How do you Sponsor a Teenager?
Being asked to be a sponsor is a wonderful honor! But, what exactly are you supposed to do? Most Churches and curriculums answer this question by providing experiences with the candidate and intellectual formation on various points of Catholic theology. While these approaches are important, I think they ignore a reality sponsors face.
A few years ago, a grandmother came up to me super enthusiastic that she was picked to be her grandson’s sponsor. She went to Church every Sunday and had a vibrant prayer life. She wanted to know what she was supposed to do as a sponsor. I smiled at her and gave her a sheet of questions we had the candidates and sponsors ask each other. She thanked me for the paper but asked when she was done asking the questions, what was she supposed to do? I was not 100% sure what to tell her other than to encourage her to keep talking about faith with her grandson. I think both of us were a little disappointed that I did not have anything more tangible to offer her.
In hindsight I’ve realized two things: it can be very difficult to talk to people about faith. It can also be very difficult to talk to teenagers. I think these are two components that the Church could do a better job equipping sponsors because the real job of a sponsor happens after their young person is confirmed and they are no longer in a formal preparation process. What skills and experiences can we offer sponsors to equip them to do that job?
It is with that thought that I approach Sponsor formation. I want to try and compliment what other Churches and curriculums have created while providing a unique experience that is distinctly different by focusing exclusively on the sponsor and helping them become the best sponsor they can be. I am calling my sponsor formation approach: The Adventure Catalyst
St. John Paul II once said, “life with Christ is a wonderful adventure.” But, I’m not sure how many of us would honestly call our faith as “wonderful” or “an adventure.” The goal of these "Sponsor Only" sessions is to be a catalyst that God can use to make your faith a “wonderful adventure.” Specifically, here’s how we encourage let the Holy Spirit to work:
Story
We have this idea that experiences where God directly speaks either do not happen or are rare at best. But, what if God is speaking to us and we do not recognized it? I will go over some tools to help you process how God is speaking to you. This will give you language to talk about God and how to help your candidate see God in their own lives.
​
Nuts & Bolts
We use a lot of terms like "accompaniment", "discipleship" and "life long" in the Church to describe a sponsor's role. What do these terms mean? What exactly are you supposed to do as a sponsor? I will give you some practical answers about what you are signing up for and advice on how to do it.​​
Active Listening
Most of us listen to what people say in order to respond. Active listening is where you are listening in order to better understand someone. It is an essential skill for a mentor because it requires being able to respond to someone without making the conversation about yourself. I will also teach you how to ask good follow up questions to your candidate to make your discussions impactful.
​
Teen Culture
Culture forms how we view the world. Teens have their own subculture to American culture. This is more than just what is "cool" right now. Rather, their culture forms how they hear and understand Jesus. I will also cover teen developmental stages and common problems teens face that as a sponsor you should understand and know how to respond to.