Children's and Youth Ministry:Ideas and Future Directions

Facilitated by

Kerrie Fulton and

Tay Moss

The Church of The Messiah

Prayer and Introduction

Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.Proverbs 22:6

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the prosperity of your children.

Isaiah 54:13

Some Assumptions

Kids may be the future, but the budget goblins don't know that

Volunteers are the core Less money—more diversity of needs Many places in survival mode—strategic,

missional planning a challenge You are hear to improve, be inspired, or

perhaps healed

The COTM Experience

Background Our Story Principles Best Practices Future Directions

Background of Church of the Messiah

Inherited Church in the heart of the city Pastoral Sized Very diverse congregation Unusual Number of Kids New Incumbent Parish Discernment revealed call to more

investment in children's and youth ministry

Our Story

Once upon a time: volunteers and Godly Play Then, part-time staff and experimentation New staff and new opportunities Fruit: low hanging and otherwise...

Our Story

Principles

Local Missional Participatory Differentiated

Learning Eclectic and

pragmatic Integrated leadership

Principles

Integrated planning: worship, admin, pastoral care, children's ministry

Know Yourself Know Your Job Know Your Kids Use the Congregational Growth Cycle!

Principles

Do not shortcut process

Build team Evaluate, Evaluate,

Evaluate Celebrate Successes Communicate!

Best Practices: Vision

Visioning Workshops and Parish Vision Days Corp Meetings Staff Meetings Lunch with stakeholders

Discern the calls—hire and fire as needed Tay's advice about hiring

Don't worry about the numbers

Best Practices: Mission

Being missional requires having a mission

Build a Community Know yourself! The Missional Cycle:

let timing determine leadership style

Best Practices: Mission

Which Zone are you in determines the appropriate leadership

Roxburgh, Alan. The Missional Leader.

Best Practices: Vocation

Take the Appropriate Role Incumbents

Facilitate, articulate, then get out of the way! Give permission Create an atmosphere of experimentation Heap on the recognition and praise Model self-care

Best Practices: Vocation

Sunday School Staff Be a teacher, not a parent Know the Resources and Network Speak up Communicate, communicate, communicate Love 'em, feed 'em, and leave 'em alone

Best Practices: Vocation

Volunteers Gifts Based

Discernment! Avoid burnout

(manage expectations)

Give training and encouragement

Vocational mindset

Know Your Kids

Where do they come from?

What do they like? What do they need? What are they

learning from parents? Schools?

Know Your Kids

72 School Boards in Ontario ALL of them do “character” development

But there is no agreed upon standard of virtue

Different board, different virtue! Does the church have anything to say about

character?

Some Ideas

No one liturgical expression adequate... So.... Why not have them all?

“Regular” Church “Children's Church” “Family Church”

The tension: Creative Eclecticism vs. Consistency

The Pay-Off...

Some Ideas

In liturgy: find roles for kids

Encourage liturgical playfulness

Domestic piety? Example: Little

Maddie...

Future Directions

For COTM: Confirmation! Seven months: meetings twice a month

Didactic sessions Group sessions Service Outings

Modeling Adult spirituality: kids partnered with mentors

Culmination: two-night retreat at Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, NY

Future Directions

The Anglican Resource Centre

Library, community hub, workshop space

The spirituality of teaching ministries

By Parishes, for Parishes

Discussion Groups

Groups of three or four After fifteen minutes we'll share....