Philosophy of Youth Ministry Assignment PDF

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How to develop a philosophy in youth ministry...

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

Philosophy of Youth Ministry

Submitted to Dr. W. David Winner in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of

YOUT 510 – D02 Developing a Philosophy of Youth Ministry

by

Racquel K. Cunningham December 15, 2021

Contents Define It, Describe It, and Do It......................................................................................1 Reflect, Reassess, & Revamp..........................................................................................3 Ministry Dreams & Goals...............................................................................................4 Challenges Within My Circle..........................................................................................6 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................7 Bibliography.....................................................................................................................8

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Define It, Describe It, and Do It Merriam-Webster defines "philosophy as the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life, etc."1 Thereby, my philosophy of youth ministry would be to create an environment conducive to the development and spiritual growth of the children who participate. As they grow and develop, they gain a sense of duty and responsibility to share the knowledge they received with those who do not know Jesus yet. In a previous class, we were assigned to construct a definition for a disciple. After thinking over what I knew from experience and from scripture I have read, my definition was as follows: a disciple is a person living a Christ-Centered life by offering their bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is their spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1; Colossians 3:1-4), walking throughout the community with the intentions of building the Kingdom of God by reaching those who are lost through actions of showing love and sharing the Word of God for the specific purpose of them becoming children of God (John 1:12 (ESV). Thereby making it possible to move forward together, working as one to reach others (Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT). Even though this is definition is for a disciple, it can be the moving motivation of what youth ministers want to accomplish through their engagement with the youth. We have to lead them to understand the necessity to be obedient to the will of God and to be humble servants who desire to tell others about Jesus Christ. Our purpose is to teach them to take what they have learned and experienced within the church beyond the door and beyond the parking lot. In order to be obedient to the command of Jesus, we have to think about the bigger picture. As recorded in Acts 1:8b (NLT), "And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-"2 1 Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, s.v. “philosophy,” accessed December 14, 2021, https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/philosophy. 2 All Scripture is New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.

2 According to Geiger and Borton, "Students will check out the next phase of discipleship if someone cares about them enough to ask them. Students will be more open to spiritual things if a friend or caring leader is there with them."3 I have made some mistakes along the way about how I handled my position as a youth sponsor and teacher. Initially, I was teaching the Women's Class, but when it was brought to my attention that the middle school class would be losing their teacher, I volunteered because they had two other teachers. But, the task was more than I could handle. And I made two awful mistakes: I quit on them, and worst of all, I did not pray about the situation. Children need to know they have someone they can count on when times get rough. But because I did not see that I was making a difference and they showed no interest in what I was trying to teach them, I quit. I have broken whatever trust they had in me and fractured our relationship. I have to work diligently to earn their trust again. Jeremy Rader provided a list of essential and practical tools for middle school ministry. He stated the essential tools are "to make the Word of God central, make prayer priority, and invite the Holy Spirit to work. "4 I did not follow this guideline when teaching the kids. Instead, I went in as though I was teaching adults, and they already had a good knowledge base of the Word of God. So I needed to take the time to build a relationship with them to see the level of their understanding. Rader also offered some practical tools to use, which I might have the opportunity to use when we start holding Sunday School again at the beginning of the year. He stated, "Create fun environments by fostering fun inside your youth ministry."5 I have to lighten

3 Eric Geiger and Jeff Borton, Simple Student Ministry: A Clear Process for Strategic Youth Discipleship (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2009), 27. 4 Jeremy Rader, “Relationships Are Essential in Student Ministry” (video lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, December 12, 2021). 5 Jeremy Rader, “Relationships Are Essential in Student Ministry” (video lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, December 12, 2021).

3 up the heavy mood that I once had. Even though Sunday School is a learning environment, I have to find a way to connect and make the message relevant to them. Reflect, Reassess, & Revamp I have learned that you have to have a strategic plan for your ministry during this course. You can not just meet and hope for the best. You need to seek leaders and volunteers who are living their lives out loud according to the Word of God to help you follow through with your plan. Presently, the youth department is being led by a director and one faithful youth sponsor, and twenty children attend regularly. Unfortunately, very little can be accomplished in the hour they have with the children because it is hard to settle them down and get to a teaching position. Therefore, the only thing achieved during the meeting is learning a song for the week. What we are developing is songbirds, not disciples or disciple-makers. Yes, they can sing about Jesus, but they need to learn the importance of the Man they are singing about. The other issue with our youth department is that they are only seen once a month in church service. Football, pageants, and cheerleading are excuses for why the kids can not make meetings throughout the week. The importance of meeting every week has to be emphasized to the parents. Learning about Jesus and serving others should be ranked at a higher priority on our children's things-todo list. For example, in the opinion of Jones, "A significant minority of moms and dads have traded spiritual growth for a schedule that's focused on success in sports and schooling. These parents need to experience gospel-centered transformation in their priorities."6

6 Timothy Paul Jones, Family Ministry Field Guide: How Your Chruch Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2011), 132.

4 Ministry Dreams & Goals In the opinion of Geiger and Borton, "Accountability creates a standard that everyone can live by. Implementing the process everywhere ensures all the ministries within the student ministry are aligned around the same process."7 We are failing the young people of our church as it stands right now with helping them grow in the Word of God and spiritual development. I want to change that, even if I take one child at a time under my wings. There is a saying that closed mouths do not get fed, but I dare say that closed mouths can not feed either. I have stood in silence too long as the youth ministry has failed to thrive as it should. However, I plan to approach adults who are on fire for God to devote their time investing in the children's development. As suggested by Jones, "Stalk the best to be leaders in the youth ministry. Find adults in your church who are modeling a gospel advancing lifestyle, and talk them into it!" 8 The church has a lot of adults who would probably be willing to help work with our kids if they were asked to help out to lead and teach them. The question just needs to be asked. A study plan needs to be constructed in such a way that the young people can learn from it and then inevitably be able to teach it to others as well. For example, the youth need to have a designated day to meet once a week, even if they are not set to sing to learn a lesson from the Bible. The ministry needs to revamp with a biblical foundation, spirit-filled leaders, parents, and volunteers to assist through the process, and a group of youth desirous to know more about Jesus. This lesson can help lead them into what will be taught in Sunday School. Geiger and Borton

7 Eric Geiger and Jeff Borton, Simple Student Ministry: A Clear Process for Strategic Youth Discipleship (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2009), 27. 8 Greg Stier, Gospelize Your Youth Ministry (Arvada: D2S Publishing, 2015), 62.

5 also stated, "Hopefully, you will allow God to give you clarity in both your purpose and process so that your purpose and process will be one in the same."9 Also, re-establishing the Junior Usher Board would benefit the church's young people by serving others. Finally, the significant presence of young people living out their faith and serving the Lord adds freshness and energy to the atmosphere. According to Stier, "If your teenagers are not engaged in prayer and relational evangelism, you need a mirror, not a bullhorn, because it starts with you, not them."10 Their lack of direction falls back on us. We have to lead by example. One of the parents from the interview noticed the disconnection between the adults and the church's youth as an issue that needs to be addressed and changed. As the ones who are supposed to know better, we should step up to help guide the children in the right direction. They will follow because they are curious by nature. Therefore, we have to provide a good example for them to follow, including togetherness and unity as Jesus intended. Consequently, we have to make sure they are not overlooked or underestimated by what they can contribute to the mission. Kent Gregory stated, "Youth ministry can bridge the gap that the fractured family and instability cause."11 Most of our young people come from single-parent homes at the church I attend. Often the children are being dropped off by a parent or grandmother. It is similar to several of the young people I interviewed. They were either being dropped off by a parent or a church vehicle. Whereas, with the kids I interviewed, no attempts were made to connect with the parent to get them involved with their child's spiritual development; our church will call the parents to see how they are doing and get them involved. Kids long for a sense of belonging and 9 Ibid., 39. 10 Greg Stier, Gospelize Your Youth Ministry (Arvada: D2S Publishing, 2015), 61. 11 Kent Gregory, “Longevity in Youth Ministry” (video lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, December 12, 2021).

6 feeling like they matter to someone. We can build relationships with the kids to change how they see the world with the express hope of it spilling over to the adults in their lives. According to Dave Earley, "Evangelism is leading people step-by-step to the event of trusting Christ as their Savior and helping someone take one more step toward God."12 Time is needed with the teens to build a relationship to the point where they can trust us and discover Who Jesus is. With guidance from the Holy Spirit, He can influence the youth, one child at a time, by using me as His vessel. I am determined not to make the same mistake twice in not seeking direction from the Holy Spirit. My dream for our youth ministry is to have the young people of our church able to defend their faith to anyone at any time. In Gospelize Youth Youth Ministry, Stier referenced the gospel's advancement through the early church leaders. They lived and breathed the gospel. They used how their leader, Jesus lived and responded to others to exemplify. Jesus was relational and intentional. They were relational and intentional. Therefore, we have to be relational and intentional. Challenges Within My Circle The dynamics of my family have recently changed; I am currently in the process of adopting my three-year-old brother-in-law. Dr. Wheeler stated, "No one has more potential to influence a child's relationship than a parent."13 I will not say I am in new territory, but I am in an environment that I have not been in for quite some time. Because sometimes I cannot find a babysitter, so I have to bring him to choir rehearsal. It is beautiful watching him as he sings along with us, and sometimes more on key than us. He is absorbed in the atmosphere of his

12 Dave Earley and David Wheeler, Evangelism Is…How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2010), 84. 13 Dr. David Wheeler, “Creating Student Multipliers” (video lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, November 10, 2021).

7 surroundings and glorifying God at this young age. God can accomplish what some think is impossible with an open and receptive person to His calling. I want to guide him to Jesus and watch him develop a relationship with Him, and as he grows and matures in his faith, he, too, will find the desire to share his faith with his friends. Conclusion Jones stated, "Trust the power of God's Spirit and the proclamation of God's Word to bring transformation in the lives of God's people. Don't focus on family-equipping, center your life and ministry on the Equipper."14 No matter what we do, the critical factor to remember is that everything we do is point those entrusted to us toward Jesus and let Him do the rest. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT), "I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow."15 Therefore, our ministry should teach them to relate to us, others, and Jesus so that we can find out where God is working and join Him.

Bibliography Earley, Dave, and David Wheeler. Evangelism Is...How to Share Jesus with Passion and Confidence. Nashville: B & H Academic, 2010. Geiger, Eric and Jeff Borton. Simple Student Ministry: A Clear Process for Strategic Youth Discipleship. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2009. Gregory, Kent. "Longevity in Youth Ministry." Lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University. Lynchburg, VA, November 21, 2021.

14 Timothy Paul Jones, Family Ministry Field Guide: How Your Chruch Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples (Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2011), 159. 15 New Living Translation

8 Jones, Timothy Paul. Family Ministry Field Guide: How Your Church Can Equip Parents to Make Disciples. Indianapolis: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2011. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. n.d. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophy (accessed December 14, 2021). Rader, Jeremy. "Essentials of Middle School." Video Lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University: Lynchburg, VA, December 11, 2021. Stier, Greg. Gospelize Your Youth Ministry. Arvada: D2S Publishing, 2015. Wheeler, David. "Creating Student Multipliers." Video Lecture in YOUT 510 at Liberty University: Lynchburg, VA, November 10, 2021....