Nominations sought for Youth Ministry Awards

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
September 1, 2005

Nominations are now being sought by the Diocese of Sioux City's Core Group for the 2005 Diocesan Youth Ministry Award.

According to Jessica La Fleur, diocesan director of youth ministry, the purpose of the award is to affirm, recognize and support youth ministry efforts in the Diocese of Sioux City.

Recipients of the 2005 Diocesan Youth Ministry Award will be recognized at the Diocesan Youth Rally that is slated for Nov. 13.

"We are looking for people who are involved with and dedicated to youth ministry," she said.

La Fleur explained that with this award both youth and adults are honored.

"The adult would be an advocate for youth - a voice that looks out for youth and makes sure that they have good representation," she explained.

These adults would be ones that empower youth and encourage the teens to become involved in their faith and church. Many past adult recipients have been youth ministers, but it is open to others as well such as a pastor or a member of the religious education board who strongly supports youth ministry in their parish. This individual should be active in comprehensive middle or high school youth ministry and not just a particular component of it like service or music ministry.

When discerning about a possible youth nominee, La Fleur said they should keep in mind the same qualities as suggested for adults - a strong youth advocate for their peers with good leadership skills. The youth recipient must be high school age through 22 years old and single.

"They should be someone who is dependable who has great ideas to give to ministry to the youth," she said. "Both (adults and youth) should be people of faith."

Nomination forms have been sent to all parishes and they are available on the diocesan Web site. Go to www.scdiocese.org. Click on faith formation at the bottom of the diocesan home page and that will take you to a list of forms, including the youth ministry nomination form.

The Diocesan Youth Ministry Award form centers on the attitudes and activities that appear in the U.S. Bishop's youth ministry document, Renewing the Vision. That bishop's document identifies eight components of youth ministry - catechesis, community life, evangelization, worship and prayer, justice and service, pastoral care, leadership development and advocacy.

The nomination form includes a brief description of each component and a checklist of possible activities that could demonstrate the participation and/or leadership of a nominee in youth ministry. This approach helps to identify individuals who are well-rounded in youth ministry rather than acutely focused in one or limited areas. At the same time, the nomination form states that an individual does not have to be involved in activities described in each of the component areas.

Generally, youth are nominated by the youth minister, DRE or parish priest. A religion teacher or campus spiritual life director sometimes nominates youth from Catholic schools.

Adults can be nominated by a wide array of people ranging from youth, parish priest or parent and Catholic school principals.

"Our youth are very important to the church," said La Fleur. "They are not the future, they are our present."

In addition to the award serving as an avenue to recognize people for their work with youth ministry, an added bonus of the award is that it raises awareness about the good things happening in youth ministry.

The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry must receive the completed nomination form by Sept. 30.

For more information contact La Fleur at (712) 233-7561.