Recently in the Riverina we put together a workshop around '101 Things I Wish I'd Known About Ministry with Young People When I Started.' The truth of that is most learnings only come through experience and I wouldn't trade most learnings for some artificial 'downloading' of the wisdom... but part of learning it is sharing and helping others reflect on their ministry and relationships!!
I made it into the 70's on the list and will see how we go sharing some here [or in batches]:
1. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN MINISTRY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
2. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS RELATIONAL> INCARNATIONAL
3. WE NEED TO BE AT MISSION OR ‘SENT’ TO ENGAGE OUR CONTEXT
4. YOUTH ARE PARTICIPANTS IN GOD’S MISSION> NOT TARGETS
5. THE GOSPEL REQUIRES ‘TRANSLATION’ INTO THE CONTEXT
6. INTUITION TELLS US WE’RE DOING SOMETHING THAT’S NOT RIGHT
7. WE NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF PEOPLE TEACHING FAITH AND PRACTISING FAITH AS THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAS
8. COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE...
9. FLEXIBILITY COMES FROM PREPARATION
10. GROUPS FORM> STORM> NORM and have a 'personality'
11. ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP CAN BE LEARNT FROM SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING
12. NO RESOURCE CAN BE USED WITHOUT SOME MODIFICATION
13. KNOW THE STAKEHOLDERS EXPECTATIONS
14. PEOPLE DON’T MEAN IT WHEN THEY SAY THEY WANT QUALITY PROGRAM/S OR MISSION AND NOT NUMBERS
15. "IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE"
16. AT SOME POINT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING 17. IT IS ONLY SOMETIMES EASIER TO SEEK FORGIVENESS RATHER THAN ASK PERMISSION
18. NOBODY RSVPs FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE
19. GIVE IT A GO… MAYBE YOUR IDEA ISN’T STUPID!
20. NETWORKING WITH OTHER LEADERS IS VALUABLE
21. READ NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
22. BE HONEST
23. DON’T PRETEND TO LIKE MUSIC, FASHION,ACTIVITIES YOU DON’T… YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SOPHISTICATED ‘CRAP DETECTORS’
24. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AMAZING
25. TAKE TIME OUT TO ‘SHARPEN THE SAW’ [to have your own recreation]
26. GROW OWNERSHIP BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN PROGRAM PLANNING
27. GROW CAPACITY BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP
28. BUILD ASSETS FOR RESILIENCE
29. CHURCH COUNCILS AND MINISTERS DON’T LIKE SURPRISES
30. YOU DON’T HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT… NOBODY DOES
31. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING EVERY YOUNG PERSONS BEST FRIEND
32. YOUNG PEOPLE’S ISSUES ARE SERIOUS FOR THEM
33. PARENTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY
34. YOUR BEST SOURCE OF HELPERS AND OTHER LEADERS ARE THOSE MOST ABLE TO SEE THE MISSIONAL VALUE OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING
35. YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL> MINISTER
36. NOT EVERY PLANNED ACTIVITY HAS TO HAPPEN
37. SAFETY IS AN ISSUE
38. ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN GROUP DEALS OR COVENANTS WHEN IT COMES TO RULES
39. EXPRESS RULES IN THE POSITIVE
40. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE
41. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS CHANGING
42. LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN SPIRITUALITY & FAITH IN YOUR RYTHMN
43. IT’S EASY TO ‘LOVE’ AND BEFRIEND THE ‘COOL’ BUT HARDER WITH THE AWKWARD, WEIRD, AND DIFFICULT
44. YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HANDLE BIBLICAL STORIES AND EXPLORATION
45. MUSIC IS A TASTE SENSITIVE RESOURCE
46. MOVIES ARE MORE NEUTRAL
47. STORIES ARE POWERFUL FOR AT LEAST [4] REASONS
2. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS RELATIONAL> INCARNATIONAL
3. WE NEED TO BE AT MISSION OR ‘SENT’ TO ENGAGE OUR CONTEXT
4. YOUTH ARE PARTICIPANTS IN GOD’S MISSION> NOT TARGETS
5. THE GOSPEL REQUIRES ‘TRANSLATION’ INTO THE CONTEXT
6. INTUITION TELLS US WE’RE DOING SOMETHING THAT’S NOT RIGHT
7. WE NEED TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF PEOPLE TEACHING FAITH AND PRACTISING FAITH AS THE PREVIOUS GENERATION HAS
8. COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE... COMMUNICATE...
9. FLEXIBILITY COMES FROM PREPARATION
10. GROUPS FORM> STORM> NORM and have a 'personality'
11. ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP CAN BE LEARNT FROM SMALL GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING
12. NO RESOURCE CAN BE USED WITHOUT SOME MODIFICATION
13. KNOW THE STAKEHOLDERS EXPECTATIONS
14. PEOPLE DON’T MEAN IT WHEN THEY SAY THEY WANT QUALITY PROGRAM/S OR MISSION AND NOT NUMBERS
15. "IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE"
16. AT SOME POINT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING 17. IT IS ONLY SOMETIMES EASIER TO SEEK FORGIVENESS RATHER THAN ASK PERMISSION
18. NOBODY RSVPs FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE
19. GIVE IT A GO… MAYBE YOUR IDEA ISN’T STUPID!
20. NETWORKING WITH OTHER LEADERS IS VALUABLE
21. READ NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES
22. BE HONEST
23. DON’T PRETEND TO LIKE MUSIC, FASHION,ACTIVITIES YOU DON’T… YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SOPHISTICATED ‘CRAP DETECTORS’
24. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AMAZING
25. TAKE TIME OUT TO ‘SHARPEN THE SAW’ [to have your own recreation]
26. GROW OWNERSHIP BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN PROGRAM PLANNING
27. GROW CAPACITY BY INVOLVING YOUNG PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP
28. BUILD ASSETS FOR RESILIENCE
29. CHURCH COUNCILS AND MINISTERS DON’T LIKE SURPRISES
30. YOU DON’T HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT… NOBODY DOES
31. IT’S NOT ABOUT BEING EVERY YOUNG PERSONS BEST FRIEND
32. YOUNG PEOPLE’S ISSUES ARE SERIOUS FOR THEM
33. PARENTS ARE NOT THE ENEMY
34. YOUR BEST SOURCE OF HELPERS AND OTHER LEADERS ARE THOSE MOST ABLE TO SEE THE MISSIONAL VALUE OF WHAT YOU’RE DOING
35. YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CHURCH COUNCIL> MINISTER
36. NOT EVERY PLANNED ACTIVITY HAS TO HAPPEN
37. SAFETY IS AN ISSUE
38. ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN GROUP DEALS OR COVENANTS WHEN IT COMES TO RULES
39. EXPRESS RULES IN THE POSITIVE
40. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE
41. YOUTH MINISTRY IS ALWAYS CHANGING
42. LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN SPIRITUALITY & FAITH IN YOUR RYTHMN
43. IT’S EASY TO ‘LOVE’ AND BEFRIEND THE ‘COOL’ BUT HARDER WITH THE AWKWARD, WEIRD, AND DIFFICULT
44. YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HANDLE BIBLICAL STORIES AND EXPLORATION
45. MUSIC IS A TASTE SENSITIVE RESOURCE
46. MOVIES ARE MORE NEUTRAL
47. STORIES ARE POWERFUL FOR AT LEAST [4] REASONS
They cross boundaries [time, culture, language]
We seem wired for narrative
Stories create identity [what we accept, take on, reject etc]
Stories create community [ones we gather around]
48. BE A GIVER OF ‘HOPE’ the gospel is 'good news'
49. CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT
50. CONTACT ALL> CONNECT MANY > CARE for A FEW> CHALLENGE 1 OR 2
51. ACTIVELY LISTEN> ASK QUESTIONS
52. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MODEL OF YOUTH MINISTRY
53. KEEP PARENTS/FAMILIES INFORMED THROUGH PUBLICITY/INFO SHEETS
48. BE A GIVER OF ‘HOPE’ the gospel is 'good news'
49. CREATIVITY IS IMPORTANT
50. CONTACT ALL> CONNECT MANY > CARE for A FEW> CHALLENGE 1 OR 2
51. ACTIVELY LISTEN> ASK QUESTIONS
52. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE MODEL OF YOUTH MINISTRY
53. KEEP PARENTS/FAMILIES INFORMED THROUGH PUBLICITY/INFO SHEETS
54. YOUTH MINISTRY MUST BECOME A SHARED MINISTRY OF THE WHOLE CHURCH
55. MOVE TOWARDS COMPREHENSIVE YOUTH MINISTRY [mission and ministry with all generations]
56. OBEY TRAFFIC RULES AND CAR SAFETY
57. FAITH SHAPING TASKS NOT STAGES
58. IDENTITY, BELONGING, MEANING AND FAITH SHAPING are building block aims
59. YOUTH MINISTRY SHOULD BE AS MUCH A PART OF THE CHURCH’S MINISTRY AS ANY OTHER
60. LEADERSHIP WORKS BEST ‘OUT OF YOUR GIFTS’ not just seniority> who's free
61. YOU NEED TO SET BOUNDARIES> LIMITS
62. KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SIMPLY DESCRIBE AS ‘GOOD NEWS’
63. REFLECTION AND SELF AWARENESS GROWS GOOD LEADERSHIP
64. ACTS 17: PAUL IN ATHENS or indeed Silas who actually lived in his missional community
65. DROP THE LANGUAGE OF ‘IN’ AND ‘OUT’
66. BELONGING NOT MEMBERSHIP> ETHOS NOT COMMITMENT
67. SUBMIT REPORTS
68. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUNG PEOPLES CAPACITY FOR WORSHIP
69. CREATING SAFE SPACES TAKES A LOT OF WORK
70. GEN Y ARE NOT THE GENERATION WHO LEFT THE CHURCH
55. MOVE TOWARDS COMPREHENSIVE YOUTH MINISTRY [mission and ministry with all generations]
56. OBEY TRAFFIC RULES AND CAR SAFETY
57. FAITH SHAPING TASKS NOT STAGES
58. IDENTITY, BELONGING, MEANING AND FAITH SHAPING are building block aims
59. YOUTH MINISTRY SHOULD BE AS MUCH A PART OF THE CHURCH’S MINISTRY AS ANY OTHER
60. LEADERSHIP WORKS BEST ‘OUT OF YOUR GIFTS’ not just seniority> who's free
61. YOU NEED TO SET BOUNDARIES> LIMITS
62. KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD SIMPLY DESCRIBE AS ‘GOOD NEWS’
63. REFLECTION AND SELF AWARENESS GROWS GOOD LEADERSHIP
64. ACTS 17: PAUL IN ATHENS or indeed Silas who actually lived in his missional community
65. DROP THE LANGUAGE OF ‘IN’ AND ‘OUT’
66. BELONGING NOT MEMBERSHIP> ETHOS NOT COMMITMENT
67. SUBMIT REPORTS
68. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE YOUNG PEOPLES CAPACITY FOR WORSHIP
69. CREATING SAFE SPACES TAKES A LOT OF WORK
70. GEN Y ARE NOT THE GENERATION WHO LEFT THE CHURCH
71. FUNDRAISE IN THE COMMUNITY not just the same church crowd
72......
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2 comments:
Corollary to 18: agreeing to take a leadership role at an event is *not* a firm commitment to attend
72. Gen Yers don't know that there are questions people don't normally ask a minister
73. They also probably don't realise that they shouldn't tell older church council members about their weekend away with their girlfriend/boyfriend, no matter how excited they are about it, or how in lurve.
74. Your Synod worker will ask you for meaningful shoes, spam your inbox and deny knowing you when the sh*t hits the fan
75. Coffee
76. That pretty high school girl in your youth group cannot be your girlfriend
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