YOUTH MINISTRY ASSESSMENT REPORT Building Sustainable Ministries... One Church at a Time

Transcription

1 YOUTH MINISTRY ASSESSMENT REPORT Building Sustainable Ministries... One Church at a Time Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church Denver, CO By Stephanie Caro, Senior Consultant stephanie.caro@ministryarchitects.com BACKGROUND Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church of Denver, CO, is a beautiful church nestled in an equally beautiful neighborhood of Denver. Church members, young and older alike, describe their church family as welcoming, friendly, smart, and open to questioning. In fact, their four key focus words are: Question * Think * Serve * Grow The membership of the church is around 1438 and on an average week, 600 people attend one of the church s two worship services at 8:30 AM and 11:00 AM (with one service at 10:00 AM in the summer months). Rev. Ian Cummins and Rev. Clover Reuter Beal serve as co-pastors of the church. Rev. Laurie Lyter Bright came in January of 2017 to serve as the Minister of Youth and Families for an interim term till June She comes on staff after the previous associate pastor filling that staff role for 16 years answered the call to full-time missions ministry. Currently, there are about th through 12 th graders on the rolls of the church. During a typical week, about 55 of them participate in either Sunday school, worship, youth group, youth choir, drama, Confirmation, etc. They also have yearly favorite events like summer mission trips, favorite fundraiser traditions, and more. The youth ministry is described by some youth and parents as a fun and welcoming place, while others say it is a transitioning untethered ministry. The church has an operating budget of $111,780 dedicated to the youth ministry. This includes the program budget expenses as well as the salary and benefits for the staff. There are about 7 adult volunteers involved each week in one of the major youth programs. Others help at special events or behind the scenes throughout the year. Page 1 of 14

2 There is also an active youth committee, which reports to the Session and meets periodically to discover ways they can support and give direction to the youth ministry. Ministry Architects was invited to do an assessment of the youth ministry and to make recommendations about how it might move strategically forward. Ministry Architects met with 35 individuals in 5 focus groups or one-on-one meetings. What follows are the findings gleaned from those conversations along with recommendations and a proposed timeline for the future. YOUTH MINISTRY IN CONTEXT One lens Ministry Architects likes to use for understanding youth ministry is the idea of the three rents. Youth ministries that pay these rents tend to have much greater freedom to be creative, take risks, and experiment with innovative ideas. Those youth ministries that fail to pay these rents often find themselves mired in distrust, secondguessing, and discouragement. It has been Ministry Architects experience that though these three rents, in and of themselves, do not ensure an effective or faithful ministry, they are often the most immediate evaluation tools used by youth, parents, staff, and the congregation at large. Rent #1: NUMBERS: A significant percentage of youth need to be participating visibly in some aspect of the church s ministry. It is important for this target number to be clearly agreed on by the church leaders and the staff. Ironically, when target numbers are not established, the youth ministry is typically more likely to be judged by numbers than if the target numbers are clearly established. The consensus is that this rent is not being paid due to the transitional angst around the youth program. Rent #2: PROGRAMS: In order to earn the right to experiment with changes, the youth leadership needs to provide the church with a few visible, effective youth programs that give both youth and parents something to talk about. This rent appears to be paid; there are wonderful programs the youth are doing that people buzz about, like Confirmation and mission trips. Rent #3: ENTHUSIASM: The joyful enthusiasm and positive attitude of the youth staff, volunteers, and the youth themselves are essential to building trust with the leadership of the church and with the parents. Due to the expressed angst by some about the programming, yet others naming it as cautious optimism, this rent is / is not being paid on time. As the leadership of the youth ministry develops its long-range vision, it will need, at the same time, to be attentive to these three rents. In this sense, the youth ministry faces parallel challenges. Page 2 of 14

3 Ministry Architects pictures the parallel challenge this way: As the youth ministry leadership steps into this parallel process, five rules of thumb youth ministry norms will be helpful to keep in mind. These are not necessarily targets for success; they are simply what an average church typically experiences: 1) 10% of the Worshiping Congregation: In a typical church, the size of the youth ministry tends to settle at a number that is around 10% of the worshiping congregation. A church with an average worship attendance of 600 could expect an average weekly attendance of around 60 youth per week. The current weekly attendance of 55 youth is slightly below what could be expected from the ministry. 2) 20% Ceiling: Ministry Architects has also discovered that in many churches, the youth ministry has difficulty growing beyond a level that equals 20% of the weekly worshiping congregation. Very few youth ministries seem to be able to break beyond this 20% level. MBPC might keep in mind, then, that the expected ceiling for this youth ministry is around 120 youth. The road to that level of participation is dependent on increased staffing, volunteers and budget. 3) $1,500 per Youth: With a budget of approximately $111,780 (including program budget and staff salaries) dedicated to the youth ministry, MBPC has the capacity to effectively reach and maintain a weekly participation level of somewhere in the neighborhood of 74 youth in some aspect of the church s life. With 55 currently participating every week, the ministry is well-funded for continued growth. 4) 1 Full-Time Staff Person for Every 50 Youth: Considering all the positions giving time to the youth ministry, MBPC has the equivalent of 1.25 full time staff person (between the Minister to Youth and the music staffing dedicated to youth age Page 3 of 14 Laying the Foundation: Building a foundation and infrastructure that will ensure the youth ministry s future effectiveness, and at the same time, Continuing to Do Ministry: Maintaining the current youth ministry in a way that builds the enthusiasm of youth, their families, the staff and the church at large.

4 choirs). According to this rule of thumb, Montview has the capacity to sustain the engagement of about 63 youth on a weekly basis. With 55 currently participating, the current staff configuration allows room for a small amount of growth. 5) 1 Adult for Every 5 Youth: Ministry Architects likes to think in terms of spans of care, recognizing that, realistically, most volunteers cannot effectively oversee the church s Christian nurture of more than about five youth on an ongoing basis. With 7 weekly volunteers, MBPC is currently at a ratio of 1 adult leader to every 8 youth, giving the ministry a capacity for 35 youth weekly. In other words, the team is too small to attend to the relational needs of the 55 youth who currently attend. The volunteer pool should expand if the church wants to sustain its impact with youth. Page 4 of 14

5 BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE STAFF When a ministry is based solely on the giftedness of a single staff person, instability is a predictable result. Ministry Architects has found that the most stable approach to staffing a ministry, particularly in the early stages of a rebuild, is to build a staff of three different kinds of people: The Architect: A person or organization that designs the building plan and ensures that building is done in compliance with the agreed-upon plan. In the case of Montview, there is a Youth Committee in place ready to serve as the architects. They have been briefed on the importance of representing the congregation and its DNA in youth ministry. They are planning ways to gain clarity in their purpose and parameters. This report will serve as an initial set of blueprints while they work on more permanent plans. The General Contractor: A person or team who manages the flow and sequencing of work, manages the building process according to the agreed-upon blueprint, and ensures that the appropriate number of laborers is in place for each stage of the project. In the case of the ministry that reaches the youth at Montview, there are a few contractors in the form of the Minister to Youth and Families and the Minister of Music. The Laborers: Those people charged with specific gifts and responsibilities for particular aspects of the work. In youth ministry, a laborer might have particular skills in relating to youth, in planning and managing events, or in teaching. For MBPC, the ministry is currently under-volunteered for even the amount of youth currently coming. With focus on a comprehensive recruiting process and changing the narrative surrounding the youth ministry to one of joy, the volunteer numbers should increase. Each of these roles is important as Montview Pres pursues a more sustainable model of youth ministry. As the church moves forward, the following observations will be helpful to keep in mind: In many churches, there is no person or group playing the role of the architect. The ministry simply moves from one event to the next without a clear vision or stated outcomes. Sometimes paid staff are not given the time or training to do their important work as the general contractor of a complex ministry. The staff is often expected to serve in all three of these roles. This is a recipe for congregational dissatisfaction and staff burnout. Some churches hire a laborer who is skilled at leading singing, playing games or teaching a Bible lesson. These laborers often mature into an architect or a general contractor, but only if they are given permission, time, and training. Page 5 of 14

6 ASSETS Strengths to protect in the current youth ministry Passionate People The people of Montview love God and each other. From that love comes an intense desire to see the best for the children and youth of the church. Each of the adults in the listening groups and from comments in the online survey, it is evident that church members take this ministry seriously. Mediocrity is not acceptable; it s not the Montview way. One member said, We re willing to make it happen. Another shared, I think everybody is interested in having the next year be successful. Willing Leaders Church leaders and youth ministry alike participated in this process, expressing their desire to do what it takes to advance the cause of the youth ministry. From one adult, We want what we had as youth. We want our students to want to be here. It s important. From another, Tell us what we can do to make the youth ministry better. When there is a clarity of need when all know the ministry isn t what it could be it puts everyone on the same page willing to do what it takes. Stellar Students Wow! The students who participated in the listening group are amazing: smart, educated, well-spoken, kind, fun the list could go on. They also expressed a savvy insight into what had happened in the ministry and how things could move forward. Student leadership ability runs rampant among the students of Montview. Clergy that Cares It is very apparent that the clergy of Montview truly want to see the youth ministry be the best it can be for the families of the church. It s evident in them bringing on Ministry Architects to coach the youth team through home improvement renovations. The two co-pastors and the associate pastor assigned to the youth ministry have made themselves available to this process. They are willing to be a part of youth events and consider the ministry a top priority. Resources Montview is a church with resources in time, talent, and treasure. In addition to being able to provide full-time staffing, there are many ways Montview uses its talents to reach out to students. Such programs like the youth-age choirs, Musique and Masque, Pulpit Players, etc., reach students in winsome creativity. Page 6 of 14

7 Confirmation Confirmation is taken joyfully serious at Montview, so seriously that an entire Sunday school year is dedicated towards it and the church s 8 th graders. This year s class, under the direction of the interim pastor of youth ministry, took a direction towards going deeper and a focus on personalized growth. This year s class is 31 students compared to 8 last year. Something wonderful to celebrate! No Questions are Off-Limits Montview Presbyterian is a church where everyone is welcome and no question is off the table. Inquiring minds are encouraged, and no one is made to feel judged by questioning matters of corporate or personal faith. People from all walks of life attend Montview for this very reason and that personality trait has weaved its way into the life of the youth ministry. CHALLENGES Obstacles to moving the youth ministry strategically forward Transitional Woes In most cases, churches don t like staff transitions. This is especially true when a staff person with a long-term tenure leaves a youth ministry, and it s true for the youth and parents at MBPC. Even though the leadership of MBPC made a savvy move to bring on the current temporary Minister to Youth and Families, it s understandable that families want to know what the long-term solution for staffing will be. The angst dial is turned up a little higher than is good for the ministry and it will be important for everyone who loves the church, the youth ministry, and especially the teenagers to find a way to breath into this time of making the ministry even better for what s to come. Said by one adult, There s anxiety happening and all we have is a couple of years with our high school youth; you may never get them back. Without a widely-agreed upon plan, people create their own plan and rarely are those plans similar. Searching for Systems Imagine building a wedding dance floor: Top-notch construction may not be noticed by the wedding guests; they just go ahead having a great time celebrating. But what if the floor was poorly constructed? People would begin to grumble as one-after-another accidents happened, depriving guests of a positive, memorable experience. Squaring the corners (well-organized systems and processes) of a youth ministry may not be the fun part of the work, but it provides the foundational support every successful youth ministry needs. People don t tend to notice the systems when they re functioning well. It s when poor organization reigns that unhappiness gets vocalized verbally or Page 7 of 14

8 through non-participation. Missing from the youth ministry are solid default systems that keep everyone happily informed and on point. One common downside to a long-term staffing tenure is that the systems needed to undergird a youth ministry can sometimes lean towards the method that person created for their style of ministry implementation. This is the case for MBPC s youth ministry. A number of organizational systems that provide sustainability in a youth ministry before, during, and after a staff person comes to serve is missing from the youth ministry. Missing from the youth ministry infrastructure: Cloud-based Attendance Tracking for every program that provides ministry to youth, whether it come under youth ministry, music, drama, worship, or something else. An example is that the numbers for this report have been hard to come by. In today s technological world, a few clicks on the keys can produce that information. Volunteer Development System that periodically creates, updates, recruits, and resources all the spots where the laity of the church can serve the church. Under the previous leadership, many of the volunteers were friends and family, and thus left when the associate pastor left. With no system in place, roles go unfilled, members miss out on filling their call, and the ministry suffers. Systematic Contact Plan There are a number of youth on the rolls of the church and a regular process that periodically connects them to adults in the youth ministry would be good strategy and good ministry. Consistent invitations, updates, postcards on birthdays, etc., will show a busy teenager that he is a valuable part of the church family even if MIA. A secondary piece to the contact plan is a solid, multi-step default process that has multiple people following up with first-timers to any of the church s ministry to youth. Unclear Committee Clarity Parents, staff, and Youth Committee members themselves all expressed that they were glad there s a Youth Committee but that no one seemed really clear on what their job description is and what boundaries surround their decision-making process. They know that the official path is from them to the Youth Elder to the Session. But there were questions about where clergy fit in to the decision-making process and what was their role vs the Minister of Youth and Families. Weedy Christian Formation Path The ministry to youth is operating without an over-arching discipleship path for 6 th -12 th graders. A well-defined scope and sequence for its Christian educational path is missing. Page 8 of 14

9 Montview needs to determine what it wants its youth to know, feel, and do with their Christian faith upon high school graduation before sending them off into parts unknown. Above and beyond a great Confirmation scope and sequence, each part of the youth ministry should weave together to cover everything Montview wants covered, avoiding any holes and potential duplicity. Without that, how can the youth ministry meet spiritual expectations reflecting the personality of the church? Missing from the youth ministry: A set of core Christian educational competencies representing DNA 6 th -12 th grade YM scope and sequence covering all program pieces Purpose for each program piece with a spiritual formation component Rites of Passage/Memory Makers/Milestones Ages and Stages beyond Confirmation Curriculum Core Comparison charts Topical/Subject Calendar Disconnect When asked in the listening groups and on the survey to describe the current state of the youth ministry, disconnected was the most frequently used adjective. When delved into further, people felt that that youth ministry didn t quite have it all together, especially in this season of transition and change. Older students are feeling the pain of disconnecting from the previous leader and haven t had the chance to connect with their new leader. This is a common dynamic whenever there s a change of leaders, but it s none-the-less painful as direction and allegiance shift from one place to another. No Summer Sizzle The summer calendar for the youth ministry is just a little too empty. Sure, families vacation but not everyone goes away for the entire summer. June-August is the time that many successful youth ministries plan their summer trip (which Montview does a beautiful job of providing) and schedules some low maintenance with high relational building events. These events provide youth with something fun to bring their friends. One student said, We need a few more things where we can invite our friends and just chill. Students even suggested a few easy-to-pull-off events and were sad they weren t already on the calendar. Passionate People Sometimes a great strength can also be a challenge in a ministry and this is the case for the youth ministry at Montview. People with a stake in the ministry are so passionate that the varying opinions of what makes for successful ministry are becoming a roadblock for forward unified movement. It will be important for all parties connected to serving the youth ministry, both staff and laity, to find ways to be harmonious in leadership. Page 9 of 14

10 Impressionable students need to observe adults finding common ground rather than viewing a ministry where divided islands are created. Sunday Night or Wednesday Night? The Wednesday Night all family concept for Wednesday is a great one it s just not working for the youth group main meeting. Several people commented on how the time allotted is too short. Both students and parents alike commented on how Wednesday night is just not a good time for their schedule given the fact that Montview is a regional church. People drive from all over to attend there and mid-week doesn t work for long distances and busy teen schedules piled on top. The youth leadership team has officially asked for the youth group to go back to meeting on Sunday night when fall programming (Not so) Fabulous Facility With all the resources Montview has at its fingertips, there were several comments that the youth facilities were less than desirable. Outdated furniture and technology were mentioned. One person said, Why would my child want to bring a friend to a place where the space doesn t look like students are welcome? Inconsistent In a busy world where the family calendar drives all things, getting things on that calendar early and with accuracy is paramount. Several comments were heard about the youth ministry s inconsistency in meeting. Last minute cancellations were spoken of as well as were infrequent meetings. Comments heard, We re not consistently meeting. We re inconsistent. We don t have a set schedule and so we don t know when to come. This dynamic is most unfortunate when it happens in a program trying to re-orient itself around a new model and leader. Inconsistency leads to lack of critical mass (students/families not making youth events a priority), which can lead to more infrequency. We need a month plan and to work the plan, and we need a longterm plan, said one leader. Page 10 of 14

11 RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Reframe the next 18 months as a time of building long-term infrastructure for the youth ministry. Understanding that significant and immediate momentum will be built throughout the process of renovating the youth ministry, target December 2018 as the date when the youth ministry renovation will be complete. 2. Establish a Prayer Team to undergird this renovation process. 3. Present this report to the Session, requesting that they endorse an 18-month strategic design process for the youth ministry. 4. Establish a Youth Ministry Renovation Team, made up of at least 3-5 nonanxious, goal-oriented volunteers and the Minister to Youth and Families who will work closely with Ministry Architects (contracted for the first 2-3 months) to ensure that the outcomes of this assessment are achieved. These recommendations include two overarching responsibilities: I. Addressing the immediate pressure points facing the ministry as it transitions toward a thriving, sustainable youth ministry (e.g., keeping the trains running on time) II. Implementing the strategic, long-term recommendations of this report (e.g., building a new railway system) 5. Partner with Ministry Architects to take responsibility for I. Managing the renovation process, working with the staff and volunteers to ensure the achievement of the outcomes outlined in this report s timeline II. Assisting the youth ministry in overcoming the obstacles that are certain to arise in the process of renovating the youth ministry. 6. Address the current pressure points facing the youth ministry: Pressure Point #1: Quick Wins with Positive Branding The climate around the youth ministry at MBPC would be blessed to have a few immediate celebrations within the next 90 days and stories rolled out from those wins. These are ideas that youth, volunteers, parents, and staff all feel good about and commit to celebrating through Sunday announcements, social media, s blasts, etc. Ideas include and named by the youth: Elitch s, a lock-in, Cops and Robbers Night, the water park. Any event where we could just chill and talk. Page 11 of 14

12 Pressure Point #2: Build the Team The key to any successful ministry today is an intentional volunteer and staff development system, one that allows buy-in from all, on-ramps for new people, quality training and resourcing, and great communication. Leadership recommendations include: Leadership Development: Complete results-based, written job descriptions for all paid and volunteer positions in the youth ministry and create a structure for the ongoing training of all volunteers at least quarterly. Volunteer Recruitment: Build a fortified volunteer leadership team, some of who will do relational ministry with youth while others work behind the scenes. Create a clear and complete list of the volunteer needs. Create a fishing pond list of at least 30 possible volunteers to call on for regular volunteer positions. o o o o Make a list of immediate volunteer positions that need to be filled Using the church directory or a small team of people who know everybody! create a list of potential volunteers. Divide up this list of potential volunteers and begin calling them personally. Go back to step one until all positions have been filled. Leadership Launch: Schedule and implement an inspiring leadershiptraining event for all volunteer youth workers at the beginning of each school year. Volunteers receive packets that includes guidelines, teaching calendar, month activity calendar, training resources, vision/goals, etc. Especially important this year because the student leaders, adult leaders, and staff need to cement ways they joyfully enjoy each other. Pressure Point #3: Staffing Process Communication It is important for everyone to know what s happening in regards to the shortterm/long-term staffing plan for the youth ministry on a long-term basis. Ideas for rolling out a staffing communication plan: A letter from the pastors to the entire youth family mailing list Quarterly parents/staff meetings with updates given starting with one sharing this report. An online published search process timeline with weekly updates given Page 12 of 14

13 7. Build the long-term infrastructure required for a sustainable youth ministry. Host a Quick Start Summit: Invite the Renovation Team, key volunteers, and youth staff to participate in a Quick Start Summit in which the renovation process is launched and the pressure points outlined in the Assessment Report are addressed. The Summit tackles the items that need to be done first, and builds momentum for the youth ministry renovation process. Christian Formation Summit: Gather a team for a Christian Formation Summit to discuss the learning objectives of each age level and how these might be accomplished utilizing curriculum, milestones and special programming. Evaluate the upcoming curriculum to ensure its effectiveness. Develop a long-range scope and sequence as well as a set of core competencies for the youth ministry programming. Develop a clear plan for milestones and special events to shape the faith formation through the ages and stages. Determine how the curriculum selected will be communicated to volunteers. Decide what level of training will be required prior to full implementation. Control Document Development: Complete and publish an 18-month calendar, create major event notebooks to help event planners succeed, and generate a preventative maintenance calendar that schedules behind-thescenes activities for each month (like September: nail down the date for next year s high school mission trip ). Attendance: Track attendance for all youth activities and develop a cloudbased attendance system that allows for easy access to weekly participation numbers. All programs with youth attending should be tracked and everyone connected trained on how to give input. Marketing: Establish clear internal marketing processes that allow parents, youth, leaders, and the broader church to be exposed to the successes and good news surrounding the youth ministry. Schedule: Tweak the weekly schedule for corporate youth group activities. Strongly consider the letter and recommendations made by the Youth Ministry Committee in May Page 13 of 14

14 Communication: Establish normative processes for effective and timely communication with parents, youth, and leaders utilizing as many forms of communication as possible including updating the youth page of the church s website, Facebook, mass texting, mail, , etc. Youth Ministry Manual: Develop a Youth Ministry Manual, including the most recent youth directory, a Month calendar, results-based job descriptions for staff and volunteers, compliance documents, budgets, game plans, a preventative maintenance calendar, and a major event notebook for every major youth ministry event. Fall Kick-Off/Parent Orientation: Develop an intentional, family-based, incredibly fun Fall Kickoff event to launch the youth ministry in the fall of Use that event to cast the vision, share information, and build enthusiasm about the year ahead. Youth Contact: Develop and implement processes for ensuring that each youth or youth parent in the church receives a contact from someone on the youth leadership team at least once a month Retention Plans for the Youth Ministry: Create game plans for o Keeping youth involved in the youth programs after Confirmation o Continuing to engage youth who have gotten their drivers license o Intentionally reaching out to missing-in-action (MIA) youth and reconnecting them with the life of Montview. Facilities: Explore the possibilities for a renovation or redesign of the youth space to better serve the youth of Montview. Propose options for the above to the Session for revision or approval. Conduct a usage study for the youth space. Assess its creative use and consider new ways to leverage this valuable resource. Give youth an opportunity to take part in this study as well as any creative design work. Relational Strategy: Develop a plan for the staff and volunteers to foster a relational atmosphere and build incarnational relationships with youth for deep and long-lasting impact in the ministry. Page 14 of 14