Goals of Urban Youth Ministry
- To empower the youth ministry of each urban parish
- To create a core group of young leaders and offer leadership training
- To reach the youth who are not normally reached by the Church, especially the at-risk youth of the streets
- To create a strong network of support and fellowship for urban youth and to close the gap between the urban and suburban youth by means of collaboration.
Programs & Opportunities
Young Faith Activators of Christ’s Teachings (YFACT)
The YFACT group was established as an effort to assist urban parishes by providing guidance and coordination for larger urban ministry events always with the intention of those programs leading youth back to their parishes for follow-up. The main goal of YFACT is evangelization and leadership development. The project is a collaborative effort of Youth Ministry and Black Catholic Ministry from the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Urban Youth Retreat
An urban youth retreat is provided each year to foster spiritual growth. We encourage the young people to become disciples and take the good news to their homes, parishes, schools and communities. Youth must register through their parish. (Consultation is provided for individual parish youth retreat development.)
Youth Recognition
We host Timothy Awards annually where we take time to honor and celebrate the young people in our Central Region that go “the extra mile” to serve their parish communities.
Martin Luther King Initiatives
Annually the youth are involved in special events to recognize the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King. In order to continue the work of racial equality we intentionally involve the youth in programs that support his work.
Urban Youth Lock-In
This is an annual youth Lock-in event hosted by YFACT serves the teens of the City of Detroit. A Lock-in has opportunities to pray, build community, make friends and socialize overnight in a recreation facility. The recreation facility provides great activities such as: rock climbing walls, full open Gym and volleyball courts, swimming and much more.
Integration
City of God Committee
The City of God Committee is a network of Urban Youth Ministry representatives that meets every two months to advocate for, consult, and give input about the Urban Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The City of God Committee also involves a brief time for youth ministry formation with issues that directly address the needs of urban youth and urban youth ministers. Any minister to urban youth is welcomed to attend this meeting.
Participation in all Archdiocesan youth events is encouraged
Urban youth attend AOD conferences, leadership training, and liturgical celebrations. The YFACT team is also involved in the World Youth Day Home Event.