Comprehensive Youth Ministry as a framework
This document serves to provide a framework for Catholic Youth Ministry with three goals:
- To foster the personal and spiritual growth of each young person
- To draw young people into responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community
- To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.
These goals are advanced through eight focus areas:
- Prayer and Worship
- Evangelisation
- Catechesis
- Pastoral Care
- Community Life
- Justice and Service
- Leadership Development
- Advocacy
The comprehensive approach is a framework for integration and cohesion rather than a specific model. It is not a single program or recipe for ministry.
The framework is flexible, adaptable and inclusive, encompassing intergenerational, multicultural, family-friendly and developmentally appropriate programs and tools with which youth ministry can be developed.
It is designed to affirm existing models of youth ministry; provide direction; and encourage local creativity.
Youth Ministries with people in any situation – indigenous, disabled, homeless, migrant, refugee, isolated and rural and suburban or inner city youth – can all find their ministry reflected in this document, and draw from it.
Each generation of young people has its distinct traits, and their environment is constantly changing. Young people may have increasingly different opportunities and worldviews from their parents, or even their older or younger siblings. These generational differences need to be taken into consideration when developing ministry with young people. Young people generally live within a family environment, and planning for youth ministry needs to acknowledge and incorporate the significant influence of families.
