This chapter is titled "Foundations for Family Ministry". Jones basically laid out the framework for why this book was written. He also gave a general overview of the three family-ministry models that this book explores. The three models are:
1) Family-Integrated Ministry
2) Family-Based Ministry
3) Family-Equipping Ministry
Of these three models, I would have to say that I personally am leaning more toward the 'Family-Equipping' model, possibly even the 'Family-Based' model. Fortunately the 'Family-Equipping' model is between the other two models, and has some overlap. The reason that I would have to align myself as a proponent and supporter for 'Family-Equipping' as of right now, is because I am a big fan of the results that it could have. You would not have to get rid of every youth program that you have to do it either. In fact, I love the idea of preparing lessons for youth and also preparing packets for parents that come complete with extra resources (such as websites, books, CD's, DVD's, etc.) that you can give to them so that they can have extra help and be extra prepared in ministering their children. I am sure that there are aspects of each model that I do not fully understand as of yet, and so my opinion and preference may indeed change by the end of this book. But for now, I am a big fan of the 'Family-Equipping Ministry' model.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Perspectives on Family Ministry - Chapter 3
The title of this chapter is "Historical Contexts for Family Ministry". In this chapter, Jones wadded through and touched on the biggest developments throughout history within ministry, that have brought us all to where we are in ministry today. It was very interesting to see how our modern ministry model of the one-eared Mickey Mouse came about from a well-intentioned move to address a generation that was moving away and differentiating itself from the traditional model of ministry of the day.
"... It's a Nickelodeon approach to youth ministry that seeks to appeal to kids' propensity for fun and recreation... Like parents who pop in a video to entertain the kids when relatives arrive, the idea is to keep the young people from running out, to keep them in the general vicinity of the church, to keep them happy until they're mature enough to joint he congregation." (Pg 34)
Today's model of youth ministry is a "glorified nursery". I find it interesting, that the last part of this quote states that their intentions were to keep them around until they became more mature and could handle the 'real' ministry. My response to those who thought of this would be something like, "OK, it's a good THOUGHT, but have you considered the fact that if there isn't any effort to help disciple and develop these youth, then they may never BE mature?" I believe that the church should never use this excuse or reasoning, and instead be proactive about reaching and training students to become disciples instead of 'sitting the bench' of their faith.
"... It's a Nickelodeon approach to youth ministry that seeks to appeal to kids' propensity for fun and recreation... Like parents who pop in a video to entertain the kids when relatives arrive, the idea is to keep the young people from running out, to keep them in the general vicinity of the church, to keep them happy until they're mature enough to joint he congregation." (Pg 34)
Today's model of youth ministry is a "glorified nursery". I find it interesting, that the last part of this quote states that their intentions were to keep them around until they became more mature and could handle the 'real' ministry. My response to those who thought of this would be something like, "OK, it's a good THOUGHT, but have you considered the fact that if there isn't any effort to help disciple and develop these youth, then they may never BE mature?" I believe that the church should never use this excuse or reasoning, and instead be proactive about reaching and training students to become disciples instead of 'sitting the bench' of their faith.
Perspectives on Family Ministry - Chapter 2
This chapter was titled "The Task Too Significant to Hire Someone Else to Do". Jones' point in this chapter was to explore the history of the Church and the Scriptures to figure out what the Biblically and traditional way of child discipleship was. He found that the responsibility to disciple a child is not supposed to fall upon the church and age specific ministers, but rather on the child's parents, often times specifically the father with help from the mother. There was a quote from Jonathan Edwards that really stuck out to me and got me thinking.
"Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual." (Pg 22)
This started me thinking about what kind of job I am going to do as a father one day. I certainly want to be a father one day, and being that I am studying youth and family ministry here, I have learned many things as to how to minister to youth. But the question that popped into my head, is how is it going to be when I am faced with the opportunity and responsibility to minister to and my own youth. To be completely honest, it makes me a little nervous. But as I sit here and read about the importance and the intention of the family being the primary place for a child to grow and develop spiritually, I cannot help but feel a small, but growing sense of excitement. I believe that I have this excitement because it is something that God instills in us, to live the way He designed for us to, and to be. I believe that this is what we need to be instilling in today's families. They will not experience this kind of excitement unless they grab ahold of their responsibilities to disciple their children. They will not grab ahold of their responsibilities to disciple their children, unless they realize that it is their responsibility. What we need to do, is to help them see, that this is their responsibility.
"Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by His rules. And family education and order are some of the chief means of grace. If these fail, all other means are likely to prove ineffectual." (Pg 22)
This started me thinking about what kind of job I am going to do as a father one day. I certainly want to be a father one day, and being that I am studying youth and family ministry here, I have learned many things as to how to minister to youth. But the question that popped into my head, is how is it going to be when I am faced with the opportunity and responsibility to minister to and my own youth. To be completely honest, it makes me a little nervous. But as I sit here and read about the importance and the intention of the family being the primary place for a child to grow and develop spiritually, I cannot help but feel a small, but growing sense of excitement. I believe that I have this excitement because it is something that God instills in us, to live the way He designed for us to, and to be. I believe that this is what we need to be instilling in today's families. They will not experience this kind of excitement unless they grab ahold of their responsibilities to disciple their children. They will not grab ahold of their responsibilities to disciple their children, unless they realize that it is their responsibility. What we need to do, is to help them see, that this is their responsibility.
Perspectives on Family Ministry - Chapter 1
So, we're switching gears here for a little bit. We're taking a break from Family-Based Youth Ministry to take a peak at another one of our textbooks, Perspectives on Family Ministry edited by Timothy Paul Jones. The title of chapter 1 is "Confessions of a well-meaning youth minister". I have to say that I thought hearing part of his story in this chapter, proved to be beneficial for his development of the concept of family ministry. Jones served as a preaching minister before taking on a youth minister position. After spending some time in this new role, dealing with the stresses, and dealing with the frustrations, Jones arrived at a crucial thought. This thought was that the current model of youth ministry, segregation from the rest of the church, is hurting and hindering the potential of youth ministry in a church. I really thought his words on this were very insightful.
"The ministry models that many ministers have studied in seminaries and inherited in local churches are fundamentally flawed." (Pg 13)
If this is true, the church of today needs to be awakened to this. If the models that we as the church are attempting to use truly are fundamentally flawed, there needs to be a reevaluation of how we are going to minister to youth. The youth generation are crucially important if the church is going to be successful in raising up and producing mature Christians.
"The ministry models that many ministers have studied in seminaries and inherited in local churches are fundamentally flawed." (Pg 13)
If this is true, the church of today needs to be awakened to this. If the models that we as the church are attempting to use truly are fundamentally flawed, there needs to be a reevaluation of how we are going to minister to youth. The youth generation are crucially important if the church is going to be successful in raising up and producing mature Christians.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Family-Based Youth Ministry Chapter 10
This chapter is titled A Different Gospel. In this chapter, DeVries talks about the current of youth culture and of the traditional form of youth ministry that follow a "different" gospel than the one that we are to follow as Christians. He opened up with a brilliant illustration as to this current of culture, comparing it to the currents in the ocean. When you are out playing in the ocean, it is very easy to be swept hundreds of yards down the coastline without you even noticing because of the ocean's currents. He uses this illustration as a way of explaining how many today fall susceptible to following a different gospel without even realizing it.
"If we place success over faithfulness, we will inevitably choose image over substance, in danger of becoming ecclesiastical public relations directors rather than ministers of the gospel." (pg 154)
Here DeVries is referring to the current of the youth culture rushing toward image and self individualization. His point here is that we as youth ministers should not give into the idea that we are to be "successful" according to the world's terms. Instead we need to be faithful to the responsibility that God has entrusted us with. If we do not, we simply become another self-help stop in the lives of youth, where they can come and go as they please. I feel like this is a big deal for many youth ministries today. It is so easy to get caught up in the idea that we have to be "successful" according to the world's terms because of the constant bombardment of phone calls and complaints from parents and/or other church members, asking why so-and-so does not enjoy youth group and what we are going to do to change that. I love what DeVries says, and I will leave as a response to this and as an ending.
"Young people do not need our help in learning how to handle success. They need training in living with failure." (pg 154)
Failure according to the world, is not failure to God. You must take risks to grow. This is what we need to be helping our youth of today to realize and embrace.
"If we place success over faithfulness, we will inevitably choose image over substance, in danger of becoming ecclesiastical public relations directors rather than ministers of the gospel." (pg 154)
Here DeVries is referring to the current of the youth culture rushing toward image and self individualization. His point here is that we as youth ministers should not give into the idea that we are to be "successful" according to the world's terms. Instead we need to be faithful to the responsibility that God has entrusted us with. If we do not, we simply become another self-help stop in the lives of youth, where they can come and go as they please. I feel like this is a big deal for many youth ministries today. It is so easy to get caught up in the idea that we have to be "successful" according to the world's terms because of the constant bombardment of phone calls and complaints from parents and/or other church members, asking why so-and-so does not enjoy youth group and what we are going to do to change that. I love what DeVries says, and I will leave as a response to this and as an ending.
"Young people do not need our help in learning how to handle success. They need training in living with failure." (pg 154)
Failure according to the world, is not failure to God. You must take risks to grow. This is what we need to be helping our youth of today to realize and embrace.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Family-Based Youth Ministry Chapter 9
This chapter was titled Walking the Tightrope. In this chapter, DeVries explained the trick to Family-Based Youth Ministry. In order to have a truly successful youth ministry, you have to be able to balance continuity and individualization. If a ministry tips too far in one of these directions or the other, then the ministry will not be very successful. Since DeVries has focused so much upon the continuity of a youth ministry and it being tied in with the rest of the church, he focused a little more on the individualizing side.
"Jesus taught his disciples less often by giving them answers that they could memorize and more often by raising questions they couldn't answer, questions that would engage them more deeply in the pursuit of God." (pg 139)
I absolutely loved this point that DeVries made in this chapter. One of the biggest things that I think many youth leaders today neglect, is giving opportunities for students to think critically for themselves and allow them to try to work out answers to questions themselves. I've personally been trying this approach with the 7th grade boys small group that I am a leader in at a church that I volunteer at. This past week a couple of the students got into a big discussion, where I just threw in an idea, sat back, and let them take over in discussing it. By the end of the group time, they were turning to me saying that this was one of the most interesting and beneficial small group sessions that they had been in. I agree with what DeVries is saying about there being an importance and a place for both continuity with the rest of the church and individualization from the rest of the church. The process of finding this healthy balance between the two is truly a tightrope-walking act.
"Jesus taught his disciples less often by giving them answers that they could memorize and more often by raising questions they couldn't answer, questions that would engage them more deeply in the pursuit of God." (pg 139)
I absolutely loved this point that DeVries made in this chapter. One of the biggest things that I think many youth leaders today neglect, is giving opportunities for students to think critically for themselves and allow them to try to work out answers to questions themselves. I've personally been trying this approach with the 7th grade boys small group that I am a leader in at a church that I volunteer at. This past week a couple of the students got into a big discussion, where I just threw in an idea, sat back, and let them take over in discussing it. By the end of the group time, they were turning to me saying that this was one of the most interesting and beneficial small group sessions that they had been in. I agree with what DeVries is saying about there being an importance and a place for both continuity with the rest of the church and individualization from the rest of the church. The process of finding this healthy balance between the two is truly a tightrope-walking act.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Family-Based Youth Ministry Chapter 8
This chapter is called Beyond the Cleavers. In this chapter, DeVries addresses the growing phenomena of nontraditional families, and the challenge that we as youth workers have in ministering to youth coming from these families. Now when you sit down and think about this growing phenomena of the rising number of youth coming from nontraditional families, one might say/think that the answer is to begin creating specific programming that is geared toward and targets these youth. DeVries would disagree with that, and after reading this chapter, meditating on it for a little bit, and then connecting it with his previous chapters, I think that I would have to say that I agree.
"The most effective strategy for reaching these young people is to provide a consistent personal ministry to each teenager who is a member of the church whether or not he or she ever attends." (pg 127)
"As a general rule, programming will not be the key to reaching these youth. Relationships much be built in which their unique situation is understood and taken seriously." (pg 127)
DeVries points on the fact that the solution is not within the programs that you create, but rather within the relationships that are built. In his previous chapter he talked about creating relationships within members of the congregation and members of the youth group in order to provide an "extended family" for the youth and their families. It is these relationships and bonds that are going to impact the youth of nontraditional families. For example, Mike is a teenage boy who does not know his father extremely well because Mike's father left him and his mom when he was only 2 years old. Mike's mother has done the best job that she could raising him to this point, yet no matter how hard she tries, she will never be able to fill the void within Mike that is left from a broken/nonexistent relationship with his father. Within the extended family of the church, there is a man named Charlie who is in his late 40's. Charlie met Mike one day in youth group, and the two have had a strong/deep bond ever since. Charlie does whatever he can for Mike, including going to Mike's high school football games, inviting him and the other 11th graders over for Halo parties on Friday nights after football season, and even hosts a Bible study that Mike attends every Monday night. That void in Mike's life is growing less and less prevalent, due to the mentoring and discipleship of Charlie. This idea of providing youth programming that is for everyone, that also allows the rest of the church family to be involved, is what most effectively ministers to growing number of youth coming from nontraditional families.
"The most effective strategy for reaching these young people is to provide a consistent personal ministry to each teenager who is a member of the church whether or not he or she ever attends." (pg 127)
"As a general rule, programming will not be the key to reaching these youth. Relationships much be built in which their unique situation is understood and taken seriously." (pg 127)
DeVries points on the fact that the solution is not within the programs that you create, but rather within the relationships that are built. In his previous chapter he talked about creating relationships within members of the congregation and members of the youth group in order to provide an "extended family" for the youth and their families. It is these relationships and bonds that are going to impact the youth of nontraditional families. For example, Mike is a teenage boy who does not know his father extremely well because Mike's father left him and his mom when he was only 2 years old. Mike's mother has done the best job that she could raising him to this point, yet no matter how hard she tries, she will never be able to fill the void within Mike that is left from a broken/nonexistent relationship with his father. Within the extended family of the church, there is a man named Charlie who is in his late 40's. Charlie met Mike one day in youth group, and the two have had a strong/deep bond ever since. Charlie does whatever he can for Mike, including going to Mike's high school football games, inviting him and the other 11th graders over for Halo parties on Friday nights after football season, and even hosts a Bible study that Mike attends every Monday night. That void in Mike's life is growing less and less prevalent, due to the mentoring and discipleship of Charlie. This idea of providing youth programming that is for everyone, that also allows the rest of the church family to be involved, is what most effectively ministers to growing number of youth coming from nontraditional families.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Family-Based Youth Ministry Chapter 7
The title of this chapter is "It Only Makes Sense." In this chapter, DeVries lays down the importance of why family-based ministry needs to be the foundational characteristic of how youth ministry is done today.
"The secret is not what the program looks like, but what is strategically built beneath that program." (pg 101)
In this chapter, DeVries shares with us the stories of different experiences that he has had within youth ministry, and the results of his attempts at implementing some of these family-based strategies. I particularly enjoyed his breakdown of the different types of ministry models that today's youth ministries fit in, as well as the different types of parents that exist today. After reading this chapter, I believe that I understand and agree with what DeVries is saying here. Research has been done that continually proves that a youth's faith sticks whenever the parents are involved in the maturation process of the youth in his/her faith. It is up to parents to be the primary role models and supporters of a child and his/her journey in discovering who Jesus is and building a faith relationship with Him. It is the church's (not just the youth ministry's) job to provide an extended family role to the family, to supplement and encourage the role/job that the parents are doing. I wonder what would happen if more churches today realized the importance of taking this stance and supporting families, holding them as the primary leaders in faith development of their children. I would venture to say that the next generation that is raised would be a generation that is vastly more mature in their faith than previous generations. It is simply astonishing to me that to reach this dream/goal, the church needs only to discover a way to help parents rediscover their primary role, and also become an active part of the youth ministry within the church.
"The secret is not what the program looks like, but what is strategically built beneath that program." (pg 101)
In this chapter, DeVries shares with us the stories of different experiences that he has had within youth ministry, and the results of his attempts at implementing some of these family-based strategies. I particularly enjoyed his breakdown of the different types of ministry models that today's youth ministries fit in, as well as the different types of parents that exist today. After reading this chapter, I believe that I understand and agree with what DeVries is saying here. Research has been done that continually proves that a youth's faith sticks whenever the parents are involved in the maturation process of the youth in his/her faith. It is up to parents to be the primary role models and supporters of a child and his/her journey in discovering who Jesus is and building a faith relationship with Him. It is the church's (not just the youth ministry's) job to provide an extended family role to the family, to supplement and encourage the role/job that the parents are doing. I wonder what would happen if more churches today realized the importance of taking this stance and supporting families, holding them as the primary leaders in faith development of their children. I would venture to say that the next generation that is raised would be a generation that is vastly more mature in their faith than previous generations. It is simply astonishing to me that to reach this dream/goal, the church needs only to discover a way to help parents rediscover their primary role, and also become an active part of the youth ministry within the church.
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