The Partnership for Youth & Family Ministry believes that you, Mom and / or Dad may be the most effective youth ministers in a young person?s life. In his book Soul Searching, Christian Smith tells us that ?Mom and Dad, you get who you are!? Our youth are not on the spiritual quest we think they are. Rather they are watching you and will end up surprisingly like you!
Parents that want youth to be active in a faith community need to be positively active themselves. But getting youth to church is not the main goal. It is more important that they practice their faith in God with you at home, than anything else.
Practicing faith at home means putting the Four Keys of Faith Formation (Anderson / Hill) into regular life. So praying at meals or any time is really important. Making time to talk about faith questions, reading the Bible together and serving others in the name of Jesus nurtures faith more than arguing every week about getting up on Sunday morning!
Sure, this is not what your parents thought when they were raising you, but we know now that faith is caught more than it is taught. People catch faith in God by hanging out in a faithful home.
Our hope is that your congregation can become a training camp for parents like you that want to practice their faith at home. Most of us need a little help and encouragement when we take this up for the first time.
The Partnership supports parents by:
1) Offering
trainings, consultations, leadership coaching and retreats that equip families for passing on faith.
2)
The Disciple Project, a Christian leadership school for youth who have finished grade 8 through adults so that families can learn together.
3) Teaching
Milestones Ministry, modeled at many of our congregations and integrated into all our practices.
4)
Equipping Adult Mentors
5) Having a clear
core value system that supports the partnership between the church and the home
6) Advocating for a
Safe Haven for all children in congregations
7) Teaching and practicing
the Four Keys for faith formation in all we do (by Dr. David Anderson and Dr. Paul Hill in
Frogs Without Legs Can?t Hear)
8)
The Lutheran Youth Organization ? a system for growing Christian leaders for service at home, school, congregation and in the world.
9) Annual
youth gatherings ? regular Jr. and Sr. High opportunities that draw young people and adults who love them for friendships, study, worship, learning, service and fun. Every gathering is a training camp for 50-80 Ministry Team members who practice their skills leading their peers.
