Like the previous seven decades, in the past twenty years, the fields of Catholic youth and young adult ministries have greatly evolved from models of CYO and youth groups, to a comprehensive programmatic ministry model, and today a renewed focus on relational ministry and accompaniment. With all of these changes, one must wonder if anything has been lost in the transitions.
Similar to major corporations checking their networks for vulnerabilities, a review of the web of ministries is needed; especially in the rapidly shifting network of pastoral leaders. This study seeks to both understand and identify ways to support these leaders serving in this critical ministry for the Church. Important elements of this research will include their call to ministry, intent for future service, ministerial identities, and the current realities of ministry to young Catholics.
A Study of Pastoral Leaders Serving Young Catholics, Examining Network Vulnerability Amidst a Web of Ministries intends to better understand and identify ways to support the youth workers, the leaders they accompany, their professional field, and in turn the young people of the Church. While this research will happen over several years, MTS is beginning with hosting 30 to 50 focus groups of ministry leaders. These leaders come from all across America, will have a wide variety of experience, and will intentionally be divided by generation so we can look at any generational differences that may exist and how that may impact the emerging leadership from Generation Z.
To learn more, you can read the full description of the research study by clicking here.
This research will be examining different cultural contexts, different generations of ministry leaders, and their areas of ministry responsibility. In addition, we will be looking at the current realities of ministry in the Church to give us evidence in written form of the anecdotal realities which are sometimes difficult to articulate.