The definition of youth ministry offered by the Bishops is formed by our love for and our commitment to youth: youth have needs we care for and gifts to share. "Youth ministry is the response of the Christian community to the needs of young people and the sharing of the unique gifts of youth with the larger community" (RTV 1).

The themes of a comprehensive vision presented in Renewing the Vision provide a guide for ministry development that helps us to use all of our resources and to be inclusive and responsive in our ministry efforts.

Effective ministry responds to the developmental growth of young and older adolescents by developing programs and strategies that are age-appropriate and strategically focused to contribute to the positive development of youth.

Effective ministry recognizes the family as an important setting for ministry and provides links between the programs of youth ministry and the family home through the sharing of information, inclusive programs and resources.

Effective ministry provides for ministry to youth in the context of their culture and ethnic heritage. Effective ministry also promotes cross-cultural understanding and appreciation.

Effective ministry promotes collaboration with leaders, agencies and congregations in the wider community. This collaboration includes sharing information, sponsoring programs and developing advocacy efforts.

Effective ministry mobilizes the people of the faith community to become involved in youth ministry efforts by providing for diverse roles and commitments for adults and youth.

The components describe specific areas of the mission of the Church that work together to provide ministry with adolescents. These components provide a framework for the Catholic community to respond to the needs of young people and to involve young people in sharing their unique gifts with the larger community. (RTV 26)

The ministry of advocacy engages the Church to examine its priorities and practices to determine how well young people are integrated into the life, mission, and work of the Catholic community. It places adolescents and families first by analyzing every policy and program - diocesan, parish, domestic, and international - for its impact on adolescents and families.

The ministry of catechesis helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, increase their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith. The ministry of catechesis also helps young people enrich and expand their understanding of the Scriptures and the sacred Tradition and their application to life today, and live more faithfully as disciples of Jesus Christ in their daily lives, especially through a life of prayer, justice and loving service.

The ministry of community life builds an environment of love, support, appreciation for diversity, and judicious acceptance which models Catholic principles; develops meaningful relationships; and nurtures Catholic faith. ...The ministry of Community Life is not only what we do (activity), but who we are (identity) and how we interact (relationships).

The ministry of evangelization shares the good news of the reign of God and invites young people to hear about the Word Made Flesh. The starting point for the ministry of Evangelization "is our recognition of the presence of God already in young people, their experiences, their families, and their culture.

Evangelization, therefore, enables young people to uncover and name the experience of God already active and present in their lives. This provides an openness to the gift of the Good News of Jesus Christ" (Challenge of Catholic Youth Evangelization 7-8)? The ministry of Evangelization incorporates several essential elements: witness, outreach, proclamation, invitation, conversion, and discipleship.

The ministry of justice and service nurtures in young people a social consciousness and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in their faith in Jesus Christ, in the Scriptures, and in Catholic social teaching; empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts to address the causes of human suffering, to serve those in need, to pursue peace, and to defend the life, dignity, and rights of all people; infuses the concepts of justice, peace, and human dignity into all ministry efforts.

The ministry of leadership development calls forth, affirms, and empowers the diverse gifts, talents, and abilities of adults and young people in our faith communities for comprehensive ministry with adolescents. Leadership roles in adolescent ministry are key. Leaders must be trained and encouraged. This approach involves a wide diversity of adult and. youth leaders in a variety of roles.

The ministry of pastoral care is a compassionate presence in imitation of Jesus' care of people, especially those who are hurting and in need. The ministry of pastoral care involves promoting positive adolescent and family development through a variety of positive (preventive) strategies; caring for adolescents and families in crisis through support, counseling, and referral to appropriate community agencies; providing guidance as young people face life decisions and make moral choices; and challenging systems that are obstacles to positive development (advocacy}. Pastoral care is most fundamentally a relationship - a ministry of compassionate presence. Pastoral care enables healing and growth to take place within individuals and their relationships.

The ministry of prayer and worship celebrates and deepens young people's relationship with Jesus Christ through the bestowal of grace, communal prayer and liturgical experiences; it awakens their awareness of the spirit at work in their lives; it incorporates young people more fully into the sacramental life of the Church, especially eucharist; it nurtures the personal prayer life of young people; and it fosters family rituals and prayer.

We most commonly associate this first setting with youth ministry: ministry to and with youth. This includes the variety of ways that we gather young people for shared ministry. Youth group meetings, socials, sporting events, youth retreats, youth service events and special youth prayer services are examples of gathered ministries in the youth setting. Sometimes we provide specialized programs for small groups of young people. Often times we do not gather youth together to minister to them. We provide them with resources. Many parishes develop a card that fits in a young person's wallet or purse. This card includes hot-line support telephone numbers for their area. Other parishes organize teams of adults and youth to be present to high school football games, concerts, plays and other events where young people are present.

Ministry in the family setting includes the variety of ways that we support families as they share faith together in the home. This includes programs designed to help parents communicate with their adolescent. Resources that help families to pray and share together are also part of this setting. An important process in the family setting is building bridges between youth programs and the home. With strategies as simple as developing information packets for parents when youth attend a program, parents will know what their children are experiencing; they are better prepared to support these efforts.

The parish setting includes the many ways that youth experience ministry through the life of the parish itself. How do we include the gifts of youth and respond to their needs through our parish liturgies? What can we do to help youth join the central prayer of our faith? Some communities prepare liturgies that include youth in the liturgical ministries and youth examples in the prayers and homilies. The parish's community life becomes a place to minister to youth when we pay attention to their needs and their gifts. For example, when planning a parish mission or a parish-wide service event, parishes consider its young members. Parishes link youth to the variety of service, ministry and leadership roles in the community.

Ministry to youth in the wider community connects youth and families to programs and resources beyond our parish. Examples are participation in inter-parish, inter-church and diocesan events, and ways that we connect youth and families to programs, resources and events in the civic community. Connecting youth to service in hospitals, soup kitchens and homeless shelters is a wonderful way for youth to develop their gifts. We take advantage of our shared strength when we come together with other people and agencies in the wider community as advocates for youth.

Together, the definition, the goals, the themes, the components and settings provide a framework for developing our unique response as a parish community. This framework provides a guide for developing comprehensive ministry and is designed to...

Utilize each of the Church's ministries - advocacy, catechesis, community life, evangelization, justice and service, leadership development, pastoral care, prayer and worship - in an integrated approach to achieving the three goals for ministry with adolescents;