FINDING GOD AMONG THE YOUNG “IT IS ENOUGH FOR ME TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE YOUNG FOR ME TO LOVE YOU” - DON BOSCO
PEOPLE ……………………… NOT PROGRAMS RELATIONSHIPS ………….. NOT RELIGION CHRIST ……………………… NOT CREEDS A NEW RADICAL LIFE-CHANGING PERSONAL FAITH NOT A TIRED OLD GUTLESS RELIGIOUS TRADITION YOUTH ARE LOOKING FOR A CHOICE, NOT A COMPROMISE
YOUTH PSYCHOLOGYHOLISTIC GIFTEDNESSPERSON-ORIENTED COMMUNITY BASEDCHURCH MINISTRY PRESENCEMISSION RELATIONSHIPSSYNERGYSELF-GENERATIVE
CHILDHOOD ADULTHOOD 15 – 24 YRS 15 – 29 YRS 5 – 35 YRS POLITICALLY :40 YRS BELOW 15 –35 YRS
70 % BELOW 35 YEARS 9 MILLION BETWEEN YEARS PRIMARY SCHOOL: 5.5 MILLION SECONDARY SCHOOL: 650,000 UNIVERSITY/ COLLEGE : 50,000 TECHNICAL/ POLYTECHNIC: 31,000 OUT-OF-SCHOOL : 3 MILLION - EMPLOYED/ INFORMAL SECTOR
UNEMPLOYMENT / UNDER-EMPLOYMENT POVERTY – 10 MILLION LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE HEALTH RELATED ISSUES: HIV/AIDS 30% YOUTH CRIME & DEVIANT BEHAVIOUR: DRUGS… ALCOHOL … RAPE ABUSE: PHYSICAL, SEXUAL, EMOTIONAL … STREET-KIDS, STREET-ADULTS, STREET-FAMILIES EDUCATION : MONOPOLY OF THE RICH !!! FAMILY BREAKDOWN: TRADITIONS, CULTURE… LIMITED & POOR HOUSING FACILITIES
LIMITED SPORTS & RECREATIONAL FACILITIES ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION SATANIC WORSHIP POLITICAL INSTABILITY SUNDAY ‘RELIGIOUS TOURISM’ POOR ‘ROLE MODELS’ & ADULT COMPANIONS POOR ‘CULTURE OF SERVICE’/ VOLUNTEERISM WEAK CHURCH SUPPORT INFLUENCE OF MEDIA: ‘CULTURE OF MANIPULATED TRUTH’
TOTAL ‘PERSONAL’ & ‘SPIRITUAL’ GROWTH CULTURE OF PARTICIPATION ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP & AGENTS OF TRANSFORMATION
HUNGER FOR MEANING & PURPOSE IN LIFE HUNGER FOR CONNECTION HUNGER FOR RECOGNITION HUNGER FOR JUSTICE HUNGER FOR THE HOLY
COMPREHENSIVE MODEL OF YOUTH MINISTRY ADVOCACY CATECHESIS COMMUNITY LIFE EVANGELI- ZATION JUSTICE & PEACE ENABLEMENT PASTORAL CARE PRAYER & WORSHIP
A DECISIVE CHOICE: YOUNG PEOPLE, THE POOREST THE TASK:EDUCATE BY EVANGELIZING EVANGELIZE BY EDUCATING EXPERIENCE:IN ‘COMMUNITY’ SPECIFIC STYLE: WELCOMING PRESENCE ANIMATING PRESENCE, FRIENDLY PRESENCE, VOCATIONAL PRESENCE