Strangers Strangers in the House of Godin the House of God

Sons and Daughters of the Sons and Daughters of the LightLightA Pastoral Plan for A Pastoral Plan for

Ministry with Young AdultsMinistry with Young Adults

High School and High School and Teenage YearsTeenage Years Salesian ContactSalesian Contact

– Youth CenterYouth Center– ParishParish– CampCamp– SchoolSchool– Boys and Girls ClubBoys and Girls Club

The Value of a DreamThe Value of a Dream

Don Bosco & Rector MajorDon Bosco & Rector Major MotivationMotivation FocusFocus PurposePurpose Meaning to One’s LifeMeaning to One’s Life

Problems with a Problems with a DreamDream Lack of Development/Fully Lack of Development/Fully

Thought OutThought Out Lack of SupportLack of Support Lack of Resources & GuidanceLack of Resources & Guidance You Can’t Go HomeYou Can’t Go Home

-especially after HS graduation-especially after HS graduation

College and College and Young Adulthood Young Adulthood

How to Measure How to Measure SuccessSuccess Different for each person, locationDifferent for each person, location ““We are called to be faithful, not We are called to be faithful, not

necessarily successful”necessarily successful”

Cafeteria CatholicsCafeteria Catholics

““It is not easy to It is not easy to live as a Christian live as a Christian in contemporary in contemporary society.”society.”

Sin and Sin and temptation are temptation are everywhereeverywhere

Religious vs Religious vs SpiritualSpiritual

Potential TrapsPotential Traps

False PromisesFalse Promises False ProphetsFalse Prophets

– FratsFrats– DrugsDrugs– SexSex– AlcoholAlcohol– RoommatesRoommates– RelationshipsRelationships

Questioning FaithQuestioning Faith– Afraid to QuestionAfraid to Question– Afraid to Hear Afraid to Hear

AnswerAnswer

Are they prepared? Have we prepared them?

Results of Being Results of Being TrappedTrapped Less Participation Less Participation Flashy ReligionsFlashy Religions Unhealthy relationshipsUnhealthy relationships Change in Priorities and MoralsChange in Priorities and Morals Inability to fulfill dreamsInability to fulfill dreams

Tasks of Young Tasks of Young AdulthoodAdulthood Developing Personal IdentityDeveloping Personal Identity Developing RelationshipsDeveloping Relationships Developing A Meaning of WorkDeveloping A Meaning of Work Developing A Spiritual LifeDeveloping A Spiritual Life

Developing Personal Developing Personal IdentityIdentity

New Surroundings Introduce New New Surroundings Introduce New People with Different Values, Faiths, People with Different Values, Faiths, Cultures, & Sexual Orientation Cultures, & Sexual Orientation

Independence & InterdependenceIndependence & Interdependence

Developing Developing RelationshipsRelationships Common BondsCommon Bonds

– New LocationNew Location– Activities and Involvement Activities and Involvement

““Reordering Relationships in Family”Reordering Relationships in Family”– Mutual Experiences Mutual Experiences

Big Group EventsBig Group Events– Intermingling Intermingling – ““Pain of being alone in a crowd”Pain of being alone in a crowd”– LonelinessLoneliness

Developing A MeaningDeveloping A Meaningof Workof Work Seek meaning to their lifeSeek meaning to their life Fulfillment of Dreams and VisionsFulfillment of Dreams and Visions Unhealthy Unhealthy

Balances/MisconceptionsBalances/Misconceptions

Developing a Spiritual Developing a Spiritual LifeLife Relationship with GodRelationship with God Balance God’s Will & SocietyBalance God’s Will & Society Willingness to ChallengeWillingness to Challenge SearchingSearching

– InternallyInternally– ParticipationParticipation– CommunityCommunity

Developing a Spiritual Developing a Spiritual LifeLife Challenged by mediaChallenged by media Inhospitable or Unresponsive Inhospitable or Unresponsive

ParishesParishes Desire to return to faithDesire to return to faith

– Positive Experience in YMPositive Experience in YM– Seek Participation in ChurchSeek Participation in Church– Feeling important Feeling important

Accepting God’s Accepting God’s Invitation Invitation

Group Vs. IndividualGroup Vs. Individual

Longing to BelongLonging to Belong Salesianity Salesianity Do they understand what they Do they understand what they

are apart of?are apart of? Why are they at the institutions Why are they at the institutions

that they are?that they are?

Call to CommunityCall to Community

Young adults have expressed the Young adults have expressed the desire to be a part of a communitydesire to be a part of a community

Helps to “develop potential, foster Helps to “develop potential, foster talents, form identity, and respond talents, form identity, and respond to the challenges of being holy to the challenges of being holy men and women”.men and women”.

Give and TakeGive and Take HealingHealing

Get Involved (cont)Get Involved (cont)

Teach for America (teachforamerica.org)Teach for America (teachforamerica.org) AmeriCorps (AmeriCorps (www.americorps.org)) MissionsMissions

– Salesians (Salesians (www.salesians.org/slm)) Corporately AcceptedCorporately Accepted VocationsVocations

– Priesthood, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Priesthood, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Teachers, Youth Ministers, VolunteersTeachers, Youth Ministers, Volunteers

Others?Others?

Get InvolvedGet Involved

Be Knowledgeable & InformedBe Knowledgeable & Informed Encourage them to get involvedEncourage them to get involved Give Direction to get involvedGive Direction to get involved Follow up/Check-inFollow up/Check-in

A Plan for MinistryA Plan for Ministry

Connect Young Adults to:Connect Young Adults to:– Jesus ChristJesus Christ– The Church, by inviting and The Church, by inviting and

welcoming their presence in the welcoming their presence in the Christian communityChristian community

– The Mission of the Church in the The Mission of the Church in the worldworld

– A Peer Community to strengthen and A Peer Community to strengthen and nurture their faithnurture their faith

Four Types of Four Types of Accompaniment Accompaniment PersonalPersonal GroupGroup ProjectProject EnvironmentEnvironment

Let us reflect and see what we are doing right/best. Let us reflect and see what we are doing right/best. What needs to be improved?What needs to be improved?

Personal Personal AccompanimentAccompaniment NamesNames FriendshipFriendship ConfessionConfession

Spiritual Spiritual DirectionDirection

EmailsEmails Sense of Sense of

Paternal/FraternPaternal/Fraternal Supportal Support

Group AccompanimentGroup Accompaniment

Fostering RelationshipsFostering Relationships FormationFormation ServiceService Festivity and CelebrationFestivity and Celebration PrayerPrayer SpiritualitySpirituality

Project Project AccompanimentAccompaniment VisionVision PurposePurpose Team BuildingTeam Building FormationFormation

DiscernmentDiscernment DelegationDelegation EmpowermentEmpowerment Follow-UpFollow-Up

Environmental Environmental AccompanimentAccompaniment Sense of FamilySense of Family BelongingBelonging SafetySafety HappinessHappiness TrustTrust