Vibrant Worship With Youth: Keys for Implementing from Age to Age: The Challenge of Worship With Adolescents

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Summary: Doing Catholic Liturgy with Young People
Review: Now here's a great looking book! Bringing together 10 articles and a parish workshop, Vibrant Worship with Youth sets out to clarify the principles of solid, heartfelt and inclusive Catholic liturgy. In his Foreword, Catholic youth ministry godfather Bob McCarty, describes the book's purpose. "The 1997 publication of From Age to Age prompted ordained, pastoral, and liturgical ministers to gather together with young people to discuss its message. Out of this dialogue came insights, strategies, and a renewed commitment to creating vibrant worship that includes young people. The articles in this manual reflect the fruits of these discussions and will benefit leaders in parishes and schools in their liturgical planning and practice." But this is not just another guide to organising your next youth mass. Vibrant Worship picks up the topical issues, draws on the experience of eleven leaders in the US liturgical and youth ministry scene, and come to the conclusion that what young people seek is what we all seek - vibrancy in liturgy. Far from promoting a youth separatist model however, the authors here argue for passionate worship. In the words of liturgy guru David Haas, "it is about our young people (and all members of the Christian tribe) being freed and empowered to worship authentically and honestly." Communal participation, cultural considerations, leadership, drama, catechesis, and liturgical ministries are all covered. Stand-outs for me were Bishop Ken Utener's, Ten things to Keep in Mind When Preaching to Youth and Tom Tomaszek's, Spirited Music and Singing. Lisa-Marie Calderone-Stewart's, Liturgical Catechesis: A Parish Workshop Model offers a great young Catholic approach to the key principles at issue. I plan to use this one in my own diocesan work. There are solid insights here for anyone interested in revving up liturgy for the entire community's benefit but with young people foremost in mind. Just keep your American-Kiwi contextual translator switched on! If you have the budget (and you'll need one at this price), grab a copy.