[ Goals | Dimensions | Opportunities ]
[ Goals | Dimensions | Opportunities
]
Youth ministry is the response of the Christian community to the needs of young people, and the sharing of the unique gifts of youth witht the larger community.
Youth ministry is TO youth when the Christian community exercises its pastoral role
in meeting young people's needs. Ministry to youth draws on the resources
and gifts of the adult community to provide opportunities for growth that
young people need but cannot always attain on their own. Some ways in which
the ministry to youth is currently being out include guidance counseling,
catechetical progams, organized sports activities, leadership training and
job placement for disadvantaged youth, parish youth centers, family life
programs, camping opportunities, Catholic schools, etc.
Youth ministry is WITH youth because young people share with adults a common responsibility to carry out the Church's mission. When youth have the opportunity to exercise this responsibility jointly with adults, recognition is given to the particular gifts and insights which these young people bring to their family, parish, or neighborhood.Ministry with youth occurs when they participate as members of parish councils, serve as catechists, lectors, and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, and share with adults a responisbility for retreats, community service, or action for justice.
Youth ministry is BY youth when young people exercise their own ministry to others, particularly to their peers. The operation of peer counseling programs for drug abuste and their problems, tutoring, and many forms of community service are all parts of ministry by youth. Youth also minister to others when they serve as team members for youth retreats, teachers in catechetical programs, and leaders of youth activities.
Youth ministry is 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. The adult involved in youth ministry has special access to teh views of youthm, and ordinarily has a degree of credibility, influence, and resources unavailable to young people. This places a responsibility on the adult to speak for youth and to sensitize and motivate other adults where youth needs are concerned. Ministers for youth might alert parish or diocesan councils to a desire for youth liturgies, work with community leaders to resolve gang problems, or help parents and children to work out misunderstandings and communication difficulties. The great diversity in youth ministry is reflected in the above examples and owes its existence to the importance of each distinct dimension of the ministry to, with, by and for youth.