Judging by the huge volume of ads for youth-ministry products and services that flood my mailbox, youth ministry and doing justice in the world are apparently separate things.

Close to half of the mission trip advertisements I received last year had little to do with helping others with basic needs such as food and shelter, instead putting the priority on evangelism. Many of the service-related trips, while giving youth tremendous opportunities to make a meaningful difference in someone’s standard of living, do little to help youth learn about and act on the root causes of poverty. I can count on one hand the offers that have crossed my desk in the past year for resources that genuinely help youth do justice in the world.

A New Mustard Seed Conspiracy

Over twenty-five years ago, The Mustard Seed Conspiracy by evangelical futurist Tom Sine caused a tremendous stir in many churches. Sine encouraged Christians to join a secret movement of people who believed that “God has chosen to change the world through the lowly, the unassuming, the imperceptible” (p. 11). He urged us to remember that “as a biblical people we must join with the poor in their struggle for justice, and this means more than just waiting at the bottom of the cliff with our ambulance service for those pushed off by unjust economic and political structures. We must go to the top of the cliff and struggle to change those unjust structures” (p. 199). The book led to many significant new justice ministries across the nation.

It’s time to start a new mustard seed conspiracy among our young people. Today’s teens are creative, technologically skilled, media savvy, and yearning for big-vision projects.

Have you noticed teens in your community putting incredible time and effort into drill teams, sports teams, political campaigning, and other remarkable projects? Yet many congregations offer few opportunities for youth to be engaged in ongoing, in-depth, active learning experiences. It’s little wonder that youth often describe church as a waste of time!

Some Ideas

Starting your own mustard seed conspiracy will give your youth something to be passionate about. Here’s one process you might try.

1. Have the youth discuss community issues that concern them. Narrow the list down to one issue the group feels passionate about.
2. Study relevant scriptures on service and compassion.
3. Choose a service project related to the issue you identified. If homelessness concerns your youth, have them cook and serve dinner at a shelter. Let them research possible projects and carry one out as soon as possible.
4. Help them review and process their experiences. Ask for their impressions, questions, and honest opinions about the impact they had.
5. Assign them to learn as much about the issue as they can in two weeks by searching the Internet, talking with local experts, reading the newspaper, and other ways.
6. Take a week to study biblical themes such as justice, the kingdom of God, and God’s concern for those who are poor and oppressed. Have them share what they are learning in their research.
7. Help them to digest and assess the information they have gathered. Work together to distill their insights into a few cause-and-effect statements.
8. Brainstorm ways to go beyond doing good to doing justice. They might attend a city council meeting to advocate for a policy change or write letters to the local newspaper. Have them carry these actions out as soon as possible. Maintain some sense of secrecy about their organized efforts; after all, you are part of a conspiracy!
9. Let the project grow and develop as they continue to learn, serve, and act with justice. Continue a regular cycle of Bible study, action, and reflection.
10. After two to three months, encourage the youth to recruit another church to be part of the conspiracy. Train some of your youth to lead the new group through the same process your group used.
    

If you would like to join me in creating a conspiracy among today’s teenagers to transform the priorities of the world, visit differentvoice.com and share your ideas and experiences of helping youth to “do justice” daily.

A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the Winter, 2004-05 issue of Leader in Christian Education Ministries, copyright 2005 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission.

Some youth ministers can go on and on for hours about the latest Christian or secular rock bands. Others love to engage in conversation about mission trips or goofy games.

My passion? Resources for youth ministry! Good resources: 

• save me time
• are frequently more creative than I am
• stimulate my creativity
• are often written by recognized experts
• are great for volunteers who have no idea how to write curriculum
• sometimes help me in my record-keeping
• help me to make sure my teaching is age-appropriate

Choosing the Best Resources

Youth are worth our best efforts, so why not choose the best resources? But think for a moment about just what constitutes a youth ministry resource. Here are a few examples.

• Study and teen Bibles
• Lesson and idea books
• Websites
• Special guests
• Trips and special locations
• Props and gadgets
• CDs and DVDs
• Natural environment and other creative settings
• Concerts and special events

Dozens of possibilities for your ministry exist in each category. How do you choose the best from among them? Here are some traps to avoid as you evaluate new resources.

Trap #1: Flashy packaging makes a product look great, but it does not enhance the quality of the material.

Trap #2: Slick ads may convince you a resource is the best new thing, but remember that appealing advertising isn’t nearly as hard to create as a really good resource.

Trap #3: “Instant” lessons that require essentially zero preparation. Which satisfies more—instant coffee or a freshly-brewed cup? Instant resources can too easily become a substitute for thorough preparation.

Trap #4: Resources that claim to be for “all ages” or which have no recommended ages listed. If you aim at nobody in particular, you’ll hit your target most of the time.

Trap #5: Companies that give you no opportunity to preview or return their products.

Trap #6: Using only one publisher for all your resources. No publisher can provide everything you need.

Trap #7: Buying a resource because you might use it some day. Be a good steward of your church’s money and stick to the items you’ll really use.

Trap #8: Is the resource appropriate for the age level? Does it fit your group?

Evaluation: Ten Sets of Questions to Ask About a Resource   

1. How well will the resource contribute to achieving your goals, both for this lesson and for the group in general? Is the theme consistent throughout the lesson?
2. How well does the resource fit your church's and your denomination's theological understandings?
3. Is the use of the Bible theologically sound? Is the biblical art accurate? Is there adequate Bible background material? Is the choice of stories typical, or is it creative? Is scripture used in context or as an afterthought? Are the questions related to the passage? What translation is used?
4. What is taught explicitly (the actual words being communicated about the subject)? What is taught implicitly (the subtext or hidden message of the lesson)? A Sunday school curriculum on servanthood that only uses examples of urban poverty teaches implicitly that poor people live in cities. Are the explicit and implicit messages compatible? What is being taught by the subjects or lessons that are omitted within a particular lesson and in your total plan for the year?
5. Does the resource engage learners through a variety of teaching and learning styles? Are there choices among multiple activities?
6. Does the resource help the teacher grow in his or her teaching skills? Are the directions clear, descriptive, and complete? Do they describe the materials needed, activity length, and goals?
7. Does the resource help the teacher or leader grow spiritually?
8. Is the resource appropriate for the age level? Does it fit your group?
9. Is the resource inclusive? Are all persons treated as having worth and dignity?
10. Are the design and format helpful or distracting?
    

Originally published in the Spring, 2005 issue of Leader in Christian Education Ministries, copyright 2005 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission.

Have you ever found yourself looking at the roster for the senior high Sunday school class and wondering, where everyone went? Perhaps you’ve noticed that attendance starts to drop after the youth get confirmed or during the later elementary years. If your youth have acquired a case of “Itchy-feet Syndrome,” in which they walk out of class one day rarely to return, it’s time to seek a cure.

Perform a Sunday School Check-up

If we truly believe “Sunday school is for life,” then we must actively seek out those who have gone missing. But finding out the reasons for their disappearance will require a good bit of work—and might even result in some uncomfortable diagnoses. Here are a few things you can do to start learning the many reasons why the youth are no longer coming.

1. Talk with the youth informally. It’s simple, but it’s a step many of us are prone to neglect. If we want to find out where people have been, we can start by having a casual conversation with them. Sometimes the teacher is the best one to do this, since he or she probably has established rapport with the youth. Other times, a youth leader or Christian education director might be the better one to make the contact. This is especially true if you’ve picked up vibes that youth are not coming because they don’t like the teacher.

2. Hold a parent chat session. Gather the parents of inactive youth for dessert and coffee, and talk with them about what their family life is like on Sunday mornings. Are they busy with other activities? Are they simply refusing to come? Are there concerns about the classes? Gather as much information as possible from them and listen carefully to their hopes for their children’s spiritual development.

3. Make an appointment to talk one-on-one with the teachers. Ask the teachers for their honest feedback about how the class is going and what they’ve heard from the youth. Are they feeling as if they can’t relate to the youth? Do they want more training? Do they have issues with the curriculum? Are they burned out and ready for a change?

4. Get out the stethoscope and listen to the curriculum. Do a careful examination. What does it really say about who youth are and how they learn? Where are the places that it’s likely not to connect with youth? What messages does it communicate about God, the Bible, Jesus, and the Christian life?

Write a Prescription

With your teachers, education commission, pastor, and other essential representatives, decide on a course of action. Here are seven ideas to get you started.

1. Find other ways for youth to be involved. On any given Sunday in my congregation, some youth are  helping in the nursery, teaching a class, talking with a confirmation mentor, staffing a fund-raising table for the youth mission trip, practicing with the choir, or attending a short-term study designed for adults. What other options for involvement and growth are available in your church?

2. Use e-mail. For youth who can’t be there on Sunday but are interested in the material, send a summary of what was discussed. Follow up to answer questions.

3. Start a “Saturday school” or a “Thursday school” class. Offer the same class on a day convenient for other youth.

4. Move to a youth-led small-group format. Use a resource such as Synago (Cokesbury) that involves youth in leadership and invitational outreach to their friends.

5. Offer more than one type of class. A class that utilizes computers, movies, and music will appeal to some youth; a Bible study will appeal to others.

6. Offer more classes for adults, especially classes that appeal to the parents of your teenagers. If the parents participate, the youth are more likely to be present.

7. Invest some time training a group of youth and adults who regularly will reach out to inactive youth. At the same time, make certain your classrooms—and your youth—are friendly and welcoming.

Chart Your Progress

Set attendance goals for the coming semester. For example, your goal might be to reduce by ten percent the number of youth who don’t attend. Or, if your youth come sporadically, it might be to increase participation to an average of three times per month. Monitor class attendance carefully, but also listen to the youth and teachers to see how things are progressing as you implement your plan. Inform the congregation of your goals and progress, so they know that this is a congregational priority.

We wouldn’t settle for an exercise plan that worked only half of our muscles. Likewise, don’t let your congregation settle for a fifty percent attendance rate when it comes to youth. Aim for a healthy program!

Published in the Summer, 2005 issue of Leader in Christian Education Ministries, copyright 2005 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission.

A few key ingredients are important for any youth ministry that wishes to attract youth: fun activities, a friendly environment, and, of course, plenty of pizza, soft drinks, and cheese doodles. Perhaps one of the most important ingredients also helps to teach a key understanding about God. Which is predominant in your youth ministry: guilt or grace?

Guilt says to your youth, “You need to be reading the Bible more often.” Grace says, “I’ve found that the Bible answers many of life’s questions. Have you?”

Guilt says, “Why haven’t you been in Sunday school lately?” Grace says, “We’ve missed you and hope you’ll join us again.”

Guilt says, “Your beliefs are wrong. It says in the Bible that . . .” Grace says, “I’m not sure I agree with you, but let’s take a look at this Bible passage together.”

Guilt says to the kids on a retreat, “You need to accept Jesus as your Savior. If you haven’t, do it tonight.” Grace says, “Jesus is offering you a free gift. Are you ready to say yes?”

Guilt says to youth acting up, “Do you remember what we studied about . . . ?” Grace says, “Who can recall our discussion about . . . ?”

Guilt says to a volunteer, “You should have done . . .” Grace says, “Another way to do this is . . .”

Guilt says to a Sunday school teacher, “Have you been sending birthday cards and ‘we miss you’ postcards every week?” Grace says, “If you don’t have time to do this every week, I encourage you to set a goal and gradually increase it over time.”

Guilt says to a parent, “Are you having family devotions?” Grace says, “I’d be glad to help you develop some spiritual activities for your family.”

Guilt says to your congregation, “We’re desperate for someone to help with this event. Call me if you’re available.” Grace says to an individual in your congregation, “I believe you have the gifts we need on this team. Will you pray about it?”

Guilt says to your spouse, “I’m just going to be gone for a few hours with the youth. What’s the big deal?” Grace says, “I’m sorry I scheduled an activity on our date night. I’ll reschedule with the youth.”

Guilt says, “God doesn’t like it when we . . .” Grace says, “God loves us, even when we least deserve it.”

In these phrases, we communicate something of our theology, our belief about what motivates people, and even our personal values. If we want our youth and congregations to come to believe in a God of grace, it’s vital they not experience our ministries as places of “ungrace.”

A concept of God that’s full of guilt is a concept of God that will ultimately make us sad. But Jesus came that we might experience life . . . in abundance!

Ten years from now your youth probably won’t remember your brilliant lesson on the book of Numbers. They won’t remember how great your publicity and games were. And that’s okay—don’t feel guilty about it!

What they will remember is how they felt about themselves, God, and the church while they were there—more guilty or more grace-filled.

Published in the Fall, 2003 issue of Leader in Christian Education Ministries, copyright 2005 by Abingdon Press. Used by permission.

Youth leaders know well that curriculum resources frequently have a short shelf life. Sometimes this is due to graphics or pictures that no longer look "fresh" or because stories, examples, and statistics are dated. Increasingly, the longevity of a resource is influenced by changing technologies.

When I wrote a book called How to Use Music with Youth ... Even if You're Musically Challenged (Abingdon Press), almost ten years ago, I had only the vaguest inklings of how digital technologies would change how youth would buy, share, use, make, and listen to music. After all, the Internet was just beginning to explode, and many electronic technologies (such as the iPodTM) would not hit the market for a few years.

While the majority of the ideas in that book are still ones I'd recommend for integrating music more deeply into youth ministry, here are some suggestions I would add to a version 2.0 of the book.

What's on Your iPodTM?
Just as dance clubs allow patrons to bring in their iPodTM to plug into their sound systems, you can do the same thing in your youth group. During your gathering times, lock-ins, and other down times, allow the youth to bring in their portable digital music players. Let the youth set the rules, which might include such things as no music with profanity or only three songs per person.

A Different Kind of Garage Band
It used to be a challenge to create a youth group video without breaking music copyright laws. Today, though, a program called GarageBand comes standard on every new Apple computer. With very little effort--and surprisingly good results--youth can create their own background music using electronic "loops." They can even plug in their electric guitars, microphones, and so forth and record their own original songs. These songs can easily be imported into video creation tools on both PC and Mac platforms.

Blog It
Even if you aren't yet blogging, the odds are high that many of your youth blog and read others' blogs regularly. Encourage them to review new music from a Christian perspective or to list a favorite Christian song along with a link to where the tune can be purchased online. Likewise, you can use a blog to direct youth to the hottest new groups that you've read about in youth ministry or Christian music magazines.

Budget for Digital Downloads
Be sure to add funds to your youth budget for digital downloads of songs. You can use these as discussion starters, background music, worship settings, and when your praise band is learning new songs. Have the youth help you select the songs to buy each year.

Play "Moral/Legal/Neither/ Both"
Spend a few hours familiarizing yourself with current laws related to downloading, burning, sharing, and using digital music, or ask a music buff or lawyer in your church to do that for you. Create scenario cards with ways youth can acquire and use digital music. For each scenario, have the youth vote on whether it is legal, moral, both, or neither.

Use the cards to get youth talking about issues such as theft, how artists make their living, our "on-demand" world, and the difference between technological feasibility (whether or not one can do something) and moral significance (whether or not one should do something).

No matter the setting, music is a great tool for getting youth to open up and talk about important matters. The huge advantage you now have with sites like iTunes (www.itunes.com) is that there's almost no reason not to do so, since it's far more cost effective to download the one or two songs you really want than to rely on a few CDs you own.

A digital revolution is taking place. Has it reached your youth ministry yet?