When Frank Mercadante, director and founder of Cultivation Ministries, came to speak to a group of youth ministers last fall, I thought I knew teens pretty well. My own son falls into that generation, and I have been working with young people for the past fifteen years. Frank gave us a little test, and although I scored the second highest in the group, my score was only seventy percent.

Three years ago, at the National Conference for Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM), Maggie McCarty gave a workshop and asked if we felt something different was happening with young people today. I did feel that there was definitely a difference over the past few years, but Frank really helped identify the special characteristics of this group, as well as the implications to our ministry with them. They are referred to as the Millennial Generation, or Generation Y, and includes those young people born between 1982 and 2002.

Who is the Millenial Generation?

A few facts about this generation:

• They are the youngest, largest, and most ethnically diverse generation in the United States.
• Suicide, abortion, and violence are down from the previous generation.
• Their parents hover over them and are very involved in their lives.
• Youth are told they are special and believe they have unique gifts to offer.
• The truth is confirmed in their experiences.
• They like doing things together and are happy to compromise their individual needs for the common good.
• They care about getting good grades and are very stressed about all the commitments they make; they do not need something more to keep them busy.

Catechesis for this generation is challenging and refreshing. It can be intergenerational, and does not need to be sugar-coated. Our young people want to discover the Gospel message and see it lived in their communities. They want to be challenged to take their place in the church community through personal invitation. They want to bring their friends into a faith community that will help them to learn about Jesus Christ and provide them with living witnesses to the truth.

Further Reading on the Millennial Generation

I have been giving a lot of thought to what Frank said during the presentation, as well as in his article, The Millennial Generation, Postmodernism & the Changing Face of Catholic Youth Ministry . Additionally, I have read Generation We: How Millennial Youth are Taking Over America And Changing Our World, by Eric Greenberg and Carl Weber, in order to better understand the young people with whom I minister. As I watch the young people in my ministry, I admit that they are unique and special, and that they are a testimony to the accuracy of the studies. They challenge me to adjust and to step away from my old patterns. It is requiring quite a bit of letting go and a lot of trust; however, I know that I am not alone!