I read an article recently that put into words some of the things I have been thinking about regarding youth pastors, more specifically, should churches hire "youth pastors" any more. April Diaz's comments were on track with several things I have been contemplating after growing up in church (18 years of embeded ministry) and being involved in youth ministry (volunteer+part-time+full-time ministry) for around 30 years.
You can read the article here: http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/articles/redefining-the-youth-worker
Here are some highlights from that article:
Hiring a "Student Integration Pastor"
Changing the title from Youth Pastor of Director of Youth Ministries isn't enough, but one that reflects the "Philosophical Shifts" the church is seeking to make.
Integrating teenagers into the life of the church is an "all-church" mentality, project, and overall big idea.
Creating a third culture = a “new way” of not doing ministry but of being the church, the kingdom of God on this planet and involved in our culture. An intergenerational approach to youth ministry is the way to go. Ever since my internship in Duncanville, TX I have always had this model filed away in the back of mind as one of the best plans of the church.
Smaller really is better. Think about it. Would you rather have a crowd of 70 who were half-life into religion or a dozen or even a half dozen who were totally transformed into disciples of Jesus?
I was reflecting on this about a week ago and believe that the six committed kids in the youth group I grew up who met on Sunday nights to go through a discipleship plan put together by two older ladies in our church was one of the best plans ever. But get this: I HATED ATTENDING! Hate may be too strong of a word choice here ... I only went because my parents made me, my friends being there gave me some consolation and minor motivation, and the leaders made us do stuff I did not want to do. BUT I grew and I remembered! I can still remember the nightly routine and the challenges she gave to us. Had I known then the impact that would have made on me today I would have tweaked it just a tad with their methods, but their model was sound.
An entire church investment to change. Many times April says those magical words, "WE!"
"We put a stake in the ground"... "We believe" ... "we determined" and "we must take a closer look at the families within the church as well."
I especially like this paragraph:
You can read the article here: http://fulleryouthinstitute.org/articles/redefining-the-youth-worker
Here are some highlights from that article:
Hiring a "Student Integration Pastor"
Changing the title from Youth Pastor of Director of Youth Ministries isn't enough, but one that reflects the "Philosophical Shifts" the church is seeking to make.
Integrating teenagers into the life of the church is an "all-church" mentality, project, and overall big idea.
Creating a third culture = a “new way” of not doing ministry but of being the church, the kingdom of God on this planet and involved in our culture. An intergenerational approach to youth ministry is the way to go. Ever since my internship in Duncanville, TX I have always had this model filed away in the back of mind as one of the best plans of the church.
Smaller really is better. Think about it. Would you rather have a crowd of 70 who were half-life into religion or a dozen or even a half dozen who were totally transformed into disciples of Jesus?
I was reflecting on this about a week ago and believe that the six committed kids in the youth group I grew up who met on Sunday nights to go through a discipleship plan put together by two older ladies in our church was one of the best plans ever. But get this: I HATED ATTENDING! Hate may be too strong of a word choice here ... I only went because my parents made me, my friends being there gave me some consolation and minor motivation, and the leaders made us do stuff I did not want to do. BUT I grew and I remembered! I can still remember the nightly routine and the challenges she gave to us. Had I known then the impact that would have made on me today I would have tweaked it just a tad with their methods, but their model was sound.
An entire church investment to change. Many times April says those magical words, "WE!"
"We put a stake in the ground"... "We believe" ... "we determined" and "we must take a closer look at the families within the church as well."
I especially like this paragraph:
Every family has something to offer. We would look for those strengths, call them out, and invite our families to help us develop our teenagers. Far too often and for too long, the students’ immediate families and their spiritual family have been downplayed in our efforts to create safe youth ministry havens for teenagers. We believe it takes a village to raise a child, and that village needs to be much larger than a siloed youth ministry.
So many times we are limited but only because we have built the program to be that way.
I will end with the same "Questions to Consider" in the article but include my answers as well.
- What about the idea of “redefining the youth worker role” resonates with you? It resonates with me because there are so many good things from youth ministries in the past that this model puts together in one model.
- What are some of the unique characteristics about your context that will frame your conversation prior to any changes? We actually have several families in the church we are now in that this will work; they are good, strong, faithful and have the energy NOW to contribute to this and invest in it for so many reasons, but mostly because it is a plan and has the biblical promise of working by God's grace!
- Where are these desirable characteristics already at work in your church? Top-heavy leadership and lack of strong (multi-faceted) communication are always a big issue. A more parental involvement approach would mark this up several notches to seeing it done.
- Who else needs to be part of this conversation? Hmmm. Since communication is a valid issue, the approachable quality will need to be focused on. Perhaps in time?