Life of a youth pastor .

Creating & Maintaining a Visitor Follow-Up Process (DIY4.10)

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welcome This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the fourth of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

A new student walks into your room on a Sunday morning…better yet, do they? Thousands of students every year go unnoticed or aren’t given the opportunity to even make it to the threshold of the youth room. Many churches forfeit their opportunity to welcome the student by lack of promoting and advertising the time and location in which students meet. Let’s face it, the day of parents dropping off their teenager at the door is coming to a close; unless the teenager themselves can find out when and where you are meeting, then you just lost many potential students. Where are your signs? Are your meeting times and info on the church website, how about social media? I’d love to discuss on how to better encourage the number of visitors to your program but first I would find it incredibly important that a solid foundation is in place for welcoming the visitor.

It’s music to the student pastor’s ears when they hear, “We had 10 visitors today!”…that’s great, but the question I would silently ask myself would be…”Are they coming back?” Understanding that you hold some responsibility on whether or not a visitor returns is a huge deal! Do you have the pressure from your church to “grow” your youth group size numerically? Well, have you considered that the only way to grow your youth group numerically is through new attendees (visitors that come back)? This shows just how important a visitor follow-up process can be.

My Visitor Checklist:

  • Did you get their contact information?
  • Did you give them a gift in exchange, thanking them for coming?
  • Did you connect them with someone they can identify with: school, grade, hobby?
  • Did you personalize a follow-up step? Phone call, post card, gift drop, etc.
  • Did you connect with the parents?

If zero of these things happen, the likelihood of this student returning is slim to none. However, each step improves your chances of seeing that student again…if you complete all 5 steps I estimate you have a 60-70% chance of seeing that student again, especially if they do not have a church home and enjoyed their time. I helped restart and improve this process in my new role at Gateway Church, but this is not something I do on my own. Striving to get away from a DIY SM, I have invited others into this process that can be far more welcoming and do a better job at maintaining our process. Knowing the next teen that walks through my door could experience life change forever and a relationship with Jesus Christ – partly because we were faithful to help them get connected and stay connected, now that’s a reason to get excited about a visitor follow-up process! (theology disclaimer: We take no credit for their salvation, but would like to think our faithfulness to this kind of process is God gracing us and allowing us partner with Him when it comes to seeing life change!)

I recommend the book Fusion. This doesn’t directly apply to student ministry but many of the follow-up methods can be repurposed for welcoming teenagers.

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Packin’ my bags for OC 2013!

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orangesuitcaseReady or not Atlanta, here I come for a full 7 days! It’s been 4 years since I last went to the Orange conference, it was actually my first conference as a full-time student pastor. The people over at Orange will constantly say, “it’s not just about a curriculum, it’s a strategy”…

“What if church leaders and parents synchronized their efforts to fuel wonder, discovery and passion in the next generation?” By combining the critical influences of the light of the church (yellow) and the love of the family (red) the Orange Strategy shows a generation who God is more effectively than either could alone.

I am constantly convicted that as student pastors we must aim at equipping, empowering and hold accountable our parent relationships. There is no doubt that the best disciple of the student can be mom or dad, but without encouragement, training and partnering with the local church, how effective can the family be? I know there can be a lot of tension around this conversation, but what I am seriously pumped up about is that Orange is tackling this conversation from multiple angles – small groups, age-appropriate questions, stuff for at home, equipping volunteers and lay-leaders in the church, etc.

After having met the HS pastor for Northpoint (Kevin Ragsdale) at the Orange Tour in Dallas, I am really excited about the kind of ministry he is running in Atlanta. I love large-group environments that funnel into small-groups later in the program. This is a huge win for both students and leaders alike. I’m checking out his ministry this Sunday and hope to learn some new things that could be implemented where I am currently doing ministry.

What else am I looking forward to at Orange 2013?

  • Blogger’s Lounge – apparently Kenny over at childrensministryonline.com is getting me into the box seats. Right Kenny?! 🙂
  • Meeting up with old friends and making new ones. If you are headed to Atlanta too, I’d love to get together for a meal or coffee and talk shop! Contact me and we can set up a time.
  • I’m signed up to attend and learn from the following breakout sessions:
    • Leading You: The Art of Self Leadership
    • NextGen Ministry Leadership: Leading 360 Degrees
    • Understanding the Middle School Mind
    • Orange Interactive: Student Ministry
    • 10 Things I do to Learn, Lead and Network with Others
    • Casting the Vision Daily to Keep Everyone Aligned
    • Crafting Life-Changing Messages for Teenagers
    • Evaluating a Lead Small Experience
  • I think one night I will need to go and see Oblivion, can’t wait, the movie trailers are a tease!

Stage and space design! (DIY3.10)

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stagedesignThis is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the third of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

Being an artist at heart, I become very picky about how things look. My leaders and volunteers would be the first to tell you that if I don’t like the way something looks, I have no problem voicing that concern and/or adjusting it myself. I probably slave over the dreams of stage design too much, but feel that I have settled for an adequate stage design that can be slowly improved over time. For a particular series or event I have been guilty of spending entire days setting up rooms, stages, adjusting lighting, etc. I will have a vision in mind and just can’t seem to walk away until that vision begins to come to life. For those of you who don’t have your own space for students, I get it. None of churches I have worked/interned for have had a designated student building. While the student ministry may frequent the space the most often, the room is usually shared with other ministries in the church. With this in mind, you can’t go over the top being student friendly by making permanent changes to walls or staging. So how can you make the most of your stage/student space?

Before I share some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past few years, I would encourage you to recruit a stage designer and interior designer, perhaps even a construction crew of dad’s (they love this stuff!). Having a stage designer for each one of your series can constantly bring that “new” feeling to an area – this also gets you away from the DIY SM concept. My stage designer is quite crafty and thrifty making the most of products so we can have a dynamic yet cost effective display. She is good about re-using and re-purposing products to get extended use out of them.

Tips & Tricks:

  • Make the most of your lighting! Get away from those hideous fluorescent lights and install some floor lamps, pars, and LEDs. LEDs can totally change the mood of a room…use a deep blue at the back of your stage to make it look bigger. Custom laser etched gobos can bring a “student owned” feel to your room even if it’s not your space. When you’re not in the room simply turn it off.
  • Using foam core, or white stretching fabric to make shapes and designs you can light up with LEDs.
  • Do you have an ugly background? Use pipe and black drape.
  • Rather than decking out the entire stage for a series, use a designated location. We “decorate” a 4’x8′ section of the room for each series and light it up. This allows us to give it our best shot in a smaller area…this is more cost effective and is easier to change over every couple of weeks.
  • Go digital. If you have a projector, use it! Our screen is the focal point of the stage…we using looping graphics and videos that go with the current series. This helps tie everything together in an entertaining way. If you have the money in your budget to upgrade to a brighter or higher resolution projector – it’s worth it.
  • Create multiple levels for your stage. You can do this in the construction of your stage or by using risers. If you use risers, throw an LED underneath, it can look pretty cool.
  • Experiment with student seating…on the ground, in chairs, or find some cool retro rugs. Considering how big or small your space is, you might be limited to your options.
  • Use a large TV as an external secondary monitor for rolling announcements and reminders. (this is a next step for our area)
  • Did I mention how much lighting can make a difference in your space? 🙂
  • Remember…you’re not in this alone, get others to help and actually own this!

What’s your advice on a student space/stage?

Game Over! (DIY2.10)

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gameover

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the second of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

Once again you find yourself trying to transition from a messy game to a serious message. As you wipe the shaving cream off your hands you ask the student’s to bow their heads and pray with you. As you disconnect your mind from your prayer…you begin drifting into thinking about how much time you spent on that game, how hard it was to set up and realize that you invested so much more time into the fun factor of the program rather than preparing a message that students can relate to…as you say Amen, you think “Well, here goes nothing.”

I’m have been guilty of this more than once. Some could blame procrastination or a lack of creativity, but games for students can be down right hard! Planning, preparing and executing games for a program takes time, thought and energy. Though you can probably do both the teaching and games…DON’T DO IT! Sometimes this can come down to a trust issue, “They can’t do games the way I do games.” “They don’t understand all the logistics that go into a group game for 100 students.” “This volunteer is not capable of putting on the fun hat and really getting the students out of their comfort zone.” While all of this can be true, you need to teach them. Lead your leaders to be great at games. Share the burden of the program with other dedicated volunteers and get away from doing both games and teaching. You can be good at both, but better at one when you empower someone else to own the other. Doing this will only help you get away from a DIY student ministry.

With that being said, I’d ask you to consider your student ministry philosophy of the program. What’s the purpose of a program? What’s the purpose of the game? Is it essential that I have a game in every program? These are some good questions to ask.

A few ideas when it comes to games:

  • What leaders come to mind when you think games? Who can be recruited, trained, and own this?
  • Have a night without the game, do something different.
  • Flip that around and have a night of programming that is just fun and games.
  • Don’t give away a prize every time someone wins, this can get expensive! Let them just have the satisfaction of winning.
  • Do a current inventory on all supplies, what can you use for games, what needs to be tossed?
  • Have a healthy mix of both up front games and group games.
  • Messy games are memorable games.
  • Practice communicating the game with fellow staff members before an audience of students, asking them, “Does this make sense?”

Ready your room! (DIY1.10)

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chairs

This is in response to a former article I wrote on DIY Student Ministry. This is the first of ten areas that I’m covering in this series.

It’s Sunday morning and students start pouring into your room for the program. The lights are stuck on some weird pink color, the woofer is pumping so loud that the gray haired people are coming and asking you to turn it down, and for whatever reason that projector keeps flashing “replace bulb”. So what do you do? Well, this isn’t the first Sunday all of this has happened, its actually a rut you find yourself in and you carry on like usual and yet somehow seem to “make it work” for your students and leaders.

I know the feeling all too well, this has happened to me in multiple environments and I’ve seen many student pastors fall victim to a room that is not functioning properly for them. Here’s the good news, this is not a DIY project! There is an army of students, parents, technicians, other staff, leaders, volunteers that are willing to help. Here is the secret of all secrets, “MAKE THE ASK!” Letting down your pride and letting others into your problem areas can only help the process get better, misery loves company right?! But seriously, you need to move away from these items so that you can connect with people.

Here are a few simple truths or common practices that have helped me:

  • Turn that music on! Music seems to make any set up better, whether you are rushed for time or not.
  • Setting up chairs. Don’t do this alone, there are too many people to help. Don’t waste your time.
  • Get off the ladder, and away from “isolation” projects. You need to be connecting with people.
  • If you are handcuffed to the sound booth, you just built a wall (literally) between you and the people you need to be connecting with. Think outside this box.
  • Students can run slides, cameras, lights, and even sound sometimes. They just need someone to invite them into the process, teach them how and then let them own it.
  • Take one day a month to spend in your space outside of programming time. Pray for creativity, tidy up the room, think about new ways you can use your space.
  • Set up for your program  a day or days before. I use a shared space, the days that I can get in there before and prep the room for program I am WAY ahead of the game when it comes to the programming day for my students. My mind is clear of prep work and focused on equipping, encouraging, and empowering my leaders and students.
  • Recruit. Be specific when recruiting leaders/volunteers. Have one own stage design, another own Audio/Visual, yet another check-in process. When people’s responsibilities start to blur lines you will lose quality and assurance that the specific area is going to be taken care of.

DIY SM – Do it yourself student ministry!

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DIYSMConfession, I’m guilty of reading Popular Mechanics magazine. I love to find articles on do-it-yourself (DIY) projects around the house. Whether its staining the wood trim around our windows or changing the oil on my motorcycle, I find it fascinating to learn and do things on my own.

While time alone and DIY projects are life giving to me…I know that doing student ministry alone is not! I hope you would agree with me that student ministry was not created for the student pastor. The student ministry is not a DIY project for one to carry all alone.

Student ministry is not about you! It is not about what you accomplish, it is not about the best message you ever gave, and it is certainly not about the youth space or branding that you have created for students. At the end of your term as student pastor, you will eventually be forgotten and replaced. That might seem a little harsh, but its the truth. Remembering that student ministry is not about you, and keeping that in front of you, will only benefit your ministry and expand its reach. Only when you have this mindset are you able to truly empower your volunteers and students do some ministry of their own.

You may be thinking, “If I want things done right, then I need to do it myself.” Get over it. When you empower others to do ministry you relinquish your rights to be the “do-er” but you don’t relinquish your rights to be the visionary. Practice painting the picture for people, and let them do it! It won’t be done the way you would do it, but more is being accomplished overall through others than if you run a DIY SM. Many times I have found that when I empower someone else…whether it be a mom, dad, student, or fellow staff member…they do a far better job than what I could have done myself! The best memories in student ministry are made when many hands work together, making the job light, everyone is participating by putting their best foot forward in an area that needs attention. Healthy teamwork within your ministry is necessary in moving things forward.

Here is a list of to-do’s that many student pastors (including myself) are guilty of when it comes down to a DIY SM:

  1. Readying the room. Setting out chairs, turning on lights, music, etc.
  2. Finding or creating a game and leading it.
  3. Stage design…hours can be spent doing this.
  4. Creating and maintaining a visitor followup process.
  5. Social media interaction – FB, Twitter, Instagram. Following & liking student posts.
  6. Trip/Retreat research. Lodging, meals, travel.
  7. Helping create or maintain a student band.
  8. Supply run. Need I say more?
  9. Liaisons between your church and local schools.
  10. Project planning and recruiting for the BIG event.

…and the list could go on and on. As the student pastor you can’t do it all on your own. Empower your people!

After writing this article I feel compelled to write out a few thoughts on each item listed above. Stay tuned.

Question for you: What has been your biggest mistake or learning point in a DIY project? Whether in ministry or personally?

Get more followers on Instragram – Do a Scavenger Hunt!

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I love scavenger hunts. It’s a thrill to race against time and compete for the prize. The team aspect is downright fun and helps people understand the importance of bringing others into the “picture” for a better outcome. When doing this hunt last night our student ministry upped our followers on Instagram by 600!!! Ok…not quite that much, but we did get 25 new followers 🙂 Before you dismiss that, really consider what this means. Extending your reach through social media by doing something like this can capture the one person that “needs” to see your photos.

instascavengerhuntOur students were the ones posting upwards of 10 photos a piece and tagging our group. Their friends from school, sports teams, work etc. saw these silly pictures, liked them and are now following the posts that I put up weekly informing students of gatherings, summer trip options, Biblical truth, and just funny, silly stuff. After the hunt we had some judges hop online and look at photos…we judged on timestamps, creativity, and those that best followed the directions. I printed off and gave them this picture to the right as an example before giving them the scavenger hunt challenge. Make sure students and those participating in the hunt understand the “MUST HAVES” so that you can leverage the game for the social media win!

MUST HAVES

  1. GEOLOCATION
  2. TEAM PHOTO
  3. @GROUPNAME

WHAT DO I HAVE THEM FIND? Here are a few…

  1. Use your team to build a pyramid.
  2. What time does our group meet on Wednesdays?
  3. Give us your best Chuck Norris pose!

See more ways that I leverage our Instagram account by visiting http://instagram.com/gatewaystudents

Redefining Youth Ministry in a Postmodern Culture

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students

If you find yourself constantly saying, “We need leaders!” – “We need more money for our budget!” Then this article is for you. It was highly encouraging to me as a student pastor and explains clearly what I’m striving for in my current role to reach the students of today…it’s a lengthy read but worth every minute!

Thanks Dr. Duane Smith for authoring such a great article.

Redefining Youth Ministry in a Postmodern Culture, Revitalizing Reformed Churches

by Duane Smith

INTRODUCTION

We are living in confusing times. Many culture watchers are convinced that our society is undergoing a transformation of broad proportions. This cultural shift goes by various designations. Some observers tell us we are in the throes of a transition from a Christian to a post-Christian era. Others declare we are moving from a Constantinian to a post-Constantinian situation. But the most widely used description suggests we are witnessing the emergence of a “postmodern” society. Whatever may be the preferred nomenclature, the various voices are in agreement that the cultural shift now transpiring carries grave implications for the church.1

These thoughts of Stanley Grenz, former professor at Carey Theological Seminary, Vancouver, BC, in the preface to Making Sense Out Of Church, provoke us to rethink the effectiveness of our current ministry paradigms. The “grave implications” to which Grenz refers are evident to those involved in youth ministry. Many of our congregations seem stuck in “cultural lag,” a slow or delayed response to changing paradigms, resulting in the loss of relevance or impact, particularly with younger generations. Even when churches seek to understand these postmodern shifts, most struggle with simply “keeping up” in a rapidly shifting youth culture. Cultural analysts note that in the 1980s and early 1990s, the landscape of youth culture shifted significantly about every six to seven years; today this shift seems to occur every three years.

Recent statistics regarding baptized youth also reveal evidence of cultural lag. Approximately eight out of ten adolescents will leave their RCA or CRC roots within a year of high school graduation. Certainly this is one factor affecting the forty-year plus membership decline within the RCA, yet it’s a factor we have not addressed well. Revitalization efforts, if effective at reversing this decline, must embrace the reality that our static youth ministry efforts are not effective in the long term. Although solutions will not come easily, we must begin to elevate youth ministry as a higher priority. We are losing connection with today’s generation. We will likely continue to die as congregations and denominations unless we pay serious attention to this issue.

We Need Courage and Wisdom to
Embrace a Changing World

Most researchers and authors currently exploring the postmodern shift recognize the enormity of the challenge before us. Creating and implementing new and effective youth ministry models will be demanding work. Ron Hutchcraft, a thirty-year veteran of student and family ministry, calls the challenge we face “a battle for a generation.” “Youth ministry, Jesus-style, requires the courage to leave our comfort zone and plunge into the surf and storm as he did.” Hutchcraft further notes that “if this generation is lost, it won’t be because the world is more powerful than we are, or has something better to offer. It will be the result of not showing up. We won’t lose by fighting. We will lose by forfeit.”2

We Must Elevate Youth Ministry to a
Status of Higher Priority

Traditionally, youth ministry has not received priority attention within our churches. Recent analysis of the churches within the RCA Synod of the Great Lakes revealed that the average congregation invests less than 7% of its operating budget in youth ministry,3 even though according to George Barna, 41% of those who comprise American churches are 18 years of age or younger.4 In some cases, less than $500 is annually allocated for youth ministry efforts. Additionally, further polling reveals that only one in ten churches claims to have a vibrant youth ministry. Likewise, the profession of youth ministry has been one of the lowest paying vocational careers in America. In some cases, those in professional youth ministry receive a compensation package that is 60% less than other similar professions requiring the same level of education.

A Re-Imagined Paradigm is Needed

If eight out of ten baptized youth are exiting our churches soon after high school graduation, the time for change has come. Old paradigms of ministry are no longer effective. For instance, during the 1980s and 1990s, many youth ministries were built on the “field of dreams” concept, i.e., “if you build it they will come.” The idea was to create an impressive facility with “bells and whistles” that would “attract” community youth while keeping covenant youth excited. Today, there seems little we can build that will attract students. Most do not care if we have great auditoriums and nice game rooms. What they long for are authentic relationships that dive deep into spiritual understanding. (Developing meaningful relationships is the one constant that has not and will not change in effective youth ministry.)

We need a few churches to become innovative leaders in youth ministry development, churches that will move outside the box of traditional ministry and embrace innovative strategies that engage youth in the cause of Christ.   The average congregation invests less than 7% of its operating budget in youth ministry.  Larger churches must begin to share their resource wealth with smaller churches. This means that we must break down the walls that separate churches in our communities and explore community-based youth ministry approaches. When it comes to youth ministry, most of our churches are segregated and dysfunctional at best. Rarely have our congregations worked together with any sense of synergy. We live in communities where 50% or more of the youth are now unchurched, yet we remain isolated and ineffective.

Churches with innovative youth ministries then can become centers for youth ministry development, effectively cultivating and training leaders to coach and mentor youth. At the same time, our denominations must take the lead in advocating fair and equal treatment of youth workers, keeping these leaders engaged in kingdom work instead of sending them packing because of economic hardship. We must embrace our mission as “going into the world” instead of waiting for lost youth to find our church doors.

The biggest challenge will be articulating a new or revised paradigm that works. Webster’s Dictionary defines paradigm as “a set of assumptions, concepts, values and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them.” What core assumptions, values, and practices might we need for developing a pardadigm of youth ministry within our postmodern context? In his book Unfreezing Moves, Bill Easum argues that congregations must break out of a mere maintenance model and move into a missional model of ministry in general. He writes,

Most Protestant congregations are stuck in the muck and mire of their institutions with little or no movement toward joining Jesus on the mission field. To them faithfulness means supporting their church and keeping it open. For them to be faithful to their God-given mission, they must be freed up from their slavery to their institutions to live for others on the mission field, freed up to function in a constantly changing world.5

RETHINKING YOUTH MINISTRY

God is a God of mission. The Father sent the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit to reconcile the world to God. As God sent Jesus, so Jesus sends the Church to be ambassadors of reconciliation in the world. Thus Jesus provides the primary model for missional youth ministry. The Gospel narratives suggest that Jesus’ ministry was characterized by clarity of purpose and the practices of teaching, equipping, and sending. More specifically, we can note the following about Jesus’ ministry:

  • He was clear about his mission.
  • He invested in twelve and had a very close relationship with three.
  • He journeyed with them through life.
  • He taught more outside the classroom than in the classroom.
  • He modeled what he taught, allowing his followers to engage faith in action.
  • He challenged them as emerging leaders to move beyond their current capabilities.
  • He ultimately transferred ministry responsibility to them.

These aspects of Jesus’ ministry can be translated into guidelines for a missional youth ministry today.

Articulating a Clear Mission and Vision

Most churches, although unconsciously affirming the value of youth ministry, have never clearly articulated why their youth ministry exists. Without a defined mission and purpose, many churches find themselves “shooting in the dark,” hoping to somehow hit the target. As our statistics indicate, many miss. Clarity of mission must accompany conviction regarding the necessity of youth ministry. Clearly articulating a youth ministry mission and vision is the starting point that ultimately can lead to the development of strategic, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goals.

Identifying a Wider Target Group

Today’s adolescents face adult challenges and temptations at younger and younger ages. What were once typical experiences for high school and collegeage students are now typical for middle schoolers. Walt Mueller, president of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding, refers to this shift as “age compression.” Age compression is created, in large part, by the media and popular culture. According to Mueller, “marketers have used [age compression] as a strategy to expand a product’s market by pushing adult-type products, values and attitudes on kids at younger ages. What’s resulted is an environment where what used to be for 18-year-olds is now for six-year olds, who are increasingly dressing, talking and acting like yesterday’s 18-year-olds.”6

Therefore pilot churches testing new paradigms of youth ministry must focus on younger students, especially those in fifth through eighth grades.   We are losing connection with today’s generation. We will likely continue to die as congregations and denominations unless we pay serious attention to this issue.  Additionally, we can no longer approach ninth through twelfth grades together. Both research and the experience of youth workers suggest that the first two years of high school are radically different from the last two years. The typical “youth group” approach does not connect with eleventh and twelfth graders. These adolescents today are more interested in leadership roles and mission opportunities.

We also need to expand our youth ministry efforts to include late adolescents and young adults post high school, ages eighteen to twenty-four. This group seems to be all but forgotten within many RCA and CRC congregations. While some in this age range take on leadership roles in youth ministry, a high percentage slip through cracks and exit our congregations.

Equipping a Team to Invest in Youth

Youth ministry leadership that connects relevantly with adolescents fifth grade through post high school requires that we move past the mindset that one paid professional or vocational youth leader can adequately do the job. Typically, churches hire vocational youth workers who are young and highly relational, thus able to attract students with a magnetic personality. This fits with the “if you build it they will come” paradigm. However, this leader type often fails to produce long term results. Administrative and organizational responsibilities are a challenge, and the young, inexperienced youth worker lacks the maturity and experience to develop a strong volunteer team. These youth workers are often short-term, leaving their positions within one to three years. Students who develop a close friendship with this type of leader feel abandoned, and since volunteer leaders are not adequately trained, the youth ministry is placed on hold until the next star is hired. Consequently, the next youth worker arrives with new dreams and ideas but encounters skeptical students, all wondering how long this one will stay. Churches continue to spin their youth ministry wheels, while never gaining long term traction.

We must rethink the role of the “hired” youth worker. The youth worker should not be viewed as a “hired gun” to do the work of youth ministry for the congregation. Instead, the youth worker must be seen as a team facilitator, similar to that of a coach. The model of ministry as coaching is supported by developments in leadership theory. Easum writes,

A new understanding of organization is emerging, born out of quantum physics, chaos theory, and a return to biblical principles of organization. The thrust of this theory is team ministry, built around a gift-based, permission- giving, servant-empowered approach to leadership. The role of leadership is to provide an atmosphere of trust and permission so people can follow God’s leading rather than the will of a handful of people who try to control everything that happens.7

Implementing a gift-based style of youth ministry leadership within RCA and CRC structures will require significant change in our current systems. As mentioned above, we must deconstruct the concept of hiring a “director” that somehow will be “all things to all students.” The typical director excels in some areas of ministry but struggles in others areas in which he or she lacks skill and passion. This inevitably leaves “leadership voids and holes” within any youth ministry infrastructure. In contrast, gift-based team leadership allows a ministry director to excel in areas where he or she is gifted. This model creates space for others to utilize and express their gifts within the greater whole, a much more well-balanced approach. In the business world, this concept is often referred to as synergy, “the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual efforts.” Today’s effective youth leader (vocational or volunteer) knows both how to mobilize a team and how to create and foster synergy within a team.

By revisiting Jesus’ ministry model, we can conclude that a minimum of one effectively trained youth leader is needed for every twelve potential students that a congregation is seeking to reach. The role of the “hired” director/facilitator now becomes identifying, recruiting, equipping, deploying, and coaching youth ministry apprentices and leaders. In this paradigm, the “volunteers” are championed equally with the trained and equipped “youth leaders,” as they are entrusted to invest relationally in the lives of a small group of teens (rather than just serving punch and cookies in the back of the room).

Deep Relational Ministry–The Heart
of Jesus’ Ministry Model

Jesus invested in twelve seemingly average people. He journeyed with them through life. He spent significant, quality time with them. He became vulnerable and transparent on both good days and challenging days. His disciples saw him angry, grieving, distressed, lonely, disappointed, struggling over God’s plan, and praying that there could be another way. They saw him live faith and daily “work out” his relationship with the Father. We might say that field trips were a valuable component of his mentoring. Seldom did he use a classroom or a building.

When we compare this kind of intense interaction with the amount of time that youth ministers (let alone ministers in general) interact with young people, the latter seems woefully inadequate. Popular culture has far more interaction with adolescents than youth workers. According to Walt Mueller, adolescents engage popular culture for approximately twenty-five hours each week,8 while the average youth leader spends one or two hours with the same students. How is it that we truly expect any degree of lifechanging impact?

Time is not the only issue to be addressed when developing relational youth ministry. We must also change the kinds of interactions we have with adolescents. The three-point, carefully articulated, theological argument, packaged in a thirtyminute lecture is a “terribly boring package.” Yet we continue to see many youth leaders and pastors frozen in this “talking head” teaching methodology. We dismiss the youth and say “see you next week.”   The youth worker should not be viewed as a “hired gun” to do the work of youth ministry for the congregation. Instead, the youth worker must be seen as a team facilitator, similar to that of a coach.  Hutchcraft writes, “Too often we expect a teen to be attracted to Christ through approaches that he or she probably considers irrelevant, uninteresting, and culturally foreign. Then we interpret this disinterest as rejection of Christ when, in reality, he may be rejecting the package in which we have presented him.”9

Today’s youth are interested in spiritual realities. The church must learn to connect spiritually with this generation in new ways. Conversations with post high school adolescents who remain active and involved in their congregations suggest that they stay engaged because of two factors. The first is authentic relationships, often cultivated through the context of middle school and high school ministries that utilized small groups. In most cases, these small groups were facilitated by one or two caring adults who invested in the teens outside of youth group or church functions. The second factor for their continued involvement in the church is that these older adolescents and young adults felt valued by their church. Each was given meaningful leadership and service roles within a gift-based, servant-empowered environment.

Jesus Challenged Them
as Emerging Leaders

Jesus never forced belief on his disciples. Instead he looked for teachable moments. He seized life opportunities to challenge the disciples’ faith, creating and cultivating an environment where meaningful questions could be pondered. He used illustrations and stories, tying real life situations and faith together. He provided space for them to wrestle through issues that did not make immediate sense, and he never became angry when they “didn’t get it.” He could see their potential beyond their current condition.

Today’s teens are under-challenged. Too often we conclude that youth are only interested in eating pizza, playing video games, or being entertained. Yet youth today are quite interested in questions of faith, social issues, or helping a friend through his or her parents’ divorce. As we rethink youth ministry in our Reformed settings, we must interact within adolescents’ real life settings. We must create challenging opportunities for them to discover their potential (God’s call) within the framework of a real life context–e.g., through extended, inter-generational mission trips.

Jesus Ultimately Transferred
Responsibility to Them

Jesus imparted responsibility to his disciples, ultimately trusting this rag-tag group to build the church. Here is where a massive paradigm shift is necessary. Serious questions must be asked regarding the viability of our static, Reformed church infrastructures. Why is it that all aspects of our churches are controlled by adults? Why is it that youth seldom have a voice? Why is it that youth do not serve in many leadership roles? Why is it that systems are lacking to help youth discover and implement their spiritual gifts? Why it is that youth ministry often receives the budget “leftovers”? It is within these “adultcontrolled environments” that perhaps the greatest disconnect occurs between the church and youth. Because there are so few opportunities for youth and young adults to connect through leadership and service roles, many, upon high school graduation, feel lost, with no purpose or reason to remain involved. They conclude that they are not wanted or needed. So it’s not surprising that many “check out” between the years of eighteen and twenty- four. As part of a redefined ministry context, student leadership development, accompanied by opportunities to serve, must become a high priority in every RCA and CRC church.

From Awareness to Action

Youth ministry must be redefined. No one church has it down to a science. No one approach will work in all congregations. And so we find ourselves faced with an exciting yet daunting challenge. Will we take the effort to rethink and redefine youth ministry, or will we continue to watch younger generations disconnect from our churches? Statistics verify that time is not necessarily on our side.

The purpose of this article has been to raise awareness and foster greater action. Although time tested solutions are not offered, rethinking youth ministry by revisiting Jesus’ model seems like the logical starting point. As we extrapolate from this model, I believe we can begin to build a framework that will reconnect us with younger generations. Student leadership development, engagement in missions and social action, and the creation of authentic communities that foster meaningful theological reflection and action will be part of the equation. The result can and should be revitalized congregations and Reformed denominations, a people gathered, equipped, empowered, and sent to be the presence of Christ in this world.

ENDNOTES:
1 Stanley M. Grenze, “Foreward” in Making Sense Out Of Church, Spencer Burke (Zondervan, 2003), 15.
2 Ron Hutchcraft, The Battle For A Generation (Moody Press, 1996), 12, 13.
3 Duane Smith, “Summary Information: Surveys Gathered by Eaglecrest Youth Ministry Services,” January 2000.
4 George Barna, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions (Gospel Light, 1999), 56.
5 Bill Easum, Unfreezing Moves (Abingdon Press, 2001), 10.
6 Walt Mueller, Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture (InterVarsity Press, 2006), 86.
7 Easum, 44
8 Walt Mueller, “More than Music” (seminar presented at the National Youth Worker’s Convention, St. Louis, MO, November 2004).
9 Hutchcraft, 44.
Duane Smith is the coordinator for youth ministries in the Great Lakes Synod (RCA). He also serves as a youth ministry consultant for congregations throughout the United States.
What are your thoughts? Agreements? Disagreements? Ideas?

$20 vs. Freedom

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20

Lately I have been looking around the house for things I don’t use, trying to decide whether I want to repurpose the item or sell it. I came across my old iPhone – I have upgraded and this one is collecting dust. So, just like you may have done, I took some artsy pictures of the phone and put it up on Craigslist. I listed the phone for $250. When the phone went up it was like bait in a shark tank, 6 or 7 responses in the first hour. I negotiated with a mom and her son, his phone had been stolen, we agreed on $225.

As I approached the McDonalds last night to make the exchange there was a faint whisper, “Give them $20 back after the deal.” “What?!” I exclaimed. I ignored the absurd thought and started dwelling on the fact that this was MY money and I had every right to take the cash from the amount we agreed on. Yet again, but this time a bit stronger, “Give them $20 back after the deal.”  I walked through the doors and saw they were the only ones sitting at a table, I sat down and showed them the phone, that it worked just fine. They liked the product and wanted to proceed with the deal. They asked me to help find an ATT store to reactivate the phone, then the mom whipped out the cash and started counting it in front of me, the pull on my heart came again, yet even stronger, “Give them $20 back, you will regret this missed opportunity.” This voice was all too familiar, the voice of the Spirit asking me to trust Him and obey. At this point I was mad, confused, and really just wanted to get out of there with my money. I counted $225 and pocketed the money. I was a gentleman of course and held the door open for them as they walked out to their car. As Matthew, the son, was about to close the door to his car I broke down and yelled, “Hey Matthew! You will need this to reactivate the phone at the store.” I handed him the twenty dollar bill, he seemed rightfully confused, his mom looked extremely thankful, with a smile and a wave from both of them I walked back to my truck grinning ear to ear. It was the best $20 I have spent in a long time.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Last night I had the privilege to experience the freedom in choosing to give, I was not a slave to my selfish desires or money. There is a strong joy in giving, there is an even greater joy in obeying the Spirit when He calls you to do something, even when you don’t completely understand. People say that money can’t buy you happiness, in this case I think it did for both parties.

Later that night I got a text from Matthew and his mother, “We made it to the ATT store with 5 minutes to spare. Thanks for you assistance and generosity! There aren’t enough people in this world with those characteristics. Thanks again!”

As much as I would like to take credit for what happened, I cannot. The Spirit wanted to test me and be in the spotlight. We can be different than the world around us when we choose to walk in the Spirit. I know the fruits of the Spirit are attractive to the believing and unbelieving world, but what about the one that is responding to the call? Sometimes we want others to understand God more when we choose to walk in the Spirit (that others might see Jesus in us). In this particular situation I believe that I came to understand God and my freedom in Christ more, I may have got more out of this than they did. I am extremely thankful for my divine appointment with Matthew and his mom.

Listen to “their” music…just push play.

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Music is not what it use to be. If the Beatles are still your favorite band then we need to talk. The music conversation is one that most youth pastors will have with a senior pastor, fellow staff member, student band member or even a parent. I remember a parent asking me recently, “Do you think it’s okay if my daughter listens to Taylor Swift?” Here’s the reality, as a parent or a youth pastor…most of the students out there are listening to a secular radio station your city plays or quickly downloading the hottest #1 release on the digital market. If that’s not the case of your child or student, they will still hear this stuff around their friends or when they go out. While it might not be your taste, visit a radio station that plays music with bad words being bleeped out, lyrics about one night stands and a beat you can’t understand.  Here is what you need to remember – this is “their” music. This is what students listen to, this is what their friends listen to. These are the lyrics that are filling up their minds, driving their emotions, and even affecting their decision making. The chorus that sings about love, will be one of the ways they think about and interpret love as a teenager. Their favorite lead musician may appear to have it all together, this is literally a rockstar they look up to – they want to sing like them, dress like them, talk like them.

Surprisingly, there is still some clean secular music out there and when you find it… you should play it. Play it in the home. Play it as students are walking into church. Play it on the bus as you travel on your mission trip. Play the music video at camp. Students appreciate you knowing their music, and keeping up with their taste. When you play the clean stuff you are affirming and encouraging that specific song or artist. When you choose certain songs or decline particular song requests, this allows for honest conversation in why you chose these artists/songs rather than others. Avoiding the subject all together and just playing what you want is not an option.

I’m guilty of listening to plenty of songs that are irrelevant in today’s student culture. I’m an old soul. When I say to a student that I like listening to The Eagles, Marty Robbins, or some Johnny Cash they look at me real funny. So here is the challenge to you and me, find that radio station playing all the current rock/pop and just push play. Give it a whole week. Reflect on the lyrics, better understand the culture they are living in and what they are listening to. Find the fun and clean songs, write them down, download them, add them to your playlist.

I’m sure there is way more to this conversation…what do agree or disagree with? How do you feel about the challenge? What were the results if you did try this?