Should we bring young people to Jesus or to Jesus Youth? (BJRE088)


Should we bring young people to Jesus or to Jesus Youth?

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2025) 

It was a local gathering of JY leaders. During the discussion, Maria raised a question: "I am active in my parish. When I work with youth, bringing them to Jesus is essential. Should I also bring them to Jesus Youth? “

People remained quiet for a while, and another young person spoke up, saying, “That is true. In our work with the youngsters, should our goal be to bring them to the movement? “

I wondered where this question originated. Has she encountered some overzealous Jesus Youth who pressured people to join the movement, or is it stemming from some shame about being a Jesus Youth, belonging to this community, and her desire to conceal this aspect of her identity?

Regardless of her motivation, it is essential to discuss her question. Firstly, is there a conflict between bringing people to Jesus and bringing them to the Jesus Youth? Secondly, what is the importance of welcoming others to the Jesus Youth movement?

Is there a conflict?

After a period of silence, George replied, “Why do you think there is a conflict between bringing people to Jesus and introducing them to Jesus Youth? I believe we bring young people into the movement so they can gradually grow in their relationship with Jesus. In other words, we introduce them to the community to help them effectively develop their connection with Him.“

But Maria became somewhat argumentative. “But is Jesus Youth the only means to deepen one's faith? There are numerous paths to holiness within the Catholic Church.”

I felt compelled to intervene. “On one hand, we need to appreciate the beauty of various movements and approaches within the Church and connect with them. However, if we are not convinced that the Jesus Youth movement has something special and unique in its way of bringing people to the Lord, we wouldn’t be active Jesus Youth. In other words, each of us invests so much time and effort into Jesus Youth because we believe the Holy Spirit is doing something extraordinary through this movement and desires our active participation. Should we look down upon others? No. But we should have confidence in who we are, discover the beauty of our family, and be ready to share with others the uniqueness of what the Lord is building through this community.

Welcoming Someone into a Joyful Family

My thoughts turned to the story of John, a young person deeply involved in Jesus Youth, who later moved to a new country where the movement was already well established. Although he began his journey in the new country with Jesus Youth, John eventually wanted to explore other movements. That was fine; however, he gradually disconnected from his parent community and became very active in another movement at the parish. Years passed, and when I eventually met him, the Jesus Youth movement had spread and flourished there, achieving many wonderful things in that country, but John was not involved in it. He felt quite bad about this. It was akin to a family member distancing himself from connections for a long time, only to return and realize he had forgotten to build relationships, feeling a bit out of place.

Lesson #1. The journey of meeting the Lord and growing in relationship is not merely a spiritual matter. As Saint Paul repeatedly emphasizes, it involves actively belonging to a community of believers. While you may introduce Jesus to someone and address their questions and doubts, the true faith journey revolves around participating in and engaging with a community of the faithful. This principle applies to all faith journeys, especially within Jesus Youth. 

Lesson #2. Every family possesses numerous gifts and strengths, along with common weaknesses. Not everyone needs to unite in one group, but those who choose to journey within a community must appreciate the beauty and strengths while humbly accepting the weaknesses and failures. If you decide to join a group, your responsibility is to love the group and its members, even if you might argue and express differing opinions to build rather than destroy. It is crucial that you choose to belong and contribute positively.

Lesson #3. You should be eager to help young people feel a sense of belonging in a family you know and love. This is true evangelization. It involves not just introducing Jesus theoretically but also helping others to see and love the body of Christ as you understand it. Of course, this should begin with sharing your personal experience with Christ.

A Crisis of Non-Belonging

Maria’s question and the ensuing discussion prompted me to reflect on the dangers of living a theoretical Christian life, devoid of affiliations or attachments. “I follow Jesus, pray, and lead a good life. What more is needed?” But is that the life the Lord is inviting you to? Undoubtedly, today’s study-focused and intellectual spiritual journey, along with the rise of do-it-yourself YouTube learning culture and increasing urban living, makes it easier to disconnect from a genuine Christian community and pursue a solitary yet comfortable life path.

A call to commitment means accepting Jesus as the Lord and Master of my life. However, it signifies more. It is a call to love and live in community, which is incarnational - the Word becoming flesh. My commitment to Jesus will be tested by how I live within the family of believers I find here and now. Therefore, I wanted to tell Maria and her friend, “You needn’t bring everyone to Jesus Youth, but you should actively belong there and be ready to share the beauty of the Christian life you experience within your circle of friends. If that beauty and love attract someone, don’t stop them. Let them also experience the great joy that you have discovered.”

Topics:

Jesus Youth movement
Building groups
Evangelization
Youth catechesis
Lack of Belonging

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Story of the Name ‘Jesus Youth’ (BJRE013)

Image
The Story of the Name ‘Jesus Youth’  (Published in Kairos Magazine in 2018) This movement, ‘Jesus Youth,’ has grown and spread. It is present in almost three dozen countries and on all continents. The movement has given rise to several fascinating and youth-friendly initiatives. For numerous people, ‘Jesus Youth’ is a label they proudly apply to themselves, saying, ‘I am a Jesus Youth!’ So naturally, people ask, ‘How did this name come about?’ or ‘Who gave the movement this name?’ I tell them, initially, the name was that of a conference, and we never thought of it as the name of a movement. However, after the 1985 conference, those who had participated in the gathering began identifying themselves as Jesus Youth, and gradually, other people associated with the network also adopted this name. To discuss its background, the steps to bring together the youth in the Charismatic Renewal in Kerala started in earnest in 1978. For this purpose, a team was formed, and after a few gathering...
Read more

What is Jesus Youth Mission? Building witnessing communities (BJRE071)

Image
  What is Jesus Youth Mission? Building witnessing communities (By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2023)   These days, I regularly attend two weekly prayer groups. The Wednesday group is my old one, which now meets online. It goes very well.  The local group gathers on Sunday afternoons, but its attendance is not very consistent. Occasionally, they cancel the meeting because other commitments arise, and they often choose to skip it for study sessions or outside events. Participation in a community is a habit, and a good habit must be carefully nurtured. However, many people gradually disconnect from Jesus Youth as the group becomes inconsistent. Perhaps this was what the writer of the book of Hebrews observed: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (10:24,25) Even in the early Church...
Read more

Can Spirituality be so much fun - (BJRE001)

Image
Can spirituality be so much fun? (By Dr. Edward Edezhath - Published in Kairos Magazine in 2016) “I just wanted to discover why these people are so interested in Jesus Youth. Won’t they get bored with prayer and these talks on Spirituality?”  I was taking my 17-year-old son to the Joy Conference, which Jesus Youth Teens Ministry had organized. Earlier, some youth came home and mentioned the program to him, and to my surprise, he willingly gave his name. As we drove to the program, he told me he was going there out of curiosity. His idea is that anything to do with spirituality is so dull; if so, why are so many smart teenagers and youth so crazy about Jesus Youth? And he was going there to unravel the mystery. After four days, as I was taking him back home from the Joy Conference, I asked him how the whole thing had been. “Not bad,” he said. Knowing him, I heard it as ‘Excellent”. Little by little, he spoke to me about the friendly ones he had met there, how they had fun during the...
Read more