My 10 Core Values of Youth Ministry
I can hardly believe it's been almost 8 years ago that Sam and I left our roles as senior pastors and came on staff at Victory Church in Atlanta. And there I was once again, after 40+ years in ministry, with a new church and a new youth ministry. After I'd been there for a while, as we prayed, we felt like the Lord was ushering in a new exciting youth ministry season for us. So, we unveiled the new name of our youth ministry, changing it from "212" to "The Capitol." We had our launch night, and it was a great!
While we changed a lot of things about how we did youth ministry in terms of technique and styles, I remained wholeheartedly committed to the youth ministry core values that have followed me through my now more than five decades in youth ministry.
After this season of COVID-19, many of you are restarting your youth ministries as after months of "shelter-in-place" we are being allowed to go back to our church buildings. So, I just wanted to share my core values with you, my friends. You may want to consider some of them as you look to the future of your youth ministry.
If you were to ask me what was the DNA of my ministry run, it would be these 10 things:
- In the face of our society's watered-down, half-hearted version of Christianity, The Capitol is unashamedly committed to WHOLEHEARTED LORDSHIP based Christianity.
- An integral part of The Capitol's "DNA" is an aggressive commitment to PRAYER as the bedrock of all true ministry.
- In a world of sarcasm, criticism, and put-down's, The Capitol is tenaciously committed to focused, purposeful ENCOURAGEMENT, mutual respect, and "FROG KISSING."
- The Capitol purposefully creates a culture of TRANSPARENCY, AUTHENTICITY and "beneath-the-waterline" living and ministry.
- The major vehicle of discipleship and leadership training in The Capitol is our SMALL GROUP (life groups) system. We are not a youth ministry WITH small groups. Instead, we are a youth ministry OF small groups.
- CREATIVITY and TECHNOLOGICAL relevance are prioritized in The Capitol ministry. Though the message of the Gospel remains unchanging, the METHODS do not. Thus, we embrace drama, lighting, and other forms of creative and technological communication.
- As a ministry, The Capitol is committed to remaining VISITOR SENSITIVE. While still refusing to compromise biblical principles, we want to both ATTRACT and connect to non-believers while also ministering effectively to committed Christians.
- We, as The Capitol leadership, celebrate personal TEACHABILITY as a true sign of spiritual maturity. We affirm biblical admonition in the spirit of love, recognizing that "iron sharpens iron." We abhor BACKBITING, DIVISION, and GOSSIP.
- A strong part of The Capitol's "DNA" is participatory, passionate WORSHIP and EVANGELISM. Neither our worship nor our evangelism are "spectator sports." Our worship style is participatory and our evangelism strategy is one of student-driven "friendship evangelism."
- In conclusion, we in The Capitol believe that ATTITUDE is ultimately more significant than ability. This, in all realism of spiritual leadership, we celebrate "CHARACTER" far above "CHARISMA."
I can hardly believe it's been almost 8 years ago that Sam and I left our roles as senior pastors and came on staff at Victory Church in Atlanta. And there I was once again, after 40+ years in ministry, with a new church and a new youth ministry. After I'd been there for a while, as we prayed, we felt like the Lord was ushering in a new exciting youth ministry season for us. So, we unveiled the new name of our youth ministry, changing it from "212" to "The Capitol." We had our launch night, and it was a great!
While we changed a lot of things about how we did youth ministry in terms of technique and styles, I remained wholeheartedly committed to the youth ministry core values that have followed me through my now more than five decades in youth ministry.
After this season of COVID-19, many of you are restarting your youth ministries as after months of "shelter-in-place" we are being allowed to go back to our church buildings. So, I just wanted to share my core values with you, my friends. You may want to consider some of them as you look to the future of your youth ministry.
If you were to ask me what was the DNA of my ministry run, it would be these 10 things:
- In the face of our society's watered-down, half-hearted version of Christianity, The Capitol is unashamedly committed to WHOLEHEARTED LORDSHIP based Christianity.
- An integral part of The Capitol's "DNA" is an aggressive commitment to PRAYER as the bedrock of all true ministry.
- In a world of sarcasm, criticism, and put-down's, The Capitol is tenaciously committed to focused, purposeful ENCOURAGEMENT, mutual respect, and "FROG KISSING."
- The Capitol purposefully creates a culture of TRANSPARENCY, AUTHENTICITY and "beneath-the-waterline" living and ministry.
- The major vehicle of discipleship and leadership training in The Capitol is our SMALL GROUP (life groups) system. We are not a youth ministry WITH small groups. Instead, we are a youth ministry OF small groups.
- CREATIVITY and TECHNOLOGICAL relevance are prioritized in The Capitol ministry. Though the message of the Gospel remains unchanging, the METHODS do not. Thus, we embrace drama, lighting, and other forms of creative and technological communication.
- As a ministry, The Capitol is committed to remaining VISITOR SENSITIVE. While still refusing to compromise biblical principles, we want to both ATTRACT and connect to non-believers while also ministering effectively to committed Christians.
- We, as The Capitol leadership, celebrate personal TEACHABILITY as a true sign of spiritual maturity. We affirm biblical admonition in the spirit of love, recognizing that "iron sharpens iron." We abhor BACKBITING, DIVISION, and GOSSIP.
- A strong part of The Capitol's "DNA" is participatory, passionate WORSHIP and EVANGELISM. Neither our worship nor our evangelism are "spectator sports." Our worship style is participatory and our evangelism strategy is one of student-driven "friendship evangelism."
- In conclusion, we in The Capitol believe that ATTITUDE is ultimately more significant than ability. This, in all realism of spiritual leadership, we celebrate "CHARACTER" far above "CHARISMA."
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You don't have to be starting with a new ministry like I am to use this Source. It's a great message to use if you just want to "refresh" your youth ministry at any point in the journey. With some thought provoking monologues from both students and leaders, a few key Scriptures and some quotes, we saw the atmosphere of the room change as we built a dream for the future.
You may also want to listen to the Youth Leader's Coach that goes with this message, "Thoughts From The Starting Line."
Still Dreaming,
Youth Ministry Basics is eight pragmatic teachings with informative "how-tos" that have consistently made significant differences in my youth ministries over the years.
Small groups have always been the greatest pragmatic tool I've used in all of my ministires for creating family, discipleship, and growth. In fact, they have never been youth ministries WITH small groups. Instead, my ministries have always been a youth ministry OF small groups. But though many of you may agree on the importance of small groups, launching and maintaing them isn't always easy.
This Youth Ministry Basics Resource will be a valuable tool if you already have small groups in place and want to re-boot them, or if you are looking to start small groups in your ministry. It will walk you step by step through putting systems in place for getting your groups started strong, how to run a small group, and answers many of the most common questions I get asked. It really is true that, "life change happens in circles, not rows."
Lovingly,
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Committed to doing life together,
In this Alliance, "Staying A Christian While Doing Youth Ministry," we talk about living with more weight, or concern, above the water line than below it. The "Grand Champion Image Manager," Saul, is our biblical illustration of the effects of getting more caught up with our image (what's above the waterline) than our relationship with Christ (what's below it). Bottom line, we can easily shipwreck our lives when we neglect our souls.
Friends, if you take the time to really look, many of the youth ministry leaders around us are looking pretty unsteady right now. They ran hard the entire school year into the summer. The neglect of their souls through the whole deal has left them living on fumes. What's the price tag they are paying for this? Many are operating on autopilot and have forgotten who they were meant to please.
Can you do me a favor? Simply STOP. Stop? Yes, that's what I said. Stop. Call a time out and pull them in close. Check in, take each other's spiritual pulse, watch a video that will open up an opportunity for an incredible discussion on the topic, and see if you're all ok. You may be doing great, but I bet there is at least one of you struggling and in need of a brother or sister's hand on their back authentically caring and praying for them.
