Archdiocese of Cincinnati's

Training opportunities:

  ●  Volunteer

  ●  Professional Certificate

  ●  Certification 

  ●  Advanced Certificate

  ●  On-Site Training

Question and Answers

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Training for Adult Youth Workers:
Questions and Answers

Click on your question from the list below of scroll down the list.

1. What level of training is right for me?

2. How much will this cost?

3. Why are some of the requirements offered through the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis or the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program?

4. What’s the difference between “Certification” and a “Certificate Program?”

5. What are the “National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers?”

6. What’s a “Lay Ecclesial Minister?”

What level of training is right for me?

·   The Certificate Program for Volunteer Youth Ministry Leaders is for volunteer or stipended youth ministers, youth group leaders, catechists and other youth-serving adults looking for basic, practical ministry tools, skills and knowledge.

·    The Certificate Program for Professional Youth Ministry Leaders is for adults who bear primary responsibility for coordinating or directing comprehensive youth ministry in parish or school settings. Typically this includes staff-level Youth Ministers, Directors/Coordinators of Youth Ministry, and high school Campus Ministers. This most frequently entails a part- or full-time paid position.

·    The Certificate Program for Advanced Youth Ministry Leadership is for experienced Coordinators or Directors of Youth Ministry and other Lay Ecclesial Ministers who have received Youth Ministry Certification in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

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How much will this cost?

·    Basic Levels I & II workshops range from $10-$20 per session. Because other trainings can be designed in a variety of formats, a fee will be assessed for each based on the type and duration of the program, and for materials.

·    Both the Certificate Program for Professional Youth Ministry Leaders and the Certificate Program for Advanced Youth Ministry Leaders  are individualized programs whose costs will vary according to one’s individualized learning plan.  Typical costs include college-level coursework, mentoring, and specialized youth ministry training. Please contact your regional OYYAM for more information.

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Why are some of the requirements offered through the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis or the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program?

They are the experts in catechesis, theology and ministry formation, so why not tap their expertise?  For more information on ORE offerings, contact your regional ORE - in Cincinnati: (513) 421-3131, Dayton: (937) 223-4075, or Sidney: (937) 498-1192. For more information on the Lay Pastoral Ministry Program, call (513) 231-1200.

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What’s the difference between “Certification” and a “Certificate Program?”

Certificate programs are educational programs. A certificate from a certificate program acknowledges attendance and the successful completion of a particular course of study. By contrast, certification is an official credential that recognizes demonstrated competence relative to approved standards. Youth Ministry Certification in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is granted to individuals who have been found competent relative to The National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers Serving As Youth Ministry Leaders (2003, NALM, NCCL, NFCYM). To receive youth ministry certification, candidates must undergo a comprehensive assessment of their knowledge and capabilities and present convincing evidence of their competence. Certified youth ministers are approved for ministry by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Detailed information and application materials are available through your regional OYYAM.

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What are the “National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers?”

Three national ministry organizations* collaborated in producing a landmark resource, published in 2003, that identifies five standards of competence for lay ecclesial ministers:

Standard One.  Lay Ecclesial Ministry Identity

Standard Two.  Personal & Spiritual Maturity

Standard Three.  Theology

Standard Four.  Pastoral Praxis

Standard Five.  Professional Practice

This resource is being used in many parts of the country to assess and design programs of ministry formation, and as a basis for certification processes.  (*NALM, National Association for Lay Ministry; NCCL, National Conference for Catechetical Leadership; NFCYM, National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry)

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What’s a “Lay Ecclesial Minister?”

The U.S. bishops have coined this term to describe lay ministers in the Church who are filling responsible leadership roles that formerly would have been filled by ordained clergy. This term continues to be under study and development as the bishops try to understand this new phenomenon in the Church. For more information, read Lay Ecclesial Ministry: The State of the Questions, (1999, USCCB).

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