Parish youth ministry programs thriving, bring real value to young Catholics

Across generations, the Church has been intentional in its outreach to youth, creating programs and activities that have kept teens connected and able to grow in their understanding of the faith. Many of today’s adult parishioners recall their own youth group experiences when growing up.

Youth ministry programs have been a mainstay in many parishes but face an ever-growing number of distractions that draw on teens’ time and attention. Major setbacks such as the coronavirus pandemic from 2020 to 2022 have also presented challenges to youth programs, requiring ministers and advisers to rebuild flagging memberships.

But indicators in recent years point to positive trends in parish youth ministry programs. In May, Terry Ginther, executive director of the Diocese of Trenton’s Office of Pastoral Life and Mission, reported to the curia that seven parishes have launched or were about to launch new or renewed youth programs.

Dan Waddington, who has been at the helm of the Diocese’s efforts to support and cultivate vibrant parish youth programs since 2017, acknowledges the upswing in parish programs and other markers of growing youth participation. Having served as youth minister and pastoral associate for 20 years in St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville, Waddington brings a wealth of experience and a deep sense of mission to his work as director of the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

Waddington recently sat down with The Monitor to share some of his thoughts about ways that youth groups continue to offer vital experiences for young Catholics.

What is your response to the growth in youth ministry programs and what does it say about the importance of youth ministry overall?

It is truly wonderful to see that so many parishes in our Diocese are placing an importance on youth ministry efforts in their communities. Some of our parishes have had a strong, consistent effort for many years with great success while others have struggled for a variety of reasons, including the lingering effects of COVID-19.

However, in the last year or so, several parishes have begun or renewed a youth ministry effort and seen very positive responses. Efforts to involve young people (including Confirmation candidates) in parish life beyond class, to form or rejuvenate youth groups, and to participate in diocesan events like the Diocesan Youth Conference and Mission: Jersey are all positive examples of this increased interest.

What challenges has youth ministry faced over the past decade and how has it adapted in response?

The impact of COVID and the primary characteristics of Gen-Z and Gen Alpha have challenged youth and young adult ministry to evolve over these past several years. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has also responded to this need by publishing a new guide to support families and pastoral ministers in the accompaniment and evangelization of youth and young adults called “Listen, Teach, Send.” This pastoral plan is modeled after the “Road to Emmaus” and emphasizes the need to “walk with” young people in faith.

While youth ministry has been called to advance in how we best serve young people and their families, the foundations and goals of youth ministry remain the same. To help a young person experience and live their faith in a way that is real to them and applicable to their everyday lived experience … “today.” Accepting and meeting a young person “where they are” and then helping them to grow as we accompany them on their faith journey is crucial to helping them embrace our faith as their own. In also helps them to know how much they are loved by and needed in our Church.

How would you say that a youth ministry background equips young Catholics for the moral challenges they will face in today’s difficult climate?

Through youth ministry we are directly supporting a young person to develop a personal relationship with Jesus, and a strong sense of Catholic identity. This identity and sense of belonging equips them with a foundation they stand on as they negotiate the many challenges our world throws at them. A strong youth and young adult ministry effort can be a powerful mechanism that serves these goals in a significant way.

–Submitted by Rayanne Bennett, Associate Publisher