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What Makes a Parish Welcoming to Young Adults?

What Makes a Parish Welcoming to Young Adults?. NCCYM December 1, 2012. #1. It “Gets” Today’s Young Adults. Technologically sophisticated. Influenced by relativism. Diverse. Diverse In…. Marital status Age Interests Ethnicity Relationship to Religion Religious Practice.

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What Makes a Parish Welcoming to Young Adults?

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  1. What Makes a Parish Welcoming to Young Adults? NCCYM December 1, 2012

  2. #1 It “Gets” Today’s Young Adults

  3. Technologically sophisticated

  4. Influenced by relativism

  5. Diverse

  6. Diverse In… • Marital status • Age • Interests • Ethnicity • Relationship to Religion • Religious Practice

  7. Spiritual Seekers

  8. #2 It Reads the Signs of the Times

  9. Trends: Young Adult Catholics • Less mass attendance • Marrying later, having babies later • Less marriages within Church • More interfaith marriages • Less involvement with Catholic community • Less practice of faith at home • Increasing illiteracy about Catholic ID • Drop-off after sacraments

  10. Attend Mass Weekly or More Pre-Vat IIVat IIPost-Vat IIMill 1987 58 40 30 1993 63 42 27 1999 64 42 27 2005 60 35 26 15 2011 54 31 29 23

  11. 50% decline in past 20 years 33% of Post-Vatican II Catholics marry outside the Church

  12. 40% Post-Vatican II generation • 50% all non-Latino marriages What intentional outreach to the non-Catholic spouse have we made?

  13. #3 It Follows the Blueprint in SDL

  14. Sees Them as Gift

  15. Calls Young Adults to: Holiness Community Service

  16. Make the Right Connections Connect young adults with • Jesus • the Church • the Church’s mission to transform the world • a peer community that shares their values and beliefs

  17. #4 It Asks Young Adults What They Need

  18. Top Ten List: What Young Adults Want from the Church • Community and belonging • Dynamic liturgies • Spiritual growth • Catholic Identity • Guidance in life

  19. Top Ten (cont.) • Acceptance and support • Opportunities for service & leadership • Social activities • A community that shares their values • Inspiration and rejuvenation

  20. Conversation • Have you asked the young adults in your faith community what they are looking for from the parish? • How are you calling them to holiness, community and service?

  21. #5 It Is Ready to Respond When Young Adults Show Up

  22. Sunday Liturgy • Relevant homilies • Singable, quality music • Community is welcoming • Young adults in leadership on the altar • Visually engaging environment

  23. Special Liturgies • Ash Wednesday, Easter and Christmas • Marriage—captive young adult audience CARPE DIEM!

  24. Marriage Prep • Initial contact is unconditional—Jesus as model • Interfaith couples welcomed warmly • Relevant to lives of today’s young adults

  25. Baptismal Prep • Rite-based learning • Young parents get tools for sharing faith at home

  26. Sports

  27. Spiritual Experiences • Bible study • Spirituality retreats • Charis • Service projects connected to faith • Prayer services

  28. Get them on the parish’s

  29. National Directory for Catechesis • Welcome young adults as Christ welcomes them • Bring understanding, love, and acceptance • Challenge them with the Gospel message • Give them hope

  30. Provide REAL Faith Experiences

  31. #6 It Lives Out the New Evangelization

  32. Go Where Young Adults Are • Gyms, bars • On-line • Mp3 players • Apartment houses • Concerts • Factories/corporations • Coffee shops/cyber-cafes • Colleges, military bases • Other????

  33. Listen to their journeys • Wherever—trains, planes and automobiles • Don’t put words in their mouths

  34. Answer Their Questions • Don’t “water down” the faith • They want the tough answers, even when they don’t choose to fully live them

  35. Bring the Good News of Jesus into their lives.

  36. Share the Joy! • God with us God redeeming us

  37. Share Your Journey

  38. Form a relationship

  39. Registration Celebrate new members • Prayers of the Faithful • Group registration after Sunday liturgies • Brunch • Welcome Packet with real-life stories of young adults and how they got involved

  40. How do you welcome young adults when they come? • What faith story from your own life might be particularly helpful for a young adult to hear?

  41. #7 It Thinks Young When Designing Adult Faith Formation

  42. National Directory for Catechesis • Young adults need “a non-threatening place where they can freely express their questions, doubts, and even disagreement with the Church and where the teachings of the Church can be clearly articulated and related to their experience.” (NDC 48C, p. 196)

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