Connections

Early in my youth ministry career, I believed that all I needed was the heart and love of Christ and a desire to share it with youth. I let my own formation, limited as it was, determine what I should be doing in ministry. I chose to go it alone.

It was not until I ran into a structure—organized work that took place in a group setting and was not based on one’s spirit but rather training, mentoring, and community—that I realized how little mentoring I had received. Ouch!

This was evident whenever I got into discussions with others in ministry. I discovered what my gifts and limitations were, where I needed to grow and how I could be part of the growth of others. I needed the church, faith formation, and the model of the catechumenate. This is how people learn not only about their faith, but about themselves.

So what is the real danger when newcomers to ministry go it alone?

Often, folks enter into ministry in similar ways: they are invited, needed, and desired. For example, a program needs someone—a catechist, lector, or volunteer—to run it or simply fill in, just for this session, or for the next few months, or even a year. But who is walking with the new minister? And is a pathway available for the new minister to grow?

The mentoring process for new hires depends on the leadership abilities and availability of the pastor. As I have observed and experienced firsthand, this is hit-and-miss if only because the pastor is overwhelmed by many demands. So what happens? What becomes of the new hire or volunteer in a setting where they struggle simply to understand their job and role?

The community and the pastor are grateful for the new hire’s presence and let them know how happy they are to have them on board. Some call this the “warm body syndrome.” It becomes normal to feel frustrated or confused, even amid the affirmation of people who are so happy for your presence. Eventually, some come to accept this as what ministry is. They gain experience in their field and stick around for five or 25 years. It is a model for dysfunction. Never really having the proper training does not mean they are unable to learn. However, if the pastor functions this way, then this ministerial dysfunction is caught and impressed on all who minister in the parish community.

How can diocesan directors challenge, affirm, and nurture new ministers?

Can diocesan directors can engage new ministers in a dialogue that offers new insight, partnership, and collaborative learning? It is difficult to cultivate a relationship when new ministers are saying “I’m O.K. I really don’t need anything from you right now,” or “I just do what I’ve been told to do.” Is it better to let the field lie fallow as, choosing to go it alone, the newcomers struggle? Given the starting point of some ministers, this challenge is insurmountable. After five years of attempting this dialogue in my diocesan ministry, I realized that I can not be the only one wanting this. So what can be done?

Fr. Michael Himes, a Boston College professor, has identified “Three Key Questions” in assisting one’s vocational pursuit. They are geared for recent college graduates who are discerning vocational goals. The questions are:

• What gives you joy?
• Are you any good at these things?
• Does anybody need you to do these things?

Visit http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/uvp/mismin/intersec/intersec/three_key.shtml for details.

As baptized Catholic Christians, if we believe we are called by our baptism to live our lives as disciples of Jesus, then should we not have experiences of ongoing formation? In particular, I wish to single out those who are in ministry—those who are at the service of others validated through baptism but affirmed and confirmed in the community in which we reside by the people we are blessed to be among.

Jesus tells us: “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, He may give you. This I command you: love one another” (John 16:7). When I hear this passage proclaimed, it touches me as a prayer and calls me to action. It is obvious we need opportunities of modeling and faith formation from those who invite us into ministry and those with whom we minister.

As important as our own sense of being called is, the community also has an equal stake in our work and ministry. It is in and often through community that we are able to discover our gifts, talents, and limitations. To be graced in such a dialogue can transform the way we engage in ministry. Ultimately, humanity is for community. The mark of a professional who is engaged in ministry is someone who practices ongoing theological reflection about self and others. Those who practice the “go it alone” model never have been mentored, nor have they been afforded the opportunity to grow in ministry.

As I began in ministry, I tried many things, often unsuccessfully. Then I encountered others who had training, learning, and structure, I became hungry for the same. I saw something I wanted to be part of, something that called me out of a former model and into a new one. Blessings on that simple, loving grace. I am forever grateful for this and many other discipleship experiences in my life.