The Young Adult Ministry of Chicago



	“Survey Says…!” 25th Anniversary Theology-on-Tap Pre-Conference: Young Adult Ministry – Archdiocese of Chicago October 13-14, 2005 Speakers: Dr. Bill Dinges & Dr. Dean Hoge Facilitators: Fr. John Cusick & Ms. Kate DeVries Wisdom from Oct. 13 sessions… · We need to listen to the research and use it in ministry. · Build on experiential desire (tattoos, media, etc.) and intrinsic tradition (break open our Catholic signs and symbols). · Signs & Symbols matter. Consider creating a brochure for the back of church to break open our rich tradition. · Healing the Life Stages – a good resource. · Find your key leaders and empower them. Build the House on rock! · The theology of Baptism is more important than the ecclesiology of membership. Surprising, challenging, encouraging or heartbreaking data… · Young Adults (Yas) seek meaningful experiences in Liturgy · Why be Catholic? It goes way back, spirituality is strong, Mass is inspiring, Catholics help the poor, Liturgy – especially music. · Eucharistic Adoration gives an experience of Christ they crave. · Ethnic identity and culture carry faith practices. · Safe / easy being Catholic – stronger under pressure (external threat leads to internal cohesion) · Good liturgy is critical. Questions / Issues… · US society embraces tolerance / not being judgmental / being open to others’ viewpoints. How do we consider this when we think about the Church and religious pluralism/relativism? · YAs are looking for a way to connect with the community. How do we engage them to make them want to work with and through Young Adult Ministry, and make a relevant contribution? · YAs have been raised in a culture where they can’t accept something unless they’ve “bought” it – emotionally, financially, spiritually. They need religion and faith to be “sold” to them. (Is this necessarily a bad thing? Just because previous generations had religion handed down?) Perhaps outreach would work better if we approached it more as a service / benefit – if we “sold” Catholicism better. · How do you keep a YA friendly environment when they don’t need church? What this says about Young Adult Ministry is… · There is a difference: Gen X vs. Millennials, and we need to talk about the American Culture (Columbine, 9/11, Katrina Tsunami) – some think “It could all end tomorrow,” others are on information overload; for some it’s “all about me,” for others, service is important. Millennials are individualistic; Gen-X are more communal. · Evangelists / unafraid to be exclusive / what now for Catholics? · Solution: Mystery ? Communal Communal ? Mystery · We need to “bridge the gap” between everyday life and our Catholic faith. · We need to give an “informed experience” and “experienced information” so we minister as a whole and give YAs the experience of the Body of Christ, which is the Kingdom of God. · YAs want / need acknowledgment of the conflict in the Church – between the doctrinal teachings and the issues which are “top of mind” for them (sexual moral issues) · More dialogue – where both priests and teachers engage without judgment, and ignite faith instead of division. · We need to find a way to bridge the disconnect between the YA and the practical application of Catholicism in their lives. Start a discussion of the so-called “pelvic issues” because they are real, relevant, and need to be talked about, not swept under the rug. · We need to figure out who the “early adopters” are of [Church, desire for deepening spirituality] and are well connected with others so they can seed and feed others. Action Steps – Given what I’m hearing and understanding, this is an action I could envision happening… · Listening more deeply to YAs. · Having YAs themselves create and cultivate this initiative – not older adults trying to understand and develop it and offering it to them. · Continue listening deeply, and hone the message. · Need the hierarchy to be more on board with “real life” and not alienate through swinging hard-core doctrine. Wisdom from Oct. 14 sessions… Surprising, challenging, encouraging or heartbreaking data… · Hearing Dean Hoge say that co-habitation before marriage no longer has much affect on whether a marriage is strong/successful surprised me. · How do we navigate the tension of our mission to educate adults in church teaching with the need for young adults (immersed in a pluralistic society accustomed to dialogue/debate/Socratic method) to dialogue / even participate in the dialogues happening? · 56% of young adult population had never even Heard of Vatican council. · The “pelvic issues” are separating young adults from the church in the sense that we ignore church teachings in the lived reality of our sexuality. Due to the shift in the life cycle, postponing marriage by 5-10 years, fewer young singles live chastity out until finding a permanent relationship. · Conservative reactionary cohort of young adults committed to devotional piety are a minority of Catholics. · 27% of transdenominational members are former Catholics. · Building community & helping young adults form a Catholic identity are crucial as our mission. We must, however address the “pelvic issues” with teaching methods that young adults can relate to. · Surprised that only 17% have ever been invited to consider Religious Life. · Need to do something different, think outside of the box. Questions / Issues… · US society embraces tolerance / not being judgmental / being open to others’ viewpoints. How do we consider this when we think about the Church and religious pluralism/relativism? · YAs are looking for a way to connect with the community. How do we engage them so they will want to work with and through Young Adult Ministry, and make a relevant contribution? · YAs have been raised in a culture where they can’t accept something unless they’ve “bought” it – emotionally, financially, spiritually. They need religion and faith to be “sold” to them. (Is this necessarily a bad thing? Just because previous generations had religion handed down?) Perhaps outreach would work better if we approached it more as a service / benefit – if we “sold” Catholicism better. · How do you keep a YA friendly environment when they “don’t need church”? What this says about Young Adult Ministry is… · We need to do things differently in Vocation Ministry – Need to go back consistently with same group being present. · Need to build relationships. · The pelvic issues are big. · What do we do with young adults who feel isolated because of these “pelvic issues”? · We need to address the “pelvic issues” in a way that is accepting and digestible but is still true to Catholic Teaching. We need to be pastoral. · Doctrine is not as important as other aspects of our Catholic tradition. Action Steps – Given what I’m hearing and understanding, this is an action I could envision happening… · Hold up models of committed Catholics living out chastity in states of life other than religious – Beatify more married people or even some committed singles whom young adults can admire & emulate (particularly in response to loss of faith in the committedness of even our clergy). · Address the concrete reality of a single adult sub-culture as a context in which chastity can be practiced (perhaps not in the sense this was traditionally perceived) · Offer substantive catechesis – building community, take them seriously, interacting and conversation · Offer a program on signs and symbols. · Talk about how to bring signs and symbols of our traditions to YAs; don’t label YAs. · Connect spirituality with Catholic sacraments, ritual, teaching. Find a way, through the Catholic faith, for YAs to express and celebrate their relationships. · Help folks to ask questions. Be comfortable and trust when they seek deeper understanding. Find truth through struggle. · Communicate doctrine creatively. · Use cultural idioms. · “Church isn’t ready for young adults.” (Young adults are hearing mixed messages: that the Church wants them, but is not offering anything to them.) · Invitation, welcome, love, empowerment, ownership, leadership, commitment mechanisms, hospitality, personal invitation. · Knowing “customer” before we develop services. · Dealing with controversial issues in creative ways. · How do we make church a priority in a busy schedule of activities? · It’s not that young adults feel alienated, it’s that they don’t have time to participate. · It was said that young adults don’t necessarily need the church at this time in their lives. If that’s true – why should we put so much focus on getting young adults to attend Mass? Why not get them interested or involved in social justice – something most of us are interested in – and wait for them to want to return to Mass? If they learn the connection between social justice and community and Christ, they will then understand their connection to the church and want to be a part of it. · Need to go out and invite to religious life (direct invitation). · Members of community (religious life) need to invite to join us. · Even broader – invite to attend Mass or activity in Church community. · Need to be present to wherever young adults are, yet need to do more. · Need more education with our Community. · Need more catechesis – AND be willing to allow the questions to engage young adults. Thursday, Oct. 13 - Flip Chart Notes Current Issues / Questions / Concerns in Young Adult Ministry: I. Parishes – Connect, Involve, Serve and Grow · How to get pastors interested in getting young adults connected · Working in a parish with young adults – grow and sustain · Connect within parish and within region · How to help parishes with young adults · How can parishes help young adults feel connected · Explore how Young Adult Ministry fits into whole parish catechesis · Stronger YA programs at parish · Address neglect of young adults in parish · How to get parishes more involved in bringing out young adults II. Improve Theology-on-Tap (TOT) Programs · How to make Theology-on-Tap happen · How to attract young alumni to TOT · How to get more YA to come, stay and return · Want to know how to make TOT work in parishes · Want ideas to bring back to parishes · How to attract 20s and 30s to TOT III. Get Young (20s) Involved · How to transition young adults from campus to parish · How to get younger adults (20s) involved IV. Catholic Identity with Specific Populations · Hispanic ministry to young adults · How to incorporate Asian perspective in Theology-on-Tap V. Serve YAs; Products, Programs · How to make relevant products · How to minister via media to young adults · Want to apply to vocation work · How to share gifts of religious community with them · Networking with Charis Ministries on programs VI. Learn · Hear the data; Get current with new data · Why? Observe trends and happenings · Answer the question, “Why am I still coming to Church, when my friends are not?” · How do local demographics connect to national statistics? VII. Deepen YA Spirituality · How to go deeper with young adults · Want to touch the hearts of young adults · How to help young adults make decisions (vocations) and recruiting · How to help young adults discern ministry within local and global Church. Friday, Oct. 14 - Wisdom of the Group (Flip Chart Notes) “Thoughts from the Dark Room….” · Those of us who work with young adults face many of the same issues no matter what our job titles are. · There is value in dialog, especially when you are open to the struggle. · There is need for more dialogue, and being who we are: don’t disappear. Remain open and present. It will lead to liberation in the witnessing the Gospel. · What is the “delivery system” for getting the message to the target group? o Readers, listeners o Broaden sense of vocations o Experience Theology-on-Tap, retreats, etc. · The “delivery systems” are ever changing. The stories we have remain the same; the way we tell them changes. Even what we do on Sunday changes. · Telling stories is a critical piece of the Catholic Imagination. Stories are a large part of handing down the tradition – they sink into our beings, and it changes how we act. · There is much to learn from other leaders; we are not alone. · We are dealing with a growing distance between the “movement church” and the “institutional church.” · Recognize that we are the institutional Church, and we are orthodox. · In the past, there were parishes & movements; today we have only the parishes. Let’s find ways to build upon the passion, fire, vision, energy & cash of young adults. · “Counter the Culture” – in the absence of the “enemy” of yesterday, find and point out the movement of God in the world and culture. · YAs are seeking community o They are a great resource to the parish – how can we help the parish get to know them and Love them? It has to be more than getting them in the pews or offering one program. · Prophetic – especially unwed mothers and AA community – what does that challenge us to be and do? · Personal Experience o YA want the opposite of faith being sold – they want to see it lived out and wring out of it. o How to promote without selling? Through personal conviction and witness. o YA of this generation want to know “Why?” Want more than the rules. · That so many lacking Catholic education is a serious issue: Catholic Culture (old days) ? Catholic Education & Identity Today as merged into American culture, they are no longer separate, but equal. The world today is highly secular/media. What happened to the influence of the parents? · Book: Soul Searching speaks to the issue that teens do what their parents do in terms of Church attendance, participation, and behavior. · We can’t lump all YAs together - Need different strategies for the different groups of YA’s e.g. minority – “traditionalists” majority – of culture · For RCIA – impact of high % marriage to non-Catholics o Mystagogy - What is after RCIA program to keep forming community for the long-run and day-to-day how to live the new life in the Sacraments? · Sub-groupings: YA ministry needs to be broad to attend to them. Wisdom from the Evangelization Team · Evangelization involves Head (solid content) and Heart (rituals, devotions, personal witness from someone credible) · There are commonalities to courtship · Various roles for leaders: Episcopal, Preaching (lay and priest), and Laity · Pay attention to cultural idioms, e.g., “Googling God” – paying attention says the Church is listening to Young Adults. · Invitational Strategies: people need training, encouragement, and a variety of experiences · A critical question is, “Why be Catholic?” · Not alienation, but busy schedules. Move beyond programs to ways of being. · Is Church really ready to include YAs? They are well educated, many have issues with the hierarchy, and church ministers don’t all embrace or know to do with them. Wisdom from the Parishes Team · The data resonated with reality. · How do we impart “truths” when we are struggling? Like in the Acts of the Apostles… o Be open about the struggle and be willing to move together. o Connect to truths as part of the struggles of previous generations. · The Impact of Latinos is a gift of community, if we are willing to listen – learn to dialogue with different cultures. What are their issues? Wisdom from the Diocesan Team · Key question: How do we work with parishes without being overwhelmed? o Build on what they are already doing. o Incorporate into existing ministries. · Tensions exist that need dialog – keep talking things through; keep communication open. Don’t get bogged down in who is Left or Right, Boomers or Xers, Closed or Open Minded. We are all Sons & Daughters of God. Wisdom from Vocation Ministry · Action Steps o Offering substantial opportunities for Catechesis & Community building o Ministry of Presence o Long term being with o Especially YAM-Chicago to dove tail o “Going Deeper” formation for church o Change Focus out of the box thinking is needed · Signs, symbols, devotions - revisiting with consistent groups. One shot deals are not sufficient. · Within religious communities o 17% of today’s YAs have never been invited to consider religious life o there has been a fear of asking; all are trying to understand their own charism. Starting to do more inviting. · Recognizing Generation Gap o Creative ways to be present, e.g. SLW A day of conversation. · Top Values – same as those in religious life and be open to ways of the devotions. Brainstorming this Question: “If I were a Bishop / Pastor / CEO / Provincial, I would….” I. If I were a Bishop I would: § Create/Implement a program in parishes to reach out with specific roles/goals. § Start a media blitz to emphasize a positive view of Catholic church. § Put more money in parishes in less affluent places. § Force connection with Hispanic YAs. § Work to find common ground. § Let YAs know we are incomplete without them. § Drink beer with YAs at Theology-on-Tap. § Support music directors. § Sit in on a bachelor’s theology degree, freshman level, for a semester. § Do weddings, baptisms, and funerals of ordinary people. § Create regional centers beyond local congregations. § Train for and expect good liturgy. § Sample liturgies around the diocese. § Require trained people to do what they are supposed to do. § Separate the diocesan offices of Youth and Young Adult Ministry. § Expand beyond Theology-on-Tap. § Reform how bishops are chosen. § Get box seats at the ball park. § Listen. § Shut down the diocesan newspaper and put money on internet, TV, radio, billboards, to showcase the best of who we are. § Require priests to sit in the pews for a month at least every two years. § Call for a convocation of priest. § Quietly develop 5-10 parishes. Stand-up and point YAs to those places. § Keep responsibilities of administrators and ministers separate. § Put effort into finding those who are disconnected. § Reinforce that Young Adults are not the “future” of our Church, but the “present.” § Give more influence to women and people of color. § Work with friendly pastors to promote good work. § I would lobby fellow bishops to set up a national serious of hearings, mostly of young adults, on issues of concern to them. § I would create and implement an archdiocesan-wide program to reach out to young adults in local parishes. § I would set up a young adult task force comprised of young adults to plan programs, including hearings on moral issues. II. If I were a Pastor I would: § Use relationship, network – work together/ YAs are floating § “Father (still) knows best.” Talk to, encourage, listen and make opportunities to pass on through dialogue the culture of Catholicism. § Explore spiritual, not religious space questions. Help serve unmet needs. § Focus on “Moments of return” (baptisms, weddings, funerals, times of illness, times of major decision making). § Financially support the ministries that can make the most difference. § Make sure that all staff members re-train regularly. § Rule: For every one minute you preach, spend one hour in reflection. § Encourage people to participate in places where love abounds and hearts are on fire. § Focus on the Mass; give more attention to getting more people involved through service. § Spend one week each year listening to each group in the parish. § Breakdown barriers and constantly reassess. § Good portion of all the boards and committees would be young adults. § Announce and work toward regenerating Catholic life. § Shut everything down – total focus on one hour per week: Mass. § Go to bars, etc, to meet people where they are. § Help recreate sense of mission to social justice. § Hire half of your staff and volunteers under 40 years old. § Hire full time YA-minister, and put money in their budget. “Where your treasure is…” § Train self and staff at five moments of attachment to be invitational. § Help others to understand that this struggle is part of what makes you Catholic and human. § There is a battle between bishops and priest - passing off weight of sexual abuse. Work toward having bishops and priests with new life. § Have the very best music program money can buy at your parish. § Hold the people accountable for the effort to reach out. III. If I were a CEO I would: § ID best catholic stories and deliver methods. § Dialog with media partners and parishes. § Strengthen the infrastructure to get the proper staff in place to develop and promote great resources. § Gather more info on what’s working, what’s not – post develop – distribution. § Survey incoming/outgoing college people to define methods and needs. § Visit the Archive – Chicago Tribune 175th Anniversary “Day in the life” of ordinary Catholics. Make more creative things like that happen. IV. If I were a Provincial I would: § Develop an office to set-up endowment of monetary support. § Format team day of reflection on data and be courageous. § Encourage dialogue. § Appoint director for family life; create directory of resources and distribute. § Ask vocation office to hold assembly to teach. Thank you for joining us! Please let us know if there is any way we can be helpful to you! Young Adult Ministry Office, Archdiocese of Chicago Fr. John Cusick & Ms. Kate DeVries 711 W. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60661 Voice: 312-466-9473; Fax: 312-466-9474 yam@yamchicago.org; http://www.yamchicago.org