PRIORITISING YOUTH EVERYWHERE

From Rhetoric to Reality

PRIORITISING YOUTH EVERYWHERE
WHY?
We Follow Jesus’ Lead When We
Prioritise the Youth
(Mark 9:37; 10:13-16)
YOUTH IN SALVATION HISTORY

• Joseph • Mary
• Samson • Jesus
• Samuel • Disciples
• David • Mark
• Josiah • Timothy
• Daniel & Friends • Others...

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YOUTH WORK – HIGHEST MISSIONARY WORK

“Very much has been lost to the cause of truth by a lack

of attention to the spiritual needs of the young.
Ministers of the gospel should form a happy
acquaintance with the youth of their congregations.
Many are reluctant to do this, but their neglect is a sin in
the sight of Heaven…
Why should not labor for the youth in our borders be
regarded as missionary work of the highest kind?"
Ellen White, Gospel Workers, 207

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YOUTH AS FOREIGN MISSION FIELD

“In terms of world missions, young people

form the largest, most crucial, and most
dynamic ‘unreached people group’ in the
world…[The youth] should be the first
‘foreign’ mission of the church.”
Dean Borgman, When Kumbaya is not Enough – A Practical Theology for Youth Ministry (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson Publishers, 1997)
THE MOST IMPORTANT YEARS

Young people (especially children) are the most receptive, the

most open to accept Jesus. Several empirical studies have
shown that more than 80 percent of all decisions for Jesus are
made before the age of twenty-five. This is also true for the
decision for or against the church.
NAD 2012: GENERATIONS IN CHURCH

Born 1945 or before

Born 1946-1964

Born 1965-1979

Born 1980-1999

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ADRIATIC UNION 2010
Demographic study of 7 biggest churches (30% of all membership)

19% General
28%
population
Church
population
22%
5
22%

35%
3
37%

24%
1
12%

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SIX COMMITMENTS TO GROW YOUNG

1.Unlock keychain leadership

2.Empathise with todays young people
3.Take Jesus’ message seriously
4.Fuel a warm community
5.Prioritise young people (and families)
everywhere
6.Be the best neighbours
“Regardless of your context, our research has
us convinced that the hinge point separating
churches that grow old from those that grow
young is priority. When churches prioritize
young people – and their families –
everywhere, they take a step beyond both
empathy and warmth. They allocate resources,
energy, and attention to teenagers and young
adults both inside and outside their walls.”
PRIORITISING YOUTH EVERYWHERE
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
 How much you would give up in order
to prioritise youth?

„We believe the future of Latina church is to be multilingual,

multigenerational, and multiethnic. We believe that an effective
Latino ministry today must necessarily focus on the second
generation of leaders and congregants who speak English as
their first language. The care of the spiritual welfare of our
English-speaking children and grandchildren forces us to adapt
to their approaches and styles of ministry, rather than insisting
that they worship and serve God according to our linguistic and
cultural preferences.”
How much would you give up in order to reach
young people?

If you want to know the priorities of a church,

look at their budget and other resources.
It is not only about hiring a youth pastor and setting
aside the youth basement where teenagers can
exercise their dominion. Prioritising young people
everywhere means much more. When you think
about budget, strategy, worship planning,
programming, community life, theology, and all
other aspects of church life, you think about young
people. You intentionally pay attention.
Prioritise their families as well, because...
 Parental influence matters the most
 Parents need all support they can get.
Youth as our orientation is not only about churches
just taking better care of the youth (youth as an
object), but much rather about youth being viewed
and actively involved as real part­ners (youth as
subjects).

YOUTH MUST PLAY A LOAD-BEARING ROLE

YOUTH AS OUR ORIENTATION
PRIORITISING YOUTH EVERWHERE
What can we do?
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP CHURCH PRIORITISE YOUTH?

better programme?

helping youth ministry leaders?

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HOW TO HELP YOUR CHURCH PRIORITIZE YOUNG PEOPLE?

1. Help youth (ministry) become integral part of your church!

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 GROWING YOUNG

„You will not be able to make your church

more effective on your own. You need
everyone in your church to prioritize young
people if you hope to make worthwhile and
lasting progress.” (p. 200)
„If a member at an average congregation were
asked to guess what it takes to prioritize
teenagers and emerging adults, they might talk
about strong programs and good leaders. While
they would not be completely wrong, they would
be missing something critical. That „something” is
congregational culture... Even a great leader
can’t force priority if the church culture doesn’t
support it.” (pp. 213-214)
 GROWING YOUNG

To prioritize youth means steady commitment that

becomes a lifestyle. But this does not happen just
by good leaders and great programmes for youth.
The most important is congregational culture – it
is much deeper than programs. It is about
church’s attitude and attributes. Culture change
means building an overall ethos of investment in
youth.
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHURCH PRIORITIZE YOUNG PEOPLE?

1. Help youth (ministry) become integral part of your church!

2. Work on changing your local church culture (iCOR or
Growing young Adventists)

DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR PASTORS,

ELDERS AND OTHER LOCAL CHURCH LEADERS

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LET’S GIVE THEM LESS REASONS TO LEAVE
AND MORE REASONS TO COME

TOOL FOR RETENTION & MISSION!

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EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM

THE MOST EFFECTIVE

EVANGELIST IN THE WORLD
70-95 % mostly influenced by a friend or relative

„It is obvious from both the formal research and the

informal data collected in such groups that the most
effective evangelist in the world is the one who takes
personal interest in us and shares Jesus in a wholistic
and attractive way.” (Joseph Kidder, The Big Four, p. 117)
Stopping the haemorrhage,
healing the wounded

Creating caring
and welcoming
church communities
HOW DO WE TRANSLATE THIS?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THE CHURCH?
GOD’S FAMILY
INTERGENERATIONAL
YOUTH AS OUR ORIENTATION
THESE #3

iCOR DOESN’T REPRESENT A

PROGRAMME BUT A VALUE BASED
CULTURE
ICEBERG MODEL & CHURCH short term

PROGRAMME
Talk
Actions What We Do
Behaviour
Culture
Tradition
What We Are
Thinking
Believes
Values PROCESS
Metaphors
long term
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Programme vs. Process

A single intervention
vs.
Continuous optimization
The iCOR Loop: the heart of the iCOR Process
The iCOR spiral
Resources available

Study Guide [GER] [ENG] DVD and Discussion Guide [GER]

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Resources available

Church Board Manual/Guide [ENG]

iCOR Implementation Guide [in process]

• In development by the German iCOR team

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GROWING YOUNG ADVENTISTS
growingyoungadventists.wordpress.com
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHURCH PRIORITIZE YOUNG PEOPLE?

1. Help youth (ministry) become integral part of your church!

2. Work on changing your local church culture (iCOR or
Growing young Adventists)
3. Invite leaders to rethink the numbers
4. Assess everywhere (asking the simple question – “How
could young people be part of this?”)
5. Encourage the best leaders to work with youth.
6. Instead of youth Sabbath, involve youth every Sabbath.
7. Support families who are in pain or broken
8. Partner with parents
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