Safety Issues

If you are involved in youth ministry efforts for any length of time, it is inevitable that you are going to come across youth facing serious problems. One of the most wonderful and frightening parts of being a youth ministry is being called upon to lend a listening ear and…

It is the absolute last thing we want to think about. Many believe that it "just couldn't happen in the Church." Unfortunately, recent times have shown us that no place is safe from incidents of physical, psychological, sexual, and even spiritual abuse to minors.…

Our children and youth are gifts given to us by God. We are stewards entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing them in the faith of the Church. A Word about Terminology Regardless of terminology (youth minister, youth worker, volunteer) we are all equally …

This publication is for the clergy and laity, both paid and volunteer, who actively minister to the youth of our Church. It was developed as a resource for parishes, deaneries, and dioceses and outlines specific procedures and guidelines, reagarding liability issues for use…

Conclusion After reading the above guidelines, some people may be very apprehensive about ministering to children and youth. Some people may even decide that they do not want to bother or 'take the risk.' We must remember that ministering to the children and youth of our…

The accusation of abuse at a Church-related function is our worst nightmare. We work with young people because we want to pass down to them the goodness, strength, and blessedness of life in the Church. Our goal is to provide them with the most positive and nurturing…

Pre-event Planning As anyone who has labored in youth ministry knows, good planning is essential to a successful youth event. While this is not the place to go into detail as to how to accomplish this, there are a few basics that must be covered in advance if we are going to provide the…