By Juan Rodriguez
Oh, that you may truly bless me and extend my boundaries! May your hand be with me and make me free of misfortune, without pain! (1)
I want you to consider these words, That you may truly bless me and extend my boundaries
How many of us ask God to bless us?
What about asking Him to extend that blessing for you?
Do you ask Him to give His blessing to your loved ones, friends, your colleagues, your team, your group, and your Parish?
What about the youth group, or ministry you've started - are you asking for His blessing for the members?
Consider these three ideas as part of your Spiritual Journey as a youth leader or minister when planning your group leadership, or leading a youth group meeting:
1. Ask God for His blessing, and to extend your reach in capturing the hearts of youth and their families. To bless the leadership and to extend their gifts and talents.
2. Ask your parish's Patron Saint for their intercession, and to encourage you to reach youth within the boundaries of your parish. You can also use the Devotional Name of the parish as inspiration to reach for that blessing as well.
3. Pray for your religious leaders, parish staff members, and lay leadership to be open to the blessing and to help you extend your reach within your Parish boundaries.
By asking God, and the Parish Community, we are practicing prayer as a Communion of Saints.
Youth Ministry must work closely with the Church
The group name is crucial for the Mission. Like the Apostles Creed or Nicene Creed points us to what we as Catholics believe, the name of your group points to your Mission, which is connected to your Parish Mission.(4) With the group name and mission, your devotion grows, like a seed needing good soil, water, and light.
God's blessing and extension will show through your work, so you want to make your group known to the Community. It is important that you create a strong network
of Communication with:(5)
1. The Pastor, Religious Leaders, and Staff of the Parish.
2. The Lay Leadership of the Parish.
3. The Families of the Parish.
Strengthen your reach by creating a basic networking system, using these five ways to promote your youth group. It can strengthen your efforts by 40% - 50% in reaching parents and youth of your Parish: (6)
1. Create News Blurbs: For the bulletin, email, social media, and more.
2. Create Promos: Flyers, icons, business cards, snail mail material, and so much more.
3. Use Equipment: For promotions of your work – Computers, Laptops, Mobile Devices.
4. Telephone Numbers: Personal invitation, and outreach.
5. One on One: Meet people in Church, groups, at school, at work, and on the Streets
Create a Plan and Stick with it!
In the Gospel, our Lord stuck to a plan of choosing seventy two disciples to go out to the neighboring towns to bring the Good News. Jesus told the disciples what to do, what to say, and what to bring with them - it was His plan.(7)
Click on the Icon
We used the Q of A Parish Boundaries to develop this plan.
Renewing the Vision teaches, In parishes, young people need to have a wide variety of opportunities to use their gifts and to express their faith through meaningful roles. They will develop a spirit of commitment within a community only through actual involvement in the many ways the Church exercises and carries out its mission. Especially crucial is the interaction with those who have made a lifetime commitment to serving the Church as priests, sisters, brothers, and deacons; young people need to know that such service is both rewarding and fulfilling.(8) What is your plan? It is important that after you establish a network with your Pastor, Religious Leaders, Lay Leaderships, and Families, examine your parish boundaries, and work on a plan. Networking with the parish leadership, and studying the parish boundaries, will help you as a youth leader or youth minister reach families in your area. From residential to business, you can track down your audience (Culture, Language, Age, etc). You can even use your Parish registration system, Faith Formation Parish rosters, Baptism Registration Forms, groups that work with youth and young adults, Parish group census, and your city census to provide some ideas for your current population. The members of the youth group can volunteer in building this network, developing skills and talents for their future. All you and your team have to do is commit to God's blessing and trust like Jabez that He will extend your reach. Your youth group or ministry will grow. Just Imagine...
---------------
1. 1st Chronicles 4:10
2. Renew Your Vision PT 2, Goal 2, Parish Community; pg 12, 1st para.
3. Renew Your Vision PT 2, Goal 2, Parish Community; pg 13, 2nd para.
4. Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 26
5. Renew Your Vision PT 2, Goal 2, Parish Community; pg 13,3rd para.
6. Renew Your Vision, PT 2, Goal 2, Parish Community; pg 13,4th para.
7. Luke 10:1-12
8. Renew Your Vision, Goal 2, Parish Community; pg 13,4th para.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Juan Rodriguez is the Founder of the Youth & Young Adult Apostolate - Defenders of the Holy Trinity. He is a Youth Minister Consultant, using the document of Renewing the Vision, and creating an interpretation for a Parish Level development of Youth Ministry called Renew Your Vision. He is the Pastoral Associate, Director of Faith Formation, and Youth Minister at Queen of Angels Church in Sunnyside, NY. Married to his beloved Bertha M. Peralta Rodriguez, and the father of Liliana Maria Rodriguez. Juan is a lover of fantasy stories, dungeons & dragons, culinary arts, cigars, handball, and mixed martial arts.
Click Here for an Introduction to
Renew Your Vision
No comments:
Post a Comment