One of the greatest challenges of the Catholic Church as an institution has come to face is communication with and engagement from young people. Thus, the Church has made a mission "to examine herself on how she can lead young people to recognize and accept the call to the fullness of life and love, and to ask young people to help her in identifying the most effective way to announce the Good News today." In a modern world, young people have a different relationship to the church than in the past. In order to repair this rift, the Church has set out to assist its youth in finding their place and vocational calling in the community. Defining it as a “vocational journey”, the Church encourages a focus on the pathway to finding the role that …show more content…
In such a diverse population of young people, it is rare that one sees themselves represented in the Church. They lack figures that they see themselves in and can look up to as an example. Without these figures, like women or minorities in positions of authority. I believe that exposure to a more diverse community of Church leadership will create a better sense of community among all people, young and old, and encourage young people to find their passion and calling within that community. The first steps that the Church should take should be opening up discourse about making changes to the official policies regarding women being priests. I think that even if no concrete changes are made, merely bringing up the possibility and not dismissing it completely would show a social consciousness of the church that young people may feel is missing. I also feel that speaking out more about the stories of different people from different backgrounds who hold authority in the Church would encourage people from similar backgrounds to explore their calling to such vocations for their own futures. This could be done so through social media such as the Pope’s Instagram/Twitter or on a online web resource similar to the Youth Synod website. This would make the Church’s message more widely accessible and show that they are …show more content…
They are in a place in their lives that each and every one of the Church’s leaders once were. Thus, they should approach the encouragement and guidance of the Church’s youth from an empathetic standpoint. In terms of following God’s calling to a vocation, no one is more qualified in knowledge than adults in the church. Thus, the adults and head figures of the Church are a valuable resource that young people should take advantage of. This relationship between adults and young people in the church must be understood from both perspectives. It is important that the church is in tune with the culture and interests of the youth in order to be able to understand them as members of the church. They may do so by taking direct correspondence from young people around the world. Church leaders should organize youth representatives chosen by priests or other local leaders. They would be able to communicate the feelings, concerns, or ideas common to their communities. This direct source of knowledge would be valuable in being able to dynamically incorporate these considerations in the teachings and policies of the Church and, subsequently, be better suited to guide young people in their vocational
This part is adapted from “Developing Programs for Senior Citizens—A Handbook for churches,” produced by the Delaware County of (PA) Services for the Aging, and is included here with their permission. We gratefully acknowledge the editors: Judy Oerkvitz, Louis Colbert, Norma Thomas and Verne Dalton.
This book has been my interpreter, into the mired maze of youth ministry. From a logical perspective this is a must read for every one not only involved in youth ministry, but the church as a whole. If possible I would like to revisit this book in a year as kind of a case study to see how much I have learned for this course and how my views, out look, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors towards youth ministry have changed or no
One of the three basic pillars of the Roman Catholic Church is Tradition. The Church often uses this pillar of Tradition to validate its actions or to establish its own infallibility. One unspoken foundation that I feel is more essential, however, is that of Love. Love is what is taught in Scripture, another pillar of the Church, and should, therefore be the root of any traditions in the Catholic faith. By judging human actions or the spirit of God by cold laws enforced by the Church, we lose important insight into what our faith and our existence are truly about. Even the Church, in its humanness, sometimes forgets that love of God, others, and ourselves should be the core of every decision we make. The Church that many see as harsh and archaic could easily be refreshed and renewed, not by peppier music or stand-up comic priests, but by emphasis on the spirit of love rather than the letter of the law.
“The call is something that is an indescribable joy and an indefinable burden at the same time.” (Bryant and Brunson 2007, 32). There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a congregation of the redeemed moving forward in their faith. However exciting this may be, it is usually not the thrill that propels the pastor in his service. It is the burden placed on the pastor by God that compels him in his work. The pastor understands that he is largely responsible for the work of God being accomplished by his faithfulness to his calling. “All through the Word of God and down through the annals of history, when God has moved it has almost always been attended by the preaching of the Word.” (Bryant and Brunson 2007, 31)
I agree with Kitchens, Mead, and Roxburgh who all basically say in their own way that one change in ministry that we need to focus on more is the congregational life of the church. However, I think Mead explains it best when he says that the future church must be more intentional in the spiritual formation of its laity (Mead, location 919). According to Mead, the church is moving towards becoming a more missional institution that cares for the needs of the community. Therefore, oftentimes laity will be the ones on the front lines and will need the capacity to minister to people on their own without the help of clergy. In order to do this they will need more directed and intensive training to deal with...
“Today I appeal to the whole Church community to be willing to foster feminine participation in every way in its internal life. This is certainly not a new commitment, since it is inspired by the example of Christ himself….nevertheless, he also involved women in the cause of his kingdom; indeed he wanted them to be the first witnesses and heralds of his resurrection. In fact, there are many women who have distinguished themselves in the Church’s history by their holiness and hardworking ingenuity.”
Sister Edith Bogue gave our class an introduction and personal perspective to Catholic consecrated life. First, she talked what a vocation is. “Every baptized person has a vocation, a call, to love and serve God, a call to holiness. How you choose to live out that vocation is what each person must discern” (NRVC).
Young, D. S. (1999). Servant Leadership for Church Renewal: Sheperds By the Living Springs. Scottdale: Herald Press.
There is an increasing percentage of non-Catholic students enrolling in our school and this affects its composition and roles. This different mix of students can result in less support for the specifically religious mission of the school. As Kavanagh and Pallisier (2014) suggest, Catholic schools are the only experience of the Church and of the teachings of the Gospel that a majority of our students and families will ever have. This is both a privilege and a challenge for faith leaders, who have a responsibility of ensuring that our community is not ignorant of the Good News and that we continue in our mission to serve, as suggested in the proposal. Pope Francis (2014) describes various challenges that Catholic schools face in contemporary times, including the need for all staff to be authentic witnesses.
This model of church structure laid the foundation for ministry in today's church. It also represents Vatican II`s understanding of ecclesial structure, as well as the relationship between ordained and lay ministry. 2.7.3. The Church as the People of
Sonnenberg looks at the various different components that make up the bigger picture in the community aspect in a youth worship setting; these components are looked at systematically. In the article Sonnenberg and her fellow researchers addresses four aspects which are discussed theoretically which are the following: physical presence, empathetic and emotional equality, the opportunity to cross social and ecclesiological boundaries and sharing faith (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). In the quest to address the question the importance of these four aspects the researches firstly presented the importance of each of these aspects individually, by analysing previous research and looking at the background regarding these aspects (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). Additionally the researchers observed these four aspects in a practical manner by using various methods to collect data; the data was collected through pictures, videos, field notes, small group and individual interviews and conversations and through email correspondence (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). The leaders of the different organisations and youth groups were also interviewed (Sonnenberg, Nel, Kock, & Barnard, 2015). A study such as this is of great importance when it comes to a Church context but not only is relevant for the Church but for youth leaders and even how one goes about one’s daily
Teens reflect a culture all of their own within American society. The language that they speak, music that they listen to, and many aspects of their lives differ from that of past generations (Linehan 3). Therefore, many people of older generations tend to make judgments and assumptions about teenagers. These assumptions are typically based on the manner in which teenagers speak, dress, and present themselves. Because of these generalizations, faith of many teens is commonly overlooked. In a society where violence seems to be accepted and many teens are lost about who they are, faith can be the one bond interlinking a group of many. Despite occurrences such as the shootings April 20, 1999 at Columbine High School, and other negative aspects surrounding teenagers’ lives, there are still many young people involved and/or seeking a life with faith in Christ.
It is essential that the maturing child be carefully nurtured in spiritual development and intentionally taught about the Christian faith and the life of discipleship. Otherwise, the baptismal grace will be like seeds sown on stony ground” (Felton 1997). Before the infant can be baptized; the Pastor need to be sure they will be nurtured by parents, grandparents, guardians and the church. However, if there is not an environment where the child can be nurtured and grow spiritually, then the baptism should not take place. The Pastor should postpone the baptism until the appropriate age or the child becomes age where they understand the significance of the baptism.
In the field of leadership, the Platinum Rule encourages leaders to do unto others as they would have you do unto them. When applied to the K-12 school setting, this would suggest that educational leaders—administrators, principals, department chairs, etc.—should consider the preferred leadership style of those under them. Because every individual has a unique background, determining how each person wants to be treated is a difficult task. Numerous studies have looked for trends in teacher leadership style preference based upon groupings of gender, teaching experience, and highest earned degree (e.g., Bird & Wang, 2013; Eddins, 2012; Greiman, Addington, Larson, & Olander, 2007; Martin, 2015). However, these categories are broad and may not
Leadership is an awesome responsibility, and regardless of where leadership occurs, followers want leadership that is trustworthy, inspiring, consequential, and most importantly, effective. Thus, effective leadership is often weighed in theory and common indicators such as the impact on a team or process, follower attitudes and perceptions, and even career longevity (Yukl, 2010). Furthermore, leadership effectiveness may also be determined by the leader’s title, position, skills, traits, and moral behaviors (Carolina College of Biblical Studies [CCBS], n.d.). Often overlooked in all these things are God’s purpose for leadership, and the call for the leader to remain obedient to God while leading (CCBS, n.d.). Since mankind is sinful by