Theology Day 2025 - Beyond Belief: How Belonging, Joy, and Encounter Awaken Faith for Young People Today
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
11-14-2025
Abstract
Not all youth and young adults are abandoning their faith. However, they are reimagining it through authentic belonging, joyful engagement, and meaningful encounters. Drawing on Pope Francis’ Theology of Encounter and the USCCB’s Listen, Teach, and Send framework, discover practical approaches for creating and fostering the connections young people seek and learn how they themselves are becoming catalysts for renewal in our faith communities.
Donelle Poling is the Director of Conversatio: Creating a Culture of Encounter and Youth in Theology and Ministry (YTM) at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary. She is a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) candidate with a concentration in Interculturality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, IL.
Friday, November 14, 2025
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Emmaus Hall, SJU (Synchronous)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Poling, Donelle, "Theology Day 2025 - Beyond Belief: How Belonging, Joy, and Encounter Awaken Faith for Young People Today" (2025). Theology Day Lectures. 2.
https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/sot_theology_day/2