STRATEGIES to keep young people engaged in Church life after World Youth Day 2008 was a key focus of the Brisbane archdiocese’s fifth and final WYD08 training day last weekend.
Project officer Fran Byrne, who concluded her contract with the Brisbane WYD08 Secretariat last Friday, said the gathering’s aim was to equip leaders and parishes with strategies for that challenge.
Participants were offered a plenary session themed “What’s the vision?” where future strategies for successful youth ministry were presented.
Later they had two opportunities to choose from 10 “stream sessions” or workshops.
Among those sessions where “Divine conversations – prayer and young people” facilitated by Youth and Children’s Ministry team member Paul Blom.
He spoke of the importance and place of prayer amid “the busyness of life”, offering practical insights from a resource available in 2009 called “Divine Conversations”.
Other sessions focused on “Delighting in diversity”, “Discerning your life’s call” and “Beyond BrizStay”.
Ms Byrne, who facilitated the BrizStay session, said the workshops encouraged further sharing of ideas and strategies.
Members of Daisy Hill parish, for example, offered their experiences of hosting pilgrims from Wyoming, United States.
During their Call to Service day before the journey to Sydney, the visitors took part in a mosaic activity, representing an aspect of the pilgrimage.
Some chose Australian animals as part of their artistic representation, others an offering “more American”, the work to be displayed in a parish garden at Daisy Hill.
Parishioners of St James’, Coorparoo, shared of an initiative encouraging host families to contribute to the weekly newsletter.
Geebung parishioners said their German pilgrims described the Brisbane stay as “a highlight”, an experience echoed in many other host parishes.
The second plenary session of the training day themed “What’s the structure?” offered a calendar of youth events for the next 16 months as well as ideas from a resource manual, “Ministry with Young People Beyond WYD08”.
Highlighting a formula based on the themes of “invite, form, challenge, send”, the manual offers post-World Youth Day initiatives to “assist with future youth ministry”, Ms Byrne said.
Chair of the Archdiocesan Commission for Ministry with Young People Greg Sunter said young people needed a “road map” like the resource manual.
By inviting them to “step out of their comfort zone” young people can connect to “the message of Jesus … the community of faith” and “other young people”, Mr Sunter said. He said the “formation” opportunity was one of continued faith growth, witnessing, role modelling and maturation as “disciples”.
Mr Sunter said that by providing “challenge”, young people can become “full and active members of the Church” and being “sent” with a sense of mission ensured they became “part of something bigger”.
Ms Byrne said the training day also allowed “thank-yous” and offered “a sense of closure for this part of the journey”.
A celebratory cake was enjoyed, marking the end a “four-part” pilgrimage of the Journey of the WYD Cross and Icon, Brisbane’s Days in the Diocese, the Sydney experience and beyond.
