Bill told me I should put this link up, and apparently, I listen to everything Bill says... :o)
But really, here's an article I wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer. It's on the public education system in Philly. Basically I noted that whereas schools can definitely use more resources, better paid teachers, more security, and less testing, the real problem is a lack of hope. Many of the kids have no expectations of going to college or even of graduating, oftentimes because no one else expects it of them. This article, for me, highlights one of the themes I've been documenting in my research this summer-- that caring adults who affirm, support, and encourage young people are extremely important to the successful development of at-risk youth! Please read... and hopefully it will give you moment to pause and think about ways we can support our schools and young people.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080630_Students_need_to_see_there_s_hope_for_them_once_they_finish_school.html
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
They Get It, They Really Get It... Do We?!
I had the awesome opportunity to hang out with the youth of a NW Philly congregation last night. They and their pastor Rev. Tim Poston and Youth & Family Minister Rozella Poston met with me over dinner to discuss the youth program at the church and the young peoples' experiences with the church. And I was very impressed... THEY GET IT! THEY ACTUALLY GET WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT... :-)
We had three basic questions for the kids, who were middle and high school. After introductions, first we asked about why they chose to come, and then why they've chosen to stay, at the church. Then we asked what they're "perfect" church would look like-- what changes the church could make to do/be better. Then we asked them what's hard for them in their lives. And finally, after I'd asked Pastor Poston and Rozella to leave, I asked them about the leadership at the church and how they felt their relationships with them were. And their responses were honest, creative, and insightful...
Like the other youth group I met with in Minneapolis, the young people at this church highlighted that what they liked best about the church was that it made them feel welcome. One young woman said, "Here you feel like you belong. Like you're needed. You're not just filling the pews." It's a place where everybody knows everybody and people care about each other. Another young woman said that you don't have to be "too holy" there, whereas at other churches you might have to put on airs, you can just be yourself and talk about what you need to talk about. I thought that was so insightful, especially from the 15 year old who made the comment.
For the most part, they really liked the church and didn't have too many suggestions of how to make it better. They said that it was already fine, comfortable. But, a couple of things they did highlight were: they wish the older people would respect young people more; they want the church to be filled more, especially with young people who WANT to be there; want more upbeat music in worship; and they'd like some more [youth] input in worship/music planning. All of those were excellent observations and suggestions, I thought. It shows that they have an investment in the church and want to be seen as having more responsibility in it. Very cool!
When we asked them what was hard for them, I was surprised with some of the honest answers the kids gave. They talked about how being poor was hard-- not having any food in the house, etc. That and trying to stay stable, especially with having to move a lot and keep one's life in order. Others talked about how their parents made things hard for them-- some talked about the strictness of their parents and another mentioned how it was hard b/c her dad was never around. Another girl talked about how tough it was for her after both of her parents died (at age 4 and then 11). They also talked about bullying and people picking on them. And intermixed in all of that, though not explicitly said, were references to violence in their communities, too. The area the church is in, where most of the kids live, is one of Philly's poorer neighborhoods. There's lots of violence in the area, too.
After these conversations, I asked Pastor Poston and Rozella to step out for a bit so we could finish the conversation. When they did, I asked about the kids' perceptions of the leaders. And I wasn't surprised at all by what they had to say. They said they were down-to-earth, cool, and easy to talk to. They said Pastor Poston was funny and that they loved his preaching. They said they've really loved Rozella coming to start organizing youth stuff. They said she's non-judgmental, patient (one kid said, "she's super patient-- that's probably why we didn't have youth stuff before her, because no one else could put up with us!"), persistent, firm and flexible (gives good guidelines but not lots of rules), and is a bridge. I was really interested in that last comment. They said that she's cool, like one of them, yet still respected as an adult-- which they like. About both of the Postons, the young people said that they knew they cared about them, and actually want to hear what they have to say. They give the youth respect. [A thing which both Pastor Poston and Rozella verbally repeated on a number of occasions throughout the evening: 'we love you; you're important to this church and we respect and need you.' The youth also identified other adults (some moms) in the congregation, who are always supportive and caring.
All in all, it sounds like these young people are getting what they need at the church: a safe place where they can be themselves in an environment where people love, care about, and respect them, while also meeting some of their basic needs. It was a great night!
We had three basic questions for the kids, who were middle and high school. After introductions, first we asked about why they chose to come, and then why they've chosen to stay, at the church. Then we asked what they're "perfect" church would look like-- what changes the church could make to do/be better. Then we asked them what's hard for them in their lives. And finally, after I'd asked Pastor Poston and Rozella to leave, I asked them about the leadership at the church and how they felt their relationships with them were. And their responses were honest, creative, and insightful...
Like the other youth group I met with in Minneapolis, the young people at this church highlighted that what they liked best about the church was that it made them feel welcome. One young woman said, "Here you feel like you belong. Like you're needed. You're not just filling the pews." It's a place where everybody knows everybody and people care about each other. Another young woman said that you don't have to be "too holy" there, whereas at other churches you might have to put on airs, you can just be yourself and talk about what you need to talk about. I thought that was so insightful, especially from the 15 year old who made the comment.
For the most part, they really liked the church and didn't have too many suggestions of how to make it better. They said that it was already fine, comfortable. But, a couple of things they did highlight were: they wish the older people would respect young people more; they want the church to be filled more, especially with young people who WANT to be there; want more upbeat music in worship; and they'd like some more [youth] input in worship/music planning. All of those were excellent observations and suggestions, I thought. It shows that they have an investment in the church and want to be seen as having more responsibility in it. Very cool!
When we asked them what was hard for them, I was surprised with some of the honest answers the kids gave. They talked about how being poor was hard-- not having any food in the house, etc. That and trying to stay stable, especially with having to move a lot and keep one's life in order. Others talked about how their parents made things hard for them-- some talked about the strictness of their parents and another mentioned how it was hard b/c her dad was never around. Another girl talked about how tough it was for her after both of her parents died (at age 4 and then 11). They also talked about bullying and people picking on them. And intermixed in all of that, though not explicitly said, were references to violence in their communities, too. The area the church is in, where most of the kids live, is one of Philly's poorer neighborhoods. There's lots of violence in the area, too.
After these conversations, I asked Pastor Poston and Rozella to step out for a bit so we could finish the conversation. When they did, I asked about the kids' perceptions of the leaders. And I wasn't surprised at all by what they had to say. They said they were down-to-earth, cool, and easy to talk to. They said Pastor Poston was funny and that they loved his preaching. They said they've really loved Rozella coming to start organizing youth stuff. They said she's non-judgmental, patient (one kid said, "she's super patient-- that's probably why we didn't have youth stuff before her, because no one else could put up with us!"), persistent, firm and flexible (gives good guidelines but not lots of rules), and is a bridge. I was really interested in that last comment. They said that she's cool, like one of them, yet still respected as an adult-- which they like. About both of the Postons, the young people said that they knew they cared about them, and actually want to hear what they have to say. They give the youth respect. [A thing which both Pastor Poston and Rozella verbally repeated on a number of occasions throughout the evening: 'we love you; you're important to this church and we respect and need you.' The youth also identified other adults (some moms) in the congregation, who are always supportive and caring.
All in all, it sounds like these young people are getting what they need at the church: a safe place where they can be themselves in an environment where people love, care about, and respect them, while also meeting some of their basic needs. It was a great night!
Conflict good for growth?
So, on Sunday I went back to the same north Minneapolis congregation I'd met with a couple weeks ago. I was excited to see the kids again and to experience worship there, especially since they'd been so positive about the church service and preaching. A couple of things caught my attention:
I have to admit, I have some reservations about this. I want to say that, though pain and suffering is a reality of life, still it's not okay. We can never eliminate all evil, because we live in a fallen world, but surely we can advocate for a better life for people. We can try to eliminate some suffering. I don't want us just to resign into passivity. But, I agree with Muller that what is really important is helping people use their pain for good. Because people are resilient, courageous, strong, and creative. And they, even and especially young people, can do more than they often think they can...
- The kids remembered me! As I walked in and sat down, all of the kids at different times and in different ways came over to greet me. They remembered my name and asked me how my project was doing. It was incredible-- clearly our short time together had made an impact on them. Very cool.
- Worship really was quite nice. There was ample opportunity for youth to participate in the music and in the brief period for testimonies/ "God sightings."
- And, just like they said, the preaching was good. Down to earth and applicable to real life. The text was Matthew 10:24-39 (Jesus brings not peace, but a sword). The sermon was about conflict. The preacher, Rev Louise Britts a visitation pastor, laid it out plain: conflict is hard. It's hard to hear; this text is hard to embrace. She says we as Christians cling to the Prince of Peace-- we don't want to hear about the Christ who wields a sword. But, she challenged the congregation on their understanding of peace. Peace is not maintaining the status quo or simply acquiescing to others and their demands. Peace is reconciliation. It's bringing people into the wholeness of God-- shalom. And it's tough. There's an inherent tension in peace, and that's what this passage is about. She says that conflict, tension (the road to peace work) doesn't have to be bad. In fact, it's necessary for growth, Britts said. She had us think of farmers and their fields... Farmers have to chop up, till, the soil, so that the hard ground can be ready for the seeds to have space to grow and receive water, light, and air. That's the beauty of conflict. There must be some chopping and breaking open, some tension, so that there's room to grow and that there's a means to achieve wholeness. This is how we achieve peace. And the good news is that we don't go it alone! We don't go through the conflict by ourselves, but rather we have a Savior who has experienced conflict with us, a God who takes care of us, and a Spirit who guides and empowers us. Thanks be to God!
I have to admit, I have some reservations about this. I want to say that, though pain and suffering is a reality of life, still it's not okay. We can never eliminate all evil, because we live in a fallen world, but surely we can advocate for a better life for people. We can try to eliminate some suffering. I don't want us just to resign into passivity. But, I agree with Muller that what is really important is helping people use their pain for good. Because people are resilient, courageous, strong, and creative. And they, even and especially young people, can do more than they often think they can...
Friday, June 20, 2008
What NOT to do...
So, this past week I've had the opportunity to juxtapose two experiences highlighting what not to do in youth ministry, and what to do...
On Sunday evening I attended the opening worship for Augsburg College's Youth Theology Institute for high school kids. Not exactly "at-risk" kids, but it gave me the opportunity to look at group dynamics and spirituality.
Well, when I arrived I was greeted by the campus pastor and the director of the program, who're both friends of mine. I didn't meet the kids, they were just filing in to the chapel and I took a seat towards the back, eventually sitting with the pastor. Then worship started. Worship was led by the youth of Redeemer Lutheran Church who do JUMP-- an urban hip-hop worship experience. The JUMP kids were really excited about their music and leadership. It was awesome to see those inner city kids taking on such a positive ministry leadership with their peers. (I kept thinking to myself-- those are the kids I wanna be talking to right now!)
Then came a time for prayer stations... I'd been asked by either the pastor or my friend to be at a prayer station, to pray with any kid who came up. I was totally fine with that, but then felt kinda bad when no one was coming up to me to pray. Almost NONE of the Augsburg high schoolers went up, whereas almost all of the JUMP folks did. Finally one of the JUMP adult leaders came to me and after him one of the high schoolers from JUMP... and that was it.
Made me realize 2 things: A) these kids didn't know me at all-- why should we have expected that they'd feel comfortable opening up and praying with me, especially on their first day, and B) these kids didn't know each other, either. Because it was their first day, perhaps they were just nervous to be with each other and didn't really trust the space yet. This was my lesson in what not to do with kids... Relationships really do matter!!
But, all was not lost. Later in the week I went back to Augsburg for their service-learning day. I joined a small group that headed out to do service work at a local catholic church that does a lot of work in the community, particularly for Latino, Native American, and Somali persons. While there I had some great conversations with the kids about their faith, about school, about their future ambitions, about why they were interested in the church and doing a program like the Youth Theology Institute, etc. And they asked me a bunch of questions about who I am and what I do.
I felt like things would be much different after that experience if I'd had the chance to do a prayer station again. Not only had the kids developed their own good group dynamic throughout the week, but several of them got to know me, making it easier for them to talk and even pray with me. That's what ministry is about... relationship building!
On Sunday evening I attended the opening worship for Augsburg College's Youth Theology Institute for high school kids. Not exactly "at-risk" kids, but it gave me the opportunity to look at group dynamics and spirituality.
Well, when I arrived I was greeted by the campus pastor and the director of the program, who're both friends of mine. I didn't meet the kids, they were just filing in to the chapel and I took a seat towards the back, eventually sitting with the pastor. Then worship started. Worship was led by the youth of Redeemer Lutheran Church who do JUMP-- an urban hip-hop worship experience. The JUMP kids were really excited about their music and leadership. It was awesome to see those inner city kids taking on such a positive ministry leadership with their peers. (I kept thinking to myself-- those are the kids I wanna be talking to right now!)
Then came a time for prayer stations... I'd been asked by either the pastor or my friend to be at a prayer station, to pray with any kid who came up. I was totally fine with that, but then felt kinda bad when no one was coming up to me to pray. Almost NONE of the Augsburg high schoolers went up, whereas almost all of the JUMP folks did. Finally one of the JUMP adult leaders came to me and after him one of the high schoolers from JUMP... and that was it.
Made me realize 2 things: A) these kids didn't know me at all-- why should we have expected that they'd feel comfortable opening up and praying with me, especially on their first day, and B) these kids didn't know each other, either. Because it was their first day, perhaps they were just nervous to be with each other and didn't really trust the space yet. This was my lesson in what not to do with kids... Relationships really do matter!!
But, all was not lost. Later in the week I went back to Augsburg for their service-learning day. I joined a small group that headed out to do service work at a local catholic church that does a lot of work in the community, particularly for Latino, Native American, and Somali persons. While there I had some great conversations with the kids about their faith, about school, about their future ambitions, about why they were interested in the church and doing a program like the Youth Theology Institute, etc. And they asked me a bunch of questions about who I am and what I do.
I felt like things would be much different after that experience if I'd had the chance to do a prayer station again. Not only had the kids developed their own good group dynamic throughout the week, but several of them got to know me, making it easier for them to talk and even pray with me. That's what ministry is about... relationship building!
Monday, June 16, 2008
From the top down
Last Thursday I had an incredible conversation with some young people at a local south Minneapolis church. I'd heard so much about this church's youth director and youth program from other people in the synod that I was excited to meet them. When I got there I was not disappointed.
The youth director, Tom, introduced me to three young people who are VERY active in the youth programs. He had to leave us (which was good so that they could talk freely about leadership) and we ended up talking for about an hour and a half. It was quite cool. I asked them to tell me about who they are and what they're about. I asked how long they've been members, how they found the church, and if their whole families attend. I asked about their favorite parts and their reflections on Tom and the pastoral leadership. I asked who God is for them...
What I found was that these young people were incredibly articulate and insightful. And they had a deep passion for their church and its youth programming.
The whole focus of my research is to discern more what exactly it is that brings at-risk young people to church, and what, more still, keeps them there. Though initially my interest was in searching to see if there is any curriculum or specific resources out there to engage at-risk young people, my first couple of weeks into this project are confirming what I already knew... IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!!
It's not just about fun activities, big numbers, or cool music (although those things help attract people initially, I think), but what keeps young people coming to church is strong, healthy, positive, affirming, and empowering relationships.
That's what the youth told me on Thursday afternoon... they said their favorite part that keeps them coming is the people. One 15 year old girl said, "We're like a family here. The people'll do anything for you!" A young guy, probably about 20, said, "there's no other place to go-- it's like home." And one of the main reasons it feels like home, like a family, (a healthy, supportive family) is because of the leadership of Tom, their youth director. All three of the young people gushed with positive things to say about Tom. I asked what they loved about him and they said that two things overwhelmingly stood out about Tom: his personality (he, apparently has a great sense of humor that the kids really appreciate) and his unconditional support. They said that he's always, always there for them-- encouraging them, helping them, supporting them, and loving them. After they all went on and on in excited spurts about Tom's excellent qualities, one girl said, somewhat quietly, but matter-of-factly: "We're lucky to have him."
The young people also had positive relationships with some of the other staff. They said the senior pastor was always nice, and the young man said he appreciate that the pastor often opened his home to people in the church. The two 15 year old girls really like their female visitation pastor because she "answered all [their] questions" on some visits to Confirmation. These relationships all helped to build a place where these kids, mostly unaccompanied by parents or guardians, felt safe and wanted. The love and care shown by those in leadership at the top worked its way down into the lives of the youth, and through them out into the world where now these kids are being leaders and positive forces in their communities...
THIS is what I expected. One of the key factors in reaching at-risk young people, and helping to build safe, trusting communities, is building healthy and positive relationships.
Ok, but now let's think about how those relationships get built...
The youth director, Tom, introduced me to three young people who are VERY active in the youth programs. He had to leave us (which was good so that they could talk freely about leadership) and we ended up talking for about an hour and a half. It was quite cool. I asked them to tell me about who they are and what they're about. I asked how long they've been members, how they found the church, and if their whole families attend. I asked about their favorite parts and their reflections on Tom and the pastoral leadership. I asked who God is for them...
What I found was that these young people were incredibly articulate and insightful. And they had a deep passion for their church and its youth programming.
The whole focus of my research is to discern more what exactly it is that brings at-risk young people to church, and what, more still, keeps them there. Though initially my interest was in searching to see if there is any curriculum or specific resources out there to engage at-risk young people, my first couple of weeks into this project are confirming what I already knew... IT'S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS!!
It's not just about fun activities, big numbers, or cool music (although those things help attract people initially, I think), but what keeps young people coming to church is strong, healthy, positive, affirming, and empowering relationships.
That's what the youth told me on Thursday afternoon... they said their favorite part that keeps them coming is the people. One 15 year old girl said, "We're like a family here. The people'll do anything for you!" A young guy, probably about 20, said, "there's no other place to go-- it's like home." And one of the main reasons it feels like home, like a family, (a healthy, supportive family) is because of the leadership of Tom, their youth director. All three of the young people gushed with positive things to say about Tom. I asked what they loved about him and they said that two things overwhelmingly stood out about Tom: his personality (he, apparently has a great sense of humor that the kids really appreciate) and his unconditional support. They said that he's always, always there for them-- encouraging them, helping them, supporting them, and loving them. After they all went on and on in excited spurts about Tom's excellent qualities, one girl said, somewhat quietly, but matter-of-factly: "We're lucky to have him."
The young people also had positive relationships with some of the other staff. They said the senior pastor was always nice, and the young man said he appreciate that the pastor often opened his home to people in the church. The two 15 year old girls really like their female visitation pastor because she "answered all [their] questions" on some visits to Confirmation. These relationships all helped to build a place where these kids, mostly unaccompanied by parents or guardians, felt safe and wanted. The love and care shown by those in leadership at the top worked its way down into the lives of the youth, and through them out into the world where now these kids are being leaders and positive forces in their communities...
THIS is what I expected. One of the key factors in reaching at-risk young people, and helping to build safe, trusting communities, is building healthy and positive relationships.
Ok, but now let's think about how those relationships get built...
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Importance of Family
The last couple of days were spent with my family rather than on doing 'research' per se... Believe me, it was worth it!
I got to see a ton of my family since my youngest aunt and her husband brought their newest daughter up from NC to be baptized this weekend. Almost all of my aunts and uncles were there, as were a bunch of my cousins. My cousins and I range in age from about 32 to 3 mo old, and now there are 25 of us, I think. And some of my cousins are having babies now, too. It's been a crazy fun couple of days hanging out and playing together...
Spending so much time with my family, especially with my grandma (who is actually my dad's stepmom, though more grandma to me than anyone else), has made me think a lot about a book I'm reading for my research. The book is called Tattooed in the Cradle by Lamont Satterly. The book is about family legacies and how one's family history affects the adults we grow into. It says that family legacy (values, rules, beliefs, traditions, etc) are both taught and caught. This means that some of a family's ideas about money or religion are taught, while other things like the roles of men and women, and the importance of education/getting a good job are caught. It's made me think a lot about what our family legacy is, about what we consciously acknowledge as part of our family tradition, and what we're passing on to these new babies that is unspoken.
This book also talks about patterns and experiences that occur early in life that impact adults as they grow older. It says, very adamantly, that the trauma, abuse, neglect, victimization, or disapproval a child experiences develops the filter that they spend the rest of their lives living through. And Satterly says that it doesn't really matter how "true" the claims of victimization are, what matters is what the person believes was true for them, what they feel they experienced.
In thinking about this, then, in correlation with my project, it's important that pastors, churches, and other Christian organizations not only work to support [young] adults who feel that they've experienced some form of trauma in childhood, but that they also work diligently to prevent these destructive experiences from happening, or at least from festering underneath the surface for years upon years. And it's helpful for church leaders, when working with at-risk or troubled youth, to get to know the young person's family history, because it can help to explain some of the nuanced, contextual differences in 'risk' that that particular young person is facing.
After just one week of this FTE project, I think I can tell that I am going to learn a lot more about myself (reflecting on my own family history and experiences with church) than I will about anything else... I think it'll be an important step in me improving my skills at ministering to at-risk young people.
I got to see a ton of my family since my youngest aunt and her husband brought their newest daughter up from NC to be baptized this weekend. Almost all of my aunts and uncles were there, as were a bunch of my cousins. My cousins and I range in age from about 32 to 3 mo old, and now there are 25 of us, I think. And some of my cousins are having babies now, too. It's been a crazy fun couple of days hanging out and playing together...
Spending so much time with my family, especially with my grandma (who is actually my dad's stepmom, though more grandma to me than anyone else), has made me think a lot about a book I'm reading for my research. The book is called Tattooed in the Cradle by Lamont Satterly. The book is about family legacies and how one's family history affects the adults we grow into. It says that family legacy (values, rules, beliefs, traditions, etc) are both taught and caught. This means that some of a family's ideas about money or religion are taught, while other things like the roles of men and women, and the importance of education/getting a good job are caught. It's made me think a lot about what our family legacy is, about what we consciously acknowledge as part of our family tradition, and what we're passing on to these new babies that is unspoken.
This book also talks about patterns and experiences that occur early in life that impact adults as they grow older. It says, very adamantly, that the trauma, abuse, neglect, victimization, or disapproval a child experiences develops the filter that they spend the rest of their lives living through. And Satterly says that it doesn't really matter how "true" the claims of victimization are, what matters is what the person believes was true for them, what they feel they experienced.
In thinking about this, then, in correlation with my project, it's important that pastors, churches, and other Christian organizations not only work to support [young] adults who feel that they've experienced some form of trauma in childhood, but that they also work diligently to prevent these destructive experiences from happening, or at least from festering underneath the surface for years upon years. And it's helpful for church leaders, when working with at-risk or troubled youth, to get to know the young person's family history, because it can help to explain some of the nuanced, contextual differences in 'risk' that that particular young person is facing.
After just one week of this FTE project, I think I can tell that I am going to learn a lot more about myself (reflecting on my own family history and experiences with church) than I will about anything else... I think it'll be an important step in me improving my skills at ministering to at-risk young people.
Friday, June 6, 2008
And so it begins...
Well, here's my first attempt at blogging. We'll see how this works. Hang on, folks...
I've just embarked on a summer adventure that's going to take me around the country. I'm doing a ministry fellowship (awarded me by the Fund for Theological Education). I'm looking at youth ministry with at-risk young people. The title of my project is Finding Sanctuary: providing safety, building trust and shaping community among at-risk youth. I am asking the questions: what makes a young person at-risk, why is it important to reach out to vulnerable young people, what tools and resources do churches/pastors/youth directors use to connect with at-risk young people, and what are the long-term effects of such ministry? I'm pretty thrilled to be out and about all summer, traveling around the country, meeting awesome pastors, youth directors, camp counselors, and of course young people!
My pre-work consisted of chatting it up with some youth directors at the Greater Milwaukee Synod Assembly. Then I headed out to the Twin Cities, my old stomping ground, to pick the brains of some very excellent folks there doing incredible things with youth.
My first two days of conversations took me to the Youth and Family Institute and to Augsburg College. Marilyn Sharpe, Lyle Griner, and Ross Murray were EXTREMELY helpful in sharing their experiences and wisdom in working with youth, families, and at-risk young people.
Some common thoughts they shared:
I'll also be exploring my own memories of life as a kid from a troubled home, and how my youth group and pastor became trusting, loving, affirming communities of support for me in high school, when I was most vulnerable myself.
Well, that's enough for today... Any thoughts so far on what I'm doing-- I'd love to hear...
peace,
Alexis
I've just embarked on a summer adventure that's going to take me around the country. I'm doing a ministry fellowship (awarded me by the Fund for Theological Education). I'm looking at youth ministry with at-risk young people. The title of my project is Finding Sanctuary: providing safety, building trust and shaping community among at-risk youth. I am asking the questions: what makes a young person at-risk, why is it important to reach out to vulnerable young people, what tools and resources do churches/pastors/youth directors use to connect with at-risk young people, and what are the long-term effects of such ministry? I'm pretty thrilled to be out and about all summer, traveling around the country, meeting awesome pastors, youth directors, camp counselors, and of course young people!
My pre-work consisted of chatting it up with some youth directors at the Greater Milwaukee Synod Assembly. Then I headed out to the Twin Cities, my old stomping ground, to pick the brains of some very excellent folks there doing incredible things with youth.
My first two days of conversations took me to the Youth and Family Institute and to Augsburg College. Marilyn Sharpe, Lyle Griner, and Ross Murray were EXTREMELY helpful in sharing their experiences and wisdom in working with youth, families, and at-risk young people.
Some common thoughts they shared:
- In some ways, all young people are at-risk, because they're all vulnerable
- It's important to meet the young people where they're at-- listen to them and what they say their needs are
- BOUNDARIES BOUNDARIES BOUNDARIES... It's very important that at-risk young people know they can count on you and your care, but also that they have clear set rules and boundaries with adults
- There isn't really any one "magical" curriculum out there to work with every youth group or at-risk child
- What's most important isn't necessarily what you do-- it's why... the specific actions youth workers take in reaching out to young people may be different, but what matters most is the desired outcomes in working with them
I'll also be exploring my own memories of life as a kid from a troubled home, and how my youth group and pastor became trusting, loving, affirming communities of support for me in high school, when I was most vulnerable myself.
Well, that's enough for today... Any thoughts so far on what I'm doing-- I'd love to hear...
peace,
Alexis
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