Your advice please! Career change

[ryanoneil]

Does anyone have experience as a Youth Minister, Director of Religious Education? Im a 33 year old Catholic man with an art degree and a job i’m sick of. I’d love to have a career with spiritual meaning, and wanted to get someones advice who is in either of these positions.

Or maybe you know of some online resources to help me with my discernment.

Thank You,

Ryan

 

[puzzleannie]

don’t get a false picture of a so-called “spiritual” career or job, most of the time being a DRE is the same administrative morass as any other job. In fact, and in conversation with my comadres I am not the only one to feel this way, it can actually be a real threat to your own spirituality to work for the Church unless you take real concrete steps to actively combat this.

contact the director of the office of catechetics in your diocese and find out what the qualifications are for YM, DRE or other job. Our diocese is doing YM training right now.

 

[Scout]

I worked as a Children’s Ministry Director before I converted to Catholicism a few years back.

I enjoyed working with the children, but what I didn’t like was the politics involved with the job. It seemed like I had to cater to every parent, volunteer and church leader that came my way. It felt like I couldn’t get someone to volunteer for something unless I begged or offered them something in return.

I know not everyone is like that, and not every church is like that. However, it did seem like I had the same small group of people volunteering for everything. It was difficult to get new people to help out.

Because of all this, it often took my focus off the needs of the children and onto less-important issues. Unfortunately, I think this is an occupational hazard.

If you believe God is calling you for a career change, it’s okay to move out on faith. However, it would also be prudent and wise to get as much information about the new career as possible. Talk to people in the position, talk to people who were formerly in the position. Read lots of literature. Get as much advice as possible. Then you’ll know for sure if God is calling you or not.

Scout :tiphat:

 

[ryanoneil]

Thanks to both of you. I know God is calling me to evangelize. Presently in small ways to friends and family, and by attending RCIA . I don’t know if He intends for me to “work” for the Church though. I guess that is part of the discernment process.

If anyone has any general thoughts on the subject of careers and discernment, I would appreciate that also.

Ryan

 

[Joannm]

Thanks to both of you. I know God is calling me to evangelize. Presently in small ways to friends and family, and by attending RCIA . I don’t know if He intends for me to “work” for the Church though. I guess that is part of the discernment process.

If anyone has any general thoughts on the subject of careers and discernment, I would appreciate that also.

Ryan

I started out in the art field. First doing commercial art and then teaching art in a Catholic school. After 8 years of being a “special” I could not take teaching 500 kids a week and through being involved in the school liturgies I became interested in studying liturgy. This eventually led me to enroll in our seminary as a lay student and to positions in parishes revolving around liturgy and adult faith formation. I found while I had finally realized that teaching kids was not for me, I did love teaching adults. I agree with the poster who said the DRE positon is very administrative and has lots of headaches and not that much interaction with kids. Many parishes do not have adult faith formation coordinators and many can’t afford to hire them, but I happened to find a parish (they actually found me…sort of spirited me away from another parish where I was doing similar work for very little money and no budget), that would allow me to develop a program that is very good. We have various adult programs going on every week and we get have some excellent courses a few times a year, so it keeps me busy. I have noticed over the past two years that many parishes are beginning to see the need for people to teach adults and our diocese has an office for adult education. You many want to look into this area.

 

[TexCatholic4JMJ]

I can’t offer you much advice career wise, but I will pray for your
discernment.
Those who can work with our youth have my support. They are the
future of our church so if you can keep them on the right road
(or start them on it), that would be wonderful. You may not see
this but the Lord would.

 

[puzzleannie]

Thanks to both of you. I know God is calling me to evangelize. Presently in small ways to friends and family, and by attending RCIA . I don’t know if He intends for me to “work” for the Church though. I guess that is part of the discernment process.

If anyone has any general thoughts on the subject of careers and discernment, I would appreciate that also.

Ryan

very strongly suggest getting involved as a volunteer for a minimum of a year, where you work at least weekly in the area that interests you. ALL parishes need help with HS and Jr Hi youth, catechists and other volunteers for elementary RE, and RCIA sponsors.

 

[ryanoneil]

Thank you all again. I’m waiting for a call back from an advisor at the college. I left a voice mail, asking if they had a religious study program for non-traditional students. (nights, weekends, online) I wonder if going back to college is the best idea. I guess I wouldn’t mind, although I’d hate going back into debt.

Any thoughts?