Random Thoughts...Wednesday, March 5, 2008
If I were Bishop...
Noting the current crisis in ministry, specifically, the first three things to go in a pastors life are diet, exercise and devotional life, I would put in a place a policy for all seminarians to do morning and evening prayer 6 days a week. In addition, I would work on a plan to check exercise and diet habits. On Parents... Do we youth workers see them as a resource for our ministry or do we see ourselves as a resource for them? And...which is Biblical? I will hold off on my answer:) On Youth... I am absolutely convinced that they can do way more than we give them credit for. Though, they are fairly erratic in their behavior so one week they will surprise you and the next they might disappoint you. On Formation... Our tendency is for info dump. What I mean is that we just dump as much info on students (and adults) as possible when it relates to formation/discipleship. I am convinced that the better way is the way of the tradesman...or something like this...Here is an example of what I mean: Let's say I am an expert carpenter and I have a son. This son of mine is supposed to take over the carpentry business eventually. Here is how I teach him. 1) He watches me do it. 2) He helps me do it. 3) I help him do it and 4) Finally, I watch him do it. This is much more Biblical (think of Jesus and the Apostles) and it is much more experiential. On Who the Pastor is... God is the pastor. You are in his stead. So...do not be afraid to put your students in situations that are really uncomfortable and not necessarily fun. What I mean is instead of teaching them on prayer for 45 minutes and then praying for 10...do a slightly guided time of prayer (even silent) for an hour and then talk about it. This uncomfortable experience (which is easy to facilitate) puts them in a position to wrestle with God and allow Him to pastor them. Labels: Miscellaneous +
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On "Formation"...I learned from watching my parents do something and then helping them do it and then they helped me and then watched me with joy and pride as I accomplished a new skill and became more confident in myself and my abilities. Often today we don't think we can afford the time to teach our children this way because it's easier and faster to do it ourselves or they get impatient or maybe because we're afraid they'll "fail" and that might hurt their feelings. But, can we really afford not to take the time to teach this way whether it be a life skill or a spritiual skill. We all learn by watching, trying and then applying and sometimes even failing but new skills will build self-confidence and self-confidence is what children need to be able to make wise decisions as they move into adulthood.
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Involved in Youth Ministry for over 10 years, Rev Chris Zoephel has worked with junior highers, senior highers and those who act like these folks both as a paid staff member and as a volunteer in churches and para church organizations. These days most of his time is spent chasing his son around, keeping his office somewhat organized and trying to point others toward Christ. Currently Chris is on staff at Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin, FL as the Pastor of Discipleship (which includes being a youth pastor). Chris also serves as Director of YAMIA for the Anglican Mission in the Americas. |
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