Posts
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
RESOURCE - NFCYM Prayer Corner
Greetings from the Youth and Young Adult Ministers Retreat on Hood Canal at St. Andrew's House. Given the opportunity for prayer we have had on retreat here, I wanted to share a good resource for prayer that NFCYM has in case you haven't found it yet. Blessings!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
RESOURCE - Youth Development - Assets
Ever wonder what youth ministry and construction have in common?
What we do in comprehensive youth ministry provides not only an understanding of our Catholic faith and Christian call to discipleship but also promotes healthy youth development.
From the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM)...
"...Imagine a building under construction or renovation, especially one whose inner structure has been severely damaged. Often, the construction company will erect a scaffold around the building to support it and "hold it up" while the internal pieces are strengthened. Then, when it can stand on its own, the scaffold is removed, piece by piece, a little at a time. As the building develops more of its internal structure, the external scaffolding is slowly removed.
In many ways, adolescent development should take the same course. Each young person is developing an internal support structure—the other image here is "backbone" or "spine," as in describing a person of strong character as someone with "real backbone." But that construction cannot happen in a vacuum. He or she needs the support (scaffold) of family, school, church, and community for that development to take place..."
Many of you have probably heard of the Search Institute and their list of 40 assets. They have a number of good resources for those of us working in youth ministry, even as entire faith communities to help us understand youth development better and create more effective ways of supporting youth and their parents during this important time of adolescence.
What we do in comprehensive youth ministry provides not only an understanding of our Catholic faith and Christian call to discipleship but also promotes healthy youth development.
From the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM)...
"...Imagine a building under construction or renovation, especially one whose inner structure has been severely damaged. Often, the construction company will erect a scaffold around the building to support it and "hold it up" while the internal pieces are strengthened. Then, when it can stand on its own, the scaffold is removed, piece by piece, a little at a time. As the building develops more of its internal structure, the external scaffolding is slowly removed.
In many ways, adolescent development should take the same course. Each young person is developing an internal support structure—the other image here is "backbone" or "spine," as in describing a person of strong character as someone with "real backbone." But that construction cannot happen in a vacuum. He or she needs the support (scaffold) of family, school, church, and community for that development to take place..."
Many of you have probably heard of the Search Institute and their list of 40 assets. They have a number of good resources for those of us working in youth ministry, even as entire faith communities to help us understand youth development better and create more effective ways of supporting youth and their parents during this important time of adolescence.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Youth and Young Adult Ministers Retreat
Just a quick note: The Youth and Young Adult Ministers Retreat is scheduled for Tuesday-Thursday May 26-28 NOT May 25-27. Sorry about the confusion.
YYAM Retreat Registration
YYAM Retreat Registration
Friday, May 15, 2009
Moving Beyond Compliance to Conversion
Moving From Compliance to Conversion is an article with Archbishop Brunett on the USCCB website in their Child and Youth Protection section from their resources for Child Abuse Prevention month. There are some worthwhile resources here for use in pastorally addressing concerns and questions about child sexual abuse.
This article is based on the full address Moving Beyond Compliance to Conversion delivered by Archbishop Alex J. Brunett to the Third Annual National Safe Environment Leadership Conference in Seattle, Washington on April 8, 2008.
This article is based on the full address Moving Beyond Compliance to Conversion delivered by Archbishop Alex J. Brunett to the Third Annual National Safe Environment Leadership Conference in Seattle, Washington on April 8, 2008.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Child Abuse Prevention Materials
This is a particularly difficult time with all that is in the news, commentary and blogosphere regarding the lawsuit and associated trial against the Archdiocese of Seattle for the sexual abuse committed by former priest Patrick O’Donnell. I feel helpless as I read the accounts and read, hear and feel the response of the community both within and outside the Catholic Church. That is when I turn to God for prayer and healing in all that is taking place around me.
I am clear that there is very little that I can do about what did or did not happen yesterday but through the strength of God’s presence in my life and the conviction of my faith, I am determined to identify what I can do to make a difference moving forward. I can pray for healing for all involved. I can also do what I can to keep sexual abuse from happening.
I am certain that those of you who work with youth and young adults in the Church have arrived at a similar place. I am hopeful that you have previously seen the materials from the Safe Environment Program that went out to the parishes in preparation for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April but I thought given everything that is happening it would be worth reminding folks that this information is here. There are some good resources that I encourage you to use in your own processing but also with the youth, young adults and families you work with so that they can also feel empowered to make a difference.
My hope is that out of this difficult time, we may remain or grow aware of those steps that we can take to make a difference in the life of a young person.
Blessings to you and the ministry you guide!
Tauno
I am clear that there is very little that I can do about what did or did not happen yesterday but through the strength of God’s presence in my life and the conviction of my faith, I am determined to identify what I can do to make a difference moving forward. I can pray for healing for all involved. I can also do what I can to keep sexual abuse from happening.
I am certain that those of you who work with youth and young adults in the Church have arrived at a similar place. I am hopeful that you have previously seen the materials from the Safe Environment Program that went out to the parishes in preparation for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April but I thought given everything that is happening it would be worth reminding folks that this information is here. There are some good resources that I encourage you to use in your own processing but also with the youth, young adults and families you work with so that they can also feel empowered to make a difference.
My hope is that out of this difficult time, we may remain or grow aware of those steps that we can take to make a difference in the life of a young person.
Blessings to you and the ministry you guide!
Tauno
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
RESOURCE - Justice, Peace and Human Development Initiatives
This is a follow up communication to the art contest which we sent information out for in a previous email. If you haven't looked at it previously, the resources and contest might be something you look at for use in your program or class next year. There is also information regarding an award for young adults engaged in the practice of addressing the root causes of poverty and injustice.
From Jill Rauh, Justice, Peace and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Dear Colleagues,
JPHD is pleased to announce two initiatives to assist you in sharing Catholic social teaching with your audiences.
1) 2010 CCHD Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest
This contest is a tool for schools and parishes to engage youth in grades 7 through 12 in learning about the causes of poverty, Catholic social teaching, the two feet of social action, and the work and witness of groups funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. All art forms are welcome, such as YouTube videos, music, painting, drama, writing, PowerPoint slideshows, etc.
Several dozen pages of new lesson plans and activities for use with this contest are posted on the contest website.
Summer is an excellent time for many schools and parishes to plan for the coming year. A sample email message and flyer to spread the word about this contest are attached.
2) Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award
This annual award is given to a Catholic young adult engaged in efforts to address the root causes of poverty and injustice in the United States.
The award is presented at a reception at the November meeting of the bishops of the United States. Please consider nominating a young Catholic ages 18-30 in your diocese.
The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2009.
The brochure and nomination form are available here. Please feel free to contact me for more information about either of these initiatives.
In Christ,
Jill Rauh
Issue Outreach and Youth and Young Adult Coordinator
Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street Northeast Washington, DC 20017
jrauh@usccb.org
(202)541-3297
From Jill Rauh, Justice, Peace and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Dear Colleagues,
JPHD is pleased to announce two initiatives to assist you in sharing Catholic social teaching with your audiences.
1) 2010 CCHD Multi-Media Youth Arts Contest
This contest is a tool for schools and parishes to engage youth in grades 7 through 12 in learning about the causes of poverty, Catholic social teaching, the two feet of social action, and the work and witness of groups funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. All art forms are welcome, such as YouTube videos, music, painting, drama, writing, PowerPoint slideshows, etc.
Several dozen pages of new lesson plans and activities for use with this contest are posted on the contest website.
Summer is an excellent time for many schools and parishes to plan for the coming year. A sample email message and flyer to spread the word about this contest are attached.
2) Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award
This annual award is given to a Catholic young adult engaged in efforts to address the root causes of poverty and injustice in the United States.
The award is presented at a reception at the November meeting of the bishops of the United States. Please consider nominating a young Catholic ages 18-30 in your diocese.
The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2009.
The brochure and nomination form are available here. Please feel free to contact me for more information about either of these initiatives.
In Christ,
Jill Rauh
Issue Outreach and Youth and Young Adult Coordinator
Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street Northeast Washington, DC 20017
jrauh@usccb.org
(202)541-3297
This was sent from a general email address. To contact the sender of the alert directly, please use the email address in their signature. To contact JPHD about general information, email JPHDmail@usccb.org.
Monday, May 11, 2009
INVITATION - Snohomish Deanery invites you to participate in Scream on June 26!
WHAT IS SCREAM?
Scream is an all night event for middle school youth sponsored by the youth ministers in the Snohomish Deanery.
WHO CAN ATTEND?
Any one who just attended 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$35.00 per person
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE SCREAM?
This year's event schedule is:
St PIUS X (dance, rally pizza and pop)
SKATING BOWLING
SWIMMING (donuts & juice)
TRANSPORTATION?
We provide buses from St. Pius X to Lynnwood Pool and every place in between. Parents are responsible for drop off and pick up.
WHAT IS NEEDED?
Swimsuit and towel, roller skates (if you have them), money for other snacks.
FOR MORE DETAILS AND FLYERS, PLEASE CONTACT SUSIE KING AT 425-481-9358
Scream is an all night event for middle school youth sponsored by the youth ministers in the Snohomish Deanery.
WHO CAN ATTEND?
Any one who just attended 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
$35.00 per person
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE SCREAM?
This year's event schedule is:
St PIUS X (dance, rally pizza and pop)
SKATING BOWLING
SWIMMING (donuts & juice)
TRANSPORTATION?
We provide buses from St. Pius X to Lynnwood Pool and every place in between. Parents are responsible for drop off and pick up.
WHAT IS NEEDED?
Swimsuit and towel, roller skates (if you have them), money for other snacks.
FOR MORE DETAILS AND FLYERS, PLEASE CONTACT SUSIE KING AT 425-481-9358
Friday, May 8, 2009
Youth and Young Adult Ministers Retreat
In the previous post, Mike Yaconelli, referenced the need for us to care for own souls as ministers. What greater way than to come on out to St. Andrew's House for our annual Youth and Young Adult Ministers Retreat on May 25-27. Check out the promotional video that shows the facility that we will be enjoying. They are wonderful at providing outstanding hospitality and very good food!
Our theme will be focused on "Sabbath - Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest" and facilitated by OYYAM staff. To make the opportunity more accessible, there is a two-night option (Tues-Thurs) or one-night option (Wed-Thurs). We will gather on Tuesday night for a prayer experience and wine and cheese social, with the content of our retreat beginning on Wednesday morning. We will have time together on Thursday, share brunch and end by 1pm.
Participants are invited to sign up for prayer times so that we can experience the breadth and depth of our fellow ministers. There will be plenty of time for enjoying the facility and the beach nearby for rest and relaxation.
For more information, to receive a registration form or to RSVP, please contact Tauno via email or by phone at 206.382.2019.
YYAM Retreat Registration
Our theme will be focused on "Sabbath - Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest" and facilitated by OYYAM staff. To make the opportunity more accessible, there is a two-night option (Tues-Thurs) or one-night option (Wed-Thurs). We will gather on Tuesday night for a prayer experience and wine and cheese social, with the content of our retreat beginning on Wednesday morning. We will have time together on Thursday, share brunch and end by 1pm.
Participants are invited to sign up for prayer times so that we can experience the breadth and depth of our fellow ministers. There will be plenty of time for enjoying the facility and the beach nearby for rest and relaxation.
For more information, to receive a registration form or to RSVP, please contact Tauno via email or by phone at 206.382.2019.
YYAM Retreat Registration
Caring For Your Own Soul While Ministering to Others
Mike Yaconelli was the co-founder of Youth Specialties, spent 43 years of his life in ministry to youth and was considered by many in the field to be the "grandfather of youth ministry." His untimely death in 2003 left family, friends, and the youth ministry world with a great void. But during his lifetime, he touched countless lives and helped make youth ministry the respected calling it is today.
While some of the language he uses referencing church structure may be foreign to us because he was not Catholic, his core message hits home for those of us in the field of youth ministry. As we near the end of the "program year" and the coming intensity of summer mission trips, pilgrimages and activities, I hope that you will find his words both affirming and challenging!
Please click on the link below to read the entire article of the excerpt below.
Blessings,
Tauno
"What I Wish I Knew When I Started Youth Ministry,
Part 2: Caring For Your Own Soul While Ministering to Others"
by Mike Yaconelli
Everyone was saying that I was doing really well, but something inside was telling me that my success was putting my own soul in danger.
—Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus (Crossroad, 1989)
The call of God is difficult to explain but impossible to ignore. It is the nagging, conscious awareness asking you to do something. The asking comes not from words, but from deep within, as though a voice had been planted inside and, now, is beginning to speak. This voice, the calling voice, has many ways of speaking—your passion for young people, the unique parts of you that seem to attract young people, the sense of joy and fulfillment that overflows into your soul when you're with young people. It is the great YES of your life that fills you with a sense of belonging, the warmth of being home. Heady wine, this call to youth ministry.
The call of youth ministry is unmistakable, relentless, captivating.
And dangerous.
Because in reality it is a job. And once ministry becomes a job, the rules all change, and Youth Ministry The Job conflicts with Youth Ministry The Call.
Youth Ministry The Job has a job description, performance objectives, mission statements, evaluation forms. It's about measuring—how many, how much…growth, success, results.
Youth Ministry The Call, on the other hand, is a mystery—and (trust me) the mystery of youth ministry is very frustrating for church boards and executive pastors.
Youth Ministry The Call has a rhythm all its own—slow...
While some of the language he uses referencing church structure may be foreign to us because he was not Catholic, his core message hits home for those of us in the field of youth ministry. As we near the end of the "program year" and the coming intensity of summer mission trips, pilgrimages and activities, I hope that you will find his words both affirming and challenging!
Please click on the link below to read the entire article of the excerpt below.
Blessings,
Tauno
"What I Wish I Knew When I Started Youth Ministry,
Part 2: Caring For Your Own Soul While Ministering to Others"
by Mike Yaconelli
Everyone was saying that I was doing really well, but something inside was telling me that my success was putting my own soul in danger.
—Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus (Crossroad, 1989)
The call of God is difficult to explain but impossible to ignore. It is the nagging, conscious awareness asking you to do something. The asking comes not from words, but from deep within, as though a voice had been planted inside and, now, is beginning to speak. This voice, the calling voice, has many ways of speaking—your passion for young people, the unique parts of you that seem to attract young people, the sense of joy and fulfillment that overflows into your soul when you're with young people. It is the great YES of your life that fills you with a sense of belonging, the warmth of being home. Heady wine, this call to youth ministry.
The call of youth ministry is unmistakable, relentless, captivating.
And dangerous.
Because in reality it is a job. And once ministry becomes a job, the rules all change, and Youth Ministry The Job conflicts with Youth Ministry The Call.
Youth Ministry The Job has a job description, performance objectives, mission statements, evaluation forms. It's about measuring—how many, how much…growth, success, results.
Youth Ministry The Call, on the other hand, is a mystery—and (trust me) the mystery of youth ministry is very frustrating for church boards and executive pastors.
Youth Ministry The Call has a rhythm all its own—slow...
REGION XII Meeting - Portland, OR
Frances, Bridget and I just returned late yesterday from the Region XII Youth and Young Adult Ministry Gathering in Portland, OR that took place May 5-7. All in all, it was a fruitful meeting that gave us an opportunity to conduct business related to the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), do some reflection on "Co-Workers in the Vineyard", talk about the goings on in our respective regions, share resources and approaches to ministry and hear from collaborating members Jeanine Boucher-Colbert (CRS) and Tom Tomaszek (OCP). Dioceses from our region that were represented were: Helena, Boise, Spokane, Baker, Portland and Seattle. We look forward to sharing with you the fruits of our experience in the months to come.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
RESOURCE - My Catholic Voice
Are you seeking the inspiration or content that is present at the national gatherings of youth ministry but don't have the time or resource to make it happen? mycatholicvoice is a Catholic website that offers much more but I want to specifically point out in this entry that you can download presentations from NCCYM for your own benefit or for your core team of leadership. Just go to the main page and do a search for NCCYM+presentations. As with anything on the internet you should always check the source for authenticity and relationship to Catholic Church teaching. Given that the NCCYM presentations are from the event sponsored by the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry you can be sure they are grounded in our faith and will be a great tool for use in your ministry!
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