It is 2002 and hundreds have gathered at the National Conference for Catholic Youth Ministry in Denver. They have gathered despite post-9/11 travel concerns. They have gathered despite scandal in the Church. They have gathered despite a downward economy and limited budget funding. It is now the last night of the conference and it is time for the comedy club. They have gathered to laugh.

Many familiar faces- Steve, Jesse, Gene and Brad, Bob the Stooge – are joyously dancing, juggling, and singing and the gathered participants are happily engaged in the joy and humor that seems so uniquely Catholic Youth Ministry. Two new faces, Justin and Anne Marie, take the stage. They have taken on the personas of two characters from Saturday Night Live- Marty and Bobbi Mohan-Culp, two middle school music teachers who performs medleys is a wide variety of unique settings. They take the pop hits and re“work” them for whatever odd audience they have before them.

All of a sudden, the field of youth ministry was a victim of the satire being performed right in front of them. The crowd was roaring with laughter, it was quite an event. Various other comedy club performers came to the fringes of the stage to watch, enjoy, and laugh as well.

“Marty” and “Bobbi” at one point had begun to sing Go Make a Difference, a song written by Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomasek and performed by Steve through many youth rallies, concerts, and national conferences such as this one. Steve, himself, comes now to the very edge of the curtain, wondering what these two will possibly do to his song.

The performers surprisingly play this song straight. The crowd begins to join in on the familiar lyrics. First verse leads into the rousing refrain which leads into. . .

The second verse. “Marty” and “Bobbi” start with a recognizable phrase or two, but the song quickly denigrates into boisterous nonsensical babble. Quickly, we all realize that the joke was on us- nobody really seems to know the second verse of the song and “Marty” and “Bobbi” have again, this evening, skewered the collective souls of those gathered. The biggest laugh of all was to be found coming from Steve Angrsano himself at the side of the stage.

If you aspire to go and make a difference… do you know what will be “the second verse” of your ministry?