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Youth Ministers, Come Back To The Call

When I signed up for a job in youth ministry, I wasn’t signing up for closed churches, cancelled events, and spending far too many hours staring into a webcam. A month after starting my new role as the Manager of Ministries to Young People for the Diocese of Auckland, that’s exactly what I got. Auckland went into a 4-month COVID...

Struggling With Motivation? Do It For The One

When I was in high school, I had an incredible history teacher. She would begin every lesson with a short story; a story intended to make us think, to challenge our assumptions and to inspire us. My favourite was always the Starfish Story.

The Church Young Catholics Need (Part 3)

It should come as no surprise that youth ministry is a demanding job. Youth ministers spend hours in overloaded schedules dreaming up speakers, organising events, practising music, setting up sports teams, encouraging outreach to those in need and, of course, preparing food. And then, after all that, sometimes only a few people show up.

The Church Young Catholics Need (Part 2)

Like most social institutions, the Catholic Church typically views the role of youth as preparatory. The focus is on developing our young people, so that they are solid Catholics by the time they settle into adult life.

The Church Young Catholics Need (Part 1)

“We need a church capable of meeting them on their way. We need a church capable of entering into their conversation. We need a church able to dialogue with those disciples who, having left Jerusalem behind, are wandering aimlessly, alone, with their own disappointment, disillusioned by a Christianity now considered barren. - Pope Francis, World Youth Day 2013