"Our
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The program will thus focus
on practices relating to Catholic discipleship and witness; that is, having the
youth live a theological and spiritual demeanor wherein all they think, say,
and do is a reflection of their Catholic identity. The primary method for
teaching this will be an integrated program covering four main components: Book (i.e. Sacred Scripture and
exegesis), Bath (i.e. baptismal
identity – theological reflection and the ‘language’ of
faith), Time (i.e. spiritual
practices including liturgical participation, prayer, and tithing), and Table (i.e. fellowship through
activities, hospitality, and dining). Through these components the St.
Joseph’s Youth Program desires to form habits and tools for Catholic
living amongst our youth at all times and places.
1.2 The Big Picture:
Structuring the Program
Pastor:
As Pastor of St.
Joseph’s Catholic Church all youth related activities, agendas, and
expenses must ultimately be approved first by him. Pastor has oversight and
final say of the youth ministry agenda within his parish even though the
administrative and creative side of the program is usually met by the Program
Director (i.e. Director of Youth Ministry). It is important for the Program
Director to meet with Pastor on a regular basis to cover the youth ministry
program’s needs as well as to provide for its on-going assessment.
Chaplin:
The Chaplin’s duties
are twofold. The first is to provide the youth of
Program Director:
The Program Director (i.e.
Director of Youth Ministry) is a full-time paid position accountable to the
Pastor and parish at large. He/She is responsible for articulating the
program’s theological and ministerial vision as well as developing the
corresponding yearly curriculum. This includes, but is not limited to,
directing others within the program, constructing the program and retreat
schedules, administering youth nights, assessing short and long term needs, and
regularly engaging the youth in the program’s ministry efforts.
Assistant
Coordinator:
The Assistant Coordinator
actively helps with the running of the youth ministry program where the Program
Director sees fit. He/She is frequently asked for ministerial input or ideas
and is actively involved in the program’s relational ministry. Often (but
not always) the Assistant Coordinator can serve as the Work Camp Stakeholder
and/or Junior High Coordinator bearing that the Program Director gives his/her
permission to do so.
Mentors:
Each adult mentor’s
primary responsibility is to journey in direct contact (i.e. doing relational
ministry) with the youth of the program on approved ministry nights. They are
to make themselves available for the youths’ personal and spiritual needs
by means of worshipping, eating, playing, and working along side them in a safe
and respectable fashion. Mentors are often asked to lead small group
discussions while simultaneously following up with specific youths’
questions, thoughts, or concerns. Mentors should be involved in at least 2-3
scheduled Sunday or Wednesday night youth meetings a month while often
volunteering to lend support on other designated youth activities. Mentors are
typically broken down into either the High School or Junior High Ministry due
to time constraints and conflicting schedules between the two.
Ministry
Coordinators:
There are four different
groupings of ministry coordinators related to particular ministry areas: Parent
Liaisons (1 parent for junior high, 1 parent for senior high), Service
Coordinator (1 person for entire program – junior and senior high),
Community Coordinator (1 person for the entire program), and
Artists-in-Residence (3-4 different people with artistic abilities). Note:
Coordinators are all overseen by the Program Director. Their purpose is to
assist the Director in specific areas related to the ministry program in order
to better facilitate its overall growth and agenda. They typically (but not
always) work “behind the scenes” to facilitate the youth ministry
program.
Parent Liaisons
– The main role of the parent liaison is to assist the Program Director
in getting all parents involved within the youth ministry program as a whole.
This includes, but is not limited to, chaperone and transportation, food
service, prayer intentions, and weekly youth night support. Furthermore, the
parent liaison can serve as a bridge and informant for many of the
parents/guardians present within the program.
Service and Hospitality – The Service Coordinator’s
responsibility is to organize service events either at the Church or locally
for the ministry program on average of once a month. They work with the Program
Director to brainstorm service possibilities as well as ways in which to help
Church parishioners or local services in the area.
Community Coordinator – The Community Coordinator is an aid in areas
relating to logistics and community preparation. He or she helps the Program
Director with bigger projects such as retreat coordination, Work Camp
preparation, and other social events. The Community Coordinator can also serve
as a median for publicity and other interested parities or businesses in the
surrounding area bearing the Pastor’s and Youth Director’s
approval.
Artist-in-Program – The Artist(s) works to provide an aesthetic experience of the
Catholic faith for the youth through the usage of arts, drama, and music. He or
she works with the Program Director to invite, participate, or employ the arts
on specific youth nights and/or retreat outings.
Diagram of Staff in Ministry
1.3 The Ministry
Picture: Visualizing the Program
There are various ministries
within the
CLC Catholic Life Communities: CLCs are small group sharing sessions for 9th-12th
grade students which meet every Wednesday night from 7:00-8:30 p.m. After a
time of adoration, small group sharing sessions abound with a specific topic
for discussion. Unlike Sunday nights, these groups are meant to foster more
openness, reflection, and accountability due to their smaller nature as well as
its committed presence amongst the youth involved.
Service and Social Projects: For all youth (7th-12th),
these service and social projects typically happen once a month. Service
projects are meant to have the youth involved in the life of the Church and/or
the community by serving others with time and charity. Examples include helping
Diocesan Work Camp: For rising 10th-12th grade students, the
Diocesan Work Camp is an annual service and prayer project for the youth of the
Diocese in the last week of June and/or early July.
Youth Retreats and Diocesan Gatherings: Every year the
‘
Core Team:
Open to all high school youth who would like to be more involved in the
intricacies and set-up of Sunday night programs. These youth are often asked to
present short reflections, prayers, and talks on Sunday evenings if applicable
as well as to lend extra support for other events including youth masses and
the junior high assistance.
Diagram of Youth Ministry Program
Staff Policies:
Please note – the Pastor, Chaplin, and Program
Director of St. Joseph’s Church have the right to expel any staff member /
employee from the program for refusing to abide or neglecting entirely the
rules, policies, and directives set forth below. Furthermore, they may also
refuse a person’s assistance for other reasons / concerns not explicitly
listed within these policies.
- All adults (18 years of age or older) and staff
members (see above) whom have significant contact with the youth of any
age and/or in any fashion must abide by the rules and regulations set forth
by the Diocese of Arlington Office of Child Protection Services, St.
Joseph’s Catholic Church, and VA State and Federal law. This
includes, but is not limited to, completing all background and
questionnaire paperwork, criminal background checks, finger printing, and
completion of the Virtus seminar
before working with the youth within the
- Staff members are expected to treat all those
within the youth program and parish with undue respect and dignity. They
should approach problems or concerns with others using maturity and
discretion, following the Biblical approach set forth in Matthew 18:15-20.
- Staff members should respect all rules and
policies set forth for the youth of the program (including building regulations
and rules, personal behaviors, parish initiatives, etc.) and must in no
way encourage and/or facilitate violation of these rules and policies.
- Each staff member is expected to maintain a high
standard of personal appearance and dignity when engaging the youth on
regularly scheduled program events. This includes the following:
- Dress – Proper dress which covers the body
in a suitable Christ-like fashion.
- Language – No foul or crass language in
front of the youth, parents, or staff.
- Alcohol / Tobacco products – No taking of
these items in any capacity either before or during a scheduled youth
event.
- Illegal Drugs – Possession or use of
illegal substances is absolutely prohibited.
- Fire Arms / Weapons – Possession or use
during nights is absolutely prohibited.
- Any form of harassment or abuse – including
but not limited to verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual toward youth or
other staff member(s) will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Result will be immediate termination and dismissal from the program.
- Staff members should not ask the youth to keep
private information or secrets on their behalf at any time or in any
capacity. Similarly, adults should not tell youth they will keep secrets /
private information on their behalf either. This is for everyone’s
protection. Furthermore, staff must relay
life-threatening information about the youth to the proper authorities and
Program Director if applicable. This includes, but is not limited to,
heavy drug or alcohol use, abuse of any kind, or suicidal thoughts /
behavior.
- Staff members are not allowed to give medication
of any kind to a youth. This includes over the counter medication unless
otherwise specified by both
parental and Program Director consent. Also, staff members should not diagnose
youth with possible medical conditions even if asked by the youth’s
parents and/or youth themselves. Rather, they should be directed to the
proper specialists.
- For transportation of students by car, staff
members and chaperones are asked to obey all speed limits and driving
rules. They must also make sure youth are in seat belts before driving to
or from an event.
- For all scheduled youth events, there must at a
minimum be two (2) staffed adults present at all times throughout the
event. In the case that two adults cannot be present, chances may be that
a parent and/or other adult can be substituted in their place with the
Director’s pre-approval. Staffed adults should also never be alone
(“behind closed doors”) with any youth for any amount of time.
- Staff members are to abide in the Catholic
Church’s teaching on faith and morals to the betterment of our
youth. They should not attempt to proclaim their own personal viewpoints
which are in direct contradiction to Church teaching, particularly in youthful
settings such as small group discussions. Staff members are encouraged to
see the viewpoints of the Church in all areas and to take those into
consideration when working with the youth.
Expectations of
Staff:
Relational Ministry: As Catholic adult leaders
for and with the youth, all staff (especially the mentors) should make
considerable effort to give each youth equal attention, prayer, and respect.
Making oneself available is essential to fostering relationships and
faithfulness amongst the youth for the betterment of God’s Kingdom.
Adults are often asked to “Become one with the youth while not becoming
one of the youth.” This entails that staffed adults should participate
when and where they can by being near the youth’s sides instead of behind
or away from them– most notably in worshiping, games, icebreakers,
discussions, service projects, seminars, retreats, etc. At the same time,
relational ministry also means that we look out for the youth’s overall
well-being and attitude (discipline), particularly on regularly scheduled youth
events.
Time: Because of the breadth and diversity of
the
Training: Youth Ministry is a craft. Often there is
a misconception that being a youth minister is nothing more than liking kids
and the Catholic faith. If an adult possesses these certain qualities then, by
nature, they will make a good adult leader. Although a strong love for the
youth and faith can initially foster suitable youth leaders, it doesn’t
necessarily entail that he or she has nothing else to learn. Youth ministry is
a process; those involved in it should seek opportunities for growth and
education by learning from other sources, websites, literature, and especially
people. Consequently, staff should do their best to make time for these
occasions whereby their youth ministry learning can be advanced. Training in
the youth ministry field should never stop as long as one is doing direct
relational ministry in some capacity.
Contact with parents: For large part all communication with parents should be directed to
the Program Director, especially regarding behavior or medical issues. However,
it is encouraged that staff members give small compliments of praise and
gratitude to a teenager’s parents if applicable as long as it is in the
context of a scheduled youth night or directly afterwards. Please note: All youth are different. Some may want to be praised
to their parents / guardians / family while others may not be so inclined.
Please use sound judgment and ask the Program Director if unsure.
Behavioral problems: While we do not anticipate great difficulty with behavioral problems
with the youth, we inevitably encounter issues throughout the year. Please do
not ignore these behavioral problems with students – no matter how minor
they may seem – in order to be a youth’s friend rather than a
mentor / adult. For minor matters, please discipline the youth in a loving,
gentle fashion and, if applicable, in a private non-discriminating way so as to
not draw attention on them. For major matters, please confer with the Program
Director before reprimanding or conferring consequences on them in order to
ensure proper protocol and consistency in punishment if needed.
Adequacy Issues:
At times those whom think they are suited to do youth ministry find themselves
having trouble relating to the youth, or, possess feelings of inadequacy and/or
making little to no impact in the overall program. Staff should understand how
youth ministry takes time to learn as well as view it as a relational process
over an extended period. Youth may still find it difficult to relate to a
person only after one years service - especially if a staff member is sporadic
in his or her attendance. Staff should be aware of this while at the same time
neglecting comparison with other members with more (or even less) experience.
Above all, staff should find comfort in knowing they are doing their best to
glorify Christ and the Church in the context of youth ministry.
Emotional Issues: If at any time a staff member feels like he or she needs time off or
away from doing youth ministry, he or she should promptly let the Program
Director know. We do not seek to force staff members into partaking of ministry
events when they do not feel up to it, or, if they sense as if they need to
move on to different things. Staff
members should understand that being positive in front of the youth is an
absolutely critical element; failure to do so can result in negativity in both
youth and other staff members.
Program or Protocol Problems: Staff members are encouraged to share their
critiques and concerns to the Program Director in a respectful and Christian
manner. If staff personnel encounter a problem specifically with the program in
any capacity whatsoever, they should proceed to talk to the Program Director
before going to the Pastor of St. Joseph’s Church. The Program Director
will make time to hear all complaints or problems relating to the program and
do his or her best to solve them in a Christ-like and loving fashion. If the
issue cannot be resolved by the Program Director and/or other parties involved,
then it will be sent to the Pastor for further insight. The Pastor has the
‘last word’ on all problems relating to the Youth Program of St.
Joseph’s Church. He should always be notified immediately by the Program
Director about larger issues, problems, or concerns that may arise in the youth
ministry program.
What to Expect:
As we seek to provide an
intensive and intentional Catholic youth community for the parish of
Staff too should realize that
the ultimate purpose of the program is for the youth to glorify the Lord in all
they see and do (Matthew 19:21). As they travel with the youth in their
journeys so too should they (i.e. adults) be cognizant of how they structure
their time in the faith, particularly when dealing with the teenagers in the
community. There are various components to the
Useful Numbers and
Emergency Information:
Virginia Protective Services
(if emergency call 911)....……………………………………..….800-552-7096
Sample Resources for
Youth Leaders:
Diocese of Arlington’s Resource Page - www.arlingtondiocese.org/youth and click on
“link & resources” tab. Has links to the updated resource manual
given to all Youth Ministers as well as other ways to become certified in youth
ministry.
Life Teen -
www.lifeteen.com – Catholic youth ministry resource with various
articles, tips, and planning guides for youth leaders.
Youth Specialties -www.youthspecialties.com – Nondenominational youth ministry
resource which possesses plenty of great ideas and free articles for youth
leaders.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - www.usccb.org – Online bible, catechism,
bishop’s documents including “Renewing the Vision” –
the Bishop’s document on the framework of youth ministry in the United
States.