It is a very fun (and dangerous) thing when a pastor gets a chance to go to someone else's worship service.

I got that chance last nite as I went to a local non denom's church at a pub. Here is one take away from it I want to share with everyone. It is something I am sure many of you are already doing. However, I will share it anyway just in case.

During their announcement and sermon time they displayed on the bottom of their tv screens (that is how you watched the sermon at this pub) a line that said this :
"Questions? Comments? Send your text to (850)XXX-XXXX"

I absolutely loved this. Especially for youth. Think about it. If you can have a phone with unlimited texts...you can have that up during, after or before youth group and allow kids to text in questions that come up for them etc... It could be a really cool way to find out where they are at and help shape teaching series you do with them etc...

I am sure you can do A LOT more with it as well.

Labels: Miscellaneous, nuts and bolts, Programs

One of the things our yamia team is doing this summer is calling every youth minister in the Anglican Mission to get to know them and hear them with the hope and prayer that we might, by God's grace, be able to serve them. So...today I have been doing that and I just got off the phone with Allison who is a youth pastor (along with her husband Chris) at Epiphany Anglican Fellowship in Colorado.

Anyway, they are trying a family based approach. It sounds very cool and definitely outside the box. It has grown, slowly over the last 9 months (that is how long they have been on the job) and they are doing things with a multi generational approach. Why? Simply put, they think parents are supposed to train up their kids in the faith.

It will be fun to see how the Lord works through their ministry over the next few years. I am excited for them and I hope, somehow, we can help them in the Lord.

*note-yamia does not endorse any one model of youth ministry. Rather, we prefer an organic approach. Our heart is for youth ministry to be Biblical, pleasing to God and in accord with the vision and values of the Anglican Mission (which is to reach the 150 million unsaved people in the US.=).

Labels: Family, Programs

There are a ton of ways to go with that title eh?

With regards to youth ministry I want to focus on a shift I see happening...and I welcome it.

The seeker sensitive and program driven model(s) have some VERY positive aspects to them. However, the culture is a changin. So how do we operate in the emerging culture you ask? What do we do different? I am not advocating a complete change in what we do. I am advocating a conversation...a recalibration that may look eerily similar or radically different from our recent past. It depends on you, your church, the makeup of your youth group and probably most importantly where you live. Here are a few starter thoughts for those on this journey to engage the emerging culture that is upon us (whether you are happy about it or not...it is upon us):

1) One thing I very much agree with many emerging writers about is the need for the church to be missional. That is, the church is on mission. They are corporately and individually engaging the culture and engaging the people in the culture. They are listening to their stories and sharing with them the Biblical story.

Practical: Instead of doing a "evangelistic event", train and model meeting people where they are at with the good news. Global Camps are big on leaving a legacy in your schools. Do your students...do we as youth pastors...see ourselves as missionaries in this culture? In our schools? I guess part of being missional is doing whatever it takes to incarnate this in your own life and in the lives of your kids.

This is huge because the vision and value God has given to AMiA is to reach the lost. Not the disenfranchised. They are welcome in AMiA but that is not our main calling. That is not what is supposed to keep us awake at night.

2) Before you walk to preach, make sure your preaching is in the walking. Be the change. In a post hyper marketed christian culture and a flat world people need to make up their own minds. We don't want to jam Christianity down their throats. No, we want to live transformational (that is living and breathing Christianity) Christianity before their eyes.

Practical: Do monthly work projects at nursing homes, at elementary schools, in the community. Live out the servant nature of Christ before the community however you can.

3) Transformed community. A recent sojourners article quoted a Christian activist in Miami as stating that individualism was the biggest issue they faced in having young people live the gospel. Transformed community is a prophetic and healthy picture for a culture that honestly does not even know it needs transformed community.

Practical: Slow down. Let your group be messy. Share your very life with them. Model transformed community. Teach on it often. Keep holding it out as a Christian goal. Integrate the youth into the larger parish/church community asap.

Another big point on this is intentionally working with parents to model this. The core building block to a healthy community is the healthy family. To model this ourselves (God, family and then the church) is critical. Then to help other families do this is a blessing but a challenge.

Labels: Church Planting, Family, nuts and bolts, Programs, Youth Culture

Our team has been dialoging on imonks post that is copied in part 1. Here are some of the points from our dialogue:

Paul: First blush is that this is a way some ministries "could" go, but not how it has to be. There is some good stuff in there, and there is some stuff that sounds really good but is hard to implement. Involving the whole family is a minefield at times. The multi-generational approach is great in theory, but is hard to implement because the ministry down the street will be much more appealing to a consumer mindset (Hey kids, I got some metamucil here for you. It is really good for you and healthy and will make you regular. Don't look down the street, that is just cotton candy). Points 3-6 are much easier to implement and can work in many different models. Points 7-9 are great but generally have to come from a rector or persons higher in the food chain.

Paul and Bo then both weigh in point by point through imonks post:

1. It would be very open to the "family centered" model that puts youth ministry firmly in the ministry of parents, and would utilize "youth ministers" only as a supplement and facilitation of that model.
Paul: How? I wonder if many parents see youth ministry as close to day care. When they do things together, church doesn't come into their minds.
Bo: This is essential to continued growth, but this could also phase out Youth Ministry all together. It makes it hard to see youth ministry as a vocation to young and rising leaders.

2. It would never separate young people from the multi-generational nature of the church, but would instill in them an appreciation for the Christian tradition, and the compromises and gifts of the multi-generational model.
Paul: Never is a big word here. Is there no time for getting with people in smaller, more alike groups? If so, how is that attractive to teens who make their parents drop them off a block away so as not to be embarrassed by them? Sounds like a pretty small youth group.
Bo: We do this well at Prince of Peace thanks to my wife. We actually have an intergenerational ministry where we get together over the summer especially and incorporate events with all generations together (pool parties, game nights, etc.). It is a real hit.

3. Age segregated Bible study would most likely be de-emphasized, if not eliminated as much as possible.
Paul:Again, why shouldn't there be a time for hitting people where they are at?
Bo: Why? There is a lot of value in studying the Bible with your own peer group and applying it to your environment.

4. Mentoring and "AA" type community would be the focus of community life, with a conscious effort to work against the consumerist impulses of evangelical youth culture.
Paul: Not really sure what this looks like, but why does it have to be the focus rather than just the part? Is everyone ready for that type of community? How do we get people into that kind of intimacy when they are afraid of it?
Bo: Ok, but what does that look like?

5. One important emphasis would be participation in broader community ministries and worship opportunities that would emphasize being part of the larger body of Christ, including all traditions.
Paul: Love this idea, how do we get participation or even ownership into it?

6. Relationships and ministries with the church among the poor and the persecuted would replace the creation of envy of megachurch facilities and a menu of specialized large events.
Paul: Cool. How? I am not sure this has worked yet.
Bo: Cool with this. Love to see us go this direction, especially since urban culture is where it is at.

7. A conscious effort to define discipleship in terms of teachable processes will bring about an investment of time and relationships in learning specific disciplines from particular people, and then passing those discipleship processes on to other young people.
Paul & Bo: We love this! Lets flesh this out some time and see what happens.

8. The heart of post evangelical youth ministry would be the church's own growth process into a community discovering the church as the movement Jesus started, imitating the best models of the past and connecting to other traditions.
Paul: How does this happen in each church/part of the church?
Bo: This is essential to the health of the future of the church as we know it.

9. This does not mean the elimination of "youth ministry", but it does mean that any specific ministry will find its definition and direction from the overall character of the community to which it belongs. Whatever activities, actions or processes occur, they will be evaluated by the whole community and not be separate standards derived from "youth ministry" as a self defining para church movement.

In conclusion
Paul: These points seem to be a re characterization of the church in general, not just youth ministry. It looks like a nice dream that might work for some, but doesn't have to be in order for the church to continue. I am also not sure about what it meant by post evangelical. Is that a cultural idea?
Bo: Obviously there is a lot more to be said, but this does get at some of my current thoughts.

Curt also weighed in on the discussion.
Curt: I do think ministry to the entire family is essential and that we need to see youth ministry as an extension of the ministry that parents should have with their children. It is hard and one of the struggles is that family implements their walks differently, so getting enough folks on the same page at the same time is difficult. I don't think that completely removing age specific teaching is the way to go. Even simply from a developmental perspective in High School and then add Middle School, there are major differences in the way I teach those groups. If then the attempt is to always teach in a multigenerational fashion I think we miss too many strong teaching opportunities. I like the thoughts from imonk, but when I hear the always, and nevers I begin to wonder from what perspective is the author writing. I do think that youth ministries need to not be islands unto themselves. They should share values with the rest of the church, and should work diligently elbow to elbow in multigenerational contexts. Youth ministry should also be intensely intentional within the community. The more we show kids opportunities that allow them to see their own value and how the greater community needs them the more we help them see their value in God's eyes. I think the author from imonk is on to something I am just not going to go hook, line and sinker after it.

Labels: Programs

I got this from imonk, a high school teacher and avid blogger. Here are his thoughts on what a youth ministry would look like...great food for thought... Our yamia team is looking at this and (hopefully) having a fun dialogue about it. We may reject the whole thing, who knows, but it should be fun:)

1. It would be very open to the “Family centered” model that puts youth ministry firmly in the ministry of parents, and would utilize “youth ministers” only as a supplement and facilitation of that model.

2. It would never separate young people from the multi-generational nature of the church, but would instill in them an appreciation for the Christian tradition, and the compromises and gifts of the multi-generational model.

3. Age segregated Bible study would most likely be de-emphesized, if not eliminated as much as possible.

4. Mentoring and “AA” type community would be the focus of community life, with a conscious effort to work against the consumerist impulses of evangelical youth culture.

5. One important emphasis would be participation in broader community ministries and worship opportunities that would emphasize being part of the larger body of Christ, including all traditions.

6. Relationships and ministries with the church among the poor and the persecuted would replace the creation of envy of megachurch facilities and a menu of specialized large events.

7. A conscious effort to define discipleship in terms of teachable processes will bring about an investment of time and relationships in learning specific disciplines from particular people, and then passing those discipleship processes on to other young people.

8. The heart of post-evangelical youth ministry would be the church’s own growth process into a community discovering the church as the movement Jesus started, imitating the best models of the past and connecting to other traditions.

9. This does not mean the elimination of “youth ministry,” but it does mean that any specific ministry will find its definition and direction from the overall character of the community to which it belongs. Whatever activities, actions or processes occur, they will be evaluated by the whole community and not by separate standards derived from “youth ministry” as a self-defining parachurch movement.

Obviously there is lot more to be said, but this does get at some of my current thoughts. A very good question. Thanks for asking.

Labels: Programs

Here is what we are doing this summer for youth ministry at Immanuel.

The Sr High is going through the book of Acts. The Jr High ministry is just starting out so we shall see what happens there. Have to feel that one out first. We are going to continue to meet weekly though throughout the summer.

We are doing a beginning of summer snorkel trip and beach party in a few weeks that is open for all youth.

We are taking our kids to Global Reach Camp in early July and to Soul in the City (our AMiA missions camp) in late July. We are doing a bowl-a-thon to raise money for that in 2 weeks.

Those are most of the big things. My focus is hopefully going to be on seeking God and meeting kids where they are at. I may try and reinstitute a summer discipleship school type thing. I have done it in the past. Where I have kids spend the day with me and I take them through disciplines and we do daily business. It has been VERY powerful in the past.

Labels: Miscellaneous, Programs