When God called me out of my secure and comfortable world of disorders, shots fired calls, and drug busts, and into the really dangerous, frightening, and uncertain landscape of Diocesan youth ministry, (well OK, maybe just a little dangerous), at first I felt a bit… well, lonely. Don’t get me wrong, I never once doubted that God was calling me to serve the young church in this new way. Still, back at the police department at least I had a squad. As a Sergeant, I worked together with my officers to accomplish our shared mission. We were a team. And suddenly here I was sitting in an office all alone wondering where to begin.

Does that experience resonate with you? No, not the shots fired part; I’m talking about the feeling of trying to faithfully respond to God’s call to minister to teens, but being out there on your own trying to do it by yourself.

Well just as Jesus did not send the apostles out alone, neither are you sent out alone. You are part of the universal church, rich with resources that can help you, and working with your Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry is a great place to tap into these resources. Whether you’re a full-time youth minister with a vibrant youth ministry program and enviable budget, or a volunteer in a parish that’s never had an organized youth ministry program, your goal is the same – “Leading Teens Closer to Christ.” So before your head explodes with the enormity of your task, pick up the phone, and call your Diocesan Director.

Your Diocesan Director can connect you with fellow YMs in the Diocese and provide you with the support and the resources you need to achieve your goal. What that support looks like may vary between Dioceses as each one has unique needs and varying available resources. Here are some of the ways that working in partnership with your Diocesan Director can help you:

You Can Be A Part of Diocesan Events
Build community and fellowship among your teens and fellow youth ministers by participating in Diocesan events such as:

• Rallies
• Retreats
• Service Projects
• Conferences
• Social Outings

You Can Get Resources

• Print and multi-media resources on topics from foundational documents like Renewing the Vision to icebreaker skits
• Get plugged into professional youth ministry organizations:
  • National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM)
    • Provides training, outstanding resources, job information, links
  • National Association of Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders (NACYML)
    • Source of professional development, ministry formation and spiritual growth

You Can Get Training and Education
Some Dioceses offer their own training, some outsource:

• Professional Development
• Workshops
• Speakers
• Parish, Diocesan, Region training programs

Make Connections with the Larger Church
NCYC: Through your Diocese, your teens can participate in NFCYM’s bi-annual National Catholic Youth Conference
NCCYM: Inform and refresh your ministry by attending NFCYM’s bi-annual National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry
WYD: After experiencing Mass alongside 1.2 million young Catholics at World Youth Day in Cologne, I have better grasp of the term “universal church” and so will your teens

While these are great benefits, the best is making that connection that keeps you from feeling alone.

Once I met all the YM’s in my Diocese and learned from them what they needed from me to best minister to their teens, that’s when I felt like I was again part of a team.

We continue to work together to accomplish our shared task. We meet quarterly to talk about our programs and events, but most importantly to pray for each other. Each youth minister, full-time, part-time, staff, or volunteer, is critical to accomplishing the goal. I may no longer hold roll calls or inspect weapons. But I have my squad back.