Youth ministry does not begin and end with the weekly youth group meeting. That being said, it is a significant piece of building relationships to make disciples of Jesus.
So my question is "What does Lent do to your youth ministry schedule?"
In my visits over the years (within the AFLC and outside of it), I get three general responses:
#1) No Change
The church season comes and the church season goes. The youth ministry schedule stays the same. Blessed be the name of consistency!
#2) Big Days, Big Changes
Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter bring some radical changes (i.e. Ash Wed service is in place of youth group, Good Friday cancels out youth group for the week, etc.) The youth ministry schedule celebrates the big church calendar days with the rest of the congregation. Blessed be the name of celebration!
#3) Complete Shift
A weekly lenten service replaces Wednesday youth group (if that's when you have it) for the weeks leading up to Easter. It's as if we ask teens to give up youth group for Lent. Blessed be the name of lenten services!
I do have some personal preferences, and from years growing up until now I have been involved in, understand the value of, and ministered in all three. But your approach is much more interesting to me.
So, what's going on? What's good and what's difficult?
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3 comments:
I sort of like the idea of giving up youth ministry for Lent -- or at least part of it. Think I might ask my group this week what part of their weekly schedule do we want to give up in order to make space for something else in Lent. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks Brian!
My goal was to evaluate what is going on, and guard from just doing "what we've always done". I'm not speaking for change just for the sake of change, but changing things up for the sake of the goal: continued tranformation of students' lives into the image of Christ. Keep pressing on by faith!
The one thing I have learned through the years, ever since the Pastor asked me to do it, was to call every youth on the phone or contact them in some way prior to any youth gathering. We called it Luther League then! You know, I have done this through the years - at the heart of this is showing love and concern for students, showing interest in them.
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