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Accompanying Youth: Mapping the Path Toward Deeper Discipleship

Findings and Meditations from NeXt Level An Initiative of Goodfaith

Organizational Background Goodfaith is an independent Catholic apostolate based in New Jersey. Its mission is to cultivate a vibrant community of faith in action through transformative experiences of missionary discipleship rooted in Catholic social tradition. Founded originally in 2008 as the Center for FaithJustice, the organization was long-known for its “WorX” programs inspired by the scripture passage: “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). More than 7,500 individuals participated in these experiences, representing 500,000 combined hours of direct service and social justice education. It published its first research study in 2018 – the first ever of its kind testing the value of faith-based service immersion programming. It launched NeXt Level in 2019 and its newest initiative, Family Matters, in 2023. Today, the organization is frequently called upon to serve in a consultative role with many partner organizations, parishes, and Catholic schools because of its track record and unique expertise. Visit wearegoodfaith.org to learn more.

Accompanying Youth: Mapping the Path Toward Deeper Discipleship Findings and Meditations from NeXt Level An Initiative of Goodfaith Written by Stephanie J. Peddicord, MPS, President, Goodfaith Forward by Robert J. McCarty, D.Min, Chairman, NeXt Level National Advisory Council Research by Charlotte McCorquodale Ph.D., Ministry Training Source

Table of Contents 87

Chapter Three – Pastoral Response and Theoretical Framework: Identifying and Investigating the Pathways to Discipleship

Letter from Stephanaie J. Peddicord, President

Forward

Preface

Part One: Naming and Defining the Pathways

Introduction

Part Two: The Pathways in Action

Travel Itinerary – How did we get here?

Part One: Background and Context

CHAPTER FOUR – The Great Detour: COVID-19 Pandemic

Part Two: Designing the Trip

107

Part Three: Companions on the Journey

CHAPTER FIVE – Meditations from the Journey: Conclusions and Recommendations

113

Taking the First Step: Recommendations for Practitioners in the Field

Chapter One – Travel Journal: Assessing the Impact of NeXt Level on Individual Stakeholders

Youth

Mentors

Pastors

Pastoral Staff

61 67 76

Chapter Two - Travel Journal: Assessing the Impact of NeXt Level on Parish Communities Closer Look: Parish-Identified Hopes A and Outcomes What Enabled “Successful” Parishes to Be Successful?

115

Opportunities for Further Research

117

Final Thoughts

118

Acknowledgements

121

Appendices

139

End Notes

Letter from the President

Letter from Stephanie J. Peddicord, President Dear young people, Five years ago, our organization began a journey that was all about you – your interests and desires, hopes and dreams, cares and concerns for the world, and most importantly, your faith. At the time, the news in our Church about your generation was pretty sobering. Eight out of ten baptized Catholics no longer practiced by age 23.1 Evidence suggested that this disaffiliation started at the median age of 13.2 There were many reasons and theories put forth as to why young people were abandoning their faith in these unprecedented numbers, but regardless, the data foreshadowed something catastrophic on the horizon. As practitioners in the field, this was deeply troubling to our team. We had spent considerable time in conversation and discernment with our colleagues at regional parishes. We listened with intention to their concerns. You were “too busy,” “too overcommitted,” and “too consumed” with social media and the secular world.

And, yet, there were some important pieces missing from that narrative. You see, we also knew you. For almost two decades, our organization had accompanied thousands of young people on service immersions. We saw you on those experiences, especially your smiles and your tears. We heard your curious questions and thoughtful observations about the injustices in your communities. And through it all, we witnessed thousands of big and small transformations made possible through your encounters with one another and with Christ – all miraculous glimpses into the sacred hand of God at work in your hearts and minds. We also knew the richness of Catholic social tradition and a life in pursuit of the Gospel. We knew it could offer insight and inspiration to you that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Pope Francis loomed large in our imagination. He knew the same disheartening data points that we did and yet his vision was always relentlessly hopeful. So much of what he did

Letter from the President and said inspired us to throw out the playbook and write a new story. The NeXt Level story. And you were the main characters. In college, I had the opportunity to study the seminal text Don Quijote de La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes.3 In it, Quijote is the flawed but loveable protagonist. He spends the entire 500 pages chasing windmills. (Seriously.) Meanwhile, his long-suffering sidekick Sancho Panza sticks with him on this seemingly fruitless endeavor. Quijote was written nearly 500 years ago and there is a reason it has stood the test of time. Among many other things, it is an allegory for what it means to pursue one’s improbable and even impossible dreams. Much has been analyzed, too, about the relationship forged between Quijote and Panza, two somewhat unlikely companions on a long and winding journey toward self-discovery. In a Church that has stumbled in its attempts to engage youth in meaningful ways, NeXt Level was something of an impossible dream, too. But we put all our hopes into your unique potential to pursue God’s plan for your communities and your lives. In so many ordinary and extraordinary ways—and outlined at some length in the following pages—those dreams have come true. For us, you have modeled what it means to be an innovative,

imaginative, mission-focused, and Christcentered Church. NeXt Level is your story, but it is also that of your mentors. These adults are truly the unsung heroes of this narrative – the Sancho Panzas to your Don Quijotes. They walked alongside you over the arc of this process – before, during, and after a global pandemic and despite their own personal doubts, insecurities, and struggles. Time and again, your witness inspired them to keep going even when success seemed unlikely. Seeing their growth parallel yours has been one of the many profound gifts of this initiative. You have inspired our organization, too, to chase more windmills of our own. This journey has illuminated the extent to which the NeXt Level approach works. It is now our task to make sure the broader Church begins to follow the trail markers on the ground you have broken. With gratitude and prayers for your continued journey,

Stephanie J. Peddicord, President

Accompanying Youth

Forward It is rare that a forward to a research report is so appropriately titled! This report is certainly a review of what we have learned from NeXt Level, reflecting back on the experiences and the relationships that impacted participants. More importantly, though, are the implications as we move forward in our pastoral ministry with young people. The following report preface succinctly describes the ministry landscape and the societal context, which has such a significant impact on all church ministries, especially on our ministry with the young church. Moreover, through interviews and surveys with the young participants, their mentors, and parish leaders, Goodfaith has identified critical and farreaching conclusions and implications from the Pathways framework to youth ministry. Through its weaving of faith and social action with young people themselves serving as leaders, NeXt Level has provided a new map, a new pathway, a new emphasis for the Church’s outreach to young people.

With its four components of Accompaniment, Encounter, Protagonism, and Spiritual Imagination, the Pathways model identified in this study provides an innovative framework for comprehensive pastoral ministry to, with, for, and by young people. The project outcomes highlight the impact on the personal faith of participants, as well as their engagement in their faith communities. Young people, through their passion projects, moved from spectators to active participants in their faith communities. Furthermore, since the project was parish-based, NeXt Level was intentional in engaging the broader faith community, impacting parishioners’ perspectives regarding young people. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Living as Missionary Disciples echoes Pope Francis in his vision of renewal for Catholic communities in which parishes must shift their focus. “The focus must be outward directed, not on the parish as it is, but on how the parish or faith community can better

Forward

and more fruitfully lead, minister, and engage people in the call to witness and discipleship.”4 This challenge undergirds the NeXt Level approach. Goodfaith’s mission is to cultivate a vibrant community of faith in action. NeXt Level reflects this by fostering youth-designed and implemented programs that go deeper than typical community service initiatives. By emphasizing the integration of faith with social action, NeXt Level encourages our young people to move beyond service as an episodic experience and to incorporate justice and service as a lifestyle of faithful discipleship. This is an exciting adventure. Forward!

Robert J. McCarty, D.Min. Chair, National Advisory Council

Preface

Preface “ Maps only work when they match the territory!” The “territory” for pastoral ministry with young people has shifted greatly over the last generation. We are all familiar with the various research that highlights the changing landscape of parishes. The decline in church affiliation, the rise of the “nones and dones,” and now the “never affiliated” in both young people and their parents has had significant consequences. In surveying the American landscape at the turn of the twenty-first century, sociologist Robert Putnam came away with a startling conclusion: Americans were lonelier and more distrustful of their fellow citizens than ever before. By the year 2000, the networks of sociability, trust, and solidarity that had held communities together were starting to erode.5 This quickly rippled into the pews of churches (and those authority figures within it) and became a major contributing factor to the disaffiliation of both young people and adults. Fast forward to 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated just how dire this situation had become with the accelerating disengagement

in social institutions leading to a further fracturing of society. Young people were in the crosshairs: Springtide Research Institute has documented an unprecedented “loneliness epidemic” among Gen Z.6 In 2021, Pew noted that a staggering 70% of young people identified depression and anxiety as significant problems among their peers.7 And, just recently, the Surgeon General of the United States declared a public health crisis due to loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection across the country.8 If the current ministry terrain feels harsh, that is because it is. This is an era where faith is an option, not a given – and the overarching challenge is to make a compelling case for faith. Why does faith matter? Why is God important? Why is church relevant? This is not just a youth issue, but rather a community-wide challenge about how to pass on the faith to emerging generations. To stay relevant and sustainable, parish communities have no choice but to make the case for faith to young people – and beyond. To do this, ministry leaders are challenged to revise their ministry maps for today’s youth. In this post-COVID era, this work has to happen

Accompanying Youth

with an urgent recognition that the future of the Church depends on it – because it does. The world depends on it, too. Putnam is convinced that the current crisis of social trust cannot be explained by political or economic factors. The key is morality. In a recent interview, he said, “The data and the history have convinced us that the leading indicator (for social change) is a sense of morality. We need a moral reawakening of America.”9 Such a moral reawakening moves perspectives from “me” to “we,” from isolation and disaffiliation to engagement and belonging. Across the globe, young people are embracing this shift. Communities have experienced the power of young political activists confronting societal issues like climate change, gun violence, and racism. Young people are lifting their voices, exercising their agency, and

becoming protagonists of social change. They are acting with confidence and competence. The convergence of these influences pointed towards an emerging “map” that ultimately inspired NeXt Level. With a fresh set of eyes, rooted in Catholic social tradition, this new map explored the ministry terrain through diverse strategies and innovative pathways. It charted out discipleship by engaging young people directly through social action and equipping adults to mentor them in their passions and interests. This shift from “me” to “we” reflects not only Putnam’s research but also the Gospel values at the heart of missionary discipleship. Ministry approaches like this are what will foster a movement of moral reawakening in our young people and move the entire community— neighborhoods, parishes, the country, and the world—to the NeXt Level.

Introduction

Discipleship— The Journey is the Destination “What instructions does the Lord give us for going forth to others? Only one, and it’s very simple: Make disciples.” 10 (Pope Francis, 2019) Make disciples. Sounds simple enough. Pope Francis asserts this as the singular and primary goal for pastoral leaders and yet, it often feels intangible and unattainable. Discipleship feels like it should be a clear destination on the horizon, and still, it lies just beyond the reach of individuals and faith communities. Nevertheless, that was the challenge put before Goodfaith in the formulation of NeXt Level: to help Catholic parishes to design, test and implement new models for nurturing the discipleship of youth and engaging them more fully in the mission and ministries of their respective communities.

To do this, the organization began to imagine a new roadmap. If sights were set on the destination—making missionary disciples of young people—instead of the obstacles, what would faith communities do differently? What elements or processes could be put in place to produce this desired outcome? How could parishes accompany young people to embrace the Church’s outward mission? How might they equip youth as agents of their faith as opposed to mere recipients of it? How might faith be viewed as transformational instead of transactional? With a nod to the organization’s long standing “WorX’’ moniker and modality, the new roadmap was called NeXt Level. While continuing to emphasize service, this new initiative dug deeper, incorporating an indepth, multi-year intentional process of youth engagement at the individual, community, and parish levels. From the outset, youth were the protagonists of the NeXt Level story and youth agency was the driving force. Their interests, their concerns, their desires, and their gifts were at the center of it all. Their passion projects were the mechanism through which this protagonism

For purposes of this study, discipleship was explored through the missionary lens of Pope Francis, which inherently calls the Church outward to proclaim the Gospel with their lives. Through the Pathways to Discipleship, this has been measured according to competence and confidence in a number of key areas.

Introduction was realized. But they did not and could not do it alone. They had adult mentors, who accompanied, supported, and encouraged them every step of the way. As it turned out, this new roadmap also required a new navigational system. One could not simply plug “deeper discipleship” into Google Maps and hope to arrive at a metaphorical destination. At first, the research team used the standard “transactional” measures of faith practice (such as sacramental participation, attendance, and ministry enrollment) to evaluate impact, but ultimately realized that maintaining these markers was not compelling. Part of the challenge was that the traditional and historical indicators that had been used to measure and quantify discipleship in the past were insufficient for what NeXt Level was trying to accomplish. The fact was that many NeXt Level youth were already “churched” by traditional standards. Their families were active parishioners. They were regular Mass-goers. They had, except in one or two instances, received all three Sacraments of Initiation.

Prevailing literature indicates that a posture of maintenance with regard to these indicators would fail anyway. In past generations, the passing on of the faith had happened organically, but the data on millennials and Gen Z demonstrates that the status quo no longer works in retaining young people.11 In fact, the data on the disaffiliated, the “nones,” and the “dones” includes many of the previously “churched”.12

One of NeXt Level’s goals was to instill in the youth a sense of ownership over their faith that would carry them into and beyond emerging adulthood. And the hope was to deepen discipleship both within and through participants. The research needed to evolve in order to reflect this. This ultimately led to the development of the “Pathways to Discipleship” (or, more simply, the Pathways). Emerging from observations from the execution of NeXt Level in real-time, in real parishes, with actual youth and adult mentors, the Pathways framework is truly the first of its kind.

Travel Itinerary / Part One

TRAVEL ITINERARY

HOW DID WE GET HERE? Part One:

Background and Context In 2018, Goodfaith (formerly the Center for FaithJustice) was the only Catholic organization in the country to receive a multi-year $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment as part of its “Strengthening Congregational Ministries with Youth” initiative.13 Through it, the organization crafted NeXt Level in collaboration with parishes across the greater New Jersey region.

Living into the Vision of Pope Francis From the outset NeXt Level was a data-driven initiative, informed by both catechetical and secular research. This included the organization’s own 2018 longitudinal study, along with an emerging and growing body of literature on religious disaffiliation and, more broadly, Gen Z.

Beyond a doubt, though, the original inspiration for NeXt Level came from Pope Francis, who has put forth a prophetic vision for what faith engagement could and should be since his election in 2013. With his vision, these concepts became prolific in modern Catholic vernacular: lM issionary discipleship: “encourages Catholics to go deeper — to live as missionary disciples who have encountered Christ, know how and why he came to save us, and to spread the Gospel;”14 lE ncounter: “brings us face to face with others, summoning us to a revolution of tenderness;”15 lA ccompaniment: teaches adults to “listen intently to the questions, ideas, and desires of youth in our midst;”16 and lE vangelization: “gets involved by word and deed in people’s daily lives, bridges distances, abases itself if necessary, and embraces human life, touching the suffering flesh of Christ in others.”17 Time and again, Pope Francis—through his words and through his actions—reminds the People of God that it “is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but ‘by attraction.’” In other words, that others—and, in this case, young people—become interested in a life of

Accompanying Youth discipleship because they witness the joyful example of Christian lives in service to others.

continue with its innovative approach and walk with parishes in imagining a new way.

Furthering this vision, Pope Francis raised protagonism to a global understanding. This crystallized in Christus Vivit, the 2019 Apostolic Exhortation on youth and vocational discernment. He writes: “I know that your young hearts want to build a better world. The young want to be protagonists of change. Please, do not leave it to others. I ask you also to be protagonists of this transformation. You are the ones who hold the key to the future! Jesus was not a bystander. Don’t stand aloof, but immerse yourselves in the reality of life, as Jesus did. Above all, in one way or another, fight for the common good, serve the poor, be protagonists of the revolution of charity and service.” 18

NeXt Level was already well underway when Christus Vivit was published and yet so many of its hopes and aspirations were ultimately reflected in it. NeXt Level youth were being called to explore the very concept of vocation as Pope Francis wrote it: “a recognition of why I was made, why I am here on earth, and what the Lord’s plan is for my life.”19

By emphasizing protagonism, Pope Francis was inviting the Church to put young people as the main characters of their own faith narratives, to more effectively invite them into conversion and mission, and to equip them as agents of faith as opposed to recipients of it. Particularly within the United States, this is a paradigm shift for a Church that has long emphasized a dogmatic and transactional approach to formation. Youth in the driver’s seat? Youth as heroes instead of problems to be solved? Youth as individual characters instead of a collective group? Even though this would challenge youth ministry structures in many American parishes and dioceses, this inspired NeXt Level to

NeXt Level was ready to explore this vision within congregational settings, but doing so doing so begged the question: would parishes themselves be ready and able to embrace this?

Navigational Guideposts Beyond Pope Francis, the organization relied upon a number of “navigational guideposts,” when crafting NeXt Level, to meet the concerns, interests, and desires of today’s youth. These included: lA gency: Generational data shows that young people are particularly motivated by social justice issues, even ahead of their own personal gain and/or professional advancement.20 NeXt Level leaned into this, inviting youth to align their hopes, dreams, imaginations, curiosities and gifts with community needs, and empowered them to respond in meaningful ways.

Travel Itinerary / Part One lM ultiple Pathways: NeXt Level was built on the understanding that a multifaceted and comprehensive approach would be needed in order for youth participants to more fully and deeply embrace their discipleship. This required an integration of cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions into the program design. lT heological practices: One of the organization’s core areas of expertise is on service as a theological practice. NeXt Level sought to instill this in participants by engaging them in the spirit of James 2:26: “For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”21 Rather than transactional one-off service activities, NeXt Level participants instead were called to embrace service as lifestyle. l I ntergenerational relationships: Much has been written on how important community is to young people. They need to feel seen, heard, and valued in order to open themselves up to meaningful faith experiences. This is true not only of peers, but also of caring adults within a young person’s sphere of influence.22,23 NeXt Level addressed this through the intentional inclusion and formation of adult mentors at each participating parish. This strategy was specifically designed to create intergenerational safe spaces that fostered deep conversations and candid, honest, and nonjudgmental sharing where youth could explore, engage, and grow.

Multiple Pathways Cognitive: providing participants with instruction and formation on core Catholic teachings, emphasizing social tradition and its applications to everyday life. Affective: cultivating meaningful experiences of encounter for both youth and adults. This was not only through active participation in justice and service activities but also through the formation of intergenerational relationships with one another and with Jesus in the Eucharist. Behavioral: helping participants to respond to a “call” to missionary discipleship through their passion projects.

Travel Itinerary / Part Two

Part Two:

Planning the Trip—Program and Research Design NeXt Level is a process, not a program. It is a high touch accompaniment model of intentional support over an extended period of time.

According to a calendar-year cycle, parish cohorts underwent a process of curated experiences and curriculum. This included intergenerational gatherings (both within and across parish communities), retreats (both day-long and overnight), and peer learning opportunities.

Based on all of this, the organization crafted NeXt Level as a robust, multi-year process for intergenerational cohorts in Catholic parish settings. Instead of a typical “plug and play” ministry program, NeXt Level is an intentionally designed accompaniment model executed over an extended period of time. As a pilot initiative, the project team anticipated that time, investment, and adaptability would be needed to allow for a pastoral paradigm shift of this kind.

The crux of the NeXt Level experience was youth-led, parish-based “passion projects,” which were designed to be local in both their vision and execution. Passion projects were an opportunity for participants to identify and investigate something that they cared about – a service or justice topic, community need, or area of concern or interest; use their creativity, gifts, and talents to launch a campaign of some kind; and engage their fellow parishioners in the effort.

Field Note:

What’s a Passion Project? Over the course of NeXt Level, youth delegates were tasked with imagining, creating, and implementing passion projects within their parish communities. These efforts were oriented toward a service or justice issue of their choosing. To identify their topics, parish cohorts were led through a community needs assessment, parish-wide survey (through which they solicited the input of their fellow parishioners), and individual discernment about how their gifts might meet these needs. In addition to planning time at various retreats and gatherings, the parish delegations met weekly via Zoom to

While all the activities throughout the initiative were important, participants most frequently highlighted the following as the most essential to their NeXt Level experience: l Retreats and group gatherings, particularly “Level Up” (an annual weeklong overnight service immersion experience for all NeXt Level youth and mentors, hosted by Goodfaith);

execute their respective projects according to their own timelines. Once the concept was fleshed out, they needed to “pitch” it for their respective pastors’ approval. Ultimately, youth landed on a wide variety of topics to focus their selected passion projects ranging from immigration justice to adolescent mental health to food insecurity. Some groups opted to host awareness-raising events, while others emphasized direct service and partnered with other existing ministries within their parish communities.24

l Planning and implementation of their respective passion projects; and l Ongoing coaching and consultation from NeXt Level staff, including the coordination and design of large gatherings, attendance and coaching at weekly parish-based meetings, and formation and training for both youth and mentors.

Travel Itinerary / Part Two

Research Approach Ongoing research was a critical element of NeXt Level. Data was collected from stakeholders from the very beginning of the initiative in order to provide a baseline for growth and measurement. Initially data collection focused on standard measures of faith practice, but eventually incorporated a number of new ways to examine the impact

of NeXt Level on both individual participants and communities. These are outlined at some length in the next chapters. In consultation with the National Advisory Council, the research team decided upon a mixed methods approach to assess stakeholder impact, using both qualitative (interviews and focus groups) and quantitative (online surveys and data checklists) measures for many variables.

Key Definitions A variable is a data point related to the research that is being studied. It can be any characteristic, number, or quantity that can be measured, counted or observed and reported. A measure is the means by which observations are noted and recorded relative to variables that are collected as part of a research effort. This can include survey responses or focus groups and interviews. In the case of NeXt Level, an example of a variable would be Mass attendance, whereas a measure would be the frequency with which someone attends Mass.

Travel Itinerary / Part Three

Part Three:

Companions on the Journey NeXt Level included stakeholders at the organizational, congregational, individual, and consultative levels. The result was a comprehensive, layered, and nuanced approach to both program implementation and analysis.

Organizational Goodfaith was the organizational lead of the initiative, accompanying parishes step by step through the NeXt Level journey as they, in turn, accompanied their own stakeholders. Organizational leadership was involved in every aspect of the program design, particularly event planning, content creation, and evaluation. Each parish was further assigned a staff person to work with them in an ongoing way toward the execution of their passion projects. This involved weekly meeting support, event planning guidance, and trouble-shooting as needed. This was to ensure that NeXt Level would not become another task

or burden of parish staff. Over time, parish cohorts did not require this level of intervention and became more self-guided and directed.

Congregational The NeXt Level process was specifically designed for Catholic parishes. In total, the following 12 completed at least one full year of the NeXt Level process. These socioeconomically and ethnically diverse parishes represent four dioceses across the state of New Jersey and one in New York.25 Of the 12, three began as pilot parishes and remained engaged throughout all five years of the initiative; four underwent pastor transitions at some point during the grant timeline; half began the NeXt Level journey with no existing youth ministry structure in place; and all sustained their efforts despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accompanying Youth

Participation in NeXt Level was free to participating parishes, although it did involve a significant investment of time and human resources. Our Lady of Mount Carmel (West Orange, NJ) St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Bridgewater, NJ) St. Augustine of Canterbury (Kendall Park, NJ) Saint Ann, Church of (Lawrence Township, NJ) Christ Our Light, Catholic Community of (Cherry Hill, NJ) Most Precious Blood (Collingswood, NJ)

Sacred Heart (Bloomfield, NJ) St. Thomas Aquinas (Brooklyn, NY) St. Joseph (Bound Brook, NJ) Holy Family Parish (New Brunswick, NJ) St. Matthias, Catholic Community of (Somerset, NJ) St. Katharine Drexel (Egg Harbor Township, NJ)

Travel Itinerary / Part Three

Youth Delegates

Consultative

In consultation with NeXt Level staff, participating parishes each recruited a NeXt Level parish delegation of a minimum of three to five youth delegates between the ages of 13 and 18.

National Advisory Council

Adult Mentors Each participating parish was also asked to identify and invite a minimum of one to three adults of diverse ages from their respective communities to serve as mentors to youth delegates in the NeXt Level process. Parishes were encouraged to look beyond staff members and parents to fill these roles.

Pastoral Leadership Pastors were included in the NeXt Level process from the outset and were strongly encouraged to engage in various events and gatherings. Pastoral staff were also invited to participate and were encouraged to embrace the agency of their respective cohorts.

To assist in the ongoing analysis of NeXt Level, the organization convened a National Advisory Council of religious and lay practitioners, thought leaders, philanthropists, and researchers in the field of Catholic ministry from across the country. Chaired by Dr. Bob McCarty, the National Advisory Council gathered twice annually beginning in January 2020 to provide expertise and feedback on the design, completion, and publication of research and advise on high level strategy for dissemination of findings to industry leaders.26

Research Led by Dr. Charlotte McCorquodale, the evaluation team from Ministry Training Source has been engaged in the NeXt Level assessment process since early 2019.27

Chapter One

Travel Journal—Assessing

the Impact of NeXt Level on Individual Stakeholders

This section highlights key findings and impact on individual stakeholders: youth, mentors, pastors, and pastoral staff.

HYPOTHESIS

To assess the impact of NeXt Level on key audiences, the research team hypothesized: if intentional support was given to youthdesigned and -led initiatives responding to service and social justice issues within parishes, then youth participants would develop a deeper understanding of and commitment to their Catholic faith and discipleship. The team further suggested that these efforts would also lead to increased engagement of, from, and with youth in relationship to their broader faith communities.

Chapter One / Youth

YOUTH

PROFILE OF NEXT LEVEL YOUTH28 EDUCATION

STARTING GRADE LEVELS

70% A ttended Public School

24% Catholic school 6% Private, Home or Other Schooling

GENDER BREAKDOWN

8th Grade: 29% 9th Grade: 19%

10th Grade: 24% 11th Grade: 11%

62% Female 38% Male

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

School (56%)

Sports Teams (23%)

Parish Youth Ministry Core Team (17%)

12th Grade: 13%

TRADITIONAL FAITH PRACTICES Weekly Mass attendance (74%) Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year (74 %) Service or volunteering (72%) Committed to being a regularly practicing Catholic (60%) Daily prayer (59%) Regularly or extremely involved in their parish outside of Mass (53%) Wearing religious items (41%) Other devotionals like the Rosary, novenas, chaplets (31%) Considering being a Catholic ministry leader as an adult (10%)

Not unlike their peers, NeXt Level youth led busy lives and had diverse interests outside of this initiative. They were athletes and scholars, thespians and student leaders; many worked part-time jobs and had family obligations. Their availability was very limited, so the need to capture them through one or multiple elements of the NeXt Level process was paramount.

Accompanying Youth The primary audience for NeXt Level was young people themselves. With an emphasis on agency and relationships, the program design relied on youth to drive the process within their own cohorts and parish communities. The “ask” of NeXt Level youth delegates was significant. They were expected to attend a number of large group and cohort gatherings, including a weeklong overnight service immersion retreat each summer; participate in weekly online cohort planning meetings; and help to coordinate and execute their respective passion projects. They had to identify their own gifts and work together as a team to put forth their best efforts relative to the topic of their choosing. In some cases, this involved speaking at Mass, preparing marketing materials, or utilizing diverse forms of media. They also had to exhibit skills in resiliency, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Finally, they needed to use creativity and imagination and deploy their gifts in service to a need greater than themselves. NeXt Level parishes were a mixed bag in terms of what was being offered to young people prior to joining the initiative. Of the twelve parishes featured in this study, four had existing high school youth ministry structures, while one had a program for middle school students. These mostly followed traditional youth group models although one also had

a dedicated core team. Most of the others had some form of “youth group” in the past, but these efforts had fizzled by the time NeXt Level began.

Impact on Youth

Overall, research revealed that NeXt Level had a deep impact on the faith lives of youth participants. Through interviews, many expressed profound personal growth in a number of ways. Some examples include: l Confidence: “NeXt level gave me an opportunity to be able to speak up and be more confident. I feel like now I’m able to communicate effectively;” lE mpowerment: “NeXt Level asked us – what do you think? What do you wanna say? What do you believe? And I was like – what do I believe? I don’t know. I’ve never been asked before. So, it was a change of environment that was so valuable. I don’t have any other space like it;” lA ppreciation for faith-based service: “I think it has definitely changed who I was. Before Next level, I would do service for Confirmation requirements or through clubs at my school. But Next Level provided the background of it, I think. Without this, I don’t think I ever would have really connected it to faith.”

Chapter One / Youth Youth could also articulate growth in their

religious lives, reflecting that “Being part

of NeXt Level really helped me to continue in and grow my faith. It really helped me to actually see the point in Church. Before I would be spaced out, not paying attention. But now I look forward to going to Mass and listening to what Father says. And I use that to reflect on my week and keep me going.” Another reflected: “NeXt Level

grew my curiosity and interest in wanting to get back in touch with God, because I don’t believe I was really that close with Him. But joining NeXt Level has given me kind of a pathway to get closer with Him in a sense.” One parent noted that “Faith wasn’t really a big conversation in our household. Yes, she went to Catholic school from pre-K all the

way through, and now she’s in Catholic high school. But it was just never really a topic of conversation. Once she started with the passion project, we slowly started to see that she was incorporating a lot more questions about faith into a lot more conversations. And we welcomed it, right? Because we wanted her as a teenager to be able to come to us as a family and say, Hey, what about this? And why is this? So, it was nice to see that growth in her.” Perhaps the strongest indicator of NeXt Level’s impact on youth is that of future intent. NeXt Level youth consistently commented that the initiative informed their vocation. For example, “Before, when I thought about my future, I would just think about how I’d get money and sustain myself. But now I’m thinking, from whatever career I want, I ask myself how I can impact others through my job or whatever I choose to do. Like I want to help others and always be able to serve.”

Before, when I thought about my future, I would just think about how I’d get money and sustain myself. But now I’m thinking, from whatever career I want, I ask myself how I can impact others through my job or whatever I choose to do. Like, I want to help others and always be able to serve.

Accompanying Youth

91%

Several other key themes emerged as notable across the data set, indicating:

of youth participants were able to recognize that they “very much” or “somewhat” experienced God through service experiences

I mportance of community: Youth frequently reflected that their NeXt Level involvement created a sense of belonging both within their cohort and the broader faith community. This was nurtured through the trust and care built among peers (youth among themselves), across generations (between youth and mentors), and with other stakeholders.

87%

verall, youth felt listened to, seen, valued, O and supported throughout the NeXt Level experience: 87% said they felt listened to by NeXt level staff and mentors and 81% indicated that NeXt Level created a safe space to share faith and ideas. Young people expressed that they “very much” experienced God through the relationships nurtured through NeXt Level, both with peers (63%) and with adults (52%).

said they felt listened to by NeXt level staff and mentors

81%

indicated that NeXt Level created a safe space to share faith and ideas. Young people expressed that they “very much” experienced God through the relationships nurtured through NeXt Level, both with peers (63%) and with adults (52%)

his was cemented through the formation of T the passion projects, which gave the cohorts a sense of shared meaning and purpose. One youth delegate commented: “Next Level provided a great community of people our age who cared about our faith just as much as we did. And I feel like that community aspect was so important.” l Awareness of service and justice: These were foundational elements of the NeXt Level experience. It was clear that young people grew in their knowledge of these concepts

and came to understand their centrality to the experience of discipleship. During their interviews, many participants frequently quoted the organization’s guiding scripture, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), as a means of articulating this understanding. Youth delegates relished the opportunity to serve together, to come to know community needs, and to take action in their communities. Discussions about applying Catholic social teaching during NeXt Level fertilized this: 91% of youth participants were able to recognize that they “very much” or “somewhat” experienced God through service experiences: “Through NeXt Level, we surround ourselves with people just like us who talk about how did you see God in your community today? How can you further serve the community and serve God?” Youth were further empowered not only to see problems but also feel like they were capable and encouraged to play an active role in solutions. After NeXt Level, more than half of participants felt “very confident” or “confident” in their abilities to develop and implement a solution to a community concern or social issue. From one youth: “Before, I always thought, ‘Why does God put people through this? He can fix it, and He chooses not to.’ And I feel like now I’m being realistic – God has to work through people

Chapter One / Youth like me in order to make a change. I have to do my part and do what I feel I’m called to do.” l Connectedness to faith in action: NeXt Level youth came to experience faith as a primary lens through which they wanted to live their lives. As the result of NeXt Level, 93% said that it was “true” or “somewhat

Before, I always thought, ‘Why does God put people through this? He can fix it, and He chooses not to.’ And I feel like now I’m being realistic – God has to work through people like me in order to make a change. I have to do my part and do what I feel I’m called to do.

true” they practiced their faith in their daily lives. This extended to other aspects of their lives: sixty-four percent (64%) said they now were confident and capable of standing up for something they believe in; 67% said they were “very confident” or “confident” to confront others that speak negatively about the underprivileged.

93%

said it was “true” or “somewhat true” that they practiced faith in their daily lives as the result of NeXt Level

67%

said they were “very confident” or “confident” to confront others that speak negatively about the underprivileged

64%

said they now were confident and capable of standing up for something they believe in

Accompanying Youth

After NeXt Level, two-thirds of youth delegates said that living their lives in accordance with Catholic social teaching was now central to their faith.

Chapter One / Youth After NeXt Level, two-thirds said that living their lives in accordance with Catholic social teaching was now central to their faith. Specific examples included:29 WORKING TO CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION (95%) SUPPORT THE HUMAN DIGNITY OF OTHERS BY STANDING UP FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS BULLIED OR MADE FUN OF BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE (95%) BE A PEACEMAKER WHEN THERE IS CONFLICT (95%)

DISCUSS ISSUES RELATED TO RACISM, CLASSISM, SEXISM, AND DISCRIMINATION (91%) HELP CARE FOR THE POOR OR VULNERABLE BY

DONATING MONEY TO HELP THOSE IN NEED (88%)

RESPONDING TO SOCIAL INJUSTICE THROUGH ADVOCACY (86%) l Leadership: A key underlying value in NeXt

Level was empowering young people to exercise genuine leadership through problem solving, decision making, and project planning. Leadership skills were reinforced through program elements like weekly meetings, which were led and facilitated by youth. 92% of youth respondents said that NeXt Level activities “very much” or

“somewhat” helped them to take ownership of their role in the process. One mentor commented: “I’m not used to working with kids, so NeXt Level has been very, very, very different for me. It’s out of my element. Let me tell you, these youth are better than the adults that I work with. They’re top notch in terms of their leadership, their coming together, their ideas, and then their processes of working toward that goal. The leadership and organizational levels are phenomenal.” lA gency: NeXt Level helped young people to develop a wide range of leadership skills and interpersonal competencies, which enhanced participants’ confidence in tackling tasks, attempting new projects, and taking risks. One said: “Before Next Level? I never really had the responsibility of leading something and being responsible for a part of something bigger than me.” Another went on to say: “I feel like a lot of times

people want to explain to kids and to the youth that they need to help out, but they don’t give them the opportunity to do so because they’re like, oh, you’re kids, you don’t have experience in this. You don’t know how to do this and you’re not going to appreciate it. Meanwhile,

92%

of youth respondents said that these activities very much or somewhat helped them to take ownership throughout NeXt Level

Accompanying Youth

84%

said they were “very much” or “somewhat” confident I leading group prayer

81%

indicated that participating in NeXt Level very much helped them to experience God in prayer

53%

said the weekly gatherings “very much” contributed to the opportunity to pray with others and lead prayer

Next Level is like, you are the youth and we want to follow you. And I think a really good part about Next Level is that they actually let the kids serve and they let the kids lead, which is something we need more of in this world.” ne youth minister reflected on this, O saying “Sometimes all you need is a bit of encouragement. The energy and the genuine intention from Next Level has been the encouragement that I needed as a Youth Minister to empower our youth.” lP rayer: Prayer and worship were integral elements of NeXt Level. Youth valued the opportunity to pray and share faith together, describing the significance of retreats, liturgy, and various paraliturgical experiences as opportunities to encounter Christ in diverse ways. Eighty-one percent (81%) indicated that participating in NeXt Level very much helped them to experience God in prayer; 84% said they were “very much” or “somewhat” confident I leading group prayer; and 53% said the weekly gatherings “very much” contributed to the opportunity to pray with others and lead prayer.

One youth said: “The best thing was that program has enabled me to grow with God in such an impactful way.” One parish staff person reflected: “Our standard is to ask for volunteers to pray. Every time, you know, there’s always that silence. They’re looking at each other, who is going to volunteer? And usually, it’s the Next Level teens who would be comfortable to say ‘okay, I’ll do it.’ And they’re comfortable saying things and praying in their own words, and then using the traditional prayers as they see fit.” l Intergenerational Relationships: Youth greatly valued their relationships with both peers and mentors. They consistently reported feeling known, cared about, and listened to and emphasized the importance of being able to express themselves within a safe environment with faith-filled adults. Ninety-four percent (94%) said they were able to connect with NeXt Level adults through shared values, passions, and experiences. Overwhelmingly, 87% of youth recognized that the adult leaders in NeXt Level shared and witnessed their faith both by what they said and did. Seventy-nine percent (79%) stated they could honestly express their ideas in their parish NeXt Level group without being judged and 77% said there was an openness to others’ ideas and differences.

Accompanying Youth

94%

said they were able to connect with NeXt Level adults through shared values, passions, and experiences

87%

of youth recognized that the adult leaders in NeXt Level shared and witnessed their faith both by what they said and did

79%

stated they could honestly express their ideas in their parish NeXt Level group without being judged

77%

said there was an openness to others’ ideas and differences

l Deeper engagement in parish life: In most instances, NeXt Level youth were already involved in their parishes to the extent that they were regular Mass-goers and, in some instances, youth group participants. However, NeXt Level and passion projects in particular provided a conduit for deeper and more active engagement allowing them to be more visible, recognized as leaders, and become active parishioners of their own volition: 67% felt their pastoral leaders truly cared for them as a person; 60% of youth said they felt recognized and known by adult members of their parish; and 59% said they felt listened to by their pastor and parish leaders. Reflecting on this, one youth noted:

“Although I was already engaged in my parish through various other service initiatives, through NeXt Level I got to know our young adult mentors and was able to gain confidence and language to use when discussing social justice issues, specifically systemic racism. I also got to know other youth in my parish who are passionate about creating positive social change, and I became closer with some parish staff.”

Another young person commented that “The best thing that happened to me was growing my faith through service, winning an award for the service work my group did, and getting the opportunity to be a lector.” A pastoral minister said: “NeXt Level has made our youth participants and the other youth programs more visible within the community. Their leadership has also led to the increased participation of our youth group due to NeXt Level participant leadership.”

67%

felt their pastoral leaders truly cared for them as a person

60%

of youth said they felt recognized and known by adult members of their parish

59%

said they felt listened to by their pastor and parish leaders

Chapter One / Youth

Field Note:

Planting Seeds that One Day Will Grow When NeXt Level began, parishes were challenged to invite younger, newly-confirmed youth to participate. The hesitation was that at age 13, youth would be too young, immature, and ill-prepared to lean into a process of this kind. From a research perspective, though, the team was curious about what it would look like to accompany young people through NeXt Level over the arc of post-Confirmation adolescence. Interestingly, data illustrate an even deeper impact among these youth, indicating that

the longer youth are accompanied in this way, the more impactful the experience. In fact, youth who were in NeXt Level longer indicated at statistically higher levels that they: felt listened to, recognized, and known not only by those involved in NeXt Level but also by other adult members of their parish; believed their pastors cared about them as people; could honestly express feelings in their parish communities without being judged; and trusted the NeXt Level process and found the staff to be authentic, helpful, and caring.

Chapter One / Mentors

MENTORS Prior to Next level, in the youth ministry world, we were already talking about accompaniment. And I was trying to wrap my brain around ‘how am I going to make this happen? Like, how do we do that?’ It just so happened that NeXt Level came at the right moment and we said ‘here is something that we can actually try.’ Parish Youth Minister

Impact of Mentors on Youth and Success of NeXt Level

Mentors were charged with accompanying youth delegates over the course of the initiative. They empowered agency while youth explored the connection to faith in action, created and implemented respective passion projects, helped to trouble-shoot and navigate challenges, and strengthened intergenerational relationships within parish communities. Initially, the role of mentor was somewhat ambiguous, based on the assumption that the youth would lead passion projects with relative independence and autonomy. Early on, it was unclear what the youth would ultimately need from adults other than basic support, endorsement, and help in navigating parish dynamics. It quickly became evident that mentors would assume these and additional, diverse roles in their respective cohorts. They embraced service experiences, facilitated challenging discussions, assisted with meeting and project management, and modeled faith by sharing vulnerably about their own journeys, doubts, and struggles. They functioned as cheerleaders, linebackers, sounding boards, counselors, accountability partners, and so much more. It is not an exaggeration to say that NeXt Level would not have worked without the mentors’ openness and dedication to the process as it evolved – both up to and through a global pandemic and the aftermath that followed. For some, the nebulous nature of the role was particularly challenging, especially in the early months of the initiative.

Accompanying Youth

The time commitment for mentors was significant. Part of the reason parishes were asked to find more than one mentor was to divide up responsibilities and lighten the workload. Mentors were asked to participate in large group gatherings and formation events, weekly cohort meetings, passion-project specific activities, and other research needs. For the most part, mentors more than exceeded these expectations. Despite this, nine out of ten mentors reported actively participating in most aspects of the program. In light of how challenging volunteer engagement is, this is truly impressive and offers a glimpse into the depth of commitment of NeXt Level mentors.

Reflecting on those early days, one mentor said “I had a difficult time defining what my role could be or should be.” Driven by the fact that they wanted the youth to succeed, they craved specific action steps and role clarity. Quite understandably, they didn’t want to “fail” themselves and, in the process, fail the youth participants. Another mentor commented:

“I think one of the hardest things for me was that we were not supposed to be leading or directing them. The youth were steering. We were there as advisors and assistants, but we were not supposed to be decision-makers. We were not supposed to be saying, ‘Well, why don’t you do this?’ And I think that’s hard sometimes for an adult to do.” As passion projects began to take shape, more specific youth needs began to emerge. Commensurate with this, the NeXt Level team was able to put a more defined structure in place for the mentors, creating training processes, pooling and sharing resources on topics like relational authority, and designing formation activities specifically for adults. This was designed to more effectively equip mentors to walk alongside youth in their efforts and to help the mentors grow in their own faith journeys and their own sense of protagonism. This allowed them to be “fed” alongside youth, something that many had been craving but had not received from their home parishes. One reflected that: “As mentors, we got formation too, which is unheard of. Most of the time, volunteers are just expected to do the work and not get support. But through NeXt Level, we got the formation we needed as well.”

Another echoed this, saying: “This allowed

us to be fed as leaders so that we could bring back more to our parish and be rejuvenated and

Chapter One / Mentors

find how our personal callings matched with the youths’ passion projects.” An unexpected, yet positive ripple effect was that the mentors themselves forged friendships and built their own community of belonging and support: “For me, bonding with all who became part of the program, not only from my parish directly, but with other parishes and mentors as well was really special.” In fact, several mentors from different parishes frequently gathered online during the months of the pandemic lockdown.

Relational Authority in Action

NeXt Level was unfolding parallel to the release of Springtide Research Institute’s “Relational Authority: The State of Religion and Young People” (2020), which indicated how essential trusting adults were in the spiritual lives of youth.30 Among other key points, this study demonstrated an “undeniable” correlation between adult mentors and how young people understood their long-term meaning and purpose. This impact grows in direct relation to the number of caring adults present in a young person’s life. Building on other notable research, most prominently Fuller Youth Institute’s Sticky Faith,31 Springtide found that the influence of these caring adults was realized through listening, care, integrity, transparency, and expertise.

NeXt Level was in its second full year when Relational Authority was published, and yet there were a number of parallels between their findings and those of NeXt Level.

Five years in, a significant majority of youth indicated having six or more adults at their parishes who knew them by name and something personal about them; 60% said they had between two and five adults that they could trust to help them in times of need. These same youth indicated that they were likely to remain committed to regular faith practice. It is fair to say that NeXt Level affirmed relational authority with actual caring adults in reallife parish settings. Through an intentional emphasis on creating nonjudgmental, supportive, and caring relationships with their parish cohorts, mentors exhibited: l Listening: NeXt Level mentors demonstrated an ability to listen and engage youth effectively:

87% of young people said they felt listened to by Next Level adults, with 89% saying that mentors really made an effort to listen to youth insights and suggestions before sharing their own ideas.

Accompanying Youth ne mentor commented: “You definitely O have to listen. You know, they’re always saying things. There are always things that are happening. You have to listen and be willing to listen, maybe more than you talk because you got to hear what they’re saying as opposed to telling them what you want them to know.” lC are: There is an old saying, “Young people don’t care what we know, until they know that we care,” which aptly describes the relationships between NeXt Level mentors and youth:

87.5% of youth reported that NeXt Level staff and mentors cared about them as a person; 96% said they always or sometimes felt known by those within NeXt Level; 92% of youth participants said that it was always or sometimes true that they felt known by adult parish members. One youth participant said: ” The adults really trust us and they believe that we could do and really perform and do what we have to do without them. And they’re just here to support us. I feel like that builds a sort of trust between us. Cause we know that they really believe in us and know that we can do this. So, it all goes with the trust. Another said that “Even outside of Next Level, they’re just very supportive in everyday life” and “I feel like I

could just go to them with any problems that I have and I feel like I trust them very much.” One youth minister commented: “That personal relationship between the adults and the teens, that openness there, that’s the kind of relationship that I want for all the teens in our parish: to have caring adults so that the parents know that it’s not only them that care for their teens. They can know that there are other faith filled adults that are there with them, you know, walking with them.” l I ntegrity: Mentors were committed to authenticity and accountability in their NeXt Level relationships and this made a big difference for youth participants:

87% of youth affirmed that mentors witnessed their faith through their statements and actions, both what they said and what they did. One parish staff person observed: “The personal relationships with Christ, which I saw with these mentors, flowed out into how they mentored with our teens … They guided and prodded, as gently as possible, just as God does with us. God is always patient. And that’s how our teens didn’t feel like they were being what hovered over or like they, you know, they felt free to give their ideas and just go with it.”

Accompanying Youth

Profile of Effective Mentorship NeXt Level mentors came from all walks of life and age groups, from 18 to 80 years old. They were educators, social workers, state employees, scientists, and beyond; some were retired while others worked full-time; some were actively engaged in several areas of parish life while others were not involved at all; some had previous experience of ministry with youth, while others had none. One bond that they all shared was that this was their first time ever assuming a mentor role to young people within their parish settings. After many years of observation, focus groups, and data collection, a profile of effective mentorship has emerged from NeXt Level. The most frequently cited attributes included:

lC urious and open to the needs, interests, and ideas of youth

lA ble to walk with instead of teach or prescribe

lA ble to foster an environment of teamwork and relationship-building

lU nderstanding of belonging – the need for young people to be valued and feel heard

lH onest, authentic, and trustworthy in their

lC omfortable with

being uncomfortable and vulnerable

l Compassionate l Empathetic l Persistence l Flexibility l Listening

interactions with youth and one another

“As mentors, whenever we authentically model these qualities, we create an invaluable and necessary safe space for our teens to live, to learn, to create, to fail, and to integrate their faith and lived experiences into the life of the Church NOW and TOMORROW as adults.” Mentor

Chapter One / Mentors

ighty-one (81%) of youth reported that E they could count on NeXt Level adults to follow through on their promises. One mentor commented: “Recently I’ve gotten very busy, but still, I stick with it. It’s almost like stubborn loyalty to them, to the kids. You learn to love them. They’re part of your family, you know, they become so close to you. That’s why you have that loyalty.” l Transparency: Mentors were skilled in creating relationships that gave youth participants permission and freedom to share, while at the same time maintaining appropriate boundaries:

85% of participants reported that mentor communication has been honest and helpful; 83% said that the adults in their cohort were willing to admit mistakes or errors. From a mentor: “I think you have to show them your vulnerabilities. If you try to hide your own vulnerabilities, then they’re going to think that they can’t show theirs. So I think you have to show your vulnerabilities. And if you’re wrong about something or you don’t understand something, admit it. And I think that’s helpful. And I think most of all, you just have to be supportive. I think they’re longing for people, adults especially, to just be supportive of them, be interested in what they’re interested in, and be supportive. And I think it works not

just at NeXt Level, but I think it also works when they see you at Mass or they see you at an event or something like that. You know, I think they’re almost excited to see you.” Another commented: “I think a lot of youth can see through if you’re making stuff up or you’re not being real with them. So, I’ve tried to be as genuine and sincere with my youth and I’ve been able to be myself and then also just able to talk with them freely and respectfully.” l Expertise: NeXt Level mentors learned to strike a balance between allowing for youth agency while also utilizing their own knowledge and skills to assist the process: 79% of youth indicated that it is true that

they can trust the advice of Next Level staff or mentors and 77% said there was openness to ideas and differences.

One mentor commented: “I think it’s interesting as a mentor, you come in thinking, I’m going to maybe control this process or guide this process. And I think what you really find is you will be the guide and you will be guided. You just have to kind of follow it and go with the flow.” Another reflected: “We’re on this journey together and adults don’t know everything – there’s a lot that at my age I am still seeking and trying to learn. I think that’s important to convey that to the youth.” The youth really noticed and appreciated this: “With putting forward our Passion project,

Accompanying Youth our mentors have been very supportive. They always find ways for us to publicize ourselves. Anytime we need something done, they always respond with ‘Okay, I can help you out with that.’ So, they’re very helpful.”

Impact of NeXt Level on Mentors’ Own Discipleship

Another profound impact of NeXt Level was on the deepening of the mentors’ own personal discipleship. Because of the relational and mutually-enriching nature of the process, mentors benefited from retreat experiences, came to see God in youth participants from within their own and other parish cohorts, and built worthwhile, trusting, and inspiring relationships. It was a common refrain that the

mentors “got more out of NeXt Level than the youth,” with one saying: “honestly for me, this has allowed for a deeper development in my own relationship with Christ and my own faith.” One even shared that NeXt Level was the only thing keeping them tethered to the Church. “The role of Mentor for me came at a time when I was having some questions about my own part in the Catholic religion and/or parish, so it was almost like a lifeline for me. It really gave me focus and helped me more with my own faith journey.” The same mentor went on to say that: “I encountered God by

being with the youth. That was it for me. They were the shot in the arm that I needed. It’s been a tough few years. And they were my lifeline, figuratively and in reality.”

My favorite part of NeXt Level is watching adults who have no clue how awesome teenagers are, open their eyes to that truth and feel so completely inspired in their own faith as a result. Parish Youth Minister

Chapter One / Mentors Mentors further shared that NeXt Level: l Allowed them to explore their own vocation, gifts, and calling in ways that they never had before. “I know God is calling me to something greater and that longing is fulfilled throughout this program.” These realizations extended beyond NeXt Level and shaped mentors’ approaches to parenting, ministry, and even professional lives. One commented: “For myself, I was able to find out a lot about my professional career

goals based on my reflections at NeXt Level retreats.” Another said, “For me personally, I had the opportunity to truly evaluate my personal and professional goals and I made some career decisions based on my retreat reflections. I feel like my work is definitely more in line with my passion now than it was before.” l Deepened their own theological understanding and introduced them, often for the first time, to Catholic social teaching

In a self-rating system, mentors expressed the following after NeXt Level: MENTOR COMPETENCIES: PLEASE RATE YOURSELF IN THE FOLLOWING AREA AS A MENTOR

VERY TRUE

SOMEWHAT TRUE

NOT TRUE

CUMULATIVE

I have confidence and competence in sharing my faith with youth.

73%

27%

100%

I have been able to develop mutually enriching relationships between myself and youth.

73%

27%

100%

I feel I created a safe space for the youth to develop relationships and share faith.

87%

13%

100%

I am able to listen first to youth and ask curious questions to hear their opinions.

77%

23%

100%

NeXt Level helped me grow personally in my faith and how I live it out.

80%

20%

100%

Accompanying Youth and relevant themes of social justice. One said: “Social justice is a topic that I learned about and want to incorporate more into our CCD program. It is clear that young people need a space to ask questions and receive open discussion about these issues.” l Created space for intercultural dialogue and bridge-building. One mentor shared a powerful example of this: “Our parish is a parish of immigrants, but you still hear very disparaging and negative comments – including from our own parishioners. But the NeXt Level kids live the reality of deportation. So, our project was just trying to make the parish aware of what other people are going through. Ultimately, when parishioners showed up to their events and showed interest, I think that’s when the youth realized that, ‘wow, this is really working. This is what it’s all about … It was very empowering to them. But I think it is also empowering to those that learned about the issue and had no idea this was going on.” This same mentor reflected that the experience of accompanying youth from diverse

backgrounds had “opened my eyes to so many social injustices that were surrounding us.” l Appreciated their personal involvement and seeing the leadership potential of young people today. “This was an eyeopening experience for me in terms of what the youth today are going through, the challenges that they face. You know, I probably realized that some of them existed, but I think it’s different to hear it from them directly.” l Shifted perspectives on what accompaniment and mentorship is. “NeXt Level taught me a lot about accompaniment. Before I understood as a leader, you’re expected to direct. Then the first couple of NeXt Level meetings were eyeopening because I had to listen first. It was good because it changed my whole life. Now, the whole approach I have to others is to listen more and I try to ask and see and meet their needs.”

Accompanying Youth

Field Note

Mentorship Matters (a lot). What Does It Require of Parish Communities? It is clear that mentors had a clear and direct impact on the success of NeXt Level and that this impact was mutually enriching. Mentors got just as much—if not more—out of the experience than youth participants. This is a really important and encouraging insight for pastoral leaders interested in implementing accompaniment models in their parish communities. However, NeXt Level has shown that effective accompaniment cannot happen in a vacuum. In fact, as the mentor role deepened and evolved over the arc of the initiative, the level of accompaniment the mentors needed themselves increased significantly. Just like young people, these adults were also disciples in need of being fed, formed, and appreciated in order to effectively live into their accompaniment roles. What can parishes learn from these findings in terms of their own engagement of adult volunteers in ministry with youth? Particularly when adult volunteers are

so hard to recruit and retain? Intentional mentorship requires:

lP astoral presence and trust. Adult

volunteers will step into mentorship roles, but pastoral staff still need to be present to the process and trusting of their adult parishioners’ knowledge and ability to accompany youth in this way.

The NeXt Level team saw both the positive and negative effects of this. In instances where mentors felt supported, particularly by their pastors, engagement in NeXt Level has paid dividends. One mentor reported a pastor “in tears because he was so happy for their work with the youth” and another “felt honored to have been personally tapped for this role by her pastor.” One emphasized that this kind of “pastoral support was paramount” to their cohort’s overall success, underscoring that in order for an effort like this to “have any hope of success, there needs to be shepherding from the pastor’s chair.”

Chapter One / Mentors

It is notable that what was needed from pastoral leadership in these cases was small but significant: a nod of acknowledgement and gratitude and/or occasional attendance at meetings and/or events. Often a simple encouragement from the pastor was often enough to keep them motivated and engaged. Without this, though, NeXt Level mentors felt isolated, unsupported, unappreciated, and like they “were functioning without endorsement from the higher-ups.” This lack of pastoral support had an adverse effect on long-term involvement in parish communities. In fact, NeXt Level mentors in inhospitable environments reported disillusionment with parish leadership, resulting in feelings of frustration and even—in rare cases—parish disaffiliation.

lP ersonal invitation. Adults in parish

communities need to be personally tapped for this kind of experience. No number of emails, bulletin blurbs, or pulpit

announcements will generate adults for this type of work. The invitation needs to be personal, purposeful, and specific.

lC ommitment on the part of all stakeholders

to a shared mission and vision. In the case of NeXt Level, the passion projects served this purpose, providing an outlet for a shared vision, focus, intention, and purpose. Mentors needed to feel like they were accompanying young people toward something meaningful and tangible; without this, they struggled to find meaning and purpose in their own involvement.

l I ntentionality. Accompaniment is not a passive activity that will happen organically or magically. If anything, NeXt Level has shown that it demands a continuous process of training, support, and formation.

Chapter One / Pastors

PASTORS Very little is successful in parish settings without pastoral buy-in and, from the outset, pastors were recognized as critical stakeholders in the NeXt Level process. They were required to be part of initial parish onboarding meetings, reviewed and signed a “shared expectations” agreement with the organization, and were invited to attend all large peer learning gatherings as well as smaller events related to their specific parishes.

lO ther pastors were supportive of but not necessarily actively engaged in the work of NeXt Level. This group could be characterized as having met expectations – they allowed for things like parish-wide surveys to happen, for youth to speak at Masses, and for NeXt Level marketing materials to be displayed. Beyond this, however, these pastors were not involved. They rarely, if ever, attended cohort meetings or related events.

Ultimately, pastors opted to participate in NeXt Level to various degrees:

lT he last group of pastors took a very handsoff approach and were not involved in the NeXt Level process outside of granting permission for it to proceed. At best, they had a vague sense of who was participating and what the project was, but not in any level of detail. Some pastors even created roadblocks to success. Examples included rejecting the chosen passion project of their cohorts and not allowing for the solicitation of parish-wide input.

lS ome were “all in” on the NeXt Level experience – they attended large group events and small group meetings, they knew both the youth and adults in their cohorts, and they were aware of and supported their cohorts’ passion projects. In select cases, they even participated in other ways, by offering to celebrate Mass and/or Reconciliation at interparish events.

Accompanying Youth Reflections on the engagement of pastoral leadership illuminated two very different experiences of NeXt Level. While some mentors said things like: “our pastor is extremely supportive of young people” and “he trusts us 100%,” others spoke openly about the extent to which a pastor’s endorsement or apathy impacted their ability to accompany the youth effectively. One described it as “swimming upstream against the current.” Another reflected: “We just didn’t get that kind of support from leadership within the parish. Even if we asked for meetings, no one would agree to meet with us.”

It is perhaps not surprising that there was a direct correlation

between the degree of pastoral presence and the impact of NeXt Level on diverse audiences, particularly on youth. In fact, youth who were most deeply impacted came from parishes with the strongest pastoral support. These youth said “the pastor offered verbal support and praise for our work” and “I can count on my pastor and parish leaders to do what they say they are going to do” at higher levels of frequency than their peers at other parishes.

Travel Tip for Pastors NeXt Level has shown that pastors are deeply important to nurturing the discipleship of young people itn their communities. The good news is that they do not have to do the heavy lifting! NeXt Level has demonstrated the extent to which other caring adults can and should play a role in this. Pastors can make an impact just by being present, hospitable, and open to their youth parishioners.

Chapter One / Pastoral Staff

PASTORAL STAFF Pastoral staff played an essential role in NeXt Level, particularly in the identification of potential youth and mentors. They were most often the ones to identify and invite viable candidates and served as the conduits between NeXt Level staff and the parish at large. Perhaps most importantly, they were the key to momentum and sustainability. Parishes with a committed staff champion were much more likely to be successful in NeXt Level in the long-term, a topic explored in Chapter Two. Like pastors, pastoral staff were invited to participate in everything through NeXt Level and, in most cases, were able to engage to various degrees. Some attended everything, while others did not. For some, NeXt Level was their primary focus, while for others, it was one of many projects. This was complicated by the

fact that some were full-time staff, while others were part-time or volunteers. Mentors were acutely aware of the extent to which pastoral staff were engaged in NeXt Level. One reflected: “I’m very blessed to have our youth minister and I’m very thankful to have had her support. She’s been the middle man between me, my team, and the parents, plus logistical support and communication with the pastor.” By contrast, another commented: “The staff person they picked never went to any events, never attended any functions with us, never even said ‘Hey – how you guys doing?’ It was a very mixed kind of feeling. If you’re going to have a program like this, don’t you want it to succeed?”

Accompanying Youth

Chapter Two

Travel Journal—Assessing the Impact of NeXt Level on Parish Communities

While youth impact was the central focus of NeXt Level, the aspiration was always that their efforts would ripple outward toward the entire parish community and beyond. The hope for the passion projects was that they would ultimately become parish-wide, empowering not only youth participants to take their passions to the “next level” but also strengthening entire congregations in the process.

NeXt Level is not a youth ministry program – it’s a parish transformation effort. It’s just as important for the adults as it is for the youth. Pastoral Staff

Accompanying Youth

HYPOTHESIS SUPPORT

Given the complexities and ever-shifting dynamics of parish life, this was a bold, Quijotesque32 vision even before the pandemic ensued. It really required a paradigm shift in how pastoral leaders viewed accompaniment and depended on their willingness to lean into the opportunity of NeXt Level. During and after COVID, though, it demanded a whole other level of imagination and openness to the Holy Spirit.

It is worth stating that all of the participating NeXt Level parishes needed structure, support, and coaching to be able to successfully execute this type of model, particularly early on in the process. This was true even in parishes with skilled staff and an established track record of ministry with young people. While many were open to trying new strategies, they too required coaching to do so effectively. Those accustomed to managing youth activities needed gentle reminders to loosen the reins, while others asked for guidance in the recruitment of capable adults to serve as mentors.

One long-time youth minister said “this has always been my dream but we would run into the problem of not getting enough adults, you know, to walk with the youth.” NeXt Level provided a structure to operationalize this vision. In terms of impact, every participating parish said that their parish had experienced something positive from the program, including increased effectiveness in engaging and involving young people in their communities. At a time when parish engagement was at an all-time low, even small gains like these should be applauded. Nevertheless, it was clear some parishes definitely experienced more “success” than others. In these cases, success was defined both through the self-assessments of pastoral leaders and a series of objective quantitative measures. These are outlined in greater detail under “Common Variables of Successful Parishes.” There were, of course, a number of other external mitigating factors impacting parish success in NeXt Level, not the least of which was transition at the clergy or staff levels. Onethird of participating parishes experienced a pastor change over the course of the initiative

Chapter Two and two others lost the staff person who championed the effort. These are instances over which the organization and the cohorts themselves had no control, and just had to do their best to stay the course. In some cases, the transitions had little to no impact: “We

have had two pastors that came and went. The first pastor was very supportive and luckily the second was supportive as well.” In others, though, it really complicated the process: “when our pastor left and the new pastor came on board, it was a completely different vibe.”

Field Note:

Common Variables of Successful Parishes 33 Stakeholders were asked to evaluate and rank their own parishes as having been successful (or not) in NeXt Level. In all, seven parishes self-identified in this way, indicating that the initiative had had a meaningful impact on their respective communities. After analysis, these parishes had the same three to five variables in common (at least a 50% or higher positive): “Next Level met parish original goals;” “Next Level has been impactful or very impactful on how our parish community engages youth;” “more active in faith practices now than before NeXt Level;” “NeXt Level cohort actively participated in all aspects of the program;” and “Our parish leaders and community are very welcoming of youth sharing their gifts, time, and leadership in the parish.” 34

The success of these parishes relied heavily on the extent to which their pastoral leaders were able and/or willing to foster an environment conducive to the NeXt Level program design. For example, it was found that the following factors contributed in a statistically significant way to the success of NeXt Level: welcoming and hospitable environment in the parish for youth leadership; openness to leadership of youth and mentors by pastor and parish staff; presence of supportive adults within the faith community; and having committed mentors who worked with the youth.35 Interestingly, the self-identified “unsuccessful” parishes reported the opposite in these very same categories.36

Chapter Two / A Closer Look

A CLOSER LOOK:

PARISH-IDENTIFIED HOPES AND OUTCOMES At the beginning of their NeXt Level journey, pastors, ministry staff, and participants were asked: what are your hopes for your parish community as a result of this initiative? Their responses were not qualified, debated, or negated in any way; there was no assessment as to what was realistic, attainable or even reasonable. Instead, parishes were simply invited to imagine without limitation what NeXt Level could potentially do for or within their respective communities. Generally speaking, parish-identified hopes and outcomes fell into one of the following categories: l Awareness and engagement of youth. Overwhelmingly, the most common hope among participating parishes was for the youth themselves. Specifically, pastoral leaders hoped for: l Deepening of faith among youth participants. NeXt Level definitely achieved this with the majority of NeXt Level youth

participants, as was demonstrated under the “Youth impact” section. Overall, it is clear that they developed a deeper sense of agency, theological understanding, and vocational call through their work on NeXt Level. It is worth highlighting, too, that one youth participant who had not previously received the Sacraments of Initiation recently chose to do so, citing NeXt Level as one of the contributing factors for this decision. l Peer evangelization whereby the enthusiasm of NeXt Level youth would attract others to return to parish life. Evangelization is hard to track and quantify, but it is noteworthy that youth from the more successful NeXt Level parishes were statistically more likely to express confidence in their ability to share their faith with others. There is also abundant anecdotal evidence of this occurring within NeXt Level parish communities. In fact, the youth of one parish even made this the focus of their passion project. See “In Their Own Words” for a vignette of their story.

In Their Own Words

A Vignette of Parish Transformation From a mentor: “Youth involvement was at an all-time low, down to 5–6 students per class. Our youth group, once 50 strong, also dissolved during the pandemic. But the need for a place to belong, a place to grow in leadership, and a place for our youth to discover their cultural identity was still there.”

From a mentor: “They decided to host the first, large-scale, post-COVID event at our church. By some miracle, they were able to recruit more than 20 teenagers from our religious education program and from nearby schools to serve the audience of 250+ people for a major cultural festival.

The NeXt Level cohort recognized the parish’s needs and made it their mission to increase youth engagement and bridge the intergenerational and cultural gap that was ever so present in our parish.

This one event exceeded our expectations. We were astonished that people were coming from other parishes and not just ours and were bringing their families and friends. Even nonreligious! And commenting – ‘I love this parish! I love that the youth are so welcoming here. I want to come here.’”

From a youth delegate: “NeXt Level at our parish began with six high schoolers that had a dream of bringing back what we had lost. At first, we were really ambitious. There were a lot of things in our church that we wanted to change, but undergoing the NeXt Level process helped us to narrow down what we really wanted to focus on: the youth.

From another mentor: “Then they took on bringing back the Nativity play after COVID. We totally let them do everything and the pastor was so happy. He said it was one of his dreams to have it come back. He was in tears because it was so beautiful to see it come together.”

We weren’t really a youth group, but more of a SWAT team with a seemingly impossible vision and nothing but the Holy Spirit on our sides. To start creating the solution we needed support from the parish, sufficient resources, and thorough planning. We had plenty of support from the parish and absolute trust and encouragement from our pastor. This was a really important part.

“The fact that we were able to form ourselves during COVID and then be prepared for people to come back, I use the term ‘stand in the gap’—between nothing—ZERO—during COVID, and then being able to jump right back in and host events that brought in 2 to 300 people. That was the best part of NeXt Level.”

Although we did receive help from others in our parish, we planned everything ourselves. We let our passion be a motivator in solving these problems despite how frustrating it could be.”

Accompanying Youth l Increase awareness of youth activities within the broader parish community. This was a particular concern of pastors, who expressed frustration that their communities were not aware of the needs and concerns of youth and, moreover, of what the parish was doing to engage this age group. Clergy and ministry staff further hoped that an increase in awareness would lead to more adult involvement. The outcome of this depended on the respective parishes themselves and the extent to which youth were given a platform to be visible in their efforts. Many of the parishes were enthusiastic about creating space for youth to share their gifts in this way, which automatically increased awareness. One pastor commented: “The impact of Next Level is that the children become more active, more participative. But now others see them getting involved with their passion project and families have approached me about getting involved, too.” Additional examples include: lP arish-based events for passion projects. By nature of the fact that many NeXt Level youth were hosting events for their passion projects, either at and/or for their parishes, they were frequently in front

of their communities. These were largescale in person and online events to which parish communities were invited, integration of passion project concepts into already programmed liturgical events, and educational awareness-building efforts. lS erving as parish representatives. Some pastors embraced the leadership of their NeXt Level youth and integrated them into the life of their parish beyond their passion projects. One pastor asked for his cohort to be present in welcoming back the community in person after many months of COVID lockdown. Another engaged NeXt Level as part of a multi-faceted strategic vision to re-energize the parish after the pandemic. Still another allowed NeXt Level youth to resurrect a long-dormant community event, which garnered several hundred guests and was a breath of postpandemic fresh air. In other parishes, though, awareness was hampered by internal red tape, often related to congregational communications. Refrains like “we can’t prioritize or promote this ministry over others” impacted youths’ ability to effectively spread the word and engage others.

Chapter Two / A Closer Look

NeXt Level is a proving ground for parish leaders. I found that both the mentors and the youth participants have become more rooted in and central to the parish. Some of them have joined the parish staff; others might as well have joined the parish staff for all that they’re doing around the parish. That’s the really abundant fruit of NeXt Level that I’ve experienced. Everybody who has participated almost automatically becomes a parish leader. Next Level Parish Pastor

Accompanying Youth

Travel Tip for Parishes At some NeXt Level parishes, there was a disconnect between their own stated hopes and the execution of the initiative in their communities. If parishes desire things like awareness, momentum, and engagement of, for, and with youth, then they need to create space to allow for those desired outcomes. Youth need room—literally and figuratively—to explore, try, and even fail with the comfort of knowing they are unconditionally loved and supported. “Creating space” in a parish might mean: prioritizing youth in vision statements and external communications; being open and hospitable to youth agency and leadership; and inviting adult members of the parish to join in this accompaniment journey. Pastors need to listen to the needs of youth and allow that to guide

the messaging. This might also mean that youth get more “pulpit time.” If the parish community understands and internalizes that it collectively is responsible for youth accompaniment, this prioritization will feel less about favoritism and more about mission-alignment. This affirms the sentiment expressed by one pastoral minister who said: “NeXt Level benefits parish life, allowing the broader church to work hand in hand with the young church and understand how inspiring they truly are as we build together.” Older parishioners in particular will be more receptive to this shift than one might expect. After the youth delivered a presentation on their passion project, one NeXt Level pastor received an unsolicited five-figure donation.

Chapter Two / A Closer Look l Ownership and momentum. Even before the pandemic, many parishes were experiencing a lull in active participation among youth and adults. Many respondents expressed hope that NeXt Level would foster a sense of ownership not only in youth participants, but also in others across the parish community. Chapter One outlined the extent to which NeXt Level instilled this among both youth participants and their mentors. Most of the mentors had never been involved with youth ministry before, so their willingness to say “yes” and get involved with such a depth of commitment was a major success for participating parishes. At a time when many parishes struggle to recruit and retain volunteers of any kind, the impact of this cannot be overstated. Other examples of community ripple effects include: one parish’s re-introduction of a major festival, which attracted larger attendance than before the pandemic; another parish hosted a youth retreat inspired by Level Up, which doubled the size of the previous year; and another parish-initiated community events like movie nights, which were simply designed to bring people back together after COVID. l Unity. Several respondents expressed desire for NeXt Level to inspire unity among the diverse groups of their respective communities. This was especially true of merged and linked parishes, who were

struggling to nurture a shared sense of belonging among and across ethnic, socioeconomic, and even generational differences. From an intercultural perspective, much has been written elsewhere on what it takes to cultivate and sustain a fully integrated community. It was unlikely that NeXt Level alone would be enough to achieve this desired outcome. There were, however, some extraordinary glimpses of what is possible through NeXt Level. Youth from one merged parish, which represented Hispanic and Anglo communities, used their passion project to raise intra-parish awareness about undocumented immigrants and nurture allyship among fellow parishioners. A different cohort hosted intentionally intercultural events at their parish – a first-ever for their otherwise segregated community. See “In their Own Words” for a powerful testimony about this. NeXt Level also nurtured unity across generations, which engendered skills of compassion and empathy. Many youth used NeXt Level to spark intergenerational conversations on topics that mattered to them, including things like race, mental health, and immigration rights. One mentor reflected: “This makes me see that there but for the grace of God, we are all just one step away from disaster in our own lives. I’m trying to see things through different eyes.”

Accompanying Youth ne group reflected that these conversations O even nurtured intracultural unity and understanding within their own community. One youth delegate said, “Our parish’s

greatest selling point is the way we celebrate culture and by celebrating cultural holidays, we could engage youth in a way that other organizations

couldn’t.” Their mentor commented that was a way “they were really able to come together across the generation gap between parents who were mostly native speakers and the children who are English speaking.”

In Their Own Words

A Mentor’s Glimpse into Parish Unity “At our parish, we are primarily a mix of a working class, first generation Latinx community and a middle class, retired, Anglo community. Unless there are bilingual masses, we don’t really engage with one another. We’re two separate families living in the same house. However, NeXt Level has brought our parish a multicultural and intergenerational team to address this issue. This is a first for our parish! Our youth created a wonderful movie night with the intention of creating a space to engage ALL members of our community. They didn’t specifically target children or adults, Latinx or Anglo individuals, parishioners or non-parishioners. Since we all have experienced the effects of the pandemic, they truly wanted everyone there, to de-stress and to build closeness.

As we approached the event date, we discussed how we would know if it were a success? How many people need to come in order for us to feel successful? Most of us didn’t believe we would get that much participation, but we did. In the end, we got three times the number we anticipated. Though that number is really appealing, we realized that the “success” wasn’t about how many people showed up. It was about our vision, it was about understanding the purpose of this work and the need to put our faith into action. Witnessing people’s smiles, hearing their laughs during the icebreakers, seeing them enjoy the food and going up for seconds, that ’s success. Through our youth, we are bridging our communities. All of our parish is excited to see youth taking leadership. And we’re all bringing cultural perspectives that add richness to our work and our lives.”

Chapter Two / A Closer Look l Serving as a Model for Other Parishes and the Broader Community. A selection of respondents were excited for their parishes to serve as a model for others participating in NeXt Level, as well as their own neighboring communities. One hoped for their parish to be a “beacon of light” and “a model of what’s possible through faith in action.” NeXt Level provided ample opportunity for this because peer learning was built into every aspect of the program design. At least twothree times per year, parishes were brought together for large group gatherings to share, learn, and be inspired by one another’s efforts. This included general knowledge and problem solving, and also issue-specific brainstorming and trouble-shooting. These efforts in peer learning produced a number of demonstrated impacts. For example, year two and year three NeXt Level cohorts were so inspired by one pilot parish’s work on teen mental health that they too chose to address that topic in their own communities. Today, these same parishes are considering hosting a collaborative regional consortium on the topic.

Over the course of the initiative, NeXt Level youth were invited to present at two different national gatherings. In January 2021, they were asked to speak at Momentum, which was an online forum for ministry practitioners hosted by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry. In November 2022, they were invited to speak at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Long Beach, CA. Both of these gatherings afforded opportunities for both NeXt Level youth and mentors to share their experiences of protagonism with peers and experts from across the country.

Accompanying Youth

WHAT ENABLED “SUCCESSFUL” PARISHES TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

Reflecting on congregational successes in and through NeXt Level begs the question: what allows for this to be effective in some parishes but not in others? What, if anything, can be gleaned from the fertile soil of those communities? Finally, what can be learned from parishes that either underperformed or never even really got off the ground? The following groupings—“full tank”, “half tank,” and “out of gas”—were formulated from both quantitative and qualitative data along with ongoing organizational observations. Each contains a series of common characteristics and behaviors that likely impacted congregational performance and, ultimately, determined the extent of NeXt Level’s success.

NB: Parish success did not necessarily translate to length of time in the initiative. There were “full tank” parishes that completed two years and others that participated for the entire duration of the initiative; there were “half tank” parishes that lasted one, two and three years but never fully realized their vision.

“Full-tank” Understanding of “invitation”

Reliance on allies Strong pastoral leadership and presence Consistent internal “champion”

Clear pastoral vision in place, of which young people were a priority Desire to operationalize accompaniment and embraced NeXt Level as a conduit for achieving this Commitment to engage in the fullness of the NeXt Level process

“Half-tank”

“Out of Gas”

Interested in a few elements of the program design, but not the full arc

Failure to launch

Treated NeXt Level as “outsourcing”

Withdrew prior to completing a full year

Experienced some kind of leadership transition

Difficulty identifying and engaging the minimum number of youth, mentors, or both

Struggled with the concept of youth agency Demonstrated a scarcity mindset

Maintained that NeXt Level was simply not the right fit for their community

Accompanying Youth l “Full-tank” The data supports that seven self-reported “successful” parishes fall into this category. Generally speaking, it is clear that these parishes entered the initiative ready to begin a journey and committed themselves fully to the NeXt Level process and program elements. Overall, these parishes demonstrated an understanding of “invitation.” With some guidance, these parishes were able to identify and engage sustainable cohorts. Following the advice of NeXt Level staff, they invested the time and effort in emphasizing personal outreach, including phone calls, conversations, and personal meetings. While acknowledging this as the heaviest lift of NeXt Level, pastoral leaders from “full tank” parishes were undeterred by this challenge. They were able to come up with names, and then invite families and individuals that might be interested. They also relied on allies (other ministry leaders, catechists, and even young people themselves) to assist in the process. They also exhibited strong pastoral leadership and presence throughout the initiative. It is striking, if not entirely surprising, that there was a direct correlation among the success of “full tank” parishes and the amount of perceived support and time that the pastor and parish staff devoted to the

NeXt Level process. In fact, youth

from these parishes noted at statistically higher rates how supportive and involved their parish leaders and communities were in their passion projects.

Pastors of these communities demonstrated an openness to the desires and interests of the youth delegates and expressed appreciation for the work of mentors. Many of these pastors tried to attend at least one or more large initiative-wide convening, made appearances at passion project events, and even popped in on cohort Zoom meetings.

All of the “full tank” parishes designated and maintained a consistent internal “champion” – a staff person that was willing to serve as the primary contact for the initiative, stay the course, and adapt as needed. This was especially true during transitions, which were experienced by several “full tank” parishes. In these cases, the champion was often the person who helped to maintain momentum to sustain the initiative. Many of these parishes also began NeXt Level with a clear pastoral vision in place, of which young people were a priority. These broader pastoral plans helped NeXt Level cohorts to set realistic expectations as to where their passions would fit within broader community

Chapter Two / Successful Parishes

Field Note:

Young People are Worth the Labor of the Journey When comparing youth from more successful parishes with those from underperforming ones, a number of key findings emerged. Overall, these youth rated their parish’s effectiveness at engaging and involving young people in parish life at a higher rate than youth at underperforming parishes. As a result, youth from “successful” parishes in NeXt Level:

l Were statistically more likely to commit

to regular faith practice because of their participation in this initiative. One pastoral minister even said: “I am more confident about the Next Level teens once they’re off to college. They will be the ones practicing their faith, even if their parents are not with them. I am not as confident with my other youth ministry kids.”

l Demonstrated higher competence

and confidence in most areas of faith practice as compared to youth from underperforming ones.

l Were more likely to report being valued

at their home parish communities by both pastoral leadership and other caring adults. This was reflected in statistically significant responses on measures like: pastoral staff attendance at meetings, verbal support and praise for work, practical support (i.e., making sure announcements were in the bulletin), and feeling listened to and cared for as a person.

l Consistently noted how much time

mentors spent supporting them throughout their NeXt Level experience. From a statistical standpoint, these caring adults were the only group that made such a difference in the faith lives of NeXt Level participants.

Chapter Two / Successful Parishes goals and hopes. In many instances, this laid the groundwork and provided fertile soil for a process like NeXt Level to succeed. They desired to operationalize accompaniment and embraced NeXt Level as a conduit for achieving this. They did not view mentor recruitment as the end goal, but rather a means for deeper engagement and formation of these adults, too. Mentors at full tank parishes felt that they were more successful in their roles, believed that the youth were more successful in their passion projects, and were more likely to feel valued than their counterparts at underperforming parishes.

l “Half-tank” Overall, “half tank” parishes achieved some degree of success as a result of NeXt Level. Data supports that five NeXt Level parishes fall into this category. Bear in mind that the same variables (i.e., welcoming environment for youth leadership and agency, presence of supportive adults, and committed mentors) that contributed to the success of “full tank” parishes were identified as challenges by this group. There were a number of factors that likely

Finally, these parishes clearly desired to engage in and stay committed to the fullness of the NeXt Level process. While all of the participating parishes were drawn to the initiative for different reasons, “full tank” parishes understood and embraced the totality of the program design. They welcomed and nurtured a hospitable environment for youth agency, creativity, and leadership; exhibited patience and perseverance despite obstacles; valued the depth of the program, even though it only targeted a small number of youth and mentors; practiced adaptability throughout the process, but particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic; and were receptive and responsive to organizational support, recommendations, and intercession.

contributed to this, resulting in ineffectiveness or underperformance. Generally speaking, “half tank” parishes: lW ere interested in one or two elements of the program design, but not necessarily the full arc of the NeXt Level experience. For instance, many of the parishes in this group gravitated toward the service component and perhaps mistakenly assumed it would be more like a stand-alone mission trip. Others also liked the concept of mentorship in theory but had difficulty when it came

Accompanying Youth to actually allowing these adults to accompany youth effectively. lT reated NeXt Level as “outsourcing.” NeXt Level came with a broad array of resources including dedicated staff support, as well as immersion and retreat experiences that were planned and coordinated by NeXt Level staff. The temptation to hand off the cohort to NeXt Level and focus on other pastoral priorities was understandable but nevertheless counterproductive. The expectation was always for equal partnership from the parishes to engage youth and adults in a sustained way throughout the initiative. A number of “half tank” parishes were unable or unwilling to do this, particularly when interest dropped or enthusiasm waned. In instances where finding youth became a recurrent challenge, a number of half tank parishes simply lost the motivation to keep going. At a certain point, the desire to succeed had to come from the parish itself and no amount of intervention from the NeXt Level staff would make a difference. lE xperienced some kind of leadership transition, either at the pastor or staff levels, which derailed the process or led to a fizzling out of the initiative. Two halftank parishes underwent pastor changes and, in these cases, new leaders came in with different expectations. Two others

experienced staff turnover, resulting in a “hot potato” phenomenon: NeXt Level was still “wanted” by remaining parish leaders but not enough for any one person in particular to carry it. These cohorts lived in limbo until the initiative was finally dropped all together. l Struggled with the concept of youth agency, particularly when youth passion projects failed to launch in their first attempts. In these cases, the tendency of pastoral leaders was to default to prescribing projects for the youth to take on, as opposed to allowing for resiliency and course correction. These interventions were a turn-off to youth participants and, ultimately, did not work. lD emonstrated a scarcity mindset, expressing concern about “creating competition,” and were often unable or unwilling to integrate NeXt Level into broader parish life. lM aintained that NeXt Level was simply not the right fit for their community - due to a variety of reasons like other competing parish ministries, conflicts with pastoral vision, poor timing, and even the group dynamics of their own selected cohorts. Some parishes, too, were geographically isolated, making it difficult for them to participate fully in the experience. In these cases, parishes determined that it was not viable for them to sustain NeXt Level.

Chapter Two / Successful Parishes

Field Note:

We Need to Talk about Invitation NeXt Level is a different kind of initiative, requiring a different kind of approach to getting people involved. NeXt Level staff provided coaching on how to do this effectively, including creating profiles for youth and mentors along with providing talking points of “what to say” and “how to respond.” In some instances, the NeXt Level team even hosted information sessions to assist parishes in these efforts. They also tried to make the lift reasonable in the number of youth (3–5) and mentors (1–3) required to participate. Some parishes understood this and followed the plan (used personal identification and outreach strategies including phone calls, personal visits, Zoom conferences, postMass visits) and were successful in recruiting the minimum number of youth and mentors required to start the initiative. Other parishes defaulted to go-to recruitment strategies (i.e., blanket email blasts and bulletin blurbs) and floundered out of the start gate. The reality is that invitation is not easy, but it is always effective.

Accompaniment in Catholic parishes needs to start with invitation, not recruitment. People are recruited for committees and sports teams. Disciples are invited into a deeper relationship with Christ. It’s a fundamentally different attitude and approach. A posture of “recruitment” implies scarcity (“If we could just get more volunteers!”) and makes people want to run in the other direction. Meanwhile, accompaniment suggests abundance—of hearts, minds, and hands to do the work necessary to build the Kingdom—and implies a richness in which people want to partake. Finally, invitation requires that shepherds know their flocks. This cannot be overstated. The most successful NeXt Level youth and mentors were often not the typical “go-to” recruits for their parishes. Their opportunity to say yes required first that they be known by parish leadership and that someone cared enough to ask.

Chapter Two / Successful Parishes l “Out of Gas”37 In the beginning, NeXt Level had 19 parishes that at least endeavored to start the process within their communities. As noted, though, only twelve made it to the one-year mark. The other seven are highlighted in this section because much can be learned from their “failure to launch.” To their credit, these are parishes that at least tried NeXt Level in their communities, but started the process with little to no momentum.

The adage “an object at rest stays at rest” was again proven true via the experience of these parishes: they either had difficulty identifying and engaging the minimum number of youth; had difficulty identifying and engaging the minimum number of mentors; or encountered some combination of both. In most cases, these parishes withdrew from the initiative before they really even began but a small handful did try to make it work with very small numbers. These generally made it to one or two large group events but ultimately withdrew.

Field Note:

Narrow is the Gate What conclusions can be drawn from parishes that are unable to identify even a small number of parishioners to meaningfully journey toward discipleship in this way? Is this a function of limited capacity or poor training? Apathy or complacency among pastoral leadership? Failed catechesis? Ambivalence among the faithful themselves? The reality is far more nuanced and complex – an amalgamation of numerous factors experienced by parishes today often resulting in paralysis or overwhelm.

It is nevertheless sobering how many parishes have simply resigned themselves to this. There is something to be said for making a concerted effort at a time when the Church desperately needs it. “How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14). The few parishes that are willing to take the journey need to be applauded, supported, and accompanied.

Accompanying Youth

Chapter Three / Part One

Chapter Three

Pastoral Response and Theoretical Framework—Identifying and

Investigating the Pathways to Discipleship Part One:

Naming and Defining the Pathways Through NeXt Level, Goodfaith has asked challenging questions and experimented with diverse strategies designed to deepen and measure discipleship. While participants themselves were very focused on the design and execution of their respective passion projects, NeXt Level staff began to observe just how deeply impactful this process was on both youth and their adult mentors.

Accompanying Youth This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, where the universal Church was showing steep declines in engagement across the country. NeXt Level cohorts, however, displayed the opposite. They were still seeking out opportunities for meaningful service, building intergenerational connections, and cultivating friendships and community despite distance and extraordinary circumstances. It was profound to witness these two parallel narratives. Seeing that something special was occurring, the NeXt Level staff and research team decided to take a more nuanced dive into understanding what was really undergirding the impact of NeXt Level. This was not intended to be a program evaluation, but rather an assessment of what it really takes to effectively disciple young people in the age of Pope Francis. In May 2021, the organization convened a think tank of diverse voices: members of the NeXt Level National Advisory Council and Board of Trustees, pastoral leaders (both religious and lay), program alumni and parents, NeXt Level youth and mentors, donors, and other friends of the organization. At that gathering, it was mutually agreed upon that NeXt Level was not replacing parish religious education or formation, but rather offering participants the opportunity to build upon that foundation and go deeper. It was also acknowledged that, despite its robust program design, NeXt Level was not offering

things that could not be found elsewhere in the ministry landscape. There were a variety of youth leadership programs. There were abundant religious education resources. There were a number of spaces such as Catholic scouting where youth could undertake a major independent project.

What made NeXt Level unique was that it did all of these, together, specifically within congregational settings, and with the singular focus of deepening discipleship. Therefore, a new framework

was needed to assess and explore all of these working collectively and particularly through the lens of faith.

The “Pathways to Discipleship” (or, more simply, the “Pathways”) is what emerged from this and several subsequent conversations. This new

framework named four central and intersecting conduits: accompaniment, encounter, protagonism, and spiritual imagination and provided a rubric by which to measure the deepening of discipleship.

Once the Pathways were named, the team then began to scaffold each area more specifically in terms of competence and confidence. Ultimately, through self-reporting

Chapter Three / Part One and evaluation on diverse factors like increase in faith engagement, ability and confidence, description of current perceptions and behaviors, and indications of future behavior intent, a series of core competencies began

to emerge within each Pathway. These provided a mechanism by which to quantify and measure participant growth within and across each area.

Key Definitions Competence: the ability to do something successfully or effectively Confidence: a feeling of self-assurance in one’s ability Core competencies: the capabilities, knowledge, skills, and resources that constitute one’s defining strengths

Pathways Cyclical Analysis The Pathways framework is cyclical by design. By the end of NeXt Level, youth should display competence and confidence in each Pathway area; this would be assessed through the emergence of a series of core competencies across the data set; participant growth, in turn, would become the indicator of deepened discipleship. The research team assessed competence and confidence in two ways:38

l First, by comparing the responses of youth who self-reported an increase

in their faith engagement because of NeXt Level as compared with their peers who said their faith engagement was the same as or less than it was before the initiative. Core competencies were created by examining which measures were statistically significant, meaning the difference in the two groups’ responses is unlikely to be explained solely by chance or random factors.

l Second, by examining measures with high-frequency response levels.

Using this approach, most NeXt Level youth reported high levels of ability, confidence, intent, or engagement in a number of the same measures. These, in turn, pointed to various core competencies.

Chapter Three / Part Two

Part Two:

The Pathways in Action Overall, data suggests that individual Pathways in isolation did not create the impact, but rather all of them, working together in unison,

had the greatest potential for deepening discipleship in young people.

ACCOMPANIMENT

PROTAGONISM

ENCOUNTER

SPIRITUAL IMAGINATION

Accompanying Youth

Accompaniment Definition: A posture of forming and being in genuine relationship with others rooted in the patient, compassionate, and enduring love modeled by Jesus in the Gospel. Accompaniment on NeXt Level took many different forms, including peer relationships, structured mentorship, and ongoing coaching offered by NeXt Level staff to both cohorts and pastoral staff throughout the process. The idea was that youth would accompany one another, mentors would accompany youth, and the organization would accompany everyone, including pastoral staff. As it turned out, this pathway in particular was much more symbiotic and organic than anticipated, particularly between and across generations.

Core Competencies Within the Accompaniment Pathway, 18 assessment measures were designed,

of which 17 were statistically significant and one displayed high frequency response levels. From these, three core competencies emerged: l Creation of Safe Spaces: to create nonjudgmental environments where individuals can share honestly, openly, and deeply about their faith and struggles. l Listening and Communication: to learn how to communicate effectively with both peers and adults by listening to everyone and sharing ideas lC ultivating Community: to engage actively in an intergenerational faith community

Encounter Definition: the experience of God, God’s presence, or Christ in one another and in one’s community, and in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church.

Chapter Three / Part Two Organizationally, Goodfaith’s roots are in meaningful experiences of encounter. Inspired by the passage “Faith without works is dead,” (James 2:26), the organization has always called young people to service as a means for developing a deeper understanding of justice and embracing a life of faith in action. Encounter on NeXt Level took on a number of different forms, including intentional service immersion during an annual week-long overnight experience each summer called Level Up. This was further nurtured by the program’s introduction of Catholic social teaching and how best to apply it to their everyday lives. One youth said: “I would

say that Next Level grew my faith through service. I was used to just going to church every Sunday, praying every night and every day. But I was able to experience through Next Level serving others and really helping out the community around me. And that really grew my faith.”

Beyond the obvious service encounters, though, NeXt Level went deeper, challenging youth to understand the concept of encounter in their everyday lives. To what extent were they able to recognize God in one another? In their mentors? In their families and all those around them?

One youth commented: “It made me see God in people and this made me see service in a whole different way and how people have so much to offer to this world. And sometimes it goes unnoticed” and another reflected: “I would say I was able to see God in all things, see God in other people, recognize the goodness of others, and learn how to really help others.”

Core Competencies Within the Encounter Pathway, 15 assessment measures were designed, of which 13 were statistically significant and two displayed high frequency response levels by youth respondents. From this, five core competencies emerged: l Prayer: to experience God through participating in and leading prayer l Relationship-building: to feel God’s presence through peer and adult relationships l Understanding of Social Justice: to develop a deeper understanding of social justice through building a personal relationship with God and seeing God in others lF aith-sharing: to witness God by sharing faith regularly l Parish Engagement: to encounter God through involvement in parish life

Accompanying Youth

Protagonism Definition: the action of becoming the main character in one’s faith story with God as the author; having a sense of meaning and purpose in light of one’s own dignity and giftedness as created in the image of God.

Protagonism on NeXt Level took on many forms, but most prominently in the formulation of youth passion projects. These were not about having youth create a project for the sake of checking a box. Instead, the passion projects were designed as conduits for agency and ownership over something that was important to them, to reflect on what they cared about in the world around them through the lens of their faith, and to create in a way that they had not done before (within their parishes and elsewhere). Along the way, they were taught to ask challenging and curious questions of one another and of adults, to work together, and to identify collaborative solutions to problems. Perhaps most importantly, NeXt Level youth were allowed (nay, encouraged!) to try and fail – multiple times if needed. While some passion projects did succeed right away, many others “failed” to launch, and some needed to be scrapped entirely. The vision was resiliency, not perfection.

Core Competencies Within the Protagonism Pathway, 27 assessment measures were designed, of which 16 were statistically significant and 11 displayed high-frequency response levels by youth. From this, three core competencies emerged: l Agency: to recognize and exercise their competence and confidence within and outside of their parish communities l Faith-filled Service: to respond to God’s call to missionary discipleship by serving with others within faith communities l Responding to Social Justice: to recognize those in need in the community and society at large and to seek justice by using Catholic social tradition along with leadership skills, creativity, and their voices to lead the way

Chapter Three / Part Two

Field Note:

Making the Case for Protagonism One of the most powerful examples of Next Level’s impact has been in places where it would otherwise be expected to fail. This was the case in one parish where the “infrastructure” dissolved but the cohort remained intact. Throughout the initiative, the staff champion was very engaged but the pastor of this community was handsoff. When the “champion” ultimately left to pursue other professional opportunities, it was assumed that NeXt Level would ultimately fail. But to the surprise of the organization, this cohort endured and has continued to thrive. How? Why?

This cohort is a case study in effective protagonism. The youth have remained committed to their cause, their project, and one another. The mentors have remained committed to the youth. The fact that they receive no active or direct support from the parish has not made a difference in their viability. They do still desire for their project to have more parish impact and the organization is supporting them in these efforts.

Accompanying Youth

Spiritual Imagination Definition: the creative ability to identify and articulate the Holy Spirit’s presence in one’s life and communities, and to contextualize the Gospel at work in the world today.

NeXt Level was built on the idea that young people would flourish in spaces where they were allowed to create and explore, instead of simply plugging into something prescribed for them to do. From day one, NeXt Level invited youth into a space of imagining their meaning and purpose as defined by Pope Francis: “a recognition

of why I was made, why I am here on earth, and what the Lord’s plan is for my life.” The entire process was

designed to help them discern and articulate where God was calling them in life and to more fully understand their meaning and purpose. Interestingly, while some youth responded immediately to this paradigm shift, others struggled. This is where the process of experiencing the world through service, dialoguing with peers from diverse walks of life, and learning from the example of community leaders and mentors really enabled NeXt Level cohorts to think differently. It empowered them to tap into their own lived experiences and listen more closely to the whisper of the Holy Spirit at work in them and through them. As a result, they accomplished some impressive things.39

Core Competencies Within the Spiritual Imagination Pathway, 27 assessment measures were designed, of which 11 were statistically significant and 19 displayed high-frequency response levels by youth. From these, four core competencies emerged: l Discernment: to reflect on what God calls them to learn, do, be and serve God’s people as a result lA rticulation: to verbally witness their experiences with others, particularly how they have encountered Jesus in service to and through the community l Imagination: to be open to identifying the movement of the Holy Spirit in their experiences, encounters, and relationships and to be willing to respond accordingly l I ntention: to be able to say “I intend to continue to engage in my Catholic faith in the future”

Accompanying Youth

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR The Great Detour—

COVID-19 Pandemic The NeXt Level National Advisory Council convened for the first time in early January 2020. It was a dynamic and thoughtful meeting of some of the foremost leaders and practitioners in the Church today. Discussion opened with reflections on the many challenges of engaging youth amid a shifting ministry landscape and concluded with a clear vision for the new roadmap NeXt Level was attempting to write. “Global pandemic” was not on the agenda that day. Neither was the extended closure of schools, businesses, and places of worship. Back then, COVID-19 was something happening overseas and on cruise ships. And yet, by midMarch 2020, New Jersey and the entire surrounding region were ordered into quarantine.40 Little was known then about the devastating impact that this pandemic would have within homes, communities, and sanctuaries.

Chapter Four When it comes to the timing of COVID, one of the important things to bear in mind relative to this initiative is that parishes were on-boarded through a phased approach. Six parishes began in January 2019 as “pilots.” While one had dropped early on, the remaining five were well underway by the time lockdown occurred. By Easter 2020, a second pilot had decided to withdraw, leaving the four of the original pilot cohorts intact. By February 2020, a second round of six parishes were slated to join the initiative but by the end of March three had quickly made the decision to withdraw. Three others, however, bravely decided to continue despite the significant early obstacles they faced. That left seven active NeXt Level parishes for the organization to accompany through the pandemic. At that moment, the modus operandi was simply to keep moving safely and help these cohorts to resist the urge to give up.

It was fortuitous that the mission work of the Church, which was such a central tenet of NeXt Level, was never more essential than at that moment. As author and National Advisory Council member noted in an April 2020 article, “the Catholic Church was not empty, but rather deployed.”41 NeXt Level cohorts really embraced this call to action, using their passion projects to remain active, engaged, and relevant during lockdown. They continued to do their work without interruption and when sanctuaries eventually re-opened, they had not missed a beat. Part of what simplified this transition was that the groundwork had already been laid, particularly in the pilot parishes. Those cohorts were already in the routine of meeting weekly. They already had a vision for their passion projects and, in most instances, had started their campaigns. And, from the beginning, those cohorts had been equipped with and trained on Zoom technology, so this “pivot” to online was a non-event.

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102 Accompanying Youth Because they were just getting started, however, the second round of parishes had a slightly more difficult hill to climb. They were embarking on the NeXt Level journey amid tight restrictions, requiring that they do everything online. This included recruiting youth and mentors, getting to know one another and building trust and community, and communicating with their broader parishes. One cohort even conducted parishwide surveys through online liturgy and QR codes. It is hard enough for a young person to get up and speak in front of their parish, but it took a lot of courage to do so online and in front of a live “studio” audience. It was not easy, but these parishes made it work and deserve a lot of credit for doing what many others would have been too cautious and/or overwhelmed to do. The top priority for those months was adaptability and the organization modeled this for NeXt Level parishes. With consistent organizational support, weekly cohort meetings continued without interruption. A previously planned in-person gathering for April 2020

was quickly revised to an online format. The emphasis was always on forward movement, trouble-shooting, and re-calibration. By summer, restrictions were loosening but largely still in place. While Level Up would normally have been a large inter-parish overnight gathering, it was redesigned instead to provide a uniquely local experience for each participating parish. They were staged outdoors in respective church parking lots, complete with masks and social distancing. Although different from the usual experience, these allowed for some degree of much needed human connection. During those early months, it was really critical to acknowledge and hold space for the pandemic and, in particular, what youth and marginalized communities were experiencing. One urban NeXt Level parish was situated in the epicenter of an outbreak; another that was reliant on tourism experienced devastating unemployment and escalating food insecurity due to the lockdown; still others were dealing with daily COVID-related stressors within their

104 Accompanying Youth own homes and lives. One mentor commented: “Undoubtedly, the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the Latinx community was a huge challenge for our particular cohort. The incredible stressors, economic challenges, inability to gather safely in-person, complex grief, ongoing health concerns, and more all impacted the group’s dynamics, plans, and individual and collective experiences.” When one cohort expressed a desire to devote some of its meetings entirely to prayer and reflection, the organization not only affirmed that for them but encouraged others to follow suit. When mentors asked for peer community and support, the NeXt Level team put the needed mechanisms in place. More than anything, the organization was a sustained and active presence in the lives of these cohorts and involvement in NeXt Level came with a certain degree of accountability. Organizational accompaniment of parishes during this time was a very significant factor in why NeXt Level endured in those communities. This was only possible because of the depth of trust and relationships that had been built. Even before the pandemic, the initiative was paving the way for parish-based protagonism

in extraordinary ways but COVID-19 fully illuminated the extent to which this was sorely needed. In some places, the impact of the pandemic has been catastrophic for parishioner engagement, with many parishes still languishing. The data within youth ministry contexts are even more profound.42 And yet, the parishes that persevered with NeXt Level demonstrated that COVID-19 was an obstacle but not a roadblock.

One-third of respondents said the pandemic had no impact on their NeXt Level experience, while 23% indicated it actually had a positive impact. From a youth perspective, their experience of NeXt Level gave them a sense of purpose and connection and afforded an opportunity for agency when they were otherwise severely restricted. They were given a platform to demonstrate resilience in ways that peers could not. There was something deeply and profoundly poetic about youth continuing to create, imagine, and take action amidst the chaos and uncertainty of the world around them.

Chapter Four 105

Field Note:

World in Crisis, Youth in Action On a hyper-local microlevel, NeXt Level cohorts were modeling exactly what Catholics everywhere should have been doing during COVID: being deployed to mission. One demonstrative example of this was a cohort whose passion project focused on adolescent mental health. This group embraced the pandemic as an opportunity to make the case for their cause. They took to social media, hosting online gatherings and live events on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. They invited guest speakers and visiting experts. They provided opportunities for their peers to discuss important topics and imagine life after the pandemic with topics like “post-COVID SMART planning.” An attendee at one of these gatherings expressed gratitude for: “this group, which has become known as a safe space where the youth can feel free to be themselves.”

These youth leaned into their protagonism at a time when they knew their peers would desperately need it. And, as it turned out, they were right. Today, all data points to the deep isolation and loneliness experienced by adolescents during the pandemic. That these high school students were able to draw from their own lived experiences and rally themselves quickly, efficiently, and effectively was both visionary and extraordinary. It is notable that this cohort was the only active ministry at their parish during the months of lockdown. Their determination speaks to the depth of their passion for this issue, their commitment to one another, and the agency they felt as a result of NeXt Level.

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Chapter Five 107

CHAPTER FIVE

Meditations from the Journey—Conclusions

and Recommendations

After five years, the key takeaways from this initiative have begun to come into focus.

One thing is clear: the NeXt Level roadmap can lead parish communities toward a more effective approach to ministry with youth.

But what will it take for the Church in the United States to embrace this shift? Based on the experience of NeXt Level, it takes innovation, adaptation, resilience, and deep listening to the young people.

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From my observation, NeXt Level is transforming the lives of those involved. I do know that these young people and these mentors and their faith, their confidence, their understanding of Catholic social teaching, and their sense of discipleship is deepening. That’s the transformative work NeXt Level is doing. And it is so important. NeXt Level has not been focused on massive numbers of people, and that’s okay. Because piloting something well is more about learning and being intentional with a smaller group of people. And with NeXt Level we’re seeing a depth of transformation, and I’m confident that the breadth piece will follow. Maggie Smith, Senior Director of Strategy, Goodfaith

Chapter Five 109 NeXt Level is an evidence-based, proven methodology. Its unique and complementary emphases of protagonism, mentorship, imagination, and high touch organizational accompaniment all come together to create a curated and highly effective experience for animating disciples across generations. The unique intersection and interplay of the Pathways equip and engage participants to take the next steps in their individual and collective faith journeys. Furthermore, these parishes are enriched by the presence, leadership, and creativity of these faith-filled protagonists of transformation.

The best testimonial that exists about NeXt Level is the endorsement from the stakeholders themselves that participated: 99% reported that they would recommend NeXt Level to others. This even includes participants from parishes that withdrew from the process. Even in parishes where the NeXt Level process might not be possible, the Pathways framework still offers some rich insights. l Protagonism is the way forward. Prescribed “plug and play” ministry is an outdated and ineffective modality with diminishing returns. NeXt Level has shown how much young people and adults thrive in environments that cultivate agency, creativity, and vibrant faith in action. The more parishes nurture

this, and at earlier ages, the more effective they will be in their discipleship efforts. l Depth before breadth. When it comes to youth ministry, many parishes get stuck in a numbers game that is unhelpful and counterproductive. Singular focus on transactional measurements can blind them from the richness that can come from deeper work with a smaller number of individuals. NeXt Level has illustrated that intentional work with smaller cohorts can actually produce the “breadth” that parishes so desire – increased awareness, broader parish engagement, peer evangelization, and so much more. lC ontext matters. Every parish, every community, and every individual have unique gifts and challenges. Differences matter. Nuance matters. Context matters. This is why “plug and play” ministry efforts often fail to effectively address local needs and concerns. NeXt Level thrived in environments where young people were able lean into and embrace their unique contexts. They were encouraged to draw from their own lived experiences and create change within their own communities. In this way, they were able to take something prescribed and make it their own.

110 Accompanying Youth l Relationships make the difference. Pastors rely on staff to execute on pastoral vision. Pastoral staff rely on adult volunteers to realize ministry goals. Parishioners rely on pastoral teams to shepherd and guide them. And more urgently than ever, young people are relying on their communities to see them, to know them, to hear them, to embrace them, and to accompany them. This is dependent on trusting and authentic relationships, longitudinally and laterally across generations and parish communities, among people of diverse backgrounds, and between clergy and laity. NeXt Level has demonstrated the extent to which this kind of approach produces dividends not only within individual parishioners across the lifespan but also for entire parish communities. l There is so much richness in the Church’s diversity. Particularly through its efforts in peer learning, NeXt Level has shown the value in bringing together people from across the cultural and generational landscape. Youth in particular have loved the opportunity not only to come to know their peers from other parishes, but really forge deep friendships with them around a common passion for service, diverse interests, and their faith. This has enhanced the overall richness of the experience for everyone involved and

allowed for them to share from their diverse lived experiences, languages, and traditions. l Ministry with youth is hard work. It is particularly difficult at this moment in time, with this generation and the many challenges before them and the Church. There are no easy answers or quick fixes. But there is hope. And, NeXt Level has shown that the destination is worth the investment of the journey. l Above all else, the final take-away from NeXt Level is intentionality – in mission, in setting goals, in defining one’s approach to any one of or all the above. The work of “making disciples” will not happen organically. Being present and going through the motions will not work in the long-term. Instead, discipleship requires an intentional approach to building competence and confidence among people of faith. NeXt Level has shown the profound potential in this at the individual, congregational and organizational levels and the results speak for themselves. One pastor commented:

“I think that NeXt Level has brought a lot of hope that future generations will continue to live their lives with good faith.”

Chapter Five / First Step

Taking the First Step: Recommendations for Practitioners in the Field Five years into the NeXt Level journey, disaffiliation continues and the odds are still stacked against success. But in the words of a familiar prayer: “No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”43 It is the task of all adults who accompany young people to make room for that first step, to put the pieces in place so that the journey can unfold as intended. This sentiment is reminiscent of Pope Francis’ rousing speech at 2023 World Youth Day, in which he implored the crowd: “Todos, todos, todos!”44 This moment, this extraordinary time in Church history, requires everyone to show up as protagonists in the narrative. If the Church wants to live into a “future not our own”, everyone has a role to play – todos, todos, todos. If parishes want to be welcoming spiritual homes for young people, they need to take the first—faithful, scary, slippery, and sometimes messy—step. Many pastoral leaders are paralyzed and overwhelmed by the desire to have it all figured out and, as a result, they get

stuck in inertia. As was seen with the “out of gas” parishes in Chapter Two, it can be very, very difficult to get moving after a period of stagnation. But they can take the lead from NeXt Level mentors and feel confident in the fact that there is no need to know everything before getting started. These first steps are simply “an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.” A critical part of adopting a posture of accompaniment is listening and learning, so let the journey begin there for parishes, (arch) dioceses, schools, religious orders, youthfocused apostolate and organizations, and even parents in domestic settings. Listen to stakeholders, both young and old. Ask: What are their hopes and desires? What are their passions and concerns for the Church and the world? What unique gifts and talents do they have to meet these needs? And, then take an inventory as to what the community is doing now relative to the Pathways and could do moving forward.

The good news is that young people do not seek perfection so much as authenticity from their leaders. When it comes to discipleship, the journey is the destination. Taking the first step is a good faith effort to show them that parish communities are willing to walk alongside them wherever their journey leads.

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114 Accompanying Youth Bear in mind that there are many external experts in the field who care deeply about the young church and are fully equipped to accompany pastoral leaders in this regard. Accompaniment applies to external support,

too! The journey is not intended to be taken on one’s own. Even the

Twelve Apostles were sent out “two by two.”45 Goodfaith is just one of many ministry organizations doing important work in this field. Embrace their knowledge, listen to their insights, and engage their expertise. As NeXt Level has shown, the investment is worth it and the impacts are local, tangible,

and measurable. As one mentor put it:

“Goodfaith has offered us very up-to-date resources, which means they’re very active and always trying to be better. I see a lot of people who are just very comfortable with doing what they know. And with the times changing so much, NeXt Level has become a very valuable resource to have people who are on the cutting edge. We’ve learned a lot from them.”

Chapter Five / Opportunities

Opportunities for Further Research There are a number of areas where additional work and research is needed, including: lP arents – Parents and caregivers were peripheral participants in NeXt Level, but there is definitely a need, an opportunity, and a desire to more deeply engage them through the Pathways framework. With this in mind, Goodfaith recently launched a new initiative designed to nurture protagonism and agency among parents within domestic contexts. lN eXt Level youth in the next phase of their lives – Walking with this cohort of NeXt Level delegates has been a tremendous gift. There is a need, though, for them to be followed longitudinally over the arc of the next five to ten years. To what extent do these young people continue to follow their passions? How does their faith ultimately form their vocations? Do they exhibit resilience in their faith in the long-term? Moreover, to what extent do adult mentors continue to deepen their own faith journeys? Does their commitment to NeXt Level transfer to other areas of their parish engagement? Inquiring minds at Goodfaith want to know and hope to be able to lead that charge.

lP astors – NeXt Level illustrated just how important pastors are in the religious lives of youth. Fortunately, what is “required” of them to have that impact is relatively manageable. More research is needed, however, on how to better support and best equip pastors in their evangelization and accompaniment of youth. This is particularly important to consider considering the declining number of clergy. More research is needed, however, on how best to equip pastors in their evangelization and accompaniment of youth. This is particularly important considering the declining number of clergy. his needs to begin first with a recognition T from the Church at large, but clergy in particular, that young people matter— deeply—to the future viability of parish communities. They are worthy of the investment of time, energy, capacity, and resources.

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Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts “Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”46 (Esther 4:14) Goodfaith is discerning its next most faithful step for both scaling this initiative and exploring potential applications of this research to create a wider and more robust ministry map. All of the current NeXt Level parishes have expressed a strong desire to continue in their efforts. Several (arch)dioceses have

considered ways of incorporating this new approach to support ministry professionals within their geographic contexts. There are religious congregations considering how this might address their growing concern about youth engagement relative to their specific charisms. The field of Catholic education is a vast terrain yet to be explored. Goodfaith knows the urgency of this moment and the importance of this work. Thanks to NeXt Level, it is well-positioned and equipped to answer the call for such a time as this.

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118 Accompanying Youth

Acknowledgements Goodfaith extends heartfelt gratitude to the many individuals and partners involved in the execution of both NeXt Level and this research study. This begins first and foremost with Lilly Endowment, Inc., whose generous support through the Strengthening Congregational Ministries with Youth Initiative enabled this important and innovative work. These thanks extend to a long list of participating youth delegates, adult mentors, parents, pastors, and parish leaders. NeXt Level was only successful due to their enduring commitment, creativity, and enthusiasm. Their imagination, energy, openness to the process is what allowed NeXt Level to not only meet but also surpass all expectations. The successful execution of NeXt Level relied on the ongoing input and advice of many consultative stakeholders. Commendation is due to Dr. Bob McCarty, Dr. Charlotte McCorquodale, and members of the National Advisory Council, whose expertise has been instrumental throughout every step of the process. These individuals have become not only trusted advisors but also dear friends, colleagues, and partners in the mission.

Finally, Goodfaith acknowledges the efforts of its leadership team and staff, who not only conceived of this initiative but also brought it to life.

Organizational Leadership Stephanie J. Peddicord, President Maggie Smith, Senior Director of Strategy and Implementation

Former Staff Lauren Borowick Catherine D’Angelo Mary Ann Ernesto Brooke Foster John Holloway Linh Nguyen Susan Oldroyd-Miller Collin Quigley

Board of Trustees Rocky Balsamo, Chairman Emeritus Thomas Bartolomei Stephen DeMarco, Chairman Megan Gordon Seán Patrick Sanford, Founder Deborah Seme

Acknowledgements

Ministry Training Source Charlotte McCorquodale, Ph.D., President Joe Weyers, M. Div., Consultant & Researcher

National Advisory Council Robert J. McCarty, D.Min., Chairman, Pastoral Ministry Consultant and Trainer Stephanie J. Peddicord, President, Goodfaith Gregory Coogan, Secretary of Catechetical Formation, Diocese of Cleveland Elizabeth Hughes, Executive Director, Franciscan Mission Service Mike Jordan Laskey, Director of Communications, Jesuit Conference and Multiple WorX Program Alumnus

Cynthia Penscik, Mentoring Program Director, The Given Institute Nicole Perone, National Coordinator, ESTEEM and Multiple WorX Program Alumnus Kerry Robinson, President and CEO, Catholic Charities USA Marilyn Santos, Associate Director, Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Pat Sprankle, D. Min., Director of Youth Ministry, Pastorate of Christ the King and St. Bernadette, MD Darius Villalobos, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry

Charlotte McCorquodale, Ph.D., President, Ministry Training Source

Kristin Witte, Ph.D., Associate Director of Membership Mobilization, the ONE Campaign

Ted Miles, Executive Director, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps

Report Contributors Michelle Baker Design LLC Russ Hickman Photography

119

Appendix A

Appendices Appendix A Program Components Breaking Bread: informal meal for parish participants and NeXt Level staff to come to know one another better, share hopes and aspirations for the project, as well as to express preliminary concerns and skepticism. This was held on an annual basis, as new youth and mentors were engaged in and introduced to the process. Ignition Retreat: annual retreat designed to ignite excitement, thinking, and enthusiasm in key NeXt Level stakeholders. Ignition provided a detailed orientation to program expectations and offered different tracks for diverse stakeholders to gather with peers at other participating parishes, share learnings, and ask critical questions.

Peer Learning Day: annual event held midyear designed to encourage sharing and opportunities for trouble-shooting. This generally included a keynote speaker on a relevant topic and peer workshops to reflect on their passion project progress, share challenges and successes, and plan their foci for the next few months. The parish delegations were then each tasked with identifying and recruiting one to three new youth (to replace those who were graduating or dropped from the project) and at least one new mentor. Miscellaneous Community Building Gatherings and Exercises: Over the course of the five-year timeline, Goodfaith added in new forms of engagement based on feedback from NeXt Level stakeholders. These included mentor training, guest speakers, and opportunities nurturing community both within and across parish cohorts.

121

122 Accompanying Youth

APPENDIX B

Our Lady of Mount Carmel (West Orange, NJ)47

Parish Profiles

Located in West Orange in the Archdiocese of Newark, OLMC is a largely Hispanic community run by the Community of Saint John.

Christ Our Light, Catholic Community of (Cherry Hill, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Racial Justice Located in the Diocese of Camden, this parish has 3900 registered families and an annual budget of approximately $1.8 million with eight staff (part-time and full-time). The parish has a youth ministry program and parish school. Holy Family Parish (New Brunswick, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Immigration Justice Located in the Diocese of Metuchen, this parish community has 950 registered families. They have 9 staff (part-time and full-time). They are a parish with three different churches on three different sites representing four different languages and ethnic backgrounds: Anglo, Hispanic, Hungarian, and Polish. Most Precious Blood (West Collingswood, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Intracultural and Intergenerational Community Building Located in the Diocese of Camden, this parish has 300-500 registered families and serves a predominantly Vietnamese community.

Sacred Heart (Bloomfield, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Racial Justice and Community Building Located in the Archdiocese of Newark, this parish community has approximately 800-1000 registered families. They describe themselves as a very diverse, multiethnic, and multicultural community. Saint Ann, Church of (Lawrenceville, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Racial Justice Located in the Diocese of Trenton, this parish community has 3200 registered families. There is no existing youth ministry but the parish does have a Catholic school on campus. St. Augustine of Canterbury (Kendall Park, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Adolescent Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy Located in the Diocese of Metuchen, this parish has 1854 registered families and an annual budget of approximately $1.7 million with six staff(full-time and part-time), including a middle school minister. They also have a school.

Appendix B 123 St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Bridgewater, NJ) This parish community has 2,468 registered families and an annual budget of approximately $1.2 million with six staff (full-time and part-time). St. Joseph (Bound Brook, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Intercultural Community Building and Mental Health Located in the Diocese of Metuchen, this parish community has 1500 registered families, of which seventy-five percent are Hispanic. St. Katharine Drexel (Egg Harbor Township, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Food Insecurity Located in the Diocese of Camden, this parish community has 1,944 registered families and an annual budget of approximately $750,000 with seven staff (part-time and full-time).

St. Matthias, Catholic Community of (Somerset, NJ) Passion Project Focus: Mental Health Located in the Diocese of Metuchen, this parish community has 2931 registered families and a parish school. St. Thomas Aquinas (Brooklyn, NY)48 Passion Project Focus: Food Insecurity Located in the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY, this parish primarily serves an African American community.

124 Accompanying Youth

Appendix C Sampling of Passion Projects Holy Family: “Project IMT: Immigrants Matter Too” built awareness about immigration rights within their merged parish. This delegation hosted numerous trainings to empower their local community and created “know your rights” cards for undocumented parishioners to carry in their wallets. They also wrote, directed, and performed a one-act play in collaboration with a regional community theater about the plight of undocumented families. After the pandemic, this cohort began partnering with Caritas, an existing Holy Family program geared towards meeting the community’s basic needs. Together, they have hosted living room conversations, Trunk or Treat, and monthly fellowships after Mass. Project IMT remains one of the longest running NeXt Level passion projects and is ongoing and active. Most Precious Blood: The cohort at Most Precious Blood focused on deepening intergenerational understanding of several social justice issues in their community. They also worked to help the younger members of their parish community feel connected to their Vietnamese culture. This project is ongoing and active.

St. Augustine of Canterbury: “PEACE of Mind” utilized community events, social media, and other platforms to advocate and raise awareness about adolescent mental health. PEACE of Mind remains one of the longest running NeXt Level passion projects and is ongoing and active. St. Katharine Drexel: The cohort at St. Katharine Drexel created a “Sharing Shelf” in response to community needs that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. This allows parishioners to take what they need and provide what they are able. They also maintain a space at a local community garden, which allows for fresh produce. This project is ongoing and active. St. Joseph Catholic Community: The cohort at St. Joseph focused on mental health awareness and bridging intercultural divides. Their intercultural cohort, which included youth from both Hispanic and Anglo backgrounds, was the first-ever team of its kind at the parish. Saint Matthias, Catholic Community of: This cohort focused on destigmatizing mental health and crossing generational divides around the issue. They have maintained one of the largest NeXt Level delegations across the duration of the initiative and have successfully integrated their passion project into many existing activities of parish life, including Stations of the Cross. This project is ongoing and active.

Appendix D 125

Appendix D Research Methods and Approach Statement of the Research Problem to be Examined: Engaging young people in faith and Catholic parish communities has grown increasingly challenging, as evidenced by numerous studies. NeXt Level has hypothesized that if intentional support is given to youthled social justice initiatives within parish communities, this will result in the young people developing a deeper connection with their own Catholic faith and lead to an increased engagement with the broader faith community. The NeXt Level methodology being evaluated in this research provides both a theoretical framework and a practical pastoral response to the research problem. As a result of this problem, the NeXt Level Research will answer the following overarching research questions to examine this hypothesis. Research Question One: What impact, if any, did NeXt Level have on youth having a deeper connection to their own Catholic faith? 1. Faith practices 2. Faith perspectives 3. Faith persistence 4. Catholic identity 5. Faith in daily life 6. Catholic social teachings/action

Research Question Two: What impact, if any, did NeXt Level have on participants’ perspectives and engagement within the broader faith community in the following areas of parish life? 1. Sacramental Life of the Parish 2. Youth Ministry Programs and Initiatives 3. Faith Formation and Confirmation Initiatives 4. Youth Engagement in Parish 5. Intergenerational Parish Elements 6. Pastor and Parish Leadership Support for Youth and Youth Ministry 7. Social Justice and Service Programs and Initiatives Research Question Three: What impact, if any, did NeXt Level have on parishioners’ perspectives regarding young people and their engagement within the broader faith community in the following areas of parish life? 1. Sacramental Life of the Parish 2. Youth Ministry Programs and Initiatives 3. Faith Formation and Confirmation Initiatives 4. Youth Engagement in Parish 5. Intergenerational Parish Elements 6. P astor and Parish Leadership Support for Youth and Youth Ministry 7. Social Justice and Service Programs and Initiatives

126 Accompanying Youth Research Question Four: How does the Pathways to Discipleship Framework describe the foundational methodology within the NeXt Level initiative? Which variables within each pathway are most important in the process of accompanying young people as protagonists on their faith Journey? l Accompaniment Pathway: The experiences in NeXt Level of community that comes from relationships with peers and adults. These relationships are built over time through faith sharing, common experiences, and common goals. l Protagonism Pathway: The experiences in NeXt Level of moving beyond one’s current ability and taking on a new role, often one of leadership and/or responsibility. l Encounter Pathway: The experiences of encounter with Christ both through one another and by sharing in His love and care for those in need are interwoven throughout NeXt Level. l Spiritual Imagination Pathway: The experiences in NeXt Level of helping young people to continue to imagine their personal relationship with God and how God is calling them now and in the future to take action on their faith. This imagination is fostered through listening and sharing that faith with others in meaningful and actionable ways.

Research Question Five: Were the hopes and goals of all those involved in the NeXt Level Initiative met? Each parish and individual who participated in NeXt Level came with a different set of goals and hopes for the outcomes of what this experience would be for their parish or for them personally. The final research question will measure the initial hopes of the various participants of NeXt Level including youth, parents, mentors, pastors, parish leaders, and NeXt Level Staff, and compare them to the final outcomes of the project to gain insights from their journey. Research Populations: There were initially five potential research populations within the study, from the individual participants to the entire parish community. l Youth Participant l Adult Mentors from Parishes l Parents of the Youth Participants l Parish Leaders (Pastor, Pastoral Staff, Youth Ministry, and Formation Leaders, etc.) l Parish Community Research Methodology: This research study used a mixed methods approach including both qualitative (interviews and focus groups) and quantitative (online surveys and data checklists) measures for many variables.

Appendix D Research Timeline and Points of Measure: There were three measuring points: a baseline measure at the beginning, interim measures in the form of annual surveys, and a final measure at the end of the project. Additionally, in the program, evaluation and assessment will be ongoing measures throughout the life of the study. Baseline Measures: Baseline measures occurred within the first 3 months of an individual or parish being involved in the program. This varied slightly for the pilot parish’s baseline measures. The baseline measures included: l Online survey with youth participants, adult mentors, and parish leaders, l A parish stats and programs data checklists were completed by parish leaders with NeXt Level Consultant, l Interviews with parish staff leaders by researchers, l Focus groups with a random sample of parents, youth participants and adult mentors, and l A brief parish survey will be conducted on a designated Sunday.

Interim Measures: Interim measures took place in February 2020, 2021, and 2022. They included an annual survey of participants on some of the key variables, interviews with youth and mentors, as well as an annual evaluation survey of the NeXt Level major components by program participants. l Exit interviews with the Pastors and Parish leaders from parishes leaving the program. Due to the fluctuation of young people and parishes in the program the interim measures had little value and became more useful in evaluation of program efforts and to gain immediate feedback on Next Level program efforts. Some inter-measures were able to be integrated into the final measures. Final Measures: Final measures occurred from February 15–May 15, 2023, including: l Final online survey to all participants, mentors, and parish leaders that could be located, with reminders, and follow-up phone calls. l Interviews with as many youth, mentors, parish staff, and leaders who have participated in NeXt Level by researchers from active parishes.

127

128 Accompanying Youth Baseline Measures Sample

Final Measures Sample

Within the twelve Next Level parishes 170 people completed the baseline online survey, all of them completed the initial interview, 10 of them completed the Parish stats form, and 11 completed the parish online survey.

The final sample consisted of 199 Youth and Adults from 12 parishes in the New York and New Jersey areas. Forty-two percent of the sample were young people or alumni (n=84) with the remaining being adults broken down into the following Next Level roles: parents (n=49), mentors (n=40), parish leaders (n=12), and pastors (n=14). The final sample had 112 people who completed both the Baseline and the Final individual survey online.

Appendix E 129

APPENDIX E Impact of Successful Parishes Parishes that were found to be in the group of the seven more successful parishes had the following items found statistically significant regarding the responses of their youth. l I have the confidence and ability to share my faith with others. Youth t(44) 1.647 p=.053 l How supported and involved were the parish leaders and community in your passion project? Youth t(96) -4.418 p=<.001

Statistically Significant Factors Contributing to Success or Challenge Factors rated statistically significantly higher by respondents from seven successful parishes indicating it contributed to their NeXt Level success. What factors contributed to the success of your NeXt Level experience? l Welcoming and hospitable environment in the parish for youth leadership. t(125) -3.893 p=<.001

l Openness to the leadership of youth and mentors by pastor and parish staff. t(126) -3.724 p=<.001 l Presence of supportive adults within the faith community. t(117l642) -3.269 p=<.001 l Having committed mentors who worked with the youth. Interestingly, t(129) -4.299 p=<.001 Factors rated statistically significantly low by respondents from seven successful parishes indicating the factors did not contribute to challenges in NeXt Level while these same factors contributed to challenges in the five less successful parishes. Factors found to be statistically significantly lower in the seven successful parishes. What factors contributed to the challenges in your NeXt Level experience? l Welcoming and hospitable environment in the parish for youth leadership. t(117) 2.177 p=.016 l Openness to the leadership of youth and mentors by pastor and parish staff. t(119) 1.612 p=.055 l Presence of supportive adults within the faith community. t(118) 1.643 p=.052

130 Accompanying Youth

Appendix F Pathways Model and Competency Statistics Competency Measures Explained Within each Pathway, a series of core competencies emerged among NeXt Level youth, each of which assessed competence and confidence in two different ways. First, by comparing the responses of youth who selfreported an increase in their faith engagement because of NeXt Level as compared with their peers who said their faith engagement was the same as or less than it was before the initiative. Core competencies were created by examining which measures were statistically significant, meaning the difference in the two groups’ responses is unlikely to be explained solely by chance or random factors. Second, by examining measures with high-frequency

response levels. Using this approach, the vast majority of NeXt Level youth reported high levels of ability, confidence, intent, or engagement in several of the same measures. These, in turn, pointed to various core competencies. Below, the measures in blue have all been assessed through use of an independent sample T-test (n=55) comparing the youth and alumni who self-reported an increase in their faith engagement because of NeXt Level as compared with their peers who said their faith engagement was the same as or less than it was before the initiative seeking a statistically significant difference in the mean response with a p value of .05 or lower. The measures in red below are those whose competence has been assess through seeing a high frequency levels, meaning that 75% of total respondents or more reported having very much to some level of ability, confidence, intent, or engagement.

TABLE X: HOW HAS PARTICIPATING IN NEXT LEVEL AFFECTED YOUR FAITH? RESPONSE OPTIONS

FREQUENCY

PERCENT

Less actively involved with faith now than before it.

5.5

Same level of involvement with faith as before it.

30.9

More actively involved with faith now than before it.

63.6

Total

100.0

Appendix F

Section One: Accompaniment Definition A posture of forming and being in genuine relationship with others rooted in the patient, compassionate, and enduring love modeled by Jesus in the Gospel. 1. SAFE SPACE: Creating a non-judgmental environment where young people can share honestly, openly, and deeply about their faith and struggles. 1.1. I can honestly express my ideas and feelings in my parish community without being judged. t(16.78)=3.042 p=<.001 1.2. NeXt Level created a safe space for me to share my faith and ideas. t(17.51)=2.139 p=.023 1.3. There was an openness to others’ ideas and opinions. t(18.499)=1.747 p=.049 1.4. I trust the advice of NL staff and mentors. t(18.362)=2.439 p.=.013 1.5. T hose in the NL process are willing to admit when they are wrong or do not know something. t(16.945)=1.786 p=.046 1.6. I feel like those involved in NL know and understand me. t(18.660)=3.256 p=.002 1.7. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Provided me an opportunity to pray with others and lead prayer. t(49)=2.027 p. =.003

2. LISTENING AND COMMUNICATION: Learning how to communicate effectively with youth and adults by listening to everyone and sharing my ideas. 2.1. I have felt listened to by NL Staff and mentors. 87% Very True with Sometimes True 98% 2.2. Communication with NL staff and mentors has been honest and helpful. t(15.456)=2.054 p=.029 2.3. I can honestly express my ideas and feelings in my parish community without being judged. t(16.780)=3.042 p=.004 2.4. There was an openness to others’ ideas and opinions. t(18.499)=1.747 p=.049 3. COMMUNITY: Actively engaging in an intergenerational faith community. 3.1. I feel included and a part of my NL parish group. t(19.013)=2.154 p=.022 3.2. I feel like those involved in NL know and understand me. t(18.660)=3.256 p=.002 3.3. I feel like the Next Level staff and mentors truly care about me as a person. 87% Very True with Sometimes True 98% 3.4. Youth and adults in NeXt Level were able to connect through shared values, passions, experiences. 94% Very True with Sometimes True 96%

131

132 Accompanying Youth 3.5. How supportive were the following people in helping you to be successful in NeXt Level? The other youth in the program. t(53)=3.074 p=.002 3.6. How supportive were the following people in helping you to be successful in NeXt Level? The NL staff t(27.582)=1.856 p=.002 3.7. How supportive were the following people in helping you to be successful in NeXt Level? The NL mentors t(18.660)=3.256 p=.037 3.8. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Gave me a community to share faith and struggles with others. t(48)=3.148 p=<.001 3.9. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Opportunity to pray with others and lead prayer. t(28.621)=2.626 p=.007

Section Two: Encounter Definition: the experience of God, God’s presence, or Christ in one another and in one’s community, and in the spiritual and sacramental life of the Church. 4. PRAYER: The ability to experience God through participating in and leading prayer. 4.1. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Prayer experiences within NL. t(28.621)=2.626 p=.007

4.2. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Opportunity to pray with others and lead prayer. t(28.621)=2.626 p=.007 4.3. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Sharing the teaching mass together. Very Much 33% with Somewhat 87.5% 4.4. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation Very Much 52% with Somewhat 91% 5. RELATIONSHIPS: The ability to feel God’s presence through peer and adult relationships. 5.1. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Relationships with NL peers. t(20.881)=2.681 p=.007 5.2. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Relationships with NL adults. t(48)=1.956 p=.028 6. SOCIAL JUSTICE: The ability to find and develop a deeper relationship with God through those that one meets in the work of service and for justice they engage in. 6.1. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Level Up service experience. t(22.900)=1.864 p =.038

Appendix F 133 6.2. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Discussions about applying CST in our lives. t(30.429)=3.672 p=<.001 6.3. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Planning and implementing the passion project. t(18.986)=3.029 p=.003 7. FAITH SHARING: The ability to witness God by sharing faith regularly. 7.1. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Sharing faith during weekly meetings. t(48)=3.354 p=<.001 7.2. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Foster a deeper relationship with Jesus. t(50)=4.406 p=<.001 7.3. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Gave me a community to share faith and struggles with others. t(48)=3.148 p=<.001 8. PARISH ENGAGEMENT: The ability to encounter God through engagement in parish life. 8.1. On a scale of 1 to 5 how involved are you in your parish youth ministry? (Scale 1 not involved to 5 helping to lead parts of the ministry) t(26.230)= 3.051 p=.003 8.2. How often are you involved in the following things? Participating in Confirmation preparation and faith formation. t(48)= 2.053 p=.023

8.3. How much did the following elements within your parish community help you experience God? Relationships with members of the parish community. t(51)=1.800 p=.039

Section Three: Protagonism Definition: the action of becoming the main character in one’s faith story with God as the author; having a sense of meaning and purpose in light of one’s own dignity and giftedness as created in the image of God. 9. AGENCY: Recognizing and exercising their competencies in their parish communities and beyond with confidence. 9.1. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Work with adults and youth toward a common goal. t(27.566)=2.755 p=.005 9.2. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Speak at parish masses or other group events. t(51)=1.774 p=.041 9.3. How much did the weekly meeting teach you how to? Be a leader and take action. t(50)=3.471 p=<.001 9.4. NeXt Level helped me discern and share my gifts. True 85% with Sometimes True 96%

134 Accompanying Youth 9.5. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Lead and take responsibility for meetings and programs. Mostly Able Confident 65% with Some Ability Confidence 96% 9.6. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Be a leader in other things beyond NeXt Level. Mostly Able Confident 64% with Some Ability Confidence 98% 10. FAITHFILLED SERVICE: Responding to God’s call to missionary discipleship by serving with others within faith communities. 10.1. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Lead prayer for the group t(51)=2.129 p=.019 10.2. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Speak at parish masses or other group events. t(51)=1.774 p=.041 10.3. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Work with adults and youth toward a common goal. t(27.566)=2.755 p=.005. 10.4. How much did the weekly meeting teach you how to? Be a leader and take action. t(50)=3.471 p=<.001 10.5. How confident are you to engage in the following behavior? Encourage and convince others to participate in service. t(43)=1.725 p=.46

10.6. How confident are you to engage in the following behavior? Develop and implement a solution to a community social issue or concern such as unemployment, homelessness, or racial tension. Very Much 21% with Somewhat 98% 11. RESPONDING TO SOCIAL JUSTICE: Recognizing those in need in the wider societal community and seeking justice rooted in CST by using their leadership skills, creativity, and voice to lead the way. 11.1. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Speak at parish masses or other group events. t(51)=1.774 p=.041 11.2. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Work with adults and youth toward a common goal. t(27.566)=2.755 p=.005. 11.3. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Stand up for something I believe in strongly. Mostly Able Confident 64% with Some Ability Confidence 98% 11.4. Serving the poor in accordance with CST is central to my faith. Very True 66% with Sometimes True 95.5% 11.5. Total number of volunteer hours is higher. t(51)=2.687 p=.005 11.6. How often do you do the following things? Respond to social injustice (e.g., discrimination, racism, and intolerance) through advocacy. t(47)=1.711 p=.047

Appendix F 135 11.7. How often do you do the following? Support the human dignity of others by standing up for someone who was being bullied or made fun of because of who they are. Always 71% with Sometimes 96% 11.8. How often do you do the following? Work towards caring for God’s creation in the environment by recycling regularly, making choices to conserve water or energy, or cleaning up litter, etc. Always 71% with Sometimes 96% 11.9. How confident are you to engage in the following behaviors? Encourage and convince others to participate in service. t(43)=1.725 p=.46 11.10. How confident are you to engage in the following behaviors? Confront others that speak negatively about members of underprivileged groups. Very Confident 21%, with Confident 53%, with Somewhat Confident 98%. 11.11. How confident are you to engage in the following behaviors? Develop and implement a solution to a community social issue or concern such as unemployment, homelessness, or racial tension. Very Confident 21%, with Confident 53%, with Somewhat Confident 98%.

11.12. On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident are you to engage in the following behaviors in sharing your Catholic with others. Extremely Confident 16%, with Confident 51%, with Somewhat Confident 86%.

Section Four: Spiritual Imagination Definition: the creative ability to identify and articulate the Spirit’s presence in one’s life and communities, and to contextualize the Gospel at work in the world today. 12. DISCERNMENT: Reflecting on what God calls them is to learn, to do, to be, and where their gifts, passions, and the world’s needs meet so they might serve God’s people. 12.1. NeXt Level helped me discern and share my gifts. True 85% with Sometimes True 96% 12.2. I can make decisions about my faith for myself. True 85% with Sometimes True 100% 12.3. H ow much did the weekly meeting teach you how to? Be a leader and take action. t(50)=3.471 p=<.001 12.4. H ow much did the weekly meeting help you? Foster a deeper relationship with Jesus. t(50)=4.406 p=<.001

136 Accompanying Youth 13. ARTICULATION: Witnessing their experiences with others – how they’ve encountered Jesus in service with others and through the community. 13.1. N eXt Level helped me discern and share my gifts. True 85% with Sometimes True 96% 13.2. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Gave me a community to share faith and struggles with others. t(48)=3.148 p=<.001 13.3. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Sharing faith during weekly meetings. t(48)=3.354 p=<.001 13.4. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Stand up for something I believe in strongly. Mostly Able Confident 64% with Some Ability Confidence 98% 13.5. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Witnessing my faith to other youth. Mostly Able Confident 39% with Some Ability Confidence 86% 13.6. How often do you do the following? Support the human dignity of others by standing up for someone who was being bullied or made fun of because of who they are. Always 71% with Sometimes 96%

13.7. How confident are you to engage in the following behaviors? Confront others that speak negatively about members of underprivileged groups. Very Confident 27%, with Confident 67%, with Somewhat Confident 98%. 13.8. How confident are you to engage in the following behaviors? Sharing my faith beliefs and actions with friends regarding caring for the poor and marginalized. Very Confident 28%, with Confident 65%, with Somewhat Confident 100%. 14. IMAGINATION: Openness to identifying how the Holy Spirit moves through their experiences, encounters, and relationships and willingness to take the next step. 14.1. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Sharing faith during weekly meetings. t(48)=3.354 p=<.001 14.2. H ow much did the weekly meeting help you? Gave me a community to share faith and struggles with others. t(48)=3.148 p=<.001 14.3. How much did the following elements of NeXt Level help you experience God? Discussions about applying CST in our lives. t(30.429)=3.672 p=<.001

Appendix F 137 14.4. Please evaluate your confidence and ability to: Stand up for something I believe in strongly. Mostly Able Confident 64% with Some Ability Confidence 98%

15. INTENTION: To continue to engage in my Catholic faith.

14.5. How much did the weekly meeting help you? Foster a deeper relationship with Jesus. t(50)=4.406 p=<.001

15.1. Being Catholic is central to my identity. True 50% with Sometimes True 87%

14.6. I practice my faith in my daily life. True 57% with Sometimes True 93% 14.7. I can make decisions about my faith for myself. True 85% with 100%. COMPETENCY, IN THE FUTURE DO YOU INTEND TO…

YES %

UNSURE %

NO %

15.2. Attend mass regularly

15.3. Be active in the parish beyond mass

15.4. Continue to develop my relationship with Jesus

15.5. Serve those in need

15.6. Get married in the Catholic Church

15.7. Invite Others to be part of my parish

15.8. Pray about a call to ministry through priesthood, religious life, or a lay ministry

Endnotes 139

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ooden, C. (2019). Mission is to make disciples for Christ, not for one’s group, pope says. W National Catholic Reporter

Smith, C., & Denton, M. L. (2005). Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. Oxford University Press

cCarty, R., & Vitek, J. (2017). Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics. Saint M Mary’s Press

L illy Endowment. (n.d.). Christian Life. Our Work - Religion. https://lillyendowment.org/our-work/religion/ christian-life/

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (2017). Living as Missionary Disciples. Washington, DC

Pope Francis. (2014). Evangelii Gaudium. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana

140 Accompanying Youth 16

Pope Francis. (2019, March 25). Christus Vivit. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pope Francis. (2014). Evangelii Gaudium. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pope Francis. (2019, March 25). Christus Vivit. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Deloitte. (n.d.). Millennials Survey. Deloitte Human Capital. https://www2.deloitte.com/br/en/pages/humancapital/articles/millennials-survey.html

nited States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (n.d.). The New American Bible, Revised Edition: Book of James. U USCCB. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/james/2

Springtide Research Institute. (2020). Relational Authority: The State of Religion and Young People. Winona, MN

Powell, K., & Clark, C. (2011). Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids. Zondervan

Please refer to Appendix C for more specific passion project descriptions.

Please refer to Appendix A for detailed parish profiles.

Please see acknowledgements for a complete member list.

Please see Acknowledgements for more detail.

Based on baseline responses.

Percentages reflect responses to these behavioral questions of “always” or “sometimes”

Springtide Research Institute. (2020). Relational Authority: The State of Religion and Young People. Winona, MN

Powell, K., & Clark, C. (2011). Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids. Zondervan

ervantes Saavedra, Miguel de, 1547–1616. (1986). The adventures of Don Quixote de la Mancha. New York: C Farrar, Straus, Giroux

Please refer to Appendix E. Four parishes met the criteria on all five variables, two on four, and one met it on 3. After close examination of the data, and running of the additional analysis, it was determined that this group of parishes met criteria enough to be in the group.

Endnotes 35

The seven successful parishes all found these things to be “very true” of their communities.

Please refer to Appendix E.

“ Out of gas” parishes started on the NeXt Level journey but did not complete a full year. This is the only section of the report that references their experience and they are Included here for demonstration purposes only.

ompetency measures and statistical information can be found in Appendix F. Note that some measures C are used in multiple competences.

Please refer to Appendix C for passion project profiles.

State of New Jersey. (2020, March 9). Governor Murphy Announces Statewide Stay at Home Order, Closure of All Non-Essential Retail Businesses. Office of the Governor. https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/ approved/20200309b.shtml

Robinson, K. (2020, April 22). The Church in Action. Chicago Catholic. https://www.chicagocatholic.com/kerryrobinson/-/article/2020/04/22/the-church-in-action Griffin, Brad M (22 August 2022). 5 Critical Changes in Post-Pandemic Youth Ministry. Fuller Youth Institute Blog. https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/5-critical-changes-in-post-pandemic-youth-ministry

ntener, Rev. Ken. (1979, October 25). Prophets of a Future Not Our Own. USCCB – Prayer and Worship. https:// U www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prophets-of-a-future-not-our-own

ope Francis (2023, August 6). Homily of Pope Francis during the Holy Mass on the occasion of the closing of P the 38th World Youth Day in Lisbon Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2023/ documents/20230806-portogallo-omelia-gmg.html

nited States Conference of Catholic Bishops. (n.d.). Mark, Chapter 6. United States Conference of Catholic U Bishops. Retrieved from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/6

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition; New International Version. (n.d.). Book of Esther, Chapter 4

Parish did not complete the Parish Checklist Form so additional information is not available.

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Accompanying Youth: Mapping the Path Toward Deeper Discipleship