Office of Religious Education

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National Certificate Program in Youth Ministry Studies

The Program

The Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies is a ministry education program for those in ministry with youth, ages 10-19, in both parish and school settings. It equips leaders with the knowledge, skills, practical tools and techniques needed for creative and comprehensive ministry with youth.

The Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies program includes eight courses offered in a weekend format over a two-year period. The aim of the program is to promote personal, spiritual and ministerial growth. The first year courses cover youth ministry principles and practices, leadership theory, processes, and skills. Courses in the second year focus on fostering the faith growth of youth through pastoral care, justice and service, prayer and worship, and evangelization and catechesis.

Participants

This program has been designed for persons involved professionally or as volunteers with younger (10-14) or older (14-19) adolescents in a parish or school setting. The program is geared toward: Coordinators of Youth Ministry, Coordinators of Confirmation, Directors of Religious Education, Youth Ministry Volunteer Leaders, Junior High Leaders, High School Campus Ministers and Teachers, and Clergy.

Certification

A Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies is awarded by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to students who:

participate in all eight courses;
complete the Certificate Assignments and Learning Journal for each course;
submit their assignments and Learning Journal by September 15 following completion of their final course.

Up to eight units for credit are available through Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles for completed programs (1 unit per course). College fees per unit also apply.

2008-2009 Course Dates

November 1-2, 2008: Pastoral Care, Sr. Carolyn Coll
January 10-11, 2009: Prayer and Worship, Susan Searle
March 14-15, 2009: Justice and Peace, Joan Weber
May 16-17, 2009:Evangelization and Catechesis, Tom East

Location & Schedule

All the classes are held at the San Fernando Regional Office, 15101 San Fernando Mission Blvd. Mission Hills, CA 91345.

For more information or to request an application, please contact John Rinaldo at jmrinaldo@la-archdiocese.org or (213) 637 7616.

Hours for the two-day weekend course are:

Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Fees

Individual Rates: $150 per weekend course (includes books, handouts, materials and hospitality).

Group Rates: $300 per weekend (includes workshop for whole team and one set of books and materials) for up to four participants per team.

Courses may be taken toward certification, or may be taken individually for in-service.

Meals

Meals: Morning and afternoon hospitality will be provided. Participants are asked to bring their own lunch or bring money to go to lunch in the surrounding area.

Second-Year Courses

Pastoral Care

November 1-2, 2008
Sr. Carolyn Coll

Pastoral Care explores the principles and methods of caring for young people from various cultures and their families. The course develops an understanding of the breadth and depth of pastoral care. This includes exploration of family systems, adolescent development and the role that cultural identity plays in the development of adolescents. The goal is two fold: (a) to promote healthy adolescent development from a pastoral care perspective, and (b) to develop preventative interventions for families with adolescents.

Sr. Carolyn Coll, RSM holds a Master of Arts degree in Religious Education from LaSalle University in Philadelphia and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina. She is a Counselor at Belmont Abbey College and at St. Catherine’s House, Inc, for homeless woman and children both in Belmont, NC. She has extensive experience in youth ministry at the parish and diocesan levels, and has a Certificate in Advanced Studies in Youth Ministry and in Christian Spiritual Guidance from Shalem Institute, Washington, DC.

Prayer and Worship

January 10-11, 2009
Susan Searle

Prayer and Worship investigates the foundational role that prayer and worship have in fostering the spiritual growth of youth. Participants develop understandings and practical skills necessary for: (a) preparing liturgy and worship experiences, (b) fostering the prayer life of youth and preparing prayer services, and (c) understanding the role of youth retreat experiences. Participants will apply these understandings by developing a realistic and integrated approach to worship within a comprehensive ministry to youth.

Susan Searle is the Campus Minister for Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. Previously, she has ministered with young people as the Las Vegas diocesan director of youth ministry, as a parish youth minister in Las Vegas, and as a campus minister for a Catholic high school in Reno, NV. Susan is a workshop presenter and retreat leader for various dioceses and is an adjunct with CMD for the YouthLeader and YouthServe programs. She holds a Master of Pastoral Studies degree from Loyola University New Orleans.

Justice and Peace

March 14-15, 2009
Joan Weber

Justice and Service explores the foundation for fostering a justice and service consciousness and spirituality in youth draw from: Scripture, development, and contemporary catechetical principles. It develops skills for creating integrated, action-learning models for the justice and service component of a comprehensive youth ministry.

Joan Weber holds a Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry from Creighton University and a Certificate in Faith and Justice. She is Young Adult Project Coordinator at the Center for Ministry Development. Joan co-authored Leadership for Life (CMD), and co-edited and co-authored Young Adult Works (CMD) and the Ministry Resources for Justice and Service book in the Total Youth Ministry series (SMP). Joan has worked in diocesan youth and young adult ministry and is former president of the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association.

Evangelization and Catechesis

May 16-17, 2009
Tom East

This course develops the foundations and practices for nurturing faith growth and Catholic identity in young and older adolescents through evangelization and catechesis. Participants will explore a variety of ways to learn of and from Jesus, and how to promote a living relationship with Jesus in the lives of adolescents today. Participants will experience and analyze the “postmodern” culture and develop strategies for faith formation with adolescents in a postmodern world. They will learn creative approaches for evangelization and catechesis and develop skills and methods for evangelizing and catechizing adolescents.

Tom East is the Director of the Center for Ministry Development, Project Coordinator for Youth Ministry Services, and Coordinator of the Certificate Program in Youth Ministry Studies. Tom holds a Master of Arts degree in Religious Studies from Mount St. Mary's College in Los Angeles. Tom served as editor and author for Effective Practices for Dynamic Youth Ministry (SMP), and Ministry Resources for Prayer and Worship (SMP). Tom is also the General Editor for Call to Faith – A Thematic Approach to Young Adolescent Catechesis (Harcourt Religion Publishers).

First-Year Courses

Principles of Youth Ministry
Practices of Youth Ministry
Foundations for Ministry Leadership
Skills for Christian Leadership