these are my notes. make a comment if you have a question. i’ve thrown in a few thoughts into the mix. not to mention i wrote an article titled youth ministry 2.0 a few years back. pictures from this pilgrim experience.
darren whitehead
youth ministry 2.0 : how culture has changed what we do
the gospel message is timeless, but our strategies and methods need to change.
Acts 17: 22-28 (TNIV)
Not just Biblical Exegesis but also cultural Exegesis
- we need to analyze how the culture thinks. we are also not just talking about youth culture. there is not just a generational shift, but a cultural shift.
- the web has changed the world. we don’t have to tell stories anymore, we can just click and experience it together.
- the largest consumer of porn on the internet is 12-17 year olds.
- should we be talking to youth not just about two lives, but three now? there is your self, church self, internet self.
- web 2.0 is a revolution. we are now living in the world 2.0. we cannot afford to be doing youth ministry 1.0.
- the people formerly known as consumers are content providers.
Five Shifts in the way we do Youth Ministry
- from Passive to Interactive : user generated content rules now. why would they want to come in and sit passively. how do we get our students out of their seats (metaphorically) and into the content role. ownership. our students are no longer attending our ministry, they ARE our ministry. i remember doug fields talking about this kind of youth inclusion 6 or 7 years ago. our united methodist youth handbook talks of similar youth leadership
- from Resolved to Unresolved : did a topical series on war, homosexuality, myspace, and other hot topics. but didn’t tell them how to think or what to think. be committed to not giving neat little trite answers to complicated issues. there is room for discussion and you need to allow it.. we are going to be co-journers on your walk. we need to be prepared to not just be travel agents, but tour guides reminds me of derek webb’s song "a new law"
- from Immitation to Imagination : for too long we have promoted the four spiritual laws and quiet time as clones for spiritual people. we want to cultivate imagination. we teach youth to be dependent on us for spiritual nourishment. teaching people to feed on the scriptures themselves. create environments where they can interact with the scriptures themselves.
- from Informational to Experiential : trying to come up with new ways to engage in visual and kinistetic ways to teach. using cell phones & txting to do interaction. prayer stations. stations of the cross, blindfold with sound effects, the theater of the mind to experience. i know a great prayer station resource. &:~D
- from Confession to Compassion : students are not longer satisfied with what they believe they want to demonstrate and live out the gospel. moves of not just compassion, but also social justice.
