This weekend our country experienced two horrific mass shootings. And once again gun control became a hot topic. Climate change has reached a critical tipping point, yet we can't agree on action to save the planet. Immigration continues to be a controversial issue, and Americans seem divided more than ever before. Last week the democratic candidate...

…"Drawing together creates the conditions for the Church to become a place of dialogue and a witness to life-giving fraternity". We need to make more room for the voices of young people to be heard: "listening makes possible an exchange of gifts in a context of empathy… At the same time, it sets the conditions for a preaching of the Gospel that can...

The Center for Ministry Development is proud to announce that Bishop Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri has joined our Board of Directors as Bishop Liaison. We rely on our board to embrace the opportunities for supporting ministry development for youth and families in parishes and schools throughout the United States. Our boa...

There is a passage in a novel I was reading where the author describes a person riding on a bus as "radiating despair." I resonated with that image. I have been with people who radiated sadness and despair. I have also been with people who radiate hope and joy.I have been praying with this image. What does it mean to radiate faith? I remember exper...

Congratulations! You are graduating high school and moving on to the next chapter of your life. Did you know that one of the most popular quotes chosen as a senior class motto is "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us" - a quote attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson?Today, "what lies behind you" ar...

"Christ is alive, and he wants you to be alive!" Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, 1Easter and spring usher in a time of new life and growth. As we continue to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, we reflect on what it means to be an Easter people. Recently, we have been challenged by Pope Francis' words to, above all things, refl...

"Christus Vivit – Christ is Alive" is a remarkable document. This letter to young people reflects the wisdom of the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. Though it is primarily written to young people, it also speaks directly to all of us who share faith and ministry with the young. Below you will find a Top Ten list address...

Music plays an important role in the lives of young people. Remember the songs of your teen years? Every generation in history has felt their own love and deep connection to music including the generation of today. Music is a product of the times and is reflective of the situations it arises from. Some would say that music reveals the prevailing th...

This has been (and still is) quite the winter. Here in Iowa, we've been bombarded with snowfall after snowfall, with lots of below zero days to make life even more fun! So it's natural for our thoughts to turn with great yearning to spring and summer. With summer only four months away, I've been focused on our summer mission trip for high school yo...

I enjoy making personal resolutions for each year. I find the reflective and visioning process invigorating and challenging. I use a mind mapping process to celebrate what I've accomplished and what I hope to be true in the next year. Like many people, my resolutions span from personal health goals, learning new things, improving personal relations...