"Being part of Tomorrow's Present helped me get more in touch with people and more involved; it definitely will have a long-term effect on me. I think no matter what I do, I'm going to end up doing something in ministry. There's no way around it. It's going to happen."

The young person who said this was able to sum up in a simple comment the goal of Tomorrow's Present : To tap into the rich resources young people have to offer, so the Catholic Church can benefit from their leadership, learning, and service while they are teenagers, and when they become adults.

What does Tomorrow's Present mean?

Tomorrow's Present is a play on words. It has a double meaning.
1. Tomorrow's Present means Tomorrow's Gift, or the present from tomorrow. In other words, young people are a gift for the Church to embrace and celebrate. If we recognize youth as gifted leaders for the church today, they will most certainly continue to bless us with their gifts and presence tomorrow.
2. Tomorrow's Present also means Tomorrow Is Here, the future is already present, like a promising sunrise. In other words, the future of the Church is present in the faces of youth; if we can touch young people today, then we can touch the future of our Church.

What is Tomorrow's Present?

It's a three-year research project, co-sponsored by the Archdiocesan Office for Schools, Child, and Youth Ministries, and the Vocations office of Saint Francis Seminary. It's also a set of resources for youth leadership training, that can be used to help young people better understand ministry, liturgy, and peacemaking.

And now, it's also a web site! Thanks to Judy Pierson, who is the web designer for the House of Peace, and the Teen Leaders at the House of Peace, you can find the stories, the research, the resources, and the voices of young people who make up what we call, "Tomorrow's Present." Go to www.tomorrowspresent.org and see for yourself.

Then e-mail us at tomorrowspresent@archmil.org to tell us what you think!

What have other folks said about Tomorrow's Present?

"Ooh, a web site now! Tomorrow's Present is really getting to be a big deal!"

"Lisa, it's a good thing you did this project."

"I am so interested in the research. We usually assume that everyone knows why we do what we do. It's great to be able to say, 'Research shows that this is effective for young people.' Thanks for making this available!"

"Young people need a voice. The best part of this whole thing is being able to see what young people have to say."

"The Teen Leaders at the House of Peace are very articulate about their beliefs."

"I really believe in what you are doing. I really think this is the way to go. Thanks for making the workshop manuals easy to use."