The percentage of Americans who call themselves Christians has dropped dramatically over the past two decades, and those who do are increasingly identifying themselves without traditional denomination labels.

The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers—or falling off the faith map completely.

The third largest “faith” group now are the “Nones,” those who do not affiliate with a denomination.  And, as the culture becomes to more hostile to religious beliefs, we seem to be “losing our home court advantage.” 

Ed Stetzer, who is a major player with the Southern Baptist and is featured in this report from Knoxville’s  WKRN News 2 recently shared this news report.  It’s 11minutes but worth the view.

I know that this is the second day in a row of less than uplifting news, but . . .

Not so much news today.  More like editorial.

In this week’s edition of Newsweek, the cover stories take on the state of education.  And, we in youth ministry must be attuned to what is being said.  As a profession, we are “lumped in” to the education field, so much so that often our salary base guidelines are the equivalents of local teachers’ salaries.

So, it is worth both reading Why We Must Fire Bad Teachers as well as reading between the lines as well: “Yet in recent years researchers have discovered something that may seem obvious, but for many reasons was overlooked or denied. What really makes a difference, what matters more than the class size or the textbook, the teaching method or the technology, or even the curriculum, is the quality of the teacher.” 

It is entirely possible that soon as a church that we are about to begin to question the quality of our pastoral ministers serving young people.  And, we will potentially default into a defensive position, such as “The problem is not the teachers, went the thinking—it’s the parents (or absence of parents); it’s society with all its distractions and pathologies; it’s the kids themselves. Not much can be done, really, except to keep the assembly line moving through “social promotion,” regardless of academic performance, and hope the students graduate.” Really, we who share in the responsibility “to empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today” can neither pass the buck on our responsibilities nor settle for processing kids through their high school years and/or sacramental preparation.

And, then, you’ve got to wonder about our own preparation for ministry.  In a related article, Blackboard Jungle, this comes under examination: “Now when you talk to new teachers. . . their biggest complaint is that no one teaches them how to control a classroom. For the small fortune they spend to get a teaching degree, they get plenty of pedagogy (‘Reflections on Learning’ is a typical course name), which they generally don’t use. But their professors never seem to get around to teaching ‘Keeping Kids Under Control 101.’” And so, we need to take a look around… (and just sticking with the goals of Catholic youth ministry) How well do we equip ourselves as well as parents and adults to care for, love and disciple our young people?  How we do we empower and equip parish communities (not isolated youth groups or teen masses) to be settings for young people to fully and freely participate as they aspire towards the adventure of faith? Are we directing our efforts to a common denominator making everything comfy and safe for the kids (and ourselves) or are we fostering, promoting, demanding total personal and spiritual growth of each young person? 

If Newsweek did a cover story on us today, how would we fare?

In light of our own local activity regarding the state of education, these are the things that have been on my mind recently… and, perhaps, should be on yours as well.

I’ve been into a few books lately, trying to read them all at once.

This list includes a contribution from one of my daily blog reads, Seth Godin, who wrote Linchpin.

A linchpin is somebody in an organization who is indispensable, who cannot be replaced—her role is just far too unique and valuable. Seth, who writes for the business and management crowd, contends that to not be a linchpin these days is economic and career suicide.

Look around, youth ministry crowd.  This is our moment.  We need to be linchpins for the church… right now!

Trees and bushes, Lord. We await the evidence of the green springtime of New Life. We pray that we will not be consumed by the fires of Your Word. Cultivate the holy grounds around us with living waters from a spiritual rock that is You.

Lord, we pray that we might be fruitful in our mission, Your mission. We seek that you be pleased and not strike us down but remain in hope.

You are both abounding in kindness and merciful. You are the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. You are the I AM who has sent us forth to assure that Your name forever be remembered through all generations.

What if Starbucks marketed themselves like a church?

It’s the promises that we make.  Yesterday, it was a seat for every child in the land of ArchBalt.

This week, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien announced plans to revitalize Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The plan, detailed in a new report entitled, “Preserving the Tradition, Transforming the Future: The Rebirth of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Baltimore,”  is a culmination of more than 12 months of analysis and input from 1,500 individuals. The report announces the consolidation 13 schools, the creation of several new academic programs and initiatives, the enhancement of educator professional development, and the initiation of a new model for how Catholic schools are governed… and the promise that if a student was displaced in these moves that there was a seat waiting for them in a list of nearby “receiving schools.”

It offers the promises of resurrection and new life and new ways of living out the mission.  In the middle of a long Lent, it is the promise of Easter.  All that being said, it has also been a Good Friday experience for the staffs and students and alumni of 13 schools.  Your prayers are invited for all.

So, here we are…

In late January, I got past the March for Life and hauled off to the NFCYM’s annual membership meeting.  It was the marker towards which I had been aiming throughout most of 2009.  It meant that all the “big ticket” items were off my plate and that breathing space / light at the end of the tunnel was before me.

And then February arrived.  A week long snow storm, shifting responsibilities in the office, and some health scares among my friends and co-workers all conspired to make the shortest month a long slog through winter.

But, I believe in Spring.  I believe in New Life. I believe…

And, so, there is nothing else to do, but

march forth towards the future.

As promised, for the participants of the Seminars in Youth Ministry, the power point is now available!  Following the hyperlink.

Almost thirty years ago, Tom Peters (co)wrote In Search of Excellence and has had something to say about management ever since.

Recently, on his blog, he has been running a series of videos regarding the little big things…  that which seems minor but makes a great difference.

Here, he encourages us to develop milestones.

“Design the milestones to keep people excited, to keep them engaged. Celebrate the living dickens out of the smallest ones, as well as the biggest one.”

EUSTON, ENGLAND – The first Catholic Youth Ministry Federation of England and Wales (CYMFed) Congress was held over the weekend and seems to have been a huge success. A packed crowd of over 1000 youth ministers filled Friends Meeting House for a day of inspiration and hope.  Bob and Maggie McCarty traveled from the states and offered a keynote.

During the Day CYMFed launched Mapping the Terrain – Discovering the reality of young Catholics, a groundbreaking research project into the lives and faith of 11-25 years olds in England and Wales. A quote to  note: “What is clear, however, is that this ‘diluting’ of core Catholic concepts amongst those who consider themselves Catholic doesn’t automatically remedy itself. Instead of rediscovering deeper and more profound perspectives on faith, the young adults (20-25) in the survey tend to stick with their adolescent views, or continue to find them increasingly diluted.”