How do we #buildbackbetter our youth ministry & ensure young people are at the Church’s heart?

Faith sharing:

When evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:35-41

“Lord, in this world, that you love more than we do, we have gone ahead at breakneck speed, feeling powerful and able to do anything. Greedy for profit, we let ourselves get caught up in things, and lured away by haste. We did not stop at your reproach to us, we were not shaken awake by wars or injustice across the world, nor did we listen to the cry of the poor or of our ailing planet. We carried on regardless, thinking we would stay healthy in a world that was sick. Now that we are in a stormy sea, we implore you: “Wake up, Lord!”

“[Lord], You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. 
It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: 
a time to choose what matters and what passes away, 
a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. 
It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others... 

The Lord asks us and invites us to reawaken and put into practice that solidarity and hope capable of giving strength, support and meaning to these hours when everything seems to be floundering.  Urbiet Orbi, 27 March 2020, Pope Francis.

Pope Francis invites us to see this as “a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not.”​Share something of how ​you have discovered what matters, ​about what is necessary and what is not?​

Loving God, 
Open our minds and touch our hearts, so that we can be part of Creation, your gift. 
Be present to those in need in these difficult times.
Help us to show creative solidarity as we confront the consequences of the pandemic. 
Make us courageous in embracing the changes requiredto seek the common good. 
Now more than ever, may we all feel interconnected and interdependent. 
Enable us to succeed in listening and responding to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. 
May their current sufferings become the birth pangs 
of a more fraternal and sustainable world. 
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scene setting: Responding to previous conversations and feedback, this session was in three parts:​

1. #buildbackbetter our ministry to support our young people simply to BE​

2. #buildbackbetter our ministry attentive as as to enable young people to participate in, and perhaps lead, a vision for a better world

3. #buildbackbettertogether, as colleagues​

Scenario planning: A simple, useful tool to help you imagine scenarios can be found here. Use the tool with someone in your parish team/colleague/school.

Begin with exploring the ‘unknowns’? e.g

• Calendar for next year (retreats, masses, school trips)

• When can we do extra curriculum activites again?

• How important is catholic life in school? Academic?

• Social distance? Bubbles?

• How many people can be in a room? Space for events?

• How are people going to be engaged in faith away from the online space or those that have gone away? Numbers at church? Will people re-engage? Staff numbers? Levels of resources? Will they be put elsewhere? Volunteer confidence? Sacramental programmes

  Using the tool

• Plot two of your ‘unknowns’ on the two axis.

• Take time to think about scenarios (e.g. online and offline planning)

• Try to identify common solutions for different scenarios

Section 1 Called to be

In breakout groups:​

• What must we let go of, so as to #buildbackbetter to support young people to be?​

• What foundations, tools, people do we already possess that we can utilise in this ministry?​

• What ideas can we create together to do new things:​

• Resources​

• Activities​

• Approaches

Let go of:

• Self – walk with them

• Our own judgments

• Preconceived ideas of what YM is – all new -needs to be approached in new ways

• Not listening to the spirit in the moment – just listen

• Letting go of fear and uncertainty – give it a go – accept failure

Section 2 Called to Action

Section 3- #buildbackbetter together

INVITATION TO COLLABORATE WITH US: If you are interested in helping us develop any of the #buildbackbetter resource ideas, please do get in contact with Kate at: kate@millionminutes.org.

 RESOURCES SHARED:

Prepare the Future Resource Hub (in development) - COMING SOON
Tool to help you imagine different scenarios

For more details on our next conversations and to register please visit: millionminutes.org/conversations