May 2011
With, For, and By
Greg Coogan
Young Adult Ministry Coordinator
Diocese of Buffalo
The Diocese of Buffalo is excited about a new partnership with Charis Ministries, a Jesuit ministry to those in their twenties and thirties. Given the changing and challenging landscape of parish ministry, especially with twenty and thirty-somethings, the diocese recognizes this strategy as one way to meet the needs of people where they are in life. Whether seeking to connect with God or others, retreat opportunities help to respond to the hungers of young adults. Three specific reasons make this a best practice in young adult ministry and a positive relationship for a diocesan ministry to engage in: Charis retreats are designed with, for, and by young adults and are based from the tradition and respect the sacredness of questions.
With, For, and By
Adults in their twenties and thirties are looking for their niche in the Catholic community. They are not their grandparents or parents and are looking to have their hungers attended to by the faith community. The Charis Seekers' weekend was an endeavor to supplement parish outreach for the twenty and thirty something. Charis retreats minister to young adults at two distinct levels: the young adult team and the young adult participants.
Our first Charis team was a phenomenal witness to the diversity of faith and God's unique call. Five women and men ranging from their early twenties and thirties spoke from their experience. Team meetings helped to formulate witness talks and strategies on how to facilitate small group discussions. They led seventeen others including single young professionals, university students, engaged and married couples into deep conversations on where God was present in their lives. Participants were moved by the openness and confidentiality of the small group experience and this brought forth powerful grace-filled encounters. The Charis retreat model highlights the "adult" experience of faith and has confirmed the need for the church to meet the diverse needs of the emerging church. Maria, a twenty something, wrote this about her experience: "It was a very powerful experience bringing to mind questions of the heart as well as answers. The sense of community was strong and the discussions were all open and accepting causing the retreat to be moving and powerful."
Working from the Tradition
There is something to be said for history found in a five–hundred–year–old Catholic spiritual tradition. St. Ignatius of Loyola's Spiritual Exercises are still as relevant today as they were when written. Some of the aspects that engage those in their twenties and thirties are silence, the Examen, sacramental moments, faith sharing, finding God in the everyday, and rituals like morning and evening prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. Young adults desire healthy and positive experiences of Christian community and intimacy and nearly all participants asked for more silence and see it as a need in future retreats. I cannot help but think in a world of so much noise and instant connections that we need silence. Like Elijah, we still find God in the still, small voice and not necessarily in all of the special effects of today.
Sacred Questions
People in their twenties and thirties crave to know their faith. Their hunger for catechesis is tangible as retreatants desired to make the most of the Question Box. The Question Box is a time for people to ask questions of the community, including ordained clergy and professionally trained lay ministers. Questions were submitted anonymously on index cards and placed in a box. A master of ceremonies directs the time and keeps the discussions on task. This strategy was weaved into the Seekers' weekend and allows for all questions to be addressed by the community. Questions included why we do not sing or say "alleluia" during Lent to why Catholics only allow for male clergy. All of the questions are addressed in a respectful environment that sees questioning as important to the human experience. Responses are answered with respect to the church's tradition and in a spirit of dialogue. Faith is handed on and supported when the community dialogues with people and answers their questions with a "flesh and bone" approach to supplement other methodologies. Our experience confirmed that the participants would like more opportunities to question and discuss faith in similar settings.
The church of Buffalo will continue to implement this strategy and look to partner with parishes to bring the Charis retreat experience to more young adults. We continue to be filled with great joy on how this retreat method has been met by the young adult community. We praise our God who continues to inspire and be found in the young adult church of today.