Why do people object to youth ministry?

[JackVk]

I’ve been getting really frustrated with the “more-Catholic-than-the-pope” types lately, but what really bothers me is when people have some kind of vendetta against the youth of the Church, no matter how faithful they are. I’m involved in youth ministry, and I dare say there’s a lot of potential (I’m 20, by the way). I’ll see people online (go figure) who demonize things like the YouCat or LifeTeen (which give good, solid catechesis). Even here of CAF a couple weeks ago, asking for prayers for a Teens Encounter Christ retreat Iwhich is based on Cursillo, and I believe is even mentioned in the Catechism somewhere). The first response had criticisms of it!

What’s the deal? What do these people have for their ideas if they’re so bright? Hit the kids over the head with a Catechism for 8 years? I had that kind, and after Confirmation, pretty much lived my whole high school career as a godless pagan.

I’m volunteering at a parish (second-closest to my home) where the confirmation program is has become a lot more interactive and “youth-groupy” if you will. Of course this isn’t a parish with the TLM, and they’ve had a “guitar” Mass before, but it’s far from a liberal modernist parish! When it comes to doctrine, this parish is VERY loyal! And we’ve gotten feedback that our confirmation program is an improvement from putting the confirmandi in a classroom! They want God and are more interested!

Note that I’m not saying to make the Church more “fun” (before the Pharisees accuse me of that). I’m saying that we need to plant the desire for God in their hearts! I was brought to my faith by FAITHFUL Catholics who loved me and showed me God’s love, not by being convinced in a debate! So why do people gripe about it? Is the method of bringing Christ to young people and vice-versa somehow not “traditional” enough?

 

[yukonbrad]

Don’t be discouraged, there will allways be holier than thou types, the irony is these types often are the least active in thier parish and the most hypocritical. Up here there are very few active youth (outside of the main “city” of Whitehorse). In fact when I lived in Dawson City I was the yongest member of the parish at 38. Don’t loose faith, more people out there love to see young people active in thier faith and parish - keep up the good work!

 

[Edward_H]

Some youth ministry over focuses on “experiential”, often as a competitive response to Young Life, and other Evangelical Protestant groups.

There is no acknowledgement of forming the intellect or developing the will, or the interior life. It’s all aimed at the emotions, and this is mere little wind in the sail.

 

[Edward_H]

Some youth ministry over focuses on “experiential”, often as a competitive response to Young Life, and other Evangelical Protestant groups.

There is no acknowledgement of forming the intellect or developing the will, or the interior life. It’s all aimed at the emotions, and this is mere little wind in the sail.

 

[JackVk]

Some youth ministry over focuses on “experiential”, often as a competitive response to Young Life, and other Evangelical Protestant groups.

There is no acknowledgement of forming the intellect or developing the will, or the interior life. It’s all aimed at the emotions, and this is mere little wind in the sail.

You just proved my point. Your objections are that we’re trying to be just like the “rah rah rah” churches. Sorry, but from my own experience, I dare say it’s not true. Take the high school group I volunteer for: we will have a meal, watch a video (typically), then break up into small groups and have deep dicussions about it.

Also, we have a college group in which we read Henri Nouwen’s book *The Life of the Beloved *. Now we are watching a series of videos of a Presbyterian minister listening to and answering ojbections from atheists. Aside from the fact that it’s a Protestant pastor answering it, it really generates discussion that bears fruit. For example, we were able to explain the Catholic Church’s teaching on evolution from it.

And then at a confirmation session last year, we showed the 8th graders Catholic Answers, LifeTeen, and Fr. Robert Barron, as well as teaching them the new Mass translation, and many other deep things.

 

[JackVk]

And I apologize if I’m coming off as uncharitable. I’m just really aggravated right now, and I think I needed to vent.

 

[Edward_H]

Your example may be working. But, I’ve seen parishes after parishes lull the kids to sleep or push them to text under the tables with stupid, empty insipid skits. Most abandon the faith when they get to college. They have no interior life, they have little intellectual formation, they don’t know how to practice the virtues. They have little love of the Sacraments. They have no love of Confession, the Eucharist; they don’t understand the Mass because they’ve spent too much time listening to Protestant pastors talking about this or that.

 

[JackVk]

Your example may be working. But, I’ve seen parishes after parishes lull the kids to sleep or push them to text under the tables with stupid, empty insipid skits. Most abandon the faith when they get to college. They have no interior life, they have little intellectual formation, they don’t know how to practice the virtues. They have little love of the Sacraments. They have no love of Confession, the Eucharist; they don’t understand the Mass because they’ve spent too much time listening to Protestant pastors talking about this or that.

Of course, I should mention that it’s not perfect. It’s probably not even the youth ministers’ fault. I didn’t mention that in my case, I was raised in a nominally Catholic household where all I did for the faith was get dumped off at CCD every Sunday night (we didn’t even go to Mass regularly). So it might also have parenting issues mixed in (sorry if that’s a red herring).

 

[Iheartcoffee]

You really need to just tailor the youth group to the kids that are actually in it. If evangelical youth groups are the norm around your area that’s probably going to be what the kids at the Parish want. It’s a Catholic-ized version of what their many protestant friends go to.

There is NOTHING wrong with trying different styles and approaches as long as you remain faithful to the teachings. After all, it’s what Christians have been doing for centuries. You don’t evangelize by telling people that the faith is completely incompatible with their hobbies and culture. You evangelize by taking the good things from that culture, mixing it with the Faith, and showing how the Faith will transform them to make them even better people!

 

[Edward_H]

You really need to just tailor the youth group to the kids that are actually in it. If evangelical youth groups are the norm around your area that’s probably going to be what the kids at the Parish want. It’s a Catholic-ized version of what their many protestant friends go to.

There is NOTHING wrong with trying different styles and approaches as long as you remain faithful to the teachings. After all, it’s what Christians have been doing for centuries. You don’t evangelize by telling people that the faith is completely incompatible with their hobbies and culture. You evangelize by taking the good things from that culture, mixing it with the Faith, and showing how the Faith will transform them to make them even better people!

You don’t give kids what they want. You give them the great things, and you teach them to struggle and to give their all for God.

You don’t water things down and inject fake fun into formation. No you provide cream, cheerfully, confidently, with a sense of humor. You mix things up but you make sure they are formed soundly. And this can be done positively.

 

[JackVk]

You don’t evangelize by telling people that the faith is completely incompatible with their hobbies and culture. You evangelize by taking the good things from that culture, mixing it with the Faith, and showing how the Faith will transform them to make them even better people!

Yes, my point exactly! I totally agree with you! But there are people out there who have a problem with that! It’s not like we’re advocating for women’s ordination or for rock music at Mass!

 

[Deo_Gratias42]

And then at a confirmation session last year, we showed the 8th graders Catholic Answers, LifeTeen, and Fr. Robert Barron, as well as teaching them the new Mass translation, and many other deep things.

Yikes! That is deep!

When do you plan on teaching about the 9 levels of prayer, St. John of the Cross, and the interior life? People need to get past vocal prayer.

You’re 20 now. You’re still young. I’m almost 30 and have seen where the LifeTeen crowd of my youth have gone, and it isn’t the straight and narrow path. The problem is LifeTeen does not bear fruit. It makes youth feel warm fuzzies for a few years, but eventually those youth grow up and outgrow those warm fuzzies and seek different “Warm fuzzies” It’s not that we’re “holier than thou”, but we are concerned for all souls involved. These youth are going to have to bear crosses, and thus will need a good solid foundation from the saints to bear those crosses.

 

[JackVk]

You don’t give kids what they want. You give them the great things, and you teach them to struggle and to give their all for God.

You don’t water things down and inject fake fun into formation. No you provide cream, cheerfully, confidently, with a sense of humor. You mix things up but you make sure they are formed soundly. And this can be done positively.

We’re NOT watering anything down! We’re putting it in a way that they’ll understand. And look: you used that argument of “making it more fun” that I rejected in the OP!

 

[Edward_H]

We’re NOT watering anything down! We’re putting it in a way that they’ll understand. And look: you used that argument of “making it more fun” that I rejected in the OP!

We’re talking past each other. If the focus is on entertaining kids or repackaging the Faith into marketing bullets, we fail. Kids need formation…adults need formation. Learning about God and how to love Him can be done without schmaltz.

 

[JackVk]

When do you plan on teaching about the 9 levels of prayer, St. John of the Cross, and the interior life? People need to get past vocal prayer.

1. Never even heard of the 9 Levels of Prayer.
2. This is not a good audience for St. John of the Cross. He writes for people who already have a solid prayer life and are as orthodox as can be. These are kids, remember, and we need to meet them where they are.
3. The interior life is something we should work on, agreed.

 

[teenphilo1]

This might seem odd, but bear with me.

I think co-ed youth groups are a bad thing.

Guys will be more attracted to that “macho” Christianity. Let’s talk about those saints that died preaching to Native Americans. Or those that evacuated monastaries during barbarian raids. Let’s take a new perspective on a guy escaping from a trade-hub, one of the largest cities in the civlilzed world, from one of the strongest and most technoligically advanced armies in the ancient world in a basket. A BASKET. Yeah, let’s give it up for St. Paul, everyone! Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. Lets talk about what suffering means when we say Jesus suffered and died for us.

Another reason: guys will trot out all the lines about sexuality if a girl is in the room. Remove the girls, more honest discussion.

Note how I did not speculate the girls side: I’m not a girl, I don’t know how your minds work. (please don’t take offense)

Just a thought.

 

[ccmnxc]

I’m a Peer Leader at my church. I’d say that the events we put on for middle schoolers are more geared toward fun with some prayer and adoration involved. The truth is, most of these kids wouldn’t come if it was all about prayer/bible study/apologetics. We have already lost a good percentage of students since adding adoration. There’s only so much God we can incorporate into an event before the youth lose interest. Once you get to the high school youth events, things get more interesting. We have a weekly formation where we get together and learn/discuss about relevant topics to high schoolers including Catholic morality and apologetics. This is something I really enjoy.
You need to strike a good balance between fun and God to work it out the best.

 

[benjammin]

You don’t give kids what they want. You give them the great things, and you teach them to struggle and to give their all for God.

You don’t water things down and inject fake fun into formation. No you provide cream, cheerfully, confidently, with a sense of humor. You mix things up but you make sure they are formed soundly. And this can be done positively.

So then what is your idea of evangelization. Seriously Edward H i’d like to know. If you don’t want to have some evangelical like group what do you do? Does that include college ministry. Than in that case a wonderful group like FOCUS shouldn’t exist because its founder has said he intended it to be a Catholic version of Campus Crusade for Christ.

Is it also wrong for the Newman Group I joined with or any other youth group to have fun and sing songs or play games or are we just supposed to be joyless and dour and not have fun. It’s not like were suggesting doing this at mass. I’m not saying you are not joyful in your faith, but sometimes it seems as if some traditional catholics are just too joyless. You don’t have to be heretical to be a joyful catholic do you.

 

[JackVk]

This might seem odd, but bear with me.

I

Another reason: guys will trot out all the lines about sexuality if a girl is in the room. Remove the girls, more honest discussion.

Note how I did not speculate the girls side: I’m not a girl, I don’t know how your minds work. (please don’t take offense)

Just a thought.

I also forgot to mention that we separate guys and girls in ours. And we don’t do LifeTeen, I’m just familiar with it.

 

[JackVk]

Yikes! That is deep!

When do you plan on teaching about the 9 levels of prayer, St. John of the Cross, and the interior life? People need to get past vocal prayer.

You’re 20 now. You’re still young. I’m almost 30 and have seen where the LifeTeen crowd of my youth have gone, and it isn’t the straight and narrow path. The problem is LifeTeen does not bear fruit. It makes youth feel warm fuzzies for a few years, but eventually those youth grow up and outgrow those warm fuzzies and seek different “Warm fuzzies” It’s not that we’re “holier than thou”, but we are concerned for all souls involved. These youth are going to have to bear crosses, and thus will need a good solid foundation from the saints to bear those crosses.

Your edition to your post is just downright condescending. I’ve had good formation, both in the youth group and by myself. And it’s not all just about “warm fuzzies”. Sure, that’s there, but we emphasize the fact that the faith is to be lived out in the world, not just something that happens in the youth room.