 Photo Credit: James Tissot [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons As the starting point for youth ministry since 1997, Renewing the Vision (RTV) was studied by many youth ministers as a part of their training & formation. It only makes sense, then, that the recent document entitled You Give them Something to Eat (YGSE) written by Canadian youth ministers and published by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops would have similar core elements. The three goals and eight elements for youth ministry are all present in this document, but have been joined by a one more goal and one more element for youth ministry in a twenty first century Canadian context.
The first part of this summary on YGSE looked at the context in which we do youth ministry; this second part will look primarily at the four goals and nine elements as they are presented in YGSE. Goals for Effective Youth Ministry Renewing the Vision spoke of three goals for youth ministry; empowering young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ; drawing young people into the life, mission, and work of the Catholic community, and to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person. YGSE has built upon these three goals but has taken them a step further. Goal #1: Effective youth ministry calls the Catholic faith community to continually renew its affective and effective option for young people. While the other three goals are either adapted or taken directly from RTV, this one is brand new, and prefaces the others. The authors of YGSE are asking the Church in Canada to “renew its option for young people” (YGSE, 12) – in other words, to do youth ministry on purpose – embracing the fact that those who do ministry may be changed as much as the young people they will serve. Goal #2: Effective youth ministry fosters the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person. Those who engage in youth take a vested interest in the well-being of young people. This interest is certainly spiritual – showing care for the souls of young people – but it also involves their minds, intellects, physical development, moral development, emotional health, andmental health. YGSE states that “Well-balanced youth ministry promotes and actively works to provide for the growth of healthy, competent, caring, and faith-filled Catholic Christian young people” (YGSE, 13) in hopes that these will grow into adulthood with the same qualities. Goal #3: Effective youth ministry youth ministry invites and empowers young people to live as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. The explanation of this third goal is perhaps the most beautiful part of the document: “Youth ministry sets out consciously to facilitate moments of encounter between young people and the God who loves them, Jesus Christ who redeems them, and the Spirit who sustains them” (YGSE, 14). Young people are not simply consumers to be served, but they too have a part to play in the mission of the Church. Once young people have had these moments of encounter, the task of youth ministry is to help them understand what it means to be a disciple sent on a mission – exploring their gifts and weaknesses, and ultimately discovering their God-given vocation. Goal #4: Effective youth ministry draws young people to participate responsibly in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community. The Christian call begins with Baptism and is renewed at every Sunday Mass – so each young person has a share in the Church’s mission to bring the Gospel to the world. In youth ministry, this is perhaps best seen in the context of an apprenticeship, where youth are “drawn ever more deeply into the life, prayer, service, and ways of the Catholic Christian community” (YGSE, 15). Just as experienced tradesperson takes on an apprentice with the intention of showing, sharing, and ultimately entrusting the work to his or her apprentice, those who minister in the Church are invited to do the same. In this way young Catholics are invited to “explore and try out possibilities for how they might use their God-given gifts and talents, skills and abilities” (YGSE, 16) – first, under the guidance of a mentor, and ultimately as equal coworkers in the vineyard of the Lord. Elements of a Vision for Youth Ministry Under the direction of RTV, comprehensive youth ministry has often tried to build itself on eight elements (or ministries):
While each one of these could receive an article-length explanation, what is notable is that in YGSE, they have been joined by a ninth element of youth ministry: intentional relationships. YGSE states that “most people will encounter Jesus Christ in and through his people” (YGSE, 20) – something that has been the case from the very beginning. Jesus called His followers by name, and you might argue that the twelve who were most profoundly impacted by His ministry because they had the opportunity to live in intentional relationship with Him. In the words of Clayton Imoo (director of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Vancouver) “youth won’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This section ends with a call to action: “At this moment in our history, there is a great need for a refocusing, a recommitment, a revitalization, and a renewal of the efforts of the Church in Canada for ministry with, by, for, and among young people” (YGSE, 30). This call is followed by twelve action points spread out over eight pages which could easily serve as an introduction to youth ministry for the parish who has never done this before or as an evaluation tool for the parish who want to strengthen their ministry. The last section of the document is a series of appendices, practical ingredients that a parish might use in establishing a vision for youth ministry, or assisting those who accept the call to work in this field. These appendices include themes that can be found in a well-balanced vision of youth ministry, a sample vision for youth ministry, sample job descriptions for the parish and diocese, and other evaluation tools for youth ministry. Having spent the last eighteen years of my life serving in youth ministry, I am pleased that the staff from CCYMS took the time to put this document together. In the introduction they state that YGSE “offers assistance for a future in which each parish, arch/diocese, and community of faith has a vibrant outreach to and with young people” (vi). Given the many hungers of young people today, may we as a Church bring our loaves and fish to Christ so that together, we can all give them something to eat. Relevant links:
Mike Landry is a father, husband, geek, speaker, musician, and most days, he serves as Chaplain to Evergreen Catholic Schools west of Edmonton. Read more of his writing at www.thirdplaceproject.com.  If you’ve been involved in Catholic youth ministry for any length of time, you’ve likely heard of the USCCB document Renewing the Vision (RTV) which, for nearly twenty years, has laid out goals and strategies for ‘comprehensive’ youth ministry across North America. This document has been particularly helpful since some of us start in youth ministry with very little formal training and job description that can be as simple as ‘do something for young people.’ This is why youth ministry groups like Canadian Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies, LIFE TEEN (where I received my certificate), and others all made RTV foundational to their training programs.
RTV was first published in 1997 – as a follow up to a similar document written two decades earlier – and was meant to respond to some of the new challenges faced by young people in the late nineties. Recently, a group of Canadian youth ministers published a new document through the Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops. You Give them Something to Eat (YGSE) builds upon the foundation of RTV while also updating the goals and elements of youth ministry to the challenges faced by Canadian youth aged 10-19 today. It was written by a group of faculty from the Canadian Certificate program mentioned above to offer "a vision for ministry to, with, and by maturing missionary disciples" (YGSE, vi). While at seventy pages it may seem like a substantial read for a busy youth minister/coordinator, it's laid out like a textbook: a significant portion is made up of reflection questions & blank space for journalling. The title, You Give them Something to Eat, was taken from Luke 9:12-17, where Jesus famously feeds five thousand people. After a day of teaching, the twelve apostles told Jesus that the crowd needed to be dismissed to find food, and Jesus told them to “give them something to eat” (Luke 9:13). From there meager offering – five loaves and two fish, Jesus fed the crowd with a full basket of leftovers for each of the twelve. In asking them to provide for the needs of the crowd, Jesus invited his disciples “to become his partners in ministry, feeding and attending to the needs of the many people who had gathered” (YGSE, v). There is no question that today, we stand facing a multitude of hungry young people, and that both the Church and those who answer the call to serve in youth ministry – to become the Lord’s partners - have something to offer them. Practically speaking, YGSE consists of three main parts: first, six contexts (or settings) where youth ministry takes place today; second, four goals that should be kept in mind to build an effective youth ministry; and third, nine elements we need to be mindful of to build an effective youth ministry. In the first of two articles on this document, we’ll look at that first part – six settings or contexts where youth ministry takes place. Today’s youth face many challenges. These include a changing sense of hope for the future; frustration when they can’t meet quickly reach the standard of living their parents achieved after years of labor; issues with mental health, sexuality, and sexual identity; and a desire to find life-giving role models and authentic witnesses while they apprentice in the Christian life. YGSE writes that: “In adolescence, it can seem as if everything is changing within and around the young person. Life can begin to seem very complicated: there are choices to be made, confusion can replace certainty, loneliness and alienation can begin to creep in, and young people begin to test their values as they seek a way and a place to belong.” (YGSE, 2) It is in response to these challenges that ministry begins in and among young people. Wherever they may be, the Church is invited to go to them in a missionary key and make them apprentices in the Christian life. Ministry to youth takes place in other settings as well. The Church recognizes the importance of the family as a domestic Church and the parents as primary educators of their children. But, like youth, families in the twenty-first century also face many challenges: busyness, poverty, violence, addictions – not to mention that even the best of parents can struggle to pass on their faith. All of these situations conspire to leave young people without a strong foundation of faith in the home, and youth ministry needs to be sensitive to these complex realities. Schools are a uniquely privileged place for youth ministry as well. In particular, Catholic schools “partner with parents and parishes to become full and active missionary disciples of Jesus Christ” (YGSE, 6). They do so by religious education classes, spiritual formation, pastoral care, service projects, retreats, prayer experiences, peer ministry, and vocational discernment. This grows on into university years, where campus ministry programs help engage the enthusiasm of young adults to serve others and share their faith. The Parish community is another place that youth ministry takes place. Our parishes ought to be youth-friendly, a space where young people are accepted, welcomed, challenged to grow in their faith, and invited to serve alongside the adults in the community. YGSE writes that “young people want Church teaching presented in a way that is applicable to their lives” along with “depth of content, and opportunities to learn, explore, discuss, live, and take on for themselves the tenets of Catholic faith” (7). A unique context for ministry today is social media and technology. Never before in human history have young people had the sort of access they do to information, technology, and one another as they do today. This brings with it many benefits such as immediate access to information, and many challenges including cyber bullying and unlimited access to pornography. YGSE points out that “despite the connective potential and power of social media and other technologies, many young people seem to be more socially alienated and lonely than ever before” (8). Those who engage in youth ministry need to walk with young people as they navigate these technologies – and assist them in bringing the Gospel into these new mission fields. Finally, youth ministry takes place in the wider community of twenty-first century society. This community has grown skeptical of both the message of our faith and the messenger. While the reasons for this skepticism are varied – concerns with the way the Church has dealt with scandal to problem of evil in the world today – the response has not changed. The Church has always asked to “proclaim the Good News with authenticity, fidelity, joy, and relevance” (YGSE, 10) – proclaiming the same Jesus Christ the apostles first shared twenty centuries ago. YGSE concludes this section by summarizing what it means to answer Jesus’ command to ‘give them something to eat’ – by engaging a twofold task (10):
Coming in You Give them Something to Eat part 2: The Goals & Elements of Youth Ministry. Mike Landry is a father, husband, geek, speaker, musician, and most days, he serves as Chaplain to Evergreen Catholic Schools west of Edmonton. Read more of his writing at www.thirdplaceproject.com. 
Here is a list of 5 things that I forget on a regular basis.
I am sharing them with you in case you are ever in the same boat. I am Loved.... UNCONDITIONALLY
No matter who I am, what I do, or where I am on my journey, I am unconditionally loved by God. Remember the story of the Prodigal Son? I have to remember that God the Father will always welcome me back - no matter where I've been. I also have to remember that this is not a license to sin. However, it's nice to know that if I fall back, He will be there to catch me.
I am free to be me! It's who I was created to be!
I tend to compare myself to others. I also tend to worry about what people think of me or if what I am doing is living up to other people's image of me. I have to regularly remind myself that it is OK to be me! I was created this way. The gifts I have been given were given to me with purpose and intention by God. It is perfectly ok for me to use them.
I don't need to be so hard on myself.
If I fail, it's OK! The most important thing is what I learn from it. If I make a mistake in my career, my relationships, or education, I can't spend the rest of my life stewing about what I should have or could have done. Failure and struggle promotes growth. Many successful individuals have failed way more than they've succeeded. It is not my job to sit there and obsess about what I should have done. I need to be thinking about what I am learning and where I need to go.
I am the cause of a lot of my stress.
Most of my stress is because of my procrastination. Sometimes I put off my to-do list until the very end. I like to call it being "motivated by deadlines". However, this isn't necessarily the best thing for my mental health. Schedules and lists intimidate me, but they end up doing me more good than harm. I have to remember to embrace my organizational side and bust out the label maker and bright neon tabs.
I was chosen - John 15:16
When I am stressed, burned out, and questioning my purpose, I always have to return to this verse:
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. John 15:16 Never forget who you are and why you are doing what you are doing. You were chosen! Your life has a purpose!
Lance Rosen
 Photo Credit: Horia Varian on Flickr (Creative Commons) In my mind, Exodus 3 presents to us one of the most dramatic scenes in the Old Testament. The shepherd Moses, living in exile from Egypt - an alien to both his native people and the family who raised him - encounters a bush that is burning "yet not consumed" (Exodus 3:2). From the bush, God calls out to him:
"Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” -Exodus 3:5 When we set a person, a place, or a thing apart as being "holy," we treat it differently. You don't treat a Church like a coffee shop - and the Bible isn't just another book on a bookshelf. Like most cradle Catholics, I've been raised to have respect for these holy things - learning to genuflect, bow, silence my phone, and take off my hat in all the right places. But since becoming a youth minister/chaplain, I've come to recognize another sacred space; the stories shared with me by those whom I serve. Everyone has a story to tell: messy stories, difficult stories, painful stories. People may regard their stories as trivial because they aren't as dramatic as someone else's story... other people hide their stories out of fear or shame. Being a youth minister has put me in a privileged place to hear these stories - and I've heard many different ones over these past years. Some of these have been stories of angst, some of heartbreak, some of incredible pain and loneliness. I've found myself on more than one occasion to be in the right place when someone's story comes to me as a call for help - looking for assistance to get through a past trauma or current difficulties. When I think back on my own story, I am so grateful for the youth minister who had time to listen to me - and who walked with me through some of the more difficult chapters. It's a big part of why I'm a youth minister today - the hope of being able to help someone else make sense of their story. Others have strengthened my faith, as people have shared the way that God has been working in them. We call a lot of these stories "testimonies" - as people talk of the way in which God gets beyond their traumas or failures. There's a final group of stories that leave me humbled: when someone shares with me that I've had a positive impact on who they've become today. If you're a young person with a story to tell, I pray you find someone who hears it and regards it with the reverence it deserves. Particularly if you're working through a particularly difficult chapter of your story - maybe even something you've never shared before. Know that we who work in youth ministry - some of whom contribute to this site - consider it a particularly amazing privilege to share in these stories. We treasure the opportunity to laugh with you and cry with you - sometimes both in the same conversation. Your struggles are not trivial to us - they are sacred, and they make us want to "remove our sandals" - as we stand with you in this holy ground. Mike Landry |
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