Teaching as a Form of Youth Ministry

For a few years now I've wondered about my mission as a teacher. I've always believed that teaching is a calling - a God given mission for myself. I've also began to realize that the most important topics that I cover are not directed to me by the department of education in a curriculum document. Self exploration, finding and building talents, struggles, success, fun, and just being human is what I love seeing the students get out of school.

With this strange feeling I began to look for other people who think the way I do about teaching, about being a school administrator, about working with youth in general.

I haven't been too successful.

The closest I've come is Doug Fields at Saddleback Church. He has some excellent books about working in youth ministry. And from what I've read, it applies to education in many ways.

Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry

Working with youth often leads to discouragement. One thing to consider in dealing with discouragement is that it is selfish. Discouragement is "me focused. I get discouraged because of my situation, because of what someone said to me, because of the way a student treated me, because of the way a parent embarrassed me. . . Page 47

Purpose Driven Youth Ministry

Keeping 'Crowd' Students I read this section of the book as How do we keep kids connected to our school/class?. Connection with school is difficult for some students. Developing a comfortable place for them that shows the intent of the class is important. Crowd students are those who have not bought into the program with their whole spirit. Most of the kids we have fall into this group. They may come because of parents or friends (or just because they have to!).

- Develop the Ten-minute Rule: The environment of the room should be established at least ten minutes before the first student arrives. Greet them appropriately.

Nurturing Congregation Students Congregation students are those who are more part of the famlly of the school. They get involved in school activities. This is their school.

- Small groups are a long-term solution to the bigness of our culture. Small groups allow students for a sense of belonging that teenagers are searching for. The trick is to find a way to work this small group work into the environment. Students can hide is a large group. Nurturing occurs in small groups because they can't hide when they are a group of 4 or 5. In small groups we share our lives with one another.

Preparing Committed Students These are the students who are going to become leaders in the program. What habits do I want committed students to develop? (What habits are minimum expectation for congregation or crowd students?)

Five Characteristics of Healthy Youth Programs Healthy programs (1) put relationships first, (2) a fresh source of ideas, (3) strength beyond a personality, (4) an ongoing followup system and (5) clarification of their purpose and potential audience

All teenagers need to connect with a caring adult who will take an interest in them and form a mentoring friendship. Never underestimate the power of spending time with students. If we want to reach students we must accept them. Acceptance does not say, "Where have you been?" It says, "Welcome back."

Defining and Communicating Important Values

When working with staffs and students it is important to: Make Values Known, Model the Values, Show How Values can be Expressed in Different Areas of the School, Assess the Effectiveness of the Values

Continually Communicate Your Expectations

Disciplining Positively Biblically speaking, discipline is not a necessary evil. It is a necessary good because of evil. Ministry and disciplining messed-up students are not two different directions. They are the same journey. We are building disciplines through love and limits, grace and truth, affirmation and correction, support and control.

The Deepest Longing of Young People

Author Jerry Goebel established a mentorship program for young people in jail. He writes about how to help them by loving without conditions.

• Asking the Right Questions, page 26 - Listen like Jesus listened. The questions he asked to the disciples: What are you looking for? What will you profit if you gain the whole world but forfeit life? What do you want me to do for you? Do you want to be well? What do you seek? What do you value? • ''Four Critical Habits of Youth Workers, page 35" -> Walk with Jesus, Study God's Word, Participate Fully in a Same-Gender? Accountability Group, Where would Jesus Go? • One of the first questions I like to ask young people at juvenile centres is, "How do you like to be treated?", page 49 • All our greatest joys in life begin somewhere around that proverbial 120 feet. Somewhere around that distance a person feels safe enough to reveal her or his true heart. Page 58 • The best time change a life is when the old ideologies or paradigms no longer work. The best way to reach a young person is to be consistent, especially when he or she have been inconsistent. Page 59 • It is not good enough to be missionaries to our youth (as many youth ministers are); it is imperative that we build bridges between our young people and the mainstream community. Page 93

The Spiritual Mentor

• "This is a critical key . . . Failure is never final and is never an option for abandoning the plan. True fathers know how to work through the failures of their sons. Page 51" • "it is important to realize that not every person you meet will be a son or daughter. It is impossible to father many people. However, these sons and daughters in whom you invest your life will be the ones who bring life into a greater dimension. Page 138" • "How many young people trust their parents to hear God for them? Page 139"

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