The Pillars of the Church Today is Young (1 Timothy 4:12)

Transcription

1 5TH WORKSHOP OF THE NETWORKING SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES AFRICA The Pillars of the Church Today is Young (1 Timothy 4:12) A New Way of Being Church for Young People Alphonce C. L. Omolo (PhD) - alphonceomolo@gmail.com 1 Nairobi, 13 th 17 th Sept. 2018

2 Content Defining the youth Demographic youth data Major challenges for the youth Impacts of youth SCCs Consequences Youth SCCs as the Family of God Conclusion 2

3 Kenyan youth 3 Source, kenyannews

4 Let no one disregard you because you are young, but be an example to all the believers in the way you speak and behave, and in your love, your faith and your purity. (1 Timothy 4,12, New Jerusalem Bible) 4

5 Youth! Who are they? How do we characterise youth or young people? those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years UN (Int. Youth Year 1985) Youth or young people shall refer to every person between the ages of 15 and 35 years. African Youth Chatter

6 Youth! Who are they? a Kenyan Youth is one aged between 15 and 30 years. National Youth Policy 2007 There are about 1.8 billion people aged between 16 and 29 in the world Article 6 Instrumentum Laboris 2018 All young adults ages are invited to virtually participate in the pre-synod meeting. (social media) Pre-synod meeting, Facebook group 6

7 Youth! Who are they? (Commonwealth) Demographic Age CW 15-29, UN 15-24, member states various parameters Social Transitional Stage/Period of Identity Formation from childhood to adulthood, education to employment, young families etc. Ideological idealistic, rebellious, a threat, therefore to be controlled tools for dev. Recipients/beneficiaries Agents/rights-holders Physiological Developmental stages late adolescence to young adult (18-24) 7

8 Youth demographic data Africans below 35 years are approx. 892M = 75% (UN DESA, 2015), Youth aged years = 36% (UNFPA, 2017), In Kenya, 78.3% of the population are below the age of 35 years (KNBS, 2012), Thus, Kenya (like most African countries) is a youthful Country. 8

9 Competing interests Global definition of the youth is problematic due to socio-economic inequalities, cultural diversities & varying legal definitions, Lack of clear definition of the youth (by the church) provide the cracks upon which the church fails to genuinely include the youth, Clarity of definition of the youth is important for: conceptual and operational reasons, empirical observations and actions by the church to improve pastoral care for the youth. 9

10 What are the major challenges for the youth? 10

11 Pastoral care policies: how enabling? Policy Attitudinal Approaches Deficit approach Needy Need-based approach Welfare approach Asset-based approach 11

12 Inclusivity: Distance of Youth Groups from Pastoral Care Unaffiliated Cath. Youth Young Adults SCCs (25-35 years) Youth SCCs (15 24 years) Pastoral Care Youth Ecclesial Groups (PMC, Alter servers...) 12

13 Being young: missing out! Spiritual and personal accompaniment: an ecclesial duty of the church & a right to young people. Commitment to justice: inability of the church to bring about change inspired by the Gospel. Economic empowerment: inability to cherish dreams and aspirations in harsh economic conditions. Listening church: building intergenerational partnership and promoting youth innovation and creativity in the church s life. 13

14 Acting in youth realities: principles Right/Asset- Based Approach Evidence-Based Pastoral Care Programmes Youth-Centric Pastoral Care Programmes Genuine Youth Participation Youth Safeguarding Youth Pastoral Policy Harmonization Youth Leadership Development Youth Agency & Outcomes for the Youth 14

15 The Impact of Youth SCCs THE FISH YOUTH GROUP founded in 1985 by Fr. Anthony Chantry MHM, Sr. Mary Hellen Howard SND and 25 youth with the support of Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth. the sign used by early Christians to conceal their identity in order to avoid persecution by the Roman Empire after the death of Jesus Christ. Greek for fish is IXOYZ = ICHTHUS: I = Jesus X = Christ O = God s Y = Son 15 Z = Saviour

16 Impacts 16 FISH Group Meeting in Kisumu Kenya

17 Impacts - Goals of the FISH Promote spirituality and build the Kingdom of God among the youth. Improve the social, spiritual, educational and economic status of the youth within Kisumu. Mitigate the consequences of HIV/AIDS and support the infected and the affected. 17

18 Impacts 1. Priestly and religious calling from the FISH Calling 1 PRIESTS (8 Priests) 2 SISTERS (4 Sisters) 3 BROTHERS (1 Brother) 4 FORMATION (3 Seminarians) Congregations Placements Consolata, Mill Hill, Francilian, The Mission-Kenya Consolata, Blessed Virgin, Camilian, Sisters of Mercy Our Lady of Perpetual Help Missionaries of the Poor Venezuela, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Rome Argentina, Kenya Kenya Uganda, Kenya 18

19 Impacts FISH Ordination Fr. Lenus Ouma in Tororo

20 Impacts Member Field Country 1 Rev. Fr. Dr. James Juma 2 2. FISH Group - Academic Excellence (PhDs) Dr. Boniface Otieno Oriaro 3 Dr. Alphonce Omolo Psychology Entrepreneurship Educational Research South Africa: Vicar General Rustenburg, psychologist - SA Kenya: Lecturer Entrepreneurship Uni. of Nairobi, community policing - Kisumu Germany: independent consultant, social 20 researcher - Kisumu

21 CONSEQUESNCES & LEVELS OF ACTION Individual Local Church Universal Church Prayerful, listen & talk about the Word of God Grow faith & meet to share spiritual needs Acceptance of the Word of God Listen to the voice of the Lord to shepherdship Youth become active agents of evangelization to one another Build spiritual & social networks & share concrete life issues Build stronger interpersonal relationships Nurture vocation & calling to priesthood & religious life Youth become active agents of evangelization in the society & beyond Active animation as agent of peace & reconciliation works of justice Help young Catholics to feel part of the church & take their place in church Promotion of ordained vocation during high school & college years

22 Youth SCCs as Family of God A sense of of belonging Act upon the mission of the church in local context Celebrate shared faith YSCC is an ecclesial community, embodies the meaning of the 22 church as the community of God s people and the family of God

23 Conclusion Regular research (youth-centric) to inform pastoral care projects informed by what deficits? mental health, drug abuse...? Life-course approaches to improve pastoral care for the youth todays youth are tomorrows young adults,! Youth leadership dev. inspired by concrete evidence, principles of inclusivity and equity. Funding for pastoral care activities & designed frameworks to evaluate value addition to the 23 youth at all levels of the church.

24 Conclusion It is not a set of youth pastoral care activities that counts but an integrated systems and church policies to nurture common good for the youth and promote youth SCCs. Shift from an inadequate/deficit perception of the youth & maximise youth s agency to change their conditions through genuine participation in youth-led pastoral care strategies. 24

25 Thank You 25