Catholic Youth Ministry: A Call to Discipleship
Posted on Saturday, October 16th, 2010 at 2:39 am.
What is the ultimate responsibility of a youth minister? This very important question often gets overlooked in our day-to-day lives because of the busyness that accompanies a ministerial lifestyle. However, if we don’t address this question, the ministry we are entrusted with could be in trouble!
As the great philosopher Benjamin Parker (commonly known as Spiderman’s uncle) once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Youth ministers (and all ministers for that matter) have been entrusted with a great power, namely to participate in the work of Jesus Christ. So what is the great responsibility that accompanies this great power? None other than Jesus Christ himself provides us with the answer. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus gives the Great Commission to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Our job, what we’ve been commissioned to do, seems so simple and obvious: DISCIPLESHIP. But, how many times are we guilty of missing out on an opportunity for discipleship by choosing some other focus?
Unfortunately, we often make a huge mistake in our responsibility as youth ministers. We forget that we share in the work of discipleship, nothing more, and nothing less. We can become fixated on so many things. Will the youth have fun tonight? What does my environment look like? Will my volunteer team be here on time? Has everyone been finger printed? Did I stay on budget? And my personal favorite, are we helping these young people become experts in their faith life?
Although all of those things may be important, they can never replace our responsibility of discipleship. We must always be mindful that we are called to discipleship, and part of discipleship is continual growth. A disciple has two responsibilities: learning and apprenticing. Discipleship is messy because a disciple is not a master of something but a student. Although there is an inherent messiness, there is also a great beauty in the freedom that comes from not being expected to have everything figured out. The call to discipleship is a call to continually journey closer to God and strive for the perfection of holiness. It is not an expectation of immediate success. One of the many blessings of our jobs as youth ministers is that we have the opportunity to join with young people on their journey and hopefully assist them as they gravitate towards holiness. Don’t miss out on the call to discipleship. Remember, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Teaching Catholic Teens, Gary Foote
Posted on Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 at 4:01 pm.
My name is Gary Foote. I am a Catholic Youth Speaker who has a genuine love for Jesus and for young people. I open teens up to scripture in a unique way, while teaching them the sense of what it means to be a Catholic Christian in todays society. Please feel free to contact me regarding any of the services I offer so that I can help you spread the Gospel to your youth in a more effective way. By helping your programs in mentoring, youth program consultation, volunteer training, pilgrimage consultation and retreats, it is my goal to help get your youth radically transformed and devoted to their faith. Please visit my website at www.gary-foote.com for more information.
Catholic Youth Speaker, Youth Ministry
Posted on Monday, September 20th, 2010 at 5:24 am.
My name is Gary Foote I am a speaker for catholic youth ministry through retreats, pilgrimages, mentoring, youth program consultation. We need to keep the fire of God’s love burning in the hearts of our youth. Too many youth ministers face the daunting task of running a youth ministry program on their own. Every ministry within the Church has its own unique elements, especially youth ministry. Youth ministers are charged with tasks of developing the spirituality of adolescents, planning retreats, coordinating social events, balancing a budget, fundraising, organizing mission trips, promoting diocesan events, continually forming adult volunteers, providing a safe environment, attending parish meetings, studying youth culture, arranging liturgies, visiting schools, keeping constant communication, and connecting with youth and their families in appropriate ways. Many times youth ministers cannot relate well with co-workers because youth ministry differs so much from other ministries. Yet, Jesus sent out His disciples two-by-two to evangelize, showing us the need for companionship as the Gospel is proclaimed. Through Youth Ministry Mentoring, I offer to youth ministers companionship and understanding as well as expert direction based upon years of education and successful experience. A well-mentored minister leads to thriving and lasting ministry. Please visit my website at www.gary-foote.com for more information about my services.
Catholic Youth Ministry Speaker-Gary Foote
Posted on Monday, September 13th, 2010 at 6:14 am.
Are you looking for a dynamic speaker for your next parish, school or diocesan event. My name is Gary Foote. Being in catholic youth ministry has shown me that it is so important that the speaker have the ability to articulate the faith in a way that teens can understand and apply to their every day life. I deliver with great conviction the truth of the Gospel and one who uses very interesting, personal stories to get my major points across. Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege to travel the United States sharing the Gospel with thousands of teens, youth ministers, and families. My commitment to Christ is unwavering. If I can be of any service to your parish, school, or diocesan please contact me at www.gary-foote.com . I hope that I have the opportunity to meet you soon so we can walk together – laughing, learning, and praying along the way – on our EPIC journey towards God and eternity.
— Bill Marcotte
Catholic Youth Speaker & Catholic Youth Retreats-Gary Foote
Posted on Monday, September 6th, 2010 at 5:53 am.
My name is Gary Foote and I work to spread the the Gospel of Christ through catholic retreats, catholic youth ministry programs and speaking engagements. Retreats can be one of the greatest assets to a youth ministry program. Unfortunately, they can also become a huge hurdle to a youth’s spiritual growth and a point of great stress for a youth minister. My approach to assisting a parish with a youth retreat is very different from most retreat leaders because I focus on a retreat’s long-term success and not just the retreat itself. Too often wonderfully trained retreat leaders offer powerful retreats, but once the retreat leader leaves, the youth return to a mundane faith. I will train willing adults in your parish and give them the opportunity to work with me to provide a dynamic retreat for your youth so that when I leave, your adult volunteers can continue the spiritual work we started together on retreat in your regular youth meetings throughout the year. Please visit my website at www.gary-foote.com for lots more information.
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