Year 2: Youth + Family Engagement
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Introduction to Youth + Family Engagement
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How do we engage every family in our communities?
This is a question many of us are asking today. During the listening sessions in your diocese this topic came up often, as leaders and parishioners alike bemoaned the fact that so many of our families have not returned to the pews after the pandemic. People shared that they miss the noise of families, the cries of babies, the giggles of little ones, even the boisterous energy of teenagers.
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What’s going on? Where have they gone?
There’s been a lot of research, spanning decades now, that have followed this phenomena. Though the pandemic has been blamed for some of this, it actually just accelerated a trend that’s been growing for some time. Recent research reveals that 40 million Americans used to go to church but no longer do… we hear about the Nones, the disaffiliated, those who are deconstructing, reconstructing and de-churching.
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For the first time, in the 8 decades that Gallup has tracked American religious membership, more adults in the U.S. do not attend church than those who do. Church as we know it is changing. If “nones” those who claim no religious affiliation were a religion, it would be the fastest growing religion in the United States. People are finding faith, God, community, elsewhere.
But hope is not lost. I think we are being called to pay attention, to return to a focus on people and not programs. We need to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships within our communities. On June 22, we’ll talk about what it looks like to engage families, in all our settings, in their homes, our school, our faith formation programs, and the Sunday worship space.
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Engaging families looks different from parish to parish and that should give us hope. It means we’re paying attention to the needs of the parents in their community, of the gifts of the leaders, and of the strengths of each parish. Together, let's explore what’s working in parishes around the country– how the pandemic sparked creativity and innovation in some places, inspiring new practices, new approaches, – strengthening the connections between the domestic church and the church of the community – the parish.
Click here for resources!
If you have questions, or suggestions, please email Denise Utter at [email protected]
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Why is Y+FE important?Comments from parishes around the diocese on Youth + Family Engagement:
"Family is the primary method through which faith is passed on, supporting this structure is key. Everything else flows from it."
"We are losing young people and families. We need to figure out what they need."
"Everything starts with families. Parents are the first teachers of faith."
"We feel it is important to meet youth and families where they are at in order to more effectively evangelize them."
"Children are part of our present Church, not our future Church."
"Parents need to be engaged in the faith to be good faith examples for their children."
"We need to make the Church more relevant to our youth."
"We have 4 to 5 generations of people who are not coming to church on a regular basis."
"Are Church activities and functions including youth - Is their input being listened to and incorporated in the planning of events? Or are we just doing the same old thing because that is what we want and like?"
"We need to involve the whole family and give tools for growth in the faith. We won't grow as a Parish or a School if we don't engage our families."
"Youth + Family Engagement gives us an opportunity to collaborate with other parishes in new ways."
"1) Families provide a continuity for passing on the faith. 2) There is a need to help families put faith activities before athletics. 3) A youth and family priority would make the Church more welcoming. 4) The priority of welcoming and belonging supports the priority of youth and family and visa versa. They work together."
"Many youth are struggling to understand their purpose in life, dealing with depression, and a general lack of community in our parish, with many youth switching to more youth-focus churches that do provide them community."
"We are called to evangelize the culture, but the youth and families are the key to accessing the wider culture."
"Those in their late 20s and early 30s don't see their place in the Church." -
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Any Questions?
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Marianne Agnoliagnolimdavenportdiocese.orgMarriage & Family Life Coordinator
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