by Jeff Schinstock, director of youth and young adult ministry
It seems good to me, in any field of work, to know what it is you are trying to accomplish. This helps keep work focused. And knowing what we are about, staying focused on the task at hand, is especially important in the vineyard of the Lord.
There are many parts to the work of Christ, and as members of his body we are all called to participate. Each of us has been given particular gifts and desires from God, in areas he wants us to focus.
That thought recently prompted me to remember that I, too, need to ask the Lord what the work I have been given is really all about. Youth ministry is in many ways unique, but it also flows from the mission and reality of the entire Church.
In 1976 the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published a document called “A vision of Youth Ministry.”
The guiding thesis of the document was that “Youth ministry is the response of the Christian community to the needs of young people, and the sharing of the unique gifts of youth with the larger community.”
I like that idea, as a place to begin. The Church, after all, is the Kingdom of God on earth. A king and his stewards provide for the needs of the people.
The first needs of young people are to be known, to be heard, and to be loved. Those are no small tasks. But all of us can relate to the wish to be understood. For many this remains our deepest need for the whole of life. I know I can relate.
In my young formative years, particularly in high school, the desire for someone to understand me was constant.
The bishops’ document, wisely, didn’t stop at addressing the needs of young people. It also pointed out the need for them to play a part in the mission of the Church. I have long been bothered when I hear that the young are “the future of the Church.” It diminishes the reality that they play a vital role in the present of the Church, the right now, from their baptism and particularly after their confirmation.
In 1997 the USCCB put out a new document: “Renewing the Vision.” It offered three concrete goals for youth ministry. Each of the goals flows directly from the heart of the Church.
The first goal is “to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.”
To be honest, if this goal is achieved and fully lived out in your life, congratulations! You have lived the ideal Christian life. For that goal we were made. Following Jesus where he calls us is the pathway to real happiness. Many fear following Jesus because we fear he might take us away from what we want. But that desire we feel to be understood is a desire for Christ himself. He understands us fully, he made us! He knows our truest gifts and our deepest desires.
An important part of youth ministry is a genuine attempt to empower young people to let go and experience freedom in Christ. If you have never experienced this, it is never too late. Remember he tells us “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20).
The second goal is “to draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic community.” This is the way people are wired. If we belong to something we want it to be an authentic membership. Nobody likes being on a committee that takes time and effort and yet they have no real role to play. It makes us not only not want to participate, we don’t even want to belong.
The life of the Church is abundant and overflowing, and we need to do our best to make that true at the most local level.
The ordinary life of the Church happens at your parish: it is your home and it is the Christian home of our young people, too. They need to know broadly the thoughts of a parish council or finance committee. They need to be stewards of their home. They need to be missionaries of the Gospel, which provides light and hope into every corner.
The third goal is “to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.” I think this is really about trust.
In 20 years of working with young people, I’ve learned that trust is the most important five-letter word in their worlds. All of us have experienced rejection or disappointment. All of us have known the hurt that comes from harsh words. Young people have also experienced that. So trust is key to their spiritual growth. They have to believe that we adults pray.
It took me a long time to really pray. I would say the words that a relationship with Jesus was important, but in my life I wasn’t spending the time in conversation with Him that a relationship requires. If you are finding that the young people in your circle are struggling with a life of faith, ask yourself the difficult question of whether you are really praying. How can we foster in others that which we don’t have ourselves?
Finally, I want to encourage you to consider doing ministry with young people wherever God has called you to be through whatever gifts that God has given you. Trust also that you can give them enough credit to be a real part of it. As Pope Benedict XVI told us in the foreword to the YOUCAT, “Many people say to me: ‘The youth of today are not interested in this.’ I disagree, and I am certain that I am right. The youth of today are not as superficial as some think. They want to know what life is really all about.”
