Each Parish is able to nominate up to 8 teens for the Youth Appreciation Certificate and 1 teen for the Timothy Award of Excellence.
General Timothy Award Criteria
* Teens should be high school aged youth in grades 9-12.
* The award recognizes achievements from the previous year only (January 2021-January 2022.)
* No sporting or academic achievements will be recognized UNLESS the teen has a leadership role within a sports team or academic club.
* Teens cannot be nominated for both the Youth Appreciation Certificate and the Award of Excellence in the same year.
Youth Appreciation Certificate Criteria
Teens will be recognized in one or more of the following areas:
Leadership - Performance, vision, and initiative beyond community service activities. What has been outstanding about the teen's leadership and initiative, or, how has this teen stood out for his ability to spread the Good News to others or to be a faith witness?
Christian Service - Quality and impact of community service meant for the betterment of an organization. What service does the teen perform that makes him/her stand out, not including required service time and activities?
Commitment - Reliability and dedication to accomplish the unique service objects of the organization. What is unusual about the teen's commitment with respect to reliability, dedication, and time?
Award of Excellence Criteria
Teens will be recognized for outstanding excellence in at least THREE or more of the following areas:
Advocacy - "...stands up for adolescents, especially those who are voiceless and powerless in society...shapes a society more respectful of the life, dignity, and rights of adolescents and their families on public issues that affect their lives...empowers young people by giving them a voice."
Catechesis - "...helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increases their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith."
Community Life (including Multicultural and Special Needs) - "...builds an environment...develops meaningful relationships...nurtures Catholic faith; not only what we do (activity) but who we are (identity) and how we interact (relationships)."
Evangelization - "...proclaims Jesus Christ and the Good News...witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ...reaches out to young people...invites young people personally into the life and mission of the Catholic community...calls young people to grow in personal relationship with Jesus...challenges young people to...a life of discipleship...calls young people to be evangelizers."
Justice & Service - "...nurtures in young people a social conscience and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in their faith...empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts...infuses the concepts of justice, peace and human dignity into all ministry efforts."
Leadership Development - "...calls forth, affirms, and empowers the diverse gifts, talents, and abilities of adults and young people in our faith communities for comprehensive ministry with adolescents...empowers all young people for leadership and ministry with their peers in schools, parishes and civic communities."
Pastoral Care - "...promotes positive adolescent and family development...cares for adolescents and families in crises...provides guidance; is most fundamentally a relationship - a ministry of compassionate presence."
Prayer & Worship - "...promotes the authentic participation of youth in liturgy; attends to the diversity of cultures and ages in the assembly; provides opportunities for creative prayer with adolescents in peer, family, and intergenerational settings; promotes effective preaching of the word; allows music and song to express the vitality of young people; prepares the symbols and ritual actions with particular care for their visual dimensions; develops the interpersonal and communal dimensions of the liturgy; provides adolescents with effective and intentional catechesis for liturgy, worship, and sacraments; apprentices adolescents in liturgical ministries.
All Components of Comprehensive Youth Ministry listed above are taken from Renewing the Vision - A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, approved by the USCCB in 1997.
General Timothy Award Criteria
* Teens should be high school aged youth in grades 9-12.
* The award recognizes achievements from the previous year only (January 2021-January 2022.)
* No sporting or academic achievements will be recognized UNLESS the teen has a leadership role within a sports team or academic club.
* Teens cannot be nominated for both the Youth Appreciation Certificate and the Award of Excellence in the same year.
Youth Appreciation Certificate Criteria
Teens will be recognized in one or more of the following areas:
Leadership - Performance, vision, and initiative beyond community service activities. What has been outstanding about the teen's leadership and initiative, or, how has this teen stood out for his ability to spread the Good News to others or to be a faith witness?
Christian Service - Quality and impact of community service meant for the betterment of an organization. What service does the teen perform that makes him/her stand out, not including required service time and activities?
Commitment - Reliability and dedication to accomplish the unique service objects of the organization. What is unusual about the teen's commitment with respect to reliability, dedication, and time?
Award of Excellence Criteria
Teens will be recognized for outstanding excellence in at least THREE or more of the following areas:
Advocacy - "...stands up for adolescents, especially those who are voiceless and powerless in society...shapes a society more respectful of the life, dignity, and rights of adolescents and their families on public issues that affect their lives...empowers young people by giving them a voice."
Catechesis - "...helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increases their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith."
Community Life (including Multicultural and Special Needs) - "...builds an environment...develops meaningful relationships...nurtures Catholic faith; not only what we do (activity) but who we are (identity) and how we interact (relationships)."
Evangelization - "...proclaims Jesus Christ and the Good News...witnesses to our faith in Jesus Christ...reaches out to young people...invites young people personally into the life and mission of the Catholic community...calls young people to grow in personal relationship with Jesus...challenges young people to...a life of discipleship...calls young people to be evangelizers."
Justice & Service - "...nurtures in young people a social conscience and a commitment to a life of justice and service rooted in their faith...empowers young people to work for justice by concrete efforts...infuses the concepts of justice, peace and human dignity into all ministry efforts."
Leadership Development - "...calls forth, affirms, and empowers the diverse gifts, talents, and abilities of adults and young people in our faith communities for comprehensive ministry with adolescents...empowers all young people for leadership and ministry with their peers in schools, parishes and civic communities."
Pastoral Care - "...promotes positive adolescent and family development...cares for adolescents and families in crises...provides guidance; is most fundamentally a relationship - a ministry of compassionate presence."
Prayer & Worship - "...promotes the authentic participation of youth in liturgy; attends to the diversity of cultures and ages in the assembly; provides opportunities for creative prayer with adolescents in peer, family, and intergenerational settings; promotes effective preaching of the word; allows music and song to express the vitality of young people; prepares the symbols and ritual actions with particular care for their visual dimensions; develops the interpersonal and communal dimensions of the liturgy; provides adolescents with effective and intentional catechesis for liturgy, worship, and sacraments; apprentices adolescents in liturgical ministries.
All Components of Comprehensive Youth Ministry listed above are taken from Renewing the Vision - A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry, approved by the USCCB in 1997.