Print and Media Resources
Reflections on the Youth Ministry Component of Evangelization
Frank Mercadante, of Cultivation Ministries, wrote this insightful article on evangelization for the Center for Ministry Development
"Thirty years ago, many Catholics fumbled to pronounce the term evangelization let alone accurately define it. For those who understood it, many attached negative connotations with the word—even questioning whether it was permissible under Catholic canonical law..." Read the entire article here. 
Raising Happy, Healthy, and Holy Teenagers: A Primer for Parents
This book for parents covers important topics such as psychological and developmental tasks of young people, self-esteem, youth culture, practical suggestions for improving parent-teen relationships and fostering faith in adolescents. Purchase your copy now.
Ideas For Adding Catechesis to Social Activities
Pia Kayo, in her article for the March 2010 NACYML newsletter, expounds on how each and every youth ministry activity should have an element of catechesis. At the end of the article she offers to share some ideas from her own ministry program. View the ideas now. 
Living and Loving Our Catholic Faith: Saints—Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
The Saints Go Marching On . . .
The communion of Saints and our traditions surrounding them are one of the distinct Catholic identity markers. However, many Catholics—young and old alike—have little understanding of the “rules” of sainthood, the types of saints, and many other aspects of saints.
The second in the Living and Loving series, Saints—Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow is a resource for youth ministry leaders intended to inform, form, and transform young people and their leaders in their understanding and engagement of the Catholic traditions, theology, and pastoral involvement on the subject of saints. Prayer cards are available too. Purchase your copies now.
Living and Loving Our Catholic Faith: Sunday and Beyond
NFCYM is proud to introduce our new resource series, Living and Loving Our Catholic Faith, with the first edition Sunday and Beyond.
Introduce Catholic young people to the rich liturgical tradition of the Catholic faith. Through these sessions teens will encounter God by gathering together for prayer and worship, listening to the Spirit, responding to the Lord’s call, and putting their faith into action by serving others.
Designed for parish and diocesan youth ministry leaders it contains: a primer on the theme, catechetical resources, retreat suggestions, and musical suggestions. Each book is sold with one (1) prayer card and one (1) CD containing the handouts and activity resources. Purchase Now
Youth Ministry Resource Manual
The 2008 Youth Ministry Resource Manual, Our God, the Great I Am will help our young people know God as creator, challenger, comforter, and friend. The sessions are developed so that youth ministry, campus, and catechetical leaders may address the many salient ways we encounter God through Scripture, sacraments, the discernment of gifts, in our family and friends, by serving others, and in the Eucharist.
Resources for Adolescent Catechesis
The Virtual Symposium on Adolescent Catechesis is now available for your use locally or regionally at MyCatholicVoice.
- A complete leaders guide along with conference video of major presentations from the National Symposium held in November 2008 is available free of charge thanks to the Partnership for Adolesecnt Catechesis.
- View a ten minute clip of highlights from the National Symposium on Adolescent Catechesis on YouTube prepared by Scott Miller, Archdiocese of Baltimore.
- The Partnership for Adolescent Catechesis publishes a Vision and Outcomes Statement and the Source Book on Adolescent Catechesis: Volume 2.
- Additionally, there is an excellent article by Daniel S. Mulhall on Adolescent Catechesis and the National Directory for Catechesis: It’s About Discipleship.
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Resources for Mission Trips and Service Experiences
Are you or the youth you serve interested in long term volunteer experiences, either internationally or domestically? Do you organize mission trips with your young people? The assists laypersons before, during, and after their terms of service.
The newly revamped Saint Vincent Pallotti Center website contains resources for persons preparing for, currently in, or returning from service or mission experiences. An improved search function also gives viewers access to over one hundred Catholic-based mission and volunteer programs.
Pallotti Center offers volunteer opportunities in locations throughout the United States and in over sixty countries. Placements are available as case workers in social service agencies, as teachers in schools, working with individuals with disabilities, as activity directors in shelters, and in countless other community positions.
Questions about resources, long term volunteering, or wish to receive a complimentary copy of Connections: A Directory of Volunteer Opportunities? Contact the Pallotti Center toll free at 1-877-865-5465, or via email at connections@pallotticenter.org.
Youth Ministry Today Newsletter
YMtoday.com offer a free monthly newsletter geared to those involved in various areas of youth ministry. They also have sections on thier website for numerous other resources. Sign up for the free newsletter here.
TAKE FIVE FOR FAITH: Daily Renewal for Busy Catholics
A series of daily lessons, designed for busy Catholics, to nurture their faith and ground them solidly in Catholic culture is available for a free subscription on the Take Five for Faith website.
Catholic Global Mission Resources for Youth and Young Adults
The Xaverian Missionaries have worked in Africa since the early 1950's. The journey of Pope Benedict in Africa gives us a chance to reflect on this continent, which is facing critical challenges. This issue of No-Borders e-newsletter presents us with opportunities for mutual solidarity. Our response to this vocation of solidarity with the Church and peoples of Africa enables us to express love "in deed and in truth" (1 Jn 3:18), a love that creates no borders and sets no limits to what might be accomplished together in Christ. See practical ideas in solidarity with Africa, and their joyous celebration of music.
The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College
Originally published in October 2007, the latest edition is set for release in September 2009, and is a completely free resource for students, parents, teachers, counselors, and youth ministers. The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College is the first college guide to show students where they can learn and grow in a genuine Catholic environment. It includes detailed profiles of schools, essential data on each institution, and practical advice from eminent Catholic thinkers on how to approach the college decision process. It also tells prospective pupils where to look to find an array of unique and specialized programs. Visit their web page for access to the college guide.
Busted Halo’s Freshman Survival Guide
A great resource for youth ministers, college orientation staffs, counseling services, and campus ministries! View and download the one page summary here.
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The series combines practical advice on how to study, time management, and campus safety with important suggestions on how to maintain physical, mental and spiritual health while away at school. This year’s edition even includes advice for parents to help them and their new college student through what can sometimes be a difficult transition. Links to all the Freshman Survival Week articles can be found at the Busted Halo website.
Disciples Now Launches New Website
For over eight years, Disciples Now has been the place for Catholic teens on the web. Recently they relaunched the Disciples Now site with a new look and a number of new features. Read the announcement from Paul Raspa, or go here for your FREE registration.
FREE Music Downloads for Ministry
Daniel and Laura Kachelmyer, Five and Two Music, write and produce thier own music and are offering it for others to use in their ministry. The music is available for free downloads on their website - www.5and2music.com.
Catholic News Service Articles on Social Justice and Peace
Catholic News Service (CNS) columnist Tony Magliano writes a biweekly syndicated social justice and peace column which addresses timely economic, social and political issues from the perspective of Catholic social teaching. His columns challenge readers to make decisions based on the radical teachings of the Gospel and the church’s social doctrine. Unfortunately, many diocesan newspaper editors choose not to regularly publish his columns. But you can help change that by sharing copies of his writings with others, and encouraging your parish and/or diocese to publish the articles. Tony's writings are highly useful in helping average Catholics understand and apply the richness of Catholic social teaching to the problems facing our nation and world. Several of his articles are highlighted in the NACYML Members' Section.
Mission Trip Education Materials Available from Glenmary
Help young people deepen their sense of mission—right here at home!
A major commitment of Glenmary Home Missioners is to call young people into mission and to raise awareness of mission needs here in the United States. That is the goal of Educate and Inspire: Home Mission Materials from Glenmary, developed and reviewed by teachers and religious educators.
Preparing for Your Mission Trip Journey: A Practical and Spiritual Guide, is the final installment in this collection of home-mission education materials. Written by two teachers, this 50-page spiritual guide was developed to enhance high school mission trips and service experiences for both students and chaperones.
These materials are informative, easy-to-use Catholic resources for teachers, DREs, pastors and principals—and will help call a new generation of young people into a deeper sense of mission right here at home. Purchase materials through the Glenmary website online order form.
International Education and Resource Network (IEARN)
Connecting young people with their peers from around the globe
The International Education and Resource Network (IEARN) is the world's largest non-profit global network that enables youth to use the Internet and other technologies to collaborate on projects that enhance learning and make a difference in the world. Primarily for educators and students, there are also ideas and projects that youth ministers can implement.
National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) Reports on Findings from Waves 2 and 3
The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR) announces the release of a new report on adolescents in the United States based on the second wave of NSYR survey data. The report, entitled "Religion and Spirituality on the Path Through Adolescence," is authored by Melinda Lundquist Denton, Co-Investigator with the NSYR and Assistant Professor of Sociology at Clemson University, Lisa Pearce, Co-Principle Investigator of the second wave of the NSYR and Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Christian Smith, Principal Investigator of the NSYR and Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame. This report is intended to be a concise summary of some of the key findings.
Download the full report "Religion and Spirituality on the Path Through Adolescence" on The National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR)'s website.
In "Religion and Spirituality on the Path Through Adolescence," the authors examined religious and spiritual changes in the lives of adolescents in the United States across a three-year span. The comparison of NSYR survey responses from the same adolescents in 2002 and 2005 reveals relatively small but consistent decreases in conventional religious beliefs and practices. Although the majority of adolescents in this study remained stable in their religious beliefs, practices, and spirituality, a significant minority did experience slight shifts away from standard religious beliefs and decreases in religious practice. Overall, the dynamics in religiosity and spirituality among this nationally representative sample of adolescents reflect subtle changes-rather than large or dramatic shifts.
Research by Trish Snell, of CSRS, using NSYR data to show the significant, measurable effects over time of participation of adolescents in organized youth ministry activities. Download the report here. (118 KB)
GETTING STARTED Series
This series of pamphlet resources, written by members of NACYML, is ideal for all youth ministry leaders. They are quick and easy guides giving a Catholic overview of the topic, several resources, and direction for future growth. They are a great resource for the seasoned veteran or the new youth ministry leader just starting out. On a tight budget these professional
resources are so cost-efficient that diocesan leaders can buy in bulk and keep them on hand to be distributed to new youth ministers!
Descriptions of available topics are listed below. Pricing and ordering information is available at the NFCYM Online Store.
- Getting Started with Social Justice
If you have never tackled social justice before this is a great place to start. Find out what is important, what is not, and how to deal with the big stuff.
This publication is targeted to the youth ministry leader who has been hesitant to tackle this topic or who does not have a lot of experience in this area.
Written by Kelley Munsee (St Charles Borromeo Parish, Diocese of Cincinnati) and Jim Murray (Ascension Parish, Kettering, Diocese of Cincinnati). - Getting Started with Youth Culture
All about understanding the culture of today’s teenagers, issues of the millennial generation, stages of faith growth, and new understandings from the National Study of Youth and Religion.
This issue is targeted to youth ministry leaders of all levels of experience, parents and other interested adults.
Written by Denise York (Youth Department, Diocese of Buffalo). - Getting Started in Youth Ministry
The top ten things every new youth ministry leader should know. Targeted toward the brand new youth minister or anyone looking to take their own “ministry pulse.” Great resource for diocesan directors to give to new hires!
Written by Rich Rasmussen (Immaculate Conception Parish, Diocese of Rochester).