Jesus Youth Movement & More

Beauty, Art, and Jesus Youth (By Dr. Edward Edezhath, for the CorUS booklet, prepared on 20 Nov 2025) The year was 1982. We were having our first leaders’ training, and about a hundred leaders from all parts of the state were expected. One suggestion was that every group come prepared with some faith-oriented artistic presentation. Those of us from Cochin got together and prepared a Light and Sound show presenting God’s call. Others came with a skit, a poem presentation, an artwork, a dance, and so on. The four-day training itself was on self-awareness and leadership, but that simple preparation changed the whole tone and orientation. An excellent rapport was built within the group; the talent focus and group exercise, in a sense, toned down an overly spiritualized and self-focused approach. This became, in retrospect, one of the best early foundations for building the different talent ministries in the Jesus Youth movement. From the very early days, Jesus Youth has intentionally used ...

Shepherds in Mission: Our Role as JY Country Coordinators  (by Dr Edward Edezath, DVK Bangalore, 19 Nov 2025)  1. Jesus Youth is a response to the call to COME and to GO.  Jesus Youth is a friendly space where people learn to walk in the Spirit — a joyful family to belong to. In this community, one finds acceptance, encouragement, and a renewed motivation towards mission. One who comes into JY embarks on a unique journey: a journey through life, a journey in the world, a journey with the Lord, and even a journey toward discovering themselves. It's no surprise that many people end up alone, confused, or stuck in the muddy pits of discouragement along their journey. What they need most in those moments is a comforting voice, a renewed light, and the confidence to keep moving forward. Jesus Youth offers exactly that — whether for a newcomer trying to rediscover faith, a mature Christian seeking fellowship, or a missionary already filled with the Spirit.  Life unfolds in...

The Joyful Mission of Jesus Youth: A Charism for Our Times (Presented at the Canadian Movements Gathering 2025. Prepared by Edward Edezhath on behalf of Jesus Youth Canada.) “A life rooted in Christ becomes a life of contagious joy.” At the recent Movements Gathering in Canada, members of the Jesus Youth (JY) community presented the following reflections on their identity, mission, and service to the Church. What emerged was a portrait of a movement that is both deeply spiritual and refreshingly contemporary — a community of missionary disciples radiating joy wherever they go. 1. A Charism of Joyful Mission (1. What is the primary charism of the Jesus Youth movement?) At its core, Jesus Youth is a missionary movement at the service of the Church. Its distinctive charism is to live and share the joy of life in Christ, helping especially young people encounter Jesus personally and grow in holiness. Rooted in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the movement emphasizes a personal experience ...

  Maranatha! Come, O Christ! (By Dr. Edward Edezhath - Reflection in preparation for the Germany JY Lumen Conference, 2025) “Maranatha! Come, O Christ!”  — This ancient prayer of the Church is also the cry of our hearts today. Whenever a true Christian revival takes place — whether in a family, a community, or even a whole culture — it happens because that space has come under the loving sway of Christ. In 1983, at Cochin, a religious sister challenged a group of professors and students:  “Why are you afraid to bring Christ into the campus?”  Those were turbulent days — student unrest, violence, and confusion dominated the college atmosphere. Her words sparked prayer, dialogue, and daring initiatives. From that moment, a wave of young people began opening their campuses and their lives to Jesus. What followed was the remarkable growth of Jesus Youth among students. Scripture offers us a striking image of this moment. Jesus stands at the door and knocks (Rev 3:20). Pi...

Gathered as a family: the JY Household Today, in the Jesus Youth movement, the buzzword is ‘JY Households.’ In different parts of the world where Jesus Youth is active, there is an effort to gather the active members of the movement scattered in a locality into a single group. This is redrawing the image and even the very life of the movement. Jesus Youth have an active presence in and around this European city. The active Jesus Youth families and youngsters meet on the third Saturday of the month at the parish hall of the Divine Mercy Church. About 35 of them regularly gather for this two-and-a-half-hour JY Household meeting. “Household meetings have brought the Jesus Youth movement in this city to greater intimacy and a newfound enthusiasm,” says Thomas, one of the leaders of the movement. “We follow the general meeting plan given by the international team. Kids meet separately, often more in number than the elders. The activity plan specially prepared for kids makes these gatherings...

Digital Culture and Faith Formation [Edward Edezhath. Digital Culture and Faith formation. Encounter, 12:2 (July - December 2021) 126 - 148.] Introduction The digital revolution that emerged in the 1980s, marked by the widespread adoption of the World Wide Web and personal computers, has come to influence and transform nearly all facets of life. The way people conduct business, access information, communicate personally or in groups, and much more has been entirely transformed through the numerous facilities that digital technologies provide. No wonder the lifestyles of individuals and families have been radically altered in response to these changes. Information Communication Revolution has been one of the significant outcomes of these changes. All these changes have impacted all aspects of life, including the personal faith lives of individuals and various aspects of church life. Hence, it is essential to reflect on the Church’s mission of communicating the Good News and forming the ...