FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Youth Ministry?
Youth Ministry is every effort by the Christian community to reach out to the youth with the love of God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The entire parish does youth ministry by caring for its young people and welcoming them into every aspect of parish life. Oftentimes, some members of the parish specifically focus on running youth-oriented programs that invite teens into a relationship with Christ and His Church.   



Why call it "Youth Ministry" and not "CYO" like my parents and grandparents used to? 
We call ministry to teens "youth ministry" and not "CYO" because the current understanding of youth ministry is far more comprehensive than the older model of CYO. The CYO of the 1950's and 1960's operated in the context of a Catholic culture--especially Catholic family life, which formed teens into the Catholic community. CYO, therefore, served as a supplement to that Catholic culture, providing primarily social and sporting outlets for Catholic teens. Nowadays, however, teens grow up in a secular culture for the most part. The response of parish youth ministry to this reality has been to fill the gap by providing programs that reach teens on every level: spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically. A typical parish youth ministry today might include: peer ministry, teen leaders, prayer, retreats, service, Catholic Christian formation, fellowship, socializing and athletics. In other words, to call youth ministry today "CYO" could leave some people with the impression that the parish sponsors basketball and dances for teens when in fact there is far more to their youth program.   

What does a Youth Minister do? 
A youth minister is the point person in the parish for youth ministry. He/she coordinates all the youth programs, trains the youth ministry team in the parish that is made up of adult parishioners, advocates for the needs of youth in the parish, and insures that the vision of the youth outreach remains rooted in the mission of the Church. Most of all though, the youth minister and the youth ministry team invest their time into building relationships with the teens of the parish so as to serve as Christlike role models and people in whom the youth can trust as Christian friends and mentors. Therefore, it is not unusual to see a youth ministry person "hanging out" with teens at their school, the movies, a local diner, or a high school sporting event. Good youth ministry invests a lot of time into building relationships with teens and earning the right to invite young people into a deeper experience of faith through youth programs.   

My parish doesn't have a Youth Ministry, how can we start one? 
The Office of Youth Ministry provides a clearinghouse for parishes looking to hire youth ministers part-time or full-time. If you are interested in hiring a youth minister, please call Al Forsythe at 201-998-0088 or e-mail him at forsytal@rcan.org.  If you are looking for a position in youth ministry, please contact Al and send a resume to the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, 499 Belgrove Drive , Kearny , NJ 07032 .  

Is there any training available for people interested in doing Youth Ministry? Training is available for youth ministers or parishioners who are called to do youth ministry in their community. Parishes can send these people to a Basic Training in Youth Ministry series sponsored by the Archdiocesan Youth Ministry office. See our Current Calendar for more information or call the Youth Ministry Office at 201-998-0088.  

 Do people who do Youth Ministry get paid?
Since everyone in the parish should be "doing youth ministry" (i.e. reaching out to young people in the community), it would be impossible to pay everyone. However, those who coordinate the formal youth ministry efforts of the parish usually receive a professional salary. A standardized salary scale for full-time and part-time coordinators of youth ministry is available through the Archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry.

The Documents of the Second Vatican Council, as well as several statements of the American Bishops, call for the Church to address the question of just wages. A just wage for any minister (priest, vowed religious or lay person) is one which frees that person from being preoccupied with such material concerns as food, clothing, medical care, etc. While no minister expects to accumulate a fortune from ministry, the pay scale is intended to meet ordinary expected expenses of the average lay minister.

Where can I look for more information about Youth Ministry? 
The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry has a website at www.nfcym.org. Another good youth ministry site is at www.ymnetwork.net.   


What about vocations to the priesthood, religious life (sisters and brothers) and lay ministry?
The Office of Vocations would be happy to speak with anyone interested in a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. You can contact the Office of Vocations via the Archdiocese of Newark web site.

If you are looking to talk about possible vocations to lay ministry in the Church, please contact Al Forsythe at forsytal@rcan.org.  

What is the U.S. Bishops document Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry?
In August of 1997, the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a formal statement about youth ministry in the U.S.   The Bishops outline three goals for ministry with teens: Youth Ministry seeks to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today, Youth Ministry seeks to draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community, and Youth Ministry works to foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person. The Bishops also highlight 8 components of Youth Ministry including:

• Ministry of Prayer and Worship

• Ministry of Catechesis

• Ministry of Community Life

• Ministry of Pastoral Care

• Ministry of Justice and Service

• Ministry of Evangelization

• Ministry of Advocacy

• Ministry of Leadership Development

A copy of the Bishops' document Renewing the Vision (English or Spanish) is available for $5.00 through the Archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry. Call the Office at 201-998-0088.

What is the status of youth ministry in the Archdiocese of Newark ? 
The Archdiocese of Newark currently has approximately 240 parishes with 1.4 million Catholics. More than half of the parishes report to be involved in some ministry with their youth. Many of those 120 parishes employ a full or part-time youth minister. Others serve their youth work with a priest and a team of parents and young adult parishioners. Training through the Youth Ministry Office is available for all those who are interested. Please see the Current Programs link for more information. You can also call the Office at 201-998-0088.