About Jesus Youth India Campus Ministry

Introduction   Relevance   How We Work   A Few Initiatives   Where We Are  

Introduction

Campus Ministry is one of the most active and lively ministries of the Jesus Youth with a mission to touch and transform the lives in educational institutions. This Ministry helps the youth to transform their lives by introducing them to Jesus, encourages them to grow in continuous experience of faith and equip them to share their experience with others and thus to become genuine witnesses of evangelization.

The ministry focuses on the transformation of educational institutions into faith formation centers. Recalling the exhortation of the Holy Father, "to be the saints of the new millennium", the movement strives to equip the youth to be the saints of today, through fellowship, sacraments and Word of GOD.

A Unique Ministry

Flexible, informal and constantly experimenting, the Campus Ministry is uniquely organized so as not become an organization, but a thriving movement at the service of the Church. Its ministries are products of fellowship and relationship.

How does it spread?

Sparking off from student to student, the freedom of Christ is spread informally throughout campuses wherever the guidance and support of elders & authorities play an important role in the personal growth of students.

Student Initiative

The beauty of the movement is that it is purely a student initiative. The concept of Campus Ministry is fully realized only if the whole campus comes together under the banner of Christ’s love to heal the world and proclaim His kingdom. Necessary initiatives are taken through proper channel for the appropriate involvement of teachers and non-teaching staff of campuses to involve in the functioning of campus ministry

Relevance    Back to Top

College is a time when students’ minds and hearts will turn to the deepest questions of life, its meaning, future, love, hope etc. All are searching answers for these questions, though not in the right places. With the help of an exciting and healthy Catholic Campus Ministry in the College, today’s youngsters will never miss out on the great adventure that God has for them! This vibrant ministry of young people helps the modern youth to know the rich and glorious secret which God has for all people and the secret is Christ Himself, the only hope for glory. “Christ is in you, the hope of Glory” (Colossians: 1/27)

During His Holiness’s first appearance on the balcony of St.Peter’s Basilica, Pope John Paul II proclaimed to the world,

“Christ, Christ is the answer. Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!
Christ is the truth that can give direction to life and hope to the future.
Christ is the answer to our deepest expectations…The Church entrusts to young people the task of proclaiming to the world the joy that springs from having met Christ. By shining with faith, hope and love, you will show Jesus Christ to others”

What We Aim For

To mould trained disciples of Jesus from each and every campuses for changing educational institutions into Catholic Faith formation centers. As the Campus Ministry leaders in colleges, evangelization is the essence of our activities.

“Bringing the message of Christ to the academic world” (Empowered by the spirit, 1), as our main ministry focus, we help the students and faculty to encounter Jesus and to nurture their relationship with Him. It includes, reaching out to those who are away from the Church and those who hunger for the Truth. Taking our lead from His Holiness Pope Paul VI, we can see that we must go to the very roots of the university to gain the souls. We “must not remain on the margins of the academic community, but must accept the call to bring the light of the Gospel to the very centre of that world” (ES 28). Our ministry works in colleges to influence the affective dimension of Campus life, nurturing a passion to participate in the institutional and individual transformation.

Jesus Youth Campus Ministry expects to work in 3 levels in campuses.

The activities initiated by the students can be supported by the other two levels depending on the need of the situations .The proper involvement of these three levels can definitely transform the learning centers of India into faith formation centers.

How We Work    Back to Top

We redefine the spirit of youth by having a life style based on prayer, Word of God, Sacraments and fellowship. Campus gatherings are the In-house training centers which help the campus students to lead a witnessing and successful life in the campuses and to take life time commitment to God. The various dynamics in the campus gatherings instill in the students, the love for Church, option for the poor and a thirst for holiness. Cell groups of three to five people are also there in campuses which help the students to share their day to day experiences and grow in Christ. The ministry also has intercession, music and audio visual ministries as supporting ministries.

Study Cells, outreach ministry, Music ministry. Literature and art ministry etc are commonly formed in each gatherings so as to develop the basic interest of the individuals and thus to Christianize their potential which is shared to the whole world.

A sense of commitment and sincere devotion develops in one who regularly participates in these programs. All the major and minor programs are developed and executed by students themselves. They consider it as a privilege to work for God’s kingdom wherever they are. The painful efforts like fund raising, mobilization, organization, local arrangement are divided according to each one’s caliber and support one another for the faithful completion of the task. Intercession is the powerhouse which provides strength to accomplish the project before them. These are the most important aspects of a Christian student leader’s lifestyle. Thus the students are exposed to practical life situations and thereby a deep concern for humanity develops in them.

Witnessing the active Christian life of a Jesus Youth in a Campus influence many others and they are encouraged to accept the faith in Jesus and thereby lead to discipleship and commitment. Direct and indirect evangelization takes place in campuses, homes, hostels and other fellowship circles through those who witness Christ. Thus Christianity is constantly made relevant for modern times through living witnesses of Jesus in campuses.

Social Concern

Even though social concern is developed in the individuals who involve in the ministry through its activities, it is not a social work or project. Hospital visits, Street visits, outreach to coastal and tribal areas, schools, parishes, mentally retarded children and social outcastes may be there. Individuals who involve in the ministry are encouraged to identify their personal mission and to go through the way in which the Lord guides them.

National Campus Ministry

National Campus ministry has a National Campus Team to coordinate its activities all over India. The present National Campus Team was formed in June, 2008. The ministry has regional teams in South India; growing presence in North, Central and North East regions. Each region/zone has a regional/zonal service team for the co-ordination of campus activities. The campus team has a coordinator and has representatives from most of the campus gatherings. Consolidation and vision sharpening of the ministry activities takes place at each service team meetings. The initial vision orientation takes place at the core team of the campuses, and the next level in the zonal campus teams and the final development at the central campus teams which is having representation from all most all the zones and from the supporting ministries of the region. Regional campus team is assisted and mentored by the Jesus Youth Regional Youth Service Team.

A Few Initiatives of the Campus Ministry    Back to Top

1. Jesus Youth Full Time Volunteers
   A formation program for graduates with 40 days of training and one year full-time commitment to work in different parts of the country for the Lord.
2. Discipleship Training Programme (D.T.P)
   A 7-day training program for the outgoing 12th standard Jesus Youth leaders.
3. Campus Warriors
   An orientation programme for the degree first year students.
4. Master Builders
   A 15-day life oriented leadership-training program for the final year degree students.
5. Master Life
   A 3 month training programme for Jesus Youth leaders to grow in discipleship.
6. Campus Vibes
   A national level training to sharpen the vision of ministry leaders.
7. Leadership Gathering
   Campus Conferences, Campus Pools, Campus Team Gatherings.
8. Initial Programmes
   Campus Meets, Campus on Fire, Harvest, Initial Retreats, Meet Jesus Camps
9. Talent Based Trainings
   Talent Gallery, Talent pool and Music retreats.

Where We Are    Back to Top

Campus Ministry - Some Strong Points

• Because of its position as an informal youth movement, it is able to place itself effectively in the Government & other Institutions.
• Our Ministry is purely a youth initiative (of course, with the help of elders).
• In the ministry, the youth takes the responsibility.
• Campus Ministry helped to make youth evangelizing a reality.
• Through this spirituality has become meaningful to youth too (not just for the old).

Campus Ministry - Some Weak Areas

• Insufficient second level leadership.
• Problems in developing a wider network at the national level.
• Lack of initiatives and deeper commitment from the leaders

The Road Ahead

National Campus ministry has set higher dreams this year, especially on account of the Jesus Youth jubilee Conference in 2010. Jesus Youth movement across the globe will be shifting to a new phase in the jubilee year and the Campus Ministry of India is preparing for this phase shift through this conference. The Campus Ministry is planning to strengthen its network and to develop first line leaders all over India, to have a new pace for evangelization. We dream to have regional teams in almost all the states and to communicate the vision of the ministry even to the grass root level leaders; to build up the existing regions by restructuring the campus gatherings and thus reaching out to new areas.