A Youth Minister's Guide

by: Jim Murray, Coordinator of Youth Ministry
Ascension Parish, Kettering, OH

 

Professional Practice Competency IconEvery youth ministry leader loves free stuff. The growth of the internet has given budget-minded ministers a wealth of free resources at their finger tips. When I Googled “Youth Ministry,” in 20 seconds there were 16,300,000 sites. What youth minister has the spare time to dig through those search results to find resources for their next program plan? Needless to say, finding key youth ministry resources on the web can be a daunting task.
I hope to save you some time by providing a quick list of helpful websites. Our Archdiocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry recently held a ‘resource showcase’ ministry enrichment day. The day focused on the latest and greatest print, software, speaker, music, and web resources. With thanks to the enrichment day planning team and input from youth ministry leaders across the Cincinnati archdiocesan, I am glad to pass the list shared at the workshop on to you.

Obvious Websites...

I know you are eager to check out the list, but I believe it is necessary to note a few highlights first. Some sites may be so obvious that we overlook their wealth of resources. Two of these include the United States Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry (NFYCM) sites. The USCCB offers a wealth of resources, lessons, documents and links on social justice issues. The NFCYM provides quality resources for understanding trends in youth ministry and tools for communicating and advocating for comprehensive youth ministry in your parish.

We may know other websites primarily because of their publishing arm; for example, Saint Mary’s Press, Youth Specialties and Group. Most of these publishers offer free resources including icebreakers, Scripture studies, prayer resources, and more. Are you like me and have trouble figuring out quantities of food to buy for your retreats? Check out the food-planning chart on the Youth Specialties free resource page.

Think beyond ‘youth ministry’ when searching for resources on the Internet. For example, consider religious educator sites such as Resources for Catholic Educators. This site offers resources, lesson plans, links, and clipart from A-Z. Try researching “trends in ministry” or “youth culture.” In this instance, you may want to check out Relevant Magazine. This site provides insights from young adults attempting to impact culture today with their faith in Christ.

I hope this brief overview has wet your whistle for a day of surfing the Internet wave of youth ministry resources. Below are just a few more sites for your browsing pleasure.

I hope you find these sites helpful. May this guide ease your web searching. Ultimately may it provide you with a few extra minutes of time to rest, relax and rejuvenate yourself…or at least to time to scarf down an extra slice of pizza.

Website Listing by Category

Catechesis/Community
General Resource/Leadership/Advocacy
Internet Safety Websites

Media/Music
Publicity/Clip Art
Research
Social Justice
Software
  • Irfanview
    Manage images, batch rename files, create photo slideshows without need for PowerPoint to view
  • Cdstarter
    Easily create auto start menus for CD's—great for giving memory/photo CD's to retreat participants
Prayer
Youth Culture

I hope you find these sites helpful. May this guide ease your Web search for useful resources and information. Ultimately may it provide you with a few extra minutes of time to rest, relax and rejuvenate yourself…or at least time to scarf down an extra slice of pizza!

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This Issue:

Promoting the Profession

Sharing Your Bread

Sharing the Practices

Calendar of Events

National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers