What s The Purpose??? (Building Strong Young People)

What s The Purpose??? (Building Strong Young People)

Purpose of Local YPD Come together to study the Bible, the AME Church and the Constitution and Bylaws of the WMS and the Bylaws of YPD Perform Service projects in the community Conduct and participate in workshops on Christian Social relations and family life issues. Pursue experiences for leadership development in the church and community Build a community of children, youth and young adults that strengthen the organization and church.

Purpose of the Area YPD To unify the work of the local church To stimulate the YPD through workshops and other events To be the connecting link Conference YPD To be support of the Local YPD purpose To help facilitate programs and activities on the local level

YPD Director s Role Be Informed and Share Information with YPDers, Church, Parents, etc. Be engaged and involved in YPDers life. Help YPDers acquire knowledge and skills needed to be good leader Encourage YPDers to learn and understand the history, values and beliefs of the YPD & AME Church Facilitate the development of individual strengths and leadership styles Facilitate the development of ethics, values and ethical reasoning Involve youth in collaborative experiences and teamwork Provide opportunities to network with peers and the community Involve youth in significant relationships with mentors, positive role models and other nurturing adults Encourage participation in workshops on issues affecting them Bring awareness to young people regarding the plights of other through the implementation of mission projects

Five Purpose of Ministry Evangelism is sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with those who don t yet have a personal relationship with him. Worship-Celebrating God s presence and honoring him with our lifestyles Fellowship-True fellowship happens when people are known, cared for, held accountable and encouraged in their spiritual journey. Discipleship is the term regularly used to describe the building up or strengthening of believers in their quest to be like Christ. Ministry-Ministry can be defined as meeting needs with love

Purpose Statement How do you use the five purposes of ministry to help you fulfill the purpose of the local YPD? Does your Church have a purpose or mission statement? Does the YPD purpose of mission fit with the overall purpose of your church? How to create a purpose statement? A purpose statement should be simple A purpose statement should be meaningful A purpose statement should be action oriented A purpose statement should be compelling

Share your Purpose Statement Your purpose cannot be known until you share it. Who should your Purpose Statement be shared with? Your YPDers-They should know the purpose of the YPD at all levels. Especially the local YPD Volunteers-To best serve they need to know the purpose of what they are involved in. Parents-Parents need to know that they are involving their children in an organization that has a purpose and plan that will be beneficial to their child. Church Leaders-The pastors, the officers, the Missionaries, etc. need to know and understand the purpose so they can be supported spiritually and financially.

Who is your Current or Potential Audience (YPDers) The YPD is made of 4 groups of your people Mother Sunbeams(Ages 2-6) Allen Stars(Ages 7-12) Young People s Auxiliary (Ages 13-17) Young Adults(Ages 18-25)

Current or Potential Audience by Commitment Levels Community-Young people who live in the community and are noncommittal in their attendance of church Crowd-Young people who attend service only Congregation-Young people who attend service regularly and involved in one or two of the organizations or ministries Committed-Young people who are committed to developing spiritual habits such as personal Bible Study, Scripture memorization, giving and commitment to the church as a whole. Core-Young people who have discovered their giftedness and want to express it through ministering to others.

What is each audience committed to? Community-committed to not attending church they are living apart from Christ. Crowd-committed to attending your church they are hearing about Christ. Congregation-committed to a small group(ypd, choir, dance, ushers,etc)- they have a relationship with Christ and with other Christians Committed-committed to spiritual habits they are growing in Christ Core-committed to doing ministry they are serving because of Christ.

Audience + Purpose = program What type of programs or events will fulfill the five purposes and reach your current and/or potential audience? Community + Evangelism = community service program like Soup Kitchen, toy or clothing give away, neighborhood clean up Crowd + Worship = Youth Worship services, VBS, opportunities to participate in services Congregation + Fellowship = Bible study groups, youth retreats and workshops(workshop & Institute, District Meeting, etc.), Mission work, charity walks Committed + Discipleship = Prayer group, Quiet Time Journal to record more consistent bible study and prayer time. Opportunities to assist with development and implementing of youth programs. Core + Ministry = Leadership training, Service opportunities, Evangelism opportunities

Engaging the Parents Create a Teamwork Mentality Parents are not the enemy Recognize your limited role as a Youth Worker Develop Relationship with Parents Keep Communication Clear Communicate Regularly(Calendars, text message, phone calls, etc) Encourage Two-Way Communication Create a Parent Network Find Been There Parents Design Family Programs Facilitate Family Fun(game night, movie nights, bowling party, etc)

Engaging People (You Can t do this alone!) Keep it Simple-When looking for help don t make it All or Nothing commitment. Look for people to serve on one or more of the following teams Cheerleading Team-consists of people in your church who show support for your youth group. They speak positively about your youth group and speak positively to your youth group. Resource Team-consists of people who have talents, ability and/or possessions that can help your youth group. This group might not want to spend time with the youth but are willing to use their resources to support your group. Prayer Team-consists of people who participate by supporting the youth group thru prayer Hands on Team-consists of people who will work directly with and care for the members of the youth group.

Look beyond the Norm When looking for people to assist with your youth ministry look for 2 qualities A Love of God A heart for young people Consider the following people Senior Citizens College Students introverts mechanics Young married Single Parents Musicians Accountants Mature Christians New Christians IT people Athletes Parents entrepreneurs busy people blue collar workers White collar worker cooks old married people with rough pasts

Summary Define your Purpose Create your purpose statement Discover and know your audience Create your programs to fit the right audience Team up with the Parents Remember they are not an Enemy but an Allied Engage people to help Remember you are not in this alone.

Resources YPD Important Dates YPD Handbook Contact Information Local YPD Director Checklist Area YPD Director Checklist