Parish youth leaders formed and inspired for discipleship

Parish youth ministry leaders were encouraged to place their own encounter with Christ at the heart of accompanying young people during a day of formation and networking organised by Proclaim: The Office for Mission Renewal on Saturday 17 February. Youth leaders gathered from parishes, schools and migrant communities from across the Archdiocese of Melbourne, both emerging and established.

The day began with a workshop led by members of the Safeguarding Unit of the Archdiocese. During this session, they unpacked what the safeguarding responsibilities of a youth minister are and went through documents and policies relevant to youth ministry. The Safeguarding Unit also offered their ongoing support to youth ministries.

The need to love Jesus and the desire to invite others to meet him were central themes.

The afternoon, led by Emma Bakker, a discipleship specialist in the Proclaim team, explored the elements needed to accompany young people on the path of discipleship.

Participants were encouraged to unpack what their ‘why’ was—the reason that led them to become a youth minister in their community. The need to love Jesus and the desire to invite others to meet him were central themes of this session.

Amy, Teresa and Julia, leaders in the Vietnamese Catholic Community based in Collingwood, said they hoped to ‘incorporate discipleship’ as they minster to a growing community. They shared their own reasons for becoming youth leaders:

‘My why is because I love Jesus. Really. I grew to love Jesus. I got to know Jesus over time, or else I wouldn’t be here,’ Amy said.

‘I want to help kids [learn] about the Gospel,’ Teresa shared. ‘I feel like in that way I can also grow my knowledge about it.’

Julia said she wanted ‘to give back to the kids what I kind of gained when I was growing up’.

The workshop highlighted that Jesus himself is the model for youth ministers as they accompany young people in discipleship. Emma pointed out that Jesus drew the first disciples in ‘and invited them and walked with them’.

Many of those who attended the workshop were invited by others in their communities who had seen in them the potential to be youth leaders.

The interactions between Sts Paul and Timothy in the Scriptures were provided as an example of how one disciple intentionally formed and accompanied another to lead and go out as a disciple in mission. Emma said that Paul ‘invited [Timothy] to go on a journey and that is what we are called to do’. Young people heard hopeful stories of youth leaders who, following the footsteps of Sts Paul and Timothy, ministered to others, who then went out and became youth leaders themselves.

Youth ministers explored the practicalities of renewing their own spiritual life as disciples through prayer, sacraments, fellowship (seeking Christian friends and a community with wise counsel) and formation, recognising that ‘we can only give what we’ve got’.

Many of those who attended were invited by others in their communities who had seen in them the potential to be youth leaders.

Liam, a young person who was invited by his parish priest at Sunbury to look at beginning youth ministry, said that he took away a new appreciation that ‘with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the rest of our faith leaders, anything is possible’ when it comes to bringing young people to faith. ‘I am looking forward to being able to offer some sort of ministry that caters all of our young families,’ he continued. ‘They are all eager and excited, and I feel like our parish is ready to minister to their faith needs. That’s what I’m looking forward to.’

We leaders are role models, and how we shape our role models will impact our youth.

Thomas, a new teacher who was invited by a friend in the Vietnamese Catholic Community to explore youth ministry opportunities, said that his ‘hope is that faith can keep me grounded and hopefully my new students would be able to be nourished in their faith in their families and in their schools ... We leaders are role models, and how we shape our role models will impact our youth, so one thing I’ll take is being a person of not just gentleness but genuineness.’