http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com Chris Folmsbee's blog Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:25:31 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I am turning in my manuscript to YS/Zondervan tomorrow.  Therefore, I am going dark for the month of December to focus any and all of my writing (mostly editing at this point) to my forthcoming book, Story, Signs and Sacred Rhythms: A Narrative Approach to Youth Ministry. Depending on how I ... http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/12/01/going-dark-for-december/ I came across a book I think many of you might find helpful.  It is called, The Cow Of No Color: Riddle Stories and Justice Tales from Around the World. As far as I can tell, it is a fairly obscure book (Amazon rankings don't always mean a book is or ... http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/11/17/the-cow-of-no-color/ Forbid that I should walk through Thy beautiful world with unseeing eyes: Forbid that the lure of the market-place should ever entirely steal my heart away from the love of the open acres and the green trees: Forbid that under the low roof of workshop or office or study I should ever ... http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/11/13/i-beseech-thee/ Embedded video from CNN Video http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/11/09/i-want-to-be-like-this-kid/ I spent the last couple days in Pittsburgh at the National Youth Workers Convention.  I had a fantastic time connecting with old and new friends. My seminars were definitely a highlight.  I did a critical concerns course on Thursday and Friday with my friend Kelly Lashly who is a youth ministry ... http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/11/03/nywc-pittsburgh/ For context on this post it would be helpful to read THIS POST. Scenario # 3: Contextualization When it comes to resources, conferences, etc. youth workers don’t care to look outside their region.  What will youth ministry “training” look like in 2014? http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/10/27/scenario-3/ For context on this post read THIS POST. (image from HERE) Scenario # 2: Devolution Most youth ministries get really small while a few get really big.  What will this do to the professionalism of youth ministry by 2014? http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/10/08/scenario-2-devolution/ For a couple of years now I have been developing the framework for a narrative/missional (missio dei) approach to youth ministry.  We’ve been articulating this approach in our one-day training experience called, Enroute all over North America. The framework (shown below) is not only the root of the training experience but ... http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/10/05/story-signs-sacred-rhythms/ Read the post, Scenario Thinking: Can you see the future? HERE for the context on this scenario and the ones to come... Scenario # 1 -- Deflation Youth 
ministries 
shrink
 as 
seniors, 
then
 juniors
 then 
sophomores
 begin 
to
 opt
 out.

  What
 will 
it 
take
 to
 engage high 
school 
students 
in
 2014?



 http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/09/30/scenario-1-deflation/ I don’t think anyone can predict the future.  I do believe, however, that some can see the future.  Unpredictable doesn’t always mean unimaginable. Scenario thinking is a process of visualizing the future.  It is the sibling of its older brother called, strategic planning and its purpose is simple – to proactively ... http://www.anewkindofyouthministry.com/2008/09/30/scenario-thinking-can-you-see-the-future/