Ministry Insights: Reflecting on 2025
Monday, January 12, 2026
As we reflect on the last year of ministry with young adults, here are some of the biggest insights and lessons from our partner parishes.
We will continue unpack these lessons and offer practical tips throughout the year in our blog posts.
Lesson One: Ministry health is not always measured with numbers – coming up with appropriate metrics is key.
“I think the biggest lesson we learned is that it’s not always about how many people we have at each event but how big of an impact we are having on the people who are present.”
“I believe the Lord’s work in our ministry is to help us continue finding our place within the church and to reach the young adults who are searching for a community. He is calling us to grow closer to Him through evangelization—whether that is through our studies, watching documentaries, group discussions, or Adoration. The opportunities to evangelize are endless. I also believe He is asking us to be patient. Building a strong community is not easy; it takes time, consistency, and effort, but I trust that it will pay off in the end.”
We hear it all the time in ministry, “It’s not all about numbers!” Well, okay. While it might be true that attendance numbers are not the end-all be-all, we still need to find ways of assessing the health of our ministry. If we say, “It’s not about the numbers,” we must follow it up with what it is about. Why do we do what we do? Is it about the quality of relationships? Is it about conversions? Depth of transformation? Evangelization radius? If so, how do we measure that?
We will have a blog post in February that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.
Lesson Two: Young adults are looking for intentionally faith-based events at our parishes.
“[This year] we realized that it was solid and very Catholic activities rather than fun and games that was attracting the young adults.”
“I see the Lord at work in the Adoration time. Young Adults are seeking the truth and beauty and that is the summit of our faith – The Eucharist! Allowing young adults to manage their own adoration hour is God's work and He is in control. I have also seen a willingness among young adults to make a new friend and welcome strangers.”
“Young adults respond strongly to consistency, authenticity, and prayer—especially Adoration—and they thrive when given responsibility and room to lead.”
A discovery that surprised some of our parishes was young adults’ desire for more faith-centered gatherings, i.e. Bible studies, Adoration nights, faith-sharing groups, catechesis series, etc. That’s not to say social events are unnecessary; it is crucial to have “big net” events with low barriers to entry – opportunities to meet others and get to know the community. But we can’t stay there. Once young adults have a sense of belonging, invite them to take the next step by investing in a small group, committing to an hour of Adoration, or joining a Bible study. And really, it’s not much of a stretch – our data shows they’re already desiring these opportunities to grow deeper in their faith with others.
We will have a blog post in March that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.
Lesson Three: Young adults desire a community that crosses generational lines.
“Over the last couple of years, we have come to realize that our young adults show up to events in larger numbers when it is something for the entire parish not just young adult groups, so we have made sure to personally invite our young adults to things like our parish trivia night, our Women's Ministry events, and our mothers’ group. We have continued to do well in these areas and saw growth in the number of young adults attending these types of events this year.”
One of the misconceptions about young adults is that they’re only interested in a “young adult group.” While that may be true for some, it’s certainly not the case for all! Young adults also desire to be part of a village – an intergenerational community where people invest in each other’s lives outside of Mass.
We will have a blog post in April that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.
Lesson Four: It is not enough to invite young adults into leadership roles; we must form and accompany them as leaders.
“Young adults like to run themselves but need support and resources to do so. For them to buy in, they have to own their events, but for them to run the events properly, they need a minister with all of the resources they need to succeed. If you have that dynamic running smoothly, then the group should be doing well!”
Young adult ministry is most successful when young adults themselves have agency and take on leadership roles. But this year, we saw first-hand how important it is not just to encourage young adults to be leaders. We have to offer formation and ongoing support to form them as the best leaders they can be – leaders who form other leaders among their peers.
We will have a blog post in May that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.
Lesson Five: To be effective in our ministry, we need to make time for reflection with the Lord.
“Our biggest challenge is that while we see an increase in young adults and young families attending weekly Mass, we are not seeing these numbers transfer to attendance at formation and parish events outside of Mass. We will continue our efforts to involve and accompany these individuals. And in order not to become discouraged, we celebrate the small successes when we are able to connect with at least one young adult at a time.”
“The Lord is working in the young adults who have stepped up in leadership roles. He's definitely asking us to give up the vision of what we thought the ministry would like and adapt to new and improved versions of it and ultimately what He wants from the ministry.”
We’re not always great at slowing down and allowing time for reflection. In life, and especially in ministry, we have to fight the go, go, go mentality. Ministry is not about efficiency; ministry is a participation in the ongoing, salvific work of Christ. Ministering effectively is a result of conforming our will to Christ’s will for our work – and that only happens if we allow space to reflect with Him.
We will have a blog post in June that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.
Lesson Six: Ministry is more fruitful when lay ministers and clergy work together.
“One of the biggest lessons learned is that a well-formed lay leadership team is essential for sustainable ministry, especially when priestly responsibilities are numerous. I also learned that a first year is best spent observing rather than rushing into changes. I discovered that God works powerfully even when clergy involvement is limited, and that collaboration between laity and priest is both fruitful and necessary.”
Lay and clerical ministers each have important roles in the Body of Christ – the responsibilities are different and they help build up the Body in a unique way. Clergy should look for ways to empower lay leadership wherever possible and appropriate. Lay leaders should look for opportunities to volunteer their gifts and their time, especially in parishes where priests wear multiple hats.
We will have a blog post in July that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.
Lesson Seven: Change is a constant in ministry with young adults – we need a dose of holy flexibility.
“We did not have a singular approach in mind as we progressed through the year. The small group model works when we have at least one small group of young adults that are ‘regulars’ committed to being part of the group and connecting with the other members. The large group retreats have worked to bring in new participants as well as energizing the current members by providing opportunities for leadership. Taking the temperature of the group and its members on a very regular basis will continue to be important. Like in any relationship, some things work well, while other approaches do not; and then time passes and the reality of how those same things will affect the group can be radically different. Staying aware, being in the moment, and responding accordingly to/for the members helps to keep things alive and healthy in these faith-filled communities. ‘Meet them where they are,’ knowing ‘where they are’ is a moving target.”
“Another thing I quickly discovered is that I will have to learn to adapt to a new leadership team due to the ever-changing life stages of young adults. Next year, one of our leaders is getting married and moving, a couple will be moving to different states, and another will likely be deployed; we will have to recruit new leaders then. For these very reasons, I have come to realize that our young adulthood will eventually come to an end, and move to the next stage, building families of our own or wherever God calls us to. Because of this, I am really proud to serve for this ministry while I still can.”
Young adult ministry is never static. Young adulthood is a season of life transitions, and these transitions will be mirrored in our ministry as well. Having a spirit of “holy flexibility” – being present, ministering in reality not in hypotheticals, and staying grounded and grateful in the face of unplanned occurrences will help us minister with the heart of Jesus.
We will have a blog post in August that will explore this question further and give concrete ideas for your ministry.