Steps in Forming a
Youth Ministry
By
Phil Stone, Youth Consultant
Bible
Teaching-Reaching Team, Baptist State Convention, NC
1.
Youth ministry is most effective when it is coordinated through
the Church Youth Ministries. Therefore,
the first step would be to establish all, or as many as possible now, of
the Church Youth Ministries. Enlist
workers for each ministry with a worker/youth ratio of 1/10-12
enrolled. Order and use
suggested Southern Baptist curriculum for each of the following Church
Youth Ministries:
 |
Youth Bible Teaching-Reaching
(Sunday School)
|
|
Acteens,
Girls Missions Group
|
|
Youth
on
Mission
, Co-ed |
|
Challengers,
Boys Missions Group |
|
Youth Discipleship Training |
|
Youth Choir |
|
Church Recreation/Creative
Ministries - Sports, drama, puppetry,
clowns, recreation activities |
2.
The
Church Nominating Committee enlists at least one (1) adult leader from
each Church Youth Ministry plus at least one parent at large to serve as
advisors on the Youth Ministry
Team. A church staff
member, i.e. Youth Minister or a Volunteer Leader, could serve as Youth
Ministry Team Coordinator.
3.
Each Youth Ministry Leader/Advisor nominates and enlists
one or more youth,
perhaps a boy and a girl that is faithful in his/her ministry, to
serve as the Youth Ministry Team Representative for that ministry.
A group of youth should be enlisted to assist the
leaders/advisors in the nomination of youth names.
4.
In a youth mass meeting or quickly during the Sunday School hour,
allow the youth to consider the nominees enlisted, vote, and elect the Youth
Ministry Team Youth
Representatives.
5.
The Youth Ministry Team,
with the Youth Ministry Leaders acting as non-voting advisors,
coordinates the Church Youth Ministry through the existing Church Youth
Ministries using the Sunday School as the main
organization for outreach, ministry, and evangelism.
6.
The Youth Ministry Team does
annual planning as follows:
Develop
Mission
– Vision Statement for Youth Ministry
Steps in Ministry Planning:
(1.) Evaluate
past 2 years and current actions of Youth Ministry.
(2.) Discover
strength of the current youth ministries, the needs and desires of youth
and parents (survey, mass meeting, etc.).
(3.) Prioritize
the strengths to be improved and needs to be met for this year.
These are the priority ministry objectives for this year.
(4.) Write
out goals for priority ministry objectives to be accomplished this year.
Keep them brief, measurable, and dated.
(5.) Consider
plans and resources of the association, state,
SBC, and other youth ministry sources that might help reach these
priority ministry goals.
(6.) Select
actions to meet priority ministry goals for this year. Be
careful not to over-plan.
(7.) Develop
a calendar and a budget based on priority church youth ministries
projected for this year.
(8.) Take plans to Church
Ministry Coordination Team (Church Council) for collaboration and
approval.
(9.) Implement
plans. Enlist other youth
not on the Youth Ministry Council to serve on LEAD Teams to plan - coordinate activities.
(10.) Meet monthly
to:
·
Evaluate
·
Check
progress on current projects
·
Plan
ahead for future projects
7. A Balanced Youth Ministry could
look like this:
A.
Once Per Month:
1 Group building/outreach activities*
·
Sunday School
Class/Dept. fellowship
·
Challengers/Acteens/Youth
on
Mission
fellowship
·
Youth
Choir fellowship
·
Discipleship
Training fellowship
·
Progressive
suppers
·
In-home
fellowship
·
After
church fellowship
·
Retreats
- Caswell, Centrifuge, Ski, Spiritual Growth, etc.
·
Parent-Youth
dialogue or Parent-Youth-Worker trialogue
*Each church youth ministry could plan, and coordinate these
events based
on units of study as part of or a climax to a special emphasis in
the Ministry.
Each Church Youth Ministry could take turns leading and planning
these events to support the work of the total Church Youth Ministry.
B.
Once Per Quarter:
1 Special Study,
1.
Special Studies
·
Doctrinal
Studies - Discipleship Training
·
Winter
Bible Study - Sunday School
·
Vacation
Bible
School
- Sunday School
·
North
American and International Missions Study -Challengers/Acteens or
Youth on
Mission
These can meet on Sunday or Wednesday nights.
Use thestudies and curriculum suggested by the Southern Baptist
Convention agencies.
2.
Mission
/Service or Outreach Actions
·
Ministry action resulting from a
specific unit of study in Sunday School,
Discipleship Training, Choir, or
Challengers/Acteens or Youth on
Mission
·
Nursing Home
·
Visit absentees/prospects
·
Collect food and clothes for needy
·
Bike-a-Thon for missions
·
Senior Adult ASSISTance
3. Youth-Led
Worship
·
Worship Service resulting from a
specific unit of study of
a
Sunday School, Discipleship Training, Choir, Challengers/Acteens or
Youth on
Mission
unit.
·
Youth Week
·
Sunday night worship
·
Sunday morning worship
·
Wednesday night
·
Youth revivals
·
Youth musicals
·
Follow-up from camp or retreat
8.
Contact the following State and National Leaders responsible
for Church Youth
Ministries:
A.
Baptist
State
Convention
PO Box
1107
Cary
,
NC
27512
919-467-5100, or
1-800-395-5102, + extension
E-mail = 1st letter of 1st
name + (1st 6 letters) last name @ bscnc.org
1. Merrie Johnson -
Youth Ministries Coordinator, ext. 231
2.
Phil Stone - Youth Sunday School - Bible Teaching-Reaching,
ext. 427
3. Jeanie
Whitehead - Youth Discipleship, ext. 444
4.
Julie Keith - Acteens/Youth on
Mission
, 336.595.8436 julieunc@aol.com
5.
John McGinnis - Student Missions - Challengers, ext. 340
6.
Dan Ridley - Youth Music, ext.417
7.
Merrie Johnson - Youth Evangelism, ext.
231
8.
Steve Sumerel - Teens and Family Life, ext. 407
B.
LifeWay Christian Resources
Jimmy Hester
National Youth Ministries Coordinator,
615-251-2273
127 Ninth Avenue North
,
Nashville
,
Tennessee
37234
C.
WMU - National Youth Contact Person
Pam Smith
D.
Baptist Men -
National Challengers Contact Person Alan
Huesing
E.
Music - National Youth Contact Person
Don Schlosser, LifeWay
F.
Your Association
·
Youth Sunday School Team member
·
Discipleship Training Supporter
·
Youth Ministry Coordination Committee
9.
Helpful Church Youth Ministry Resources from LifeWay Christian
Resources:
Youth Ministers:
Planning Youth Ministry: From Boot-Up to Exit
Youth Ministry Update
Bible
Teaching-Reaching (Sunday School):
Teaching Youth:
Leaders, Lessons, and Lifestyles
Youth
Sunday School For a New Century
Good News for Youth:
The Power to Change Lives
Connected, Committed, and a Little Bit Crazy:
Acteen/Youth
on Missions: Acteens Advisor Guide
Youth on
Mission
, Vol. 1-5
Challengers:
Leading Challengers
Youth Choir: Growing a
Musical
Church
The Music Ministry Resource Manual
10.
To order materials call:
Youth
Sunday School, Discipleship, Music (LifeWay) 1-800-458-2772
Acteen/Youth
on Missions (WMU)
1-800-968-7301
Challengers (LifeWay)
1-800-448-8032; 770.410.6489
