“Jesus is the greatest gift we can offer young people, and the ecumenical movement of Young Life creates a beautiful and creative way to communicate the Gospel to all youth,” Kraut said. “I’m eager to partner and run after God’s will. I believe the inspiration from countless Protestant ministries and ministers, coupled with my Catholic upbringing and lifetime of service in the church, prepares me to be and call others to be the salt and light.”
Kraut spent the past decade directing evangelization for the Diocese of Spokane, Wash., a role that includes training youth ministry leaders, developing a middle school camp, and casting a vision for parish youth ministry. Before his work in Spokane, he spent two decades as a pastoral associate for youth at a parish in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where his work included regular outreach to the Coeur d’Alene Native American Reservation.
This month, Kraut added the part-time divisional Young Life role to his current job with the diocese. He has begun training Young Life staff on how to minister well to Catholic students. And he is connecting Young Life staff to Catholic communities in their areas so staff can recruit more committee members, leaders, staff, and donors who are Catholic. Catholic Young Life leaders are needed to serve in public schools and Catholic schools.
The goal of a divisional Catholic Relations coordinator is to oversee and accelerate Young Life’s collaboration with the Catholic Church within a Young Life division – in this case, the eight states of the Northwestern Division.
