Imagining youth ministry

Our young people, those from middle-school to high-school age, are not only the future of the Church, they are the “now” of the Church! They can be potential evangelizers of us “old folks”.  Their energy and enthusiasm, when directed by the Holy Spirit, can enrich the lives of our parish in ways that we have not yet even imagined. So let’s try to imagine it now. Imagine that every Sunday evening our young people gather together to break open the Word of God. Then they play volleyball and laugh and talk in the courtyard (Purcell) or under the pecan trees (Pauls Valley).  Imagine that on Saturday mornings, once a quarter, they would do a service project and then have a picnic lunch to talk about the things they did and how Catholic social teaching helps them to understand it from the light of faith. Imagine a youth Mass in which ALL of the ministries were performed by the youth, including a reflection after the Gospel reading. Imagine skits and liturgical plays that help the Gospel story come alive with real people talking and role-playing. Imagine our young people coming back from retreats, twice a year, all aglow with the Holy Spirit, so on fire with faith that they struggle to “come down from the mountain top”. Imagine having a young person on our parish staff with whom they can talk and share their fears and intimate concerns. This is what it might mean for us to develop a youth ministry in our parish. Are we ready to unleash the power of the Holy Spirit? - - - Fr. Jim