Description: This program provides a chance for young adults to reflect on what it means to be part of a greater ministry, voice their comments about what works and what doesn’t, and offer concrete suggestions about how to grow and support their young adult Catholic community in several different areas.
Get Ready
- Prep Time: You should begin planning this event several weeks in advance. About one hour of prep time is involved in selecting and inviting volunteers and a moderator and formulating questions. On the day of the event, you need about 30 minutes to set up beforehand.
- Volunteers needed: Four — A speaker to introduce and moderate the event, three small group leaders (this number could double, depending on the size of the community).
- Supplies: Nametags, pens, refreshments, markers, chart paper on an easel or white board.
- Reserve the Space: Reserve a room with a small podium and a number of chairs that can easily be moved around. A white board or chart paper to keep track of ideas could be helpful. Be sure the acoustics enable everyone to easily hear.
- When is a good time for this? It’s best to hold this event immediately following Mass, so parishioners can easily transition to the Town Hall. This program can be held at any time during the year.
Publicize the Program
- Once you have set a date for the event, spread the word through e-mail, parish bulletins, flyers, and social media.
- Announce the event at Mass for two weeks prior to the event, along with the day of the Town Hall.
- Send personal invites to people who you have noticed getting more involved with young adult ministry. This sort of an event can also lend itself to creative marketing — encourage people to air their thoughts!
Prayer for Program Planner: God of love, help me to create an environment for our community to grow in reflection, conversation, and love as we celebrate our community and contemplate our responsibilities in serving each other and serving You.
Community Building: Events are fun to attend, but it can be easy to overlook the “why” of planning programs as an important part of ministering to a community. This event will be an opportunity for the members of the community to come together to talk about what being part of a community means to them, reflect on their role within the community, and how we can make it better.
Make It Happen
Set Up
- 30 minutes before Mass begins, set up chairs in the meeting space lecture style.
- Set up a table for nametags, donations, snacks, and refreshments.
- Print out a sign-up sheet for your young adult group’s e-mail blasts. Have any postcards or flyers of upcoming events on hand for participants to take with them.
Opening Prayer
God, be with us as we discuss our roles as young adults in a Catholic community, and guide us to keep our mission in mind as we continue to grow in love and friendship.
The Run-Down
Ask a priest to give a brief (10 minute or so) introduction discussing the idea of “ministry.” Some key questions to propose or address: Why is young adult ministry important? What does young adult ministry look like at this church? Who is in the community, and who might be on the fringes? How can we be intentional with interactions, events, and hospitality? What is the future direction of the young adult ministry?
Have the moderator introduce the priest, and then guide the transition into small groups.
Small Groups
Divide participants into small groups relating to three different categories/areas of events: Social, Service, or Spiritual. (Note — these groups should represent the types of events/ministry you do, so adjust them to fit your particular needs.) Participants may choose their small group based on which event style they most relate to or would like to talk about. For the next 20-25 minutes, participate in discussion with the small group leader introducing the following questions:
- What does ministry mean to you?
- How do you participate in ministry?
- Why is this type of event (social, service, spiritual) important to the mission of this young adult ministry?
- In what ways can we better organize opportunities for the community to strive toward its mission through this type of event?
- What changes would you make to existing events in this area?
- What gifts do you have to contribute to this area?
Share
After discussion, ask one member of the small group to share some notes, reflections, and suggestions from their discussion with the larger group. Take notes on chart paper or a white board.
Close
Have the moderator give a closing statement thanking everyone for their contributions. Mention that feedback and ideas are always welcome.
Clean Up
Arrange chairs back in the original formation, clean up refreshments.
Ideas
- After the town hall, create a digital community forum (i.e., Facebook) that can serve as a message board and a place for members of the community to invite others to their own events, or share services and ideas. Be sure to share this space with those who were unable to attend.
- Follow up! After the event, send a thank you e-mail to everyone who participated in the town hall, inviting the community to continue to reflect and share their thoughts.
Help
