"Our Missionary education centres would be the ideal milieu where a Paulist lay missionary movement may develop. The Lay people involved will first have to be formed in living out their Christian commitment within a community context, and therein imbued with missionary zeal."

MSSP General Chapter, 1994, para. 25

The aim of CAM Youths is the formation of Christian Life Communities, made up of men and women of discernment for apostolic service in all spheres of life, especially where lay people are most actively engaged: family, profession, politics, education, etc. This entails a rather lengthy process of formation.
Each community is seen as a life-long accompaniment to each individual member. The life of each community is to be characterised and lived out on three core principles, namely: friendship, spirituality and mission.

By friendship we mean a community of love, made up of people who hold each other in respect and reverence and who care for each others' well being. It also means that we work more on our relationships such that we can share our lives within the community making our life more meaningful and open to receive support and nurturance.

Spirituality relates to a common set of beliefs and values, which the community holds and embraces. It, therefore, refers to the living-out of gospel-based values and principles in every-day life. More than this, it means a growing wish to become closer to our Creator, building up an unique relationship out of which we can identify and realise our call to Christian living. Such a spirituality needs to be developed along the charism of the MSSP tradition as well as general Pauline Spirituality. This will eventually lead us to develop methods and rituals for daily living.

Mission or service, is the third core element of each community. A mature community cannot close-in on itself but has to gradually share more of its characteristics with others. The effectiveness of the community is directly related to the amount of energy it is giving up into sharing itself with others. This is done both through personal and group initiatives, with special emphasis laid on the fundamental option for the poor and needy, again in line with MSSP traditions, charisma and spirituality. Such service cannot take place outside the context of friendship and spirituality.