Introduction

This manual examines the nature of the Lasallian Youth movement, its origins and development, and its participation in the shared mission of the Christian Brothers. The Church views the role of the laity as one of evangelizing and ministering. And the Church's decrees on the Apostolate of Lay People adds: "The young should become the first apostles of the young, in direct contact with them, exercising the apostolate by themselves among themselves . . ." (Vatican II, November 1965). And John Paul II, in Christifdeles Laici (December 30, 1988), states,

Youth must not simply be considered as an object of pastoral concern for the church: in fact, young people are and ought to be encouraged to be active on behalf of the church as leading characters in evangelization and participants in the renewal of society.

The General Chapter of the De La Salle Christian Brothers enthusiastically embraced "the role of those men and women . . . who work in association [with the Brothers] to procure a human and Christian education for young people and especially the poor."

The Lasallian Youth movement unites the challenge of both of these documents.

Young people today are growing up in a world of conflicting value systems. All are influenced by the materialism and consumerism of American society, but at the same time, many cherish an idealism that calls them to act generously to work for a better world. They are unsatisfied even in Catholic schools. Many young people look for a place and a group to which they can belong.

Lasallian Youth provides the opportunity for youth to find a place to belong, giving apostolic options during school years, and a spirituality that supports service to those in need. It aims at empowering young people in our society to work to bring about God's reign in their own hearts and in the hearts of all those whose lives they touch.

This document was written by people similar to yourself: teachers, campus ministers, Lasallian Youth moderators. In two long weekends, they put their collective knowledge and experience together to outline what they had done and to put it into words, so others with interest in young people would have a manual to guide them as they begin their work with a Lasallian Youth group in their school. They discussed concepts, spoke of their own experiences, argued about word choice, critiqued one another's writing, revised, reviewed, revised again, and now offer their work for your benefit. Their work was the beginning of a process that continues; this manual isn't the "final word." Expanded participation and fresh observations will provide better examples and different ways of enhancing the experiences and opportunities that Lasallian Youth provides.

How appropriate it is that this group of educators would collaborate to produce this manual! At a time when the Brothers of the Christian Schools have recognized the significant contributions of their colleagues in addressing the need of young people, in a period when the General Chapter has challenged the Brothers and their partners in education to Treasure their baptismal call to full participation in the life and mission of Jesus, this group of educators - who believe that the spirit of John Baptist de La Salle still lives - offered their time and talent, their own "baptism by fire," to ease the anxiety and propose a structure for other interested moderators to use.

We hope that the manual provides a help to you as you encourage your youth group "to be active on behalf of the church as leading characters in evangelization and participants in the renewal of society."