Blessings and Challenges

On August 19th we had an awesome meeting with all of the folks gathered at the Outreach planning meeting.  We talked about Karios, Family Promise, Emily's Pantry, Christmas for CPS children and so much more in terms of our outreach ministries.  There is so much going on at All Saints in terms of outreach ministry!  You all were able to put a team of leaders together to take on the coordination for Family Promise as we transition leadership.  Denise and John Villanueva have done a wonderful job of holding up that ministry before us!  Thank you both.

We had close to 30 people in the room including about 8-10 youth.  Questions and ideas were taken from everyone including our young people as it pertains to outreach ministry.  We had so many folks that we ran out of food! What a blessing!  In our time together, the outpouring and commitment truly reflected the truth, that Service (outreach ministry) is a core value of All Saints.

I was so very pleased with how our discussion went and am so encouraged that we can have future gatherings like that on a semi-annual basis to ask the questions, "What Services are we doing?" and "How are we doing Service?"  Both of these questions were answered that day because you all are passionate about helping others!

On September 9th we had our annual Rally Day celebration to kick off the new year.  I got a different feel from that time together.  There were a lot of folks eating hot dogs and youth and kids outside on the wet inflatable.  But I sensed a different level of interest in that meeting.  As I called us together to discuss family ministry we had a lower level of attentiveness.

Rally Day highlights signups for new ministry and kicks-off ministry to youth and children.  It seemed to me to be a great day to roll out our plan for Family Ministry and how youth and children will be formed in a Christian setting through the Family Minister that we are looking to hire.  This is a ministry in which we have put a lot of prayer and consideration.  I'm very hopeful and excited about it, because I know it will mean a lot to each of us, young-in-years and old-in-years.

As I compare our Service-discussion to our Youth-discussion I'm struck by the difference in interest around the latter.  And I'd like to know more about what is happening in your hearts and minds on the subject.

We have an awesome church family with wonderful young people.  We have those young people for such a short time, I want for them to be able to depend on their relationship with Christ as they go out into the world.  And so their Christian Formation is very important.

In many ways their questions during our outreach conversation are already an example of the formation I want to see in them!  But if as parents there is hesitancy or a malaise regarding programs for youth and children I really need to know your thoughts and concerns. Come, and let's talk.

I am your priest and your pastor.  I love you all; if as your shepherd I'm leading you to a place that you are not sure about, I want to know.  As it pertains to your children and their spiritual formation as Christians and as Anglican/Episcopalians I want to help you be on board with the direction that we are going.

No matter what, your kids will have a priest who loves them, who respects them, and who will be there for them in crisis.  My ear is always available.
God bless you,
Fr. Stephen+

Around the Office Update #1

Since June and July, I have received a lot of positive feedback from parishioners when I've communicated that we have a strong vision that came out of the Vestry Retreat for the path All Saints will take.

That enthusiasm has encouraged me to better update you on the progress we have made and the steps we still need to take to continue on the path we have envisioned.  So this series of articles called Around the Office Updates are written to let you know what's happening in the office.  Generally I hope the articles will be shorter than this one.

The three items that came out of the vestry retreat were 1) to get me the administrative and communications help that I've needed 2) to put in place a ministry position that would focus on Christian Formation within our parish family and 3) to establish a long range planning group of parishioners to vision the stewardship of our campus and facilities.

The help I've needed has come online with our new administrator Sarah Peters.  Sarah attends church at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Richmond, just down the road from us.  Sarah is already up on the learning curve and I'm letting go of administrative duties that she can take care of for me.  She brings enthusiasm, flexibility, and energy into the office.  She's taken on updating our website, Facebook page, and advertisement duties as well as standard administrative duties.

The second staffing position we've been working toward is the Family Life Minister.   This position  will involve formation events that are targeted at the whole parish, but also give considerable weight to our youth and children.  I've received 3 verbal inquiries/clarifications (one from outside the parish) concerning this ministry.  As of today, I've received two rèsumès. I've put together a selection committee to help me with interviewing candidates.  The process has been and will continue to be shaped by prayer. And the position will be filled with a qualified and energetic individual!

Lastly, we have established our long range planning committee.  We will have had two meetings as of this week.  The first was an orientation meeting at the end of August which was fruitful conversation.  The second meeting is today with a representative from the bishop's office.  This meeting is for us to ask questions about how the diocese can support All Saints as we follow our path.

That's it for this week's update.  Don't forget that you're always welcome to join me in Morning Prayer Tues-Fri (a little after 8:30) as I pray for All Saints and our ministry together.
Fr. Stephen+

Children & Youth Corallary: Staffing for Ministry

(Scroll down for Parts 1 and 2)

In my previous articles I’ve outlined the program struggles that I’ve witnessed here at All Saints as I’ve continued to understand children and youth Christian Formation in our parish.  It appears that we have a chasm between what we want to have happen and what is happening in reality.  Our current reality is a desire to have a “traditional” youth minister form our youth into faithful Christians.  That appears to be a good desire.  

 But in reality what we are missing is that multi-generational and family support and nurturing of youth that cultivates their faith in the presence of the whole church.  A traditional youth ministry is structured to have an in-sourced person enter into the lives of the youth and outsource our youth in an age-secluded enclave where this one (hopefully two) person team is supposed to help form our children into Christians.   

This disconnect that professional youth ministers are seeing is that close relationships are formed with youth leaders but those relationships don't necessarily translate into mature adult roles in the life of the church.  

By my observations some cases can promote an us (youth) versus them (the rest of the church) mentality.   

The modern caricature of youth minister is stereotypically hip, with a “soul patch” under his lip and equipped with guitar and sandals.).  I don’t know what qualifies that caricature to be the one to shape the spiritual life of my children.  I think there is an alternative.

Upon my reading and reflection upon these ideas I’ve come to clarity on how we can proceed with forming our young people.  We’re going to try something different.  And actually, we’re turning the pages back.  What I believe God is showing us is the necessity of a multi-generational and familial style of Christian formation.

In this way we do not set the children apart from the church family in the hands of one instructor.  Instead we create an environment in which children and parents are given opportunities to discuss how their faith is played out in real life from Sunday to Sunday.

This method will tap into the core values of All Saints which is “Worship, Love, and Service.” The ministry to our young people will focus on those three values, and as we  begin to put our program into place you’ll see more clearly how serving as acolytes, attending children’s church, participating in family discussions around the lunch and dinner table, going on field trips, and serving at Emily’s Food Pantry will form these values in the disciples of Jesus that we hope to achieve.

[As we meet on our upcoming Rally Day for an informational meeting these activities and more will reveal a faithful path to nurture our young people into our Anglican tradition as Christians.] (September 9th)

Related to that, our vestry has approved to fund a new Parish Life Minister position.  This is a program staff position which will help us flesh-out and implement the structure outlined above.  The position will recruit volunteers for activities and provide resources to empower parents to exhibit faithful living with their kids.

I am very excited about the potential impact parents have on building faithful lives for their own children. I'm also excited about a staff position that is designed to coordinate opportunities and empower parents, youth, and children to be shape their lives in the light of Jesus.  I hope you will be excited too!

Children & Youth: So what are we going to do about it? Part 2 of 2

(Scroll down for Part 1)

In sincere efforts to bring the gospel to young people Churches will try just-about-anything to attract teenagers into the fellowship.  I had a clergy friend that served a church that was in a declining town in Texas.  One of the leaders of the church went up to Detroit to see the new cutting edge of youth activities. 

While she was there she was exposed to an incredibly vibrant ministry to youth that revolved around steel drum bands (steelpans).  When the lay leader returned to her church in Texas she proceeded to purchase steel drums to the tune of $15,000.  The only problem was that there was no one to play the drums.  The church up in Detroit had a specific ministry to an island population that already knew how to play and could readily incorporate new youth into their program.  This is just a sign that one size does not fit all.

Last week I wrote about the changing nature of youth ministry and the modern criticism that it has not been successful in forming lifelong Christians.  So rather than going out to purchase steel drum bands I’ve been looking at what we do here at All Saints as it relates to children and youth.  As we look at the ministries that are consistently supported with time (our most valuable resource) the two ministries that stand out the most are Children’s Church and Acolyte Ministry.  These two ministry do so much to form our young people as Anglican Christians.

Christian Formation is the process of instilling the “God Stories” into the lives of faithful people.  Christian Formation is the process of continuously building upon those foundational stories.  Christian Formation is already happening in Children’s Church.

I believe that from my research and from our shared struggles in children’s Sunday school the Sunday school hour before church for children is difficult to support.  So why do we pull teeth trying to keep it going when the formation we are looking for is taking place during our worship in Children’s Church?

Similarly formation for our teens and adolescents takes place in acolyte training and in worship.  As Anglicans and sacramental liturgical Christians we are shaped by our worship.  If you want to know what Anglicans apart from other Christians believe, open up the prayer book.  The Scriptures tell us what path Christians should walk.  The Book of Common Prayer shows us the unique path that Anglican Christians walk.  I think we will have more success if we merely bring our children to church and encourage them engage in our worship! 

• If your motivation is to form your children into faithful worshiping Christians we would all do better to consistently bring our children to church where the community Worships than to simply employ someone to teach them about doctrine and Christian ethics.
• If your motivation is to form your children into people who look to the church fellowship for friendship and support for ethical and just treatment then we would all do better to consistently bring our children to church-events in which Christians enjoy one-another’s company and practice the godly fruits of the Spirit.

That's leads me to next week's article.
Next week: Children and Youth Corollary-Staffing for ministry.

Children & Youth: What's the problem? Part 1 of 2

In this last year at All Saints I have been prayerfully seeking God’s direction on how to structure the Christian Formation of our young people.  During this transitional time as we concluded our traditional youth ministry program to today, Kate and I have co-led Sunday school class that morphed into a confirmation class.  We enjoyed our weekly conversations with youth about Christian faith, teaching and where God is acting in the lives of our young people. 

The youth preparing for confirmation were in regular attendance, but other youth were hit and miss, unable to attend these Sunday morning meetings.  There are a number of factors that contribute to this inconsistancy. 

• Families do struggle to get out of the house on Sunday mornings and/or they are coming from farther out.
• The curriculum we used for confirmation was geared toward a junior high age group, and so we did lose interest in some (not all) of our senior high youth.  
• There is also lethargy toward traditional forms of education.

I think it helps to consider that “Sunday School” originated in the industrial age as an outreach ministry to teach children how to read.  The source text used in reading was the bible.  For generations children were taught to read in church not in public or parochial schools.

Today, young people are taught to read in regular schools.  In my studies of the subject it occurs to me that over one hundred years ago there was an alternative motive for being engaged in Sunday school.  The motive to read is no longer the same in Sunday school. 

(Please take a moment to read this article http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/asktheexpert/whendidsundayschoolstart.html )

Similarly our youth ministry is in the midst of change and re-shaping.  As Ed James retired Tracey Spiller and I stepped into the gap to create opportunities for fellowship and outings for our junior and senior high youth.  There was an initial enthusiasm and we had consistent attendance until Spring Break where we saw a decline of interest in the field trips.  

I have intentionally drawn back on major events such as the annual summer mission trip which adds strain to a tired volunteer base.  The last two summers we have focused on sending youth to camp and local outreach missions that serve in the Houston area.  In the last year and a half we have dramatically reduced the number of youth fund raisers.

Recent reflections from veteran youth ministers indicate that the youth movements of the 1970-90s may have had some unexpected consequences to the formation of youth as Christians.  While many youths continue to be enthusiastically engaged in ministry throughout junior and senior high school, by the time they leave for college or set out on life’s journey they lacked the ability to relate to church in adult ways.  

Some ministers are concluding that we have formed a generation of adults looking for their youth group experience.  This reflects the current Christian propensity toward consumer Christianity.  The consumerism is a mentality that says, “What can I get from my church?” as opposed to, “What can I give to Christ’s Kingdom?”

(Please take time to read these articles.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/church-services-separated-by-age-un-biblical-say-former-youth-pastors-52964/ 

http://thegospelside.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/memo-to-senior-pastors-what-to-do-about-these-youth/ )

Having experienced these struggles personally, and being equipped with modern perspectives on youth movements and Sunday school we are confronted with a system of youth ministry that is no longer working for us.

Next week-- Children and Youth: So what are we going to do about it?