Adoptive Youth Ministry of Chap Clark. A Critical Appraisal  from a Catholic Perspective

Jason Pinto

doi:10.21852/sem.1812

Published: 2024-06-30

Vol. 45 No. 1 (2024)

Adoptive Youth Ministry of Chap Clark. A Critical Appraisal from a Catholic Perspective

Jason Pinto

Seminare. Learned Investigations

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1812

Abstract

Based on the two fundamentals in Youth Ministry, namely the role of the youth in Youth Ministry as protagonists and subjects, as proposed in Christus Vivit, the apostolic exhortation on the Youth, a fresh thinking has been taking place in the Church. This study explores Youth Ministry based on the theology of Adoption propounded by Chap Clark, a Presbyterian Pastor from the United States, who has been in the field of Youth Ministry for the past 27 years. He proposes a Christian spirituality which is found in one’s belongingness to a community, which he terms as “Adoptive Youth Ministry.” The objective of Youth Ministry as adoption is for every child, every adolescent, and every young adult, to be so embraced by the community of faith that they are assured a home, a people, and a place where they can discover who they are and how they are able to contribute. It proposes a concrete step towards a process of integrating the youth in ecclesial life. A Catholic perspective on his method is an enrichment in the Church’s theology of Youth Ministry.

Keywords:

Youth Ministry, Adoptive Youth Ministry, Chap Clark, Ecumenical Youth Ministry, Christus Vivit, Ecclesio-centric Youth Ministry, Intergenerational Youth Ministry

Download files

PDF

Citation rules

Pinto, J. (2024). Adoptive Youth Ministry of Chap Clark. A Critical Appraisal from a Catholic Perspective. Seminare. Learned Investigations, 45(1), 5–17. https://doi.org/10.21852/sem.1812

Cited by / Share

References

Anthony, Francis-Vincent. 2003. “Una Pastorale in Prospettiva Missionaria.” In Pastorale Giovanile: Sfide, prospettive ed esperienze, edited by Francis-Vicnet Anthony, Luigi Gallo, Mario Midali, and Richardo Tonelli, 97-109. Rome: LAS.
Google Scholar

Anthony, Francis-Vincent. 2012. “Intercultura: prospettiva teologico-pratica.” In Pastorale Giovanile Interculturale 1: Prospettive fondanti, edited by Francis-Vincent Anthony, and Mario Cimosa, 159-186. Rome: LAS.
Google Scholar

Bonner, Steve. 2016. “Understanding the Changing Adolescent.” In Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations into the Family of Faith, edited by Chap Clark, 22-38. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2001a. “The Changing Face of Adolescence: A Theological View of Human Development.” In Right: Thinking Theologically about Youth Ministry, edited by Chap Clark, Kenda Creasy Dean, and Dave Rahn, 41-61. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2001b. “The Missional Approach to Youth Ministry.” In Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church, edited by Mark Senter, 77-112. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2011. Hurt 2.0: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2015. “The Adoption View of Youth Ministry.” In Youth Ministry in the 21st Century: Five Views, edited by Chap Clark, 73-109. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2016a. “Introduction: Adoption – Reenvisioning Youth Ministry and the Family of God.” In Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations into the Family of Faith, edited by Chap Clark, 1-8. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2016b. “The Strategy of Adoptive Youth Ministry.” In Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations into the Family of Faith, edited by Chap Clark, 11-21. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Clark, Chap. 2018. Adoptive Church: Creating an Environment where Emerging Generations belong. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Flies, Heather. 2016. “A Call to Adoptive Ministry: Middle School Distinctives.” In Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations into the Family of Faith, edited by Chap Clark, 233-245. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Google Scholar

Francis. 2016. Amoris Laetitia. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Pastoral Care of Families (1 April 2016). Accessed: December 14, 2023. http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papafrancesco_esortazione-ap_ 20160319_amoris-laetitia.html.
Google Scholar

Francis. 2019. Christus Vivit. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation to young people and to the entire people of God. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Google Scholar

John Paul II. 1995. Ut Unum Sint. Encyclical Letter on Commitment to Ecumenism (25 May 1995). Accessed: December 14, 2023. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25051995_ut-unum-sint.html.
Google Scholar

Pollo, Mario. 2003. “Modello di Relazione Pastorale.” In Pastorale Giovanile: Sfide, prospettive ed esperienze, edited by Francis-Vincent Anthony, Luigi Gallo, Mario Midali, and Richardo Tonelli, 335-350. Rome: LAS.
Google Scholar

Sebastian, Jude. 2018. “Development of Youth Ministry in the Church since Vatican II.” In Youth Ministry in North East India: Pre-Synodal Contextual Reflections, edited by Barnes Mawrie, 31-64. Shillong: RCTA & NERYC.
Google Scholar

Synod of Bishops XV Ordinary General Assembly. 2018a. Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment, Instrumentum Laboris. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.
Google Scholar

Synod of Bishops XV Ordinary General Assembly. 2018b. Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment, Final Document. Rome: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Google Scholar

Tonelli, Riccardo. 2003. “Dalla Situazione Culturale e Giovanile: Una Sfide alla Pastorale Giovanile.” In Pastorale Giovanile: Sfide, prospettive ed esperienze, edited by Francis-Vincent Anthony, Luigi Gallo, Mario Midali, and Riccardo Tonelli, 73-82. Rome: LAS.
Google Scholar

Vallabaraj, Jerome, and Fernando Sahayadas. 2015. Proclaiming the Gospel of Wholeness: The Perennial Relevance of Evangelii Nuntiandi. Bangalore: Kristu Jyoti Publications.
Google Scholar

Vallabaraj, Jerome. 2012. Faith-Focused mentoring as a Paradigm for Youth Catechesis. Bangalore: Kristu Jyoti Publications.
Google Scholar

Vatican Council II. 1965. “Unitatis Redintegratio.” AAS 57(4): 94.
Google Scholar

Young People: Faith, Vocation, Discernment: To Pray the Theme of the Synod on Young People in the Light of the Word of God, edited by Juan Jose Bartolomé, and Shaji Joseph Puykunnel. 2018. Bengaluru: Kristu Jyoti Publications.
Google Scholar