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Franciscan at Home

Forming those who form others

Youth & Young Adult Catechesis: Launching Young Disciples

As a veteran youth minister in the Catholic Church, I have found myself at various times struggling with the seeming ineffectiveness of my ministry. Over the years, there have been numerous “shifts” that I have experienced in parish-based ministry that have made the task of reaching teens more and more difficult: increased parental control and influence, increased moral relativism among young people (recent studies show that 91% of teens surveyed do not believe there is an absolute truth[1]), increased confusion over basic questions about faith, the chaotic and busy lifestyles of teens and their families, etc. These challenges have led to frustration and even the disillusioned feeling that I wasn’t accomplishing anything. I definitely was not achieving the primary goal: making disciples of the teens I was ministering to. I began much research and study in search of a new approach—one that is rooted in a discipleship mentality.

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Jim Beckman is Executive Director of ImpactCenter, an apostolate dedicated to ministering to ministers and leadership development in the Catholic Church. A graduate of both Franciscan University and the Augustine Institute, Jim has served in various roles of leadership for national, regional and local ministry over the years. He is a dynamic and passionate speaker and has a great love for the Catholic faith and for discipleship. He has built solid and thriving ministry programs in numerous parishes and Dioceses. Jim also serves in a contract role with FOCUS, serving to help foster greater Church Engagement and strategic partnerships. He and his wife, Meg, live in Littleton, Colorado with their five children.

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

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