Relational Leadership Collaborative

Leadership Training

Uncategorized

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For Parents Four Reasons

Reprint this! Adjust for your setting.
Let your parents know why that what you do is vital!

 
by Lyle Griner

 My kids are already overly busy! Why do they need one more thing at church?

Psychology says our self-worth is woven from a sense of uniqueness, belonging, hope and purpose. God wraps these into our baptismal promise. We are each uniquely gifted. We are set into a body of people called the church. Our hope is in a God and life that is never ending. Our purpose is our calling.

Here is what we offer your youth…

Belonging – We have amazing people you want your youth to know!  Peer pressure can be a great thing in the midst of safe people, in safe places, encouraged in safe conversations.   Living life and faith can only be learned by rubbing shoulders with those who model and mentor it. We work constantly to create a caring, welcoming and affirming culture of relationships with trained youth and adult leaders.

Hope – Your son or daughter will find an assurance of hope that will make sense of this world! Everything, everything, everything ends except the hope, faith, love and grace the church embodies. Discovering the disappointments, unfairness, hurts and sorrows of this world is confusing. Our youth ministry is a spiritual place. We talk about the good and the bad of life. We enter into faith practices that help us be aware of God in our midst.

Uniqueness – Your son or daughter will discover and use gifts as well as the reasons God created him or her! He or she will often here the words, “We need you!” We believe God created each of us with a unique design, a set of gifts, skills and abilities. We all need to be needed. We work hard to plug in your son or daughter’s uniqueness throughout our church.

Purpose – Your son or daughter will discover a practice and attitude of being a servant leader! We don’t just talk about ministry, we do it. Throughout the year we participate in a number of service opportunities that are about making life better for others. We also emphasize that youth are doing ministry every day, everywhere and in every relationship by the fact they are with people all day long. We give our youth people skills and values that help them to love others because Christ first loved us.

That is four big, crucial reasons.
Now here are some of our entrance doors!

(If your programs don’t quite measure up to this description… Let’s talk! CLICK to email)

(list your upcoming events)
Every WED night…
Retreats…
Service events…
Peer Ministry Leadership training…
Relational fun nights out…
Worship events…
Youth gatherings…
Music opportunities…
“We need you” extras…
Mentoring opportunities…
Family Faith nights…

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Your Letter of Call

No more recruiting people for programs. Call them for ministry!

“I am JUST a VOLUNTEER.”  How many times have people said that? No more “Justing!” allowed. No more volunteering allowed! You are the front lines of ministry. Jesus becomes real when real people like you live, wonder, struggle, talk about, and encourage faith are personally present. Here is your letter of call.

LETTER OF CALL

This is an invitation to enter into a modeling and mentoring youth ministry that supports our mission of…

    STUDENTS equipped with
        SKILLS for caring, welcoming and affirming others
            LIVED every day, everywhere and in every relationship
                LOVING, because Christ first loved us.

NAME OF CHURCH is excited and honored to invite you into this team of crucial, faith shaping, life affirming relational ministers. We think you will find this to be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling ministry experiences you could have. Please prayerfully consider this call. I will be contacting you this next week to answer any questions and talk further about possibilities.

Attached is a job description and a list of our standards. This will give you a beginning idea of what we are asking. Most of all we want you and your willingness to share in the faith and life of our youth.

Signed by     (Youth Minister)          Dated

Signed by          Youth from our Leadership Team
(include the signatures of multiple youth)

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FUNNEL PLANNING

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This is the easiest way to be aware of group dynamics and to intentionally plan for them. Every time you enter with your group imagine a funnel. Your job? Help people move through the funnel.  Just because your last event took you to the bottom level of us and our don’t assume you can skip the top level next time you meet. Think through the funnel every time you prepare a program!     

I & ME – top of funnel When people first enter a group they are coming from many situations in life. Somebody is worried about taking off time to come when they should be studying. Someone else just had a fight with his or her mom. Another person just found out that his or her boy friend or girl friend wants to break up. While yet another person just found out they got the lead in the school play. Each person is experiencing his or her own unique thoughts and feeling. People are thinking in terms of I or me.     
  • Be intentionally welcoming
  • Youth and adult leaders engage participants in casual conversations
  • Use activities that engage people as soon as they enter
  • Start with a nonthreatening, everyone is included game
  • Food!
  • Humor, laugh together

THEY & THEM – middle of funnel

As people begin to participate in the group, they begin to get to know each other. Names are learned, group norms are established, and trust begins to build. Participants think and describe group members as, “those people,” or say, “I met them the other night.”

People test out the group at this stage. Norms are tested to discover if they are real. Roles are explored. “Will they accept me if I tell jokes?” Or, “Will they listen to me if I share something personal?” Or, “Will the leader let me get away with putting another person down?” 

  • Youth “Culture Keeper” Welcome 
  • Written group norms displayed and reviewed
  • Name expectations and hopes “Tonight I am looking forward to…”
  • Singing
  • Fun surprises
  • Meaningful faith and life conversation
  • Creative learning activities
  • Challenging group tasks
  • Service projects
US & OUR  – bottom of funnel
As the group continues to take on an identity people become more open to sharing their beliefs, thoughts and feelings. They experience common activities, enter into tasks, share ideas, and stories. The group builds it’s own personality. As the trust level grows the group begins to think in terms of we or us.

There is nothing more exuberant then when the group is inspired, the walls are down, the trust level is up, everyone is intensely listening to each other, hearts are open, and the magical Ah-Has of discovery are being unearthed.

  • A safe place, safe people atmosphere has been created
  • Affirmations are given and received freely
  • Naming the significance and meaning experienced in the group
  • Participants want to take on leadership and responsibility
  • Participants look forward to the next small group Candle Time discussion
  • Shared experience in prayer, worship and other spiritual practices




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Year End Evaluation


“The Vine” (Name of your Youth Ministry)

I attend The Vine
OCCASIONALLY     0…1…2….3…4…5       OFTEN

I rate my overall experience at The Vine as a…
LOW    0…1…2….3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10   HIGH

What would bring your ratings closer to a “10?”

How often do you invite others to come with you to The Vine?
NEVER     0…1…2….3…4…5       OFTEN

What would make The Vine an experience where people wanted to invite more friends

We use student leaders supported by some adults.
How would you rate your experience with the leadership team?
LOW    0…1…2….3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10   HIGH

What do you appreciate about the leadership team now?

What would help the leadership team’s score move higher?

What I most appreciate about my time at The Vine is…

My experience at The Vine has shaped my life and faith personally in that I…

Some topics of discussion I would like to have in the future are…