On the Catholic Channel for Sirius XM radio, they have been running a series of “Real Men of Catholicism” ad clips.  They are based on the classic Bud Light “Real Men of Genius” commercials.

All fine enough. They have included the Overambitious Sign of Peace guy, the Mr. Write the Collection Check guy, and Mr. Church Fund-Raiser Helper guy.

Recently, however, they featured Mr. Catholic Church Youth Minister guy.  It’s tough to determine if one should laugh or cry. What do you think – -  funny or a reflection of low regard for the field of youth ministry?

All right, you need to make a choice on the video to the right…  It’s 17 minutes. 

Find the time that you can watch this.

If you’ve never heard of Seth Godin, then please know that Forbes indicates that he “is a demigod on the Web, a best-selling author, highly sought-after lecturer, successful entrepreneur, respected pundit and high-profile blogger. He is uniquely respected for his understanding of the Internet.”

What you will learn here is why the future of youth ministry is not in the youth group, but in the vision and possibilities of youth groupings.

When you lead in youth ministry, who is your tribe?

From Renewing the Vision: Ministry with adolescents utilizes each of the Church’s ministries—advocacy, catechesis, community life, evangelization, justice and service, leadership development, pastoral care, prayer and worship—in an integrated approach to achieve the three goals for ministry.

First articulated in A Vision of Youth Ministry, these ministry components describe the “essence” of ministry with adolescents and provide the Church with eight fundamental ways to minister effectively with adolescents. Today, in light of our National Strategy on Vocations, we add vocational discernment to the “essence” of ministry with adolescents.

Today, ArchBalt will be hosting a Summit on Vocations.  Your prayers would be appreciated!

ROTHSCHILD, WS –  Many of the students at the Wausau area’s first Catholic Youth Rally held at the Rothschild Pavilion on Saturday are excited to tell others what Jesus means to them. The rally was organized by Teens Open To Accepting The Lord Ministries, a collaboration of Wausau Deanery Catholic youth ministers and religious education leaders. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to share my faith,” said Kristina Lubyte, 18, an exchange student from Lithuania. “It doesn’t matter what language you speak or where you’re from.” Read more here

FARRAGUT, TN — “So you start with a map,” trans-American cyclist Tom Perry told a group of St. John Neumann Catholic Church youth Wednesday, April 29.  “It was a lot of fun just planning,” Perry said.

Perry, who completed his cycling trip from Oregon to Virginia in the fall, led a group of youth through his trip, a 4,452-mile “unhurried tour of discovery.” Perry encouraged the St. John Neumann youth to pursue their dreams. “Dreams are the seeds of deeds. To happen, deeds need goals. Goals without plans remain dreams,” Perry said. Read more here.

In spring, we find ourselves fully engaged in a time of beginnings. Confirmations invite young people to live their faith more fully within their relationship with the Church. Graduations send students outside their school halls towards their future in the world.    

They are many messages that can be offered at these times. Last year, Harry Potter author JK Rowling reminded Harvard graduates that “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.” Oprah spoke at Duke’s graduation last weekend. In previous commencement speeches, she has said, “What other people label or might try to call failure, I have learned is just God’s way of pointing you in a new direction.”
Yet, the truest commencement speech I heard this year came from the recent movie release of Star Trek. Early in the story, Captain Christopher Pike encounters the son of a fallen comrade. Now a young man, James Tiberius Kirk is reckless civilian who has taken up harassing Starfleet recruits.

Pike confronts Kirk suggesting “You’ve always had a hard time finding your place in this world, haven’t you? Never knowing your true worth. You can settle for less in ordinary life, or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special.” Pike offers this final challenge: “Your father was captain of a starship for twelve minutes. He saved 800 lives, including yours. I dare you to do better. Enlist in Starfleet.”

I dare you to do better.

As the older generation passing along the baton in what are clearly difficult times, it is easy to send the young generation forth with our apologies for the present challenges. This does not serve them well.

We should not only caution young people about the need to risk failure. They need to also hear of our anticipations of their successes.

I dare you to do better.

Pike is offering Kirk an opportunity, a choice. He is presenting a style of life, of moving between star systems rather than from moment to moment.

It is with this tone that Pope Benedict XVI, in March, encouraged the young people of Angola. “Do not be afraid to make definitive decisions. You do not lack generosity – that I know! But the idea of risking a lifelong commitment, whether in marriage or in a life of special consecration, can be daunting. You might think: ‘The world is in constant flux and life is full of possibilities… By making a definitive decision, would I not be risking my freedom and tying my own hands?’” The Pope responded that “These are the doubts you feel, and today’s individualistic and hedonist culture aggravates them.”

“I say to you: Take courage!” the Pope challenged, “Dare to make definitive decisions, because in reality these are the only decisions which do not destroy your freedom, but guide it in the right direction, enabling you to move forward and attain something worthwhile in life.”

This is a season of beginnings, of commencement. Beginnings, however, do not happen by looking nostalgically on the past. They occur when we commit with hope and love and prayer towards the future.

“Live long and prosper” has long been a salutation offered by Star Trek’s Mister Spock. As a commencement address, however, it takes on the nature of a direct challenge. I dare you to make definitive decisions. I dare you to do better.

It’s another T-Mobile large crowd event. 

Recently, I got this e-mail question: “Surely you have seen the T- Mobil Dance You-Tube clip. If you were asked to create a clip about the Catholic Church that has the same magnetic attraction and a positive message….what would you do?”

My response: “The T-Mobile commercials are scenes with choreographed dancing (or now sing-alongs) that occurs within a busy urban setting. As a church, we are not choreographed: but by our intentions and motivations.

So, in a busy Grand Central Station, I would see folks that have ‘a common something distinctive’ doing …Feeding the poor …Clothing the naked …Healing the sick …Teaching …Singing …and (in an acknowledgement to T-Mobile) dancing.

All with one modern catchy beat in the background. Let me know when you want to film it.”

Meanwhile, today, let’s all “Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better!

In one of my earliest parish settings, I attempted to model youth leadership training after the RCIA process where each young person was set with an adult mentor (who was subsequently and sneakily also receiving leadership training as well.)  We called it the Jeremiah Project.

After the training and the recognition/ commissioning came the mystagogia part of the training.  They were to plan something as a group.  I would have been happy with a simple car wash or a service project. Only one problem: The date for the planning meeting had been long set and I found myself now with an unavoidable conflict for a majority of the meeting time.  I was ready to reschedule the meeting when the adults intervened and assured me that they “had” it.

When I did arrive, the group would not reveal what they had in store.  I eventually figured it out as the publicity came out.  The Jeremiah Project challenged a local radio station in a softball game as part of the radio stations’ charitable efforts regarding Jerry Lewis’ MDA.  It was a phenomenal success- fundraising-wise, parish attendance and pride-wise, and leadership ownership-wise… Those young people (and adults) walked away from that event convinced that they could pull off most anything… and they could!

Whew!  That’s the thirteen behavior Stephen M.R. Covey suggests that helps to ensure The Speed of Trust. If you want to read all thirteen, you can find them posted over the past two weeks in the Leadership category.

Stephen M.R. Covey identifies this behavior as “the Big Kahuna” of the behaviors that enhance The Speed of Trust. If reminds us that when you make a commitment, you build hope, when you keep it, you build trust.

It’s important to make your commitments realistic.  When this series was advertised by e-mail a week ago, I knew that this commitment was going to be honored as I would have already published five of the thirteen posts already and had written the other necessary eight a week before I even advertised.

We show our commitment by how much time we dedicate towards the planning and implementation necessary to pull off our commitment. 

I maintain a to-do board above my office desk.  My car clock is set five minutes fast which helps to ensure that I arrive to most meetings early.  I’m developing a practice of following up business phone calls that I initiate with an e-mail (even if it is just a thank you.)  All of these help me to communicate that I value relationships and task deadlines. 

And, I have been attempting to grow in my commitments to communicate intentionally with family and friends as well, not just leaving it up to whim or free times

For five days throughout the remainder of this fiscal year (including today), ArchBalt is furloughing her diocesan staff, closing the Catholic Center, and leaving staff to stay at home without pay.  Today is the second such day, following the first two weeks ago.

The Catholic Review did offer an article on this story.  The good news is that we are allowed to trade in a personal day or a vacation day so as to not have our paycheck diminished. Thankfully, I had plenty in reserve (but that’s not the case for all my co-workers.)

Anyway, when the office closes like this, I’m gonna repost this so that you know and we all remember that we need to keep the economic crisis on our screens -  people are hurting, our peers are being impacted with lay-offs due to diminished investments, families we serve are being impacted – and we need to be about prayer for each other. . . which is how I hope to spend part of my furlough days.

We will resume our series on The Speed of Trust tomorrow.