Adoption: A Choice worth Making is a five-day mini-unit to support any course in a Catholic high school theology curriculum. It is also appropriate for parish youth ministry. The purpose of the mini-course is to acknowledge the value of human life and provide teenagers information on a much underreported option for single women who are pregnant: adoption.
This mini-unit provides a synopsis of the adoption process as well as various perspectives from actual birth mothers, adoptive parents, and from teens who were adopted as infants. Written in conjunction with the Holy Family Adoption Agency, an agency dedicated to placing children with Catholic adoptive parents, teenagers will learn about a very positive effort taking place in the United States and in the Church to place children with adoptive parents.
Adoption: A Choice worth Making provides complete lesson outlines, including video links and student handouts. The lessons are designed for five consecutive 50 minute periods or over the course of one day for five consecutive weeks.
To view Adoption: A Choice worth Making click here.
You can use this discussion format in a number of ways. Here’s one:
Pass out a small, blank card to each student.
Write on a board several typical values, vices, events that teens are likely to have a strong opinion on either way. See below.
Tell the students that if they really believe strongly in something they should be willing to talk about the value openly and defend their position in the face of some questions and opposition. Tell them to take a close look at the items listed on the board and think about three or four in which they have a strong position on and would be willing to talk about in front of the group.
Tell the students to write their names on the cards. Collect the cards. Then tell them: “I will draw someone’s name from this pack. If your name is picked, you will be “on the spot” and will be asked to explain your position on one of the items you chose. Decide now which item you will talk about if your name is picked.
Pull a name and ask several questions like:
What item do you want to talk about?
What is your position on ______________?
Do your peers agree with your position? Do your parents?
Have you felt that way for a long time or is it something you’ve only come to only recently?
Encourage dialogue among the group. Include yourself in the discussion as necessary, but not to an overwhelming degree.
Continue with as many persons as time allows.
Discussion Topics
obeying rules joining a club reading the Bible helping teachers sex before marriage
telling crude jokes shoplifting gossiping about peers talking about God bad-mouthing religion
bragging about sexual conquests getting good grades cheating on schoolwork smoking pot
chastity and abstinence lying to parents going to church abortion putting down unpopular kids
being lazy and uncaring singing in church being polite to adults eating healthy foods
caring for the environment assisting a neighbor in need visiting a grandparent
going willingly on a family vacation helping the poor texting and driving being patriotic
Juliane Stanz and Tom East offer thirteen practical principles to guide accompaniment of youth and young adults as part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops resources for Catechetical Sunday 2017. The full article introduces and expounds on the thirteen principles.
Practical Principles to Guide Accompaniment of Youth and Young Adults
Look broadly at the youth and young adult populations and develop targeted ministries for different segments. Some youth, and young adults are looking to go deeper and become more engaged in formation and service. Other young people need deeper prayer experiences. Some young people are anxious to come to weekly gatherings and join communities; others resist this kind of participation but are longing to have someone to talk to about their faith. We need a differentiated approach that begins with the variety of young people in mind.
Engage families and see parents as part of our ministry. Parents need to be inspired and equipped to take the lead in the spiritual formation of their children. This looks different when children are youth and young adults. We can help families make this transition. What can we do to strengthen and support families as they share faith across the generations? For families that are struggling with faith and active practice in the community, our work with youth can be a spark that evangelizes the whole community. Families with young adults often face different challenges. We can support parents as they continue to foster the faith life of emerging adults.
Look broadly at our community and engage lots of disciples who are willing to spend time with youth and young adults. Notice we didn't say "recruit more ministry leaders." Discipleship is about developing the practices of being a disciple of Jesus which is something we learn in community and in relationship with other disciples. Who are the youth and adults in your community from whom you want young people to "catch" faith?
Focus on spiritual growth and attend to youth and young adults in a comprehensive way. Youth and young adults are more than just a family member or learner. Our ministry responses and faith formation need to address and engage each young person and assist them in taking the next step in their journey. It is especially important to invest time in helping youth and young adults who are evangelized to take the deeper steps toward accountability, witness, and engagement in mission.
Help young people do what disciples do and get good at it! Our ministries could focus less on participation and learning information and more on the skills and practices of being a disciple. When youth and young adults are good at praying on their own, reading the Bible, participating in Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, engaging in service, and witnessing to their faith, they will continue to do these things and seek communities and relationships that support them in being disciples.
Touch their hearts and make it personal. Young people yearn to belong and to relate to people who care about them and value them as individuals. To build this relationship, we need to learn names, know youth and young adults, and provide ministries that move, inspire, and engage.
Provide multiple contact points. Youth and young adults grow in commitment through a variety of relationships. They benefit from hearing different voices that provide an echo of faith.
Listen and include the youth, young adults, families, and leaders from among the diverse cultures within the community. Dioceses and parishes are learning new ways to come to know and include the needs and gifts of people from various cultures in developing authentic and inclusive ministry responses. The Bishops of the United States are calling ministry leaders to develop intercultural competencies so that we have the capacity to listen, welcome, include, and be formed by people of many cultures. These resources are an important part of our accompaniment of young people. See http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/cultural-diversity/intercultural-competencies/
Go where the youth and young adults are, including online. The roots of youth ministry are to go to the corners where youth hang out. Young adult ministry has a similar history. To do this today, we should be proficient in social media, and use technology as a means to draw them towards gathered participation with the faith community.
Engage youth and young adults in ministries that help them belong, believe, and share their gifts. These elements address fundamental human needs that profoundly shape the youth and young adult years. Ministry that addresses these elements develops the commitment and identity that are foundational to formation as growing young disciples.
Don't treat young adults like youth. A starting place for any young adult ministry is to treat them as adults, not post-high school youth. For example, don't list them under parents' names in the church directory. Give them their own listing. Another important point to remember is that most ministry with young adults will be conducted by young adults themselves, in a peer-to-peer manner.[vi]
Empower them to make a difference. Young people welcome and value opportunities that empower them to make a difference in the world. To put individuals in situations where their involvement truly affects another person is at the heart of faith. Ensure that ample opportunities are given to perform service and ministry that directly impacts the life of another.
Be action oriented. Young people value instant communication, respond quickly to action, and are adept at multitasking. They would rather participate in service than talk about it. If you decide to invite a young person to a parish committee, make sure that your committee is action oriented. Youth and young adults do not respond well to sitting around talking about ministry; they prefer to make a difference now. Long, drawn out meetings without a clear focus are certain to make your committee a youth-and-young-adult-free zone!
