RYM

Kids are growing up in a world of worry today. Anxiety, in fact, is a childhood epidemic, effecting 1 out of every 4 children. Kids of all ages feel pressure…from the expectations around them, inside of them, and even, unknowingly, from us. What can we do to slow the epidemic for kids, in general? And, even more importantly, what can you do to calm the worry-related meltdowns and help your child find the confidence to fight his or her own brand of Worry Monster? In this seminar, you’ll gain • understanding the what’s and why’s in terms of the differences between anxiety and worry, and where your child is on the continuum • help practically with tools to overcome the worry that he or she will inevitably face • hope as your child discovers a sense of resilience that is stronger than any worry this age of anxiety can bring Children need understanding, help, and hope. You can make a profound difference in their journey to finding all three. You will come out of this seminar feeling not only more confident in your parenting, but in your ability to help them discover all of the courage that is already inside of them.

Kids are growing up in a world of worry today. Anxiety, in fact, is a childhood epidemic, effecting 1 out of every 4 children. Kids of all ages feel pressure…from the expectations around them, inside of them, and even, unknowingly, from us. What can we do to slow the epidemic for kids, in general? And, even more importantly, what can you do to calm the worry-related meltdowns and help your child find the confidence to fight his or her own brand of Worry Monster? In this seminar, you’ll gain    •     understanding the what’s and why’s in terms of the differences between anxiety and worry, and where your child is on the continuum    •     help practically with tools to overcome the worry that he or she will inevitably face    •     hope as your child discovers a sense of resilience that is stronger than any worry this age of anxiety can bring Children need understanding, help, and hope. You can make a profound difference in their journey to finding all three. You will come out of this seminar feeling not only more confident in your parenting, but in your ability to help them discover all of the courage that is already inside of them.

Many of us are quietly defeated in our private prayer lives. We’ve tried praying, but it just doesn’t seem to work. Because we are in ministry we don’t feel safe to tell anyone that we stink at prayer.  We know its the fuel for the engine of ministry but the busyness of ministry siphons the fuel out and we end up relying on our own ingenuity and gifts. So we feel a combination of frustration and guilt. In this seminar, we will discuss how to begin a private life of prayer in fellowship with our heavenly Father. This seminar is not for victorious Christian, but for the Follower of Jesus who often find themselves defeated in the trenches. “Prayer is asking God to incarnate, to get dirty in your life. Yes, the eternal God scrubs floors. For sure we know he washes feet. So take Jesus at his word. Ask him. Tell him what you want. Get dirty. Write out your prayer requests; don't mindlessly drift through life on the American narcotic of busyness. If you try to seize the day, the day will eventually break you. Seize the corner of his garment and don't let go until he blesses you. He will reshape the day.” (Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World)  

Knowing the Person makes the Message Stick - The Person of the Gospel is the velcro of the Message of the Gospel. As Youth Workers and ultimately our western training has clouded our vision to see the Person of Jesus. We have the work of Christ down and rightfully so but what if our hearts as youth workers fell in love with the Person of Jesus. What might happen in our lives and ministries if we were struck with the beauty of not just what he has done but who he is. Ultimately we have to ask the questions are we preaching the message without the person? Is it sticking with us, is it sticking with our students?

Theology drives ministry – That belief must be at the heart of our approach to youth ministry. Two core theological presuppositions in the RYM Philosophy of Ministry are the church & the family.  These two foundational institutions are created by God as primary influences in God’s design for calling his elect, forming a community of faith, and passing that faith on from generation to generation. The bible shapes our view of both institutions and in the process gives us a paradigm for how we do ministry to children and youth. God cares about the next generation; He cares about our children and youth and extends His care to them through the family and the church.  In this seminar we will present a holistic paradigm for youth ministry that embraces age specific ministry, trans-generational ministry and family ministry with their unique and complementary roles in reaching youth for Christ and equipping them to serve.

This class will focus on what a philosophy of ministry really is, why you need it and how you use it to effectively minister in the name of Christ.  We will introduce you to common language and understandings to help your team minister on the same page and in the same direction. The purpose of the RYM POM is rooted in Matthew 28 and Jesus’ Great Commission.  Ministry exists to “reach” youth for Christ and “equip” them for service of Christ.  People are “reached” when they encounter the living Christ in his Word, empowered by the Holy Spirit. People are “equipped” when they engage the living Christ among his people, through prayer, study of the Bible, the Sacraments, and fellowship of God’s people.  The POM also identifies four categories in which to define our goals. This class will unpack this material and explain/establish these important concepts.

Of course your youth group will welcome all, but is your youth group accessible to all? The difference is crucial.  This workshop will define disability, present the challenges and necessity of integration, and provide ways to implement accessibility within any philosophy of ministry. Because our ministry should be as accessible as the Kingdom of God is through Christ!

Teaching the Bible often feels overwhelming.  Think of all that we face in trying to communicate to students:  ancient stories from foreign cultures (weird), short attention spans (bored), the glitter of social media (irrelevant), our limited time and resources...oh and we're are broken people with tons of insecurity. Whew.   This seminar is a chance to step and look at what the Bible is really about and how to communicate in a way that is faithful, relevant and authentically your own.

The “Presuppositions” describe the ministry leader’s manner, or mode, when considering methodology (the things we choose to do in ministry). The Presuppositions are not so much concerned with what you do in your ministry as much as the posture you exhibit when doing it. Patrick Lencioni, in his book “The Advantage”, uses the term “values” to talk about how important it is for a healthy organization to be aware of the behaviors that should define a company’s “personality.”  He writes, “The importance of [presuppositions] in creating clarity and enabling a company to become healthy cannot be overstated. More than anything else, [presuppositions] are critical because they define a company’s personality. They provide employees with clarity about how to behave, which reduces the need for inefficient and demoralizing micromanagement.”  It’s a great question: what is the “personality” of your church’s youth ministry? The RYM POM’s Presuppositions are intended to firmly establish that “vibe” your ministry is putting off by a set of agreed upon concepts that form the manner in which we do ministry.

The “avenues” in the POM are the building blocks of your ministry, the skeletal structure of your ministry. They are easy to define and identify but it takes a lifetime to master. This seminar is going to assist you in thinking through this vital part of your programming. 

When we start to consider all of the priorities of life in ministry, many things may come to mind. While there may be some consensus among those priorities, there are going to be many more up for debate. In this elective, we will discuss those priorities that seem to be absolutely necessary for someone serving in ministry. The necessities discussed in this class will be far from exhaustive, but can be used by God to steward the ministry he's called you to.

Ministry in the local church is super complex, often leading many of us in Christ's service to great discouragment. There is a reason why so few stay in vocational gospel ministry. So, how can we understand and develop healthy ministry expectations? What shared values should a ministry staff and parents embrace together? How important is emotional intelligence in your ministry? And finally, how is the Gospel informing and transforming your ministry "footprint' in the local church? These are some the questions we will consider as we discuss the losses and crosses of healthy youth ministry.

We’ve all grown up in a worldly culture where men and women are often pitted against each other, sexualized towards each other, or separated from each other. Unfortunately, that worldly culture shows up in the Church every week as well, causing more pain and hurt rather than growth of the Kingdom. The life of Jesus created something new - a new culture that calls (and necessitates) his sister and brothers speaking into a deeper way of living out their imago dei together. This has huge implications for serving and leading staffs with both men and women. It has even bigger implications for how we minister to students of our opposite gender. God is building something new, let’s join in the work.

The role of rabbi/disciple is an apt model for the student minister and their students. What can we learn from Jesus the master teacher and how can we plan lessons that engage students to help them encounter Jesus in ways that transform them into His disciples? This class will consider the philosophy of Christian pedagogy, how students learn, and how students are transformed. We will practice how to plan lessons and teach them in ways that invite students to engage in learning and makes space for the Spirit to guide students into all truth.