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Leadership Development... Many of you know that much of my inspiration for youth ministry comes from my own powerful experiences in youth ministry. The biggest reason I never accept any notion that youth ministry can't work is because I refuse to question the ability of the Holy Spirit. That's a given. But the second-biggest reason is because I am a product of a ministry that did work.
That perked up some ears, to be sure, but I meant it! In high school I did not merely participate in my parish's youth events, programs, and services, I served on committees that envisioned them, planned them, executed them, and evaluated them. When I was a freshman, I was one of those teens on that thin line between wanting to be there and Mom forcing me to be there. I was Confirmed, didn't "have" to be there, but was willing to try it out. My friend Todd was there, so at least I had him, and there were some pretty cute sophomore girls there! Doug, the coordinator of the high school program, was new and needed some new ideas to reach us. The first thing he did was "strengthen his base" by ensuring he had the support of a strong team of adult leaders. But then he formed a youth leadership team of teens from all four grades. The first meeting of this team was an overnight planning lock-in. Like all teens, I was excited because of the lock-in part, but it was more: we truly worked. We had a brainstorming session that I remember in detail now 17 years later! Of all the ideas that surfaced, we whittled them down to a handful that we knew we could reasonably accomplish. When it came time for one of those events, we knew we were in charge of its success or failure. We were invested. Sure, Doug and the rest of the adult volunteers didn't let us drown, but they did make us swim on our own. In retrospect, the adults were more "advisors" than leaders. After the success of that first lock-in, the next August Doug and the adult leaders began an annual leadership team camping weekend that was always part fun, part retreat, but mostly about establishing a plan for the academic year ahead. Within three years the youth leadership team had grown so large that the monthly meetings had to be broken into committees: service, social, worship, etc. I am a bit surprised that the trend in youth ministry nationally is toward models where the bulk of the leadership is happening by persons who have long since graduated from high school. Most good youth ministry training and formation programs, including the Center for Ministry Development's Certificate in YM program, LifeTeen training conferences, and even our own Diocese of Gary Youth Ministry University train coordinators to establish strong adult teams. Simply put, one person cannot do comprehensive youth ministry. Unfortunately coordinators for the most part do not take that next step to form youth leadership teams with the same power to vision, plan, execute, and evaluate the ministry's events, programs, and services. Yes, youth ministry has changed in the last 17 years, but I do not think this is an outdated concept. This can best be compared to a parent teaching a child to ride a bike but never actually letting the child ride the bike. Are we afraid they might crash? Are we afraid they might ride down the wrong path? Either way, they never really learn to ride the bike. In fact, if the parent never gets off the bike, whose bike is it? I believe strongly that youth ministry cannot "work" until the ministry belongs less to the youth leaders, the program coordinator, the priests and the parish, but more to the teens themselves. To use another analogy, it is our job as board members to provide the employees stock options in their own company if we want them to truly be invested. The more and more I work alongside frustrated adult youth leaders-- and there are lots of us!-- the more I am convinced and reminded that youth ministries cannot grow until teens take this ownership. Even if we adult-types have some incredible ideas, we need teens to get them off the ground. Youth programs must be theirs, not ours. Then they can truly enjoy the successes and yes, we will assist them in processing the not-so-successes! You probably have a core group of teens who have risen to the top. Why not have an overnight lock-in or a day retreat etc. for just teens interested in serving on a leadership team? During that time they can pray, grow, but also brainstorm and begin to plant seeds for future events & meetings. This team should include your most committed teens, and shouldn't be for everyone. Establish a plan. Of course then you'd have to remind them that it's not just their job to show up to meetings and do the skits at events. Promotions are a key component, too. It's not the adults' job to get teens to participate. They have to be reminded of what I call the old Amway approach to ministry: I get two friends, my friends each get two friends, etc. etc.! Jesus after all started with 12, then brought in 72 more, and now look where we are. This all may sound pretty basic, but I think you'd be shocked to realize how many youth ministry programs operate without basic peer ownership. If you have any questions, or would like some assistance in establishing a "Youth Board" in your parish, please don't hesitate to give me a call. Maybe one of your new Youth Board members will be writing about youth ministry leadership 17 years from now!
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When I interviewed
for my first job as a parish coordinator, they asked me about my qualifications.
The question was justified, since I had barely much more than a B.S. in
Broadcasting and a couple thousand news and sportscasts under my belt. But I was
willing and able to make the transition to lay ecclesial ministry! I told the
search committee that I was ready to be a professional youth ministry
coordinator because I was already a youth minister in high school.