Jesus Youth “Consultations”: a way of listening and envisioning (BJRE012)

 

Jesus Youth “Consultations”: a way of listening and envisioning

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath - Published in Kairos Magazine in 2018)

“Three years back, you brought together almost a thousand youth. But where are they now?” Fr Gino posed a challenge before this small gathering of senior leaders in the Renewal. “The elderly faithful may always remain with the Church, but not the youth. To keep young people in faith, you need a relevant vision and a Christianity that is meaningful for their life and situation. If not, they will disappear.”

A few months back, in this column, I already mentioned this discussion we had in 1981 when Fr Gino Henriques, the National Chairman of Charismatic Renewal in India, posed this challenge before the Kerala Service Team. In 1978, we had worked well and had brought together a good bunch of enthusiastic youth, but after three years, we had to begin the work all over again. 

He remarked that one problem we all have is that we think we know what young people of today need and how to give it. Today’s youth are going through immense change, and don’t presume that we know it all. There is a big need to go to them and listen carefully. Working with young people and getting them closer to the Church should start by sitting with them and listening to them. Fr Gino articulated a new path to building a youth ministry that day. It is not just advising or preaching to youth but sitting with them and listening to what they say. This dialogue must be the foundation for an ongoing youth accompaniment. 

This discussion at St Teresa’s College in Cochin led to setting up a 5 member team to organize ‘consultations’ and make recommendations about youth and some plans for their formation. This followed a series of gatherings in different places to ask young people about their needs and what kinds of approaches and activities they wanted.  And its result? The first vision paper for a youth movement was submitted to the Kerala Service Team on 20th October 1981, entitled “Report of the Youth Working Committee.”

Consultations and the growing JY movement 

When we look back to the 40-plus years of history of the movement, it is quite interesting to note that at every big turn in the journey of the movement, there was some well-organized discussion gathering of leaders to “interpret the signs of the times” (Mt 16:3) and ask how we should move forward. As I mentioned, 1978 and ’81 were the big initial consultations. In 1986, the University ministry was launched after a series of such consultations. In 1990, the work in parishes got a similar fillip. In 1997 – 98, the movement became a national movement similarly. The year 2002 found another big leap of it becoming international, with a series of discussion gatherings of JY leaders from different countries. A consultation gathering of Bishops in Dubai in 2012 was in the context of another big leap in the movement. Consultations were organized at all levels of the movement to give shape to and launch a comprehensive faith formation plan for the whole movement. The most significant one was the big meeting of bishops.

A good biblical model of a consultation meeting is the gathering of the early church narrated in the Acts of the Apostles chapter 15, which we often refer to as the Jerusalem Council. In the face of a big confusion among the followers of Jesus, most of the early church leaders gathered in the big city. Different viewpoints were presented in the assembly. They debated on it and everyone listened patiently. They consulted the Lord in prayer. Finally, a new vision and statement evolved. That was articulated and communicated to the wider church. Surely, a new church was born out of that.

So, in any consultation, there is an initial question or confusion, a gathering, raising of voices, eager listening, fervent prayer, discerning a consensus, articulation of the new finding, and follow-up action. Ordinarily, people are concerned about the first and the last. There is an issue or confusion, and there has to be a solution. But the process of reaching that solution is what builds up leadership and gives rise of a vibrant Christian community. For instance, in the second half of the 1990s, the movement rapidly spread to different cities and states of India, giving rise to a lot of hope and, at the same time, engendering plenty of confusion. Many of the leaders started asking where all this was leading. Finally, a good section of leaders met with the representatives of the National Service Team of the CCR to thrash out the issues. The good outcome was a comprehensive statement and a clear plan to coordinate the Jesus Youth movement at the national level, another milestone in the movement's growth. 

Smooth sailing is what every boat traveler wants, but unfortunately, now and then, storms suddenly come. In the movement's life, all of us want smooth sailing, but now and then, conflicts and confusion arise. Our normal reaction is to become upset or panic. But a mature reaction to storms in our community is to recognize the call of the Lord to “discern the signs of the times.” In the history of the Jesus Youth movement, we have done it repeatedly and called it a step of ‘consultation.’ Maybe in our local fellowship or even in our small group, we must learn this dynamic of seeking the will of the Lord along with our friends or doing a ‘mini consultation.’ This can be a time of ‘recollection’ or evaluation. We may even call it a group discernment. And that time of searching for the Lord’s voice in unity with our brothers and sisters will not be in vain. It will surely bear abundant fruit of rich renewal.

= Pointers for Reflection =

1. Share your experience of consulting others or being consulted on some aspect of youth ministry.
2. Why is the aspect of continuous searching and learning important in youth ministry?
3. What happens when a group or ministry becomes static? How will it affect the leadership and ordinary members?
4. In the groups you know, where is the need for 'consultations'?