When I read the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers for the first time in 1994 I was terrified. I looked at those phrases that were so unfamiliar, ecclesial, praxis, Christology. Whatever those words meant I was sure I did not have competency in them! Then my mentor, Pat Fox, slowed me down and helped me to see that I might not know the words, but I did know how to be a youth minister. Working with our diocesan youth ministry group I discovered that the standards could actually show me my strengths, the places where I already had a mastery of knowledge. Now the Certification Standards have been revised and include pastoral ministers and catechetical leaders. When I heard that they had been republished, I surprised myself by actually ordering one right away!

Mapping a Plan for Growth

There never seems to be an end of the day when you are a youth minister. There is always one more phone call to make or one more note to send. It can leave us feeling frazzled and disjointed. The standards are a solution to the overwhelming task of finding a direction for professional growth. They clear the haze and let me set the priorities that are right for me. They are also a great way for me to remember that while this work may contain a lot of socialization (games) and relationships (one-on-one talks with teens), this work is about professionalism and that it is both my honor and responsibility to take that seriously.

The idea of being accountable for my areas of growth does not scare me when I realize that it is okay to be “on my way.” I am pretty sure that none of the first workers Jesus chose, the apostles, would score very highly on the “professional practice” section. I have these visions of Bartholomew and Jude making parchment flyers for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, then after they distribute 1000’s of them, Matthias tells them the location has been changed to the Plain. So it is not about achieving perfection, but it is about being able to map out a plan for growth and to be able to demonstrate to the parish and to myself that youth ministry is a real profession.

Toward Accountability

The Standards themselves prove to others that indeed, youth ministers are competent, knowledgeable, skilled professionals. I want people to enter this field deliberately and plan to stay. We know it is not about salaries (that is another article) it is about attitude. As a veteran in the field I have had my share of times when parishioners walked right past me to ask the faith formation coordinator a question about the Catechism, times when my opinion was not solicited by other staff members because the issue was liturgy or I actually had a business manager say to me “Oh, I know, all youth ministers are bad with money.” Those assumptions reveal a prejudice that we are not “really” professionals, or that we cannot really be held to the same standards as other professional ministers in the church. The National Certification Standards are one big step forward in dispelling that bias. Using them will help me exhibit professionalism and invite my coworkers and parishioners to reconsider ideas that may not reflect reality. The National Certification Standards are about being able to be accountable to myself, my parish, my diocese, and to the people of God. As we work with one another and raise the reputation of our profession we all benefit. I am willing to be accountable in my work, it will make me stronger and give me a direction for growth in my relationship with God too.

So what are the National Certification Standards?

They cover five core areas of growth. They are: Personal and Spiritual Maturity, this means taking responsibility for myself, my personal and spiritual needs. Lay Ecclesial Ministry Identity means understanding I have a true vocation, not just a job, and that by virtue of my baptism, I have been called to this vocation; Roman Catholic Theology speaks to knowing the basics about my faith and a little more so that I can share this faith accurately and appropriately. Pastoral Praxis (there’s that scary word!) is knowing that a big part of youth ministry is caring about people and knowing that the way that I behave matters to the teens and the people in the parish, (walking the walk, not just talking the talk). And lastly Professional Practice is being able to work in an office environment, taking care of my responsibilities in a timely and professional way. Bart, Jude, and Matt may have gotten the job done for the Lord, but today’s apostles are working in the 21st century. We work in a mission field that has computers, budgets, parish councils, and so on. We are called to be good stewards, just as the original apostles were good stewards in their time. For me, the Competency Standards are a map of how to be that wise steward who invests the Master’s resources wisely. May they all come back to us with a tenfold return!

Thank you to Kathy Goller from the Diocese of Buffalo for contributing to this article.

A Summary of the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers and the Specialized Competencies for Youth Ministry Leaders...
...has been prepared and is accessible from this and every page of every issue of the newsletter by using the "button" near the bottom of the right side navigation bar entitled "National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers."