Ministry with Adolescents
Ministry with adolescents utilizes each of the Church’s ministries—advocacy, catechesis, community life, evangelization, justice and service, leadership development, pastoral care, prayer and worship—in an integrated approach to achieve the three goals for ministry. These components provide a framework for the Catholic community to respond to the needs of young people and to involve young people in sharing their unique gifts with the larger community. Each ministry component supports and enhances the others.
The Ministry of Advocacy
The ministry of advocacy engages the Church to examine its priorities and practices to determine how well young people are integrated into the life, mission, and work of the Catholic community. It places adolescents and families first by analyzing every policy and program—domestic, parish-based, diocesan, and international—for its impact on adolescents and families.
The Ministry of Catechesis
The ministry of catechesis helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increase their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith. Genuine faith is a total response of the whole person—mind, heart, and will. The ministry of catechesis fosters growth in Catholic faith in all three dimensions—trusting (heart), knowing and believing (mind), and doing (will).
The Ministry of Community Life
The ministry of community life builds an environment of love, support, appreciation for diversity, and judicious acceptance that models Catholic principles; develops meaningful relationships; and nurtures Catholic faith. The ministry of community life is not only what we do (activity), but also who we are (identity) and how we interact (relationships).
The Ministry of Evangelization
The ministry of evangelization shares the good news of the reign of God and invites young people to hear about the Word Made Flesh. Drawing from Jesus’ example, evangelization involves the community’s pronouncement and living witness that the reign of God has become realized in and through Jesus. All of the relationships, ministry components, and programs of comprehensive ministry must proclaim the Good News.
The Ministry of Justice and Service
The ministry of justice and service nurtures in young people a social consciousness and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in their faith in Jesus Christ, the Scriptures, and in Catholic social teaching; empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts to address the causes of human suffering; and infuses the concepts of justice, peace, and human dignity into all ministry efforts.
The Ministry of Leadership Development
The ministry of leadership development calls forth, affirms, and empowers the diverse gifts, talents, and abilities of adults and young people in our faith communities for comprehensive ministry with adolescents. It encourages others to call forth the gifts of all young people and empower them for ministry to their peers and leadership in our faith communities. We need their gifts, energy, and vitality.
The Ministry of Pastoral Care
The ministry of pastoral care is a compassionate presence in imitation of Jesus’ care of people. Pastoral Care involves promoting positive adolescent and family development through a variety of positive (preventative) strategies; caring for adolescents and families in crisis; providing guidance as young people face life decisions and make moral choices; and challenging systems that are obstacles to positive development.
The Ministry of Prayer and Worship
The ministry of prayer and worship celebrates and deepens young people’s relationship with Jesus Christ through the bestowal of grace, communal prayer and liturgical experiences; it awakens their awareness of the spirit at work in their lives; it incorporates young people more fully into the sacramental life of the Church, especially Eucharist; it nurtures the personal prayer life; and it fosters family rituals and prayer.
The Ministry of Advocacy
The ministry of advocacy engages the Church to examine its priorities and practices to determine how well young people are integrated into the life, mission, and work of the Catholic community. It places adolescents and families first by analyzing every policy and program—domestic, parish-based, diocesan, and international—for its impact on adolescents and families.
The Ministry of Catechesis
The ministry of catechesis helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increase their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith. Genuine faith is a total response of the whole person—mind, heart, and will. The ministry of catechesis fosters growth in Catholic faith in all three dimensions—trusting (heart), knowing and believing (mind), and doing (will).
The Ministry of Community Life
The ministry of community life builds an environment of love, support, appreciation for diversity, and judicious acceptance that models Catholic principles; develops meaningful relationships; and nurtures Catholic faith. The ministry of community life is not only what we do (activity), but also who we are (identity) and how we interact (relationships).
The Ministry of Evangelization
The ministry of evangelization shares the good news of the reign of God and invites young people to hear about the Word Made Flesh. Drawing from Jesus’ example, evangelization involves the community’s pronouncement and living witness that the reign of God has become realized in and through Jesus. All of the relationships, ministry components, and programs of comprehensive ministry must proclaim the Good News.
The Ministry of Justice and Service
The ministry of justice and service nurtures in young people a social consciousness and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in their faith in Jesus Christ, the Scriptures, and in Catholic social teaching; empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts to address the causes of human suffering; and infuses the concepts of justice, peace, and human dignity into all ministry efforts.
The Ministry of Leadership Development
The ministry of leadership development calls forth, affirms, and empowers the diverse gifts, talents, and abilities of adults and young people in our faith communities for comprehensive ministry with adolescents. It encourages others to call forth the gifts of all young people and empower them for ministry to their peers and leadership in our faith communities. We need their gifts, energy, and vitality.
The Ministry of Pastoral Care
The ministry of pastoral care is a compassionate presence in imitation of Jesus’ care of people. Pastoral Care involves promoting positive adolescent and family development through a variety of positive (preventative) strategies; caring for adolescents and families in crisis; providing guidance as young people face life decisions and make moral choices; and challenging systems that are obstacles to positive development.
The Ministry of Prayer and Worship
The ministry of prayer and worship celebrates and deepens young people’s relationship with Jesus Christ through the bestowal of grace, communal prayer and liturgical experiences; it awakens their awareness of the spirit at work in their lives; it incorporates young people more fully into the sacramental life of the Church, especially Eucharist; it nurtures the personal prayer life; and it fosters family rituals and prayer.