The NFCYM was awarded a second grant from Catholic Home Missions to provide clergy inservices on youth ministry in ‘home mission dioceses.’ The grant covers most all the expenses of the training. Though aimed at clergy specifically, these inservice opportunities can be designed to include parish and school youth ministry leaders as well. The dioceses of Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, San Angelo, Marquette, and Anchorage hosted inservices in 2004-2005 through the grant. The Diocese of San Jose also hosted a clergy inservice opportunity. Overall, fourteen dioceses have hosted clergy inservices. If your diocese is interested in hosting an inservice in 2005-2006, please contact Bob McCarty.
Trish Mannion, the director of youth and young adult ministry for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is the new president of the board of directors for the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association.
If you are developing a certification process in your diocese, check out the packet and the process developed by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The packet provides in-depth information about requirements, formation experiences, evidences of learning and creating a portfolio. For more information, contact
Sean Reynolds, director of youth ministry.
Currently, the dioceses of Cincinnati, Rockville Centre, Lansing, Detroit, Galveston/Houston, Phoenix, and the dioceses of the Minnesota Catholic Conference have processes accredited by the USCCB Commission on Certification and Accreditation. Several other dioceses are developing their procedures.
Each year, Group Publishing gives a portion of its profits to churches. This year, Group is offering research findings and analysis compiled in Friendship: Creating a Culture of Connectivity in Your Church. The free resource, valued at $29.99, includes research data, handouts, a CD, and a 90-minute training session for church-wide use. Pastors and church leaders may request a free copy for their church by calling 800-747-6060, ext. 1324 or by visiting www.group.com/giveback.
NFCYM hosted a youth ministry gathering and tract at the April meeting of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. Eighty participants, including seven diocesan directors of youth ministry, attended the breakout session following the morning keynote by Peter Steinfels. Steinfels’ presentation centered on the implications of Soul Searching and the recent Catholic Data Report of the National Study of Youth and Religion. Tom East, Mark Pacione, and Carole Goodwin served as reactors to the keynote as part of the breakout session. The tract also provided three youth ministry/adolescent catechesis oriented workshops and an afternoon social, which included an original skit, “Youth Ministry: The True Story,” performed by the Youth Council for the Archdiocese of Louisville. This was the fifth year that NFCYM and NCCL collaborated on this opportunity and we thank Carole Goodwin, diocesan director in Louisville, and Region 5 for providing hospitality.
April
is the Month of the Military Child?
Resources to support children and adolescents whose parents serve in the military are available through two different organizations: Kids Serve Too is a program created by military families for military families. Their mission is to honor, support, and thank military children by fostering awareness and appreciation about the sacrifices and challenges they face. It houses resources for deployment and education issues too. Military Child Education Coalition works to solve the challenge of helping schools and military installations deliver accurate, timely information to meet transitioning parent and student needs, and in the development and education of children from military families. Their purpose is to share information in order to develop systems and processes to resolve transition issues for military students.
Email Connections at connections@nfcymoffice.org