The Joy of Reading: Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries

Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries is the fifth book that I read during the break and is also a text for the class I’m helping with. If you are a part of a search committee, pastoral leadership team, deacon board, youth ministry team/staff, a good ol’ fashioned nosey church person, or a church staff member you NEED this book. It offers invaluable information that you need to know. Much of it you have probably heard and refused to believe. If you, or your church, are too stubborn to utilize the consulting resources your denominational agencies offer the least you can do is read this book and gain some minimal clarity about the ins and outs of a “Sustainable Youth Ministry.”


Mark DeVries and I have never met face-to-face; however, I know we’d be best friends! He believes in the same kind of youth ministry I believe in and even uses the term I thought my New Pleasant students coined, “youth family.”

In the book he addresses everything from documents you need within a youth ministry, to how to create the right atmosphere, to how to keep the ministry going with or without a hired youth director. Everything from the behind the scenes details to the wide open in front of everyone details are addressed. It is a great handbook for those that oversee the hiring, evaluating, and “firing” of staff. And it’s a great text for youth pastors to read too.

In light of all my reading, particularly within the youth ministry field, and stories I have heard from NPBC I have been encouraged. I walked away from my ministry at NPBC in August tired, weary, and feeling as though I failed in so many ways. I felt I did not clearly cast my vision, prepare my team, train mentors and volunteers effectively, or show my students what it means to be a “family,” see a need and meet it, and follow God at all costs. However, in taking a God-required sabbatical from youth ministry to pursue further education I have been refreshed, encouraged, and revived. In fact, many of the things I did were right! I was by no means perfect, but for a first-timer I was on the right track. I learned a great deal of valuable lessons during my time at NPBC and I have gained even more since I arrived at Talbot. If, and when, God does call me to church ministry I feel better prepared and encouraged that I do have something to contribute. I am foundationally skilled at transforming a ministry from frail and floundering to faithful and “family-like.”


Buy Sustainable Youth Ministry

--Megan

The Joy of Reading: Deep Ministry in a Shallow World by Chap Clark and Kara E. Powell

Deep Ministry in a Shallow World by Chap Clark and Kara E. Powell is a book I both wanted to read and needed to read for the course I’m helping teach this semester. In the book Kara and Chap offer the “deep process” for taking a youth ministry to the next level. They begin by addressing why the church is consistently stuck in the shallow end, the theological kiddie pool, if you will. Kara stresses the importance of conversations, relationships, and genuine care over conversions and, dare I say it, religious manipulation. The first chapter lays out many solution pitfalls of youth ministries that realize they are failing. Kara points out that many churches try “More of the Same” (14), something that “Worked for a Friend” (16), and follow what “The Book Said” (17).

She is so right.

Often churches realize they need change and instead implement more of what they already have and call it something new! Or, we hear that our friend down the street is doing x and it’s working great so we assume it will work for us too; however, too often we get jealous of our friends successful ministries and instead of celebrating their successes we wallow in our failures. As ministers we must do better about that! Finally, we are all guilty of reading a great book with great programs, ideas, concepts, and ministry plans and trying to steal its ideas. Never mind the fact that the book was about a multi-million dollar mega-church with a $200,000 youth budget, 500 students, 15 support staff, in the middle of Los Angeles and we work off a $2000 budget, have twelve students, no support staff, and are located in the middle of nowhere. We need to get real. We need to realistically address our situation and take what we have and make it all God expects, desires, and calls our ministry to be.

The whole book is about a “plan” to take ministries from shallow to deep. Kara and Chap suggest that we follow four steps (25):

1. Now--discernment
2. New--reflection
3. Who--observation
4. How--application

They address the plan in accordance to discipleship, assets, mentoring, parents, communication/teaching, missions, worship, and expectations. Along the way they offer suggestions, examples, and possible pitfalls. This book is an all around asset to youth ministry! I really enjoyed reading it.

Buy Deep Ministry in a Shallow World by Chap Clark and Kara E. Powell


--Megan

Reading During the Super Bowl

I mean really, who finishes reading a book during THE GAME?


The “Super Bowl” just isn’t the “Super Bowl” without a house full of teenagers, children, and their families. This year was quite different from years past. Chris and I sat in the living room all alone (even Mo didn’t join us). I made popcorn and read a book while watching the game and Chris fried some mushrooms and zucchini. It was rather anti-climatic. There was no checking stats at half-time to award door prizes, no arguing over the last snacks, no random hall sliding, no laughter, no opening devotion, nothing. It felt strange. Calm. Quiet. Empty. Lonely. I mean really, who finishes reading a book during the game?

I missed the friendly taunting that takes place as one group’s team scores to take the lead or an exciting play arouses the group with cheers, boos, and chatter. I missed printing off 15+ guessing sheets and shopping for silly prizes. I missed cooking wings, chicken nuggets, mini-pizzas, cookies, brownies, and other goodies all afternoon. I missed that sick feeling you get from eating way to much junk food in the place of a decent dinner and following it with incessant, uncontrollable laughter. I missed cleaning up half the night following the party. In short, I missed the chaos.

This year was just different. I watched the game. Worked on some homework. Did P90X. Ate dinner. Got ready for bed. Wrote this post. And went to bed . . . Thinking of all the people and all the fun I so deeply missed. How I cherish those memories!

--Megan