Practice DiscipleshipFall 2011 Training

Youth Ministry Events asFaith Formation:

Going Deeper and Preparing Your Group

Welcome!

Human BINGO1. Introduce yourself to a person.

2. Get a signature from a person who satisfies a statement in one of the squares.

3. Each person may sign your sheet only ONCE.

Community Building

Purpose of Community Building:

•Build trust among participants

•Establish an environment for learning/experiencing

•Begin relationships

•Create space for relationships and space for a transformative experience

Community Building

Human BINGO

•How well did you know the people here before we played our Human Bingo game?

•What did you learn about people?

•How was that helpful for today’s training?

Once we know a little more about a person, it is easier to be in conversation with them.

Community Building

Who Should You Build Community With?

•Between the participants

•With the congregation

•As part of a larger group/picture

Community Building

How do you build community?

In preparation for an event:(to help the group gel and form; establishcommunity and trust)

•Small group meetings•Bible studies•Prayer groups/partners•Mentors/congregational involvement•Fundraising

Community Building

How do you build community?

During an event:(help build new relationships andReinforce relationships already established;break down barriers and create comfortableenvironment)

•Games and mixers•Initiative games•Affirmation activities•Highs and lows

Small Group Discussion

Purpose of Small Groups:

•Youth ministry is relational.•Small groups allow for intentional, caring conversations.•Small group leaders are a caring presence sharing an experience with a relational God.

Small Group Discussion

1. Each person should choose one mini candy from the table.

2. Find 4 to 5 other people with the same candy around the room.

3. Once you have your group, sit in a circle, knee to knee on the floor where everyone can see each other’s eyes all around the circle.•If you have a group member who cannot sit on the floor, arrange your chairs in a circle close together and with eye contact for everyone.

Small Group Discussion

Small Group time needs to be intentional.

•Consider group size – too big and people lose opportunity and presence, too small can be intimidating and threatening•Consider space•Eliminate distractions•Make room for everyone around the circle

Small Group Discussion

Create atmosphere

•Be welcoming•Use a focal point•Leave an empty space as a reminder of God’s presence•Consider temperature, lighting, etc.

Small Group Discussion

At this time, place your candle in the center of the group and light it as a focal point.

Small Group Discussion

Set Clear Expectations

•Create a group covenant•Layout and verbalize the plan for the time together•Know your goals for your time together

Small Group Discussion

Small Group Leaders should:

•Offer presence•Be authentic•Listen•Share appropriately•Direct discussion and growth•Begin with introductions

Small Group Discussion

At this time, take a few moments to go around the circle and share your name and a memory of a small group experience with the other members in your group.

Small Group Discussion

Other things to consider when leading a group:

•Create an opportunity for all to share, and allow passes.

•Build trust.

•Be in prayer.

Small Group Discussion

Share in your circle:

•What typically goes well for you in small group leadership?

•What can you improve on?

•Ask someone in the small group to pray for what they heard.

Group Sharing

In groups of 3 to 4 at your table:

1.Share a story with those in your group of a youth ministry event where you observed some kind of transformation/aha moment/growth in faith of a young person.

2.You may have observed this growth either at the event itself, or after the event as a result.

3.“Event” can be used to describe a wide variety of activities such as small group Bible study, a mission trip, a service project, or a get-to-know-you pizza party.

What is a Youth Ministry Event?Youth Ministry Event describes a wide variety of activities that happen when we gather young people together in community for the purpose of growing in their faith and building up the Body of Christ.

Youth Ministry Event Examples:

•One hour small group Bible study or Confirmation lesson

•Mission trips

•Get-to-Know-You Pizza Party

•Service Projects in Your Community

•Youth Gatherings

Planning Events with Purpose

Events that are transformational are purposefully and intentionally planned and thought out to make a meaningful experience for the participant.

Matthew 28:18-20•The Great Commission

Luke 10:27•The Great Commandment

Ephesians 4:12-13•Additional purposes to which vocational ministers are called

Karen Jones* states that youth leaders should approach planning events with two tools:

a Compass and a Ruler

*From Chapter 25 in Starting Right.

The COMPASS points the leader in the right direction.

The RULER measures the results.

Spiritual Interest Categories

•Disinterested/Unaware•Attending Resister•Status Quo•Seeker•Committed

The Compass

The Compass

Program Pyramid

As you review the spiritual interest categories and the program pyramid:

•Think about the youth in your congregation or community that you serve. Where do they fall on the spectrum of the Spiritual Interest Categories?

•As you look at this program pyramid, think about your youth events at church. Where do they fall? Do these events meet the spiritual interest needs of the youth in your congregation?

•Discuss in your group what a good balance of events might look like, particularly in your own context.

Moralistic Therapeutic DeismThe “MTD Creed”, so to speak:

1. A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth.

2. God wants people to be good, nice and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.

5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

How are our events reaching past this “creed” and encouraging even the newest of Christians to push past moralistic therapeutic deism towards a deeper and transformational kind of faith?

Small Group ActivitySpend the next 20 minutes designing some activities for your youth group. Create one for each of the levels of the program pyramid.

•What is the purpose of this event? (Come and Enjoy, Come and Serve, etc.)•Who is this event intended for? (Disinterested/Unaware, Committed, etc.)•How will you reach out and bring in new attendees to this type of event?•Are there youth leaders you might enlist to help you invite new youth to an event of this nature?•How will this event move youth a step deeper in faith?•How will this event challenge youth in their faith? - OR - Which young people in your ministry are ready for a faith challenge?•How will this event speak to youth in a way they can understand, based on their current understanding of faith?•How will this event be processed with youth?

Talk through these questions with your group as you work and use this time to also process how to design events that transform as you plan!

The Ruler

Good evaluation is key.

Plan questions BEFORE the event to measure your outcomes after the event.

•Did you meet your goal(s)?•How do you know?•What shows you the result?

Small Group Discussion

1. Go back to the events you planned a few minutes ago and pick one to work with.

2. Create a list of five questions you could use to evaluate the event.

3. Share your questions with your small group and give feedback and/or suggestions to each other.

Acting With Wisdom

Karen Jones also cautions that events “planned for the right reasons can still be carried out in an unwise manner.” (Starting Right, p. 355)

For practice, use the events you have been planning today. Evaluate the next event using the questions provided on the hand-out.

Discuss in your small group:

1.Is your event on track?

2.How might you tweak or change the event (or do you need to) having read through this list of questions?

Covenanting

Purpose of a Covenant

Opportunity for Law and Gospel

Include the “rules” for your time together as well as the “good news” of connections and community with each other

Covenanting

What is the specific purpose of the covenant you are writing?

•Expectations before the event

•Rules/boundaries

•Expectations during the event

Covenanting

Who to Covenant with:

•Youth participants

•Adult leaders

•Parents

•Congregation/community

CovenantingCreating a Covenant:

•Know your non-negotiables

•Brainstorm a list

•Share your brainstormed lists

•Cross out what cannot be agreed upon

•Add non-negotiables

•Have the group sign the covenant

•Be clear on the consequences

•Share the covenant with parents and congregation

Covenanting

When a covenant is broken:

•Be proactive•Go to the individual first•Involve other adult leaders in the discussion•Bring the parents into the process•Provide opportunity for community healing

Event Finances

Budgeting

Purpose of Budgeting

•Helps leaders be good stewards of resources

•Can guide the planning process

•Considers available resources

Event Finances

Base Costs

•This will vary event to event

•What MUST be included in the price?

Event FinancesHow much will youth and families pay?

•A monetary investment increases commitment•Scholarships?

How much will the church pay?

•Is there a budget?•Other budgets?

How much will you fundraise?

•Based on what families and church pay

Event Finances

Some things to consider:•What message are you sending?•Consider what the true needs are.•Find ways for participants to commit in other ways.

Options for families:•Payment plans•1/3 splits•How much can the family pay?•Consider alternative sources for funding

Event Finances

Additional Costs for Events

•Transportation fees?•Adult leader fees?•Food not covered in registration costs?•Tips, tithes, offerings?

Whenever possible, it is a good practice to build in sponsor expenses to pay their fees for an event.

Event Finances

Fundraising

Purpose of Fundraising

“Fundraising events are ministry – you are providing the opportunity for the entire congregation to be part of passing faith on to young people. Fundraisers are opportunities to advance ministry.”

Event Finances

Two Key Things:

1.Make sure your fundraiser builds community• With the youth and leaders• With the congregation

2.Make sure your fundraiser fills a need

Event Finances

Steps for Solid Fundraising:

1.Inform

2.Motivate

3.Ask

4.Thank

Event Finances

Managing Funds

•Parent and youth led vs. Adult leader led

•Team pot vs. Individual accounts

•Attendance at all fundraisers w/o misses vs. Hours kept and funds divided

Release Forms/Consent Forms/Paperwork

The Purpose of Paperwork

Going BEYOND liability

•Paperwork ensures that you know how to contact parents

•Paperwork gives you pertinent information on a moment’s notice

Release Forms/Consent Forms/Paperwork

Kinds of Paperwork:

•Release forms•Liability forms•Medical treatment forms•Pictures/video consent•Special trip or high-risk activity forms•Medical history forms•Sign in sheets

Crisis Management

The Purpose of Crisis Management:

Being prepared for a crisis provides for a safe environment for the youth we serve.

Crisis Management

Things to Consider:

•Plan for multiple adults at an eventoAlways have at least 2

•Have a plan for emergenciesoWho will make phone callsoWho will transport for medical careoNotification procedures

Crisis Management

Notification Procedures

Determine who needs to be contacted and in what order:•911•Parents•Other adult leaders at the event•Pastor•Church council president•Youth committee chair

Crisis Management

Things to Consider:

•Who will deal with media•Who will calm youth•First aid•Paperwork and release forms•Counseling referral sheets•Fire/weather meeting place•Phones, hospitals and shelters

Closing Comments/Questions