Why do you want to do Youth Ministry?

"The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.'" -Matthew 28:16-20

Lectio Divina 1. What word or short phrase jumps out to you. 2 Lectio Divina 1. What word or short phrase jumps out to you? 2. Pray with that word and the phrases around it. Ask God why He is revealing this word to you. 3. Place yourself into the story. What is Jesus saying directly to you?

Youth Ministry as Missionary Territory 10% of American adults are now former Catholics 25% of Americans identify today as “none” (i.e., no religion) 39% of young adults (18-29) are “none” (more than 3x the rate of “none” seniors aged 65+) 79% of former Catholics leave the Church before age 23 50% of Millennials raised Catholic no longer identify as Catholic today Only 7% of Millennials raised Catholic still actively practice their faith today 90% of American “nones” who left religion did so before age 29 *Source: brandonvogt.com/new-stats-young-people-leave-church/

What is Youth Ministry? Why are young people leaving the Church? 90% of American “nones” who left religion did so before age 29

USCCB Document Renewing the Vision

3 Goals of "Renewing the Vision" Goal 1:To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. Goal 2: To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community. Goal 3: To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

8 Components of Comprehensive Youth Ministry Advocacy - Speaking and acting on behalf of youth to fully integrate them into the life of the Church Catechesis - Promoting faith development among youth Community Life - Promoting a welcoming and engaging atmosphere for youth within the parish community Evangelization - Bringing the Gospel message to youth in a way that is engaging and relatable Justice and Service - Promoting the dignity of the human person through opportunities of service Leadership Development - providing youth with Christian leadership roles in the youth and parish community Pastoral Care - Providing care, support, and resources to youth and families dealing with issues and struggles of any kind Prayer and Worship - Inviting youth into a deeper authentic relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer and the Sacraments

"Go, therefore, and make disciples" -Matthew 28:19

"God, in his greatness, uses a pedagogy to reveal himself to the human person: he uses human events and words to communicate his plan; he does so progressively and in stages, so as to draw even closer to man. God, in fact, operates in such a manner that man comes to knowledge of his salvific plan by means of the events of salvation history and the inspired words which accompany and explain them." - General Directory for Catechesis 38

Pre-Evangelization "The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,  'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' Jesus said to them in reply, 'Those who are healthy do not need a physician,but the sick do.'" -Luke 5:29-31 Inculturation Moment of "first evangelization" "Meeting them where they are at" Engaging a teenager at the most basic level through social activity and community Giving teens an opportunity for community

Evangelization and Catechesis "He began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at length  in parables" -Mark 4:1-2 Walking with a teenager transitioning from the initial experience of "church" to being an active part of the youth community or "youth group" and desiring to further understand the teachings of the Church Opening up the Gospel message in an engaging and dynamic way Giving teens an opportunity to dive deeper into faith and begin to seek a personal ecnounter with Jesus Christ

Prayer and Spirituality "So they said to him, '[So] how were your eyes opened?' He replied, 'The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went there and washed and was able to see'" -John 9:10-11 Providing teenagers an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ through experiences in prayer and the Sacraments Walking with teens as they develop a personal prayer life Helping teens make their Catholic faith "their own"

Discipleship "He said to them, 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed him." -Matthew 4:16-20 Presenting teenagers with the question, "Do you want to commit your life to Jesus Christ?" providing service opportunities to teenagers Giving teenagers the opportunity for leadership among other youth through witness and personal testimony Fully incorporating teenagers into the life of the parish through the opportunity to serve in ministry and leadership roles in the parish community

Comprehensive Youth Ministry is a Process Year 1 - Establishment Establishing a core team of adult volunteers Establishing a consistent program primarily through the first 2 steps of Discipleship Identifying a core group of teens who regularly participate in youth activities Identify 2 or more teenagers who may be near stage 4 of Discipleship Identifying a small group of parents who are committed and supportive of youth ministry efforts Year 2 - Growth Continue to build core team of adult volunteers Identify teens who may be moving into stage 3 of Discipleship and grow the current youth program by incorporating stage 3 events and programs Build upon current program by empowering teen disciples to evangelize peers in an effort bring more individuals into the youth program Empower key parents to evangelize and disciple other parents Year 3 - Establish and Comprehensive Youth Ministry Program Have a strong and diverse core team in place who can walk with teens through discipleship Be able to identify teens at every level of discipleship Provide events/programs within every stage of discipleship Identify parents and families in all stages of discipleship and empower the parent team to reach all of these stages Have teenagers involved in various ministries and leadership opportunities within the parish communtiy

Sample Vision Youth Ministry at (Insert Parish) is aimed at building disciples of Jesus Christ by accompanying young people in the following ways: Providing a safe and engaging community for youth to meet their social needs and give them an initial experience of evangelization Meeting the formation needs of youth by deepening their knowledge of the teachings of the Catholic Church Leading youth to an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit through prayer and the Sacraments Giving youth an opportunity to commit their lives as disciples of Jesus Christ