This past week has been spent enjoying some time away from the parish, away from Vancouver all the way back in Ottawa. Of course I have taken time away from my work to catch up with family and friends, but in doing so I have found a few interesting things that I will bring back to my ministry with St Philip's. I thought it would be a good idea on my last day here to stop and write a few of them down while enjoying a warm fair trade beverage at my favourite Ottawa coffee shop. It is called Bridgehead and it is lovely. I have not yet found a Dunbar replacement (more due to an over abundance of good coffee options than anything else).
First of all, last Sunday I had the opportunity to lead a discussion with the Ukrainian Catholic junior youth with whom I used to work. We used a resource produced by a Mennonite youth pastor in Winnipeg for the buy nothing Christmas initiative. The idea behind a buy nothing Christmas is to intentionally evaluate whether the consumption and commercialism that have become associated with Christmas are actually the best ways to celebrate what we as people of faith value about this season. The resource takes youth through three sessions on this theme. Each one includes a Bible passage, a written reflection by the author, discussion questions and suggestions for actions the youth can take in their daily lives that connect to the theme. The resource is intended for high school aged youth which really showed in my discussion with the younger junior youth who needed a bit more help to understand some of the questions. Nonetheless we had a fruitful discussion about what the dominant secular culture values about Christmas and how this intersects with our own values as Christians.
As we question consumerism in the culture around us, I believe it is important not to throw the God-baby out with the plastic manger full of toxic, fake hay made in a sweatshop (so to speak). People in our culture engage in this consumerism out of a desire to express their love and care for family, friends and strangers. This love is an important part of what we celebrate in the incarnation as Christians; it is a divine love for all people that we see in God's choice to become incarnate as a fragile infant born to a young, poor, unwed couple. Whether this consumerism is actually the most appropriate way to celebrate this or not, neither is condemning those around us. As usual it is the challenge of seeing how our culture intersects with the Gospel and how the Gospel calls us to question it. This resource is great at helping youth to do this and I will get to use it again with the youth at St Philip's on December 16th. If you would like to see it, it is available for free on the buy nothing Christmas website at www.buynothingchristmas.org
Another lucky find from this trip is brought to you by the Anglican Church of Canada's liturgy for the Ordination of Priests. Last night I got to attend the priestly ordination of four of my friends and colleagues from the Diocese of Ottawa. While listening dutifully to the Bishop read the examination of the ordinands, I was struck by the following sentence: "You are to love and serve the people among whom you work, caring alike for the young and old, strong and weak, rich and poor." All priests are called to ministry with people of all ages. Way to go liturgy! Isn't it great when our worship says what we believe? I was pretty happy to be a part of this Church just then.
Well, my cocoa chai latte is all gone and I am ready to head back out into the -12 degree cold on my way to my next appointment. I am looking forward to heading back to Vancouver a little more rested and a little more resourced and to trade in my winter coat for my rain coat once again.
Friday, 30 November 2012
Wednesday, 21 November 2012
What does a blueprint for youth ministry look like?
Since I first read Sustainable Youth Ministry back in April, I have been looking for good examples of what this might look like applied to an Anglican Church in Canada. In particular the visioning documents DeVries speaks of: values and goals for the youth ministry; it all sounds very nice, but I need some concrete examples.
Well, I would like to thank Stronger Together 2012 for providing me with these examples. This second annual retreat for people working in regional youth ministry in the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Canada took place outside Calgary several weeks ago. Not only did it take place, but they produced a set of values and goals for youth ministry in these Churches. Good timing folks!
The values are as follows:
Our Values for Ministry With and Among Young People in Canada
Foundational to our understanding of the nature and task of youth ministry is “participating in God’s action.” Youth ministry then at the local levels is the ministry of the church that seeks to participate in God’s action with and among young people.
1) Knowing God
In all we do, we never forget who we are: humans created in the image of God beautiful, broken and loved.
2) Living in Christ
Our work is anchored in the priority of living out a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and sharing that way of life.
3) Missional Direction
Our work is to empower young people to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
4) Beyond Survival
Stories of effective ministry with and among young people inspire expectation and hope among Anglicans and Lutherans, inviting the church to move beyond survival and fear to trusting God and claiming what is life giving.
5) God Conversations
We are intentional about having God conversations with young people, equipping and encouraging them to share the story of their faith with the wider community.
6) Bold Experimentation
We foster experimentation recognizing the gifts of our rootedness in our rich heritage and story. Our ministries with and among young people are environments that empower creativity, leave room for failure and provide opportunities for learning and growth.
7) Spiritual Practice
We commit to re-affirming and renewing our faith through worship, the study of scripture and spiritual practices.
8) Individual Young People
We always keep in mind the reality that somewhere there’s a young person who is yearning to deepen their relationship with God and is waiting to be connected to a transforming Christian community.
Personally, I love these values. I think they find a balance between tradition and innovation, individuals and community, and include all the important aspects of Christian life all the while addressing some of the unique characteristics and challenges of youth ministry. The best example of this is 4)Beyond Survival. So often fear and anxiety concerning the future survival of the Church (often the Church in its present form) shape youth ministry more than anything else. This value calls us to trust and look towards a future where the Church, as the Body of Christ in the world, is truly a source of new and eternal life.
In addition to these values they have the following goals for youth ministry from at a national level:
THREE-YEAR REVOLVING GOALS
TARGET DATE: DECEMBER 31, 2014
Visioning
1) 50% of the Anglican and Lutheran churches in Canada have discerned what youth ministry could look like in their context and identified a single measureable goal for making their parish youth ministries more effective.
Formation of Leaders
1) Within the next three years – Each Synod or Diocese has staff or a structure in place for youth ministry coordination. This could be:
2) Anglican and Lutheran Youth Leaders have sponsored a national workshop for youth leaders with attention to participation that reflects the diversity of leaders and contexts.
3) In the previous year, every region has initiated an annual equipping conference for paid and volunteer staff in youth ministry that is at least one day long.
4) In the previous year, every region has initiated an annual Sabbath retreat for paid and volunteer staff in youth ministry that is at least one day long.
Resources:
1) Annually updated Youth Ministry Facilitator Directory has been developed with a vehicle in place to keep these facilitators connected across diocese and synods.
2) A plan is in place for increasing the level of financial resources available for the future of Anglican, Lutheran or joint youth ministry. Including exploring an
endowment fund.
Promotion and Marketing
1) A plan for internal and external communication has been developed, including electronic, print, personal contact, intentional branding, and deliberate storytelling.
2) Every parish and every person on the youth ministry directory will be contacted about relevant events.
Student Leadership
1) A plan and budget for a year-long, residential, young adult discipleship program has been developed.
2) 75% of diocese and synods have had youth participants in one of many national or multi-synod or multi-diocese events in the past year.
Look at all those shiny numbers and concrete goals! These goals help paint a clear picture of what we want the future of youth ministry in the country to look like. They will make it easy to assess the progress of youth ministry and whether or not it is moving along in the right direction. While the actual goals at the parish level would be different, they would have a similar format and may even include the same helpful division by sections used by the Stronger Together crew.
In conclusion, I am grateful to all those who helped put these values and goals together as well as those who passed them along to me. They are not only an excellent blueprint for youth ministry in the Anglican and Lutheran Churches in Canada at the national level, but they are also a great example of what a blueprint actually looks like. These will be very helpful for us at St Philip's as we envision the future of youth ministry in this parish.
Well, I would like to thank Stronger Together 2012 for providing me with these examples. This second annual retreat for people working in regional youth ministry in the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Canada took place outside Calgary several weeks ago. Not only did it take place, but they produced a set of values and goals for youth ministry in these Churches. Good timing folks!
The values are as follows:
Our Values for Ministry With and Among Young People in Canada
Foundational to our understanding of the nature and task of youth ministry is “participating in God’s action.” Youth ministry then at the local levels is the ministry of the church that seeks to participate in God’s action with and among young people.
1) Knowing God
In all we do, we never forget who we are: humans created in the image of God beautiful, broken and loved.
2) Living in Christ
Our work is anchored in the priority of living out a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and sharing that way of life.
3) Missional Direction
Our work is to empower young people to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
4) Beyond Survival
Stories of effective ministry with and among young people inspire expectation and hope among Anglicans and Lutherans, inviting the church to move beyond survival and fear to trusting God and claiming what is life giving.
5) God Conversations
We are intentional about having God conversations with young people, equipping and encouraging them to share the story of their faith with the wider community.
6) Bold Experimentation
We foster experimentation recognizing the gifts of our rootedness in our rich heritage and story. Our ministries with and among young people are environments that empower creativity, leave room for failure and provide opportunities for learning and growth.
7) Spiritual Practice
We commit to re-affirming and renewing our faith through worship, the study of scripture and spiritual practices.
8) Individual Young People
We always keep in mind the reality that somewhere there’s a young person who is yearning to deepen their relationship with God and is waiting to be connected to a transforming Christian community.
Personally, I love these values. I think they find a balance between tradition and innovation, individuals and community, and include all the important aspects of Christian life all the while addressing some of the unique characteristics and challenges of youth ministry. The best example of this is 4)Beyond Survival. So often fear and anxiety concerning the future survival of the Church (often the Church in its present form) shape youth ministry more than anything else. This value calls us to trust and look towards a future where the Church, as the Body of Christ in the world, is truly a source of new and eternal life.
In addition to these values they have the following goals for youth ministry from at a national level:
THREE-YEAR REVOLVING GOALS
TARGET DATE: DECEMBER 31, 2014
Visioning
1) 50% of the Anglican and Lutheran churches in Canada have discerned what youth ministry could look like in their context and identified a single measureable goal for making their parish youth ministries more effective.
Formation of Leaders
1) Within the next three years – Each Synod or Diocese has staff or a structure in place for youth ministry coordination. This could be:
- An active youth ministry committee;
- A volunteer youth ministry coordinator;
- A part-time (paid) youth ministry coordinator;
- A volunteer team; or
- A full time (paid) youth ministry coordinator.
2) Anglican and Lutheran Youth Leaders have sponsored a national workshop for youth leaders with attention to participation that reflects the diversity of leaders and contexts.
3) In the previous year, every region has initiated an annual equipping conference for paid and volunteer staff in youth ministry that is at least one day long.
4) In the previous year, every region has initiated an annual Sabbath retreat for paid and volunteer staff in youth ministry that is at least one day long.
Resources:
1) Annually updated Youth Ministry Facilitator Directory has been developed with a vehicle in place to keep these facilitators connected across diocese and synods.
2) A plan is in place for increasing the level of financial resources available for the future of Anglican, Lutheran or joint youth ministry. Including exploring an
endowment fund.
Promotion and Marketing
1) A plan for internal and external communication has been developed, including electronic, print, personal contact, intentional branding, and deliberate storytelling.
2) Every parish and every person on the youth ministry directory will be contacted about relevant events.
Student Leadership
1) A plan and budget for a year-long, residential, young adult discipleship program has been developed.
2) 75% of diocese and synods have had youth participants in one of many national or multi-synod or multi-diocese events in the past year.
Look at all those shiny numbers and concrete goals! These goals help paint a clear picture of what we want the future of youth ministry in the country to look like. They will make it easy to assess the progress of youth ministry and whether or not it is moving along in the right direction. While the actual goals at the parish level would be different, they would have a similar format and may even include the same helpful division by sections used by the Stronger Together crew.
In conclusion, I am grateful to all those who helped put these values and goals together as well as those who passed them along to me. They are not only an excellent blueprint for youth ministry in the Anglican and Lutheran Churches in Canada at the national level, but they are also a great example of what a blueprint actually looks like. These will be very helpful for us at St Philip's as we envision the future of youth ministry in this parish.
Tuesday, 20 November 2012
Book Studying - The Final Episode
Over the past five weeks, meeting with my weekly book study group on Sustainable Youth Ministry has become one of the highlights of my week. In part this is because I am quite fond of having discussions with interesting people, but this is also because I am very enthusiastic about the idea of building a youth ministry that lasts and is successful over the long term. Call me crazy, but I am pretty sure this is what I was hired to help build and I do enjoy being successful at work.
In the final week of our discussions, we talked about what needs to happen next to move us forward in the building process. One of the steps that kept coming up was internal marketing. Devries describes internal marketing as raising the profile of the youth ministry for those within the Church who have a stake in its success. This includes staff, volunteers, the congregation, parents, youth, Church committee, trustees, etc. Sometimes this can mean helping people to realize that they do have a stake in that success when it might not be clear why. Other times it will mean offering stories of the impact of youth ministry. It can be helping people to realize that the intergenerational nature of Christian community and ministry is non-negotiable; it is a necessary characteristic of this ministry and for this reason our Christian faith calls us to be invested in developing it. This will build the foundational understanding of youth ministry as an important part of our parish vocation that will help us mobilize more people to contribute to this ministry in a variety of ways.
In addition to this internal marketing, we must begin by assessing the current state of youth ministry within the parish. In order to develop this picture, we assemble documents such as organizational charts, directories and lists of the volunteers that are needed. In addition, we meet with those who have a stake in youth ministry in order to discuss this topic. This assessment must happen before we can spend time visioning and planning for the future.
Finally, one of the main hurdles to building youth ministry at St Philip's has been identified by the group as the gap that currently exists between the youth (and children) and the majority of the older parishioners. The youth, because of their busy schedules, are only at Church at a few key times (Sunday mornings being the main one). This limits the opportunities for parishioners to get to know them and build relationships with them. Perhaps this means we need to reevaluate how we use our time on these occasions both individually and as a community. In addition, how do we diversify and increase the opportunities for intergenerational relationship building in the Church?
As this book study comes to a close I am grateful for all of the thoughtful and enthusiastic contributions from the members of the group. I look forward to being able to share their insights and experiences with the parish as a whole. Stay tuned for a potential guest entry to the blog from one of my book study friends.
In the final week of our discussions, we talked about what needs to happen next to move us forward in the building process. One of the steps that kept coming up was internal marketing. Devries describes internal marketing as raising the profile of the youth ministry for those within the Church who have a stake in its success. This includes staff, volunteers, the congregation, parents, youth, Church committee, trustees, etc. Sometimes this can mean helping people to realize that they do have a stake in that success when it might not be clear why. Other times it will mean offering stories of the impact of youth ministry. It can be helping people to realize that the intergenerational nature of Christian community and ministry is non-negotiable; it is a necessary characteristic of this ministry and for this reason our Christian faith calls us to be invested in developing it. This will build the foundational understanding of youth ministry as an important part of our parish vocation that will help us mobilize more people to contribute to this ministry in a variety of ways.
In addition to this internal marketing, we must begin by assessing the current state of youth ministry within the parish. In order to develop this picture, we assemble documents such as organizational charts, directories and lists of the volunteers that are needed. In addition, we meet with those who have a stake in youth ministry in order to discuss this topic. This assessment must happen before we can spend time visioning and planning for the future.
Finally, one of the main hurdles to building youth ministry at St Philip's has been identified by the group as the gap that currently exists between the youth (and children) and the majority of the older parishioners. The youth, because of their busy schedules, are only at Church at a few key times (Sunday mornings being the main one). This limits the opportunities for parishioners to get to know them and build relationships with them. Perhaps this means we need to reevaluate how we use our time on these occasions both individually and as a community. In addition, how do we diversify and increase the opportunities for intergenerational relationship building in the Church?
As this book study comes to a close I am grateful for all of the thoughtful and enthusiastic contributions from the members of the group. I look forward to being able to share their insights and experiences with the parish as a whole. Stay tuned for a potential guest entry to the blog from one of my book study friends.
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Godly Play Envy
You know that feeling when you see a really cool toy for kids and you think to yourself "Why didn't they have that when I was a kid?" Over the past week and a half I have been spending a lot of time thinking about the Godly Play programme and this is the feeling I get every time I do.
The thing I am most jealous of is the atmosphere of expectation, reverence and engagement that is created in the Godly Play classroom. I love the way that the children are prepared to enter the classroom by the doorkeeper; being greeted one by one and asked if they are ready to do Godly Play that day. This question of readiness is a really important one. It gives each child a chance to prepare themselves for what they will be doing and it also gives them an opportunity to recognize if for some reason they are not ready today. I think this is a really important part of Godly Play. It recognizes each child as a subject capable of engaging in the community of the Godly Play classroom. As the storyteller tells the story for the week, they continue this process by ensuring that everyone is ready and responding to any disruptions by reminding the children that they all need to be ready and what this looks like. The children themselves play a role in maintaining that atmosphere. It is a religious community where they are recognized as full and active members with responsibility for what happens therein. There is a great deal of thought and effort that goes into creating this community. It requires the support of the doorkeepers, story-tellers, children and parents as well as those in the wider community.
From the perspective of the Anglican Church, where even the youngest infants are baptized and considered full members of the Body of Christ, this is a wonderful vision of the Church. Children are not seen as objects of cuteness or entertainment for the sake of adults, nor are they treated as empty vessels or blank slates to be filled by those older members of the Church and prepared to be the Church of tomorrow. Instead they are the Church today. They are bearers of the image of God and as such they possess a divine spark which shows others something unique about who God is. Godly play offers children an opportunity to be recognized as full contributors to the Body of Christ through the means that are most natural to them; through play. This play for them is not simply a diversion, rather play, especially for children, is important work. It is how they learn to engage with the world around them and Godly play is their opportunity to engage purposefully with God in the context of the Christian community.
When compared to other Christian Education programmes that do not offer these opportunities it is no wonder to me now why the children at my last parish never wanted to age out of the Godly Play class.
If you are interested in learning more about Godly Play, here are some great links to follow:
The Canadian Godly Play Website: www.godlyplay.ca
Godly Play Blog for a church in South Carolina: www.godlyplayblog.blogspot.ca
Godly Play Pinterest: pinterest.com/easterkind/godly-play-spaces-group-board
The thing I am most jealous of is the atmosphere of expectation, reverence and engagement that is created in the Godly Play classroom. I love the way that the children are prepared to enter the classroom by the doorkeeper; being greeted one by one and asked if they are ready to do Godly Play that day. This question of readiness is a really important one. It gives each child a chance to prepare themselves for what they will be doing and it also gives them an opportunity to recognize if for some reason they are not ready today. I think this is a really important part of Godly Play. It recognizes each child as a subject capable of engaging in the community of the Godly Play classroom. As the storyteller tells the story for the week, they continue this process by ensuring that everyone is ready and responding to any disruptions by reminding the children that they all need to be ready and what this looks like. The children themselves play a role in maintaining that atmosphere. It is a religious community where they are recognized as full and active members with responsibility for what happens therein. There is a great deal of thought and effort that goes into creating this community. It requires the support of the doorkeepers, story-tellers, children and parents as well as those in the wider community.
From the perspective of the Anglican Church, where even the youngest infants are baptized and considered full members of the Body of Christ, this is a wonderful vision of the Church. Children are not seen as objects of cuteness or entertainment for the sake of adults, nor are they treated as empty vessels or blank slates to be filled by those older members of the Church and prepared to be the Church of tomorrow. Instead they are the Church today. They are bearers of the image of God and as such they possess a divine spark which shows others something unique about who God is. Godly play offers children an opportunity to be recognized as full contributors to the Body of Christ through the means that are most natural to them; through play. This play for them is not simply a diversion, rather play, especially for children, is important work. It is how they learn to engage with the world around them and Godly play is their opportunity to engage purposefully with God in the context of the Christian community.
When compared to other Christian Education programmes that do not offer these opportunities it is no wonder to me now why the children at my last parish never wanted to age out of the Godly Play class.
If you are interested in learning more about Godly Play, here are some great links to follow:
The Canadian Godly Play Website: www.godlyplay.ca
Godly Play Blog for a church in South Carolina: www.godlyplayblog.blogspot.ca
Godly Play Pinterest: pinterest.com/easterkind/godly-play-spaces-group-board
Thursday, 1 November 2012
Adventures in Book Studying - Episode 2
Once again our intrepid little group of book studiers
gathered this week to continue our look at Sustainable
Youth Ministry. We even gained two new participants! The most important
part of these chapters for me is the emphasis on attending to the atmosphere
and climate that surrounds a youth ministry and the tips on how to do this.
While tangible organizational structure is important to a
sustainable ministry, so is the more intangible reality of the climate or
atmosphere in which that structure exists. A healthy climate promotes
sustainable growth by putting in place conditions where that growth is easier
and therefore more likely. DeVries compares it to the way a greenhouse creates
an environment with the ideal conditions for plants to grow. Creating a healthy
climate is about recognizing what factors are within our control and which aren’t
(such as school schedules, extra-curricular activities, economic factors, etc.)
To assess the climate of a particular youth ministry we ask questions such as: What
are the attitudes towards the ministry and those involved? How is the ministry
perceived both from within and without? Often times, the climate in youth
ministry is one of fear of failure, anxiety and defensiveness. The pressure on
those involved to meet high expectations can create a lot of stress. The
feeling that this ministry is important combined with a lack of knowledge about
how to make it successful leads people to feel that it is out of control. In a
sustainable ministry, however, the atmosphere is one of excitement and creative
engagement where people can see the fruits of their efforts and trust they are
on a path forward together.
DeVries suggests certain actions that can be taken in order
to create a sustainable climate for growth:
1 We deliver results.
· One token success can be the tipping point that
shifts or jump starts the atmosphere of a ministry.
2 We trust the process.
· It takes a lot of time and effort, moving
intentionally and intelligently in the same direction before visible results
are produced. It is important not to get discouraged and stop half-way through.
3 We import joy into the chaos.
· This is by far my favourite tip because I think
it is about recognizing the limitations of being human and living in this
world. It is about seeing grace and mercy at work in the everyday. It is about
not taking ourselves too seriously and being a non-anxious presence.
4 We instill stories and metaphors.
· I may have spoken too soon, because I also love
this one. Stories and metaphors are a very Christian way of learning and
understanding the world. There is a kind of truth that we can express better
using story and metaphor than with straightforward explanation. Also, it points
to the power of positive reinforcement instead of punishment and chastisement
as teaching tools.
5 We embrace rituals and traditions, signs and
symbols.
· Wait, I was wrong again, as a liturgist this is
definitely my favourite tip. Rituals and traditions connect us across time and
space with a whole wider community, while being still linked inextricably with
the now. In their relationship with our everyday life, they can give new
meaning to the mundane, elevating it to a place of encounter with the sacred. They
are about inclusion and belonging in a community and exploring the relationship
between the identity of an individual and a group.
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