A New Kind of Youth Ministry

We still have a few glitches to work out and as nearly all websites are, our new site is a work in progress. We are thrilled to have a new look!

Visit our new Youthfront website here: http://www.youthfront.com/

Thanks to our friends at INFUSION for their creativity and great work!

A few years ago Sonlife developed a learning experience for HS students called Merge. Merge was designed to help students merge with God’s story, way of life and mission.

There was a bunch of people involved in the development of Merge. Mike Novelli (now of Echo The Story, LLC and Imago Media) led the development process and was the creative genius behind it.

Before I hired Mike to work at Sonlife he had been exploring Chronological Bible Story and was developing a set of narratives to use within the context of the youth ministry that he was leading at
the time. Mike brought to Sonlife the narratives and the dream of an experience that would inspire, equip and challenge students towards God’s ways.

As Sonlife transitioned through the creation of new training content and resources, we felt like it was a great time to experiment with facilitating an event in the realm of what Mike had been dreaming about. Although Merge was a Sonlife event it was really born out of the passion, mission and creativity of Mike Novelli.

When Sonlife merged with Youthfront last fall, we (Youthfront) decided that we would continue to facilitate Merge especially for youth ministries who had made it a regular part of their summer routine. So, this past summer we had a wonderful time facilitating Merge at Youthfront Camp South. One youth worker said it was the best community-wide formation experience his ministry had ever been a part of. That is really cool…

Recently at Youthfront we have decided to concentrate our ongoing efforts on what we do best which is (1) Creating environments of spiritual transformation (currently camp, Croc, etc.) (2) Developing and delivering theologically and philosophically attentive training for youth workers that is inspiring, thoughtful and practical and (3) Provide resources that assist youth workers in their efforts to lead
transformational youth ministries — through partnerships with publishing companies.

We love many of the ideas found within Merge and we had a blast facilitating it this past summer. We have decided, however, that we will no longer facilitate Merge. Instead, we have released the rights of Merge to Echo The Story, LLC. So, be looking for Merge to be facilitated by Mike Novelli and the partners he brings around Echo to make it an even greater event.

We are working directly with Barefoot Publishing to create an affordable resource developed around narrative theology, fixed hours of prayer, interactive and experiential learning methods and fundamental practices for spiritual formation.

We think that with the growing economic stress that churches are under these days a resource might be more helpful than an event – especially with the rising costs of renting facilities, traveling costs, etc.

This resource is scheduled to be available the the spring of 09 just in time for those of you who want to use it within the context of your youth ministry (camp, retreats, learning series’, etc.) during the summer months. Next month will be working some of the early kinks out with 60 or so camp directors and youth workers in Orlando, in partnership with NYI. We are looking forward to serving you and your ministry via this new resource.

I have had some trouble with my blog as of late. It seems like we have the kinks worked out now. For some reason I couldn’t login to my dashboard to write, edit or anything else.

WordPress has been good to me so far so I am not ready to bail on them yet but if I go nearly two weeks without being able to login in again — I am jumping ship.

I plan to finish up my ‘5 Dangerous Things’ posts with Doug and I also have some recent reads to post about soon too. I am going to gear back up sometime after Labor Day. Peace.

A few years ago I bumped into a series of books in a collection from The Pilgrim Press called, Youth Ministries Alternatives. Youth Ministry Alternatives provides “resources of theological integrity rooted in real congregations.” It is a good line of books and I have found the books to be just as they suggest they provide.

I have been inspired and challenged by all of the books in the series that I have read. Two books in particular have really made me think more deeply about my role as a youth worker and as one who trains youth workers. One of the books is called, Practicing Discernment with Youth by David White and the second is a most recent read entitled, Lives To Offer: Accompanying Youth on Their Vocational Quests by Baker and Mercer. I have posted on White’s book before so I’ll just confine the excerpts in this post to the book, Lives To Offer.

The following excerpts are from the very beginning of the book. Honestly, the entire book is worth your time but for me, the most influential and thought shaping writing came in the first few chapters.

Excerpt # 1

“…we talk about vocation theologically, as the practice through which people offer their lives in response to God’s call, amid a world in need. This means that vocation is more than a job, more than a career, more than a religious office.” (Page 9)

I confess this made me think a lot about me. I pondered some significant questions about my job, my life and my faith when I read this. Far too often I have a job and that’s not good.

Excerpt # 2

“Vocation refers to theological ways of making sense of everyday actions and experiences, framed in the light of a God who calls people to particular ways of being in the world. Soccer coaches, Sunday school teachers, foster families — even soldiers and war protesters — all may be sorting through their actions in a world in relation to God’s call. This theological view of vocation speaks to both the private or inner discernment of individual gifts, and also to the deeply public quest, fostered within a community of others who also struggle to live lives of meaning in relation to God’s call.” (Page 9)

I love that Baker and Mercer highlighted the communal aspect of determining ones vocation. And in doing so, I also love that they didn’t suggest that a community of people determines your vocation. Rather, a community of people fosters one determining their own vocation. In other words, determining ones vocation(s) is most certainly an individual quest but it is a failed one in isolation, outside of the community’s shared experience.

Excerpt # 3

“We envision churches as communities of practice in which believers accompany one antoher in living out their baptismal callings — callings that take them into pockets of brokenness and need in an at-risk hurting world. We invite readers of this book to imagine with us a church in which adults are companions of young people in their vocational journey’s.” (Page 11)

Ah. Here in lies the challenge. How do we do this? I can see it. I am moved by the image conjured up in my mind after reading this passage but how do we make the vision a reality? Do you and I really believe that we can re-shape youth ministry into a ministry in which our colleagues, team mates and volunteers really are companions of young people? Is anyone doing this?  I don’t mean are we or our adult volunteers helping to shape the spiritual formation of adolescents.  I know that is happening.  But are we really becoming companions –  people who accompany and travel with students on their quests?  Are we providing that community that fosters the ability to determine vocation?

I’d love to hear some stories of where we see this happening. Or … I’d love to hear some theory on how to make it happen.

I think you should read Lives to Offer. You’ll be better for it and so will your adult volunteers who I am sure are consistently looking at those of you who lead the youth ministry for equipping and development. Of course, ultimately your students will be impacted as well and that is what it is all about.