Youth Ministry Coord 101

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='Revprodeji' post='1494190' date='Apr 7 2008, 04:13 PM']I applied for, and I am getting a second interview, for a youth ministry coord position in a local catholic church. I have an undergrad in general ministry from a protestant school and more than a ton of time and experience in protestant youth ministry. I am also starting the Distance program at FUS.

But I am concerned about the Youth position at this catholic church. Being that I have never been involved with a catholic youth group. I never went through confirmation either.

Can someone give me some support/information on what happens for a youth ministry coord? I need to be more sure this is something I should go after.[/quote]

To help your interview, why not mention that you would be willing to go to advanced youth ministry training the week of July 16-20 in Steubenville to help facilitate your change to Catholic youth ministry (i'll be there ). You have a lot to offer a Catholic program as a former proto YM. They would be foolish not to hire you. You know YM and you know the faith better than most Catholics.

[Scofizzle]

[quote name='Brother Adam' post='1494747' date='Apr 8 2008, 12:41 AM']I don't know anyone in ministry, from the top down, that isn't exhausted at the end of every day. Those who belong in ministry are also deeply satisfied at the end of the day knowing they are doing the work God has for them. Ministry is long, hard, thankless work. And it's incredible. I'm part time (30 hours) so I typically work 40-45 hours a week. Those I know who are full time work about 60 hours a week. It's the HS that keeps us going even when we are exshausted.[/quote]


haha thats the same for me. work 45 hours get paid for 30. Why do I love this job so much?

[Jaime]

[quote name='Revprodeji' post='1494190' date='Apr 7 2008, 01:13 PM']I applied for, and I am getting a second interview, for a youth ministry coord position in a local catholic church. I have an undergrad in general ministry from a protestant school and more than a ton of time and experience in protestant youth ministry. I am also starting the Distance program at FUS.

But I am concerned about the Youth position at this catholic church. Being that I have never been involved with a catholic youth group. I never went through confirmation either.

Can someone give me some support/information on what happens for a youth ministry coord? I need to be more sure this is something I should go after.[/quote]


yes you have been through confirmation

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=52239&hl="]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?s...c=52239&hl=[/url]

you just forgot. Remember the oil on your palm and the sweet rosary you got? That was sweet.

Dude if you haven't noticed, most of Catholic youth ministry (and ministers) are 10 years behind the protestants in how to draw kids in. Your protestant background isn't a hindrance, its a plus.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='prose' post='1494359' date='Apr 7 2008, 05:40 PM']If there is one thing I have learned about youth ministry (I have been doing it for years now), it is how to say no.

I am quite good at it.

No, I can not get your fences painted by the youth because you need labor.

No, I can not be in two places at once.

No, I do not work on Fridays, sorry.

No, I can not cover all of the ministries in Mass with youth.

No, I will not drive your child to soccer practice.

No, I am not a babysitting service.

I am quite good at it now.

Seriously though, part of being an effective leader is not burning out. I am seriously firm about my days off.[/quote]

Yeah, I've had to learn how to say no to a few of those in the last several months. No, I can not attend a 3-hour parish mission for four nights in a row (12 combined hours of being the youngest person on the room with a bunch of AARP members, which is simply not compatible with youth ministry). No, I will not cancel my youth activities for the parish mission (because it's not compatible with youth ministry). No, we are not a fundraising society. No, I will not go to a bunch of meetings that have nothing to do with my job just for PR...I'll make an appearance, but don't expect me to stick around. No, while I may help my youth find jobs, I am not a temp service here to supply free labor for all your projects. No, the youth have their own activities that night, they will not be baking cookies for your small group. No, we don't have the budget or the help to run LifeTeen, and if you don't like it, try volunteering for once. No, we don't have a building large enough to hold that many youth, and no, contrary to your suggestion, we will not hold our sessions in the field in the middle of the summer...and if you need a reason, consider that it routinely reaches 112*F and 95% humidity here and that the field is snake infested).

I understand about the days off...I sometimes have to go in on my days off, but I'm very firm about keeping my schedule as close to 40 hours/week as I can, and it usually is right about that.

We need a youth ministry support group.

[fides quarens intellectum]

[quote name='jmjtina' post='1494567' date='Apr 7 2008, 08:16 PM']and be prepared to be exhausted as kujo said. It's no direct indication of whether the Holy Spirit is working in you or not; if your exhausted or energized or speaking in tongues, but on the faith growing in your youth group and the Holy Spirit working within the youth group. In fact, those kind of comments are part of the job.

"YOu don't have the Holy Spirit!!!!"[/quote]
Sorry if i was hasty in my reply - i didn't mean to say he didn't have the Holy Spirit, if that's how i came across - (yes, i do realize he's baptized!) - the red flags went up for me because of the negative tone he began his post with:
[quote name='kujo' post='1494355' date='Apr 7 2008, 04:35 PM']Be prepared to work tirelessly, to be unappreciated in your time, and to be exhausted at the end of every day.[/quote]
The youth ministers i know personally - the ones who love it, who've done it for a while, who are obviously in the place God wants them, etc - just don't talk like that at all, ever. In fact, when you ask them if they are tired, even after a weekend where they're running on three or four hours of sleep, they'll contradict you in enthusiastic tones that stir the heart. The ones i've known who did talk in the negative are usually the ones who burn out. But then, since i don't know you, again, sorry for the hasty post, and thanks again for the clarification. It could be you were just trying to be funny or something, and i didn't catch it.

[quote name='Brother Adam' post='1494747' date='Apr 7 2008, 11:41 PM']I don't know anyone in ministry, from the top down, that isn't exhausted at the end of every day.[/quote]
i'm sorry that has been your experience. The people i know in ministry who really take care to make personal prayer time a priority appear fueled by the ministry they do. The people i know in ministry who are exhausted are either not puting their relationship with Jesus first, or they later find they are in the wrong ministry. Again, just my experience.

[fides quarens intellectum]

Here's a good example of the enthusiasm and optimism i am talking about:
[quote name='Scofizzle' post='1494298' date='Apr 7 2008, 03:05 PM']Keep things centered on Christ in the Eucharist and you will do just fine.[/quote]
[quote name='Scofizzle' post='1494790' date='Apr 8 2008, 01:29 AM']haha thats the same for me. work 45 hours get paid for 30. Why do I love this job so much?[/quote]

[fides quarens intellectum]

[quote name='jmjtina' post='1494567' date='Apr 7 2008, 08:16 PM']and about the Sunday thing. I have a great friend and youth minister who no longer does Sunday's. He strictly reserves it for family and God. (with the exception of selling raffle tickets after Mass) I am not saying every YM should do this, but with a full house of kids, this is something I'm thinking of considering for next year. It would be good to think about that and what you want for the youth group.[/quote]

Yes - that's a good suggestion for him to take to prayer!

i also know a YM who has her main youth group night on Wednesday, and another who moved the teen Mass from 5pm on Sunday to Noon, with youth group immediately following, so that teens could spend Sunday night at home with family.

[bonoducchi]

[quote name='Raphael' post='1494845' date='Apr 8 2008, 11:09 AM']No, I can not attend a 3-hour parish mission for four nights in a row (12 combined hours of being the youngest person on the room with a bunch of AARP members, which is simply not compatible with youth ministry). No, I will not cancel my youth activities for the parish mission (because it's not compatible with youth ministry).[/quote]

Could you clarify this a bit? Maybe I'm just reading it wrong...

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='fides quarens intellectum' post='1494849' date='Apr 8 2008, 11:19 AM']The youth ministers i know personally - the ones who love it, who've done it for a while, who are obviously in the place God wants them, etc - just don't talk like that at all, ever. In fact, when you ask them if they are tired, even after a weekend where they're running on three or four hours of sleep, they'll contradict you in enthusiastic tones that stir the heart. The ones i've known who did talk in the negative are usually the ones who burn out. But then, since i don't know you, again, sorry for the hasty post, and thanks again for the clarification. It could be you were just trying to be funny or something, and i didn't catch it.[/quote]

The problem is that the comment about YM being exhausting work that is rarely appreciated is true of any ministry in the Church. That doesn't mean that those same people aren't given an interior strength by the knowledge that they're helping to save souls, a strength that comes from the Holy Spirit and makes a person more able to do their ministry with passion. Being physically or even emotionally exhausted is not a sign of burn-out, it's a call for rest. Signs of burn out are apathy, lack of faith, and acedia (spiritual sloth). That's when things get nasty.

I don't think that the kinds of comments you're addressing are at all incompatible with people feeling fueled by their ministry. I think they're just two aspects: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. When we grow tired in our physical nature (which includes emotion to the degree that emotion is involved in chemical processes), we can still be strong in spirit and persevere in faith. It's when we allow our physical exhaustion to spread into our spirits that we're getting into acedia.

No one should expect the Holy Spirit to keep "good" or "effective" youth ministers from being physically tired or even emotionally tired from their jobs. That's not the way God works.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='VaticanIILiturgist' post='1494856' date='Apr 8 2008, 11:26 AM']Could you clarify this a bit? Maybe I'm just reading it wrong...[/quote]
The parish mission at my church was from 7-10 every night for four nights. It was put on my a musical artist whose style was late 80's at best, and in my opinion and the opinion of all the volunteers, it was not at all fit for youth (even the "retreat" portion of the parish mission was geared toward middle-aged adults...I'm 23 and with the exception of one other young adult, I was the youngest person attending the parish mission by at least 20 years). The youth who did seem interested left 15 minutes into the first night because it was so awful. As a consequence, in the name of a "whole parish mission," all the youth of the parish were left out and had no activities for an entire week. My job is to be an advocate for the good of the youth. It would by better for them to have their own activities or a different host for the parish mission.

[prose]

Again, for me, it comes down to being firm about which is work and which is home.

When I started in ministry, I was happy to be abused. In fact, I thought it made me a better minister. I would be like "I work 5 million hours a week, sleep for a minute on Saturday, and start over. It's thankless, but worth it".

Now, I find that many people are so thankful about having me. I am thanked by parents, by youth, by teachers, by priests. I don't find it thankless at all (of course, this could just be luck for me). I have plenty of thank you cards, or gifts from people thanking me. It is humbling to accept them too. I am continually supported when I need it, and I am not shy to ask anymore either.

I know what people are saying about ministry being lots of hours, but there are lots of "down times" too. There are several times when there is a week with little to plan, so I can recharge. Yes, retreats and things take 20 hours plus in a weekend, but I am careful to have personal time too.

It is really about balance.

Right now, I am the second longest running minister in our Archdiocese. I have watched many people burn out or quit because they felt like they had to save the world.

Numbers don't indicate the movement of the HS either, by the way. You never know. Maybe he lessened your numbers to help you REALLY affect just one kid. Prayer is the key. Listening is the key.

[soccer girl =D]

congrats and good luck! my youth minister just decided to join the capuchin franciscans. right now he's trying to find a replacement but he's one of the coolest people in the world so i dont think that he's gonna be able to find one that even comes close to his amazing coolness. lol so yeah say a prayer for him.....he leaves june 14.

[prose]

Raph:

I would never and am not bashing your ministry by the following statement.

People sometimes see things differently. I cancel my youth activities every year the week of our parish mission. If the youth don't attend, I do. It is a chance for me to be involved in a parish on a level that they are one. I advocate for the youth while I am there through my conversations and prayers, and a re-fuel through the speakers that are talking about adult stuff (mostly), which applies more to me than youth things.

Sometimes as ministers, we get so engrossed in youth retreats and activities (and leading them), that we neglect to get fed on our level.

Also, I have found that by doing this, the parish has started to give me say in the mission. I was able to choose the speaker one year (which all my youth attended and got great reviews), and I can help with the format and the music too.

It is really important that we stay visible to the older parishioners. These are the people the youth NEED to be connected to (I highly recommend Jerry Goebel's books - he talks about this). Our youth need adult leaders. And I mean all adults, not just people who are in their 20s. If the older people don't see us (I mean visually, not figuratively) they are much less inclined to get involved.

I have so much more I want to say about this, but I am worried that people may be taking this as a "I am the best youth minister ever" rant (which I surely am not).

I should write a book.

Edited April 8, 2008 by prose

[bonoducchi]

[quote name='prose' post='1494895' date='Apr 8 2008, 12:26 PM']It is really important that we stay visible to the older parishioners. These are the people the youth NEED to be connected to (I highly recommend Jerry Goebel's books - he talks about this). Our youth need adult leaders. And I mean all adults, not just people who are in their 20s. If the older people don't see us (I mean visually, not figuratively) they are much less inclined to get involved.[/quote]
I agree.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='prose' post='1494895' date='Apr 8 2008, 12:26 PM']Raph:

I would never and am not bashing your ministry by the following statement.

People sometimes see things differently. I cancel my youth activities every year the week of our parish mission. If the youth don't attend, I do. It is a chance for me to be involved in a parish on a level that they are one. I advocate for the youth while I am there through my conversations and prayers, and a re-fuel through the speakers that are talking about adult stuff (mostly), which applies more to me than youth things.

Sometimes as ministers, we get so engrossed in youth retreats and activities (and leading them), that we neglect to get fed on our level.

Also, I have found that by doing this, the parish has started to give me say in the mission. I was able to choose the speaker one year (which all my youth attended and got great reviews), and I can help with the format and the music too.

It is really important that we stay visible to the older parishioners. These are the people the youth NEED to be connected to (I highly recommend Jerry Goebel's books - he talks about this). Our youth need adult leaders. And I mean all adults, not just people who are in their 20s. If the older people don't see us (I mean visually, not figuratively) they are much less inclined to get involved.

I have so much more I want to say about this, but I am worried that people may be taking this as a "I am the best youth minister ever" rant (which I surely am not).

I should write a book.[/quote]
I agree completely. The problem with our parish mission was that it wasn't even a chance for me to refuel. I mean, it was awful, not just in regard to the limited number of those it reached out to, but in its presentation. I stayed two hours out of every three for the parish mission. The talks were...meh...they were okay, but nothing special. I walked out on the meditation the last night, though. Something in me just couldn't take the astral-projection meditation (she wanted us all to be "floating" outside our bodies and going off to "comfortable places" and meeting "special friends" and "flying" through meadows). I completely agree that we need to be fed on our own level as well, but the parish mission I'm talking about wasn't even capable of that. I couldn't take it seriously, to be honest. I went to the parish Jen works for (we work for different parishes, lol) and attended their parish mission and it was great...I would have gone to something like that.

As for being around the adults...we are. They see me. I'm around to greet people after Mass and I make appearances at Church functions. I'm just not going to give up three Saturdays in a row to attend functions that have nothing to do with my ministry.

As for youth volunteers, most of my volunteers are middle-aged. Aside from Jennie, I only have one other helper in her 20's. The kids get plenty of exposure to older folks.



God bless,

Micah