In the Orlando Convocation of Catholic Leaders in July 2017, I assisted in the presentation of a breakout session on the topic of helping young people to make the transition from youth to young adulthood. Along with me on the panel were effective young adult ministry leaders from around the country.
The key insights offered in the panel discussion included the following:
The Church encourages us to make an option for the young. We must make outreach to young adults a clear pastoral priority in our parishes, our diocese, and our Catholic organizations.
The time, energy, and resources that we invest in direct pastoral work with young adults are a wise investment. It’s an act of stewardship that promises a rich harvest. When we teach young adults and form them in leadership, we are developing a resource that will build up the Church for generations.
The attitude that works in our ministry with young adults is this:
Love them.
Have confidence in their abilities.
Be open to the Holy Spirit's action of bringing us young adults with special gifts that we need for the projects of our parish or organization.
Young adults are seeking and questioning. We must engage them with honesty, patience, and mercy. We need to provide them with a thorough formation in the Catholic faith in all of its fullness, not just the little slice of it that we might prefer. This includes the unborn as well as the poor, contemplation and action, the intellectual as well as the social, good liturgy and clear doctrine, and attention both to social justice and to our teachings about sexuality and marriage.
We are called to radical hospitality, letting young adults know that they are welcomed and embraced by the Catholic Church. It is important that we make our parishes and organizations “young adult friendly.” This includes finding ways to place them in visible roles in the liturgy, because what attracts young adults is the visible presence of other young adults. This also includes reserving places for them on our councils and making room for them as protagonists with opportunities for influence.
In our parishes and Catholic organizations, our adult leaders need to dedicate time to mentoring young adults, so we can train them to assume positions of appropriate leadership. We must give them the feedback and support they need to grow in their leadership skills.
The experience of taking part in this breakout session on ministry with young adults gave me great hope for the future of our Church. There are many places where young adults are thriving in the Catholic Church in our country, and we can also have success right here in the 29 counties of West Texas.