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Those Catholics in their 20’s and 30’s are critical to the future of any parish. There is a great deal of rhetoric about what can be done to invite them back and keep them interested in parish life. Rhetoric – yes, action – no. There is very little follow-through by way of budget, staffing or concerted efforts by leaders and parishioners alike. In most parishes, hardly any money is set aside for people in this age bracket.
This is a good indication that it is not a priority for those making decisions about where to put the emphasis. As for staffing, it is a rare parish that has a staff person hired specifically for young adult ministry. Most often there is a youth minister whose job it is to direct the teens and included in the job description is a statement that runs something like, “Oh by the way, could you also take care of the young adults?” On top of this lack of emphasis is the misconception that the needs and desires of young adults are all alike. In reality there are two very different groups, one that includes young singles and married couples without children, the other comprising young parents with children. Group One – Non-parents: First comes money. This is where the parishioners need to support this concentration on the young singles and married without children through increased contributions. This extra funding makes possible the hiring of a staff person to direct and organize the young adult ministry. The first task of the staff person is to form a task force of young people to put together an attractive package of events for the coming year, including talks and discussions, social gatherings and challenging service projects. Getting the right people who can bring in others is critical. Next comes the gathering of names and emails of young singles and married people who are not parents. Volunteers who are young people themselves are present after all of the weekend Masses to collect email addresses, either from young adults attending church or from parents, siblings and friends who know other young adults who might be interested in what the parish has to offer. Then come a few “events” that will attract young people and address their issues. These might happen once a month, making sure there is adequate time for small group interaction and socializing. The monthly events could be highlighted with videos on Internet websites or by enticing emails sent to all of the young people in the parish. As these gatherings become popular, the planning group would form subgroups of young adults to plan sporting and socializing events, as well as service projects that would pique the interest of young people. There might also be a monthly or bi-weekly liturgy geared to this age group, one at which they could serve as planners, ministers, lectors, greeters and musicians. Group Two – Parents of Young Children: This is a different type of young adult, one that has small children and is concerned about their formation and well-being. These young people are not looking for the same experiences as are the singles, although they may come to some of the presentations so long as babysitting is provided. The June 2007 PEP Newsletter described the interviews that one pastor made with parents who enrolled their children in the kindergarten. He asked that they give one hour of their time to attend church each week, become involved in one parish ministry or activity, and contribute the equivalent of one hour’s wage each week to the support of the parish. This is above and beyond tuition costs. The attempt was to challenge young parents to become involved in the religious formation of their children and in so doing, become a model to their children of regular Mass attendance, parish participation and financial giving. Tom Sweetser, SJ & Peg Bishop, OSF www.pepparish.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Parish Newsletter - July, 2008 A Service of the Parish Evaluation Project Milwaukee, Wisconsin Reproduced on the OPRFM website with permission |
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