Get Involved

How to Start a Group for Catholic
Youth and Young Adults …
… and keep it running!

It seems it is not easy these days to start a group in the parish for youth and young adults. There is a widespread impression in our society that the Church and our Catholic faith have become irrelevant to our young people and do not represent an attractive ideal and way of life for them. However, there is a growing phenomenon, visible at and maybe initiated by World Youth Days in the past, that young people seek God and are open to him once they find him. The faith and traditions of the Church have been most instrumental in allowing young people to come to a deeper understanding and a more personal experience of God in their lives. Based on these encouraging signs it is quite possible, albeit not easy, to bring youth and young adults together in a local setting and to offer the same or a similar chance to encounter Christ and let him invite our young people to follow him to a new life.

First, you should pray for our young people and for the right opportunity to bring them together in your local parish. Then, you should meet with others in your parish who share your enthusiasm for starting a parish group for youth and young adults. Your preliminary meeting should deal with three areas: leadership, purpose and developing a plan.

1. Leadership:

Ideally a lay man and woman will assume joint leadership, supported by a priest or religious. Leaders should have good organizational skills, and a strong Catholic faith, and should guide the group in a way that makes visible to those present the care, vision and faith of the leaders. Leaders must feel that the pastor and the parish are behind them 100%, and that they, pastor and parish, recognize and appreciate the contribution young people can make to the life of the parish and of the Church. Call together young people through the parish bulletin and through any other announcements. The best way, though, to encourage young people to come out is through a personal invitation stressing how much young people are needed and wanted in the Church. Once the group is established, you may want to appoint team leaders from among those young people present to take care of areas such as music, crafts, sports, games, outings, projects, plans and so on.

2. Purpose:

There needs to be some discussion of the reasons for starting a Catholic youth group. Although social activities--sports, movies, games, and so on--will play an important part in the life of the group, all of these things are available elsewhere. What is it that will make your Catholic group different? How can the Church, through your youth group, appeal to our young people with what is uniquely hers: Christ, and our faith in him?  In the end, the purpose of the group is to give young people an opportunity to live, express and understand their faith in ways that are meaningful, engaging and enjoyable. At the same time they need to know how much the Church trusts them to be the bearers of the Good News for future generations.
Challenge the young people to be teachers and witnesses of their faith, to be builders of a new civilization of life and love.

3. Developing a Plan:

Develop a plan which deals with such things as - the format, content, and frequency of the meetings, - location and time of the meetings:

Some important considerations and suggestions:

Make ample room for Mass, prayer, retreats and for presentations on the faith by guest speakers faithful to Church teachings. Make sure the youth are involved in the liturgies, as much as the Church allows (in serving, music, and in readings). Keep Christ at the center of the group and its meetings and activities.

Vary the format. Keep a healthy mix of spiritual and social elements, of serious and more light-hearted topics. Provide dynamic social activities--sports, music, drama, ski trips, campouts, pot-luck dinners etc. Run an organized meeting, keeping to the published starting and ending times as much as possible. Use small and large group discussions, and Q&A sessions with invited guests. Opposite points of view can be expressed, but do not allow the discussion to become a forum for dissent. Ensure the Catholic position is explained clearly.

Give the young people a sense that the group is theirs, albeit with guidance from adults and clergy. Promote the youth group within the parish and the community by making the young people visible. Perhaps develop a logo and some group T-shirts, and have the young people involved in such things as parish liturgies, beautification of the Church and grounds, fundraising and helping at other parish functions. Use a major event, like World Youth Day or the local Diocesan Youth Day, as a focus to draw everybody in. Develop outreach programs, where the young people will get a chance to, say, work in a food bank, visit the elderly, or serve in a 'soup kitchen'.

Keep your leadership strong, making sure all members understand and adhere to the code of conduct. Give people opportunities to lead certain activities and involve everyone in the meetings. Don’t debate every detail. Allow decisions of the group on bigger issues and questions. Don’t dictate to those present, but don’t abandon the group to itself either.
Remain flexible enough to change or adjust elements of the meetings, if you should discover that the group does not respond well.

Without encouraging any kind of 'them versus us' atmosphere, the group should be made aware that as Catholics their beliefs and their way of life will be challenged by others who have embraced a more secular culture.  
Complete an evaluation at the end of your first year, and use the results to plan future years. Don't be discouraged. It may take two or three years for the youth group to run as smoothly as you would like.

Some more ideas how to involve our youth and young adults in the parish: