I Have A Dream

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of freedom, equality and racial reconciliation. In 1979, Pope John Paul II quietly voiced his dream of the “new evangelization,” that the Catholic Church would build a civilization of love through a new ardor, new methods and new expressions of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ.[1] And in our time, right here in our midst, Pope Francis has captured the world by his dream for the lowly, the lost, and the people of God sworn to serve them.

Many have called Pope Francis’ breathtaking exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), his “I have a dream” speech. In it he shares his dream of a servant church, overflowing with the joy that comes from authentic encounters with Jesus. “I dream,” he says:

• . . . of an evangelizing community that gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives. . . of evangelizers that take on the ‘smell of the sheep’ and the sheep are willing to hear their voice. (24)
• . . . of a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets. (49)
• . . . of transforming everything so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world. (27)

In 1970, Jim Rayburn, in his final message to Young Life staff, communicated “the big dream” – that every teenager of every class, every color, and every ethnic group around the world would know the truth about Jesus Christ and have the opportunity to make their own choice about Him. In his farewell “I have a dream” speech, Rayburn called “a group of people, bound together in the single-minded purpose that there’s no price too high to pay to see to it that young people have a chance to know the Savior.”[2]

The big dream of Young Life remains the same today. Our dream is that every kid, everywhere would have the opportunity to know Jesus Christ and follow Him. It’s not just what Young Life is about, “that’s all that Young Life’s about,” as our founder would say. Today Young Life staff and volunteers are reaching 1.4 million kids around the world, and our “Reaching a World Of Kids” initiative plans to reach 2 million kids by 2016.[3]

Young Life and the Catholic Church. It could not be any clearer to me that our hearts beat with the same passion.[4] “If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences,” Pope Francis says, “it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ.”[5] Jim Rayburn spoke with the same mind 50 years ago saying:

There are millions of them in our own nation, and they are waiting for somebody to care about them enough to take the time and trouble to pour out compassion on them, to prove their friendship, to bridge this tragic and terrible gap that exists in our culture between teenagers and adults – to emulate the example of Jesus Christ.”[6]

The time is now to bring the dreams together. It's time to realize that we are one people, called by the one Savior, bound by the same single-minded dream. It's time to seize the audacious dreams of Young Life and the Catholic Church to reach a world of kids with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this era when roughly 5.6 billion people on our planet are estranged from a friendship with Christ, the time for dreaming big dreams is upon us.

  

“When we dream alone, we only dream.

When we dream together, reality begins.”

~Brazilian Proverb

Are you ready to dream together? Then take my hand and let the new reality begin.

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[1] Pope John Paul II first articulated his dream of the “new evangelization” in a little-known June 1979 address in Nowa Hutta, Poland. See Scott Hahn, Evangelizing Catholics: A Mission Manual for the New Evangelization (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2014), 21.

[2] Listen to Rayburn’s “The Big Dream” address at: http://vimeo.com/86046723.

[3] Learn more about Young Life’s Reaching a World Of Kids (RWOK) initiative at: http://www.younglife.org/RWOK/Pages/default.aspx.

[4] See my 2013 article, “Beating With One Heart: Young Life & the Catholic Church,” on Young Life’s staff resources or email me for a copy (mhavercamp@gmail.com).

[5] Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), 49.

[6] Kit Sublett (ed.), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO: Morningstar Press, 2008, xviii.

Inconvenient Truths: The Light of the "Dark" Ages

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael's question was cynical perhaps, but nonetheless widespread (Jn 1:46).  For many, particularly if you were raised in the Protestant tradition, the same question might be asked of the church in the Middle Ages.  The scandal of three popes (formerly referred to as the Western Schism), the proliferation of religious wars, and the widespread corruption of the clergy cast an enormous shadow on the community which professed its allegiance to Jesus, the Light of the world.  Describing this period as the “Dark Ages,” in certain aspects, has its warrant.

Many see the scintillating scandals of the Middle Ages as proof enough for what they see as a wholesale abandonment of the gospel and a wanton neglect of the way of life modeled after Jesus Christ.  In this vein, it is easy to simply write off the Catholic Church and dismiss about one thousand years of church history as a spiritual/theological/ecclesial "wandering in the desert."

Yet history has a funny way of revealing beautiful and inconvenient truths that confound our overly simplistic meta-narratives.  Honest historical inquiry unveils not only the inherent fallenness of the church but also the enduring faithfulness and pastoral innovation that bear the authentic marks of the Savior.  A walk through church history reveals a strong and curious light, the promised presence of Christ that never left the people of God (Mt 28:20).

One might be surprised, for example, to learn that Jim Rayburn wasn’t the first to intuit the pastoral initiative to “meet them where they’re at” and “earn the right to be heard.”  As the 12^th century experienced the rapid rise of urban centers across Europe, new modes of apostolic life emerged in the Catholic Church to respond to this seismic cultural shift.  Surely, silence and solitude remained critical to the spiritual life and monastic communities had their place, but many Catholic Christians began to ponder how their passion to follow in Christ’s footsteps might be played out in new and creative ways within the hustle and bustle of Europe’s bourgeoning cities.

Enter the Dominicans and Franciscans (and later the Carmelites and Augustinians).  These devoted followers of Christ saw the pressing needs of the common people and were inspired to bring the light of Christ into the grungy darkness of medieval cities.  Like the God of the Incarnation who they served, Franciscan friars and Dominican priests “moved into the neighborhood” and earned the right to be heard by living amongst the people in friendship and solidarity.[1]

Furthermore, the religious meetings of these new mendicant orders were often held outside the liturgical setting of Mass.  These dynamic and animated preachers attracted large numbers of people who had grown tired of the daily grind and who were hungry for a new word of hope.  It seems like these radical Christians had a penchant for proclaiming the gospel with a keen eye on culture.  This is all starting to sound strangely familiar.

By no means do I wish to present this as a race, with the Catholics “getting there first.”  There is not even a hint of triumphalism in this.  I do, however, wish to establish a longstanding continuity between the Catholic tradition and those spiritual-pastoral insights that we so highly value in Young Life.  Who knows, maybe Rayburn himself, in his study of church history, stumbled upon the 13^th century mendicant orders and was inspired to inaugurate a similar movement amidst the equally swirling dynamics of adolescent youth culture today? 

What ever the case, we detect together, even amidst the shadowy eclipse of the Dark Ages, a ray of light which continues to inspire the whole people of God – Protestants and Catholics alike – to shine like a city on a hill (Mt 5:14) and proclaim the luminous message of Jesus Christ to all peoples. 

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[1]  Leopold Clueckert, O. Carm., Desert Springs in the City, Darien, IL: Carmelite Media, 2012, pp.20-21.

Young Life Summit on Ministering To and With Catholics

The inaugural Young Life Catholic Summit commenced this week with a prayer from St. Francis of Assisi, a heartfelt appeal that this humble saint presented to our Lord over six centuries ago:

Most High,

glorious God,

enlighten the darkness of my heart

and give me

true faith,

certain hope,

and perfect charity,

sense and knowledge,

Lord,

that I may carry out

Your holy and true command.[1]

This sacred plea represents the same simplicity, clarity and authenticity of a more contemporary prayer voiced by yet another determined visionary some 536 years later, a prayer which gave birth to a parallel movement to renew the heart of the church:

Oh that I could just let God

work out His life in me.[2]

This was the prayer of Jim Rayburn, offered in 1941, the year in which the mission of Young Life was founded.  Who would have thought that this winsome evangelist with Texas swagger would have anything to do with this venerated Catholic friar from Assisi?  Yet this spirit of humility, simplicity and evangelical (small ‘e’) zeal was powerfully present at the YL Catholic Summit held this week in Colorado Springs. 

Imagine a room full of Protestants and Catholics - all educated, men and women of passionate faith and mission-tested talent – coming together to discuss Young Life, the Catholic Church, and the vision of reaching the lost.  What comes to mind?  The word that immediately pops into my head is… friction! 

Yet there was none to be found.   These men and women of God came together with open hearts and loving kindness.  These brothers and sisters quickly came to understand that they were not strangers but fellow sojourners on the humble road of discipleship.  What happened in Colorado, in the shadows of Pikes Peak, was a profound step forward for the kingdom of God and a testament to the unitive power alive right now in Young Life.[3]

Their spirit has set into motion a movement which has the power to heal the painful wounds of division, harness the energy of collaborative mission, and change the future for both Young Life and the Catholic Church.  A national strategic plan of evangelization to/with Catholics, written endorsement at the highest levels, and a commitment to train every Young Life staff person to honor and celebrate the faith of our Catholic brothers and sisters while calling them to ever-deeper levels of conversion in Christ – these are things that I wasn’t even dreaming about when this work began 9 months ago. 

We have a long road ahead of us and, like Thomas Merton once noted, we “cannot know for certain where it will end,” but we can be sure that our desire to please the Lord, our commitment to carrying out God’s holy and true command, and our desire to let God work out His life in us, does in fact please Him.[4]

A view of the summit from the Summit.

(Pikes Peak, 14,114 ft.)

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            [1]  Francis of Assisi, “Prayer before the Crucifix,” Cf. L3S 13, Barcelona’s Biblioteca Central, Codex 665, dated 1405/06.

            [2]  A journal entry of Jim Rayburn, Jr., written March 6, 1941.

[3] The summit was held in the shadows, not only of Pikes Peak, but a soaring rock formation in the Garden of the Gods, which, illuminated by the glow of the setting sun, presents the stunning profile of two camels kissing.  The property of our gracious hosts is located in the resort by the same name.   

[4] Thomas Merton, the great Trappist monk, contemplative activist and ecumenical luminary, once prayed, “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end. . .  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.  And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. . .”

Tough Questions, Real Answers

Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, was fond of reminding staff to “major in the majors.”  What I think he meant was that in Young Life’s mission to teenagers, it should focus on the most essential aspects of the Christian message, teaching young people what it means to meet the person of Jesus Christ and follow him.  Surely the universal church concerns itself with many other issues, but Rayburn wanted Young Life to remain committed to the “heart” of the gospel.

Does the Catholic Church beat with the same heart? Is it majoring in the same majors?  Does it preach the same gospel?  Or is it teaching another religion altogether?  In this exclusive interview with Pope Francis, these critical questions are addressed head on.[1]  Is it about tradition?  Moral change?  What about merits or good works?  What really separates a true Christian from a nominal one? 

These are questions that many people are asking as this work to bridge the gap between Young Life and the Catholic Church continues.  These are questions I have asked myself.  As for the answers?  Take the next four minutes and hear it directly from the pope’s mouth (click on the video below).  This is one of the most incredible pieces I’ve ever seen:

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            [1]  This interview by Alejandro Rodriguez, president of YWAM Argentina, was conducted before Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013.

Seven Buses Into Gangland

The Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles is known as the gang capital of the world.  It is estimated that over 1,100 gangs with 86,000 gang members live in Los Angeles County alone.  Twenty years ago, Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest, decided to make this his home.  Why?  Because the love of Christ compelled him.[1] 

He tells the story of Rigo, a brash 15 year-old whom Boyle met in a detention center.  Rigo recalled the day that he was sent home from school and was surprised to find his father there.  His dad, a heroin addict, was never there.  “Why did they send you home?” his father asked.  Scared of being beaten, Rigo replied, “If I tell you, do you promise you won’t hit me?”  “I’m your father, of course I’m not gonna hit you,” his dad said.  So Rigo told him.

Immediately Rigo started to cry, unable to continue.  The cry turned into a wail and Boyle put his arm around the boy as he rocked back and forth, inconsolable.  “He beat me with a pipe. . . with . . . a pipe.”  Boyle could only hold him, saying nothing, entering with him into unthinkable sorrow, pain and betrayal.

“And your mom?” Boyle asked as Rigo regained his composure.  Rigo’s face lit up and he stopped crying.  “My mom, there’s no one like her,” Rigo said.  Capturing a thought and then continuing, “I’ve been locked up for more than a year and a half and my mom comes to see me every Sunday.  You know how many buses she takes every Sunday to see my sorry a#@?”

Once again, Rigo began to cry uncontrollably.  Gasping through his tears he said, “Seven buses.  She takes . . . seven . . . buses.  Imagine.” 

It took seven buses to reach this broken teenager.  It took seven buses to bridge the terrible gap that existed between this young man’s heart and the love of God.  It took seven buses to show this wounded child that he was worthy of care and compassion. 

How many buses will it take to reach the disinterested youth in your neighborhood?  You may not live in Boyle Heights but the pain and abandonment of teenagers is just as real in the suburbs.  How many buses will it take to reach the millions of Catholic teenagers who continue to be uninspired and indifferent to the formation they’ve received?  Whether kids were raised Catholic, Protestant or with no religion at all, Young Life has found no easier way to reach disinterested kids than to follow in the footsteps of the Savior himself, to “take on flesh and move into the neighborhood.”[2] 

Like Jesuit father Greg Boyle, we know that we cannot continue to ask kids to come to us.  We must go to them.  We must move into the neighborhood.  We need to earn the right to be heard.  There are millions of kids out there just like Rigo, never knowing the love of the Father, who are waiting, just waiting to see just how many buses we’d take to show up in their neighborhood and show them that we truly care.

Our young people today, six or eight-million in the high school age alone, are waiting, waiting for somebody to care about them like Christ did.  I mean there are six or eight-million in our nation that nobody has ever talked to about Jesus Christ, that nobody has ever said a prayer for, that nobody has ever cared about.  There are millions of them in our own nation, and they are waiting for somebody to care about them enough to take the time and trouble to pour out compassion on them, to prove their friendship, to bridge this tragic and terrible gap that exists in our culture between teenagers and adults.[3]

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            [1]  “For Christ’s love compels us,” writes the Apostle Paul in 2 Cor 5:14.

            [2]  A famous paraphrase of John 1:14 coined by Young Lifer Bill Paige who spent over 20 years as a beat cop and detective in New York City. 

            [3]  A quote from Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, taken from Kit Sublett (ed.), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO: Morning Star Press, 2008, xviii.

"Lest They Become Empty Preachers": Rayburn, the Catholic Church and the Word of God

“Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”  Thus affirmed St. Jerome, fourth century theologian and second most voluminous writer in Christian antiquity (after Augustine).  We know Jesus Christ because we have read, and reflected upon and prayed over the scriptures.  In the modern age, the Catholic Church likewise asserted at the Second Vatican Council that the study of the Bible is “the very soul of theology.”[1] 

In the mission of Young Life we follow in the footsteps of our founder, Jim Rayburn, who considered it the greatest job in the world “to thumb the pages of the New Testament, which was written to make Jesus Christ known, and to do it in the presence of a group of people who are listening, who know you care about them.”[2]  Rayburn loved the scriptures.  His diaries are littered with biblical references which inspired the winsome ways he was able to speak to teenagers about Jesus.  His spirited preaching issued forth from the fount of deep, personal intimacy he had with his Savior through the sacred pages of God’s Word.

The Catholic Church promotes a constant and diligent study of the scriptures, particularly those who are engaged in ministry.  Borrowing from the words of St. Augustine, the Council exhorted, “For it must not happen that any of them become ‘empty preachers of the word of God to others, not being hearers of the word in their own hearts.’”[3]  This phrase, “lest they become empty preachers of the word, not being hearers of the word in their own hearts,” is one worth pondering again and again.  Rayburn was fond of proclaiming Christ as the “strongest, grandest, most attractive personality ever to grace the earth.”[4]  But he also warned, " a careless messenger can reduce all this magnificence to the level of boredom.” 

Lectio divina is a practice of reading, reflecting and praying the scriptures that has blessed the church from its earliest days.  Its power is unleashed in the careful listening to God in the biblical texts, a practice that both Rayburn and Augustine embodied in their lives and ministries.  “Our communication with our Divine Friend needs to be a two-way street,” notes Basil Pennington, Trappist monk and retreat master.  “And if we are smart, we let God get the first word in.  For he surely has a lot more that is worth saying.”[5]

Let us go to the scriptures today and every day with an attentive ear, letting God get the first word in, being hearers of the word in our hearts.  Lest we become empty preachers, let us listen, really listen, to our God who, “in the sacred books, comes lovingly to meet his children and talk to them.”[6]

Father, this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  God our Savior desires all men and women to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.  There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved than the name of JESUS.

*For a deeper understanding about the way the Catholic Church studies and understands the Bible, see The Pontifical Biblical Commission’s The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church at  http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/pbcinter.htm

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[1]             Dei Verbum (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation), 24.

[2]             Kit Sublett (editor), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO:  Morningstar Press, 2008, xv.

[3]             Dei Verbum, 25; St. Augustine, Sermon 179: PL 38, 966.

[4]             Kit Sublett (editor), The Diaries of Jim Rayburn, Colorado Springs, CO:  Morningstar Press, 2008, xviii.

[5]             M. Basil Pennington, Lectio Divina: Renewing the Ancient Practice of Praying the Scriptures, NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1998, xi.

[6]             Dei Verbum, 21.

Ministering To and Partnering With Catholics: A Practical Guide

At school events, clubs, Campaigners and camps we have most likely encountered a large number of kids who were raised in the Catholic tradition.  Yet many Young Life staff and volunteers who were raised Protestant find it challenging to navigate the theological and cultural differences presented by a Catholic worldview.  We have a kingdom-sized mission in Young Life - to reach every kid (Protestants, Catholics and the unchurched) and give them a chance to respond more deeply to the gospel.  The Catholic Church is committed to the same vision and offers an expansive and yet largely untapped institutional network of kids, parents, potential leaders, committee members and donors that could help us achieve our common goal.  Offered here is a brief list of DOs and DON’Ts that may help you to avoid the pitfalls, minimize confusion and enjoy the manifold blessings of ministering to and with Catholics.

DO invite Catholic kids into a deeper relationship with Christ.

DON’T neglect the role that Christ has already played in the lives of Catholics through baptism, religious formation, confirmation, family, retreats, etc.

           

            The classic misstep here is to assume that a Catholic isn’t in relationship with Christ because he/she doesn’t use relational language to talk about their religious experience.  Catholic tradition speaks clearly and openly about entering into a relationship with God.  Young Life is particularly adept at proclaiming to adolescents God’s invitation to meaningful and dynamic relationship.  While it is entirely possible that Catholic kids don’t talk about relationship with God simply because they are currently disengaged from their faith, let us not make this assumption too quickly.  Inquire about their thoughts, feelings and experiences of God.  There may be more relationship there than meets the eye.  Our job is not to discredit and discard kids’ religious upbringing but to acknowledge and build upon it.

DO encourage Catholic kids to pursue and embrace a faith of their own.

DON’T ever intentionally dissuade kids away from the denominational tradition they were raised in.

            Young Life is interdenominational.  This means that we respect a broad diversity of Christian faith traditions – Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, mainline, etc.  One of our greatest strengths as a mission is our willingness to look beyond our differences and minister hand in hand to lost and hurting kids.  We are truly one body in Christ.  The single biggest obstacle preventing Catholic parents and priests from trusting Young Life is the fear that Young Life staff and leaders pull Catholic kids away from their faith.  Worse yet, stories are told about Young Life staff intentionally targeting Catholic kids, attacking their faith and pressuring them to leave the Catholic Church in order to be “saved” or to “become a Christian.”  This is an egregious mistake that confuses kids and drives a wedge between Young Life and the largest body of Christians on earth.  If we wish to partner with Catholics to “reach the unreached” we must prove our worthiness by honoring their religious heritage and encouraging Catholic kids to be the best Catholics they can be.

DO encourage Catholic kids to critically examine their faith.

DON’T use small groups or Campaigner bible studies to specifically contradict what you feel are errors in Catholic teaching.

            Many Protestants may feel the need to “correct” what they consider erroneous beliefs or practices within Catholic tradition.  Young Life staff might view Campaigners as the perfect place to talk openly with their Catholic friends about all that is wrong with “praying to Mary,” the misguided “traditions of men” or “earning your salvation.”  First, it is essential that Young Life staff who are working with Catholic kids acquire at least a baseline understanding of what the Catholic Church actually teaches.  Resources like Alan Schreck’s Catholic and Christian: An Explanation of Commonly Misunderstood Catholic Beliefs or Thomas Groome’s What Makes Us Catholic might prove very helpful.  Most Protestants would be pleasantly surprised to learn that the Catholic Church does NOT advocate praying to Mary, it does not teach Tradition over Scripture nor earning one’s way into heaven.  Young Life staff may be shocked to learn that Catholics and Protestants have even come to an official consensus on the doctrine of justification, the theological dividing point of the Reformation.

            Campaigners or other small group bible study settings are indeed perfect places to closely examine the Christian faith and how it applies to kids’ lives.  We want kids to know their faith, to own it and to act on it as vibrant members of the body of Christ in the world.  We encourage kids to ask tough questions and together we seek answers in the Bible as a normative witness for Christian living.  When facilitating such a discussion it is important to remember our role as Young Life leaders.  Our role is NOT to steer kids toward our own denominational interpretations (however passionate we may be about them).  Rather, we should know our audience well enough to “meet them where they’re at” and call them to something deeper. 

            Take the following example: If we have kids in our bible study that were raised Presbyterian, Methodist and atheist, then it is our duty and privilege to call the Presbyterian and Methodist to embrace Christ in their respective churches while inviting the atheist into a life-giving relationship with Jesus (offering church suggestions later).  If we are ministering to Catholics, it is especially important to direct kids toward a deeper understanding and practice of their Catholic faith.  We must be committed to honoring the Catholic faith in which their parents have chosen to raise them.

DO encourage Catholic kids to stand up at the say-so if they have meaningful experiences at camp.

DON’T celebrate the experience with Catholic parents and priests by saying their kids “became Christians” at Young Life.

            The say-so is one of the most beautiful experiences of Young Life camping.  To watch kids stand before their peers and proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ is something we all celebrate.  Yet it can be a confusing time for Catholic kids.  They may be sitting there wondering, “Now I do feel more alive in my faith than I ever have.  I kinda feel like standing up, but does that mean that I wasn’t a Christian before?”  Our answer to that question is vitally important.  Catholic kids have been baptized.  Most have been confirmed.  Many were raised by committed Catholic parents who shared Christ with them throughout their lives.  Some may have gone to Catholic schools, made retreats, been to confession and participated in countless liturgies. 

            To say that they have “become Christians” because they stood up at the say-so is to deny the presence of God operating in their homes and churches for years before they even heard of Young Life.  We can easily use other language which honors both their earlier religious formation and the spiritual growth experienced at camp.  We might say that a Catholic kid “deepened his faith” at camp or “grew in her relationship with Christ.”  These subtle language adjustments can not only engender the trust of Catholic parents and priests but also encourage their active partnership in the ongoing discipleship of adolescents whom we all love so dearly.

DO actively seek relationships with Catholic adults (parents, priests, teachers, etc).

DON’T wait for them to come to you.

            For those YL staff with little exposure to the Catholic Church, the most helpful practical step is to build a relationship with a local priest or Catholic parent who can provide guidance for you in handling the many specific questions that will arise in working with Catholic young people.  This relationship does not require a lot of time but it will require that you take some initiative.  Most Catholics unfamiliar with Young Life may fear that we’re the kind of bait-n-switch, fear-mongering, fundamentalist operation they’ve seen on TV.  Inform them that Young Life is ecumenical, that we respect the many Christian faith traditions our kids have been raised in, and that our aim is NOT to pull kids away from their Catholic faith but to help them “grow where they have been planted.”

            When you go into meetings with Catholics, be prepared.  Reading the USCCB document on evangelization Go and Make Disciples, the Evangelicals and Catholics Together statement Christian Mission in the Third Millennium or the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification could really help.  Ask questions of Catholic adults and exhibit humility in your responses.  We suggest questions such as: As a Catholic parent or priest, what are your perceptions of YL in our area?  Do you have any concerns about our work with local Catholic kids?  Is there anything that I could be particularly sensitive about when ministering to Catholic kids?  What are your biggest struggles in passing along the faith to young people?  Do you have any suggestions to offer as to how YL can support Catholic kids, parents and clergy in building kids’ faith?  The upshot of real relationships with local Catholics is immense.  The stereotypes that divide will diminish, trust will grow and true partnership in the gospel can flourish.

DO invite Catholic parents and priests to Young Life events.

DON’T be afraid to show them the very best of Young Life!

            Young Life is a fun, exciting and life-giving ministry.  Don’t hide it under a bushel basket!  Catholics will appreciate the humor, the creativity and the relevant ways Young Life presents the gospel to kids.  They will be floored by the lengths to which you’ll go so that kids might know the love of Christ.  We’ve learned a lot about ministering to the unique demographic of postmodern adolescents.  That’s our niche.  Young Life leaders are good at what they do - penetrating the world of kids and making Jesus come alive.  Be sure to invite Catholic parents, teachers, priests, youth workers and community leaders to your clubs, events, banquets and adult guest camps.  Be courteous and respectful.  Ask about how Young Life’s ministry complements the good work Catholics have been doing.   Answer their questions with care and sensitivity.  Inquire about how Young Life might better serve Catholic kids in your school or town.  Do what you do best – BUILD RELATIONSHIPS!  Then watch the Holy Spirit unify us as one body and mobilize us for the kingdom-building work to which we’ve all been called.