YOUTH MINISTRY TEAMS IN LOCAL SALESIAN COMMUNITIES Introduction The second, third and fourth deliberations of Gc 23 urge on all our loca) communities a “fresh pastoral approach" to our youth ministry, one in which the Salesians (as individuals in their own activities and as 2 community with respect to th larger educative community), act as the animating nucleus, and” work together with the laity out of a shared pastoral plan (cf. eep. #5 228, 232, 233, 236, 239-243). At the "Consulta" in Rome which I recently attended with Luc Van Looy and thirteen other confreres from around the world, the importance of working with youth ministry teams at both the provincial and local levels was stressed continually. at its June meeting, our own Province YM team (PYMT) committed itself to providing some resources for local communities to develop YM teams this year. These guidelines comprise at least a partial fulfillment of that commitment. 2 am sending this material to all Directors, Pastors and Principals, and the CYMe in our schools and parishes. it contains brief, and what I hope are PRACTICAL guidelines for forming local teams. The materia! is divided into four broad areas, each of which contains some core ideas and information. People on site could lead the process of setting up and forming teams, or other people and resources could be called in from the outside. Local personnel will be in the best position to determine how to make use of this material. The four areas are: 1) Responsibilities of YM Teams; 2) Recruitment of Team Members; 3) Formation Components for YM Teams; and 4) Components for Ongoing Meetings of YM Teams. The guidelines have been prepared with both schoo! and parish settings in mind. 2 should mention that the PYMT does intend to "walk with" three communities this year in setting up local YM teams, as a kind of pilot program. We aim to flesh out the guidelines contained herein, to devise concrete ways of acting on them suited to the local needs, to accompany the three local teams in their formation ané yearlong meetings and activity, and to revise these guidelines accordingly. Next year, God willing, you will get a revised set of guidelines enriched by the fruitof a year's experience on the part of these three communities. At that time, we may be able to “walk with" three more communities, or at least suggest alternate strategies or resources for the formation of local YM teams, In the meanwhile, it is our hope that ail communities will try to make at least some moves toward setting up functional teams, and that the material here will be of help. We also nope you will feel free to call on ue to advise and assist in any way we can. " A very brief bibliography is attached to the end of thi guidelines, The works referred to there would be useful for whoever is going to lead the formative sessions for the teams, or for the further education of the team members themselves The chief resources underlying these guidelines have been: Educating Young People to the Faith, Documents of the 23r¢ General Chapter of the Salesians of St. John Bosco; Leadership for Youth Ministry, by Zeni Fox, et al.; NECYM Competency-Based Standards for the Coordinator of Youth Ministry, National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry; and A Vision of Youth Ministry, Department of Education, United States Catholic Conference. One final note: the guidelines aim to reflect always both the experience and direction of our American Church and our Salesian Congregation. What is offered nere is minimal -- the bottom line material to assure fidelity to the Church and Cengregation. There is always room and need for more material for ongoing education and deeper reflection. Stephen Schenck, SDB Provincial Councillor for ym August 15, 1992look This PART ONE: RESPONSIBILITIES OF SALESIAN YM TEAMS In a Salesian school or parish, the YM team will need to on all the following as its responsibilities: 2) To maintain a clear vision of the local community's mission to the young, with special regard to its own role in the work of education in faith. 2) To be the advocate of that vision with individuals and groups. 3) To be in ongoing touch with the changing needs of the young people it serves. 4) To pian programs to meet those needs. 6) To see to the implementation of its plans. 6) To regularly evaluate its work, taking special note of reasons for success and/or failure. 2) To see to its own ongoing formation in areas relating to youth ministry. 8) To connect with as much of the parish/school community as possible by: a) keeping it informed, and b) inviting its input. 9) To enable more and more adults in the parish/school community to be actively involved in the works of the ym program. 10) To enable the young people themselves to participate actively in these works, even on the tean itself, with increasing leadership roles. listing reflects what seem to us to be the most important responsibilities, It does not pretend to be exhaustive.