Developing a Comprehensive Mindset

Commentary » Developing A Comprehensive Mindset

Last Revised on September 17, 2011

Adopting a comprehensive youth ministry mindset involves a new way of thinking— a vision shift, and a new way of acting or ministering—a programming shift. Developing a comprehensive youth ministry mindset is a process of seeing more broadly. It means seeing the whole community—young people, families, churches, schools, and community organizations—and all of the socializing influences upon young people today.

It means seeing all of the resources that you utilize: in your parish—all of the gifts, talents, skills, and resources of parishioners, and in your community—all of the people, programs, resources, and organizations working to promote adolescent growth. It means seeing the countless creative and imaginative opportunities to reach your goals for ministry with adolescents through multiple, coordinated programs and strategies that respond to the needs of young people and incorporate them more fully into the life of the church community. Several of the most important features or emphases of the comprehensive mindset are summarized as follows.

Comprehensive ministry with young and older adolescents is goal-directed.
The three goals articulated in Renewing the Vision give ministry with adolescents a focus, direction, and purpose. A goal-directed ministry refocuses attention away from programs and activities toward the primary purposes of youth ministry. It recognizes that everything in youth ministry works toward the accomplishment of these goals. Focusing on goals opens up avenues for creativity and imagination, envisioning a variety of ways to achieve the three goals of youth ministry.

Comprehensive ministry with young and older adolescents integrates diverse activities into a larger, integrated framework.
Renewing the Vision presents a framework that integrates eight ministries of the church with four essential elements or settings for ministry with adolescents— youth, family, church community, and civic community. This integration allows for the development of programs and strategies that adapt to diverse youth and families in our community. (See Youth Ministry Grid.)

Comprehensive ministry provides concrete things that the church can do to nurture adolescent faith growth and make a lasting difference in the lives of adolescents.
Renewing the Vision utilizes contemporary research, especially the asset-building framework developed by the Search Institute, to present specific faith-building assets that name what the church seeks to achieve in the lives of young people. Renewing the Vision advocates eighteen assets as a foundation for healthy faith development in adolescents. These eighteen assets provide specific directions for effective pastoral practice with adolescents and give focus to the content of programs and activities that are offered within a comprehensive ministry.

Comprehensive ministry engages the power and resources of the intergenerational community of faith.
The whole community by its way of learning together, living together, serving together, praying together, and celebrating together helps young people become disciples of Jesus Christ and members of the Catholic community. Comprehensive ministry integrates youth ministry and young people into the larger faith community and focuses energy on building intergenerational relationships between young people and the community. Renewing the Vision advocates a community and intergenerational focus for ministry with adolescents.

Ministry with adolescents recognizes the need to utilize the power of the intergenerational faith community in sharing faith and promoting healthy growth in adolescents. Meaningful involvement in parish life and the development of intergenerational relationships provide young people with rich resources to learn the story of the Catholic faith experientially and develop a sense of belonging to the church. Ministry with adolescents can incorporate young people into the intergenerational opportunities already available in the parish community, identify and develop leadership opportunities in the parish for young people, and create intergenerational support networks and mentoring relationships. Age-specific programs can be transformed into intergenerational programming and new intergenerational programs, which incorporate young people, can be developed. (RTV 22)

Comprehensive ministry partners with parents in developing the faith life of adolescents by empowering families to share, celebrate, and live the Catholic faith at home and in the world.
Comprehensive ministry supports families as faith communities through family-involving programs and at-home activities. To empower families to share, celebrate and live their faith at home and in the world, youth ministry designs family-friendly and family-involving ministries and programming, and provides families with a variety of home strategies and activities.

Comprehensive ministry cooperates with community leaders and organizations to promote positive adolescent development and create healthier communities for all young people.

Renewing the Vision advocates a collaborative approach between the church and community organizations. The church’s concern for the civic community includes advocacy on behalf of young people when public issues that affect their lives need to be addressed. …This involves networking with leaders in congregations of diverse faith traditions, public schools, youth-serving agencies, and community organizations to nurture a shared commitment to promoting healthy adolescent development and a healthy community, to develop mutual respect and understanding, to share resources, and to plan community-wide efforts and programs. Building these relationships can open doors for sharing resources, and co-sponsoring training, programs, and advocacy efforts. Community-wide efforts are needed to reach underserved and marginalized young people who lack the support and nurture of congregations and community and are often the most vulnerable in our community. (RTV 24)

Comprehensive ministry empowers everyone in the faith community to utilize their gifts, talents, and resources in ministry with adolescents, helping the entire community assume responsibility for ministry with adolescents.

Comprehensive ministry mobilizes all of the resources of the faith community. Every member of the community has a role to play and special skills, gifts, talents, and resources that can enrich and expand ministry with adolescents. Comprehensive ministry with adolescents also involves adult and youth leaders in a variety of specialized roles necessary for effective ministry. Many of these leaders will be involved in direct ministry with adolescents, others will provide support services, and yet others will link the ministry effort to the resources of the broader community. The comprehensive ministry approach that is presented in Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry includes a variety of roles.

Ministry Coordinator: the facilitator for the parish ministries
Youth Ministry Coordinating Team: youth and adults who organize the programs and strategies
Program Leaders: adults and youth who lead specific programs and ministry strategies.
Support Roles: adults and youth who provide support for youth ministry through a variety of roles including clerical support, hospitality, transportation, etc.

Renewing the Vision explains the importance of the coordinator’s role in facilitating the gifts of the community.

Ministry coordinators have a central role in facilitating the people, programming, and resources of the faith community on behalf of a comprehensive ministry effort with adolescents. Coordination is stewardship – overseeing the resources of the community so that they are used wisely in ministry with adolescents. Ministry coordinators alert the whole community to its responsibility for young people, draw forth the community’s gifts and resources, and encourage and empower the community to minister with young people. Of special importance to effective ministry with adolescents is cooperation among the leaders, ministries, and programs in a faith community as they work together in a common effort to achieve the three goals of the Church’s ministry. (RTV24-25)

Related Policies:

Every parish is to have a Youth Ministry Leadership Committee. 456

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Developing A Comprehensive Mindset

Commentary » Developing A Comprehensive Mindset

Developing A Comprehensive Mindset

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