The challenge for Catholicism regarding nurturing being a distinct place to belong is that we are both large enough and mainstream enough to not be fully distinguished from the prevailing culture. In and around Atlanta, the soda Coke has become so pre-dominant in the market that many refer to all soda pop as Coke. What sort of Coke would you like? Pepsi, root beer, or 7-Up? In the American faith market, Catholicism (It’s the real thing.) is the Coke of religions.

Catholicism is meant to be universal. Ours is a religion that invites far more then we exclude. Nonetheless, it is a faith community’s distinctiveness that helps teenagers define themselves in concert with those who share their creed, and over against those who do not.

Boundaries and relational networks help to reinforce the distinctiveness of faith. We learn to identify who were are in style that not only emulates those with who are aligned but we also define ourselves against those with whom we differ. Reclaiming that which is distinctly Catholic (the Eucharist and the Sacraments) and celebrating being distinctively Catholic, even in the purchase and wearing of a “100% Catholic” t-shirt are just a beginning.

In Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, there are components identified that that describe the essence or the environment in which Catholic adolescent faith formation takes place. These components echo the tasks of evangelization and catechesis identified in the National Directory for Catechesis. They are:
> Catechesis promotes the knowledge of faith.
> Catechesis promotes knowledge of the meaning of the Liturgy and the sacraments.
> Catechesis promotes moral formation in Jesus Christ
> Catechesis teaches the Christian how to prayer with Christ
> Catechesis prepares the Christian to live in community and to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church.
> Catechesis promotes and missionary spirit that prepares the faithful to be present as Christians in society.

The Renewing the Vision components must be viewed as venues where the tasks of evangelization and catechesis might occur. They are:

The Ministry of Advocacy for Young People engages both the Church as well as the entire culture to speak on the behalf of young people. It assures that young people find their church to be a welcoming and inviting environment in a church that offers much. It also ensures that they will be trained in the skills for active and valued participation within the community in the same church which requires much

The Ministry of Community Life ensures that believers will experience a faith that is live out in both personal relationships as well as within their primary communities of family, peer group, and church. These relationships, personal and community, offer both an attractive environment within which one might explore their faith as well and to be encouraged in mentored into a mature faith

The Ministry of Justice and Service is a venue which reminds that our Church is a venue for solidarity for those who might be considered “the least of these.” It is an aspect of the church that is very appealing to young people due to their inherent desire to seek justice and fairness. It is an aspect of the Church in which greater formation is necessary so that our rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching might be transmitted to future generations.

The Ministry of Leadership Development offers a venue in which disciples might offer their enthusiasm and energy in service to the Church. This allows the gifts of young people to not only be called forth and affirmed as skills, but also to be empowered and taught to lead in the style of the One who washed his disciples feet.

The Ministry of Pastoral Care is one which models the compassion of the Good Samaritan. Those who are in need find God’s care and comfort in the presence of those who serve on behalf of the church. Those who serve of behalf of the church grow in maturity and understanding regarding the skills and boundaries necessary for those who aspire to be the Spirit’s healing presence in the world.

The Ministry of Prayer and Worship is one where all the Church experiences the call to personal holiness through prayer and ritual. This ministry promotes young people’s participation in meaningful experiences as well as promotes their authentic participation by offering meaning to their experiences.

The Ministry of Vocational Discernment acknowledges that throughout life there are some key transition times where one determines their future path and direction. With Adolescents, the Church has a vital role to play encouraging them to consider living lives of value and meaning. Further, we can also provide the direct training and encouragement to deeply consider how they might best serve their own personal call towards discipleship.

A balanced and comprehensive effort towards adolescent faith formation would invite young people to experience the evangelizing and catechetical elements of all of these components or venues in our Church as a place to belong. To ignore and minimalize even one of these venue experiences shortchanges the young person’s richness of awareness of and formation within our Church.