A Call to See and Be Near

One thing has become apparent in my "day job" with men who batter and aggressive individuals: hurting people often hurt others. Sometimes it's a defense mechanism, sometimes it's all they know to do. As youth workers we're called to minister to all youth, not just the ones who are easy to get along with. Engagement rather than avoidance is easier said that done sometimes, isn't it? Andrew Root, assistant professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary has a good article in the Presbyterian Record about relational youth ministry and suffering:


"Too often relational youth ministry avoids suffering, and therefore lacks the boldness and bravery to enter into the full humanity of adolescents. But suffering doesn’t work like the glowing green hand of infection. When suffering is shared, often its power to strangle is broken. Things may remain painful and difficult, but when we’re no longer alone, suffering feels (and is) no longer life-threatening. The power of suffering to determine our destiny is broken when suffering is shared in relationship. We may then argue that the heart of relational youth ministry is actually shared suffering."


Root has an interesting perspective to share. It's well worth pondering. You can read his full article here.

Look what's happening in October at SLYM

The Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry is a youth group for grades 5 - 12 that meets in the Jamestown, NY area. It is a cooperative effort of Bethel Lutheran Church, First Lutheran Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, and GA Family Services. If you know of a young person who would benefit from its mixture of faith formation, recreation, and service learning, please send them along!

Here is a link to the October 2011 schedule for SLYM:

Open publication - Free publishing - More group

 

I Doubt It: Allowing Space for Questions

It is no secret that young people experience doubt in their faith journeys. Our instinct is often to swoop in and "fix it" with a few words of encouragement. I have also personally seen youth over the years criticized for not having "enough faith." In the following article, Kara Powell and Brad M. Griffin of Fuller Youth Institute share some research that may indicate "doubt can help form our faith in stronger and perhaps more lasting ways." They also offer some practical suggestions about how to create safe space for our young people to ponder the big questions. Check it out in the link: I Doubt It: Allowing Space for Questions

Lutheran Theology: How Do Lutherans Read the Bible?

I just finished Lutheran Theology: How Do Lutherans Read the Bible?, the second of seven webinars being put on by the ELCA Youth Ministry Network and ELCA Youth Gathering. The free webinars are intended to "equip adults to do excellent ministry with young people." Dr. Jeremy Myers, a professor at Augsburg College, conducted the webinar.

Sometimes we can miss the forest for the trees when using the Bible with our youth. We want them to "know" a particular story, but the real goal is to invite them into a life-transforming story. We must have a handle on the narrative of the Bible as well as the narrative of the lives of youth to encourage a dialogical reading of the Bible, using it as a conversation partner for contemporary concerns.

Five key principles/questions of a Lutheran reading of the Bible:

1. Law & Gospel - "How does this verse reveal my brokenness and how does it offer me healing & hope?"
2. Showing forth Christ - "How do I see Christ in this verse?"
3. Scripture interprets scripture - "How does this verse connect to the overall Biblical story?"
4. Plain meaning of text - "How were people expected to understand this verse in the first place?"
5. Public interpretation - "How might someone in a completely different life-situation interpret this verse?"

Myers suggested reading the theme scripture of the 2012 Youth Gathering, Ephesians 2:14-20, through each lens as a good exercise.

A few practical suggestions for using the Bible as faith formation:

• Lectio Divina, a prayerful/meditative reading of scripture. Ask kids to pay attention to a particular phrase that catches their attention. Have them ponder, "How might this phrase be good news for me today?"
• Book of Faith Project apparently has a lot of resources.
• Read the Bible in other places than home and church. Think the mall or a workplace. Ask yourself, "What might this mean to people here?"
• Find out what kind of stories youth are already interested in.

I said it before and will say it again: these Practical Discipleship webinars are great! They're free and as close as your computer. I would highly recommend them if you work or volunteer with young people in any capacity. Here is a list of the upcoming webinars.

Youth coordinator joins Lutheran Conference

Southwest Conference Dean Rev. Alison Leitzel has announced that Ian Eastman has been named Youth Ministry Coordinator. He will work with 14 congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America throughout Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.


Eastman brings to the position a background of ministry, youth work, and social services. He coordinates the Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry, a youth group collaborative of four Jamestown area churches, and is a Youth Minister in the Pastoral Care Department of Lutheran Social Services, where he cares for youth at GA Family Services. He is a graduate of Northwest Nazarene University (M.A. Spiritual Formation) and is currently a student at the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary.

He is looking forward to planning conference-wide events for youth and providing training opportunities for congregations. He has put together a new website at younglutherans.blogspot.com that offers resources and ideas for churches to expand their current ministries with students.

Rev. Leitzel says, "Ian's leadership and gifts for faith formation are evident in his work in developing the Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry. This conference, and particularly the youth who will receive support and encouragement from Ian, will benefit from his practical skills and theological reflection."

Eastman, a community educator with Family Services of Warren County, resides in Jamestown with his wife, Tara, and his children, Heather and Nigel.

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Here's a link to the 10/1/11 announcement in the Dunkirk Observer.
**UPDATE** Here's a link to the 10/21/11 announcement in the Jamestown Post-Journal.

Lutheran Theology: How Lutherans Read the Bible

The next webinar in Practice Discipleship: The ELCA Youth MInistry Training Project is coming up this Sunday, October 2 at 7pm EST. "Lutheran Theology: How Lutherans Read the Bible" will introduce you to the various ways the Bible is often interpreted and will lay out for you the tools or concepts Lutherans have used for many years while interpreting scripture. This special training opportunity is being offered to all youth and family ministry professionals and volunteers at no cost!

These trainings are the result of a partnership between the ELCA Youth Gathering and the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. They are great preparation for participation in the ELCA Youth Gathering, or other ministry with young people wherever it happens.

You can register to participate at this link.

Teenage Brains

Teenage Brains may sound like a new band or a cheesy horror film, but it's actually a fascinating article on brain development that goes on in the transition between childhood and fully functioning adult. The author, David Dobbs, does a great job explaining this work in progress--fostering some understanding and compassion in adults along the way. There is some good information here that reframes risk-taking and peer relations in a more positive light.

How might the conclusions of this article change how we relate with- and serve young people?

Pick up the October 2011 issue of National Geographic or read the article online here.

Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry in today's Post-Journal

Thanks, Post-Journal for today's article about SLYM! You can read it in the online edition:

Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry To Open Third Year - post-journal.com

Spaghetti Lunch & Basket Raffle

There will be a Spaghetti Lunch & Basket Raffle on Sunday, Oct. 9 from noon - 2pm, at First Lutheran Church, 120 Chandler St., Jamestown.

It benefits Chautauqua Area Lutheran Youth attending the ELCA 2012 Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Take outs are available upon request.

A Basket Raffle drawing will be held at 1:30 pm.

Come on out and help our youth learn and serve in New Orleans!

Perspective on social media and youth

How well do you understand social media like texting and Facebook? I recently attended a webinar that gave me a new perspective. Here is my summary in my weekly newspaper column for the Times Observer:

Social media - TimesObserver.com