A job well done

I write a newspaper column for the Times Observer in my "day job" at Family Services of Warren County. I recently noticed that I have been penning articles for five years now. I thought it appropriate that I share a recent adventure my great-nephew Eli, who often has inspired these columns over the last several years. The setting? Grandma's dining room at dinnertime…


"Mom, did you get a letter from my teacher today?" asked Eli as he absentmindedly played with his mac 'n' cheese with his spoon. When she replied that she hadn't, he looked relieved and said, "That's good, then." The Kindergartner's demeanor suggested that he intended to speak no more of the subject, but his mother wasn't having any of it.

"What would your teacher write me a letter about?" she asked.

Eli sat there silent for a few moments as he composed a diplomatic way of expressing the incident. "I think it bothered my teacher that more kids were paying attention to me than paying attention to her."

"And what was it that you doing that was so interesting to the other children?"

"Um, well, I kind of…" stammered Eli. He placed his tongue between his lips and blew hard, making a noise not unlike a certain bodily function that can't be explicitly named in the newspaper. He noticed the good humor in grandma's face (even though she tried to keep it under control) and took encouragement. "And all the kids were laughing so hard, that I kept doing it!" Satisfied with his account of the school day, he dug back into his dinner.

His mom silently mouthed to grandma and me across the table: "He is NOT going to be the CLASS CLOWN."

Changing tactics, she asked him if he could name the jobs of everyone at the table.

"You work at a bank and count money," he said confidently to his mom. He pointed at me and said, "Uncle Ian helps people." Then he pointed at grandma and said, "Grandma cooks dinner and grows things in her garden."

Then she asked him what his teacher's job was. "Easy. She teaches kids stuff they need to know."

Then she asked what his job was. His change of expression demonstrated that he realized a trap had sprung. A lot less enthusiastically he replied, "Pay attention to the teacher… Learn stuff… Don't make the other kids laugh..."

We all chatted a bit more about the difference between having a job and doing a job well. Eli promised to be the best student he could be when he went back to Kindergarten the next day. Then he added hopefully, "On the bright side, the teacher forgot to send a letter home…"

Wise old King Solomon had it right when he penned, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…" (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NIV). May we all do our best job at whatever we need to accomplish today.


Ian Eastman, M.A. is the Conference Youth Coordinator for the Southwestern New York Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Coordinator of the Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry in Jamestown NY, and a Youth Minister in the Pastoral Care Department at Gustavus Adolphus Family Services. He is a student at the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary.

2012 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry - Day 4

Dr. Channon Ross and I having a chat at the conclusion to the Forums. Hard to believe that  this campus had been full of people and activity a few minutes before. Photo courtesy Rick Terletzky.

CREATE was the theme of the 2012 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry.

At opening worship on Monday, Bill & Aimee Wallis Buchanan of Asheville Youth Mission led us in a creative meditation from Genesis: "In the beginning...God created the heavens and the earth..."

At closing worship on Thursday, Kenda Creasy Dean brought the message full circle as she preached beautifully from Revelation: "See, I am making all things new."

A week meditating on the Creator, creation and re-creation. "It was good."

2012 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry - Day 3

After Makoto Fujimura's presentation a small crew headed out to Winberie's in Palmer Square.
Photo courtesy of Kim Smith.

Here it is... The last night of the Forums. I looked forward to this all year, like a kid impatient for Christmas, but now the time has passed so quickly. It's all over tomorrow at 12:30.

A inspiring day of learning. Sarah Arthur walked us through a Psalm of lament and had us contextualize it for our own contexts. Lament isn't something the church "does" well, but we miss serving a legitimate human need when we stuff it away. Few resources exist to talk about the elephant in the room, so we may need to create them ourselves. I followed that with a session of Visio Divina excellently facilitated by Tim Ternes of the Saint John's Bible project. So nourishing for the soul. Bethany Stolle of Sparkhouse did a session of redesigning youth ministry using the tools of practical theology. Good stuff. So many youth leaders get stuck at opposite extremes: beaten down by a dysfunctional system that defines and controls the youth ministry, or the iconoclast/"lone ranger" type that lives by the motto "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission" (which catches up with them sooner or later). Bethany advocated a way to invite people from being consumers to actually participating in the process of redesign. This would bring a lot of health into church relations if people are wise enough to heed her words.

Then there was the artist Makoto Fujimura in the evening's lecture. My impression? Humble, Godly, inspiring, wise, engaging... He wears his genius lightly. Greatly encouraged the audience to push themselves into their passions.

But the Forums are so much more than the official program. The informal discussions are just as rich and inspired. Just chatting with Seth, Bill, Hilary, and Kim between classes about their spiritual journeys, their challenges and joys... Breakfast with Becky Hart... Intercessory prayer for youth with Tara, David, and Rick... When our whole cohort stopped what they were doing, and got together in front of Stuart Hall to pray and show support to David, who is mourning the death of his uncle... It's these moments when it becomes so very apparent that God dwells in our midst...

I was really tired after the evening's lecture, and my inclination towards introversion had me wanting the solitude of my room, but a small group of friends coaxed me out for conversation and munchies. As we were leaving for downtown I noticed Tim Ternes, the executive director of The Saint John's Bible, pass by us on his way to where he was staying. Ben and I invited him to come along and he graciously accepted. (Thank God Ben was there, because I don't think I would have mustered the courage on my own.) This was such a special blessing to have Tim with us for the evening, as the Saint John's Bible and the Visio Divina elective made the Forum in my opinion. So many times we were encouraged in classes about combining the arts and worship, but Tim's ministry actually engaged us and let us experience art in worship. A perfect end to an already inspiring day.

A short day tomorrow and then a long drive home. Only a year to the 2013 Forums!

Equipping youth workers

It is a great blessing for my wife and I to experience the 2012 Forums on Youth Ministry together. It has been enlightening to sit in on seminars and electives by respected youth ministry practitioners like Sarah Arthur and Mike King. The informal discussions with my friends in Cohort C have been beneficial, too.

My day job (mental health) has underscored the importance of good continuing education. This isn't always a priority in youth ministry and I'm hoping to change that in our conference. Last year I began my continuing education in the Institute for Youth Ministry's Certificate in Youth & Theology program at Princeton Theological Seminary. The experience has completely exceeded my expectations. It has been practical and intellectually stimulating. Mentoring and vocational friendships have helped me put my learning into practice. Young people at SLYM, Gustavus Adolphus Family Services, and at Southwestern Conference events have all benefited from this experience.

Someone once said, "leaders are learners." Learning doesn't have to mean a full-blown seminary education, although I would recommend it if you ever have the opportunity. There are many different resources people working and volunteering with youth in the Southwestern Conference may consider:



Formal training & certification

Gettysburg Seminary
Its Youth Ministry Certification School is for youth ministry volunteers and professionals alike. You get adventure in an outdoor ministry setting, and skills in education, small groups, and community development. Classroom content provides Biblical and theological training, cultural analysis, long-range planning, family ministry and other Christian education insights. I have met several people who have completed this program and they all recommend the experience.

The Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary
The Certificate in Youth and Theology program is for individuals actively working with youth in churches or ministry organizations. It is helpful to youth pastors, staff, and volunteers. It is ideal for those seeking specific training in youth ministry who want to connect theological reflection and ministerial practice. (My wife and I are both currently enrolled in this program and would be happy to share our positive experience.)

Wartburg Seminary
Offers an 8-day intensive course with five weeks of personalized online learning in Youth and Family Ministry for adult leaders, volunteers, clergy, parents, youth and seminary students. Participants learn about faith development, contemporary youth culture, and strategic planning for congregational ministries. They also gain a valuable network of relationships for ongoing ministry support and learning. A well-respected program.



Online


Practice Discipleship
The ELCA Youth Minstry Network and the ELCA Youth Gathering have teamed up to provide free online webinars.. They are great preparation for the ELCA Youth Gathering, as well as your youth group meetings, mission trips, service projects, Bible study and other events. These are very nicely done and well worth your time. Reserve your place at upcoming webinars or view an archived presentation here.


Around the Southwestern Conference

Conference Youth Ministries Team
Come network with others providing ministry to young people. The second half of each monthly meeting is devoted to discussions about effective youth ministry. We meet at First Lutheran in Jamestown (usually) on the first Saturday of the month from 9 am - 11 am. Upcoming dates for 2012 are: 5/5, 6/2, 8/4, 9/8, 10/6, 11/3, & 12/1.


Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center
Offers an annual youth leaders training event every October. Designed for volunteer and paid youth workers with any level of experience. This year's retreat is October 26 & 27.

There is no such thing as a perfect youth worker. But there are many resources available to help us be knowledgeable, thoughtful, and equipped. Young people will benefit greatly from our efforts!

2012 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry - Part Two

Tuesday morning came really early. But I was very excited to see what the day had in store, which motivated me to drag my old bones out of bed.

I already had my day planned months ago when I registered for the Forum. But last night's presentation on the Saint John's Bible had reawakened some creative impulses so I took a more intuitive and spontaneous approach to the day.

I found myself in Sarah Arthur's extended seminar "Once Upon a Story: Narrative, Poetry, and the Youth Pastor as Bard." I wasn't familiar with Ms. Arthur, but I was so glad I went. Often in ministry, we use story as a tool to make a point. She showed us ways to help youth enter into a story themselves, and reminded us to trust the Holy Spirit to do the work. Manhandling the process often causes the story to lose its enchantment. "A story isn't just something that points to reality, stories are events that happen to us and change us." Can't wait to hear more tomorrow morning.

William Romanoski, a film professor at Calvin College, did the morning lecture on the media driven culture that saturates the lives of our youth. Youth also create content in ways that didn't exist several years ago, but they often reappropriate images they've seen before. This can reinforce stereotypes. Important stuff worth thinking about because the media plays such a significant way in the way we imagine ourselves. This was the first of a two part lecture. Interested to hear next time what is the application for addressing this as youth workers. Got a chance to chat briefly with Prof. Romanowski afterward. Would just love to sit and pick his brain sometime, especially if I had my video making son in tow. He knew who Roger Corman was, so he gets the Eastman seal of credibility.

I also made it to Mike King's class called (gulp) "Flourish: Curating Environments for Communities of Christian Practice." He had a lot of good stuff to say, but what I will remember most is his story of cathedral makers working on a structure that they know they will never see completed in their lifetime. What if I took the same kind of view as a youth worker? Rather than just look a few months down the road, what if I made decisions based on what I could do now to sustain the youth and community years and decades down the road? What kind of disciplines and practices can I teach youth that will sustain them for the long haul? I really appreciated Mr. King's viewpoint, which really runs counter to the consumeristic and anxiety driven activity so prevalent in youth ministry these days. The guy's got integrity.

Well, there is so much more I'd love to share with you, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I bet Wednesday morning will come just as early.

Southwestern Conference Youth Ministries Team Update

Last Sunday, I was asked to report on the activities of the Southwestern Conference Youth Ministries Team at Conference Assembly. As I prepared the report, I was very proud to see what the team has accomplished together since September of 2011. It was great to see how the various churches and ministries in our conference are keenly interested in the lives of youth. I reproduced the report to share with team members who weren't at Conference Assembly, and also as a "Conference Youth 101" to point people towards when they inquire about our work. I can't wait to see what the team does in for the 12/13 school year!

Our vision is that "Every ELCA congregation in the Southwestern Conference will collaborate together to benefit our youth, sharing knowledge and resources, using best practices."

Task One: Organize Conference Youth Planning Team, composed of youth & adults, meeting regularly for leadership development, learning, goal setting, and event planning.

We are blessed to have a great team meeting monthly at First Lutheran on Saturdays from 9am-11am: Ian Eastman (First Lutheran), Tara Eastman (First Lutheran), Mike Felsman (Tri-Church), Jeannine Gambrel (Gloria Dei), Sue Kilmartin (Bethel), Judy Lind (Immanuel), Ann McKillip (St. Tim's), Jennifer Spacht (Bethel), & Jason Wood (St. Tim's). The team is open to youth in grades 9—12 and adults interested in the faith formation of youth. Upcoming dates for the rest of 2012 are: 5/5, 6/2, 8/4, 9/8, 10/6, 11/3, & 12/1.

Task Two: Set and annually review goals for cultivating vision and mission.

The team will revisit our goals in August 2012 and make adjustments.

Task Three: Plan and accomplish 3 youth events annually.

We completed three youth events over the school year. Each event is fun, includes discipleship/faith formation, and a service/justice component. We saw participation from youth and adult volunteers from Bethel (Jamestown), First Lutheran, Gloria Dei, Holy Trinity, Immanuel, St. Timothy, Tri-Church.

Santa’s Secret Shoppe saw youth helping children from low-income families shop and wrap presents for parents and other significant adults in their lives. We learned about poverty, the work of Joint Neighborhood Project, and how service and justice relate to the Gospel.

Youth from around the conference getting into the Christmas spirit at Santa's Secret Shoppe.

The Toilet Bowl included laser tag, skateboarding/BMX, and Human Foosball. We collected 155 paper products for First Things First/We Believe Recovery Ministry. We heard Judd Hamilton’s testimony about how God has freed him from drug addiction.

At the Toilet Bowl, youth enjoyed laser tag--

--other recreational options like human foosball--

--and closed the event with youth-led worship.

Pastor on the Plank was a water-themed event. Youth enjoyed a pool party, heard from a humanitarian aid worker about how water access is related to economic, gender, and justice issues, and raised approximately $478 (pledges still coming in) to build a clean water well in Africa. Pastor Adam Miller-Stubbendick of Bethel was this year’s winner with 175 votes—but Pastors Allie, Dan & Jordan surprised the youth with bonus plank walks!

Pastor Adam, our top vote-getter, takes a flying leap into the JCC Pool.

Other pastors got in on the action! It was great to have pastors supporting youth in their goal!

Task Four: Consult and train congregation in carrying out vision and mission.

The Conference Youth Ministries Team is now offering Full Circle. The purpose of this training is to help ALL adults surround young people with intentional, faith-nurturing relationships. Young people need “Triple A” adults in their lives who are Authentic, Available and Affirming!

We are preparing youth and chaperones attending the National Youth Gathering to get the most out of the experience.

Task Five: Communicate progress and advocate on behalf of youth work throughout conference.

The blog younglutherans.blogspot.com is the best place to keep up with events, training, resources, and best practices in youth ministry. Updated 3 times every week.

For more information about Southwestern Conference Youth Ministries, please contact:

Ian F. Eastman, M.A.

Southwest Conference Youth Coordinator

Phone: (716) 720-8584

Email: ifeastman@yahoo.com

2012 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry - Day 1

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow could keep the Eastmans away from the 2012 Princeton Forums on Youth Ministry. With the winter storm warning looming over our heads, Tara and I had our Toyota loaded and ready to leave as early as possible... We appreciated the prayers of our friends as we trekked across 86 through weather more suitable for November than April. Angelica and south central NY was the worst for ice and snow, but when we passed through Binghamton into PA things improved considerably. Mostly drizzle.

It was wonderful to walk onto the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary and catch up with friends from my learning cohort. It had been a year since we had all been together in the same place, but we were all so at ease with each other because of our frequent online discussions. Everyone needs community: Face to face, online seminars, and, yes, even Facebook kept us connected.

The theme of this year's forum is "create." To be perfectly honest, I wasn't that intrigued by the theme. The last month and a half has been quite a challenge for me: strep throat, surgery for my mom, a big conference youth event, and a big workload at my day job. I felt sometimes like I was running on fumes over the last week. I was greatly encouraged during opening worship this afternoon. People joke about the Presbyterians as the "frozen chosen" (not my experience at all), but they have this wonderful way of incorporating all kinds of diverse elements into worship without it becoming gimmicky or cheesy. Some youth workers brought a creative and responsive way of retelling the creation story. I was caught up into the story and praising God... I was looking at the theme in the wrong way... I guess I was thinking of it as a bunch of how-to seminars, but in Miller Chapel, the musicians, speakers, dancers, etc. offered their creativity in such a way that familiar scripture and experiences came vividly to life for me once again.

The evening plenary session was by Tim Temes about the Saint John's Bible, the first handwritten Bible since the printing press. You might think that a 90 minute presentation on this project might by dry or even boring, but this was far from the case. The work was done so reverently, and the images so rich in symbolism, that I think I could have sat there all night. We did a short meditation on an image out of Genesis and it was so beautiful, the image and the reality of God's handiwork, that I began to cry. Please do yourself a big favor and find out more about the Saint John's Bible at its website.

I ended the evening by meeting my mentor for the next year, Pastor Ron Foster, author of my favorite book about youth ministry, The Godbearing Life. He talked about how he has incorporated photography into his prayer life and I am going to try and get to his elective tomorrow to learn more.

Create, in retrospect, is a great theme for the forum. I am interested in finding ways of firing youth's imaginations and souls by helping them create content... Must ponder more about this, but for now, bed. After all, I bet even Michelangelo had to call it a night sometime.

Travel light

Today's blog post is by Tara Eastman, the Youth & Family Director at First Lutheran in Jamestown.

[Jesus] told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town...

Just yesterday I returned from Seattle. Today my husband and I leave for Princeton for the 2012 Forums on Youth Ministry. I am intentionally traveling light on these trips. My goal is to take no checked baggage in both a literal and figurative context. Hands, heart, and mind must be free to receive something new. If I'm overloaded with baggage what can I hope to pick up?

As I head off free to what God has waiting, consider taking the next week to also join me in this practice of traveling light. How may you lay down burdens too heavy? How can you make space to discern what God may lead you to take up instead? In the words of Jesus:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

May God guide us to travel light this week, no matter our destination.

Tara Eastman is the Youth & Family Director at First Lutheran Church in Jamestown. She is a contributing writer to Connect, a new curriculum that helps preteens connect individual Bible stories with larger biblical themes, published by Sparkhouse (a division of Augsburg Fortress).

Teaching for Change

Good teaching should involve the heart as well as the head. Youth Worker magazine has some interesting things to say about transformative learning in this article: Teaching for Change | YouthWorker.com

Let the Sparks fly!

What gives you joy? When are you at your best? What activity are you doing when you are most at home with yourself?

Your answer to those questions is what the late Dr. Peter Benson, creator of the 40 Developmental Assets, referred to as a "Spark." A Spark is an activity that gives you energy, direction, hope, and purpose. A spark is what you're passionate about. Search Institute recently surveyed young people ages 12 - 17 across the nation about their Sparks. These categories came out on top:

Creative Arts – 54%
Athletics – 25%
Learning a Subject Matter – 18%
Reading – 11%
Helping/Serving/Volunteering – 10%
Being a Leader – 10%
Caring of Advocating for Animals – 8%
Living in a Specific Way, with Joy, Compassion, Tolerance – 7%
Nature/Ecology/Environment – 6%
Spirituality/Religion – 2%

Why are Sparks important? Every young person needs to be good at something. It is one of the most vital tasks of their adolescent development. It builds self-esteem and confidence. It tells a youth where "they fit" in the community and how they contribute. Sparks get youth moving in a positive direction (and avoiding negative behaviors). Adults and institutions should be looking for every way they can to help young people discover their spark and to help them develop it.  According to Search Institute research, "Less than half of students know their Spark and only 37% of students say they have adult support in developing their interests."

A good way to start supporting a young person in their Spark is simply by asking them questions like the one at the top of this column. Another way is to expose youth to different types of experiences to see what catches fire. Search Institute provides a helpful list of activities to try out:

___ Strummed a guitar, played a piano, beat on a drum
___ Painted a picture, molded something out of clay, drew a picture
___ Seen a band concert, listened to an orchestra, sung in a chorus
___ Attended a play, attended a musical
___ Read or heard poetry, then written his/her own
___ Read or heard a story, then written his/her own
___ Seen different kinds of dance, including ballet, flamenco, ballroom, modern
___ Learned words in a language other than your family’s main language
___ Learned how to cook or bake something
___ Learned how to build or repair something
___ Ran in a race
___ Tried a team sport like soccer, basketball, or softball
___ Played tennis or attended a gymnastics class
___ Gazed at the stars and tried to find the constellations
___ Went swimming or rock climbing
___ Saw a parade or was in a parade
___ Went to an art museum
___ Went to a children’s museum
___ Went to a science museum
___ Helped with planting, weeding, and watering a garden
___ Helped choose a pet to adopt and care for
___ Went horseback riding
___ Visited a farm or a zoo
___ Danced to music in your own home
___ Played age-appropriate games on the computer
___ Told a joke or put on a play
___ Took photographs or made a video
___ Visit a synagogue, mosque, church, or other place of worship
___ Volunteered to help people or animals in need
___ Picked up litter to make the neighborhood look nicer
___ Went hiking or camping
___ Tried karate, sewing, break dancing, or rapping

Sparks are the activities that give youth joy and energize them. This results in thriving behavior. Do what you can to be a Sparks Champion with the young people with whom you interact. If you are interested in reading more about Sparks, check out this link.


Ian Eastman, M.A. is the Conference Youth Coordinator for the Southwestern New York Conference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Coordinator of the Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry in Jamestown NY, and a Youth Minister in the Pastoral Care Department at Gustavus Adolphus Family Services. He is a student at the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary.