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Are we headed to the fall of the year already? Yes we are! And as your congregation looks forward to nurturing the faith lives of the teens in your ministry, you can keep two things in mind:
1: THE CONGREGATION'S INVESTMENT-IN-MINISTRY PLAN
Research done by the Fuller Youth Institute (see Growing Young: 6 Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church) shows that of all the steps congregations can take to welcome young adults and families with children and teens, the most important is prioritizing young people and families everywhere. Fall is when congregational leaders often begin to formulate an investment-in-ministry spending plan for the coming year, often referred to with the shorthand phrase "the budget". When it comes to considering the priority mentioned above, this means much more than simply adding money to the "Youth Ministry" line item in the investment plan, although keeping family expenses for ministry participation low is a definite need. It also includes reviewing how much time the staff (pastor included) is expected to devote to outreach, planning, and direct contact with the congregation's teens and young adults, and - very importantly - what other staff tasks might need to receive reduced attention or be done by someone else in order for the pastor to devote those hours without increasing workload. In addition, leaders should always ask how any other ministry item affects their hospitality to youth and young adults. Is the parking lot being repaved? Is the weekly building care adequate? Is the adult staff for things like nursery and faith formation adequately trained in safety procedures? All of these kinds of questions that touch youth and young adult ministry have investment-in-ministry implications!
2: INCLUDE TEENS IN STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS
The teen years are critical learning times for young people who will be facing financial decisions sooner rather than later in their lives! Our faith - including the Scriptures and Jesus' own teaching! - connect faith in God with being good stewards of the creation and our resources.
This insightful article from the July 2015 issue of Living Lutheran and this article from Faith+Lead both provide some excellent beginning principles that can be applied when discussing stewardship and giving with teens. This can be worked into a Sunday School or confirmation class or a youth group activity. Other useful and well-tested tools can be found at the ELCA webpage for Stewardship Resources, including outlines for retreat-style educational events with grade-school children up through high school students. In addition to serving as a good resource for the youth themselves, these kinds of experiences will encourage conversation in the participants' home families, which is where much of the real learning about good stewardship takes place.
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