Inclusive Model

A St ude nt Mi ni s tr y Model f or Today
Th e In cl us i v e Mo d e l
Prepared by Rick Francis (Box #: 999)
PM 740 Ministry Project (an Independent Study) Dr. Roger Trautmann Multnomah Biblical Seminary
Spring Term 2006
2006 Rick Francis. All Rights Reserved.
Table of Contents
Part I
The Wild River...............................................................................................................................................................................2 Row, Row, Row Your boat ...........................................................................................................................................2 Comparing the Past and the Present .................................................................................................................................4 A Better Rowboat .........................................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Part II
Authentic Experiential Mumbo Jumbo.....................................................................................................................................6 Doing Away with Gravity....................................................................................................................................................6 Differences Between Modernists and Postmodernists ..................................................................................................7 How the Mumbo Jumbo Affects a Student Ministry Model ......................................................................................10
Error! Bookmark not defined.
Part III
Abandonment ..............................................................................................................................................................................13 Adrift in a Life Raft ............................................................................................................................................................13 How All This Affects a Student Ministry Model ..........................................................................................................16
13
Part IV
The Inclusion Model for Student Ministry .............................................................................................................................18 The Rowboat I Started Out With ....................................................................................................................................18 My New and Improved Rowboat....................................................................................................................................19 Purpose of the Church.......................................................................................................................................................24 Evangelism and Discipleship Thrusts .............................................................................................................................24 Focused Purposeful Programs..........................................................................................................................................25 Strategic Process..................................................................................................................................................................29
18
Part V
Why We Need a Model ..............................................................................................................................................................32 Its Still Just a Rowboat After All.....................................................................................................................................32
32
Works Cited Full Bibliography
34 35
i
L i s t o f F i g ures
Number
Figure 1 Modern vs. Postmodern mindset influences............................................................................................................8 Figure 2 From Worldly to Worthy ...........................................................................................................................................21 Figure 3 The Downside..............................................................................................................................................................23 Figure 4 Purposes Grouped by Thrusts ..................................................................................................................................24 Figure 5 Seeker/Believer Focus overlaying Purpose Driven Levels..................................................................................25 Figure 6 The Ministry Landscape .............................................................................................................................................29 Figure 7 Step 1: Deploy Workers .............................................................................................................................................30 Figure 8 Step 2: Worldly to Wonderer.....................................................................................................................................30 Figure 9 Step 3: Wonderer to Witnesses .................................................................................................................................30 Figure 10 Step 4: Witnesses to Worshipers.............................................................................................................................30 Figure 11 Step 5: Worshipers to Workers...............................................................................................................................31 Figure 12 All the Steps Together ..............................................................................................................................................31
Page
L i st of T a bles
Number
Table 1 Purpose vs. Postmodern Ideals ..................................................................................................................................11 Table 2 Purpose vs. Abandonment Factor.............................................................................................................................17 Table 3 Description the Ascending StairsWorldly to Worthy ........................................................................................22 Table 4 Description of the Descending StairsWorriers to Wanderers..........................................................................24 Table 5 Description of Worldly Program ...............................................................................................................................25 Table 6 Description of Wonderers Program..........................................................................................................................26 Table 7 Description of Witnesses/Wanderers Program ......................................................................................................27 Table 8 Description of Worshipers/Whiners Program........................................................................................................27 Table 9 Description of Workers/Worriers Program ............................................................................................................28 Table 10 The Ministry Landscape Process .............................................................................................................................31
Page
ii
N a v i g a t i n g T h e W i l d P o s t m o d e r n C u r r en t
A missional engagement requires immersion in culture, to listen and ask questions. A missionary then proposes responses from the gospel, rather than attempting to impose a message. Postmoderns, who are anti-absolutist, suspicious of truth claims, and wide open to relativism, will pose new and discomforting questions. Emerging leaders are immersed in these oceans, rather than occasionally visiting or examining them in the laboratories of evangelical academia.Eddie Gibbs (Professor of Church Growth at the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.) 1 Could I conceive of a Christianity without the resurrection? Yeah. Because Im so faithful to Christianity that if you show me the resurrection didnt happen, Im going to keep going. It did, so Im going to hold to it as something crucially important. Now Im qualifying crucially important as opposed to fundamental. I get all that. I know the word play and the word games. But I dont think were just playing word games. I think were actually talking about a way of living and a way of approaching belief and thought. And I wouldnt suggest that belief and thought is something different than a practice.Doug Pagitt (Lead Pastor, Solomons Porch, Minneapolis) 2 ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT When I first though of the idea of designing a model for ministry that will effectively reach postmodern thinkers, I had no idea how deep and wide the river was. I wanted to cross it easily with a simple adjustment to my existing ministry model. So, I got in my little purpose driven seeker sensitive row boat and rowed out into the current. And the current was wild.
Eddie Gibbs.Emerging Solutionsand Problems; D. A. Carson S Theological Analysis Of Brian Mclaren, Et Al. Christianity Today, October 2005
2 Ryan Bolger, John Burke, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, Scot McKnight, Doug Pagitt, and Leron Shults. The Emerging Church: Theology and Practice, Multiple Perspectives on the Issues. 2006 National Pastors Conference: Critical Concerns Course, February 2006, San Diego, California. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan c2006) [sound recording]
2
There are a lot of good people out there trying to decide which way the current is going and some doing everything they can to force it in the direction of their choosing. Postmodern thought is so diverse, it is hard to find points that they all agree on. The only point I found was that they all reject, vehemently, modern fundamentalist protestant thinking. I happen to be a bit of a modern, fundamentalist protestant (maybe even more than a bit), so it was difficult not to feel attacked. At times, I felt like I should be ashamed of myself for being what I am, other times I realized that I do not want to be what they want me to be (or think that I am). There is a lot of us versus them thinking out in the river of culture. This made the crossing very hazardous indeed. I hoped to land on the other side with a model in hand that I could apply to my next ministry. Instead, I find myself standing on the bank, half-drowned holding on to a slightly leaky rowboat that is as much modern (truth based) as it is postmodern (experiential). In some ways it feels like a copout. It feels like I shied away from a truly innovative model because I did not want to give up my fundamentals. To some extent, that is exactly what happened. I went into this willing to embrace postmodernism so that I could, like Paul, become all things to all people. However, in one crucial instance I saw that postmodernism cannot ever be fully embraced by one who calls himself a Christian.3 That sounds harsh, I know. I realize I can be accused of being just another one of those bigoted warmongers who tell you what you cant do and must do to be a Christian. But I am not that kind of fundamentalist. I reject the exclusivity and the defensiveness of fundamentalism. Why should I have to defend truth, after all? Truth if it is indeed truth (which I believe biblical fundamental Christianity is), does not need defending. Truth can take care of itself. Fundamentals exist, just as the ground we walk on exists. I do not need to defend the ground, do I? Nor do I have to convince anyone of gravity. It is there. It influences everyone, and mere denial of it does not make it go away. I do not need to take offence on its behalf. So, I am not a fundamentalist willing to go to war to defend truth. I will never deny the truth of the gospel, but to beat someone over the head with it will never win anyone to Christ, and it certainly will not win any culture wars. Unfortunately, we live in an era where fundamentalists are seen as having lost the culture war and are seen as irrelevant, unloving, outdated, flawed and bigoted. Fundamentalism has become the new F-word of society. The belief may be wrong and severely over exaggerated, but that is not the issue. The issue is that our reputation taints Christs. It is this reputation more than anything else that the emergent church seems to want to cleanse themselves from. Rather than trying to change the reputation, they are deconstructing the foundations and claiming the moral high ground. So, just as postmodernists only agree they are not, and never want to be thought of, as modernists, emergents (Christian postmodernists) only really agree that they are not fundamentalists. To prove it, they toss out the fundamentals. That is why the Doug Pagitt quote above was so disturbing to me. It made me realize in order to do what I set out to doredefine my ministry to be able to reach postmodernsI would be told that I would have to change my foundation. That is something I am not willing to do. Instead, I
3
Just as modernity could never be fully embraced by one who calls himself a Christian.
3
examined my prejudices. I asked myself what is fundamental and what is just my strong opinion? What I found was that we do not need get rid of gravity or the ground, but we do need to get rid of the garbage on the landscape of fundamentalism. Most importantly we need to get rid of our exclusivist judgmental tendencies, and we need to embrace a fuller gospel that includes touching the untouchables and allowing them to come to Jesus at their own pacesomething that smacks of embracing a social gospel. COMPARING THE PAST AND THE PRESENT My fundamental rowboat, built at the dawn of the seeker driven era, has been battered quite a bit in recent years. My very approach to ministry has been brought into question. Methods that worked fine for years, are said to fall flat. On the other hand, methods abandoned along the way now seem to be more effective than they were before. The boat I used to use 25 years ago is inadequate for the taskthe landscape has changed quite a bit since my first day in ministry. My first day on Youth Staff In the eighties I was 18 and a lay youth leader at my church. I was excited about reaching the world for Christ. I had my first evangelistic appointment at the Tasty Freeze in Beaverton, Oregon, with Brent. It was not the first time I had shared my faith. I had shared Christ with many of my classmates when I was in high school. What made this appointment different was that I had never met Brent. All the other times I shared with people, I had already established a relationship with them. Brent was on my list of students, so I called him and he said he would meet me. When Brent arrived, we spent a few minutes talking, then I turned the conversation to Christ and pulled out my Four Spiritual Laws. Brent was very attentive. What he heard made a lot of sense so he prayed to receive Christ. We continued to meet for the next year until I was assigned to minister at a different high school campus. This scenario was played out time and time again while I was on youth staff. What I said to them made sense and they prayed the prayer and entered into the kingdom. Fast forward to the 21st Century. My ministry was very different. On Wednesdays, we had a gathering which we started with 15 church kids. Within six months we had 50 kids coming, and only 20 were what I would call church kids. The rest were seekers and they were all very different. They came because they felt safe. We played cool music (the same music they listened to at home, for the most part) we had a lot of fun and they heard stories about God. They were all on a journey looking for something to fill that void. We worked hard as a team to accept and love and gently lead them toward the savior. We also told them there was truth and His name is Jesus. Conversions were not at all like I had seen in my early days of youth ministry. We had decision nights every six weeks, and many of the students made decisions and prayed the prayer. Some of them changed right away and began to mature, but others took longer. William was a regular, we grew close over time. He came every week and we even got together occasionally for coffee Even after William graduated we would get together for coffee. I can not tell you how many times William heard the Gospel. I can tell you that to my knowledge he has yet to receive Christ. He is 4
still testing the ground and watching me. I think he wants to see if I really believe what I say about Jesus and if I live out my faith. What happened to Easy Conversions Why is it that all I used to have to do was share the truth of Jesus Christ with someone and they would believe? In Brents case I didnt even need to know him first. In Williams case I know him well, even see him as a friend. He is one of several that I have had to make an effort to get to know. I have had to make an effort to prove that I love them and expose my weaknesses to them before they will ever listen to what I have to say about the truth of Jesus Christ. Brents decision was based on the truth I shared with him. For William, the truth was not enough. He needed to make sure I lived what I was saying. I had to love him. I may have to tear open my chest and reveal my heart to him, and then one day he may agree with me and make a decision. What has changed on the landscape of society to make sharing the gospel so different then it used to be? The answer is complex. There are many things that have conspired to bring us to this point. The biggest may be the indoctrination of postmodern philosophy in our schools. In our society we have seen the battle between postmodern hippies protesting against modern conservative Yuppies. Now in our churches we have begun to see the effects of postmodern thinking. Christians are no longer satisfied with the church as just a purveyor of propositional truth. They want the church to be engaged in bigger things. They want the church to be the hands and feet of Christ. In their own lives they want more than sermons and bible studies, they want to experience a deep relationship with Christ and their brothers and sisters. They are not willing to follow a discipleship plan; they want to engage in a spiritual journey. They call themselves emergent and they have shaken up the status quo. Some churches have tried to make a space for them, other cater just to them, and others try to ignore them hoping they will grow out of it. For the latter it could mean a slow decline as the church ages and the younger believers are no where to be seen. Some may see this as inevitiable; the church will migrate toward emergent congregations that meet the needs of postmoderns by becoming more and more postmodern in their thinking and methodology. I believe the church can not fully embrace a postmodern society any more than it could embrace a modern society. The fact remains that if local churches do not find a way to reach postmodern thinkers we could slip into a post-Christian society that has no beacon of truth pointing the way to hope. Whether we are fundamentalist or emergent at the core, as ministers we all have one thing in common; a deep love for people that drives our desire to see them enter into authentic relationship with the living God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. If this is true, we should be able to row the boat together. It falls on the local church leaders to find a way to reach the next generation. In order to reach them we must try to understand who they are and how they think.
5
A u t h e n t i c E x p e r i en t i a l M u m b o J u m b o
Strong is our desire to experience, as opposed to simply reading or hearing about things. Obviously, interactive video games are big sellers with middle school and high school students, just as high-adventure vacations are with the post-college crowd.Tony Jones 4 I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.Jesus 5 DOING AWAY WITH GRAVITY At the core of postmodernism is a new epistemology. epistemology \i-pis-t-m-l-j\ noun the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity 6 To a modern fundamentalist it may seem that postmodernists want to do away with gravity. To a postmodernist the idea is that ideas do not neatly stack up on top each other in a systematic pyramid of propositions. This is based largely on their rejection of absolutes in general and absolute truth specifically. To a Christian, there is no way to deny truth. Jesus declared Himself to be truth, so a denial of truth is a denial of Jesus. Its the End of the World as We Know It! How does the modern fundamentalist church, which was focuses on a systematic theology and the highlight the rationality of the Bible, expect to get through to people like this? If postmoderns reject rational, logical truth, then how can they ever understand the Four Spiritual Laws? How do we lead them to Jesus? Will the church fade away into oblivion, or is it time for the rapture? We know that the church will not fade away. In fact, it will prevail. It managed to flourish in the medieval epoch and it did quite well in the modern epoch. We must not forget that the modern epoch was not kind to the church at first. Logic and reason threatened the very foundation of faith and the authority of the Scripture. The church had to adapt its methods during the Reformation in order to minister to the modern world. As a result the church grew more in the modern era then it did in the medieval era.
Tony Jones, Postmodern Youth Ministry (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan / Youth Specialties, c2001), 31 Scripture quoted from New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
5All
6Merriam-Webster,
Inc. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Includes index. 10th ed. (Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993.) [electronic ed.]
6
I am not saying systematic theology is wrong. On the contrary, I believe it brings structure to our beliefs. However, there is more to the Bible then just a set of systems that we hang our beliefs on. It is the sword of the Spirit, and postmoderns crave a spiritual awakening (and a deep mystical experiential relationship) like no other generation the modern church has seen. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODERNISTS AND POSTMODERNISTS The question remains. How can we reach postmoderns with the truth if they do not accept that there is absolute truth? Propositional truth versus experiential truth is just one of many things we must understand in order to minister to them. In order to develop a ministry model, we must first understand some of the ways that postmodern thinkers are different from modern thinkers. Propositional Truth vs. Experience Proposed truth is not as important as experienced truth to the postmodern. It is as if they have their train backwards. In the Four Spiritual Laws, Campus Crusades very useful tract for sharing a systematic theology of salvation to modernist thinkers, there is a diagram of a train. In the diagram the engine of the train is Fact, the fuel car is Faith and the caboose (which, as we know, is totally unneeded) is Feeling. The postmodern train7 may look more like this: Experience and Feelings are the engine, Faith is still the fuel car and Fact (a.k.a. truth) is the caboose. They do not care whether the facts line up with their experience. If there is discrepancy between the two, they will lean on their own experience and reject mere propositions. For example, if I tell a student that God loves them, that is a fact, and with no experience of Gods love, they reject what I say. Instead I must show them that God loves them by loving them myself and bringing them into a group that loves them and connects with them. Then I can tell them that they are loved by us because God loves all of us and gives us the ability to love. Then they will melt like butter before my eyes, because the experience and my words line up. If they never experience and feel that I love them, they will never believe my words. Dan Kimball diagrams it like this: 8
In truth I fear that postmoderns would reject the whole concept of a train. It is too linear in its presentation. To a postmodern, going from point A to point B on tracks is totally unacceptable.
Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church; Vintage Christianity for New Generations (Grand Rapids, Michigan:, Zondervan, c2003), 187.
7
Figure 1 Modern vs. Postmodern mindset influences
It is hard for me to understand how behavior comes before belief. Yet I have witnessed this puzzling concept lived out in students. In order to reach postmoderns, we need to de-emphasize propositions and emphasize experience. This does not mean that we shy away from the truth. However, rather then telling students to love their neighbor, we need to demonstrate it and then give them the opportunity to do it. If we show them something, then explain the deeper truths behind the experience, they will be able to accept it. Individualism vs. Connectivity The modern era brought individualism to the forefront of society. Through logic, reason and science, we could develop governments and economic structures that freed all men from the medieval hierarchical classes (in theory). Any individual could be all they could be in a system that promoted freedom, liberty and justice based on reason. Postmoderns reject individualism because they see it has led to greedy consumerism and isolates people. Community is important to postmoderns because of the opportunity it provides for connectivity. This is how they describe connectivity: The experience of the self as a part of othersWe are all relatedis one of the most spiritual experiences. Everything is related. Nothing exists in isolation. 9
Exclusive vs. Inclusive Hand in hand with individualism is exclusivity. As individuals climb ladders toward success, they band together in exclusive groups. From the executive clubs and private golf courses of the 20th century to the gated communities of today, individualism breeds exclusiveness. Postmoderns desire inclusiveness. It is through connectivity, belonging to a group, that they begin to believe. Rick Richardson describes it this way, Evangelism is about helping people belong so they come to believe. 10 It is belonging that is important. It allows them to see how authentic and honest Christians are about what we believe.
Expertise vs. Authenticity Expertise is a virtue of modernism. If we, through science, reason and intellect, set out to prove things, our reputation affects the credibility of our findings. What we say only has merit if we are credible experts on our topic. Moderns care that their pastor graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary or Moody; expertise goes a long way to prove ones value in modern society. But to the
9
Sweet, 72. Richardson, 118.
10
8
postmodern it is authenticity that is important. Authenticity says that you do not have all the answers, but you are genuinely looking. It says that you struggle just like they do. Richardson puts it this way: In the past, being an expert and having answers were what built credibility and gained a hearing. Today, having the same questions, struggles and hurts is what builds credibility and gains a hearing. 11
Engineering vs. Art In the modern era we were builders, designers, scientists. We conquered the world with amazing feats of engineering and scientific research. To the postmoderns, beauty is more important than engineering. Conquering the earth destroys beauty. If modernity was the age of the engineer (formulas, blueprints, measurements) and the lawyer (cases, evidence, proof, argument) the postmodern world will be the age of the artist. 12
Systems vs. Mysticism Fundamentalists are accused of refining the Bible down to a set of systems. Belief is then invested in the system rather than the Bible. Although I do not agree with the conclusion, the idea that modernism systemized the Bible holds some truth. From modernism we have Calvinism, Dispensationalism and many other isms. Postmoderns feel that systems have stripped Christianity of essential mystery, upon which faith is dependent. Jesus emphasized this when he told Thomas that those who followed him would have greater faith because they would believe without having to see. Modernity, it has been said, killed one ghost too many (namely, the Holy Ghost). In destroying superstition, it also destroyed sacredness. Not surprisingly, the mystical dimensions of the world and soul that modernism tried to destroy are returning with a gentle vengeance. The disenchanted world is seeking radical reenchantment. 13
11
12
Ibid., 48.
Steve Turner, Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001) [As quoted in Sweet, 40] Sweet, 201
13
9
Linear vs. Non-Linear Modernity developed a lot of formulas like A+B=C or E=MC2 or Law one, God loves you; Law two We taught logically, from the ground up. Before a person could read they needed to learn their letters and the phonics that went with them. Postmoderns are much more sporadic in their approach to learning. For example, when my daughter went to school her teachers used the inventive reading method. If my daughter came to a word she did not know, rather than sounding it out as I had been taught, she was told to put a word in its place that she thought might work in the context of what she was reading (I will not get into all the issues this caused for her later. Lets just say Hooked on Phonics helped a lot). When Leonard Sweet, Brian D. McLaren and Jerry Haselmayer set out to write a book on the postmodern/emergent church movement they chose to do it in the form of an ABC primer called A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church. This is what Sweet said about their choice for the format: We have made this resource as comprehensive in scope in as limited a space as we could. We designed it to be a nonlinear experience, so we hope you dont start at the beginning, or even start at the end, but work on all letters according to your curiosity or need. 14
Deductive/Inductive vs. Abductive As far as pedagogy is concerned, both the deductive and inductive methods were used in the modern era. Deductive reasoning starts with abstract principles and builds toward concrete reality. Inductive reasoning starts with concrete reality and builds toward abstract principles. Postmoderns prefer what they are calling the abductive method: Abductive Method: Seize people by the imagination and transport them from their current world to another world, where they gain a new perspective. 15
DESIGNING A MINISTRY MODEL FOR PEOPLE WHO REJECT MODELS In designing a ministry model there are many aspects of ministry to consider. For simplicitys sake I have chosen to build upon modern models and adjust. This fits, because even though we may be entering a new epoch, not every student will be postmodern--there will still be many students whose thinking is modern. 16 Given that, I chose to stick to the five basic purposes of the church as
14 15 16
Ibid., 9. Ibid., 31. Kimball, 61.
10
laid out by Doug Fields 17 (and his boss Rick Warren), namely: worship, ministry 18, evangelism, fellowship, and discipleship. The question is: how does postmodernism affect these five purposes, or better yet, how do we strategically adapt our methodology in order to fulfill these purposes in a postmodern world? I believe some postmodern beliefs will be greater obstacles to certain purposes than others will. For instance, evangelism in the modern world had been broken down to the sharing of propositions. Any disputes to the propositions were dealt with using a very logical apologetic designed to prove the truth of the gospel claim. This is just one example I have tried to cover other in the following table:
Purpose Evangelism Fellowship Postmodern Ideal Experiential Truth Inclusiveness Connectivity Authenticity Potential Obstacle Systematic evangelism will be rejected. Shallow casual fellowship is not authentic enough. Systematic approach to discipleship will not capture their minds. Inductive studies may not be relevant. Programmed worship may fall flat. Solution Invite person to an awakening event and/or a Group Investigating God and when you share with them, share your experiences along with biblical truth. Train leaders of small groups to be authentic in their struggles and searching while they look together for answers in the Bible. The key is that leaders and members must be able to genuinely love the rest of the group. We need to copy Jesus. Rather than teaching logically we need to take the group out into the world and teach principles by demonstrating them. Teachable moments will be vital. Stories or tools like Nooma videos will become important. The plan needs to be flexible enough to help them learn what they are most passionate about first. Worship needs to more spontaneous. Quality of music is not as important as the authentic attempt to draw the whole group into communion with God and each other. Rather than focusing on the deep truths of God, worship needs to draw people into the deep mystery of God. If we adapt these methods then we need to train all of our leaders to adopt them. The problem with using a model in post modern ministry is that it is a system and postmoderns reject systems. Leaders need be aware of this and they need to be genuine about the fact that they have an agenda for their followers and for every person who walks through the door. Having an agenda is acceptable to postmoderns as long as it is not a hidden agenda. Authenticity in leaders is the most important quality for leadership in the coming years.
Discipleship
Experiential Truth Abductive method Non-linear learning
Worship
Art Authenticity Inclusiveness Connectivity Mysticism Experience Non-Linear Learning Authenticity
Ministry (Leadership)
Leaders who are trained from books may lead the same way.
Table 1 Purpose vs. Postmodern Ideals
We can see from this table that postmodernism offers healthy obstacles for us to overcome. But it is not the only thing to consider before building a model. Postmodernism is merely a philosophy,
17 Doug Fields, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry: Nine Essential Foundations for Healthy Growth (Grand Rapids, Michigan:, Zondervan, c1998), 46. 18
In my model I refer to ministry as leadership or leadership development.
11
after all. There are other issues in todays society that we must look at along with postmodernismprimarily the psyche of the adolescent generation and how their common feeling of abandonment affects out approach to ministry.
12
Part III
A b a n d o n m en t
As the culture virtually dismantled previously rigid guidelines for family life, a new family imbalance occurred as men and women attempted to redefine their roles and relationships within the family system. The imbalance now falls to the child/adolescent, who is left to fend for himself or herself as parents seek to find their own way in life. Chap Clark 19 I will never leave you, nor will I forsake you. God 20 ADRIFT IN A LIFE RAFT Postmodernism is merely a way of looking at the culture we are living in. There is another picture, one that is sociological to some extent, and that focuses on adolescent students and the way they behave based on their assessment that they have been abandoned. According to Chap Clark, 21 Associate Professor of youth, family and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, our society has abandoned studentsat least from their perspective. They feel alone and adrift in a life raft, often without paddles. In their minds, there are no adults they can trust because every institution that was made to nurture them has failed. Worse, adults in these institutions have exploited them for their own gain and life fulfillment. It did not start out this way. Clark, who spent a year as an in-house substitute teacher on a high school campus in southern California studying the middle adolescent culture, points out that within a couple decades of the recognition of adolescence as a stage of life, high school or secondary school became a common experience. He states:
19 20 21
Chap Clark, Hurt; Inside the World of Today's Teenagers (Grand Rapids, Michigan:, Baker Academic, c2004), 33. Hebrews 13:5b
This section of the paper is based almost exclusively on the study that Chap Clark did in 2003 and wrote about in his book, Hurt, in 2004. It may seem one sided. Let me just state that I do no agree with everything Clark says in his book but most of it is quite useful. I hope to dig up some rebuttals to this study in the future.
13
Over the next several years, innovative programs began to spring up across the country. Youth sports, music, dance, drama and even religious youth programs provided opportunities for teens. These were originally designed and structured with a common goal: to nurture emerging adolescents by providing systems, structures, and activities to help them grow into adulthood by means of the smoothest, most productive transition possible. 22 Although adults formed institutions to nurture teens, the landscape has changed dramatically. While these and other nurturing structures and movements were beneficial in many ways, a subtle change soon took place. These structures eventually distanced adults from specific needs of adolescents. By the time adolescents enter high school, nearly every one has been subjected to a decade or more of adult-driven and adult-controlled programs, systems, and institutions that are primarily concerned with adults agendas, needs and dreams. 23 Clark gives many examples of these adult agendas, from over-enthusiastic parents spending thousands of dollars and many hours helping their 8 year old play pee-wee football, to high school students whose schedule includes sports, 6 hours of homework each night, early band practice and Advanced placement classes. Students are under a lot of pressure to perform for parents, teachers, coaches and even youth pastors. To students, adults do not appear to care about them. Students feel like pawns in some big game of success and stature the adults are playing. So in order to cope with the pressures of the life they are forced to live, they have formed their own secondary families and gone underground from adult society. Raft ClustersThe Tribal Factor Feeling abandoned and exploited by adults and the institutions that were created to nurture them, students have turned to each other for nurturing. Midadolescents believe their only choice is to find a relational place where they are not in danger of being ignored, used, or pushed aside. 24
22 23 24
Clark, 45. Ibid. Ibid., 79.
14
The high school landscape has changed a lot over the past 20 years. Gone are the cliques who gathered according to their identity or interest affinity. Now the clusters that gather look much different, and teens form tribes that set their own social rules. When my daughter Stephanie was a junior in high school, she brought at least 5 of her friends with her to Nexus every week. They all belonged to what they called the Breakfast Club at her school. The Breakfast Club was made up of a core group of 6 or 7 people, but extended out to about 20. Stephanies friends were all very different. One was a talented and dedicated soccer player who went on to play for a national champion NCAA team. One thought that she was channeling a demon named Dracos and she preferred to be called by that name. One liked to dress like a Goth and was into SCA (the Society for Creative Anachronism) and Dungeons and Dragons. One was a guy from a strict Christian home, but claimed to be gay although he never acted on it. And there were others, all different. Only Stephanie and her friend Mike were Christians. Yet they formed a tribe and they were (and are to this day) very close. How did such a strange group of students become a close-knit tribe? Clark says that clusters or tribes are formed according to a self-concept factor. He explains it as the way each person thinks other people see them. Their self-image may be quite high but they may think that other see them as a loser, so their self-concept is that of a loser. Losers cluster with other losers and winners cluster with winners. If the low end is a 1, and the high end is a 5, you will see clusters of 1 - 2s, or 2 3 - 4s, or 4s - 5s, but 1s will not get along with 4s and can barely tolerate 3s. This tells the observer something about the way people see themselves, based on their cluster choices. Understanding the cluster can be very powerful in ministry. Having my daughters cluster with her on Wednesday nights was effectiveit allowed me to show all of them Gods love. They really liked that I did not expect them to believe all the God stuff before we let them join the group. I believe they felt loved by Stephanie and loved by me, as well as the other Christian students. So when I told them God loved them, they nodded assentand began to believe. The Tribe Is Their Second Family Their Real Family This is very important to grasp. Students did not choose their family, after all. They did, however, choose their cluster, and this can make them more real than their natural family. It is never appropriate to make disparaging remarks about a person in this family. Anything you say to a student about a member of their family, you say about them. Distance and Time May not be Strong Enough to Break the Ties My daughter is 21 now and the Breakfast Club has moved all over (for instance, ones in Denmark right now), but the core of her tribe is still quite close. In this era of MySpace.com, LiveJournal, IM and text messaging, distance is irrelevant. Ministry to the tribe, therefore, can extend well beyond the boundaries of the church. Plus, ministry to the tribe can continue for years after they graduate out of the youth group. As long as there is contact with one of them (and it will be there if you have gained their trust), you have contact with all of them.
15
Beneath the Surface Once postmodern students form tribes they go underground. To protect themselves from the hostile adult world, they hide. Their tribal rituals maintain and define their culture and members can become closed to adult interference. No adult can fully understand what goes on underground because adults are not allowed. They will keep you away using politeness. They will obediently follow the rules, if it keeps you out of their secret world. Ethics and Morals Being a part of a tribe means that the tribes rules are the rules members follow. Rules and morals in the outside adult world need not be binding. Midadolescents filter much of their thought processes through the lens of self-interest and self-protection Living in the world beneath has left a mark on their ethical norms. Adolescents are not looking for the pleasure of the moment because they believe they are irrelevant in light of certain unavoidable death. They are, instead, developmentally and practically preoccupied with the pleasure of the immediate because they have a driving commitment to create for themselves a world that makes life easier, safer and more satisfying. As a result things like honesty and integrity that get in the way of their pleasures will not be tolerated. HOW ALL THIS AFFECTS A STUDENT MINISTRY MODEL This time the question is: how does the abandonment factor as described by Chap Clark affect the way we try to fulfill the five purposes of the church? The following table tries to describe my thinking.
Purpose Evangelism Fellowship Abandonment Factor Exploitation Cluster and Self-Concept Potential Obstacle Students believe adults are trying to exploit them and are not safe. If their tribe is not involved, it will be hard for them. Also they will gravitate to others with similar self concepts thus limiting fellowship. Solution Much of the Evangelistic effort should be done either by students or with students in the forefront. Whenever possible try to minister to the cluster. Accepting a persons friends is monumentally important. Never question a person about their choice of friends. Remember that if the tribe accepts you, you will be able to effectively minister to all of them. If a students tribe is not involved with the ministry, it will be important to allow the student to gravitate to someone at the same self-concept level. It will take time and a close relationship with
Discipleship
Ethics
There may be conflict
16
Worship
Feelings of Abandonment
between what the tribe says and what the Bible says. Tribes may also try to force commitment to them over commitment to God. If God is perceived as an adult, He may be seen as one who will exploit or abandon them.
Ministry (Leadership)
Cluster and Self-concept
It may be difficult to be feel like a leader if they feel the cluster is not with them.
the student to overcome issues here. If they see no harm in lying to you, they will be just fine with lying to God. The goal is to get the student to a place where they see the importance of membership in Gods tribe. We need to help the student get to the point in their relationship where they see God as faithful, reliable and loving toward the student. The example of trusted others leading the student to Gods throne in worship and then continuing to be trustworthy for the student in between times of worship is key. A big part of building students up as leaders will be to get them to a place where they see ministry to their friends as a way to love their cluster/tribe better.
Table 2 Purpose vs. Abandonment Factor
Like postmodernism, the abandonment factor offers many obstacles for us to overcome. The toughest obstacle is something the youth pastor can do nothing aboutbeing an adult. Students may be very respectful and obedient. They may appear to be fully in sync with you. However because of their lack of trust it all may be an act (better stated, a persona). They will be the person you expect them to be and the person their teachers expect them to be and the person their tribe expects them to be. It is not lying to them, it is surviving. Where the Baby Boomers were able to compartmentalize their emotions, adolescents today put on various personas in order to feel safe in their environment.
17
Part IV
T h e I n c l u s i o n M o d el f o r S t u d e n t M i n i s t r y
THE ROWBOAT I STARTED OUT WITH When I started this process, I had in mind that my research would produce a revolutionary new model of Student Ministry. I have already shared with you a little bit about what I did with Nexus. I always had that ministry in the back of my mind. With everything I read about postmoderns, I would say to myself Oh, thats why Nexus worked, or Now I see why the kids at Nexus looked at me so confused. I had ruthlessly planned on abandoning my dear old model for something shiny and new. Instead, my plans for an effective student ministry model for the coming years has turned out to be to expand and mold the Nexus model into what I call the Inclusion Model. I thought Nexus was an outdated model. That was the fear I had when I started Nexus, too. I knew if I applied the methodology of the youth ministry where I became a Christian, it would soon become a ministry made up of a dwindling number of church kids who did not want to be there, but it was all I had to go on. So I brought an old methodology back to lifeI thought. In truth, my ministry philosophy had evolved without my noticing. I was saved in a high-paced seeker driven ministry model known as Son City. The original Son City was the youth ministry that became Willow Creek Community Church. The Son City model was applied in several youth ministries around the country, including Village Baptist Church in Beaverton, Oregon, near my home in the late 70s and early 80s, where I believed the Gospel and then joined the lay ministry. In our setting we saw over 400 students every week, in an environment they found comfortable, listening to a band that played their music, competing in the best Baby Boomer style in intense but stupid games, and hearing the truth, logic and rationality of the Bible. We told them every week that the Bible had all the answers to everything they were facing in life. It worked amazingly well and hundreds of young people gave their lives and hearts to Jesus Christ. When I started Nexus, I was fed up. I was told the Son City model was dead and people did not respond to that kind of ministry any more. They were really into worship, and the purpose driven model was all the rave. So I tried adding a worship team and I adopted the purpose driven model. It was true that church kids were into worship, even though it was hard to find the talent for a worship band in my church. But the purpose driven model did not work for me. My heart was for reaching the lost, and we were amusing church kids. So in frustration went back to the model I knew so well. Yet I did not adopt the full Son City model. I was just nervous enough about being seen as an old geezer digging up an outdated model that I did two things that helped me stumble onto the Nexus model. I asked for input from students. I wanted them to tell me what they though their friends would come to. And I turned the programming over to Chris, a Generation Y member of my staff 18
team. I will never forget the first time he showed me a schedule for the night and it had a solid half hour for hanging out and eating pizza smack in the middle of the program. I tried to tell him that it would upset the flow. (That was the Son City model talking.) Now, Gen-Yers are very good at solving problems and very confident when presenting solutions. 25 Chris was no exception. He looked at me and said in true Gen-Y fashion, This will work. I let the schedule ride, figuring that I would have a chance to explain to him why it failed afterwards, and then Chris would know that I was the master youth worker. Oddly, having pizza hang out time in the middle of the program was the best thing we ever did. It became our standard MO. It was during these laid back breaks between silly programming, bad live music and exposition of propositional truth that we showed our love to these students. We shared an experience with them. It helped them want to belong to the group. And belonging is the first step toward believing with todays young people. This belonging before believing aspect of postmodern adolescent culture was what struck me the most in my current research. It was actually the same thing that had originally drawn me to God. I remember the first time I went to Son City. I had tried God before and did not want to go there again. I just went to make my sister happy. Or so I said. In truth, I heard her talking about the group in a way that made me hungry. This place is different, she said, Its not like church at all. They play cool music and the guy who talks is really funny. Really good but really funny. And they have this drama group, and well, all the people are great. They really made me feelI dont know, like one of them I guess. The idea of being part of a group like that was so appealing that I set aside my cageyness toward God and went and checked it out. I was blown away by the groups friendliness and acceptance. I never felt judged. I was invited to join the drama group before I ever raised my hand in faith at an alter call. I was included. I belonged before I believed 30 years before it became trendy. Its my calling to create an atmosphereno, more than an atmosphere a culture of inclusion, so that young people can discover the Jesus who calls them by name. Thats why I call this the Inclusive Model. MY NEW AND IMPROVED ROWBOAT First let me state that postmoderns, or emergents, immediately reject the very notion of a model. To emergents everything is much more mysterious and non-linear. They reject models as imposed agendas. I will concede their point when it comes to experiencing communion in the depths of your soul during authentic worship. But when it comes to doing ministry, there needs to be a plan. The Bible talks about structure and organization in ministry 26, and authentic communion 27. So,
25
Sommer Kehrili, and Trudy Sopp, and , and , HR Magazine; The Business of People, "Managing Generation Y", May 2006 (Alexandria, Virgina:, Socety for Human Resource Management, c2006), 119.
26
For example, Romans 5:1-5 lays out a progression for maturity. It begins with faith. Because of faith, we are able to exult in our tribulations because they bring about perseverance. From there the progression is to proven character to hope which does not disappoint because of Gods love.
19
when the goal is to reach postmodern and modern students, it is best to have some kind of agenda. Besides, emergents really are not all that non-linear and mysterious, themselves. Every seminar I attended and every book I read presented material in a very modern, linear, fact-based way. John Burke of Gateway Community Church in Austin, Texas, admits to his church that he has an agenda for them. Their motto explains their model Come as you are, but dont stay that way. I am convinced that everyone would enjoy the life God intends for them but until they believe that Gods plans for them will fulfill them, and until they commit to becoming all God intended, they will stay stuck. Therefore, the first responsibility of culture creation for growth must be to help people see a clear, compelling picture of life with Godone that motivates them to commit to following him. 28 God did intend for us to follow him so that we can grow and mature. Postmodern thinkers may reject agendas forced on them. Burke and others admit that it is okay to have an agenda as long as it is not hidden. Authenticity trumps linear plans. Since my model is based on various other models, including the Son City model, the SonLife model and the purpose driven model, I will present the basics of the model in the same way that most of those models begin and follow the same presentation structure they follow: 1 2 3 4 5 The Levels of the Environment/Target Audience Purpose of the Church Evangelism and Discipleship Thrusts Focused Purposeful Programs Strategic Process
Levels of the Environment: From Worldly to Worthy Each level of the environment represents a stage of maturity, or calls in the Christian life. At each level is a certain target audience. 29 Each level is characterized by students with similar experience of and commitment to God. At the lowest level, there is little or no experience or commitment. At the highest level there is very high experience and commitment.
27 John 15:5 talks about our mystical communion with Christ. Some how we are united with him and can only produce fruit if we remain in him. Galatians 2:20 also deals with mystical union with Christ. Some how we died with Christ and he lives through us.
John Burke, No Perfect People Allowed; Creating a Come as You Are Culture in the Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan:, Zondervan/Willow Creek Resouces, c2005),
28
29 The Son City model called the levels: Pool of Humanity, Outreach, Bible Study, Discipleship, and Leadership. The Purpose Driven model called the levels: Community, Crowd, Congregation, Committed and Core. I have used various terms at various times in my life. What is important is the understanding that not everyone is in the same place spiritually.
20
Since I am in Seminary and alliteration is required in order to graduate, I came up with my own names for the levels: Worldly, Wonderers, Witnesses, Worshipers, Workers and Worthy.
Figure 2 From Worldly to Worthy
There are six levels in the diagram. The top level, Worthy, is separated from the pyramid. This illustrates the concept that we are all working toward the goal of being found worthy in Christ. We all want to hear him say, Well done, my good and faithful servant. The reason it is separated is that I do no see us attaining this on this side of eternity. I put it on the model because it is important to have something to move toward so that we do not stagnate on any given level. There is a thick line between Wonderers and Witnesses. This is the line of demarcation that represents a decision to receive Christ. In the traditional model, only Christians can be above the line. I have discovered the line exists for salvation purposes, but is often crossed by those I might call Watchers (a subset of Wonderers). Since belonging comes before belief today, I feel that many students will stay anchored on the wonderers step and venture above the line to try the experience. How this fits on the model is hard to describe. Climbing the Stairs Call it a pyramid. Call it a funnel. Call it what you will. I like to think of the levels of the environment as a stairway. Setting aside all jokes about a stairway to Heaven, it is important to point out that this is not a model depicting a salvific (redeeming) effort on our part. Salvation comes from God. This is a model that demonstrates progressive sanctification, starting with the worldly. I have created a table describing students at each level.
21
Level
Worldly
Key Verse
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days You would not believe if you were told. Habakkuk 1:5 ...but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. Acts 1:8
Description
These students may not have a concept of God. If they do it may be far from the truth. They have a sense that there is something out there. They believe in God but their picture of Him is very different from a biblical picture. These are the students who are really wondering about spiritual things. Often referred to as seekers, they have a hunger for God without true knowledge of Him or commitment to Him. This is the most exciting of all the levels. Here we have new believers. They are babies who need milk before they can digest the meat of scripture. This dynamic group really reaches lost people. Their passion for God and excitement for their new found salvation and faith combined with a great compassion and love for their lost friends makes them the perfect witnesses. These students develop authentic relationships with God and have moved from milk to meat with a clearer understanding of God and desire for authentic communion with Him. They are hungry to learn more and more and are nearly ready to become dedicated workers. Their faith in God is affecting every part of their lives including stewardship of their time, talents and treasure. These students are fully devoted to Christ. They have decided to make him Lord of everything. They work hard at the harvest and they invest time to make sure that they will be workmen found approved. They search the scriptures to feed themselves and to feed the flocks in their care. This is the ideal that we all strive for. We all want to be found worthy when all is said and done. We want to be like Paul and fight the good fight and run the race to the finish.
The Call
Come and see a man Just like the villagers whom the woman at the well went to. Come and Listen Like Nicodemus came to Jesus to find answers Grow and Go Like John and Andrew who went and told Peter about Jesus
Wonderers
Witnesses
Worshippers
But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. John 4:23
Grow deeper and closer to God Like Barnabas who sold his field and gave the money to the poor. Feed my sheep Like Peter and the apostles were commanded to do.
Workers
37Then He *said to His disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Matthew 9:37-38
Worthy
His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master. Matthew 25:2 (See Also: Colossians 1:9-10) 30
Hear the Lord Say Well Done! Like the faithful steward
Table 3 Description the Ascending StairsWorldly to Worthy
30
9For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
22
This is a fairly traditional representation of the levels. I have always been frustrated by the overly optimistic feel it has. There is only one way people can goup. Because of this, I created a different viewone that shows the other side or the staircase.
Figure 3 The Downside
From this view we see that it is possible (and in my experience, common) for students to become stagnate or even regress. This is not to say that they can lose their salvation. The model does not show that it is possible to go back down to the pre-salvation levels of wonderers or worldly. They can however lose their way and begin descending the upper stairs. Descending the Stairs
Level
Worriers
Key Verse
Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; Matthew 25:21 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. James 5:9
Description
Workers are the most susceptible to worry. We are the ones who have laid it all on the line. We sacrifice the most. It is no wonder that worries can sometimes cause us to take a step back. When we forget that worship is about God, we begin to whine and complain that life is hard and suffering in intolerable. We lose sight of the Lord and do not lay our lives before Him.
Call or Challenge
Be anxious for nothing Just as Paul directed the Philippians Humble yourself before God Just like Job did when God spoke
Whiners
23
Wanderers
For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10 A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. Proverbs 21:16 With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Proverbs 119:10
When we are immature or when we have regressed down the stairs there is a tendency to wander from the one thing that saved us our faith. This is a pathetic state. We live like the worldly despite the truth that is in our hearts.
Return to your first love Just as Jesus told the Church at Ephesus
Table 4 Description of the Descending StairsWorriers to Wanderers
PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH Along with the levels there are purposes that the church is expected to achieve. In order to effectively reach the target audience, we can attach a purpose to each level. I have already touched on the five purposes earlier. Briefly, the five purposes are: evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, worship and ministry (leadership). EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP THRUSTS My particular spin on the model is that there are two main thrusts behind the five purposes: evangelism and discipleship.
Figure 4 Purposes Grouped by Thrusts
The Venn diagram above shows that Evangelism and Discipleship overlap. The placement of the five purposes within these circles shows that there is some overlap of thrust in purposes for fellowship and worship. Fellowship has a somewhat evangelistic thrust, but also is in the discipleship sphere. Worship is firmly in the discipleship sphere, but it also touches the sphere of 24
evangelism. I came to this conclusion when I combined the Purpose Driven target with what I found in the Willow Creek model.
Figure 5 Seeker/Believer Focus overlaying Purpose Driven Levels
The results show that on the outer rings (on my model it would be the lower steps), there is a focus on seekers and the inner rings (higher stairs), a focus on the believers. FOCUSED PURPOSEFUL PROGRAMS When we look at focused purpose and the level of the environment, we can build focused, purposeful programs.
Level
Worldly
Focus and Purpose

Seeker Focus Primary Purpose: Evangelism
What the Program Looks Like

There are three stages of evangelism in the SonLife Model: cultivating, planting and reaping. Programs at the Worldly level should be for cultivating and/or planting. Rick Richardson would call them soul awakening events. 31 The goal is to build non-judging relationships. We need to accept and welcome them to come and investigate God. This group is best reached by those at the Wonderers or the Witnesses stage. These are often big events on their turf that can be public events or ones we sponsor.
Culture of Program
Important Postmodern Qualities: Authenticity, Acceptance, and Experience Abandonment Factor: Students need to reach students. We need to not judge them or the friends they keep
Watcher Factor: They want to know what an outsider, or worse, an adult is doing in their turf. They are very cautious.
Table 5 Description of Worldly Program
31
Richardson, 88.
25
Level
Wonderers
Focus and Purpose

Seeker Focused Primary Purpose: Evangelism Secondary Purpose: Fellowship Watcher Factor: They are not ready to commit but they want to hear what we have to say.

From the three stages of evangelism, these are often reaping events. I find that consistency is a big issue: believing students should not have to wait to bring their non-Christian friends to a seeker focused event. Weekly is best. This program must be like an island to students. It needs to be more comfortable than for the elders of the church. Secular music when they walk in they will help them be more at ease, and they will see you as being more relevant and not judgmental. Live music brings experience to the event. The band needs to play songs they know, not worship songs they have to learn. We speak to them through media. Students are technology junkies, so quality is important, though authenticity is even better. Live drama is also very effective. Even though students may reject propositional truth, we should not shy away from presenting it. I prefer a six-week series where interactive talks (no sermons) build on each other and become more challenging each week. All of them are biblically based but they are more story-like, with the sixth week giving students the opportunity to make a decision for Christ. This is where reaping comes in. All we can do is present the truth of the Gospel; it is up to the Holy Spirit to change them.
Culture of Program
Important Postmodern Qualities: Acceptance, Authenticity, Experience, Non-Linear Programming and Art Abandonment Factor: Having students up front a lot will add validity to your efforts: students can be greeters, leaders, band members, actors, giving testimonies and whatever else you can find for them to do. Students interacting with adults will add validity to the adults ministry.
Table 6 Description of Wonderers Program
26
Level
Witnesses & Wanderers
Focus and Purpose

Believer Focused Primary Purpose: Fellowship Secondary Purpose: Discipleship Tertiary Purpose: Evangelism Watcher Factor: They are looking to see if our belief in God is authentic.

This is what I call a safe harbor program. The concept here is that students need to interact in small groups made up of mature believers and new believers. This is a time when truth is experienced in a group atmosphere. Curriculum for the group needs to cover the basics of the faith: assurance, overcoming temptation, confession, the importance of Scripture, etc. The presentation needs to be very interactive. If you can find object lessons, use them. If you can get the students out into the community, do it. The groups need to meet consistently. You may find that the students even want to meet during vacations and on holidays. Some groups (especially guys groups) may need to have something follow the study, like video games or basketball. This is important for guys because guys bond in competitive environments.
Culture of Program
Important Postmodern Qualities: Inclusion, Experience, and Abductive Teaching Abandonment Factor: Students should help lead the group. If possible the members of the group should be at the same self-concept level. This may involve letting them gravitate to the group where they feel comfortable.
Table 7 Description of Witnesses/Wanderers Program Level

Worshippers & Whiners
Focus and Purpose

Believer Focused Primary Purpose: Worship Secondary Purpose: Discipleship Tertiary Purpose: Fellowship Watcher Factor: They want to see if you we are truly in love with God.

This is their church service. Worship is the main goal. Having a quality worship band would be best because music is the main way our society worships and if there are weak members on the team it will be a distraction from worship. Worship is a lot more than just music. It involves all the senses. It is important to create an environment where young people are able to experience worship in ways that are meaningful to them. Teaching is the next most important aspect of this program. Teaching needs to be open, authentic and creative. Stories are more important than lists and three point outlines. There needs to be meat to the teaching. Fellowship is often a byproduct of this time. However, you can build more fellowship if you just keep the doors open longer. Plan on being there even two hours after the service. Have food and soda available. Dont worry about their school schedules (parents will do that for you.)
Culture of Program
Important Postmodern Qualities: Art, Authenticity, Experience, Abductive Teaching, and Non-linear programming Abandonment Factor: Student involvement is still important. At this level they expect adults to be involved. It will be very important to be there for them, as trust is forming in them toward you.
Table 8 Description of Worshipers/Whiners Program
27
Level
Workers & Worriers
Focus and Purpose

Believer Focused Primary Purpose: Discipleship Secondary Purpose: Leadership Tertiary Purpose: Fellowship

There is no greater joy then working side by side with students and adult leaders in ministry. Leadership training is critical. Leaders need to be screened for pure motives, a pure lifestyle and a pure commitment to God. They need to understand that they are being called to sacrifice. They need to know that you will be right there beside them. There will be a hierarchy at the top and everyone will know what it is. The important thing to remember is that students feel like they are part of the leadership team. Include them in as many leadership activities as you can: meetings, retreats, seminars, etc. Students and adults will need and crave mentoring. Take a page out of Moses book and set up a structure where every leader is being mentored by someone above them. This includes you.
Culture of Program
Important Postmodern Qualities: Inclusion, Experience, Connectivity and Authenticity Abandonment Factor: This is where they will begin to look up to you as a parent figure. These are the students who will go to bat for you. It is critical not to let them down.
Table 9 Description of Workers/Worriers Program
The Watcher FactorWatching and Waiting to Believe In the tables above, I pointed out the watcher factor. Watchers are non-believer who are anchored at the Wonderer level but tag along at some of the higher levels just to see if you are for real. The kinds of questions they are asking are: Do you really accept me or are you trying to exploit me? Do you really believe what you are saying? Do you practice what you preach? Are you going to let me sit in on things geared to believers so I can see what it is all about before I decide? Do I want to believe this? Is this for real? Are you for real?
It is important to be aware of who the watchers are. They are not students who are unbelievers pretending to be believers. They will tell you right out that they are not believers, but they want to know more about what it means to be a believer. They are sensitive to rejection. Closed doors will drive them away. You may not feel comfortable sharing deep spiritual truths in front of nonbelievers, but dont be. At some level the Holy Spirit is working with them and is guiding them into all truth. Dont worry about them watching. Do worry about them wanting to lead. They may want to help you minister to the poor or homeless. That is okay, but it us up to you to make sure that you do not make them a leader. Can 28
they be on the drama team? Sure, if they can be obedient to authority. Can they be in charge of the drama team? No. It would be wise to have a contract of conduct for all band, drama and video team members. The idea is that they agree that even though they may not be Christians they will follow a code of conduct that a Christian would follow as long as they are in the band, on the drama team or involved with video. I realize how controversial this sounds, but I find it very important. If the ministry is seeker focused, seekers need to be involved. At the believer level it is a different story. An unbeliever cannot lead believers in worship. Choices for the worship team are more important than the cover band for the wonderer program. Do not assume any student is walking with Christ. Ask them the tough questions before you let them move into leadership. Make them squirm, so that you will not squirm later when a parent is asking you what went wrong. The Abandonment FactorNo Adults Allowed Pay close attention to the adult factor. Students are so clued in to adults exploiting them for their own gain that they will catch on very quickly to any hidden agenda. Examine your heart before God. If you are trying to build a ministry for your own glory, if you are playing the numbers game so that you can advance in your career, then they will figure it out. They may show up physically, but you will not get to ever see the real them. STRATEGIC PROCESS There needs to be a process that leads people from one level to the next. In honor of postmoderns who claim to be non-linear, I have tried to develop a non-linear diagram to depict the process. It is a map of what I call the ministry landscape. The water represents the fluidity of thought and behavior in the fallen world. The land mass represents the solid rock of truth. Lost people live in the distant islands and mature believers live in the land of maturity. Also on the map are the Seeker Islands, Safe Harbor, and Freedom City--this is the stepping off place for those who headed inbound to the Land of Maturity. BTW, I know this sounds dorky, but I believe it describes the true nature of ministry better than steps or circles.
Figure 6 The Ministry Landscape
29
The following table describes the way the process works in the Ministry Landscape. Step 1: The process begins with qualified Workers being trained and sent out to minister in each of the four areas on the landscape. As students, they go to the distant lands every day in school. They should also be committed to participating in ministries directed to the Seeker Islands, Safe Harbor, and Freedom City.
Figure 7 Step 1: Deploy Workers
Step 2: With the help of the Workers who show up at special events in the distant lands (whether public secular events or sponsored events), Worldly students are invited to the Seeker Islands. They may make several round trips, often bringing other Worldly students with them.
Figure 8 Step 2: Worldly to Wonderer
Step 3: Students who frequent the seeker islands that are not believers are Wonderers. Workers in the Seeker Islands help guide them to Safe Harbor once they have decided to believe, and then move toward the Land of Maturity. Wonderers will often return to the distant islands for the purpose of brining their friends with them on their next trip.
Figure 9 Step 3: Wonderer to Witnesses
Step 4: Witnesses in Safe Harbor learn the basics about God and the relationship they have with Him from the Workers there. They are passionate about reaching their lost friends, so they are committed to being a part of the Seeker Islands ministry. Workers encourage them to move on to Freedom City.
Figure 10 Step 4: Witnesses to Worshipers
30
Step 5: Freedom City is a place of worship and growth. Students learn great things and are encouraged to remain a part of both the Safe Harbor and Seeker Island Ministries. Their involvement actually helps them grow. Eventually these Worshippers are encouraged to become Workers in the Land of Maturity.
Figure 11 Step 5: Worshipers to Workers
The process is ongoing. It is very chaotic if you try to look at the whole. The Ministry Landscape is very dynamic and alive with opportunity for growth. Behind it all the Holy Spirit guides students up the river toward Maturity.
Figure 12 All the Steps Together Table 10 The Ministry Landscape Process
The process is a bit sketchy on purpose. I used generic terms when I designed it. If I had used the landscape map in my previous ministry, I would label the Seeker Islands as Nexus, Safe Harbor as Conexions and Freedom City as Impact, because those were the names of the programs that I had at each location on the map. The success of the map comes when all believers in the ministry are aware of it and know where they are and where they need be. They also need to know where their friends are so they can encourage them to the next level. Adult volunteers and student leaders need to know where each student they are ministering to is on the map. They need to prayerfully assist them to the next stage in their spiritual journey.
31
Part V
W h y W e N e e d a M o d el
Although the church appears statistically to be less and less of an influence in our postmodern, post-Christian, world, God has not given up on his vision for his Church. After all, the church was his idea, and he sees it as his beautiful bride when functioning as he intended. The church, functioning as his Body, can still influence our world one life at a time John Burke
32
ITS STILL JUST A ROWBOAT AFTER ALL I stand on the bank of the river with my shiny new rowboat. The river before me rages with its turbulent currents and swirling undertow. The question I am asking myself is, is this boat so different form my last boat? It is, after all, still just a rowboat. Postmodern thinkers would laugh at me standing there. They dont believe in rowboats. But how else can I go out into the river? What makes this rowboat different from my seeker sensitive purpose driven rowboat? I still want to be sensitive to seekers. I still have purpose behind what I do. Yet there are several things that stand out as being different in the inclusive model. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Students are intentionally encouraged to belong before they believe. The model is student focused and not meant to serve any hidden adult purposes. Postmodern ideals are built in to every program. Authenticity and experience are embraced by the model. The process is fairly non-linear in its approach. The model keeps Watchers in mind. There is an acknowledgment of regression that sometimes occurs after individual growth. There is a built in understanding that evangelism is the chief end of discipleship.
Number eight may need further explanation. What I mean is that most models are about making disciples, or maturing believers. In other words, we reach people so we can teach them and mature them. The fact is that we teach believers and mature them so they can and will reach people for Christ. Its all about saving people, not sanctifying them. Sanctification is important, but the truth is the most unsanctified Christian will become fully sanctified on the day they stand before God. Full sanctification happens in heaven to all those who believe in this life. On the other hand, the person who is unsaved will never be sanctified. When they stand before God, it will not be a
32
Burke, 305.
32
pleasant experience. They can only receive salvation on this side of Glory by believing. We are called to do all we can to help them believe. It is our job to help them find salvation. Thats why I stand here ready to launch my boat. There are students out there who are drowning. for Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? The Apostle Paul 33
33
Romans 10:13-15 33
Works Cited
Bolger, Ryan, John Burke, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, Scot McKnight, Doug Pagitt, and Leron Shults. The Emerging Church: Theology and Practice, Multiple Perspectives on the Issues. 2006 National Pastors Conference: Critical Concerns Course, February 2006, San Diego, California. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan c2006, [sound recording] Burke, John. No Perfect People Allowed; Creating a Come as You Are Culture in the Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Willow Creek Resouces, c2005. Clark, Chap. Hurt; Inside the World of Today's Teenagers, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, c2004. Fields, Doug. Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c1998. Gibbs, Eddie.Emerging Solutionsand Problems; D. A. Carson S Theological Analysis Of Brian Mclaren, Et Al. Christianity Today, October 2005 Jones, Tony. Postmodern Youth Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, c2001. Kehrili, Sommer, and Trudy Sopp. HR Magazine; The Business of People, "Managing Generation Y", May 2006, Alexandria, Virgina: Socety for Human Resource Management, c2006. Kimball, Dan. The Emerging Church; Vintage Christianity for New Generations, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c2003. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Includes index. 10th ed., Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993, [electronic ed.] New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. Richardson, Rick. Evangelism Outside the Box; New Ways to Help People Experience the Good News, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, c2000. Sweet, Leonard, and Brian D. McLaren, and Jerry Haselmayer. A is for Abductive; The Language of the Emerging Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c2003. Turner, Steve. Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
34
Full Bibliography
Barna, Georg. Evangelism that Works; How to Reach Changing Generations with the Unchanging Gospel, Ventura, California: Regal, c1995. Beckwith, Ivy. Postmodern Children's Ministry; Ministry to Children in the 21st Century, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Emergent YS, c2004. Benson, Warren S., and Mark H. Senter III. The Complete Book of Youth Ministry, Chicago: Moody Press, c1987. Bolger, Ryan, John Burke, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, Scot McKnight, Doug Pagitt, and Leron Shults. The Emerging Church: Theology and Practice, Multiple Perspectives on the Issues. 2006 National Pastors Conference: Critical Concerns Course, February 2006, San Diego, California. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan c2006, [sound recording] Boshers, Bo. Student Ministry for the 21st Century; Transforming Your Youth Group into a Vital Student Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Willow Creek Resouces, c1997. Burke, John. No Perfect People Allowed; Creating a Come as You Are Culture in the Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Willow Creek Resouces, c2005. Burns, Jim, and Mike Devries. The Youth Builder, ?: Gospel Light, c2001. Clark, Chap. Hurt; Inside the World of Today's Teenagers, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, c2004. Conder, Tim. The Curch in Transition; The Journey of Existing Churhces into the Emerging Culture, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c2005. Dean, Kenda Creasy, and Chap Clark et. Al., (Editor). Starting Right: Thinking theologically about Youth Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Youth Specialties Academic, c2001. Fields, Doug. Purpose Driven Youth Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c1998. Gibbs, Eddie.Emerging Solutionsand Problems; D. A. Carson S Theological Analysis Of Brian Mclaren, Et Al. Christianity Today, October 2005 Higgs, Mike. Youth Ministry from the Inside Out; How Who You Are Shapes What You Do, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, c2003. Jones, Tony. Postmodern Youth Ministry, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, c2001. Jones, Tony. Pray, Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, c2003. 35
Jones, Tony. Read, Think, Pray, Live, Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, c2003. Kehrili, Sommer, and Trudy Sopp. HR Magazine; The Business of People, "Managing Generation Y", May 2006, Alexandria, Virgina: Socety for Human Resource Management, c2006. Kimball, Dan. Emerging Worship; Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Emergent YS, c2004. Kimball, Dan. The Emerging Church; Vintage Christianity for New Generations, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c2003. McLaren, Brian D., and Tony Compolo. Adventures in Missing the Point; How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Emergent YS, c2003. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Includes index. 10th ed., Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.: Merriam-Webster, 1996, c1993, [electronic ed.] New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995. Patty, Steve, et. Al. (Editor). Impact: Student Ministry That will Transform a Generation, Nashville, Tennessee: Broadman & Holman Publishers, c2005. Richardson, Rick. Evangelism Outside the Box; New Ways to Help People Experience the Good News, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, c2000. Senter III, Mark H., and Wesley Black, and Chap Clark, and Malan Nel. Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church: Inclusive Congregational, Preparatory, Missional and Strategic, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Youth Spcialties Academic, c2001. Senter III, Mark. The Coming Revolution in Youth Ministry; And its Radical Impact on the Church, USA, Canada, England: Victor Books, c1992. Strommen, Merton, and Karen E. Jones, et. Al., (Editor). Yoth Ministry that Transforms, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Youth Specialties Academic, c2001. Sweet, Leonard, and Brian D. McLaren, and Jerry Haselmayer. A is for Abductive; The Language of the Emerging Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, c2003. Tomlinson, Dave. The Post Evangelical; Revised North American Edition, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Emergent YS, c2003. Yanconelli, Mike. The Core Realities of Youth Ministry; Nine Biblical Principles that Mark Healthy Youth Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Youth Specialties, c2003. Yanconelli, Mike, et. Al. (Editor). Stories of Emerfence; Moving from Absolute to Authentic, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan/Emergent YS, c2003. 36

Inclusive Model

Diunggah oleh

Informasi Dokumen

Deskripsi Asli:

Hak Cipta

Format Tersedia

Bagikan dokumen Ini

Bagikan atau Tanam Dokumen

Opsi Berbagi

Apakah menurut Anda dokumen ini bermanfaat?

Apakah konten ini tidak pantas?

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

Inclusive Model

Diunggah oleh

Hak Cipta:

Format Tersedia

A St ude nt Mi ni s tr y Model f or Today

Prepared by Rick Francis (Box #: 999)

Spring Term 2006

2006 Rick Francis. All Rights Reserved.

Error! Bookmark not defined.

Error! Bookmark not defined.

Works Cited Full Bibliography

Figure 1 Modern vs. Postmodern mindset influences

Sweet, 72. Richardson, 118.

Ibid., 9. Ibid., 31. Kimball, 61.

Experiential Truth Abductive method Non-linear learning

Art Authenticity Inclusiveness Connectivity Mysticism Experience Non-Linear Learning Authenticity

Table 1 Purpose vs. Postmodern Ideals

In my model I refer to ministry as leadership or leadership development.

Clark, 45. Ibid. Ibid., 79.

There may be conflict

Cluster and Self-concept

Table 2 Purpose vs. Abandonment Factor

Figure 2 From Worldly to Worthy

Table 3 Description the Ascending StairsWorldly to Worthy

Figure 3 The Downside

Table 4 Description of the Descending StairsWorriers to Wanderers

Figure 4 Purposes Grouped by Thrusts

Figure 5 Seeker/Believer Focus overlaying Purpose Driven Levels

Focus and Purpose

What the Program Looks Like

Table 5 Description of Worldly Program

Focus and Purpose

What the Program Looks Like

Table 6 Description of Wonderers Program

Focus and Purpose

What the Program Looks Like

Table 7 Description of Witnesses/Wanderers Program Level

Focus and Purpose

What the Program Looks Like

Table 8 Description of Worshipers/Whiners Program

Focus and Purpose

What the Program Looks Like

Table 9 Description of Workers/Worriers Program

Figure 6 The Ministry Landscape

Figure 7 Step 1: Deploy Workers

Anda mungkin juga menyukai