I’m really wrestling in my head with how the integration of a youth work into a wider church should work. Especially in my context of a large youth work it’s easy not to bother with integration, but I think we fail the young people in two ways if we don’t bother:
- They miss out on the wider context of church and inter-generational friendships.
- They struggle to move from the bubble of youth work into the wider church.
So how do we make it happen, is it about the way we programme Sundays, or is it special projects such as mission and justice events, or is it about relationships and mentoring.
How do you integrate the youth work into the wider church in your ministry?
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Chap Clark talks in depth about this issue in the chapter entitled “The Myth of the Perfect Youth Ministry Model” in “Starting Right.” In the chapter, he uses a funnel as a metaphor for channeling students in from the outside of the church to the inside.
Chap says these levels (which he refers to as the entry level, discipleship/community building level, intimate relationships level, and assimilation/mentor level) move students strategically from one level to the next.
Here are some ways I try to get students connected with the larger church body:
1) Have the student ministry serve other ministries in the church.
2) Encourage student leaders to participate in ministries other than the student ministry.
3) Expose them to other youth groups and parachurch organizations, to help them realize the Body of Christ is bigger than just our church.
Chap is also big on making sure the strategy is two-way. We as youth leaders cannot force the church to assimilate these kids, we need to lead the church to receive students into the body.
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I think integration is where we must go. I tried to involve adults in the congregation in praying for the young people, even or more especially if they weren’t directly involved. When our church had a series of Bible study evenings I took the young people to it. At the church fundraisers we ran a stall. We ran events to raise money for their youth holiday and invited all the adults. I am also a strong advocate of not having teenagers out of the main Sunday service. We used to sit together int he service then have some teen time afterwards. It didn’t work for all the teens but having at least some of the young people there worked with the rest of the community as they could see they were there and knew them by name not just as “the young people”.
Now I’m advising churches on working with young people I’m really trying to get people to go for integration from the outset but it always has to related to the individual church.
There was that book by Jason Garnder too called Mend the Gap? Not read it but have it on my list!
Chap Clark talks in depth about this issue in the chapter entitled "The Myth of the Perfect Youth Ministry Model" in "Starting Right." In the chapter, he uses a funnel as a metaphor for channeling students in from the outside of the church to the inside.
Chap says these levels (which he refers to as the entry level, discipleship/community building level, intimate relationships level, and assimilation/mentor level) move students strategically from one level to the next.
Here are some ways I try to get students connected with the larger church body:
1) Have the student ministry serve other ministries in the church.
2) Encourage student leaders to participate in ministries other than the student ministry.
3) Expose them to other youth groups and parachurch organizations, to help them realize the Body of Christ is bigger than just our church.
Chap is also big on making sure the strategy is two-way. We as youth leaders cannot force the church to assimilate these kids, we need to lead the church to receive students into the body.;. All the best!!