National Institute for Ministry with Young Adults
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth (LMFLY) collaborates with the National Institute for Ministry with Young Adults (NIMYA), a nationwide resource center and network aimed at assisting the Catholic Church in the United States better equip leaders for active engagement and accompaniment of young adults in their 20s and 30s.
See more here: https://www.ministrywithyoungadults.org/
NIMYA was formed by a USCCB ad-hoc task group, the National Advisory Team on Young Adult Ministry (NATYAM). From 2016 to 2022, this team served as a consultative body to the U.S. bishops on young adults and the Church's pastoral ministry with them, as well as a coalition of leaders and a provider of pastoral support to parish and diocesan leaders in the field of ministry with young adults. Part of the vision of NATYAM was to establish a new model of nationwide support and resourcing for this field. After several years of co-responsible consultation, experiments, and discernment, and in light of the 2017-2019 Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment (and Christus Vivit), NIMYA was formed with key values and components that reflected its origins with the USCCB.
The organization is led by a two-tier board structure that includes both bishops and non-bishops, women and men, young adults and older generations, ordained, consecrated, and lay members, yet all united in their faith in Jesus Christ and the community of the Catholic Church. Several U.S. Bishops are actively part of the organization's leadership and USCCB staff serve ex-officio on their board of directors.
NIMYA offers the field the following services related to the Church's ministries with young adults:
- Regional Symposium Series
- Workshops and Presentations
- Training Modules for Specific Audiences
- Networking for Pastoral Leadership
- National and Global Initiatives
- Online Resources for Ministry
- Academic Research on Young Adults
In short, NIMYA exists to equip Catholics to encounter and accompany young adults. For more information, go to the NIMYA website or contact Mr. Nicholas (Nick) Stein, Board Chair, at nick@ministrywithyoungadults.org.