What is Youth Ministry?

In my role as Coordinator of the Catholic Office for Youth and Young Adults I am often a guest at Parish Pastoral Council meetings, school boards, and many faith groups and diocesan agencies. I am usually there to listen and offer advice on pastoral ministry with young people. Inevitably someone in the meeting will ask a question like, “Where are the young people anyway? How do we get them to come back to church?” Or if they are a really despairing individual, they will say, “We’ve already tried youth ministry, it’s a lost cause. We need to focus our attention and resources on those who show up on Sundays.” Both responses are completely legitimate reactions to the absence of young people from Sunday worship, but they are misinformed.