Mission and service opportunities can be more than an annual mission trip. by Elsa Marshall

Short term mission experiences are also important and can be integrated as part of a youth’s life. Mission and service imparts opportunities where youth and their leaders participate together to grow in faith, service, and the ability to relate to others. As Christians our belief in God, Christ and the Holy Spirit requires each of us to be involved in Christian mission and service to the world. "Love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal of the life of the world."  Service both flows out of our faith and feeds our faith.

Both long term or short term service and mission projects help form youth with the understanding that service can be done anywhere—and should be done wherever one finds oneself in day-to-day living. Mission opportunities present ways to broaden one’s thinking, take one out of ones comfort zone, and confer the confidence to be of even greater service once one returns home to regular lives, routines and usual surroundings.

Mission and service programs and projects are adventures whether they are a couple of hours long or a full week or more away. They are never intended to be just drive –by –feel good excursions but are to be formational and transformational requiring both preparation and reflection allowing the participants to grow and go deeper into God’s heart for justice and shalom.   We must always have well made plans about where we’re going and what we’ll be doing when, but ultimately, it is openness to the Spirit that makes it a transformational and growing encounter.

The before, during and after portions of your mission and service projects might  include discussions to get students thinking about poverty, hunger, homelessness, cross-cultural relationships etc. depending on the mission project that they will be participating in.  Identifying and learning about one’s own spiritual gifts that will be used is a significant understanding.  Discussion of teamwork, community and behavior covenants is also important.  Reflection following the service project and sharing of insights is very important as is discussion about how to continue service once returning home to the “real world”.  Providing forms of advocacy enriches the project too and equips youth for continuing ministry.   

These approaches provide youth settings to help them learn about themselves, their relationship with God, their teammates, and the world we as Christians are called to love and serve. These before, during and after processes will help your youth apply what they’ve learned through mission and service to their own lives and will ensure justice work that changes participants to continue to change the world around them.  Youth and are not just the hope of the church for tomorrow; they are the leadership of the church today. With energy, vision, enthusiasm and motivated by deep faith, youth actively participate in mission - transforming the world and themselves in the process.

Try short term mission projects with local service agencies.  They might include your local food pantry, soup kitchen or feeding program, working with service agencies in your community who serve people who are homeless, differently-abled or need food assistance.   These experiences might enable more youth to be engaged especially those that are not be able to participate in a “week long” mission trip.  Short term mission projects as well as week long mission trips can revitalize your entire youth program. 

Thoughts and Reflections on a Youth Ministry Paradigm in our Postmodern Society

by Elsa Marshall

Studies show that 96% of the Millennial Generation believe in God – and half of them rarely or never attend church!  We know young people are hungering for spiritual connections so we need to examine traditional and new ways to make Christian discipleship part of their lives.

Read the rest of the article HERE.   

Ritualizing the Transition from High School to College

by Elsa Marshall

As your youth depart for college many are asking big questions—questions like "How do I know what I was created to be? Where are the places that I can make a difference in the world? Where can I experience a sense of belonging?" They are searching to discover purpose and meaning for their lives during this time of new beginnings and leaving behind.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Lord, Help us not to talk too much

by Elsa Marshall

—Because talking too much is like driving too fast.
Sometimes the brakes are not good, and we pass by the place where we intended to stop.
When we talk too much, we know we go beyond the truth and we lie.
We also know that speaking too much derails us from life's track. —A Haitian Mountain Prayer

Read the rest of the article HERE.

A Personal Vision for Youth Ministry

by Sheri Anderson, Youth Minister at Church of Christ Congregational, Millis

In Youth Ministry circles, we often talk about the value and importance of creating a Youth Ministry Covenant and/or a Mission Statement. The former I usually think of as an agreement written primarily by the youth and their advisors to shape and govern their life together while the latter may be initiated and written by the Board of Committee seeking to start or re-define the purpose of their youth ministry program.

Recently I started doing ministry in a new setting.

I wanted to explain my personal vision of Youth Ministry  to the advisors and Committees with whom I was working. I saw it as an opportunity for them to see “where I am coming from” and hopefully get them thinking about their hopes and dream for the program as well. However,  the assignment became far more personal than I had imagined. I found myself deeply and prayerfully engaged in the process. The exercise clarified for me what my deepest held values were. Now I feel, that I have articulated a vision to which I must hold myself accountable.

I share my vision with you in hopes that it might cause you to think deeply about your deepest held values. If you work with youth, I strongly encourage you to sit down and write your own vision for Youth Ministry. Share it with others who are involved in ministry with youth. I hope your ministry will be blessed by the experience.

A Vision for Youth Ministry    A place where all are welcome; All gifts used, even gifts still in the rough; A place where we can make mistakes and laugh and learn, And rely on God’s grace.   A place where we “build each other up” And gently “teach and admonish each other in all wisdom” But we never punish or shame.   A place where the youth are known by name; Where friendship blossoms between young and old; Where the generations learn from each other.   A place where we eat good food (and some junk food too,) Where we learn the art of conversation, And remember how to play.   A place where the stories of our faith connect with our own life stories; And we didn’t even know it was “Bible Study” we were doing.   A place where we learn to pray and praise, And care about the details of each other’s lives.   A place we come to serve others and in so doing Discover our gifts, power, confidence and ability to lead.

Click here for a list of youth and family ministry websites to help your church stay vital.

Text Messaging- A mysterious language  --  NALOPKT*

Text Messaging is a quick, fun way for youth to communicate and remain in constant contact using cell phones and computers.  Over 14 million teens are “texting”  regularly making it a new form of social exchange. Most kids started using IM when they are between the ages of 8 and 10.   In fact, “70 percent of all parents today are texters”  according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. These parents know that kids are more likely to respond to a text message than to a phone call. 

Generally the use of their IM lingo, slang and abbreviations is limited to e-mails, text messages or instant messages on cell phone.  It could prove a format for conversation between parent and youth who have trouble communicating but be careful.  Don’t use this form of communication as a way to “look cool” or to imitate your child. Remember adults often look silly to youth if they are perceived as trying to imitate their children.

If you don’t know this new lingo and/or would like to learn more about it there are several websites available.   Here are a few:  netlingo.com  and www.transl8it.com

    *Not A Lot Of People Know That