3725 Blackburn Street, Dallas, TX 75219

As we navigate the landscape of ministry during Covid-19 that includes social distancing, masks, and CDC guidelines, we must ground ourselves in the mindsets of flexibility, accountability, and agility to respond to the ever changing environment.  We must also recognize that this moment in time is giving focus to trends that were already on the horizon.  Covid-19 has accelerated an awareness of these realities already coming our way.  How will you respond as a Ministry Leader?  How will you PIVOT?

What does a “Ministry Pivot” Look like?

  1. Become comfortable with the PAUSE: You may not have a plan yet or an answer about what ministry will look like come August or September. Take a moment to steep yourself in prayer to ideate new ways of ministering to our youth, young adults, and their families.  Don’t forget to dream big.  The greatest stories ever told often had more than one draft. 
  2. In relationship to your parish community, what will work and won’t work?  Name the hard questions and sit with them.  
  3. Let go of facility based ministry and/or virtual online gatherings as your sole and only delivery pathways. Brainstorm with others!  Your driving force should be incarnational in focus: a focus on a relationship with Jesus Christ.   
  4. Engage in the hard conversations with parish leadership and your volunteer teams to come up with a plan that works best for your parish and your families. We are all in this together, you do not need to do it all yourself! Take the time you need to prepare…don’t rush to meet a normal Faith Formation deadline for the sake of checking a box.  Set a reasonable start date and don’t be so hard on yourself!!!
  5. Continue to investigate options…be patient…be ready.  The coming months bring with it so many unknowns. While we may have a plan in place ready to go, we might just have to PIVOT again.  

During the Summer of 2020, the OYYACM curated a series of questions that arose from our Ministry Leaders in the Diocese of Dallas.  These questions should serve as a guidepost for continued conversation with your pastor, parish leadership (inclusive of pastors), youth and young adult ministry teams, and volunteer teams. 

We Invite you to:

  • Continue to sit with these questions.
  • Reflect upon your ministry role in light of these questions. 
  • Reflect upon your role in leadership in light of the current situation.  In the midst of all of this, God raises up leaders and anoints them.  Ask yourself: what kind of leader you will be? 
  • Discern and name how you want to move forward in your respective role in light of these questions. 

The OYYACM has surfaced some primers/answers to the questions raised to help move the dialogue along.  The following links will direct you to a series of infographics that serve as an overarching complement to the questions raised. 

 

 

Leveraging Youth and Young Adults in Your Parish

Role of Leadership

Ideation Circle

 

Blog Content Brought to You by Anne E. Keough