Youth
God destined us not for his retribution, but to win salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that, awake or asleep, we should still live united to him. So give encouragement to each other, and keep strengthening one another, as you do already. I Thess. 5:9-11
Following the closure of the Catholic Youth Services in 2008, the Bishops of England and Wales have instructed that research is to be carried out to determine the current provision for youth ministry within the Dioceses, and directions for further development. This work will be carried out by the Youth Ministry Administrator under the supervision of Bishop Kieran Conry, within the Bishops' Department of Evangelisation and Catechesis.
National Youth Sunday
National Youth Sunday 2009 takes for its inspiration this year’s World Youth Day message entitled “We have set our hope on the living God” (1 Tim 4:10).
Pope Benedict addresses young people on the theme of hope, saying that although youth is “a special time of hope”, it can also be marked by a “crisis of hope” when difficulties threaten to overwhelm us. He encourages us to follow the example of St Paul in being “witnesses of hope”, placing our hope in Christ, the living God. Christ is the great hope to which we all aspire and who never disappoints.
The feast of Christ the King invites us to reflect on the nature of the Kingdom of God, and challenges us to live as citizens of a kingdom “not of this world” (John 18:36). What is distinctive about Christ’s kingship? Jesus says that “all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” (John 18:37). What does it mean to listen to this voice today? How do we act on its promptings to bring about the Kingdom of God here and now?
livesimply Community Challenges
Change the world together with a livesimply Community Challenge
As part of the livesimply network, the Youth Desk at the Bishops' Conference is encouraging Catholic young people everywhere to take action for justice. Any group can get involved, large or small, from the altar servers and youth groups at church to school tutor groups.
The Challenges fall into five categories - learning, lobbying, lifestyle change, liturgy, and local action. Will you read the signs of your time and place and take action to respond?
Revealed
Youth Formation Ministry for Catholics - in print and online.
Revealed is a new multimedia initiative brought to you by Redemptorist Publications, and was motivated by workers in parishes asking questions and looking for support. Ultimately, it is focused on leading young people into positive relationships with each other, with society and with Christ.
CAFOD Youth Leaders
Information and resources for youth leaders, chaplains, volunteers and others that work with young people.
The CAFOD youth team works directly with those who have face-to-face contact with young people, and aims to produce resources to best serve your needs, as well as training and support in all aspects of youth work relating to global justice.
Catholic Youth Work Forum
Online community for Catholic youth workers and those interested in the field
CatholicYouthWork.com exists to provide a space on the web for youth workers to swap ideas, get resources, seek support and find out about upcoming events and jobs. Nearly 500 members receive regular e-mails with the latest news and updates. Look out for a great deal of resources to be published throughout 2009.
Local
The Dioceses of England and Wales support Catholic youth ministry in a variety of different ways. Use the links below to visit the youth sections of our diocesan websites.
International
Connect with millions – share the experience – build a better world
Xt3.com is a site to help young people connect with other young people interested in knowing more about the Catholic faith, to plug in to the Church and get to know what's going on in the local area. It’s a modern, slick and easy to use social networking platform which compares favourably to those currently on offer, e.g. Facebook, MySpace, etc. Young people have the opportunity to network effectively with peers who share their own interests, belief, values and desire to make the world a better place.
