PYV Summer Camp 2015 - Day 1

PYV Summer Camp 2015

 Day One

It was a pleasant drive of varying hours to get to Summer Camp at Rawson Village. With people from as nearby as Warragul, or as far away as Warrnambool and even Fremantle, some people travelled a long way. And eventually, everyone was here. 

Ready to Run

The camp began with a group arriving early to make sure things were set up and ready to go. The Tech Team worked hard setting up the audio visual equipment, others have been busy making sure the dorms are marked clearly so campers and leaders end up in the right place. 

To start the event, we played some simple wide games on the oval. While it’s true that some people are more enthusiastic about running around the oval than others are, everybody was involved doing something. We then crowded into the dining room for our first meal together. It’s quite a crowd when we are all in one room. 

Ready to Eat

Our first worship session gave Rev Andrew Vines a chance to speak from the book of James in the Bible on the topic of Practical Christianity. It is an exciting theme, and tonight we learned about a path that leads to death and a path that leads to life. We need Jesus to get us on that path of life. 

Breaking into our study groups gave us all a chance to get to know the people in these groups, people we will spend many hours with studying the Bible. 

PYV Summer Camp 2015 has begun well. It should be a great time here. 

#pyvsummercamp15 #onceuponapyvsummercamp

Thank you for your efforts in 2015. It mattered.

Happy Christmas Everyone.

Youth ministry in the Presbyterian Church of Victoria continues to be encouraging. Within the PYV events through 2015 we have seen young people come to faith in Jesus Christ. We have seen solid numbers of campers meeting together to learn and worship with each other. We have have seen new leaders step up to experience what it means to lead others in studying the scriptures. And we have seen experienced leaders share their wisdom with some of these new leaders.

In our churches there has undoubtedly been some numerical growth. There are those churches who can look back over 2015 as a time when children became teenagers and joined youth group. In other places they will have seen people inviting their friends along and the group growing in that way. 

Some churches will have seen their numbers shrink over the year, and there are many reasons for this. One of the great problems with youth ministry, and children's ministry, is that people grow up. And at some point they are just too old to keep coming. If this describes your group, please don't be discouraged. Take heart at what you have been able to do in the lives of these people as teenagers. They were looking up to you then, and they will still look up to you now.

Thank you for all that you have done to encourage young people to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Thank you for teaching them, for helping them, for encouraging them, and for simply showing them what it means to be such a disciple. I don't know yet what impact you have made, and you may not know either. But I know you have made an impact. 

Have you read something good this year? Or seen something that is worth telling others about? I'd love you to let me know so that I can tell others too. This year I have read two of Ken Moser's books after a recommendation from one of our youth leaders from Bundoora Presbyterian Church, and I would happily encourage others to read them too.

Anyway, have a happy Christmas. Celebrate the birth of our Saviour. And rest well as you prepare for 2016. (Unless you are coming to Summer Camp. You'll have to wait another week before you can rest.) 

God bless you.

Brian
www.pyv.org.au

Changing the World

The heading may sound more dramatic than this post really is. Yesterday I finished reading through Ken Moser's book "Changing the World through Effective Youth Ministry". Most books have strengths that make them worth recommending, and this book has plenty.

If you're an experienced youth leader, you might not think this would be relevant or necessary for you. And you might be right. But I think you would gain much by taking the time to read through it anyway.

There are some golden quotes in these pages. Here are a few I shared on facebook while reading through the book:

"The rule is simple: if your program doesn't meet your goals, either change your program or change your goals."

"Young people love being in an environment where their questions can be answered without the fear of being ridiculed."

"The Bible isn't boring, but many Christian speakers are."  

I'm not suggesting these are the greatest comments in the book, but they stood out for me.

Perhaps one of the greatest strengths in the book in my mind is the way Moser wants to see youth ministry connected to the age groups on either side. He refers to this as "flow". This concept of connecting a youth group with Sunday school, and of connecting a youth group with a young adults ministry is surely a good one. This helps youth ministers to know that they are a part of something bigger than just youth group. It also helps promote some enthusiasm in children as they prepare to come to youth group, and means teenagers know they have something to connect with when they're too old for youth group.

This suggests that we also need to remember that any section of the church is just a section of the church and not the whole. But that's another post.

Another chapter in the book that helped is titled "Fun". Here Moser challenges the false distinction youth leaders often put between Christian stuff and fun. You know the comments, "We'll have some fun first, and then we'll do the Christian stuff." Or even worse, "Invite your friends for a fun night and then let's hope they'll come another night when we do Christian stuff." Here's a secret to ministry: You can actually enjoy doing Christian stuff. Remember his quote earlier

"The Bible isn't boring, but many Christian speakers are." 

 Who should read this book?

If you're involved in youth ministry, you will only profit from reading this book. If you're considering a youth ministry in your church, this book can help you to know where to get started and what to aim for. And if you are feeling stuck in a rut in youth ministry, this book might be the very spark you need to start a blazing fire.

Embedded Faith - Young Adults and Church

Sometimes you read a book because it has a snappy title. Sometimes you read a book because it has a cool cover, (no matter what the proverb might teach). Sometimes you read a book based on a recommendation. In this case, it was a recommendation that led me to read this book, "Embedded Faith".

Carlton Johnstone writes from New Zealand, so the experience here is much closer to home than most books we read on these topics. And what he writes has been enormously encouraging.

Here's the deal: young adults are much freer than they used to be - particularly those who have grown up attending church. Once they are too old for youth group, many will start to attend other churches. This is a cause of heartache for many parents and church leaders, but this book has given me some hope.

Firstly, why do young adults leave churches and go somewhere else? I am encouraged by the answer to this, but I appreciate that the answer can be uncomfortable for church leaders. Young adults aren't afraid to leave a church so they can go to another church where they can feel welcomed, spiritually fed, and treated like adults.

When young adults looked for a new church both preaching and worship featured time and time again as factors in the decision-making process.

 So, when young adults leave one church and go to another, we shouldn't think that they have abandoned their faith, nor that they have abandoned their family, as some might suggest. Instead, take some comfort in knowing that they are keen to grow in faith and will search for the place they believe that can happen. 

Here's a comment that will probably surprise no one:

A common reason participants gave for switching to a particular church as adolescents and young adults was simply because of the presence of peers of their own generation.

 If I'm 21 and I have the choice of going to a church with a whole group of people my own age, or a church where everybody is my parents' age or older? Generally, I think we would all go to a place with people our own age. Keep in mind that such a church will also have music, preaching, and food that is relevant to that age group. Sounds attractive. 

Now, just in case your one of those people thinking, "Man, this generation is so self-centered! If they were really committed to God they would stick it out here.", then you need to read this comment,

My findings suggest that participants share a preference for worship that is focused on who God is.

If you are interested in young adults, then this book is worth reading. 

If you are a youth leader, and you would like those teenagers to continue being part of your church family when they are too old for youth group, then this is worth reading. And this will help you know what changes might be worth making sooner rather than later. 

Youth Work Jokes :)

I can't claim that any of these are mine, nor can I claim that they are all good, but there are some things here that made me laugh.

http://www.premieryouthwork.com/Past-Issues/2015/September-2015/Youth-work-jokes

The few copies of this magazine that I've come across, and the few articles that I've read have been very good. Enjoy them.

When Mickey Mouse has one ear, the future is bleak

I am convinced that one of the most dangerous things Churches have done in the last fifty years is to segregate people based on their ages. Not that youth shouldn't have some time to themselves. Of course they should. And so should those who are over 60. But a long-term or a deliberate segregation can only be bleak for both the future of that church family and the people in it.

But don't just take my word for it. Listen to Dr Nishioka as he explains why when Mickey Mouse has one ear, the future is bleak.

http://www.youthministryinitiative.org/connectingyouthministrytothechurch/

Long Term Youth Ministry

How long is long enough to be involved in youth ministry? Do you need to step out of youth ministry when you get to a certain stage of life? At a PYV training event last week, we were encouraged to believe that there are a number of stages in youth ministry, and we can survive them all.

Tim Hawkins, a youth leader who has decades of experience, was able to consider the great strengths that leaders in all the stages bring to youth ministry, as well as facing up to the weaknesses that we all have.

Briefly, the five stages can be summarised as:

One of the gang

You are pretty much the same age as some of the youth under your care. This means you understand the culture really well and have plenty of energy. But it also means it can be difficult talking with the parents of teenagers or bringing discipline to the group.

Big Brother / Sister

Now you're a few years older than the youth, so you're probably in your early twenties here. It's a stage of life that you are approachable to teenagers, and you have some extra money and time. You're also working out what your life is going to be, and you might be questioning your role in youth ministry at this stage. 

 

Aunt / Uncle

At this point you are twice the age of some of the youth, and you have more life experience. You should also have a better understanding of faith and Bible by now. You're probably also busy with your own career and family, and if you are still involved in youth ministry, you're likely to be wondering if you're too old. My answer to that is "no". In fact, you're reaching a critical point that's worth pushing through.

Parent

With children of your own, you are able to understand what is happening for the lives of teenagers AND for their parents. This is, is my opinion, the 'golden era' to be involved in youth ministry. If you started at the "One of the Gang" stage, then you now have more than 15 years experience. At this stage you can build a great team of younger leaders to learn from you. I know you're tired, but don't give up!

Grandparent 

At this stage, you are possibly older than some of the parents of the youth involved in your youth ministry. And you might find it difficult to relate to the culture the youth are growing up in. You probably hate their music and wonder why they never put their phones down. That's ok. They're wondering why you listen to talk-back radio and why you don't use snapchat. But at this stage you bring enormous life and faith experience to young people. You are an encouragement to them and to the younger leaders. I would also suggest that if you are at this stage, you want to make sure you're not on your own. You need some younger leaders around you.

Tim Hawkins and Brian Harvey

I am now in my late forties. (Hard to believe, I know, but there it is.) I have been involved in youth ministry in one way or another since I joined the youth group at the Salvation Army in Hawthorn when I was 13. I want whoever reads this to know that long-term youth ministry is not only possible, it is beneficial. It is beneficial both for you and for the youth you work with.

If you are involved in ministry to youth now, I'd like to urge you to reconsider your finishing date. I know that not everyone will still be involved when they are 40 or older, but teenagers need to have some people of this age involved. It could be you.