in need, both within and outside
the parish. It also includes raising the consciousness about social justice
issues and our church’s response to issues like poverty, racism, violence, and
abuse. Providing opportunities for involvement in the current Outreach
programs, soup kitchens, rehabbing houses, St. Vincent de Paul, parish festival,
mission trips, and urban plunges are all ways to become aware of the importance
of social justice in our society.
Leadership Development
helps youth and adults discern and develop their talents and gifts, by training
teens and adults in peer ministry skills and leadership skills. It includes
opportunities for involvement in shared leadership of youth ministry as well as
leadership in the broader parish community. Ex: parish ministry and leadership
development programs, team building activities (ropes course); planning teams;
training programs (like TCL); recruiting more adult and youth leaders; team
building retreats; skill-building sessions, etc.
Pastoral Care provides opportunities for
teens to deal with personal and relational issues such as self-esteem, dating,
sexuality, decision-making, and family tensions- through special speaker
programs, one-to-one and group conversations, family support programs,
parent-teen communication workshops and peer-ministry.
Prayer and Worship help youth
develop a personal relationship with God through personal prayer, group prayer
and parish worship—through retreats, prayer services, Eucharist, personal
meditation, youth choir, and mentoring/spiritual direction. Youth should
be active in music ministry; worship commission; liturgical ministries; special
worship services; seasonal prayer services; and roles in Sunday worship to help
foster their relationship with God.
All of these eight components are vital to the success of youth ministry in a parish and can only be achieved when everyone participates!
The why is easy- to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. To encourage young people to be responsible participants in the life, mission and work of the faith community as well as to foster the personal and spiritual growth of each and every young person.* Once these three goals are accomplished, the Church can rest assured that they are in good hands.
*The eight components and the three goals are based on the teachings from Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry which was approved by the U.S. Bishops in June, 1997. It replaces A Vision of Youth Ministry (USCC, 1976) as the principal directional document for Catholic youth ministry in the United States.)