Sponsored by the MidAmerica Region:

Prairie Star, Central Midwest & Heartland Districts

Nancy Combs-Morgan & Dori Thexton

Can you just give us some good ideas?

Can you keep our youth ministry from failing?

Do you understand how different we are?

Will you help my congregation understand it’s not just about the numbers?

Can you keep the politics away from youth ministry?

Steeple chasing

Underinvestment

Mis-investment

Questions of capacity:

o Budget $1,000 minimum per youth

o One full-time staff for every 50 youth

o One adult for every five youth

One youth staff can handle it.

Wallpaper vs. concrete

“We’ll never hire from within our church”

With a new youth director, our volunteers won’t have to work so hard.

Control documents –annual events calendar, job descriptions, master recruiting list, curriculum template

Youth ministry mission/vision statement

3 year plan

Statement of values

Emotional health –appropriate boundaries, intentional spiritual practices, accountable relationships

Balcony time; three kinds of meetings; the value of “third pig” youth workers

Youth ministry is the congregation’sministry, not just that of specialists who can relate to teenagers. The mandate to BE THERE for young people belongs to the whole faith community.Kenda Creasy Dean

Teams are crucial to the long-term success of youth ministry.

The first step of calling volunteers is the hardest.

Blanket appeals and mass announcements don’t work!

Start early – at least 6 months before volunteer term begins

Identify your needs – RE teachers, advisors, event leaders/organizers, planning committee members, small group leaders

Be strategic in recruiting – don’t ask an “A” player to do a “C” level job

Develop master recruiting list for future use

Start smiling and dialing!

Sustainable Approach

Long-term focus on single issue

Responsibility shared by a team

Regular meetings – 3 kinds of meetings

Working a plan

o Episodic focus, disconnected meetings

o Responsibility carried by the youth staffperson

o Concerns raised randomly and reactively

o Expectation of quick fix; reacting to anxiousness

Traditional Approach

Stage 1: Creating blueprint & preparing for the process

Stage 2: Laying the foundation

Stage 3: Beginning to build

Stage 4: Framing the second floor