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18Oct, 2010

The Pigeon-Hole Effect

Posted by Scott

pigeonholeThe executive director of the ArchBalt Department of Evangelization, Father John Hurley (my boss), has been developing language around a perception regarding youth ministry within a parish. It is a ministry that might have allowed itself to be “pigeon-holed.”

As a noun, a pigeon hole is one of a series of small, open compartments, as in a desk, cabinet, or the like, used for filing or sorting papers, letters, etc.

But, as a verb, to pigeon hole is:
> to assign to a definite place or to definite places in some orderly system: to pigeonhole new ideas.
> to lay aside for use or reference at some later, indefinite time: We must pigeonhole this excellent plan until the time is ripe.> to put aside for the present, esp. with the intention of ignoring or forgetting, often indefinitely: to pigeonhole an unwanted invitation.

Renewing the Vision reminds that parishes “should have programs for [young people] that recognize [their] special talents and role in the life of the Church. [They] bring to the parish community youthfulness, energy, vitality, hopefulness, and vision” In parishes, young people need to have a wide variety of opportunities to use their gifts and to express their faith through meaningful roles. They will develop a spirit of commitment within a community only through actual involvement in the many ways the Church exercises and carries out its mission. Especially crucial is the interaction with those who have made a lifetime commitment to serving the Church as priests, sisters, brothers, and deacons; young people need to know that such service is both rewarding and fulfilling.”

If we pigeon hole young people’s involvement in the parish to the definite place or the set aside indefinite time of the to the youth group or the youth mass, we deny (spare) the parish community of their youthfulness, energy, vitality, hopefulness, and vision. Of even greater concern, however, is not fostering within them a spirit of commitment through making (really) meaningful roles available to young people.

Tim Schmoyer poses the question of the role of the youth minister this way… Are we to be the center gear in the youth ministry who is responsible to keep the ministry’s other gears turning OR are we to help the church fulfill its calling to minister to teenagers? Tim claims that you can’t say both because if you understand the implications to their fullest extent, they really are very much opposing ideas. At some point, soon and very soon, we need to set aside our own sense of cool; and, when speaking of young people in the parish, we will have to begin to make the Johnny Castle Dirty Dancing declarative of “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”  (that nobody including, ummm, errr…. us!)

Our kids deserve better than to have ministry with them pigeon-holed outside the flow of parish life… And you have to wonder… Do we do youth ministry that way to protect the parish from the wacky, messy, stinky kids or to protect ourselves from the implications of dealing with the stinky, messy, wacky parish community?  Let’s leave the work of protecting everyone in the hands of the Spirit.

9 Comments »

  1. Hi all,

    I know this seems weird but I don’t really know what a ‘pigeon holed teen’ looks like!! We, here at St. Mary’s have, had to be “event driven” and “come as you are” ministry for a long time with the small numbers we have. Thus, mass has become the very place where our teens interact and serve – most of the time. They have been trained and accepted to know that Church IS their space and that they have not only a duty to be there but a right. And therefore, it’s my duty to train – from as young as I can – to have them as liturgically aware as they need to be, be discerning as to where their gifts are and not wait until Confirmation for them to suddenly ‘take up a role’…

    That’s for us, it’s what has worked for us. However, I have had to strain to make sure that the parish also don’t see the kids as ‘free labor’ : (“Oh, the youth group will clean the toilets/clean up after the spaghetti dinner/haul in the chairs after the outdoor mass/decorate for the christmas party” type of thing…. ).

    I encourage the parish to have the teens HELP it do all those necessary tasks that make a parish what it is, but not to dump on them either… I pass it on that I never ask a child to do something I am not prepared to do myself… hard to get that across to a parish who has been raised with a ‘Hord of Teen Spirit’ youth group model and think it’s somewhere in the bowels of the church somewhere….!

    But that is not to say that they don’t need their own times to themselves too and that’s the balance we all have to get right.

    However, I feel that if we are to avoid the pigeon hole model of youth ministry, we have to start very young, bringing all children into the wider church. For example, last Sunday we had Family Mass and there were three children lectors (2 fourth graders and a 5th grader). There was a blessing and commissioning for Lectors at our mass and all the lectors present were called forward. As well as about 10 adults, up on the altar were the 3 elementary children! Why not!? They had just proclaimed the Word! ( and will continue to!!).

    Lots to ponder!

    Peace, Lisa O’Reilly, St. Mary’s, Govans

    Comment by Lisa — Tuesday, October 19, 2010 @ 3:35 pm

  2. I completely agree with Lisa’s comment that we need to welcome young people into full participation in our Church as soon as possible. If we wait until teens are 14, 15 it only makes it more awkward. If young people are always involved in parish life along side their parents then life long commitment to a Church community is more likely to occur. I too feel blessed to be at a parish that welcomes teens in all areas of parish life. I just find myself struggling to bear the burden of finding a place for all of them. Rather I need to teach the other adults of my parish to talent seek and invite teens to deeper participation just the way my team and I do.

    Comment by Marissa — Tuesday, October 19, 2010 @ 7:55 pm

  3. I guess that’s the difference between Youth Group and Youth Ministry

    Comment by John Gencarelli — Wednesday, October 20, 2010 @ 9:01 am

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