Hey Folks,
Just back from Phoenix. I didn't bring my power chord, so I toted a computer around without being able to do anything with it, least of all keep the blog up.
Ah, the post-40 brain!
Anyway, I had interesting conversations with David Olson of Prepare/Enrich about possibly creating a premarriage, or newlywed faith stepping stone along the lines of their keep themes. I also spent two lunches at Joy Company, talking about helping them get into Bible Song Sunday School (they've had five Christian Ed. Directors in six years) and maybe training their new confirmation person when he accepts the call.
Here's an email I sent today responding to a question about where our senior high experiment is currently:
Hi Lynda,
Great to hear from you. We're glad you're interested in the senior high experiment that we've undertaken and wondering how it might help your church.
First of all, we are currently in the process of working to integrate all the systems FINK does. We had no plan to create the senior high component until Columbine High came along and Christ Lutheran in Highlands Ranch called. They had a girl shot and paralyzed, and wanted a seamless connection between their FINK junior high program and what they would do in senior high.
We built a system first, and wanted people to test it before heading off on recreating curriculum that good folks like Group and Youth Specialties already had. We worked on the system for five years, and this summer tested what will become our three-year senior high offering - an apologetics course on "Why God?" "Why Jesus?" and "Why the Bible?"
The Confirmation Stone: Kickoff to Sr. High Ministry
As you know, we want to redefine youth ministry as youth doing ministry, rather than youth doing programs. We wanted to turn junior high small groups into senior high small groups. To that end, we launched two years worth of FINKtanks on the "confirmation as ordination" question. The result of those FINKtanks and work by test churches now shows up in our new Confirmation Faith Stepping Stone http://www.faithsteppingstones.com/stones/FSS07.htm
The first two lessons focus on what you believe and what promises you are making on confirmation day. The third lesson outlines how to grow your junior high small groups into senior high small group ministries and initiates the groups. Done by the book, lesson 3 calls you to build "Ministries of Sacred Service" (M.O.S.S. for short - kinda grows on you, doesn’t it?) Small groups of about-to-be-confirmed friends covenant to start a new small group ministry of their choice - having looked at their gifts and passions as a group, and the needs of the church. They literally choose a ministry, go to the church council or elders, and demand a letter of call (which we include in the materials for members of the stone). We are thrilled and excited about how churches will use this. Of course, it's all just 8 years of field research, thinking and theory until a few hundred churches try it this year and give us their feedback. Then we'll know what worked, what didn't work, and how we're going to make it better. Tweaking it for a couple years, we'll have something in our hands that's the best method out their married to the best materials.
A word about structure: The whole Senior High system is built around the key "every night in every home" component.
Step I: Nightly Home Huddle
Once a night, young people share Highs & Lows, a verse of Scripture, discussion, prayer and blessing with their parents. The Scripture chosen can correlate with our new apologetics courses, with what the Head to the Heart or GIFT sessions are covering, or with any themes you choose. The most important thing here is the process of communication and bringing God into the close of every day. Tying it to Sunday's theme is an added benefit. (It lets you kick something off in church that is continued seven nights a week. 7/8s of your youth and family ministry happens at home!)
Step II: Weekly Small Group
Once a week, young people meet with an adult Guide for a Breakfast Club, dinner meeting, or other off site get together. This is done apart from Sunday School. As mentioned earlier, are currently designing a three-year curriculum called Y3 that will include this weekly component in the shape of a student planning calendar with a weekly devotion. The first year ("Why God?") will contain nine weeks of origin of the universe, nine weeks of origin of life, nine weeks of the origin of the human brain, and nine weeks of the origin of the soul. We will give clean, clear apologetic arguments (and questions) for young minds to wrestle with in order to prepare them for venturing out into the world with confidence in the God of the Bible. The second and third years of weekly materials, "Why Jesus?" and "Why the Bible?" will do the same. In all, they'll have 36 weeks of challenging, informative, stimulating discussion and research to help them solidify their Christian faith each year for four years. That's the good news. The bad news is, it isn't ready yet. The initial materials for this were tested this summer at Renaissance, and will be tweaked over the fall. That doesn't help you right now, but know that it's on the way. We recommend you find something from Group of Youth Specialties right now to tide you over for this weekly piece.
Step III: Monthly Communion
Once a month, young people share a late night candlelight communion service at church. (Adults are welcome, but young people do the speaking and music.) This is programmed in the FINK way, with an opening, presentation time, small group, and quiet prayerful closing. Again, these materials aren't ready yet, but the structure is in place and you can use your own best stuff this year.
Step IV: Quarterly Adult Education
Once a quarter, young people plan and teach an apologetics adult forum based on what they've been studying in small group. This is where the Y3 courses will kick in. Youth will study them piece by piece over the nine weeks in their weekly small group, then teach an adult forum on the tenth week. We will have complete PowerPoints for their teaching, plus handouts for the adults. (Kids teaching adults - don't you love it?) We know from experience that you have to be teaching the subject in order to truly understand it. We also know form Bill Glasser that "in the quality school, everyone is the teacher." The quicker we get the kids teaching, the quicker they gain the confidence that will hold them out into the world.
Step V: Annual Infection
Once a year, the youth group committing to this must "infect" another youth group by staging a retreat or lock-in with another church. This is the trickiest piece of our system. Again, you don't know something until you teach it. We want to send them out knowing more than the material. We want them to know they have a powerful message to share of our amazing God. We wont' just talk about evangelism. We'll get them doing it to enliven and engage another church that can grow into evangelists, too.
Well, there's a structure, and the future of our curriculum. We want to equip young leaders to go out into the world ready to defend their faith, and interested in sticking around Christian community.
You are welcome to get started with the five steps right away. The curriculum will not be available this year, so you'll want to either hunt for something from your favorite publisher, or use the Head to the Heart themes and discuss them on a more mature level with your high schoolers.
Finally, I would encourage you to seriously consider the Confirmation Faith Stepping Stone and its "confirmation as ordination" strategy to turn all the kids being confirmed this year into M.O.S.S. (Ministry Of Sacred Service) agents.
Blessings on top of blessings,
Rev. Rich Melheim