Sponsored by the MidAmerica Region:Prairie Star, Central Midwest &

Heartland DistrictsNancy Combs-Morgan & Dori Thexton

Sustainable Youth Ministry

What would an enduring Youth Ministry look like in a congregation?

Can you just give us some good ideas?Can you keep our youth ministry from

failing?Do you understand how different we

are?Will you help my congregation

understand it’s not just about the numbers?

Can you keep the politics away from youth ministry?

You know you’re “stuck” if you’re asking these questions.

There’s no easy button: the crisis of chronic underinvestment

Steeple chasingUnderinvestmentMis-investment Questions of

capacity: o Budget $1,000

minimum per youth

o One full-time staff for every 50 youth

o One adult for every five youth

Myths of Superstar Youth Directors

One youth staff can handle it.

Wallpaper vs. concrete

“We’ll never hire from within our church”

With a new youth director, our volunteers won’t have to work so hard.

Content thinking vs. systems thinking

Structures of SustainabilityControl documents –

annual events calendar, job descriptions, master recruiting list, curriculum template

Youth ministry mission/vision statement

3 year planStatement of values

Healthy youth staff and longevityEmotional health –

appropriate boundaries, intentional spiritual practices, accountable relationships

Balcony time; three kinds of meetings; the value of “third pig” youth workers

Whose job is it anyway?Youth ministry is the congregation’s ministry, not just that of specialists who can relate to teenagers. The mandate to BE THERE for young people belongs to the whole faith community.Kenda Creasy Dean

I got involved in youth ministry because I don’t want to deal with congregational politics!

Recruiting – a process that works!Teams are crucial

to the long-term success of youth ministry.

The first step of calling volunteers is the hardest.

Blanket appeals and mass announcements don’t work!

Start early – at least 6 months before volunteer term begins

Identify your needs – RE teachers, advisors, event leaders/organizers, planning committee members, small group leaders

Be strategic in recruiting – don’t ask an “A” player to do a “C” level job

Develop master recruiting list for future use

Start smiling and dialing!

When you follow the steps, it works!

Sustainable Approach Long-term focus on

single issue Responsibility

shared by a team Regular meetings – 3

kinds of meetings Working a plan

o Episodic focus, disconnected meetings

o Responsibility carried by the youth staffperson

o Concerns raised randomly and reactively

o Expectation of quick fix; reacting to anxiousness

When all the brilliant plans don’t work

Traditional Approach

Sustainable Youth Ministry Builder’s List

Stage 1: Creating blueprint & preparing for the processStage 2: Laying the foundationStage 3: Beginning to buildStage 4: Framing the second floor

The bolder our plans, the more competent people we attract. Mike Woodruff