Diocese of San Jose Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
Clergy Update June 16, 2006

Hello Fathers,

Blessings to you, your families and parish communities! I hope you have the opportunity to take time off to rest, vacation and revitalize
yourselves during the summer before it is time to begin another school year, catechetical year, Youth Ministry year, and the people begin
returning from vacation.

In this update:
Ø Vision and Priorities of the DSJOYYAM OFFICE
Ø Bishop Youth Council Reps
Ø New resources from St Mary’s Press
Ø A word about the Tahoe Retreat

Click here for the vision and work that are priorities of the DSJOYYAM and in concert with the Pastoral Plan. I think that it may always be in a
state flux and change, but here is what it is evolving into after almost three years as the associate in this office.

Click here for names of the Bishop Youth Council Deanery and High School Representatives. For pics of our first orientation meeting with the
council and their parents, this past Wednesday night, click on the “The Young Church” link below.

Click here for some resources involving parents in ministry and the new Breakthrough Bible for Middle school and junior high youth.
Parents are key in ministry to young people:

Your Professional Youth Ministry Directors hired to coordinate and direct sustainable ministry to the Young Church should have or be on their way to having the Five Core Competency Standards. Click here for these Five Core Competency Standards
If you do not have a youth minister coordinator and can’t afford to hire one, call me and I can work with you and your staff. In other words-there are no excuses for not providing ministry to young people because “the Young Church deserves the very best we have to offer.” Bob Mc Carty

A word about the Tahoe retreat:

The cost of the retreat fee is $290 per person. This price goes toward lodging, meals, coordinator fee, supplies, materials, transportation, speaker fee, t-shirts and much more. The transportation expenses jumped from $6500 in 2005 to $9500 in 2006 and all of our expenses are quickly outgrowing our revenue.
We cannot continue to raise the price of this retreat without compromising a priority of this office which is justice and opportunity for every young person in this diocese. We are already at a point where we are pricing out many young people who would like to come but who cannot afford it.
This coming year we will be working on ways to continue the experience in light of these difficulties and in concert with the Pastoral Plan, and that might mean change: of location, of the retreat’s length, of its size; of the frequency it can be offered, and of its purpose. Indeed there has never been a vision of the retreat from its inception that I know of, and vision is vital to its longevity. It may be that we need a year off to plan for the future especially if we change its location. Your feedback is crucial to us as we begin the evaluation process. I will send a survey to you in the next month. In the meantime
keep us in your prayers as we travel once again to Tahoe this next week. We leave Monday June 19 and return Friday June 23.

Blessings!
Sandy
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sandy Velasco Scott
Associate for Youth & Young Adult Ministries
Diocese of San Jose
408-983-0135
Read: The Young Church

Save the Date!
Faith Formation Conference:
Empowering Those in Ministry
"Rooted in Faith, Embracing our Future"
"Arraigados en la Fe, Abrazando Nuestro Futuro"
November 10-11, 2006
Santa Clara Convention Center