What's in the Fog ahead?

Dreaming of a Ministry plan to revolutionize how we do church and ministry.

Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash

Introduction

It’s now March 2024. Sometimes, it feels like this year only started and now it’s almost gone. If we don’t audit our time from time to time, it might just slip right out of our hands without us even knowing it. So here’s my overview into the fog;

• There will be scheduled programs for the youth to participate. It could be in the form of a worship service, a seminar, etc. A place to come together and share.

• We could also plan for fun activities such as a Sports Tournament, Movie night, Thanksgiving party, Outdoor sabbath, or an outreach event into the community.

• Finally, nothing is better than education; so we will also have Bible Study classes to lead up to the teaching moments. We could hold about three study/training sessions a year leading up to a seminar or a panel. We will need study/training sessions for the kids as well. Remember the kids.

Plan Details

We should plan training/study sessions for the kids and the youth separately. For the youth, we could take the morning Sabbath School lesson time to start, and then meet again on zoom on Wednesdays at 6:30PM, right before the Midweek Prayer. On this Midweek Youth Training, we could start with a 10 minute catch up where everyone get’s a chance to share their week. Then we go into a 10 minute recap of the previous week, any thoughts and comments on how things went and how they can be improved. Then we go into a 15 minute training and discussion of a new topic. Then we can take the last 20 minutes to discuss questions or comments and before closing, giving us 5 more minutes to spare before the Midweek Prayer begins.

Following the training sessions, there should be a seminar or a panel 3 times a year, namely April, August, and November. We can and should discuss about the content of the seminar. It should be something that the youth should know, and at the same time helpful for the adults to be aware of. One thing I could think of is a topic on “Leadership”. We could look into Nehemiah’s leadership, and look at the aspects of leadership from the perspective of a parent and a youth. We could also look at the differences between good and bad leadership from the Bible as well as modern history. The leadership could be a seminar. Then we can use the other two panel times to discuss modern issues that the youth are facing today.

In addition to the learning and training of youth ministry, it would be helpful to have a fun outlet for the youths such as a sports tournament, a camping trip for the young adults. We could also plan an outdoor sabbath for the kids and youth, take them out on different days. We could have a worship outdoors: sing, preach, maybe have a nature object lesson challenge. We could also plan a musical that the youth can participate. Also, in terms of small groups ministry, it would be better to invite people to simply come to say, Silvia’s home as she has a big backyard we can all play together in. We’d have to request permission first, but we could all bring food together and play together. On a Sunday or Sabbath afternoon maybe.

Youth Ministry Administration

Now, on the side of administration, we should have a Youth Leadership Team that helps with things. This is the idea: at the core to connect youth and parents will be the youth pastor and leader. They will both have a core team of 7 to 10 members and those 7 to 10 members will connect to the rest of the people. We will learn to work through other people to accomplish our goals. Currently, on our list we have about 60 young people. If one leader takes 10 people each, then we only need 6 to cover all 60 people. It will be up to the youth pastor and leader to reach out and disciple the 7 to 10 first so they know exactly what to do, and as the pastor, it’s his first and foremost job to train the youth leader on how it’s done.

Discipleship Steps in Ministry

Discipleship is about showing love and care for someone’s wellbeing. We do this by checking in with people and making sure that everyone’s doing ok. For step 1, we need to select our core group. Reach out to them every 1-2 weeks and get to know them. Take time to understand who they are, what they’re going through, and how their life is going so far. If they’re too busy or won’t be around for long, it might not be a good idea to choose them at this time. Only when you can determine that this project will be a blessing to them instead of a burden, then you can feel free to reach out to them.

Now step 2, continue to reach out to them every 1-2 weeks. Now that you have a group, you can reach out to them individually or do it in a group. Make sure your group check-in is no more than 2-3 weeks apart. The check-ins don’t have to be too long. Get together, talk about the week, what you’ve learned, what we can do better, any frustrations you or they may have, and then pray together. That’s all that you need to do. If you want to go one more step further, you can either have someone share a devotional, or simply their favorite Bible Verse and why, a promise they love, etc.

For step 2, it’s encouraged to take their weekly church attendance. This is not to harm or shame anyone but it’s our foolproof plan to make sure that we don’t forget anyone. If someone didn’t come to church for at least 2 weeks, then the leader and one team member should call or visit them to make sure they’re ok. Always remember to pray with them at the end of the encounter. If they’re feeling down or lonely, the team should make plans to visit the individual as soon as they can. Make sure to let the pastoral team know when you do make a plan and invite a pastor or an elder to come along if the situation fits. No one should be allowed to fight their demons alone. Step 2 is all about taking the initiative to show others that we care.

Step 3 is then planning an activity or event for the group. You don’t need to feel obligated to open the invitation but simply go with your core group of people. Do something fun, it can be a picnic at a park, or a gathering at someone’s home. You can bring boardgames, or simply bring food and hangout together. It is recommended that your group do events together at least 3 to 4 times a year. Maybe when you get together at someone’s home, you can then plan your next big activity.

Step 4, when your group is well connected and established, it is time to encourage the group members to find new friends to invite. When you started out, the group leader should plan the events, then slowly allow the members plan the events. Once all the members had the opportunity to plan and has the experience, allow them to host an event where they now invite their next group of friends. For example, in a group of 10 members or families, they should all split up into 5 groups of 2, inviting the next group of “disciples”. These groups of two would then talk to the next 10 people and try to connect. This will then bring you full circle back to step 1 of discipleship.

Conclusion and Summary

This program will only work if we care for others. Remember that these are people that God has entrusted in your care and it is your duty to make sure that they do not fight the Christian fight alone. We know that God will fight with them, at the same time, it is our duty to fight with our brothers and sisters.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15 NKJV. Discipleship is about sharing with others the Love of God, one person at a time.

Let us learn to love those around us. Let us take the initiative today and start reaching out. If you don’t know where to start, ask your local pastor or elder to help you.