YOUTH MINISTRY

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

Concept Review

June 9, 2015

Roxanne Boyer Peg Rachfal

Sue Lipari Lauren Rye

Jim Pochodylo David Stimson

Our youth program includes

• 7th – 12th graders• Sunday school• 9th grade commissioning class• Weekly youth program on Sunday evenings,

with bell and choir rehearsals, dinner, and fellowship

• Mission trips• Retreats• Service opportunities

ELEMENTS OF YOUTH PROGRAM

CALL TO ACTION

In November 2013, the Session issued a document titled:

Third Presbyterian Church

Called to Grow: 2014 – 2017

This contained Mission and Vision statements, along with four goals and related strategies

The first goal, Reaching In, included the following strategy:

Re-envisioned youth program

TIMELINEThe Youth Committee created Youth Ministry Vision and Mission statements in 2011

A Revisioning Committee hired Youth Ministry Architects (YMA) to assess the sustainability of the youth program; the YMA report was issued in March 2014

Members of the Youth Ministry Implementation Team (YMIT) were selected in the Fall of 2014 to implement the YMA plan

The YMIT increased the scope to include improvements to the relevancy of the youth program, within the existing Vision and Mission statements

Youth Ministry Vision:

Youth Ministry at Third Presbyterian Church enables our Youth to experience their faith by preparing them to serve as Christ’s hands in the world.

“Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your integrity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 [THE MESSAGE]

Youth Ministry Mission: P.I.P.E.S.

Preparation: Our Ministry opens the doors of Third Presbyterian Church and provides a safe environment for our Youth to seek the light.

Inclusion: We welcome and include all Youth who want to belong, who yearn to feel connected, and who long to be heard

Participation: We provide opportunities for Youth to experience worship and fellowship in ways that matter and feel real to them.

Education: We study the word of God in a variety of settings and styles.

Service: And we open the doors to share the light by embracing outreach in our community, in our nation, and in our world.

‘SUSTAINABILITY’ BACKGROUND

“ Why most youth ministry doesn’t last and what your church can do about it”

‘SUSTAINABILITY’ ACTIONS

The program has many assets, and is relatively strong, but there are also several challenges

Improvements can be made in

Resources Communication Planning Integration Customization

The YMIT selected 38 actions to be implemented in the first 10 months of the program

‘RELEVANCY’ BACKGROUND

Results from TPC youth survey in February 2014

Input from TPC youth during visit on Sunday evening, March 22, 2015

Feedback from Youth Advisors, Youth Committee and Staff in early May

Input from YMIT members Observations from past youth groups Experiences gained from summer trips Self-described best practices from FPC of

Charlotte, NC (former YMA customer)

‘RELEVANCY’ ACTIONS

Improvement ideas organized to support the P.I.P.E.S.

Preparation Inclusion Participation Education Service

The YMIT selected 19 program improvements spread across all 5 categories

COMBINED MODEL

Resources

Planning Communication

P.I.P.E.S.

The foundation is built from YMA recommendations

The capstone supports the P.I.P.E.S.

RESOURCE CHALLENGE

Per YMA

• We are short on paid staff to support the youth program

• We need more adult advisors

Additional resources are essential to sustain and improve!!

+$20K

+14 hr/wk

+5

Adult Advisors

Paid Staff Equivalents

Salaries and Expenses

RECOMMENDATIONS

Montreat Youth Conference, July 2014

RESOURCESPeople

• Fold Youth Ministry Implementation Team into existing Youth Committee for next 18 months; this effort fits their charter

• Recruit a volunteer to lead the Middle School program for 2 years

• Recruit 14 adult volunteers to serve as advisors (currently 9)

Funding

• Fund one-time resource (<$3K) to join Youth Ministry Coordinator to document all standard practices in a Youth Ministry Notebook (2015)

• Increase Youth budget by $4K to replace most fundraising, freeing parents to assist Youth program directly (2016)

• Hire part-time Middle School coordinator starting with 2017-2018 program year (budget impact half 2017, full 2018)

PLANNING

First priority

• Establish 12-month standard task list• Establish 18-month moving calendar of special

events, including annual trips

Second priority

Update and document standard protocols, for example

• Annual training plan for volunteers• How to perform required background checks• Job descriptions and time commitment for all

volunteers• ‘How to plan’ specific major events (Montreat)

COMMUNICATION

First priority

• Establish communication team• Maintain specific communication vehicles to parents

Second priority

• Write marketing plan to promote the Youth Program to our congregation

Third priority

• Maintain specific communication vehicles to students

PREPARATIONFirst priority

• Identify a volunteer leader for the Middle School program

• Create a separate space for Middle School youth for the after-dinner program on Sunday evenings

Second priority

• Establish rotating ‘youth councils’ for both Middle School and High School youth to identify specific topics for Sunday evenings

Third priority

• Convert west end of youth lounge into a retreat space for High School youth … bring Montreat experience to TPC!

INCLUSIONFirst priority

• Establish care-group get-togethers outside of church on a regular basis, initially once in Fall 2015 and once in Winter 2016

• Implement youth-to-youth mentor program in Fall 2015: 7th with 10th, 8th with 11th, 9th with 12th

Second priority

• Hold annual youth-to-youth “thumb-a-thon” to reach out to new members and youth that no longer attend

• Establish a ‘welcoming team’ of youth for Sunday evenings

Third priority

• Explore opportunities to add program content for target groups

PARTICIPATIONFirst priority

• Organize a ‘youth involvement fair’ on a Sunday evening in September with help from Session committee chairs o Kick-off with a motivational speakero Recruit youth to join existing TPC activities

Second priority

• Establish additional ways for youth to worship

Third priority

• Reach out to other churches, any denomination, and arrange joint activities (worship, service, fellowship)

EDUCATIONFirst priority

• Figure out Sunday School for 7th-12th graders; attendance has been very low

• Create unified curriculum plan for all grade levels and activities

Second priority

• Add educational content to existing program in ways that speak to youtho Review and discuss video shorts (Nooma, for example)o Invite pastors for special topic sessionso Leverage existing Sunday adult education classes

Third priority

• Organize movie nights and discussion on a Friday or Saturday, once in Fall and once in Winter

SERVICE

Establish service program that increases responsibility with age

• Cracker Box Palace no-kill animal shelter near Sodus

• Cameron Community Center, FoodLink

• RAIHN, DRM, Food Cupboard

• Service trips

• Elder care at Presbyterian Home

• Hospice care

7th

12th

NEXT STEPS

Hold first ‘Stakeholder Review’ session next Saturday, June 13

Review recommendations with outside eyes to ensure our future youth program will be compelling

Combine YMIT with Youth Committee

• Establish sub-teams teams for Resources, Planning, Communication, Preparation, Inclusion, Participation, Education, and Service

• Specify deliverables and create timelines

Stop studying, start doing!

THANK YOU!