K
KathyA
Guest
…and do you think there should be a “maximum age limit”?
Kathy
Kathy
- Status
P
Phemie
Guest
The three who work with our youth are late 40s to mid 50s, We have no young people willing to do it so having a ‘max age’ would mean no youth group at all.
K
kage_ar
Guest
Why an age limit? Can teenagers not learn from someone after a set age?
A youth minister should be old enough to be respected - and be young at heart.
A youth minister should be old enough to be respected - and be young at heart.
K
KathyA
Guest
As a volunteer youth minister nearly 45, I sure hope teenagers can learn from someone in my age set!
I may need to work on the ‘young at heart’ thing though. 
It was just a curiosity question. I’ve been involved for about 10 years. My older son is a Junior this year, so I will absolutely stick with it until he graduates. After that, my next one through the ranks is only 3 1/2. Will I still be doing youth ministry then???
If I step down, I think it would be hard to find someone willing to pick it up. Probably many parishes are the same. I am just always in awe of “young” youth ministers because they set an example for teens that an old married woman can’t. (Not that the example of marriage is bad…teens just sometimes can’t relate with that in high school.)
Kathy
S
stbruno
Guest
We have one extremely vital one that the kids in our diocese adore and she’s in her 80’s. Has been doing youth ministry for over 50 years! Right now she and her committee are plannning a weekend retreat for kids coming from 3 states.God bless her.
K
KathyA
Guest
AMEN! AWESOME!
P
Phemie
Guest
I know that our local Pentecostal Church has two levels for their Ministers: a Senior Pastor and a Youth Pastor. IIRC, their ‘Youth Pastor’ only has that position in any community until he reaches the age of 35. They are the Church with the most youth involvement in our entire town.
I don’t think it’s because of the age of the Minister though, I think it’s because they live their religion in their family on a daily basis, unlike many of our Catholics who are only Catholics on Sunday morning. We can count on two hands the number of teens at Mass on most Sundays. Even the ones who went to WYD seem to have come to Church in order to be allowed to go to Australia but have not been seen since they came back.
I don’t think it’s because of the age of the Minister though, I think it’s because they live their religion in their family on a daily basis, unlike many of our Catholics who are only Catholics on Sunday morning. We can count on two hands the number of teens at Mass on most Sundays. Even the ones who went to WYD seem to have come to Church in order to be allowed to go to Australia but have not been seen since they came back.
H
Highwayhound
Guest
At St Patricks the group is led by a young lady in her late 20’s.
Growing up I made friends with a handful of people in the community who were over 80 years old. Age is no barrier to youthful minds.
Keep up the good work Kathy A.
God Bless
I would like to offer this encouragement - a young woman would be hard pressed to set the example of an older married woman.
Growing up I made friends with a handful of people in the community who were over 80 years old. Age is no barrier to youthful minds.
Keep up the good work Kathy A.
God Bless
B
BlestOne
Guest
Last year’s leader is 26 and just left for the seminary… this years is in his early 30’s…
I do think it is easier to relate to the kids if you have younger leaders…
I do think it is easier to relate to the kids if you have younger leaders…
C
claforet
Guest
I am the parish youth minister. i am 29. i believe i relate well to our young people. i think a person should be a youth minister until they are 65 retirement age. Asking people to step down before that beacuse of their age is an act of injustice and de-values the dignity of the human person. whould you ask the pope to step down because he is too old? i think it doesn’t matter your age, as long as you know your stuff and are competent.
C
claforet
Guest
also, there is a risk in being too young… not having expereince, theology and educational background and the risk of “being a friend” more than a minister. When i first started i delt with a lot of discipline issues because the kids saw me as “one of them” rather than someone supporting them in their faith… coudl be a danger…
S
Susan_Calvin
Guest
I don’t think there should be an age limit on being a youth minister; whoever has a gift in that area should be allowed the position, regardless of age. In the parish I attend, the youth minister is a religious, wears a habit, and is in her 40s. I don’t know Sister well but I see her at mass every morning and she has always been friendly and helpful. She is well regarded in the parish and I hear the youth group is large and very active.
S
sabriner
Guest
The idea of having an adult minister and then a youth one seems to be a pretty good idea. In fact, our pastor has just installed that “system” last week.
I’m 19, turning 20 this year. I’ll be working with a deacon and a family man about 40 years old. A lot of our youth leaders (who are all younger than me) are a little iffy about it but I welcome the adults, because now we have the “relatability” of a younger person with the wisdom of someone more experienced with executing activities, etc. Plus, we have a deacon!
Before me, there was a 22 year-old youth minister. She pretty much planned and executed everything, with a little help from us. She did really, really well for a young person I suppose, but I think she was just especially gifted by God to do that kind of a ministry (she is now a postulant in the religious life.)
I’m 19, turning 20 this year. I’ll be working with a deacon and a family man about 40 years old. A lot of our youth leaders (who are all younger than me) are a little iffy about it but I welcome the adults, because now we have the “relatability” of a younger person with the wisdom of someone more experienced with executing activities, etc. Plus, we have a deacon!
Before me, there was a 22 year-old youth minister. She pretty much planned and executed everything, with a little help from us. She did really, really well for a young person I suppose, but I think she was just especially gifted by God to do that kind of a ministry (she is now a postulant in the religious life.)
M
MrsHall
Guest
She is in her 40’s, a mom of four. Her whole family is active in the parish. She’s great!
I grew up in protestant churches where we had youth pastors who, for the most part, were overgrown kids with a Bible college degree. They neglected their wives and babies to hang out with a bunch of teenagers, and the parents in the church spent half their time explaining WHY they didn’t think a worm eating contest was the best idea for the youth group all nighter. We did have one who pastor was a little more serious than that, and he didn’t last long because he didn’t “click” with the kids. You can’t lead if you’re in the same place as the people following you. God bless the 80 year old youth leader. “If we walk with the wise we will become wise.” “If the blind lead the blind they both fall in the ditch.” Just my humble opinion.
I grew up in protestant churches where we had youth pastors who, for the most part, were overgrown kids with a Bible college degree. They neglected their wives and babies to hang out with a bunch of teenagers, and the parents in the church spent half their time explaining WHY they didn’t think a worm eating contest was the best idea for the youth group all nighter. We did have one who pastor was a little more serious than that, and he didn’t last long because he didn’t “click” with the kids. You can’t lead if you’re in the same place as the people following you. God bless the 80 year old youth leader. “If we walk with the wise we will become wise.” “If the blind lead the blind they both fall in the ditch.” Just my humble opinion.
J
Joannm
Guest
Our youth minister is 54 years old and the best one the parish ever had. She has taken the kids on mission trips, they go into the city to feed the homeless, they have great speakers and we are one of only two parishes in the whole diocese that actually has CCD for teens, which she leads. We also have more kids in the group than we ever had.
M
musicality
Guest
I don’t think that there should be an age limit at all…
What is most important is that the youth minister is able to connect with and understand the youth on their own level. I’m 18, and I really see how certain people can turn-off those in my age group, leading to many of my peers lapsing in faith.
What is most important is that the youth minister is able to connect with and understand the youth on their own level. I’m 18, and I really see how certain people can turn-off those in my age group, leading to many of my peers lapsing in faith.
J
JohnDeereFan
Guest
I’m not Catholic but our church doesn’t have a youth minister or a youth group.
B
Bussi
Guest
We do have a young adults group (YAG) at our Cathedral parish and I am guessing that those adults who are ministering are in the 35-50’s age group and those who are members are in the 20’s-38 years old. My wife and I just celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary and even though we are not directly involved with the YAG, we are indirectly asociated through the Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) because many members of the YAG have made a CRHP retreat, are single and are very interested in how a couple can remain married for so long and they do listen when we tell them how we did it. (the secret is in some very unusual math: 1+1+1+1=1 in effect, if you don’t have God at the center of your marriage you really don’t have a marriage if you don’t live your Sacrament of Marriage.
The women’s CRHP teams regularly ask my wife to give one of the talks on the CRHP weekend retreats. At the last one, because my wife cannot stand for long periods and had to sit during her talk, the young women sat on the floor arrayed around her (she refers to them as her “chickies” ) ( I was disappointed that no on thought to take a picture of it. It would have been a prize photo, not because it was my wife but from the standpoint of the message it would present to anyone viewing it).
there are young people who are willing to listen to older people and then there are those who refuse to. It’s unfortunate but it’s just the influence of the secular world. I suspect that those youngster that attend youth groups are those who have not bought into the lies of our increasingly secularized culture.
The women’s CRHP teams regularly ask my wife to give one of the talks on the CRHP weekend retreats. At the last one, because my wife cannot stand for long periods and had to sit during her talk, the young women sat on the floor arrayed around her (she refers to them as her “chickies” ) ( I was disappointed that no on thought to take a picture of it. It would have been a prize photo, not because it was my wife but from the standpoint of the message it would present to anyone viewing it).
there are young people who are willing to listen to older people and then there are those who refuse to. It’s unfortunate but it’s just the influence of the secular world. I suspect that those youngster that attend youth groups are those who have not bought into the lies of our increasingly secularized culture.
- Status