The following 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

So I started my critical concerns course: Rethinking Traditional Youth Ministry Models with Mark Helsel and Brock Morgan.

The first section we looked back at youth ministries from 1800's all the way to the present. (We did it really fast).

We looked at the movements, the target, goals and fears.

After that we moved to section 2: Finding the Real. Who are these teens?

First we looked at teenagers in the 1950's vs. 2008

After that we made small groups and wrote down some buzz words defining teenagers in 2008.

Each group shared their top 5.

For there we moved to section 3: Make Your Move (Youth Ministry Movements)
(Here are the notes)

"Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what God's people should do." I Chronicles 12:32

Youth Culture is about movement so our ministries must move with them in order to speak to the emerging generations

Where youth ministry needs to move:

1. Programs to People
stop feeding the monster

2. Attractional to Missional / go and make...
What does a Missional Youth Ministry look like?

1. Programming and money is directed outward
2. cutback on programs leave space for living
3. Giving away of resources
4. Spiritual formation is a rhythm a way of life
5. No barriers between sacred and secular
6. Passionate Activists

3. Centralized to De-Centralized
Put everyone on center stage

4. One Eared - Mickey Mouse to Fully Integrated
Assimilate = the key

5. Big to small
grow your group smaller

6. Agenda Driven to Service Oriented
ym model = cause driven

Questions to ask:

1. What are the needs of my community

2. What are they doing well we can celebrate, thank them for and support

Discipleship happens around a cause...

Look for a Cause
Prepare for a Cause
Do the Cause
Repeat

7. Separatists to Collaborators
blur the lines...

8. Salvation to the Way of Jesus
Salvation about heaven?

9. Individual to Communal / Individual
Moving beyond personal faith

10. Church to Neutral place
City on the hill - get off the hill

Meeting students in their third place. What is a third place? As defined by Ray Oldenburg

- It is neutral ground
- It is inclusive and promotes social equality
- Converstion is the central activity
- It is frequented by regulars who welcome newcomers
- It is typically in a nonpretentious, homey place
- It fosters a playful mood

11. Orthodoxy to Orthopray
Right thinking to right thinking and practice

12. Proclaiming to Guiding

Mike King uses the "guide" language in his excellent book "Presence - Driven Youth Ministry"

Guides are on a journey and participating with followers
Guides interpret the culture around them
They are bilingual (image, language, story and technology)
Guides will be healers
Guides will be theologians, philosophers, and artists

End of notes

During this section I was thinking it is great to see Soul as a community of faith already doing this things and not just the youth ministry. Which I was bring up tomorrow in the open discussion we have. It is great to be on a staff that thinks differently about doing "church" and great to have the steering committee on the same page. I am happy to be a part of the Soul community!

Howden Matt Howden