Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Fall is always a busy time for children and youth ministries, but this fall seems especially busy.  But there is something different about this Fall.  I relish the busyness and have become a chatter box!  If you lend me your ear, be warned I will take both! 

Last week, a mother of two, Kim, called me about something unrelated to Fall events.  After dealing with the call's original intent,  we began talking about her 8th grade son.  Kim explained that her son was no longer involved in his favorite sport, and so she wondered if there was something for him to connect to here at church.  Recognizing that this family was not deeply rooted in a church and membership was not what they sought, I enthusiastically told Kim that Breakfast Club could be a fantastic fit!  "Breakfast Club is our newest program," I said, "and it was designed for a situation just like your son's.  It's aim is..."  I rattled off Bethlehem's vision and the ministry statements that guide Student Ministries.  As I paused to take a breath before asking if this was a good fit, Kim jumped in, "This sounds great.  My son will love it!  And my daughter, Alex, will probably also want to be involved.  I love the sound of what Bethlehem is doing, so I would like to help.  What are your needs?"

I did have volunteer needs, but I never once shared that reality with Kim.  Instead I communicated a cast vision - a vision that Bethlehem has committed to again and again - and Kim was on board!

I have always bragged about working for Bethlehem, but this fall the bragging has not been enough! I'm not just talking about the great people or the self-less focus of our money and talents in world service.

This fall, I am talking about the vision of Bethlehem:

Connecting people with God, each other, and their mission in the world.

And a vision is not enough, we must have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal too:  "To Reach 20,000 people with the love of Jesus Christ by the year 2020."

What isn't exciting about that? Scary, yes, but exciting.  And to chip away at some of the fear, Bethlehem's staff has spent lots of time learning, re-learning and re-organizing so that this goal becomes possible!  For Children and Youth, it meant realigning staff and resources, while evaluating the current needs and goals of our ministries.  Then we had to honestly answer the questions, "Are we doing just that, or Do our programs align with our newly stated mission?"  Sometimes the answer was a resounding, "yes."  Other times, we had to humbly step back and anticipate changes or even consider burying a program.

For Student Ministries, the importance of targeting 7th through 12th grade youth in a seamless journey, while meeting families where they were at with authenticity and Gospel-focused messages were the foundation on which to build.

Breaking down Bethlehem's vision for our Junior High (7th-8th grades), we established a ministry statement that will guide all that we do - from staff to budget:

Students grapple with faith in daily life.

For our Senior High students (9th-12th), the statement reads:

Students claim their God-given gifts for church and world.

Grapple and Claim are dynamic verbs that rest at the root of these statements - statements of action. We will commit to moving from our "heads to our hearts," as we build community and extend beyond these walls in service.

To measure our progress and provide walls to work within and evaluate, we continued the funnel and stated specific goals for the two main programs for students:  Re:form (formerly known as Confirmation) and Breakfast Club.

Re:form is designed for 7th and 8th grade families who desire to affirm their baptismal identity and to seek congregational membership at Bethlehem.  It meets on Wednesday nights, with a Large Group and Small Group structure.  It's program goals are:

• Students feel supported in asking questions of faith and life
• Spiritual practices learned with/in small groups
• Experience engaging, meaningful worship
• Students know their pastors
• Discover a passion/interest in using their gifts, and be able to articulate those gifts
• 9th graders write "The 2nd Greatest Story Ever Told," articulating God's story as their very own story

Breakfast Club is designed for both Junior and Senior High students and is offered Sunday mornings. It's program goals are:

• Visitors feel welcomed and can find a place to get involved (Bethlehem students invite their friends, regardless of religious affiliation)
• Students and parents can engage conversation over shared themes
• Student leaders become mentors to younger students
• Students are bridged from JH to SH more organically
• Students are mobilized for service in community four times per year
• Students serve the church through Sunday school, nursery care, worship assistance and hospitality
• College students become leaders
• Parents and adult leaders connect through hospitality

There is one other major program, that weaves in and out of all Student Ministries:  Peer Ministry.  This is a nationally recognized model, and Bethlehem has several trained facilitators committed to building up Peer Ministers in our youth program.  Peer Ministry is  based on the story of the Good Samaritan. Only instead of preaching teaching it, skills are taught so that students can live our the story in their lives.  It is putting youth ministry into the very hands of the youth themselves!  And the most compelling reason, we call our students to live out the Good Samaritan story is because, "He [Jesus] first loved us (1 John 4:19)."  Peer Ministry Training is offered to 9th and 10th grade youth on Wednesdays. There are five main goals for Peer Ministry at Bethlehem:

• Individuals become welcoming and befriend someone who needs a friend.
• Individuals become active family members, helping to strengthen and encourage family rituals and traditions.
• Individuals become leaders in the church, sharing their time and talents for service and praise.
• Individuals use their ministry skills in school, work and neighborhoods.
• Peer Ministry becomes a lifestyle and the above moves from a set of goals to a part of their DNA.

Thanks for letting me "bend your EARS!"