Overcoming Transitions of Young Adults
One of the most common problems in creating a long-term young adult ministry program is dealing with the constant transition of those in their 20s and 30s. Young adults’ lives can be full of change that comes in the form of moving for their job, getting married, starting a family, and more. It is very important to think about this when you create your leadership team. For ministry beyond the first transition, it is helpful to create a team of those who are in various stages of life, including a mixture of ages, a mixture of married and single, a mixture of parents and non-parents, and mixture of college and graduate school students and professionals.
It is also helpful to have someone on the leadership team that can be around more permanently. For instance, a member of the parish staff or a religious sister or brother who has a heart for ministry or a lay person who is settled into their life on a more permanent basis are helpful additions to the team. This will ensure at least one person that can always move the vision forward even when other team members leave.
Sharing All the Pieces of the Puzzle
Often, a leader of a young adult ministry program keeps all the pieces of the puzzle to themselves. The problem with this is that if that leader moves on the entire vision and inner-workings of the ministry moves on with that person. This often leaves a void that takes months or even years to overcome.
To avoid this pitfall, use a team approach. The leadership team should be wide and deep with members having shared responsibilities and a shared vision so that the ministry can continue even when the key initiator leaves.
Incorporating Young Adult Ministry into the Parish
As a leader of a young adult ministry program, your job is to create a ministry to reach young adults. At the same time, your job is also to be an advocate for that ministry to the broader parish. Building support from the parish staff is important so that young adult ministry leaders can be included in communications from the parish to ministry coordinators and invited to serve on parish committees. This also helps with getting funding resources and support for your ministry.
As a young adult ministry leader, you will also help include your young adult leaders in the other adult faith formation happenings in your parish. To be able to do this, keep yourself informed of events, programs, and formation opportunities going on at your parish and also within your diocese. Share these opportunities with your leadership team as a way of supporting them in their own faith development.
Preventing Burnout
Like so many in ministry, young adult ministry leaders can easily experience burnout from beginning a new ministry, lack of support, and lack of successful programs. There are several important factors that can help prevent this from happening:
- Leadership for the young adult ministry program needs to be a team of leaders and not just one person. This creates a team of support that can dream, implement, and evaluate the program.
- Provide people to help support your leadership team. They do not have to be involved in the implementation of the young adult ministry program; rather, they are simply people who can be present to the young adults on the leadership team. Examples would be lay ministers who have experience with ministry in the church, priests, parish staff members, and religious brothers and sisters.
- Provide opportunities for your team to recharge. Perhaps offer a day or morning of reflection. Encourage your team members to go on a retreat themselves or meet with a spiritual director.
- Provide resources for your team members, especially in terms of funding. Help your team feel valued by helping them secure funding from the parish.
