Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Youth Ministry Lite #2

Youth Ministry Lite
By. Ashley Engleford

Welcome back youth ministry addicts! I hope all is well in your little corner of the ministry. In my youth group, we youth leaders are finishing up the preparation for our 1st ever Parent/Teen Grill Out. We are praying for great weather and a great turnout. This month I am highlighting The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel.. Lee has a law degree from Yale University and used to write for The Chicago Tribune as their Legal Editor. He considered himself an atheist but God had other plans. His wife, Leslie, inspired him to investigate Jesus Christ and the resurrection because of the amazing transformations he saw taking place in her after accepting Christ as her personal Savior in 1979. In this must read book for believers and unbelievers alike, Lee leaves no stone unturned. He interviewed many of the leading experts of the bible, asking tough questions many of us have asked ourselves. Lee studied the bible throughout his journey and in the end makes the only logical decision he saw, accepting Christ as his personal Savior. Despite his Law degree from Yale, Lee writes in a very blatant manner so you don’t get “lost in the evidence”. Lee has even come out with a student edition to his books for teens.

Also highlighted this week is the website, www.igniteyourfaith.org. This is a great website to pass on to your students. You will find articles on a variety of subjects, true life stories from teens, a humor section, and much more. The site is geared towards teens and college age students.

Answer me this……….Have you ever had a student make false accusation
against you? Maybe you have a teen that is simply rebelling against your authority and they don’t want to hear any advice you give them. How did you handle the situation? How would you handle the situation? Everyone involved in Youth Ministry needs to prepare themselves for such an occasion because it will happen to all of us, possibly multiple times the longer you are in the ministry. Here are my suggestions for just such an occasion. (If accusations are more than you being mean, calling them names, etc. you need to immediately go to your Pastor.)
1. A. Attempt to resolve the situation with the teen, searching for a reason for their behavior. B. If A fails, visit their home and talk with the teen and their parent(s).
2. If 1 fails, talk with another youth leader and both of you sit down with the teen and attempt 1A.
3. If 1 & 2 fail, talk with your Pastor, letting him know what has happened and both of you have a sit down with the student to gain resolution
4. If 1-3 fail I suggest you give them the choice of coming clean and talking the issue over with you or not being aloud to attend youth group until the issue is resolved.
Teens are at a very tender stage in their lives. They need to find their niche, to know they are loved unconditionally, and need at least one godly role model. Some teens will have divorced parents, others come from a single parent home, or maybe the whole family attends church. The point is that you must truly get to know each student and form a personal relationship with them showing them you care. Don’t get discouraged and try not to take it personally. Continue to offer unconditional love and forgiveness before they ask for it (if they ask for it). Stay strong and know you aren’t alone in this fight! HH

No comments:

Post a Comment