Office of Youth Ministry at 601 S. Jefferson Ave., Springfield, MO 65806 US - Programs and Services
| Programs and Services |
Youth Conference (see below) Youth Conference for all high school-aged youth: Registration packets are mailed in January each year to all pastors and key parish contacts who designate themselves with the OYM. All necessary forms and information are located on the OYM home page. Youth Ministry Leadership Conference (YMLC): Dates for this year's event are September 15-16, 20046 It is now a biennial event, rotating with a retreat for adults in youth ministry in the odd years. The Parish Consultation Process: The Celebrate Youth Consultation Process: Consultation using Youth Ministry in Rural/Small Town Settings: A Planning Resource: Regional Meetings for Youth Ministry personnel: Print and Video Resources for Youth Ministry: Presentations, Meetings: For More Information:
Youth Ministry Leadership Conference (YMLC)
The Parish Consultation Process
The Celebrate Youth Consultation Process
Consultation using Youth Ministry in Rural/Small Town Settings
Regional Meetings for Youth Ministry personnel
Print and Video Resources for Youth Ministry
Presentations, Meetings
For more information
This yearly event is held each spring at the West Plains Civic Center in West Plains, Missouri. The two-day event includes sessions with dynamic keynote speakers, workshops on topics of relevance to young people and adults, prayer and worship, a dance, food, and lots of fun. The conference began in 1994 with a few hundred youth and adults from parishes in the diocese and has grown to over five hundred participants from over half the parishes in the diocese.
The YMLC builds on the youth conference by offering in-depth attention on issues in youth ministry for adults. All adults who minister with adolescents in the diocese are invited to attend this 24 hour conference, held each fall at the West Plains Civic Center in West Plains, Missouri. Participants enjoy a workshop, social and prayer time on Friday evening and spend Saturday with the Focus Presenter, on the topic chosen for the conference. Registration materials are mailed to all pastors and youth ministry contacts in late summer.
This service is offered to all parishes in the diocese wishing to build a more comprehensive youth ministry program. After an initial meeting with the pastor and youth ministry representative to determine readiness and the appropriateness of this approach, the parish forms a team of youth and adults to work through the process. The Director of Youth Ministry serves as a process consultant, meeting with the team for about nine months. The parish then launches their new programming efforts and the Director returns after the initial season of programming to conduct an evaluation meeting. The process works best with parishes that have significant populations of young people. It is available as requested, according to the parish's timetable.
The Director also is available as a consultant to parishes wishing to launch the Celebrate Youth campaign, a resource from the Center for Ministry Development (CMD). After purchasing the binder resource, parishes may opt to work through the process independently or with other neighboring parishes. The Director can serve as a consultant to the process, leading the parish team through the process in the binder. The goal of this campaign is to create youth-friendly parishes and, as such, is appropriate for parishes with any size youth population. Several of the parishes in Region 2 have been involved in working through the process with the Director of Youth Ministry.
All parishes and missions in the diocese were sent a copy of this document following its publication. The Director is available to serve as a consultant for a "mini-consultation" to work through the process contained in the document. This would consist of 2-3 meetings with key parish personnel and is designed to help smaller parishes be more effective in their ministry with adolescents.
Gatherings are held in each of the nine regions of the diocese, on a quarterly basis, to provide time for sharing, support, networking and prayer for all those involved in youth ministry. Regions meet at times and locations agreeable to those who participate. Several regions collaborate in sponsoring regional activities for youth, such as rallies and retreats.
Many fine resources are available through the Diocesan Media Library and the Office of Youth Ministry itself. The media library has videos available for parishes to check out. The OYM has books and other print resources available and the Director can consult on those and other resources.
The Director is available, as requested, to speak to groups of youth, parents, adults, parish staff, etc., regarding youth ministry. Please call to schedule these events well in advance, in order to "guarantee" availability.
For more information, please contact the Office of Youth Ministry, or by phone:(417)866-0841.
