Right Answer, Wrong Question...

What does a youth minister do when he/she realizes that "youth ministry" is not the answer. Many parishes today are latching onto new ideas and programs as the solutions to many of their problems. With the popularity of programs and concepts, such as, comprehensive youth ministry, life-teen, whole community catechesis, and developmentally appropriate catechesis, and new official presentations on catechetics like the GDC, and the NDC, I find myself spending much of my time just trying to catch up on the "Revolution." (Miller, www.dscottmiller.com ) What happens, when, in analyzing the needs of a community, we discover that the real issues are much deeper than catechetics and comprehensive youth ministry can address. As youth ministers, do we have the ability to stand up and be heard when we say that the parish as a whole must begin to minister to itself and the community before it will be able to minister to its young people. Is this our vocational obligation? If we just sit and focus on "our piece," then are we really acting as advocates for our youth? Will anyone listen if the "youth minister guy" stands up and says that the parish MUST address the needs of the families first, that we must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless before they will be open to what we teach? That's not our job, we just take care of the youth! Well, then whose job is it? The priest's? I thought his job was to take care of the Sacraments...we need him to dole out sacramental graces, right? Well, then whose job is it? The volunteers from the parish, but they're too busy being catechists...
What do we do? Have we gotten so lost in the maze of creating the best programs for our little piece that we have lost perspective on the mission of the Church?