by Andrew Stephens-Rennie

Do you ever found yourself in conversations with others and you can’t quite decipher what they mean? What happens when you hear words you thought you understood in a context that is incomprehensible? What do you do when one person’s jargon doesn’t line up with yours?

When we spend time with people of different generations, perspectives, cultures and faith traditions, it often takes time to become conversant. It often takes time and intentionality to hear what the other person is saying, if the words and concepts don’t precisely line up with our own.

We might assume that if both conversation partners speak Arabic, or Cree, or English, or French, they will understand each other perfectly. And yet, how often have you been in conversation with someone in the same language, and still needed clarification?

It happens all the time.

How do those of us engaged in ministry amongst youth take this into account? Do we take time to decipher the linguistic nuances of our young people? Do we take the time to understand their particular dialects, and the particular cultures and subcultures out of which they have emerged?

If we don’t take this time, how will we be able to dialogue about the gospel in a way that’s comprehensible to their lives? If we don’t hear their stories, if we don’t explore the stories of individuals and communities, how will we be able to translate the good news of Jesus Christ?

Here are a few questions we might ask ourselves (and the young people in our lives):

• How comprehensible are your church’s practices to the young people in your community?
• How do young people interpret what happens during the liturgy?
• How would a young person explain the reasons why the church does what it does?
• How does the practice of Christian faith interact with the whole of my life?

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So who’s this project for? Who will it help? And why should we bother?

While there are a handful of trained, professional youth ministers throughout the Anglican Church of Canada, the majority of youth ministry leaders are volunteers without specialized training. Ours is a large church, across a broad expanse of geography, and we cannot expect that all of our leaders have gone to seminary (or that they even want to!).

And yet, we are concerned for younger generations. We are concerned that they grow up in the church. We have mixed motivations – some of us want to preserve the institution, others of us want to keep our kids out of trouble. Some want to encourage deep discipleship in the way of Jesus. And, quite frankly, some of us aren’t even sure why we should bother with youth ministry in the first place.

Where do you find yourself on this spectrum? (Why) do you think ministry amongst youth is important?  Read more…

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Where do I even begin?

That’s the question we hope to help Anglican youth ministers with over the course of the coming months through the development of a new online education platform. Late in 2012, the Youth Initiatives Team, led by Christian Harvey began discussions about developing theological resources for those engaged in youth ministry.

Whether volunteer, part-time or full-time staff, lay or ordained, we all need resources for ministering amongst youth in our ever-changing world. And while we need ideas for great new games and ice breakers, while we’re looking for interesting ideas on missions trips and service activities, what we need most of all, is to root what we do in a deep understanding of  why we do it.

That’s what this project is about.

And I’m excited to be working on this project with youth ministers from across the country as well as readers of this blog. We can’t do this without you.

Together, we have the opportunity to develop a program that will help Anglican youth leaders to develop theologically-grounded tools to engage in ministry amongst youth. And that’s what we need. We need to find ways to understand, and communicate the Christian story in the light of our deeply rooted Anglican tradition.

Why should a young person engage in the Christian faith? We need to ask ourselves the same question. If we can’t answer the question for ourselves, how will we invite young people into our communities of faith with any integrity? At the end of the day, Christian youth ministry is about more than keeping kids out of trouble or preserving the institutional church.

At its heart, youth ministry is about inviting young people into the powerful, transformative story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. It’s about discovering the bold adventure that Jesus calls us on, and accepting the challenge. It’s about living as agents of change in the world as we seek to live into the Marks of Mission.

This blog will provide a way of keeping up with the process, and sharing your thoughts and ideas. What resources do you need for your youth ministry? As a youth ministry leader, what would you like to learn?

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Reprinted from ideas.time.com

By Rabbi David Wolpe

I’ve added some Canadian context to Rabbi David’s words.  Just to make sure we’re not just talking ‘american’ here.  Want a conversation starter for a confirmation class or youth gathering?  Use the article as a spring board to conversation.   – judy

But institutions are also the only mechanism human beings know to perpetuate ideologies and actions. If books were enough, why have universities?  If self-governance enough, let’s get rid of Ottawa, or Washington. The point is that if you want to do something lasting in this world, you will recall the wise words of French Catholic writer Charles Péguy: “Everything begins in mysticism and ends in politics.”    Got a vision? Get a blueprint.

Spirituality is an emotion. Religion is an obligation. Spirituality soothes. Religion mobilizes. Spirituality is satisfied with itself. Religion is dissatisfied with the world.

Religions create aid organizations; as Nicholas Kristof pointed out in a column in the New York Times two years ago
Aid organizations involve institutions as well, and bureaucracies, and — yes — committee meetings. There is something profoundly, well, spiritual about a committee meeting. It involves individuals trying together to sort out priorities, to listen and learn from one another, to make a difference. I have found too often that when people say, “I stay away from the synagogue — too much politics,” what they mean is that they did not get their way . Institutions enable but they also frustrate, as do families and every other organized sector of human life. If you want frictionless, do it alone.: the largest U.S.-based international relief and development organization is not Save the Children or Care, it’s World Vision, a Seattle-based (and Mississauga, Ontario-based) Christian organization.

To be spiritual but not religious confines your devotional life to feeling good. If we have learned one thing about human nature, however, it is that people’s internal sense of goodness does not always match their behavior. To know whether your actions are good, a window is a more effective tool than a mirror. Ask others. Be part of a community. In short, join. Being religious does not mean you have to agree with all the positions and practices of your own group; I don’t even hold with everything done in my own synagogue, and I’m the Rabbi. But it does mean testing yourself in the arena of others.

No one expects those without faith to obligate themselves to a religious community. But for one who has an intuition of something greater than ourselves to hold that this is a purely personal truth, that it demands no communal searching and struggle, no organization to realize its potential in this world, straddles the line between narcissistic and solipsistic*. If the spirit moves you to goodness, that is wonderful. For too many, though, spirituality is a VIP card allowing them to breeze past all those wretched souls waiting in line or doing the work. Join in; together is harder, but together is better.

Read more: http://ideas.time.com/2013/03/21/viewpoint-the-problem-with-being-spiritual-but-not-religious/#ixzz2OHBoV8Xl

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A scene from Zero Dark Thirty, which has been described as “morally tone deaf on the issue of torture and interrogation.”

Here’s a good perspective and a deep challenge to us as a society, on the Academy Award nominated film “Zero Dark Thirty”.  

Authors Mary Jo Leddy and Marina Nemat serve on the advisory committee of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT-Toronto).

“Zero Dark Thirty’s Crucial Lesson on Torture.”

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This is the Values Statement that

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was created at Stronger Together, a national gathering of Anglican Diocesan Youth MInistry Staff and volunteers which has met twice over the past two years. The first draft was created out of conversations and reflections at the gathering in 2011 in BC. It was further refined this year at Stronger Together 2012 in Cochrane, AB.

What this is NOT

• It is NOT a mandate, or a ‘top down decree’ for youth ministry nationally
• It is NOT being ‘imposed’ on anyone

What this IS

• It IS a set of visions and values that have been developed over the past two years by the people who are responsible for youth ministry in various places and ministries across Canada.
• It IS intended as a guideline to help you when establishing a vision, or a set of values for youth ministry in your own unique context, knowing that other Anglican Dioceses across Canada are working with the same set of values. This might help us have some coherence to how we understand the important considerations for us as we think about youth ministry.

 

Our Values for Ministry With and Among Young People in Canada

Foundational to our understanding of the nature and task of youth ministry is “participating in God’s action.” Youth ministry at the local level, then, is the ministry of the church that seeks to participate in God’s action with and among young people.

1) Knowing God
In all we do, we never forget who we are: humans created in the image of God beautiful, broken and loved.

2) Living in Christ
Our work is anchored in the priority of living out a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and sharing that way of life.

3) Missional Direction
Our work is to empower young people to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.

4) Beyond Survival
Stories of effective ministry with and among young people inspire expectation and hope among Anglicans, inviting the church to move beyond survival and fear to trusting God and claiming what is life giving.

5) God Conversations
We are intentional about having God conversations with young people, equipping and encouraging them to share the story of their faith with the wider community.

6) Bold Experimentation
We foster experimentation recognizing the gifts of our rootedness in our rich heritage and story. Our ministries with and among young people are environments that empower creativity, leave room for failure and provide opportunities for learning and growth.

7) Spiritual Practice
We commit to re-affirming and renewing our faith through worship, the study of scripture and spiritual practices.

8) Individual Young People
We always keep in mind the reality that somewhere there’s a young person who is yearning to deepen their relationship with God and is waiting to be connected to a transforming Christian community.

judy Ministry, News

“But you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

This scripture has been the inspiration for our youth mission cycle at St. Paul’s, Edmonton for the past ten years. Over the past decade my perspective has cycled as well. I used to think of our first year, local mission, as preparation for our cross-cultural mission in year two and our international mission in year three. Now I see the away missions as preparation for our continuing mission at home. Taking people to a different country / culture pushes them to get out of their comfort zone and totally rely on God. However, if we totally rely on God, we can leave our comfort zone even when we are in our own neighbourhood. This was the challenge to the group of 18 people who went on a mission trip to Brazil last summer, as well as the entire parish of St. Paul’s. I am convinced that we can make a more powerful and lasting impact for God’s Kingdom right in our own community. After all, we are the ones who will follow up. Our strategy is to instigate a Guerrilla Love Movement. Our goal is to ambush people with love until they ask us why.

Guest blog by Amy Croy – Youth / Young Adult Minister St. Paul’s, Edmonton

More ambush stories to come from St. Paul’s…..have you got a story?

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Well I’m finally signed up for Stronger Together! I started the ap

plication about 5 times and each time was stumped by the questions of what should every youth library contain? And why should it have it? What music influenced you this year? What is the story? I thought I had to come up with a brilliant answer. I had none.

I wasn’t able to have an answer that was going to impress anyone so I was honest. I wrote on the application, “I have no clue.” I don’t read books on youth ministry. I tired and it didn’t happen. I read blogs and I find that I learn through others practical experiences and suggestions. I couldn’t have even faked an answer for the library question. There are no cheat notes for such things! So much for the impressive answer.

Secondly, I had to answer the music question. Who have I listened to this year? Into my mind jumped Eminem. I didn’t know if the question was looking for Christian music, youth group appropriate music or simply music we listen to every day. I went with the latter. As I drive my son to hockey games 2 hours away or ask what my youth are listening to on their IPods I hear Eminem, Bob Marley, AC/DC, Maroon 5 and Skrillex. None of them topping the Christian music charts but all music that influences, tells a story and opens a ton of discussion. The artists are stories in themselves. Their life choices, their histories and journeys all play a role in opening up the doors to deeper conversation about life and choices. The message in their music and in their personal journeys affects and influences youth and allows me as a leader to have great discussions with them.

So take me as I am Stronger Together! Take me, my weird answers and teach me some things. I can’t wait to meet everyone and learn. I might even find an answer to question 1 so I know what to put in my Youth Leader library!

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By Christian Harvey

If you are wondering who in the world Kimberly Rivera is, don’t worry, most of us had never heard of her until a couple of weeks ago. But to fill you in, Kimberly was a soldier in the U.S. Army who volunteered to go to Iraq and defend American democracy, or so she thought. When she got there she realized the true cost of war, the countless civilian casualties and children who’s lives were being decimated by that needless occupation. She realized that she could not reconcile what she was apart of with the Bible she read and the Jesus she followed. So she left the war, became what the army calls a deserter, and moved with her family to Canada and applied for refugee status. She has been her since 2007. On Aug. 30 of this year Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney and the Canadian Government ordered that Kimberly, her husband Mario and their 4 young children be deported back to the U.S. where Kimberly will most definitely be charged and sent to prison.

I don’t know why but this story has hit me hard. Probably because I see in this story how little my convictions have cost me. I speak out about non-violence, about the sin of war, but it doesn’t cost me anything. But for Kimberly it will cost her everything. She will be taken from her four young children, she will be treated like any other criminal, she will probably struggle finding a job when she does get out, all because she believes that she is meant to love her enemy, not kill them. Would my convictions stand up to that sort of persecution? I hope so.

But this does not have to happen. Kimberly and her family do not have to be deported, this grievous act of injustice does not have to take place, and we can work to stop it. Let us join together and tell Minister Kenney and the Government of Canada that we are a country that values peace makers, that values people of conscience and protects them. Let us tell Minister Kenney that in deporting Kimberly and her family he is not acting on behalf of the Canadian people. Let us tell him to let Kimberly, Mario and their four children stay in our country.

Doing this is easy. You can contact him in various ways:

Write to: 325 East Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
or email: jason.kenney@parl.gc.ca
phone: 613-954-1064
or fax: 613-957.2688

If you are not exactly sure what to say, then you can use this online letter. You can also contact your MP and tell her or him the same thing. Lastly, you can sign this petition. And while you are doing this pray for the Rivera family, pray for Minister Kenney and pray for all those who are persecuted for proclaiming peace.

We follow the Prince of Peace, the one who called us to love our enemies, we worship a God who calls us to make weapons into farming equipment and to welcome the alien and the stranger. Let us bear witness to this by speaking out for the Riveras today.

Amen.

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I’m going to Saskatoon! I have never been to a Justice Camp, CLAY, Stronger Together or a major youth gathering of any sort. I have been to lots of “adult” church stuff around the country and in my home Diocese but never specifically for youth.  While Christian Harvey and crew work tirelessly getting ready for Justice Camp in Peterborough Aug 19-24th, the rest of the National Youth Initiatives Team is gearing up for CLAY in Saskatoon. The Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth gathering. How awesome!

You have to remember I’m old for a youth leader (well I think I am) and have little training so this is an experience that I’m thrilled to be part of. I didn’t get to do anything like this when I was young and never had the opportunity as I grew into a youth leader.  I am looking forward to learning, listening and sharing in the time that this huge group of young people are together.  As the Hyperlink: CLAY 2012 website says, “Provoke. Poke. Invoke. Love. Gather. Guide.” What an opportunity to join with both the Lutheran and Anglican youth and their leaders. Home teams, bible studies, leadership, fun and friendship. So I will wait for August……not overly patiently, but I will wait…

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