Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

How to be Prepared for “Off-Duty” Ministry

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Ministry often happens when we are “off-duty.” For this reason, we should be prepared to respond to any needs that present themselves to us – whether they are in our area of ministry or not.

When we encounter faith-208820_1280young people in crisis, it is helpful to keep a few strategies in mind, since these opportunities to respond to their needs can often catch us off guard. When a particular person is struggling with depression, mental illness, addiction, or any other delicate matter, we should be prepared to receive him or her and their situation.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but is reflective of my personal experience in my recovery from addiction and in my ministry to others in a variety of demographics, age groups, and faiths. If you would like to use the “comments” section to add your own experience(s) or if you have other thoughts about ministry, I would love your input!

  1.  It’s not up to you! It is easy to make ourselves responsible for another person’s emotions and recovery process, but it’s important to set boundaries and defer to professionals and parents when needed.
  2. Meet them where they’re at. Never judge a person or place expectations on his or her actions or progress. While it is sometimes necessary to call someone out and encourage
    him or her to follow what is true, this should always be done by invitation, and it should be very apparent that our love and support will be remain regardless of that person’s choices and actions.girls-470679_1280
  3. Use active listening! It is also important to use active listening and other skills to encourage those we are serving to open up. Use validating and affirming language like, “That must have been so hard/painful when ___ happened,” or “You are so courageous for sharing this with me.”
  4. Personal Experience? While sharing our own experience can be helpful, it is important not to compare our particular experiences with theirs, in place of listening. Saying, “It’s like the time I…” or “everyone has something…” may seem to downplay their suffering hands-407388_1280and show that we aren’t paying attention or trying to understand them and their situation. Focus on them!
  5. Less is more. Often silence is golden because it allows others to share more than they were planning to and can reveal what is really underneath. This can help us to provide what is really needed and give them the space to unload and form trusting relationships in a place of woundedness.antique-21803_1280
  6. Remember the Divine Physician! Always be mindful that Christ is the Healer! We should always be leading those we encounter to relationship with Christ and spiritual healing of which we are all in need!

Please add your own experience!

Healing the Wounds of a “Create-Yourself” Culture: Part II- Bringing Our Hearts to the Lord

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The first step in helping others is always taking a look at our own lives to see where we need healing. To be a trusted catechist, minister, parent, friend, etc. we all must make sure that we are pursuing our own healing, especially in the areas that we wish to focus on in our ministry. In my case, I learned that a significant amount of healing needed to happen before I was able to authentically reach out to others.

In this first step, we place ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to shed light on our own woundedness to see where we can heal, regardless of whether it “feels” related to our area of ministry.

The fact of the matter is that we are all broken, and the process of healing is the same. I may not be able to understand completely the pornography addiction of another but I can feel a similar shame that comes from my body image/eating disorder. I can see many similarities in the behaviors and symptoms. Although the object of my addiction is different the core wound is the same. All of us are wounded by that first sin in the Garden of Eden, and we all struggle at some point to believe that we are really lovable the way we are.The_Incredulity_of_Saint_Thomas-Caravaggio_1601-2-300x222

When we grapple with our own wounds, bring them to the Lord, and unite them to His own Wounds, we find mercy and healing and thus prepare ourselves to help others. We are also able to be in solidarity with those who suffer and can be more patient in their healing process.

The advantage of this is two-fold. First, we will be more other-focused, since we have dealt with our own wounds. At the same time we will be able to draw from our own experience and come from a place of understanding. Since we have experienced the healing power of Christ, the example of our life- which is lived with greater joy and freedom- will strike a chord in the hearts of those who know they are not free.

I pray that each of us will place ourselves under the Gaze of the Divine Physician in order to deepen our intimacy with Christ who desires to free us from all fear, all pain, and all sin.