Youth Ministry & The Task of Culture Shaping
I've found a new hobby. I have found absolute delight in digging up older books on youth ministry - books from the 70's and 80's. Much of what I find I purchase for a couple of bucks from some obscure website and they're usually shipped from places in the world I can only wish I might one day visit.
Most recently I came across a book by Stephen Jones called, Faith Shaping: Youth and the Experience of Faith (Judson Press, 1987). Some of you may remember it when it came out. Me? Nope. I was a freshman in high school at the time it was released.
Faith Shaping is full of little nuggets that are not only relevant for today but are required for people who work with today's youth. Probably the most helpful morsel of the book for me was chapter 9 on culture shaping. In this chapter, Jones reminds his readers "We will not do justice to adolescents unless we help them consider the shape of their emerging faith in relation to their culture." (P.89)
So, what exactly is the task of culture shaping? I mean, I have some ideas but I'd rather hear from those of you wrestling with similar observances and experiments. How can we move away from our tendencies to manufacture and manipulate? What are the essential aspects of culture shaping? Is it even possible to really allow students to shape their culture or do they need some kind of adult influence to assure that it gets done? Are we (or more specifically, am I) crazy to think that youth workers should rely more on students to shape the emerging culture and less on our own assumptions, preferences and opinions?
When I first began in youth ministry (almost 15 years ago) "peer-to-peer" ministry was the buzzword. The purpose of peer-to-peer ministry was to influence students in order that they might influence their friends. It wasn't an altogether inherently bad idea. After all, isn't this what Jesus did with his disciples? Didn't Jesus find influencers and allow them to do the influencing? Actually, no, this isn't what Jesus did. Jesus called mere fisherman, ordinary people to follow him. He was present with them incarnating himself for the mission of God. Yes, certainly to influence others but not solely limited to influence. Jesus called his disciples to shape the culture and move it toward becoming a Kingdom culture.
Most often youth workers who talked about and built "peer to peer" ministry models functioned with the idea that to influence students meant we had to create consumers who bought what we were selling and who conformed to the culture that we created. The mistake in this concept wasn't the motive to influence or even the call to conform to a culture (that was often mere words and abstractions). The biggest mistake was seeing students as the tool or the agenda and not seeing them as "persons-in-culture" (P.90) who were "not only recipients of culture but also shapers of it." We trusted students enough to bring their friends to our Friday night outreach events but we didn't (generally speaking, of course) trust them enough to allow them to shape the culture through their communal and personal faith -- a faith that "offers the criteria against which to evaluate one's participation in culture and the courage, when necessary, to be countercultural." (P. 90) We called students to live counter culturally, but we didn't trust the students we were supposedly influencing to really shape the culture so we tended to manufacture and manipulate.
I don't really hear the phrase "peer to peer" much anymore. I don't think it is because we've stopped doing youth ministry in that fashion. Nor do I think it is because we've stumbled upon another, better model either. Honestly, I think for many it was one of those things that either "sounded cool at the time" or just never really "worked" so we've abandoned the language. Most youth ministries still operate under the mindset that if I can just influence the right student(s) I can use them to share the message of Jesus with their friends. This doesn't shape the culture it simply and most often temporarily keeps a few of our students interested and engaged.
The trend we commonly understand as 'youth leaving the church' isn't primarily about the churches tendency toward abandonment, a rise in the influence of media or the Internet or the inability to reach a post-literate generation through traditional methods. Rather, it is primarily an issue of doubt and distrust.
We (youth workers) have not believed in and trusted the Holy Spirit's ministry and movements enough among youth to allow youth to be the shapers of their culture. Instead, we've tried to shape the culture ourselves. This tragic mistake has led several decades of youth toward finding ways outside of the church to practice their faith and shape their culture. This is why students are graduating and not coming back. (Note: I just read the galley copy of Andy Root's upcoming book called, Unfiltered Relationships. Look for this book from YS/Zondervan this fall. Andy covers the topics above -- especially that of "influencing students" -- in great detail.)
Youth Min. and Transformative Environments
I spent this past weekend in San Antonio, TX with some new friends at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and a few other churches within the Diocese of West Texas. I led several conversations for a couple dozens students around mission, community and identity formation - some of the very things we've recently been discussing on this blog.
Each of the conversations were punctuated with experiential learning environments consisting of such activities as sharing food and conversation with the homeless, collecting food for a local help pantry, participating in the Eucharist, intentional conversations in which to discuss the experiences, numerous forms of art expressions and so on.
I've come away from the experience feeling very inspired and encouraged. Possibly the most inspiring element to the weekend was the relational composition I noticed between the various groups of students.
I've spoken to and trained many students at various gatherings throughout North America over the last decade or so and never have I more clearly witnessed a sense of true community and cooperative learning than while at St. Luke's.
The mutual trust and respect, acceptance, care, gentle honesty, admiration for one another and the overall sense of missional cooperation that the students shared shone brilliantly through a long day of serving others all the while practicing the discipline of fasting. This, along with a creatively designed schedule and a terrific bunch of committed students and volunteers, led to a day of sudden wonder! [BTW- For those of you who have been recently astonished by what you have seen God do in the lives of the students within your group, I'd love to hear your story!]
This recent experience has led me to think deeply again about how I attempt to equip youth workers to create environments for transformational youth ministry. Realizing that we can't explore all of the elements of a transformative environment on a blog post I limit myself today to helping us think through three primary elements of the transformative environments we shape for our students.
The three elements for this conversation are time, space and matter. Perhaps you have heard others express what they mean by these three environmental elements, as they are certainly not uncommon. However, for training and equipping purposes, I choose to define these three elements as follows:
Time - not just minutes and hours (chronos time that is quantitative) but an undetermined period of time or an intentional pacing that cultivates a non-anxious, peace-filled, calm and reflective environment in which something unpredictable can occur (karios time that is qualitative).
Space - not a buffer zone but a sacred, ascetically intriguing and astonishing physical and or mental 'room' in which to contemplate and consider the wonder, beauty and creativity of God's narrative and mission.
Matter - not solely the theme or the name/purpose of an event but the cooperating substance or content that evokes the imagination, imparts for a recreated life and inspires toward transformation.
Creating environments of transformation is some of what we are called to do as youth ministers and educators. Along with the work of the Holy Spirit and the enduring activity of God, we seek to establish an influential set of conditions that provide a framework in which to help our students more deeply experience God.
What other factors besides time, space and matter are important for a healthy, effective and transformative environment? How might you define the elements of time, space and matter differently than how I have defined them? What are the 'set of conditions' in your particular ministry context that provide for an experiential framework purposed for spiritual discovery and growth?
Youth Ministry and Community
It wasn't until I was nearly half a dozen years into vocational youth ministry that I began to discover that I couldn't will a sense of community. As hard as I worked to create an environment of invitation, generosity, hope, love, hospitality, honesty, shared learning, etc., I discovered that community isn't developed out of a specific strategy or a series of methods regardless of how diligent I was in trying. I grew to learn that authentic community was born out of a collective spirit of unity that is largely born out of sensitivity to and a commitment toward a spirituality driven by numerous virtues, none more important than simplicity and purity. Obviously there are many more virtues that help our students experience what it means to be a true community.
Has anyone else ever tried to just will community? What other virtues might lead to a sense of community? What do our students need from us as their examples and guides to bring about a sense of genuine community? And by genuine community I don't merely mean fellowship, I mean a community of people who, together (inclusive of fellowship), act as the body of Christ, the physical presence of Jesus living out the mission of God.
It might be said that a collective spirit of unity can be created when a community of students and adults, seeking to live by virtues such as simplicity and purity, find an interior peace with God, self, others and the world. This interior peace works to prohibit partiality from raising its ugly head thus keeping favoritism, prejudices, selfishness, etc. from eroding a sense of wholeness within our youth ministries. I contend that true interior peace can only come through a student's trusting relationship with Jesus. It is through this relationship with Jesus that students in our ministries learn to live and love in the way of Jesus; extending an exterior peace meant to be shared with the others and in doing so participate in God's mission to restore the world to its intended wholeness. [Note: All the more important to give our attention to the evangelism of emerging generations. See last weeks post on Youth Ministry and Evangelism HERE].
In what ways does being a healthy community help our evangelism efforts to students? Is my contention correct? Does true peace only come from the freedom found in a relationship with Jesus?
Living the virtue of simplicity regulates the intentions of the soul. Living the virtue of purity regulates the intentions of the heart. Thomas A' Kempis tell us in his enduring work, The Imitation of Christ that. "Simplicity looks to find God and purity finds God and savors Him." In other words, the beauty of simplicity keeps us grounded; it provides the means for us to evaluate our purpose and goals in life helping us to keep our focus and priorities on the mission of God. At the same time, the virtue of purity allows us to draw increasingly closer to God as we live in the interior peace we have found with God through Jesus. As we allow simplicity and purity to regulate our lives, we can't help but think of others.
Helping our students develop practices such as doing the will of another rather than our own, sharing all of our material goods with others, seeking the lowliest places in the community as opposed to the most recognized places and the constant praying of God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven all help to move our communities toward the good and pleasant whiff of unity (think: Psalm 133) that ultimately shapes a community.
Personally, I have found that when my interior life is peace-filled, my exterior life is filled with experiences of extending the invitation of a life with Jesus to all those I come into contact with - stranger, family, friend and so on. I'd love to figure out the best ways in which to help our students find ways to belong to a genuine community and work to extend that sense of community to all that they come into contact with. So what kinds of practical things are you doing to help your student's understand and experience community? In what ways can we better help our students experience community now and into the future? In what ways do our churches play a part in the development of healthy community within our youth ministries?
Youth Ministry and Evangelism
I've been guest blogging over at Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed Blog on Thursday mornings. You can read today's post and enter into some great conversation on youth ministry and evangelism here: http://blog.beliefnet.com/jesuscreed/2009/03/youth-and-evangelism-chris-fol.html
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Over the last couple of weeks I have been in some terrific conversations about youth ministry and evangelism. One youth worker from a church in Toronto asked me, "Where did evangelism go? It seems as though evangelism is way less important as it was 10 years ago when I began working with teens and their families." I responded by asking this youth worker, "Is it less important to you?" "No!" He shouted back. He continued by saying, "It isn't less important, I just don't know how to do it these days! Students are just so different."
Personally, I don't think that youth ministry has forgotten about evangelism or that it is less important. I do, however, wonder what it will take for us to feel like we know 'how to do it these days'. Maybe I am wrong. Has evangelism become less important in youth ministry? Or are our traditional methods no longer effective so we, therefore, await a more effective approach? What might a more effective series of approaches look like?
I have observed, from my limited vista, that youth ministry in North America has been making wonderful shifts. I especially have enjoyed observing and participating in the shift from what is often labeled an attractional approach to what is commonly referred to as a missional approach. Specifically, I have noticed that within this missional approach we have allowed our view of evangelism to be as much about embodiment as it is about proclamation. This is good. But, just like proclamation without embodiment is incomplete, so embodiment without proclamation is incomplete. Perhaps this is what my youth worker friend in Toronto meant by evangelism being of less importance.
I can't quite wrap my arms all the way around the issues related to new perspectives on evangelism and that frustrates me. However, I have come to personally conclude that the articulation of the gospel story today must be related to people's lives -- it cannot be just a rational argument. The gospel story must be holistic in the sense that 1) it isn't merely about the accumulation of knowledge and 2) it doesn't separate the soul from body (and ultimately a Kingdom society). To effectively and faithfully articulate the gospel story today it seems important to proclaim and embody it in a community that exists as a hermeneutic of the gospel. Too often the end is to make converts, not invite students into a community of disciples interested in the ongoing work of God's transformation.
To this end, we have to also articulate how our students' stories connect with the story of God. Evangelism includes helping students see themselves in light of the imago Dei, helping them discover their identity and calling. In what ways can we more deeply connect our students' stories to the imago Dei? What do we need to start doing, stop doing or do differently in youth ministry to guide a generation to articulate the gospel story in both action and word? How do we train and equip our students to articulate the gospel story?
Re-Thinking Mission in Youth Ministry
I'm certain that many of the people engaged in youth ministry think regularly about the mission and work before them. Our unsettled culture and its itinerant nature require ongoing strategic thought and practice.
In order to avoid being characterized by what Nietzsche referred to as the "fundamental form of stupidity" (forgetting what you were trying to do in the first place), I am sure that many of today's youth ministers have a variety of mechanisms to keep the mission of their ministry somewhere on the dashboard in bold, bright font. They are reminding themselves just what they are meaning to accomplish.
I'm wondering, however, just what the thing we are "trying to do in the first place" is, exactly. What is our mission? It appears that the mission of most youth ministries just might be as unsettled and itinerant as the culture to which it is attempting to impart the great good news.
My recent experience has led me to believe that we are in many ways "on hold" between a season of deconstruction (with a residual number of feelings including angst, ambiguity and hesitation) and a future season of renovation that I hope will largely be comprised of a new commitment to a narrative approach to ministry that will result in a greater devotion to God's mission.
Specifically, I'm hopeful that many of us who've been longing for a fresh wave of thought and practice to emerge might sincerely consider what Chris Wright in his book,The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative , refers to as our mission. There, Wright defines it as "our committed participation as God's people, at God's invitation and command, in God's own mission within the history of God's world for the redemption of God's creation" (page23). Perhaps this ought to be the bold, bright font placed strategically on our dashboard as the thing we are "trying to do in the first place."
So I am curious to know: have we forgotten what we are "trying to do in the first place?" Am I the only one feeling like we are on hold? Is the pendulum swinging from deconstruction to construction? As we move towards a fresh wave of thought and practice, will the "committed participation as God's people, at God's invitation and command, in God's own mission within the history of God's world for the redemption of God's creation" be the mission that we embrace? As it relates to youth ministry, what will be the strategic ways we embody the gospel in an unsettled and itinerant culture?
Chasing Francis by Ian Cron
Around the office at Youthfront there are a few legendary stories of people who have either been on staff or have merely stopped in a time or two over the years for a meeting or an inspirational talk or to partner in an event, say a prayer, etc.
I think most of the stories I hear about from days of old, obviously long before I joined the staff, are more myth than legend. Probably not unlike most organizations who typically remember the past as more profound than it may have actually been.
One person in particular, Ian Cron is one of those stories. There is no doubt in my mind, he's a legend for sure. I heard stories about Ian since the day I arrived. Often in a conversation Ian's name will come up and someone will undoubtedly refer to his participation in one of our weekend retreats we hold at our South Camp called, Altar. Apparently Ian just ripped it up one day speaking about divergent paths of leadership, creativity and holiness. I was not there but that is what I have repeatedly heard.
For months I have wanted to read Ian's book called, Chasing Francis: A Pilgrims Tale. I finally stole one from my co-worker Dustin's bookshelf. It is a fiction book about a pastor (named Chase Falston) who is 'struggling' with his faith and his role as pastor in his church. One day, after speaking with a mother who had just lost her daughter, this pastor gets real with his congregation and is ultimately asked to take a mandatory leave of absence. The rest of the book is about Chase Falston on a pilgrimage of "chasing Francis of Assisi" to regain his faith.
I know I am late to the party on this one (published in 2006), but if you haven't read Chasing Francis, you might need to put it near the top of your stack. It is a masterful work that takes actual events of Francis' life, real places and a unbelievable compelling story that is weaved together to move your soul, at lease mine. Here are a few of the nuggets that have really helped me deeply reflect.
"...a pilgrimage is a way of praying with your feet. You go on a pilgrimage because there's something missing inside your soul, and the only way you can find it is to go to sacred places, places where God makes himself known to others. In sacred places, something gets done that you've been unable to do for yourself." (page 42)
"Sarcasm is confusing to the pure of heart." (page 63)
"Francis had no new theory to offer, but an old practice -- the practice of Jesus Christ." (page 47)
I strongly encourage you to find a copy of Chasing Francis: A Pilgrims Tale and take it in. Perhaps you'll find yourself somewhere in the story as I have done at several different points. Perhaps you'll find freedom, as I have found. You might even find that this book is more for you than "your friend who needs some encouragement these days."
Hope
Gina, my wife, was given the gift of a subscription to Weavings: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life some time ago. When the bi-monthly issues arrive in the mail each time I am quick to snatch them up as if they were a gift to me.
It usually takes me at least a month or so to read through all of the articles. The articles are written with an obvious concern for guiding readers to a place of personal reflection and deep thought.
Recently, I've developed the habit of looking first for the poetry sprinkled throughout the journal -- even before I read the articles. About every 6-8 pages or so there is usually a great piece to make me think, wonder and reflect.
The March/April 2009 issue is no exception... The piece below is called, Hope and it is written by Victoria Safford (Weavings: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life, March/April 2009 Volume XXIV, Number 2, page 19).
"Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of hope--not the prudent gates of Optimism, which are somewhat narrower; nor the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense; nor the strident gates of Self-Righteousness, which creak and shrill and angry hinges (people cannot hear us there; they cannot pass through); nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of "Everything Is Gonna Be All Right." But a different, sometimes lonely place, of truth-telling about your own soul first of all and its condition, the place of resistance and defiance, from which you see the world both as it is and as it could be, as it will be; the place from which you glimpse not only struggle but joy in the struggle. And we stand there, beckoning and calling, telling people what we're seeing, asking them what they see."
Prelude 2009
Last year Mike King and I hosted the first of what we hope becomes many micro-conferences called, Prelude. There was about 50 youth workers or so that gathered at our Youthfront Camp South to dialogue around Andrew Root's book entitled, Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry and Sarah Arthur's book entitled, The God-Hungry Imagination. It was a great time of co-learning and collaboration.
This year, because we are all Scot McKnight freaks here, we are discussing some of Scot's most recent works. We also have another host this year named Erik Leafblad. Erik is one of our newer staff members and has become a fast friend and valued co-worker. Mike and I are thrilled to have Erik hosting with us this year.
You can check out Prelude 2009 here: http://www.preludegathering.com/. We know that the economy is putting a damper on many of your training budgets this year so we've done our best to keep the cost low and give you a positive experience. I hope you will consider joining us!
5 ‘Dangerous’ Things, Part 3
Similarly to allowing students to doubt (part 2 of this series), we ought also to allow students to discover truth on their own. I am not saying that we allow them to discover their own truth. Rather, I am saying that we allow them to come into truth via their own understanding and practice. I contend we are far better off in the shepherding of our students if we allow them to believe that something is true in their own time and through their own unearthing and articulation of the particular truth.
Truth is not something that can be understood and practiced simply by passing on what we have come to know through words alone. I mean, how have we ‘come to know’ what we do? Was it simply because someone told us that a particular thought or concept IS true and so we believed them? C’mon. There is no way have you come to the place you are with God right now in this present moment because someone convinced you that something was true simply by using words. Language (words that give meaning) is very important in the process of discovering truth but it is not THE process. The process of practice, reflection, observation making, abstract correlating and tested experience all come together to help students ‘come to know’ what is true. (i.e. Kolb, Experiential Learning).
Therefore, the environments that we create and sustain become essential. Without an effective environment or a collection of various environments we are simply left to assume that just words that define ideas and concepts about God help students ‘come to know’ what is true. So, as youth workers, we are not solely the passer on of truths as we are environmentalists that help create a culture where truths can be unearthed and applied. We, as youth workers (parents, coaches, teachers, etc), are key to the entire unearthing truth process but our role ought not to be the carrier of what is “right” as much as it ought to be the designer in which the truth that we have come to know might also come to be known by others.
The inevitable question I get asked when I talk about this is always something like… “So… then… what constitutes an effective environment?” My answer is usually something like this… “I think there are three critical elements of an effective environment. The three elements are time, space and content.”
Time -- moments to discover God and instances to punctuate the time.
Space -- freedom and breathing room to discover God in the time the individual feels is exact.
Content – the substance or the material used to help the individual do the things I have already stated are important. Things like practice, reflection observation making, abstract correlating and testing by experience.
(BTW- I am not sure where I got those three elements. I can’t remember if it was one particular author or seminar speaker or who but they are something I have been using as a template for a while now.)
My premise (for those of you who are confused by these ramblings on) is quite simple. Here it is… Don’t tell students what is true and expect them to just live it (truth) out. On the contrary, guide or shepherd your students into environments comprised of time, space and content that allow them to ‘come to know’ what is true through their own understanding and practice. Be and environmentalist as much as you are an evangelist.
Are you familiar with Barefoot Publishing?
We have (Youthfront/Sonlife) been doing some work with Barefoot Publishing. Barefoot is what I (a non-expert in the pub world!) would call an emerging publisher. They have been around for a while but I think some of their most recent products have really helped them emerge from being viewed as an average publisher to a innovative, expanding publisher.
I really love their new series of products for students called, Undercurrent. HERE is a link. Most recently I read, "Living Justice" by Jamie Gates and Jon Middendorf. This is a great book to give to your students on the topic of justice. Along with the product they have a free download -- a discussion guide for small groups, etc. -- on their website.
The book is only about 80 pages and it covers a lot of ground in a very engaging way. I love how the book begins. Within the first two pages there is a lasting tension created using two, very to the point and relevant examples of divergent perspectives on God, justice, and our role in God's mission. Very thought provoking...
I have become good friends with Jeff Edmondson, the publisher. We are working together on a couple projects -- one in particular I am really excited about. We are launching a new weekend missional living training experience for students in 12 locations across North America in the Fall called, Reveal: Joining in the Activity of God. Good stuff. More on that later. Anyway, in the meantime, you might want to check out Barefoot's line of products for your students.
