How traditional ministry helps strengthen relational ministry
Recently, we had a great night in ministry when we held Eucharistic Adoration for the students. The teens were engaged, they were reverent and respectful of a tradition that’s been a part of our Roman Catholic tradition for many centuries. Eucharistic adoration is a practice in which the Blessed Sacrament (the Eucharist Bread) is exposed to and adored by a group of faithful. It’s traditions like these that we’ve been infusing into our ministry because of the rich history and discipline it brings the students.
I know that sometimes the perception of Catholicism is that it’s borderline cultish with it’s cannibalistic behavior, Mary worshipping, funny hat wearing, candle lighting, etc. But there is something about the centuries of traditions that have helped us become a dynamic ministry. To be honest, when I was in my late teens and early college years I didn’t really get why saying the rosary or going to a priest for reconciliation was important. I told myself that I didn’t need the structure of the church to be authentic and relational in my faith. So ignored a lot of my faith’s traditions because they seemed limiting or archaic.
But, in any denomination you are going to face limits. Catholic or not, it’s easy to feel like rituals and traditions can lead us away from authenticity. I get it, it makes sense because sometimes the ceremony or act becomes about the bells (literally) and whistles of the ritual. But I know that many of the ways we celebrate our faith despite the denomination were created to make us more relational in our faith journey.
A few years back my thoughts on the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church changed. I attended a conference and was impressed with how other youth ministers were talking about the habits that they were instilling in their students. They were memorizing scripture, building accountability and developing a deeper prayer life. Honestly, I was jealous, but I was also motivated. With no seminary (I studied Communications) and with only a few theological classes at Xavier University under my belt I was lost to figuring out the right medium for teaching these habits. I was finding that our worship and small groups were one of those places; however, with students wanting to go deeper we needed something a little more defined.
I wanted to avoid discipleship classes because it felt like we would be bringing students back to the more traditional Sunday School model, which is not a structure for habit development. So I looked at the Sacraments and saw that the reason why we have these Sacraments is not just to celebrate moments in our faith (i.e. marriage), but they are tools and mile markers that are to be repeatedly used in one’s faith journey. They can (but not always) even signify change in one’s physical life. For example:
Baptism=Birth
First Eucharist=Age of Reason;
Marriage=Family Life
As a Catholic youth minister I primarily work with teens on the sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is the last of the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation) when a person openly commits him or herself to following Christ in front of the Church community, similar to the way other denominations celebrate Baptism. However, this is more of a commissioning because we’ve welcomed them into the church at Baptism. Even though there isn’t a specific age as to when this should happen, our local church decided the end of the high school should be the goal for our students. Like many youth ministries we don’t want teens graduating their faith when they graduate high school, so we want to make sure that when they leave they feel equipped with the proper tools.
Confirmation comes from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the disciples received the gifts of the Holy Spirit and witnessed Him in His full glory. It’s all about the church exploding because now people were instilled with the confidence and knowledge that God was with them. We wanted to instill that same excitement into the teens so that when they leave their homes they not only practice their faith, but they live it and help the church continuously grow. So how do we do that? We looked at:
Preparation
Confirmation isn’t a graduation, but we’ve painted it as a mile marker for intense habit development. From 5th grade until they receive the Sacrament we drive home the habits mentioned in Acts 2:
(v. 42) You have discipleship and accountability
(v. 45) Tithing and serving one another
(v. 47) Personal and corporate prayer
Again, Confirmation signifies the moment when these habits were put into action and the church grew. This Sacrament is a tradition of what we want the church to become.
Preparation for Confirmation isn’t the only time we develop habits. We cover these topics in our corporate worship programs and small groups. But by the time they reach high school we want to help them specifically apply these habits into their lives. So what’s different about how this is done in Catholic Youth Ministry? We are just giving them mile markers. We aren’t saying when you celebrate this sacrament you’ll be super Christian; however, have that day of Pentecost in mind as a day to be fully open to God’s grace and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Because if one is truly open in their hearts and minds during the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation then that day can serve as a turning point in their lives just as it did 2000 years ago.
We’re realistic and tell them that they may not feel exactly what the men and women did but they can use that day as a moment to when they were ready to give it all over to Christ. The ritual, the Confirmation Mass is that definitive moment, when you can publicly announce, “Yes, I’m ready to give my life for Christ.” in front of the church body. Again it’s similar to what other denominations do with Baptism; however, this moment signifies the end to their initiation and now they are commissioned to go and make disciples.
Each Sacrament in the Catholic Church was designed as a tool to help a Christian go deeper in their relationship with Christ. And while one might feel as if they don’t need the formality of seeing a priest for reconciliation, or the ceremonial act of receiving communion to have Christ inside of them, tradition brings structure. I’m not saying other denominations lack structure, and I’ll admit sometimes the traditions of the Catholic Church can become a little too much pomp and circumstance, but what other youth ministries can learn from the Catholic Church is how tradition and rituals can be used as tools and stepping stones in a teenager’s faith journey. After all, that’s why the Sacraments were designed, that’s why we have so many written prayers, that’s why we have a patron saint for everything from lost causes (St. Jude) to the Internet (St. Isidore of Seville). If I have questions, if I’m lost or if I forget anything along my faith journey I can rely on the path that the Catholic Church has designed. I know they may seem unnecessary because there are other ways to receive forgiveness, to pray, to commit to Christ, but these traditions create a clear path. What we teach students in Catholic youth ministry is how to travel the path. We want to teach them how to best utilize the resources offered.
Youth ministry in the Catholic Church isn’t the only way to do ministry, in fact it’s not that old. And I’ll be honest, some of the greatest influences of how I do ministry have come from Doug Fields, Andy Stanley and Jim Collins. And I would encourage other denominations to remind Catholic youth ministers not to rely solely on structured prayer and tradition.
What has helped me with bringing students the hard truth, and pointing them in the right direction is the history of the Roman Catholic Church. What I think we all can learn from Catholicism is that the denominations we associate ourselves with, no matter how difficult it might be to embrace, are filled with traditions that serve as a solid path for teens to travel. And within that path is purpose and with purpose we have vision.
I would challenge all youth ministers to look at the traditions of their denomination and even the entire Church. I’m not saying you have to prepare for them in the same way generations before did, but what you should do is ask, “How can I use these traditions to further the students I serve along their faith journey?” After all isn’t that what we are after? Aren’t we all about leading students closer to Christ? Why not utilize the structure that has been laid out before us?
So, what traditions have you used and how are you using them to grow God’s Kingdom ?
Chris Wesley is the Director of Student Ministry at the Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Nativity in Timonium, MD. Chris lives with his wife and son in Pikesville, MD. He enjoys running and writing and you can read more about his journey at Marathon Youth Ministry or follow him on twitter: @cwesleynativity.
