It's All About the Parish

Our parishes are the most important places on the planet!

This is not an overstatement as we know the real presence of Jesus Christ is there. Because of this, our parishes have the ability to transform people and change the culture, not by its physical structure, but by the living stones that are formed there and sent on mission into the world. The work of the parish is to equip the next generation of saints as disciples. However, there can be many difficulties, problems and road blocks in making this a reality.
 

One of the biggest challenges today is that young adults in their 20’s and 30’s are leaving the Catholic faith and the Church. They often see no relevance for faith or religion in their life. The fastest growing category among young adults is the fallen away Catholic, unaffiliated and disengaged. This creates a missing link in connecting the next generation of children to a life of faith. A long-standing belief in the Church’s hierarchy is that they would come back once they started a family, but this is no longer the case. With the rise of technology and shifts in social framework, young adults choose their community early and base their life choices on a community that provides a sense of belonging. They are finding this less and less in the Church and more and more in secular outlets. 

There can be no broken links in the chain of life as individuals move from high school to vocations to college to a professional life into a family of their own. However, that is what is happening. The greatest connection is lost as they graduate from higher education to enter the professional world. They simply do not join a parish and the Catholic Church loses track of them, causing them to drift further away. CEND has been created to strengthen these links in the chain of life.
 

Many within the Church institution are not sure how to address this issue in a sustaining way. Young people are no longer interested in an invitation from Church hierarchy, parish staff or even within the family. Relational ministry is key. CEND believes all young adults can find a home in a Catholic parish no matter their background, unique qualities, or desires as long as it is accomplished through a relationship with someone they trust. As humans, there is a natural desire for a community and a deeper need to understand our purpose and the role of faith. CEND will empower young adults to find, connect, and belong to a young adult community and ultimately find an active faith life in a parish.
 

CEND serves the Church in two ways. 
 

The first is directly serving young adults with an interactive site called MSP Catholic . It is a digital website hub that reaches young adults where they live, work, socialize and spend their time. It informs its audience with upcoming events, Catholic groups, awesome parishes, helpful resources, and easy ways to connect with the local Catholic community. 

The second is directly serving parishes and leaders by creating partnerships and sharing best practices, leader training and resources. The goal is to help build a vibrant young adult community at the parish that will provide a sense of belonging and engage young singles, young married couples and married couples with children in an active life of discipleship. We call this Making Parish Home which works uniquely with each parish’s charism, demographic and culture.

 

Making young adults and young families apriority at the parish level makes a difference. By dedicating space and time to gather, providing programs and events specific to their needs and training young leaders to help invite others into the parish community, a difference is being noticed. It is true, results are realized in whatever you make a priority. CEND makes young adults and young families a priority.

If you work at a parish or directly serve young adults and young families, the CEND team would like to meet with you and begin to work together to make a difference. You can email us directly at CEND@CatholicCEND.org or use our contact form on this website.
 

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The CEND Team
Crystal Crocker, Annie Tracy & Ben Mulderink
Our team is here for two groups: Young Adults & Catholic Parishes. We've built CEND around some of the major areas of need in our parishes. Our favorite days include talking with parishes about their unique communities and working through ideas that better serve our local parishes. If you'd like to get to know us or talk about your parish, visit our contact us page.