Too often, parish youth ministers are looked at as 'fun and games leaders' and 'pizza party queens.' But the foundational document of our ministry, Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry clearly spells out that the Ministry of Catechesis is an integral part of Comprehensive Ministry with Adolescents.

Sometimes, however, we as youth ministers are the ones most promoting this viewpoint by not intentionally building catechetical components into everything we do with the young church. And by being very intentional about building in catechetical opportunities, we become better at helping others understand what a necessary component catechesis is to our overall ministry.

But we also have a responsibility to form ourselves as well. The necessity of being a well-formed catechist is spelled out in our professional competencies based on the National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers. Life-long Learning is not just a new catchphrase, it is a necessity to be an effective leader in our church today.

Below are links to several excellent articles on Adolescent Catechesis primarily drawn from the Adolescent Catechesis Monograph Series sponsored by the Partnership for Adolescent Catechesis.

Adolescent Catechesis and the National Directory for Catechesis - Its About Discipleship

Adolescent Catechesis Today - On the Road to Transformation

Reflections on Parish and Adolescent Catechesis

The American Cultural Context for Adolescent Catechesis

The State of Adolescent Catechesis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

The State of Adolescent Catechesis Today - A Review of the Literature

What the Church Has Been Telling Us about Adolescent Catechesis