reyes-chow :: MODERATOR

GA Youth Task Force seeks your input on "model" youth programs

[image: Youth Trienium 2010]

Below is a letter from The Model Programs Team of the General Assembly Task Force on Youth Ministry.   They are seeking input about model programs that are being used in Youth Ministry throughout the Presbyterian Church. In addition to programs that are already in place, they are also interested in hearing ideas for programs that could be implemented in the future.

Wondering: What is a model program?

While the definition is multi-faceted, a model program is usually something novel, whether simple or complex, that works in your church and from which other churches might learn and benefit. A model program might be fluid, adaptable, and/or organic. It facilitates faith formation, development, and experience, as well as fellowship and community. Keeping in mind that the following list is open to interpretation, we are especially interested in model programs for youth that address or fall under the following categories:

• Peace
• Environment
• Parents
• Mentoring
• Activism
• Mission
• Leadership development
• Hospitality
• Faith formation/development
• Faith enrichment

If you have a Model Program in mind, please provide us with a short description of the program, as well as contact information (website, email address, a phone number, etc). You might also include ideas on how your program might be adapted to fit other churches (larger, smaller, etc).

We are excited about learning more about what the youth of the PCUSA are up to! And most of all, we recognize the value that this information might have for congregations across the United States. On behalf of the entire Task Force, thank you!

Leave you ideas here or email your model programs to gamodelprograms@gmail.com.

Members of the Youth Ministries Task Force

And that's all wrote . . . the final set of appointments have been made.  As I said before, we owe our deepest gratitude for those who have agreed to take on this privilege and responsibility.  Thank you.

[OGA Press Release]

Members of the Youth Ministries Task Force

Youth and Young Adults  Ages 15-21:

• Ms. Jordan Akin, Arkansas Presbytery, Synod of the Sun
• Mr. Hakeem Jerome Jefferson, New Harmony Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Mr. Austin Lane, Grace Presbytery, Synod of the Sun
• Ms. Kristy Lauron, Stockton Presbytery, Synod of the Pacific
• Ms. Jessie Light, Heartland Presbytery, Synod of Mid-America
• Mr. Alex McDonald, Greater Atlanta Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Ms Madison Munoz, St. Augustine Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Elder Clara Pauw, Mid-Kentucky Presbytery, Synod of Living Waters
• Ms. Brittney Shook, Western Reserve Presbytery, Synod of the Covenant
• Elder Rachel Van Marter, Mid-Kentucky Presbytery, Synod of Living Waters

Adult Mentors:

• Mr. G. Jacob Bolton, New York City Presbytery, Synod of the Northeast
• Elder Karen Ceaser, Pacific Presbytery, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii
• Reverend Rex Espiritu, Whitewater Valley Presbytery, Synod of Lincoln Trails
• Reverend Michelle Thomas-Bush, St. Augustine Presbytery, Synod of South Atlantic
• Reverend Kelly Wiant-Thralls, Chair, Carlisle Presbytery, Synod of the Trinity

I have asked Rev. Kelly Wiant-Thralls to Chair this committee.

For a complete list of appointments see the Task Force Appointments Page and/or my video post on Appointment Process Reflections.

What do we say to our young first call pastors

Greetings all . . . I have been having a wonderful time here in New Jersey* and New York and will report on that later, but I just received a note from a recent seminary graduate regarding the difficulty of finding a call.  This topic has been brought up in many venues as an issue hitting many of our graduates.  There do not seem to be many calls open, available or offered and there seems to be a growing anxiety about it all.  Add on some of the realities of race, gender, geography, etc. and one can see how difficult it might be to find a good match.

Here are the original questions that were sent to me:

1. What is being done in the PCUSA to encourage young clergy and/or churches to hire young clergy? (specifically those of us looking for a first call)
   
2. Why does it take so long to receive a call? (I've been looking for 10 months, lots of phone interviews and a couple of face-to-face interviews, but no job offer yet.)
   
3. Why should young clergy stay in the Presbyterian Church when the church doesn't (in my opinion) seem to be doing a good job of encouraging their ministry? (For context, I've had several Methodist Conferences and some other denominations calling me wondering if I'm interested in applying for a job in one of their churches).

So bloglandia . . .

• How would you respond? 
• Is this what others/you have experienced?
• What if anything can, should we do?
• What are we doing?
• Other thoughts?

Feel free to respond on this blog or grab a question or two, blog them and send me a trackback or link.

* Here is one blog recap from the Breakfast a Lawrenceville PC in Trenton.  And yes we had eggs and I was the ham.

Young Adult Interns where are you?

Throughout the past 20 years of my involvement in General Assembly type activities, I have always known about the Young Adult Intern program in Louisville.  Most of my personal experience was usually with the intern who worked with Youth and young Adults, but you would be surprised at how many leaders in the church have gone through this program.  And while the programs size has ebbed and flowed over the years, the passion and energy with which the inters serve have rarely been questioned.

First // Lets hear it from the Young Adults Intern alumni.  If you have been a Young Adult intern, let us know, share a story, and/or otherwise put a face to the program.

Second //  It is time for the next class of Interns to step up, so if you are interested in being part of the class of 2009, please visit the Young Adult Intern webpage where you can get an application as well as see a picture of the gorgeous class of 2008!

Possible internship include:

• Mission Service Recruitment
• Racial Justice and Advocacy
• United Nations Office
• Women's Advocacy
• Young Women's Ministry
• Enough for Everyone
• Multicultural Ministries

And of course there is a Facebook Group for Young Adult Interns as well as Young Adult Volunteers.

The PC(USA) and future generations - A response

Response 2 of 5 for the 2008 Commissioner's Booklet.

Full Booklet (PDF) | My Responses (PDF) | Introduction | Opening Statement | Question #1

WHO ARE WE BECOMING?
In what new ways can the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its congregations place a focus on ministry to and with youth and young adults to ensure a church for future generations?

First we must decide if we truly wish to be a church for future generations.  I am not sure that we see our roles as preparers for the future, but rather we are more focused on our role as caregivers of the now.  To be compelling to young folks would require us to admit that others discover, connect with and live out their faith in Christ in ways different than our own.  To be authentic, we must embrace these realities and find joy in the ways future generations experience the church.  Not an easy task, but transformation is not easy.
Here are three realities that we must embody if we are to be a church that is a meaningful place for future generations to grow into all that God intends for them to become.

DISCLAIMER: I offer these few characteristics as general descriptors and not absolute truths.  One of the pitfalls we often fall into in our well-intentioned zeal to reach young people is that we believe that young people are a homogenous lot and there is only one way to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have fooled ourselves into thinking that all we have to do is discover the “secrets” to the lives of young people and they will flood into the church. 

Upholding tradition is not bad, but upholding tradition for tradition’s sake is sure isn’t good.
One of the mistakes we make is to assume young folks do not value tradition, ritual and heritage.  Tradition and ritual are important aspects of one’s faith development, but only if done with meaning and not simply because it has always been done that way.  We lose credibility when we worship tradition more than we worship God.

The internet is not just a method, it is a way of life.
To reach a generation that lives and breathes online, we must abandon the assumption that technology and social networking have no place in discovering, nurturing and/or living out community.  Just as the arrival of the printing press, telephone and automobile changed the culture of church, technology must also be embraced and utilized faithfully.

Respect is given, but authority is earned.
Lastly, we must realize that the church no longer holds authority of faith by simply being the church.  We must earn our authority by living a life consistent with the life Christ.  We must humbly acknowledge the brokenness of our humanity and boldly accept the forgiveness Christ offers to us all.

Response: Young Adults and Campus Ministry

I received this question a few weeks back via facebook.  Thought others would appreciate a response.

what are your ideas about young adult and college ministries? I'm a middle year seminary student looking at being a chaplain or a campus minister and I think the church has ignored young adults and college students for too long. the first thing to go lately are the young adult and volunteer programs for missions. what are you going to do about that? you might have said on your site, but its exam week and i have to read other stuff unfortunately... :(

And my response

Thanks for the note and friend request.   So . . . a few responses:
First, if any moderatorial candidate thinks they can, by themselves, DO anything about anything, they are fooling themselves. 
But . . . what I hope to do is to create space, beyond traditional polarities, that will allow for honest and genuine conversations that MAY lead to some kind of denominational transformation.
What this means is that I want to create creative opportunities for gatherings (barcamps, open source, etc.) where folks like yourselves can lift up the issues that are important and are given voice.
Lastly and what you probably REALLY want to know is where am I on the whole Y/A and Campus Ministry thang. My wife is the current board President of The Edge Campus Ministry at SF State, my main internship in seminary was as the Interim Director of UNITAS Campus Ministry at UC Berkeley AND of the 90 or so that come to the church I serve, all but about 4 are under 40 and mostly under 32.
So . . . young adult ministry is important in all forms. Still, current Campus Ministries are not my expertise, so my hope is that if I can help create some legitimate space for voices to be raised, folks like yourself will step in and up to help move things.
Hope that is helpful and I hope finals go well!
Bruce