More Information about
Youth and Young Adult Ministry

 

 

Catholic Young Adult Ministry

The Diocese of Knoxville Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry promotes the ongoing Christian formation of Catholic young adults in their late teens, 20s, and 30s, both single and married, by providing resources, training, and support for those responsible for this ministry in local parishes.

Guided by Sons and Daughters of the Light: A Pastoral Plan for Ministry with Young Adults, we seek to promote a young-adult perspective within the diocese and to facilitate communication and collaboration between and among the diocese and deanery and parish young-adult groups. We have a vision of the church as a place where young adults are at home; where their gifts and talents are acknowledged and their lives are supported and nourished; where young adults exercise servant leadership in worship, catechesis, social ministry, and evangelization.


Who are young adults?

When we speak of young adults, we mean those between the ages of 18 and 35. Most of today’s young adults are members of two groups termed Generation X (born between 1964 and 1979) and the Millennials (born after 1980).

In 1996 the U.S. Catholic bishops gave us a plan for young-adult ministry: Sons and Daughters of the Light. The bishops begin their introductory letter with a confession:

“We acknowledge the pain many of you speak of feeling unwelcome and alone–strangers in the house of God. For any failure to extend hospitality we apologize and promise anew greater efforts to welcome you into church life.”

They invite young adults to give the Church another chance:

“We know that your talents, and those of other young adults, can enrich the Church and be a sign of God’s presence in society. We invite you to share them with us and become part of a welcoming community for other young adults as well. Not too long ago our Holy Father spoke of your importance to the life of the Church: ‘The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your ideals, in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people’s hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civilization of true justice and love.’”

The bishops’ plan for young-adult ministry includes four goals, addressed to a generation that so often feels disconnected from the Church and from society. We are to connect young adults

  • with Jesus Christ
  • with the Church
  • with the mission of the Church in the world
  • with a peer community.

If your parish is looking for ways to connect with Catholic young adults in our area, contact Al Forsythe of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at 865-584-3307, extension 5754. We will be glad to meet with you and your parish staff to discuss strategies for success.

For more information

The Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry is in the process of developing an outreach to young adults, beginning with a focus on two groups: young adults age 18 through 20 and young adults in their 20s and 30s.

We’d like to get feedback from members of these groups and to establish regional groups with varying interests throughout the diocese. Please download our pdf form and return via e-mail.

Downloadable PDFs
Young adult outreach
Link
360 KB

You will need to open PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download it here.