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Practical Ideas

forYouth

Ministry

Practical Ideasfor

YouthMinistry

By

Joe McTarsney

Published byCalvary Chapel Chino Valley

12205 N. Pipeline Ave, Chino, CA 91710 (909) 464-8255

www.calvaryccv.org

For additional resources contact: The Chapel Store (909) 464-1228

www.calvaryccvstore.com

All the information in this booklet is intended to be a blessing to my fellow servants in youth ministry. Please feel free to copy any of the ideas or materials that you feel you can implement into your own ministry. This booklet is intended to help spark your own ideas. I pray this would be a benefit to you as you serve Jesus and His precious young people.

I have learned ministry philosophies from my senior Pastor, David Rosales. I’m eternally grateful for the grace and patience that has been gently handed down to me. I would also like to thank all the people who helped with the editing, proofing, and production of this booklet. God provides many resources to share in His work.

It’s a joy and privilege to serve Jesus in a Calvary Chapel youth ministry.May Jesus Richly Bless You!!

Joe McTarsneyYouth MinisterCalvary Chapel Chino Valley

If I can ever serve you in anyway, please feel free to call me at:Calvary Chapel Chino Valley (909) 464-8255 x232.

If you have suggestions, comments, or more ideas, please write me at: [email protected]

table of contents

1 Youth Minister Description Page 2

2 Vision for Your Youth Ministry Page 5

3 Being Called by God for Youth Ministry Page 6

4 Developing Leadership in Your Ministry Page 7

5 Sunday Morning Service Format Page 8

6 Small Groups and Leadership Classes Page 9

7 Purity Seminar Page 10

8 Youth Seminars Page 11

9 Retreats Page 12

10 Easter Break Activities Page 13

11 Thanksgiving Fellowship Page 14

12 Christmas Gathering Page 15

13 Mexico Mission Trip Page 16

14 Israel Trip Page 17

Samples for the Copier

PRACTICAL IDEAS Page 1 FOR YOUTH MINISTRYPage 00

Youth MinisterDescription 1I have created the following outline as a possible suggestion of what a youth minister’s role may involve. Although there are many considerations such as: church size, resources available, the Pastor’s vision for your ministry, and the responsibilities given to you by your church, we provide this as a way for you to organize your ministry on an individual basis. Please don’t limit yourself, but be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit and always be in prayer for your ministry and those Christ gives to you to serve.

I. Position SummaryII. Major Duties and Responsibilities III. Supervisory Responsibilities IV. Helpful HintsV. Staff Responsibilities VI. Blessings

VII. Goal

I. Position Summary

The minister must have a genuine love for Jesus and for His young lambs. The ability to work with a team of staff ministers at his home church is essential. The minister must also possess the ability to develop lay leaders to minister to the needs of the students and their parents. Crucial to serve in this capacity is a clear understanding of the Pastor’s vision and the church distinctives. This person should have good skills with: people, communica-tion, organization, and leadership. He should be godly and have the ability to motivate others.

II. Major Duties and Responsibilities

1. Study God’s Word to prepare a thoughtful Bible teaching for Jr. High students at each church service.

2. Pray for ministry and fresh vision.

3. Organize Ministries for the Students, i.e.;a. Worship Ministryb. Winter and Summer Retreatsc. Mexico Mission Tripsd. Israel Trips


e. Youth Conferences and Seminarsf. Small Groups for Jr. High Studentsg. Jr. High Leadership Classesh. Vacation Bible Schooli. School Campus Ministryj. Easter Week Activitiesk. Various Outreachesl. Summer Activitiesm. Alternative for Halloweenn. Thanksgiving Dinnero. Christmas Dinner

III. Supervisory Responsibilities

1. Oversee Jr. High and adult servants2. Develop student leaders3. Meet with a few key leaders weekly4. Meet together with all leaders monthly5. Share the Pastor’s vision and heart to each one6. Share your vision for the future of the ministry7. Share leadership principles and philosophy8. Share church distinctives9. Foster unity among the leaders10. Gather volunteers, train volunteers, and

delegate to capable leaders11. Train up leadership

IV. Helpful Hints

1. Calvary Chapel Chino ValleyAttend CCCV for six consecutive months, be submitted to your senior pastor, and complete a five-page ministry application.

2. Spirituala. A call to youth ministryb. Evidence of on-going spiritual growthc. Spiritual gifts. (Should include teaching, leadership, and

administration)

3. Personal / Emotionala. Evidence of the Fruit of the Spiritb. Remain teachable with a servant’s heartc. Creative and energeticd. Balanced life: family, ministry, health, hobbies

4. Organizationala. People skillsb. Administrative skills


c. Leadership skillsd. Communication skillse. Motivational skillsf. Team player

5. Educationala. Taking a Calvary Chapel Bible College class is very helpfulb. Listening to tapes by Pastor Chuck Smithc. Seek advice from seasoned youth ministers

V. Staff Responsibilities

1. Able and willing to assist the Senior Pastor2. Assist in the overall goals, growth and responsibility for

your church.3. Biblical counseling4. Walk-In’s at your church5. Phone calls at your church6. Hospital visitations7. Funerals8. Weddings9. Curriculum reviews10. Carry out Pastor’s vision in ministry.

VI Blessings

1. Experience a wonderful fellowship of believers who will love and support you.

2. Learn to depend on the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.3. Learn to work as a team member with people who love the Lord

and strive for excellence in ministry.4. Watch the Lord move in lives.5. Lead people to Jesus.6. Become a part of God’s work

VII Goal

Pass on the “baton” of faith to the next generation.


Vision for Your Youth Ministry 2"But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own chil-dren. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us" (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8).

Our mission in Jesus is to impart the gospel of God to our precious youth, because our students have become dear to us. We have been given the awesome responsibility, from God, to raise up a generation of teens that will honor, serve, and fear Him. Paul said in Galatians 4:19, "My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you".

We labor until Christ’s character isformed in our youth. This consists oflots of time and energy spent with each of our teens. Notice what Paul said in verse eight “impart the gospel to them.” I have discovered that the youth are not in need of my opinions, but God’s word concerning everything they go through. God has entrusted His word to us so we can feed it to our sheep. The goal is to lead the sheep to the green pastures, so they can feed themselves and mature in the things of God. Then healthy sheep will invite other sheep to feed on God’s word in the midst of our Youth ministry. Just as Jesus became flesh and lived among us, we need to live outChristianity right before them.

Our heart is for all students to become hungry for the Word of God, lovers ofworship, students of prayer, and witness-es for Jesus.

Here is a sample of our youth ministry vision.

JR. HIGH MISSION“So affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.”

—I Thessalonians 2:8

Our mission in Jesus is to impart the gospel of God to our precious Jr. Highers. As well, our very own lives, because our students have become dear to us.

Our heart is for all students to become:

• hungry for the Word of God• lovers of Worship• students of Prayer• witnesses for Jesus Christ

JR. HIGH FELLOWSHIP

FOUR PILLARSW O R D — We believe God has given us the scriptures as His cherished love letter to us, revealing His heart of love to us. One mark of a Calvary Chapel that is often different from other churches is the method of “verse-by-verse” teaching of the entire Bible.

WORSHIP — We believe worship is the expression and natural response of a peo-ple in love with God and His Son, Jesus Christ.

WITHNESS — We believe in the fellowship and ministry of believers to each other. We are members of God’s family through Jesus Christ.

WITNESS — We believe in the sharing of our faith in Jesus to the lost. It is our responsibility to show the love of Jesus to a hurting and dying world.


Called by God for Youth Ministry"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-heart-ed, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19).

Jesus has anointed us as youth ministers to preach His word and to assist in the healing of their broken-hearted lives. He desires to set them free from captivity.

When young people give you permission to enter into their lives, and you begin to hear how they are living, God has a way of burdening your heart for them. You desire to share the love of Jesus andunfold the Word to them. We ought to remind ourselves that we may be the only godly influence in their lives. Our sanctuary (not classroom) must be a safe and holy place. They need a place of refuge and an environment where they can meet shepherds who love Jesus.

By the time our youth leave the service that day, they should be more in love with Jesus. They don’t need my stories, or the things I did when I was a teen. They come to church to meet Jesus. We are to be an arrow pointing to Him . They are His sheep that He died for, to give them abundant life. Be careful not to be the center of atten-tion. Let them see Jesus.


3

Developing Leadershipin Your Ministry 4

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from Me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

Share the vision to your leaders so they will be on the same page and have the same heart for the students. In order for this to take place, you need to spend personal time with them and pour your heart out to them.

Here are a few things that I have found helpful:

1. Meet with a few key leaders once a week to impart vision and pray withthem. I meet every Wednesday morning from 7:00 am-8:00 am with two of my leaders.

2. Once a month meet with your entire leadership to pour into their lives vision and direction for the ministry.

Here is our format for our leadership meetings:

1. Everyone brings a dish of food that we all can share together (This develops closeness and fosters fellowship)

2. I go over our calendar and activities for the next few months3. I share what I sense God is leading in our ministry4. Provide a teaching for them regarding leadership

Here is the insideof our three-fold flyer that we use to encourage adults to get involved serving in youth ministry.


Sunday MorningService FormatWe offer three Sunday morning services for our youth as well as Sunday evening and Wednesday evening. We provide a service for our Jr. highers every time our adults have their service.

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Here are the steps that we have taken for our Sunday morning youth service.

Step 1. Place signs near your room so students know where to go. (See example below)

Step 2. Provide soft worship music in your room to create a pleasant atmosphere

Step 3. Assign a few student greeters to welcome every student who enters. (See example of a greeter’s badge below)

Step 4. Assign a couple of students to usher the others to their seats. (See example of an usher’s badge below)

Step 5. We provide an overhead projector that will display the words to each song. The worship leader prepares the overhead transparencies for services.

Step 6. Our worship leader starts the service on time.

Step 7. After worship, I go up and give our students their announcements and then teach them the Word. We teach our Jr. High students “verse-by-verse” through the Bible. I have a fellow leader teach the first service so that I too can be fed by my Pastor on a weekly basis.


Small Groups and Leadership Classes 6We provide a small group setting for our guys and girls every Tuesday. The time we spend with these students is a real blessing. You have a chance to disciple them in Christ and really get to know them. My wife Dyane, meets with our girls and I meet with the boys. This separation allows each gender to study and share without distractions or embarrassment and we get the chance to know them deeper on an individual basis. Leadership classes are also pro-vided for our students. Some we know God has called into leadership, so we provide classes that challenge them in both principles of leadership and spiri-tual maturity.

Here are examples of flyers that we used for our small groups

Can you explain why you are a Christian?Can you explain the error of Evolution? Can you explain the truth of Creation?1st Peter 3:15 says: Be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.

Learning to give an answer for what we believe!

If you would like this information to be part of your life forever,

then we invite you to attend our Jr. High Small Group on

Tuesdays 4 pm-6 pm in Rm 305 Bring yourBible, notepad, pen or pencil, and goodies to share during break time.


Purity Seminars 7I believe the virtue of purity needs to be addressed often to the young peopleattending our church. We live in a society where the enemy, and this world have determined to undermine this area in their lives. The radio, TV, movies, malls, schools, and even some friends have lowered the lifestyle of purity. Our sheep need to understand God’s heart regarding this subject. God has given us many good examples and consequences from the scriptures of those who choose to compromise. I feel this is one subject that should be discussed thoroughly and separately for our guys and girls.

We take a Saturday morning and create a special luncheon for our youth. We really try to make this day very memorable for them. When we have our Purity seminars, they are centered on the holiness of God. We offer them practical steps and biblical references to help them live a holylife in this unholy world.

Here are flyers that we used. Purity seminars are often made available to other churches in the area.


Youth SeminarsOur vision behind these Youth Seminars is to unite young people together and invite other Youth ministers from the local area to come out andencourage the students through God’s Word. I have discovered that these

8

seminars actually provide an excitement in the lives of young people. Teens know on this day that many of their friends, from their church, community, and other churches will be attending this conference and that it has been planned for them. There is a joy to see the youth heading into the sanctu-ary on a Saturday morning to hear the Word of God. These seminars do not have to be huge and complicated. Don’t make it an all day event. Plan to make enough handouts for other churches to invite their youth as well. If you think there may be only a few youth attending the seminar, beencouraged! They showed up to your ministry event and God has now given you the opportunity to minister to them. Pastor Chuck taught us to “...make the ones who do show up, the most loved and best fed sheep in the city.” Just think...one of them could be the next Pastor Chuck Smith.

Here is the hand out that we used for our Walk-Ur-Talk seminar


Retreats 9God is always faithful to meet our youth in a special way at retreats. When we take the students away from their comfort zone for a weekend they are not distracted with the things of the world. The Lord has a way of meeting each student personally. He may show some that they don’t have a relationship with Him or that their walk with Him has become cold and dry. Yet, with others, he may light a deep passion in their lives for Him. The Holy Spirit has a way of using the teachings and worship to impact and change their hearts and lives.

The great thing about a retreat is that there are so many different things you can do to make it a very special and unforgettable weekend. You can bring in guest speakers that are gifted in ministering especially to teens, guest musicians catering to younger audiences, and offer workshops that deal specifically with their issues. If you are not currently providing retreats for your students, may I encourage you to consider it. I have often witnessed a lasting impact upon many student’s lives as a result of the time that they have spent “separated unto the Lord” at a youth oriented retreat. If you have a smaller fellowship, you may be thinking, “all this sounds great, but we are a small youth group and we cannot do it alone.” May I encourage you to call

a larger church and see if you cango along with them. There are also small cabins you can rent and have a nice intimate time with your youth and leaders.

Here is a sample of the flyer that we used for our Winter Retreat.

good food

workshops

cost $105

The cost is $105. A non-refundable

deposit of $55 is required for sign up. Space is limited so sign up early. We willhave a WALK-A-THON fundraiser for our

students on January 19th at 9:00 am

@ Don Lugo High School

Questions? Contact Joe McTarsney at the church office (909) 464-8255 x232


Easter Break Activities 10Easter week is a great opportunity that God has given us to spend quality time with our students and have fun with them. In the Chino Valley area, the school districts vary their vacation schedules with some the week before Easter and some the week after. So for us, we provide two weeks of activities for our stu-dents to be involved in. We have them all meet at the church and drive them in a van to different places where they will enjoy themselves. This is a time to get to know our students by just hanging out with them. God provides many opportunities for us to minister to our students by being Christian examplesand talking with them. I try to visit with each one of our students to see how they are doing. I try to make myself available if they want to talk about their life or anything that may be in their heart. Parents are usually grateful that there

is a ministry provided fortheir teen during Easter

Jr. HighEASTER BREAK

Activities

Break and we are grateful to spend time with them. We have daily devotions during lunch. So thatevery time we gather, we are in the Word.

Tuesday, April 10th Scandia Amusement Park 11:00 am-5:00 pmRaceway, bumper boats, arcade, miniature golf, rollercoasters, landslide, carousel, viking ship, and scrambler cost $11.00

Thursday, April 12th Pharaoh’s Lost Kingdom 11:00 am-5:00 pmMidway rides, miniature golf, bumper boats, lazer tag, and gamescost $11.00

Tuesday, April 17th Scandia Amusement Park

11:00 am-5:00 pmRaceway, bumper boats, arcade, minia-ture golf, rollercoasters, landslide,carousel, viking ship, and scrambler cost $11.00

Thursday, April 19th Pharaoh’s Lost Kingdom 11:00 am-5:00 pmMidway rides, miniature golf, bumper boats, lazer tag, and gamescost $11.00

Here is the flyer that we used for our Easter Break Activities

What to bring: A permission slip from your parents and a lunch

Sign-ups: Beginning April 8th in the Jr. High classroom. Any questions should go toJoe Mctarsney at the church office at: 464-8255x232. No checks please when signing up.


ThanksgivingFellowship 11We always look for ways to bring our youth family together for special events. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to have all our students come to church and have a nice dinner together. We meet as a youth family on the Saturday before Thanksgivings in our Banquet Hall. We desire to make our Thanksgiving din-ner as wonderful as possible. I know that for some, this may be the only time where they will be in an environment that is filled with love and acceptance. Some youths come from tough homes and their lives are filled with lots offamily problems. When I discover a teen in our youth group that lives like this, it motivates me in the Lord to make this dinner extra special for them. Jesus said “whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me.”

About one month prior, we send home flyers to the parents to inform them of our event. The bottom portion of the flyer lists the food items that we will serve for our Thanksgiving dinner. This provides the opportunity for each stu-dent to be involved by bringing a food dish to share. We have our students turn in that slip of paper prior to the event and also sign up at our sign-up

table. This enables us to determine howmany students will be attending and

Thanksbe to

GODCalvary Chapel Jr. High

invites you to join us in celebration and thanksgiving

Withness, worship, dinner and a study in the Word.

Saturday, November 17 2001 from 7:00-9:00 pm

Sign-up after any Jr. High service

For Information call Joe McTarsney at

464-8255x232

I will be bringing: (check one)

❒ cooked ham or turkey❒ mashed potatoes ❒ rolls❒ salads ❒ gravey❒ stuffing ❒ pies

❒ candied Yams ❒ sodas

name______________________________________________

phone (_____________)______________________________

return this portion to the jr. high ministry asap

PRACTICAL IDEAS Page 14

what kind of food items they will be bringing. When the students arrive, they bring their item to the kitchen first. Then they move into our Banquet Hall so they can visit with the other students and get prepared for dinner. We start with prayer then usually dismiss our girls first. Our leaders serve each student their dinner. When the students are all finished eat-ing, we clear out the plates from their tables and then move into our time of worship and a study in God’s Word. The final event is dessert. After every-one has dessert, we clean up and say good-bye to our youth.

Here is the flyer that we use for our Thanksgiving Dinner. Note the return portion with food items.

FOR YOUTH MINISTRYPage 00

❅

Christmas Gatherings 12Christmas is another holiday that we have the chance to gather as a youthgroup and instill a sense of family. We send a flyer home in advance to inform the parents about our Christmas dinner. Students can bring many different dishes that they have previously signed up for and a “white elephant” gift to exchange later. We decorate our Banquet Hall so we can have a festive Christmas feel. We have soft Christmas worship music playing in the back-ground as students enter. Similar to Thanksgiving, each student brings their dish to the kitchen first and then takes their seat in the Banquet Hall keeping their gift with them. We start on time with one of our leaders opening in prayer for dinner. Girls usually go first to the tables in back where our leaders are there to serve them dinner. Next, we dismiss our guys who usually run to the back table and we ask them to walk back and try again! During dinner,

❄Jr. High ❅leaders eat with our students and just enjoy their company as they visit with them.

After dinner, we have our worship

Christmas PartySaturday, December 22nd

6:00 pm-8:30 pm Banquet HallBring a White Elephant Gift

For information call Joe @464-825x232 Please return the bottom portion to the

Jr. High Ministry ASAP. Sign-up in the Jr. High Room.

and teaching. When the study is concluded, we have our giftexchange. All “white elephant” gifts are placed in the middle of the room. Students who brought a gift have the opportunity to pick one out for themselves. All the

❆

I will bring:

❒ Carne Asada ❒ Chicken

❒ Enchiladas ❒ Sodas❉CHECK ONE ❄

❒ Rice ❒ Beans❒ Dessert ❒ Flour Tortillas

participants start by sitting in a big circle and one-by-one each stu-dent has a chance to walk to the middle and choose a gift. Giftsshould be opened there so every-one can see and share in thelaughter together.

Words cannot describe the joy you feel by seeing everyone together as a youth group “family.’

Name___________________________________________________Phone (__________) __________________________

Please detach and turn in to the Jr. High Ministry

He Died to give us Life!Here is the flyer that we used for our Christmas Dinner.

❆PRACTICAL IDEAS Page 15 FOR YOUTH MINISTRYPage 00

Mexico Mission Trips 13Twice a year, we travel across the border to take our students to Rosarito, Mexico on a Mission trip staying at a mission base in Rosarito called La Posada. The next day we travel to a children’s orphanage to minister and play with over 90 children. When we arrive at the orphanage, we encourage our students to interact with and minister to the children. On our last trip we also took our youth into the community to help build a roof for a woman who had six children. They worked with their hands to weed and clean up trash around a property in service to another in need.

On the last evening of our trip, we always sit together at the mission base in a big circle to share what Jesus has shown and taught us during our trip. It blesses my heart to hear the comments that come out of our young people. They share about what God did in their lives. Mission trips always have a way

of putting everything in perspec-tive regarding serving and how much the Lord has abundantly blessed us.

I believe that our young people are more than capable to do the work of the ministry. It is impor-tant for our young people to see, with their own eyes, how people live their lives and how they can make a difference in our world. God has a way to make a lasting impression upon their hearts for-ever.

Here is the flyer that we used for our Mexico Trip.


Israel Trips 14Taking a trip to the Country of Israel is a life changing experience. It is truly amazing to: explore the amphitheater in Caesarea, overlook the valley of Armageddon, to sail on the Sea of Galilee, to visit the Mount of Beatitudes, cross the Jordan River in a boat, float in the Dead Sea, visit the Western Wall, visit the upper room, and descend the Mount of Olives on the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane, to walk where our Savior Jesus walked, and to have Bible studies in their actual places. If your fellowship plans to take a trip to Israel, consider in prayer to ask your senior Pastor about the possibility of taking your youth group. The impact on the lives of your teens will be phenomenal.

Pictures taken with ouryouth group in Israel


Documents

· Web viewPass on the “baton” of ... One mark of a Calvary Chapel that is often different from other churches is the method of “verse-by-verse ... Joe Mctarsney at the