Reward

• Autonomy
• Intimacy with Peers
• Career plans
• New relationship with family of origin
• New experiences

Challenge

• Differentiate self and family
• Developing community of support
• Tasks of intimacy/skills
• Establishing start of career
• Loneliness

Spiritual Task

• Vocation Discernment
• Dealing with moral values as an adult
• Establishing an adult faith relationship with God/community

Ministry Models

• Young Adult Groups
• Adult Faith Enrichment
• Faith in Action Opportunities
• Young Adult Affirmation
• Mentoring resources

(Courtship/Marriage/Forming New Family Unit)

Reward

• Couple time
• Romance
• Freedom
• Intimacy/belonging

Challenge

• Realign relationships with families of origin
• Adjustment to living together: sex, marital chastity, money, lifestyle, friends, work, religion

Spiritual Task

• Develop couple spirituality- entering the covenant relationship; domestic church
• Finding or forming a church
• Accepting /negotiating differences in faith expression

Ministry Models

• Marriage preparation programs
• 2^nd marriage/Blended Family preparation
• Interfaith Marriage Ministry
• Natural Family Planning Resources
• Young Marrieds Support Group
• Marriage Enrichment programs
• Married retreats, annual renewal of marriage vows

Reward

• Generativity
• Joy in watching child develop
• Enriched identity as a family

Challenge

• Less couple time-making room for another in family system
• Less personal freedom
• New role as a parent
• Develop new relationship to extended family, to own parents and to spouse’s parents/family
• Childcare

Spiritual Task

• Expand family spirituality
• Develop religious traditions/rituals
• Awareness of vocation of parenting
• Expand generosity of service
• Nurturing couple relationship

Ministry Models

• Marriage Enrichment programs
• Baptismal Preparation programs
• Young Marrieds small groups
• Family prayer materials
• Values Education/Media Awareness
• Faith-based sexuality education
• Single parent support network
• Parish Parenting Program/network
• Christian Sexuality Materials/media

Reward

• Joy of seeing children develop, excel and form peer relationships
• Shared tasks in home
• Family bonding, shared memories
• Family’s world expands

Challenge

• Pressure/pull school and outside activities on family
• Challenge of being primary religious and sex educators
• Less time for couple
• Dual career/childcare issues
• Individual issues of each child
• Adjustment when last child enters school
• Adults dealing with issues of addiction, mid-life, family of origin

Spiritual Task

• Accept each child’s strengths and limitations with grace
• Nurture couple relationship
• Teach/model values and morals
• Maintain healthy boundaries
• Incorporating faith practices
• Pass on faith to children through traditions, rituals, prayers, stories
• Family as “servant “community
• Making peace with family of origin

Ministry Models

• School-age parenting programs
• School- age religious education
• Family-centered enrichment
• Marriage Enrichment programs
• Ministry to Marriages in Crisis
• Divorce Ministry
• Single parent support network
• Ministry for children with losses
• Family Counseling Services

Reward

• Joy in watching child develop
• Beginning of new kind of relationship in family
• Increasing independence and competence in children

Challenge

• Challenge to parental authority (negotiating)
• “Middlessence” meets adolescence
• Less time with extended family
• Continued mid-life challenge in marriage relationship with extended family
• Needs of aging parents adds more pressure
• Teen rebellion, sexual issues, addictions, etc.

Spiritual Task

• Letting go of children while maintaining family unity, values
• Cooperate with larger church for adolescent faith development program (Search/Lifeteen)

Ministry Models

• Youth Ministry Programs
• Marriage Enrichment
• Ministry to Marriage in Crisis
• Ministry to Teens with Losses
• Parenting Teens materials
• Drugs, Alcohol, Sex Education
• Media Awareness Training
• Single parent support network
• Parish Parent Support Systems

Reward

• Friendship with children
• Parents ‘entry into new arenas (career, volunteer)
• More time with spouse, friends

Challenge

• Re-negotiating couple relationship
• Caring for own parents
• Extra financial burdens
• Breaking continuity of family

Spiritual Task

• Letting go, “healing the dream”
• Redefining spirituality of couple

Ministry Models

• Bereavement Ministry
• Marriage Enrichment
• Ministry to Struggling Marriages
• Support for People Caring for Aging Parents
• Support for dealing with mid-life issues
• Support for Widowed, Separated and Divorced

Reward

• Freedom: finances and time
• Children settling in
• Grandchildren
• Back to coupleness

Challenge

• Loneliness
• Children returning home
• Letting go- pain of loss (evaluating self as parent)
• Entry of in-laws, grandchildren
• Unexpected parenting of grandchildren
• Preparing for and retirement

Spiritual Task

• Emphasize personal spirituality
• Exploring new opportunities
• Wisdom, acceptance, trust
• Dealing with own, spouses’ and parents aging
• Realizing relationships to include children’s spouses, in-laws and grandchildren

Ministry Models

• Bereavement Ministry
• Marriage Enrichment
• Support for Struggling Marriages
• Support for Widowed, Separated and Divorced
• Celebration of Aging Church Members
• Retirement Groups

Reward

• Fulfillment in life
• Decrease in tasks, more free time
• New relationships with widows, friends
• Grandchildren

Challenge

• Loss of energy, work, identity, health, spouse, family members and friends
• Shifting generational roles
• Staying connected with younger generation

Spiritual Task

• Acceptance
• Preparing for eternity, life review
• Integrates
• Emphasizing personal spirituality
• Wisdom, acceptance, trust

Ministry Models

• Bereavement Ministry
• Outreach to Homebound Elderly
• Like-to-like Social Group for Seniors
• Hospice
• Parish Nurses
• Reminiscence Opportunity for Older Church Members