An “Engaging Youth” workshop, led by the diocese’s Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, is held on Oct. 26, 2024 at the McRaith Catholic Center. COURTESY OF CHARLIE HARDESTY
Engaging Youth workshops equip adults in mentorship, ministry skills
BY CHARLIE HARDESTY, OFFICE OF YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY
A great need in the work of youth ministry is finding and empowering adults who care to come alongside and mentor our young people in the Catholic faith. The need is great in our diocese to find these willing adults. Sometimes we hear from adults that they do not believe they have what it takes, or that young people will not want them around, or that they are just not sure how to relate to young people nowadays. For this reason, the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry developed the “Engaging Youth” workshop to help equip adults in their mentorship and ministry with young people.
The goal of the Engaging Youth workshop is to expose adults to data and information about the population of young people we are currently serving in the Church, and to give them practical strategies and skills for accompanying young people. In session one, we look at generational data about GenZ (current high school youth and early young adults) and GenAlpha (current eighth graders and below). This information gives us a feel for our audience and their unique experience of the world and their faith.
In session two, we look at the three big questions every teenager needs to answer about life and faith. These three questions are: Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my purpose? We also begin a conversation about making faith relevant for the lives of young people.
In session three, we learn better ways to engage young people in conversation and relationships. Adults walk away from this session equipped with great questions and strategies for growing in relationships and getting young people more engaged in conversations. The last session gives parishes and like-minded ministries a chance to brainstorm and plan ways to immediately implement this information into the life of their existing ministries.
The two workshops were held in September in Paducah and October in Owensboro. Around 15 parishes and schools had representatives present to experience the workshops.
If you were not able to attend one of the workshop options, but would like the training, we would be happy to come and present the material at your parish, school, or for a group of local parishes at no cost. Please reach out to the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (administrative assistant Robin Tomes at [email protected]) to discuss potential options.
In the spring, we will be partnering with the Office of Hispanic/Latino Ministry to present similar workshops in Spanish. Dates and registration information will be made available in the coming months.
Charlie Hardesty is the director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Owensboro. Learn more at owensborodiocese.org/youth-ministry.
Originally printed in the December 2024 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
