We have 2,000 years of doctrine, liturgy, art, and music upon which to draw in order to bolster the faith and Catholic identity of our youth and we give them watered down doctrine, bad music, bad liturgy, and felt banners. Our youth deserve more.He refers to an article on U.S.: Modern Youth Ministry a '50-Year Failed Experiment,' Say Pastors and quotes a section in which the view is advanced that "dividing children from adults at church is an unbiblical concept borrowed from humanistic philosophies."
This is worthy of discussion. Since I was a teenager myself, I have been involved in events which are specifically for young people - either teenagers or young adults. Coming into contact with home-schoolers and those organising Family Days of various sorts, I have come to see the advantage of having events for a mixed age group.
A standard criticism of home-schooling is that the children are deprived of socialising. Home-schoolers will naturally respond wryly that the kind of socialising that goes on in a narrow peer group at school is one of the reasons for home-schooling in the first place. At Youth Ministry events organised for a peer group, the question of discipline or "appropriate behaviour", call it what you will, often presents a major task for the organisers. There are usually statements on the invitation literature about standards of behaviour and sanctions. Somebody generally has to oversee these things and they can become a headache. I have also heard parents complain at times about the bad influences that their children are exposed to.
At Family Days and home-schooling events, this problem is markedly reduced. I won't say that it is entirely absent, but if teenagers argue with their parents, they usually get on OK with other adults, and are often very good at helping out with younger children. The mix of ages is a more natural environment. It can be rather chaotic in terms of organisation but is less stressful in terms of teenage misbehaviour.
So do I think that Youth Ministry has failed? Not really: I do think that there is still room for events for teenagers and young adults. I certainly agree that there is no need for dumbing-down; and I agree heartily with a point often made by James Preece that in today's world we do not need to feel obliged to provide young people with excitement - they get that elsewhere and more effectively from the enormous range of activities made available to them. I think it is probably true nowadays that most youngsters of the kind who go to Church Youth events have experienced abseiling or ski-ing on some trip or another before they are fifteen. Obviously I also think that young people respond well to traditional liturgy - even if the liturgy is all Novus Ordo, it should be dignified and have a sense of the sacred. As I have said before, if you start doing clown liturgies or trying to "rock for Jesus" you need to remember that the kids will not be laughing with you, they will be laughing at you.
Still, good events for young people still have a place, I think, but we should resist the temptation to think that they are the whole solution. Far too often, when people get together to talk about what is wrong with the Church, or the parish, someone of advanced years will say that "we must do more for the youth" and the response is to set up something to provide young people with excitement, infantile liturgy, and a bit of dumbed-down catechesis (even, quod Deus avertat, values clarification style groups.)
So my two-penn'orth in this discussion is that we can arrange good quality events for young people but should also consider the neglected area of family ministry in which young people can benefit from a wide and natural age-range of participants, and the opportunity to break out of the peer-group fascism that limits their freedom to flourish and mature with the help of those who are older or younger than themselves.
14 comments:
A brilliant article, Father, and worthy of a well though-out response form the youth ministry community, which I will try to do when I've got some time to spare.
In brief though, I agree with most of that.
Jack Regan
Editor, CatholicYouthWork.com
Many thanks, Jack. I would be very interested to read your response.
Greetings Fr. Tim,
Has Youth Ministry Failed?
If it is true what Catholic commentators like Paul Priest state when they say that there is actually a 97% Catholic teen lapsation rate then we must assume that the conclusion they draw are accurate. Paul always goes on to state that due to this perilously high lapsation rate that Catholic Youth Ministry is actually counter-productive.
I see very few teenagers in any of the churches that I attend around the country. There are a few pockets such as in nearby Grimsby where excellent pro-active volunteers seem to be getting some vocations through to completion. There is also great work being done at Youth 2000 and at the Youth Village in Hexham which is now seeing some vocations. However, the picture is not so 'rosy' elsewhere.
I have often suggested that there should be a paid youth worker in every deanery (I will not go in to how it could have been paid for here). However, I now believe I was wrong.
I now believe that something more radical is required. I think in the pockets where there is some good work being done then these obviously should be left alone.
However, I now believe that there is a need for something new called Community Missionaries (ironically so new that the concept goes back 2000 years).
There has been talk for a few years now of inviting foreign missionaries to English Catholic parishes to come and re-evangelise both Catholic congregations and the secular parish as a whole. This could be one way of dealing with the issue.
I will cut to the chase here. I am sure that many Catholics saw the BBC Reverse Missionary series. All these people worked in the same way and actually went in to the community, actually spoke to people about God for the first time in many years, and drew back people in to their churches. Of course, this need to continue for more than the month that was portrayed in the series.
Not only does this generate new young people but, the youth that are already in the church benefit from the new events that are being put on. However, it is even more significant than this because families become involved in the events.
This method needs specific people who have been called to mission, are not scared of rolling their sleeves up, and are extremely confident with dealing and engaging with people. They can come from this country or abroad. God has given these people all the tool they need to 'Get The Job Done'.
If resources where moved away from Catholic Youth Ministry and placed in this context then maybe we would see a gradual improvement in which Catholic youths, adults and families could benefit from.
There is one proviso however, Catholic congregations must be made aware that when these Community Missionaries are taken on by the church that they must be treated like royalty for the duration. Protestants, non-conformists, and free churches in America understand exactly how this scenario works because it is clearly explained to them and it is clearly placed in a scriptural context.
If these people are prepared to go in to battle on behalf of the congregation, then the Catholic congregation must be prepared to give something of itself. This is scriptural. It is up to the congregation to look after them with no ifs and no buts.
I did a year with NET ministries of Canada (www.netcanada.ca). This was a brilliant year of youth ministry which encouraged young people to encounter Christ and embrace the life of the Church.
I feel there are massive improvements to be made with youth ministry in our country and that there is so much good work to be done in this area.
Robert Colquhoun
loveundefiled.blogspot.com
http://loveundefiled.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/net-year-in-canada.html
Thanks for this, Father.
I'm a youth 'minister' and a home-schooling parent of four children; so much of what you've said here resonates with my own experience. I also know Jack through CYW.com - hi Jack!
I enjoy youth ministry very much, having been doing it on-and-off for nearly 20 years, and I'm currently full-time. It's an exciting, varied job and it's rewarding to support young people in their faith.
But I also have my reservations, as Jack will know, about aspects of youth ministry - particularly 'big event' and 'personality' driven methodologies. Having moved in non-Catholic circles where it's more common, I've seen the effect that youth ministry/ministers can have on both churches and young people. Sadly, I've seen youth ministry divide the worshipping community (‘young’ and ‘old), divide young people (‘in’ and ‘out’) and destroy the youth minister (the average life-time of a church based youth minister is less than 3 years, I recently heard). I know of a small church that was almost bankrupted because they wanted to employ a youth minister to work on their behalf with the teenagers.
Of course, these are the horror stories. But I'm concerned that, if we're not careful, Catholic Churches will repeat those mistakes by assuming that employing a youth minister, like the church up the road, is the simple answer to getting young people back into church and into the pews. For some, the thought does not progress much beyond that point - indeed (the thought runs), how else can we invite young people to attend church, deepen their faith and participate as mature Christians in the prayer life of the community if not by getting in a trained youth specialist?
I have grappled with this over many years, and my response to it (as that long-hoped-for youth specialist myself!) has been to try to work in ways that remove the focus from me. As important as I may, or may not, be, I should be looking towards Christ – and I know Jack will agree with me on this point – so that young people can have someone as a model of prayer, behaviour and (hopefully!) humility. But of course anyone can do this for a young person. Youth workers, except in special circumstances in my opinion, are not essential - but committed Catholics are.
Father, I’ve developed some of these thoughts in a very short booklet on prayer and youth work that was published last year – admittedly it was written for an evangelical audience, but from a Catholic viewpoint. I’d be happy to send you a copy if you’d like to read it.
Paul.
The turning point for me came when I was 20. Having been relatively protected from modern inanity by a conservative parish priest, I was appalled to find out what most Catholic youth were subjected to when I attended a Catholic youth day in Norwich. The bishop (Alan Clark) presided over a Mass that was indubitably the goofiest event and the most mortifyingly embarrassing hour of my life. I prayed that the floor of that cathedral would open up and swallow me.
I have largely wiped from my memory the worst of it, but I clearly remember the moment when His Excellency called us all up on to the sanctuary to stand around the altar with him and hold hands for the Eucharistic Prayer. I found that my feet remained rooted to the spot. Something deep inside rebelled. I didn’t know exactly the ins and outs of Church liturgical law, but I knew this was wrong, and I stayed in my pew while everyone else traipsed up to the sanctuary. My rebellion was noticed and I was urged to join the others but couldn’t bring myself to. They left me alone and got on with it, and I found myself leaving the cathedral. Outside I took a deep breath and realised I could never subject myself to this kind of patronising drivel again in the name of obedience. I sought out the traditional Roman Rite and never looked back. I suppose I have Bishop Alan Clark to thank for this!
Just as Catholic schools seem to churn out unbelievers, most youth events produce Catholics without the foggiest idea of what they are supposed to believe in and are desperately relieved when they reach an age when their parents can’t force them to take part anymore.
I salute you Mr. Sane!
The worst I saw was in Westminster Cathedral. It was either Cardinal Hume trying to look impressed by a liturgical ballet dance on the sanctuary or just a degrading riot under his auxilary Bishop Guazzelli.
It was the self-satisfaction of these events which was so offensive.
I recall a line from that horrid film "Goodfellas" when Joe Pesci is "whacked" by the powers that be. His friend Ray Liotta comments that he and Robert De Niro were powerless to intervene on his behalf and simply "had to sit there and take it".
That's what it felt like where I was sat so your defiant act is to be commended.
Greetings Fr. Great article. I find this all very interesting as I am a catechist for confirmation and help in other areas of youth work. I learnt early on not to patronise our young people or to treat them as if they did not have the intelligence to grasp the truth of our beautiful faith. Most of them respond well to beautiful liturgy and as you say Father they laugh at you when faced with infantile liturgy. I have found that the secret is to involve good, orthodox priests with a willingness to preach the fullness.
Father could you recommend a good confirmation course?
Paul, can i have the name of your book please.
Caroline
Yes Youth Ministry in this country and across the world has been a complete failure. Why because it follows the same secular mentality of give the 'youth a voice' type of rubbish. Basically the church is not a democracy, the Church is not here to give the youth a voice (sorry YCW!)its mission is get people of all ages into heaven!
Benedict XVI our wonderful Pope once said "I am convinced that the crisis in the Church that we are experiencing today is to a large extent due to the disintegration of the liturgy". Now the fact those involved youth ministry leadership, rarely get the fact (because of poor formation or that have done a micky mouse MA at Heythrop or some Yoof MA in Youth Studies somewhere), that liturgy is the greatest act of the Church. Once we worship God wrongly through making 'hip hop for my main man Jesus type of liturgies' or flooding our liturgies with banal man focused Protestant/Evangelical Matt Redman type of music then we end up with the worshiping the cult of personality. And that is why some people have been so critical of the recent Flame 2012 congress, a complete disaster and run by the 'magic circle' of youth ministry.
These youth events are a disaster because they don't introduce young people to true worship in spirit and in truth called for by the Pope (remember also that Vatican II said Gregorian Chant was the Church's music in worship in the Roman Rite). But groups such as CYMFED rather follow their own man made youth ministry magisterium (well done to James Preece for bringing this fact to people's attention time and time again on his blog).
Until those involved in Youth Ministry, repent of their spirit of disobedience and obey the liturgical guidelines set down by the Church and start focusing on what the Holy Father says then we are going to continue being in the same mess that the Church was in just after the aftermath of the Council.
Caroline,
Yep, it's published by Grove Books:
http://www.grovebooks.co.uk/cart.php?target=product&product_id=17492&category_id=380
As I said above, Grove are an evangelical publishers but they allowed me look at prayer from a more Catholic viewpoint! Through the booklet I wanted to challenge the view that the way we ask young people to pray is not important. The chapters are:
1. Introduction
2. ‘Teach us to Pray…’
3. Prayer and Recognizing God’s Presence
4. Disappointed with Prayer
5. Ritual and Prayer
6. Discipleship and Prayer
7. Prayer as Part of a Curriculum
8. Conclusion
If you decide to get a copy, any feedback (+ve or -ve) would be appreciated!
Paul.
PS Father, can I send you copy?
Michelle, your view of youth ministry seems entirely damning! I appreciate much of your critique, but are there no apostolates working with young people that you can approve of? :)
Work with young people by Catholics has been going on for a considerable time - maybe not in the 'official'/narrow sense that it refers to today - but where there was a need either for catechesis and/or justice for young people, the Church has usually stepped up to the plate. Don't you agree?
Modern youth ministry training draws heavily on the secular model (otherwise you wouldn't get your degree!), and this has it's problems of course, but surely you're not saying that there is nothing to learn from youth work, or make use of, that can help with the salvation of young souls?
Paul.
Yes it is damning and very sad. There only are a few good groups that I know of that are reaching out to young people, Faith Movement, Evangelium, and Juventutem.
Paul you can find good things in anything, even in a wicked religion like Islam, believe it or not.
My point is that obedience is such an important part of the spiritual life it gives a platform to love and unite with each other as Catholics. But those involved in Youth Ministry that I know of have a spirit of disobedience towards the teaching of the Church, particularly regarding the liturgy, with some of them inflicting the most hideous sentimental tosh on our young people.
How are we as Catholics going to be united together as God's family, if we cant even worship together properly? There is so much division in the Church, caused by our disobedience and we all need to repent and come to God on His terms, that is in humility listening to the wisdom that He left with the Church on how to worship Him. The mission of youth ministry cannot be separate from the mission of the Church.
"We have 2,000 years of doctrine, liturgy, art, and music upon which to draw in order to bolster the faith and Catholic identity of our youth and we give them watered down doctrine, bad music, bad liturgy, and felt banners. Our youth deserve more."
Michelle,
"Paul you can find good things in anything, even in a wicked religion like Islam, believe it or not."
Agreed. Of course, good things can also be twisted and abused by those with a mind to, as you state...
"But those involved in Youth Ministry that I know of have a spirit of disobedience towards the teaching of the Church, particularly regarding the liturgy"
...and I couldn't agree with you more on this point. It's the youth ministers you mention that need to consider their behaviour towards the Church. Maybe then we would have a youth ministry worthy of the name.
And so I think this is where we concur: anyone who works with young people needs to do so in obedience to Catholic teaching and worship, since the two are closely linked, otherwise we impoverish the Gospel.
"The mission of youth ministry cannot be separate from the mission of the Church."
Amen!
Paul, thanks for your helpful comments.
I would also like to add that I would like to see the rather disastrous and ineffective CYMFED to either be dismantled by bishops (don't hold your breath) or for them at minimum to broaden their membership to include groups such as the Faith Movement and Juventutem.
Have a look at their members it doesn't exactly fill me with hope: http://cymfed.org/about/members/Default.aspx
A of the people on their hold some completely erroneous views that are completely at odds with the magisterium, which completely explains why the Flame 2012 Congress was a complete load of sentimental tosh on the whole.
I guess thats me being damning again, but it all about saving souls and I cant see how much at the last congress was actually related to this.
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