Changing Roles of JY Teams - May 2011 (BJMM036)

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Changing Roles of Jesus Youth Teams

(Jesus Youth, India - National Evaluation 28 May 2011 – Hyderabad = Dr. Edward Edezhath)

What is Jesus Youth Movement?

With a focus on bringing youth to active life in Christ, in Church, and in a youth fellowship, Jesus Youth movement reaches out to youth, bringing them to intimacy with Christ, providing them with faith and personal formation, and sending them on the mission. 

The movement, with a special focus on forming youth for an evangelistic mission, is active among migrants, works through professional and state-of-life-centered groups, makes use of media, a variety of talents and skills.

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Discuss: What are some of the . . . 

• Pull factors of Jesus Youth?  Elements of JY that attract youth to it

• Push factors of Jesus Youth?  Things that make youth go away from the movement

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Jesus Youth Teams

In practical terms the Movement works through its Service Teams (STs) by,

• Imparting formation

• Motivating for mission

• Coordinating groups, programs & the movement

• Bridge building, and

• Being responsible for the Movement

Processes and challenges of building a person into a missionary

1. Reach out to youth

2. Invite them into a friendly group

3. Orient them to an encounter with the Lord 

4. Integrate into a community & faith culture

5. Guidance for deepening – self-awareness, talent usage, the discovery of one’s call and charisms

6. Catechesis – build their faith, clarify the fundamentals of faith, get to know the church

7. Motivate them for the mission and send them out

8. Provide them a movement and culture of mission and commitment

9. Support them in their quest for maturity and growth

Stages of Jesus Youth Formation (Proposals for discussion)

Seeker - Jn 1:35 – 39

Characteristics –Serious personal confusions and doubts regarding faith; not a very active prayer life; a desire to know the Lord and be committed;

Accompaniment – JY has to be present where the youth are. Friendship and fellowship, cultural events, and social concern events all geared to lead them to Christ and Church will be effective.   

Modules: Jesus Youth movement, through exposure programs, out-reaches help the Seeker not to lose hope but come to Christ

Believer – Ro. 10: 9 – 11

Characteristics: They have had an ‘encounter’ with Jesus, a close walk with a Christian community. After going through proper Gospel instruction, the Seeker makes an adult decision and has accepted Jesus as Lord. A Baptism in the Holy Spirit (BHS) experience has launched them seriously on a close walk with the Lord. The person has a spiritual ‘high’.

Accompaniment: The person begins a serious walk with the Lord and needs fellowship and faith catechesis. Regular attendance in a JY prayer group, JY Fellowship, often provides this. The person needs devoted peers as well as concerned elders to guide them. 

Modules:  LSS, ‘Meets’ and Initiation Retreats help the Seeker to take a personal commitment to the Lord. 

Disciple – Mk. 8: 34 – 36 

Characteristics: The Believer has taken a decision to follow a path of disciplined formation and has taken a solemn ‘pledge’ in the movement for committed growth.  The person is i) regular in a formative group (cell), ii) regular and committed to ‘6 pillars’ including JY Prayer and iii) has a personal guide. In its strict sense, a committed disciple is a Jesus Youth who will also be personally accountable to the Service Team, and only such a person comes to a JY Team.

Accompaniment: The Service Team of the Region arranges the accompaniment of the one who takes a ‘provisional commitment’ to undergo formation to take the ‘pledge’ of discipleship. The Team follows up the person through ‘Committed Groups’ or cells, keeping track of the regularity and growth of cells.

Modules: The Believer, after a period of growth in their walk with the Lord and attendance in the Jesus Youth fellowship, decides to attend a 10-session-long ‘Yuvajyothi’ at the end of which takes a ‘provisional commitment’ to undergo a 6-month long Discipleship Formation concluded by a solemn Commitment or Pledge of Discipleship. One has to be 18 years for this. Every year on Pentecost Day, the ST arranges a Recommitment ceremony.

Apostle/ Missionary – Mk. 3:13; Lk 6:13

Characteristics: Every Christian is called to be a missionary, and every Jesus Youth is committed to be one. This awareness, coupled with the zeal for it characterizes a JY. The person is equipped to instruct and accompany another in faith and has clarity on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The person has achieved a certain degree of integrated growth of personality and emotional balance. A Missionary works in a variety of socio-cultural fields transforming them with the message of the Kingdom of God.

Accompaniment: After the Pledge of Discipleship, the person is followed up in the Committed Group at least for a year and those with a call are invited to attend a ‘Missionary Orientation’. Those who decide to attend the Missionary Formation lasting one year, has a personal Mentor and attends four in-put modules, at the successful completion of which takes a ‘Missionary Commitment’.

Modules: Those Disciples who are invited by the STs attend a ‘Missionary Orientation’ week-end and is attached to a Mentor. They further attend  4 modules of ‘Missionary Formation’: i) Faith of the Fathers, ii)Evangelization, iii)Jesus Youth Leadership and iv) Communication. On the successful completion of the formation they take a solemn ‘Missionary Commitment’.

Church Planter/ Mentor – Gal. 4:19

Characteristics: A Mentor is a source of mature vision and formation in the movement. They have gone through various formation stages of the movement and continue to be enriched by wider resources of the Church and its spiritual depths. They are available to the various levels of leadership in the movement as resource persons and they take initiative to build the movement and integrate it with the Church and society.

Accompaniment: A Mentor is given accompaniment through the guidance of a mature priest in the movement. The movement also arranges fellowship and network of Mentors for updating, deepening and guidance.

Modules: A yearly national/continental gathering of Jesus Youth Resource Persons will be a forum for equipping of mentors.



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