"To provide a model of youth ministry, 'Commitment Level Youth Ministry,' developed by Mark Tittley at Windsor Community Church," Windsor, South Africa.

 

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Youth ministry can be frustrating! Youth leaders live with guilt because they do not see new converts in the group; many groups have no contact with unchurched youth in their area, except the occasional young person who wanders though the door; some groups struggle to integrate newcomers who come for the fun but do not return the following week; tension exists between those who consider the programmes too worldly and those who consider them too spiritual.

Working as a youth ministry consultant in a newly established church in Windsor, South Africa, the youth leaders and I began to develop and implement a model of youth ministry that was extensive in scope (reaching and discipling youth) and intensive in depth (caring for and developing youth and leaders). The model ensures that newcomers are added to the group, and that those already within the group are matured in their faith and equipped to serve. It starts with a Contact Event aimed at reaching unchurched youth on their turf by making contact and establishing a relationship with them. They are then invited to a Rave Event, a four-week programming strategy designed to introduce them to the group, help them discover truth about Jesus Christ, and hear the gospel in a non-threatening environment. The next stage is for the new convert-a Follow-up Event; this is where they are grounded in the faith. They then attend a Growth Event, designed to help them grow to spiritual maturity. The next stage, an Impact Event, shows youth how to reach out and impact their community for Christ. Finally, those ready to be involved in leadership are trained at a Leader Event.

WINDSOR YOUTH GROUP MINISTRY MODEL

Reflecting on the problem and our solution, we concluded that frustrations arise in youth ministry due to the lack of a suitable youth ministry model. They may also be due to a focus on individual events rather than on youth ministry as a process or a journey. If leaders look beyond individual activities, programmes, and events, and design a model of youth ministry that is comprehensive in scope and application, it is likely that many frustrations connected with youth ministry would be removed. Matthew 28:18-20 speaks of the journey of ministry:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

A close reading of this passage shows the main charge: make disciples. This is the purpose of youth ministry: to make disciples of youth. Making disciples is a three-stage process, identified by the three participles in the passage: going, baptizing, and teaching. The discipleship journey involves making contact and building relationships with people (going); sharing the gospel with them (baptizing-as part of the conversion-initiation experience), and nurturing them in the faith (teaching).

The model of ministry implemented at Windsor Fellowship is based on a model of youth ministry that has been around for many years. Duffy Robbins, in Youth Ministry That Works, presents a youth ministry model that identifies youth at different levels of spiritual commitment):

INVESTIGATION OF THE MODEL

Drawing on Duffy Robbins'' work in Youth Ministry That Works, in Youth Ministry Nuts and Bolts, and from an article in Youthworker Journal entitled, "More Than a Meeting," the following descriptions of each level are presented:

1. Humanity Level. These youth are within the geographical sphere of influence of the group, yet they are not influenced by the present group and they may not even know that the group exists. Making contact with these young people involves meeting them on their "turf" or reaching them through the members of the youth group who are at school with them.
   
2. Come Level. These youth attend when the group is doing something they like, usually something they consider fun or entertaining. They make no pretence of commitment to Christ; they simply want to have a good time. Leaders must see the potential of reaching these young people with the gospel.
   
3. Grow Level. These youth within the group are willing to submit themselves to spiritual growth. These are youth who take part in an event, even if it involves some amount of spiritual input. It must be realised that willingness to submit to growth is not the same as commitment to growth-youth at this level are not seeking spiritual growth on their own initiative.
   
4. Disciple Level. These young people initiatetheir own spiritual growth and discipline themselves to grow through disciplines such as the study of Scripture, prayer, and witnessing. As they begin to pro-actively participate in their faith development, they need instruction and tools to help them grow.
   
5. Develop Level. These youth are willing to initiate spiritual growth of others as well as themselves. They are ready to develop their leadership skills and minister to their peers, and they should be motivated, equipped, and mobilised to reach out to youth inside and outside the group. At this level, the involvement of adults in ministry among youth is encouraged.
   
6. Multiply Level. These young people are willing to reproduce this process in the lives of their friends. These are youth who are ready to assume responsibility for an area of ministry within the youth group.
   
   These levels form a pyramid, in which the entry level events provide easy access to the group, and more commitment and participation is required of youth as they move deeper into the funnel.
   
   COMMITMENT LEVEL FUNNEL
   
   In order for youth ministry programming to be effective, there should be activities designed to meet the needs of young people at each level of commitment. Humanity level programmes will be geared at young people who are probably unchurched and have little interest in religion. They must be integrated into the life of the group, develop meaningful relationships with Christians, and hear about God''s plan of salvation. There also need to be programmes that will help young people at the come, grow, disciple, develop, and multiply levels.
   
   The youth group at Windsor began to evaluate their ministry among youth in light of commitment level ministry and after an initial adjustment where the group provided just two events: the Rave Event for unchurched youth and the Growth Event to disciple churched youth. Ministries were added to target each level. The following funnel shows the present ministries of the group as they relate to the commitment level process:

 

IMPLICATIONS OF THE MODEL

The value of a commitment level ministry strategy is seen in the following implications:

1. The role of commitment levels. In order to programme effectively, the youth pastor must assess the members of the youth group and discover where they are and then design a programming strategy to lead them further in their pilgrimage.
   
2. The laws of spiritual commitment. The first law of spiritual commitment is: as commitment increases, attendance decreases. Judging an event by attendance is a deceptive criterion! A develop level training event may only draw ten young people, but it is just as important as a come level event with a hundred young people. The second law of spiritual commitment is: as commitment increases, participation increases. As people move through the process, they become more involved in the group and should assume greater ministry involvement. This will only happen as they are given opportunities to be involved.
   
3. The importance of the unspiritual. In the right programme context, unspiritual activities may have legitimate spiritual goals. Duffy Robbins says, "we can''t get youth to be multipliers if we can''t get them in leadership development. And we can''t get them involved at the disciple level if we don''t get them discipled. And we can''t get them discipled if we can''t get them interested in growth. And we can''t get them to grow if we can''t get them to come. That might mean that with some youth the most spiritually strategic action I can take with them is to take them away with me for a day of white-water rafting, building relationships and breaking down defences" (Youth Ministry That Works, p.82).
   
4. The need for different events. Youth pastors who have been exposed to this model and begun to implement it, have realised that it is impossible to deal with all six levels during the same event. Inevitably, the come level youth will feel that the event is too spiritual, while the multiply level youth will feel that the event is not helping them grow. This model of ministry designs separate events for different commitment levels.
   
5. The development of youth. The process of moving from the humanity to multiply level may look smooth on paper, but, in reality, it is tough. Spiritual growth happens in spurts, at an individual''s unique pace, and is often accompanied by pain. However, despite the commitment involved in nurturing youth and the occasional "failures," the target of maturity must not be discarded. It must be remembered that adolescence is a period of great change, with many ups and downs; the spiritual dimension of their lives is not exempt from these changes.
   
6. The involvement of participants. Youth today are so involved with school and other activities that they cannot be expected to attend everything that the group is offering-they will choose which events they are able to attend. Youth leaders will have to change their attitude toward youth who do not attend an event. Also, youth leaders may not be involved in the leadership of all events, but matched up with certain level events according to their spiritual gifting and released to minister in those areas.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MODEL

When implementing any change, the effectiveness of the process depends on the amount of acceptance and ownership that the proposed changes enjoy. Youth leaders should talk about commitment level youth ministry with the group leaders before they make changes. Then they should involve the leadership team in the following process to implement the model.

1. Discover who attends the group. The first step in developing commitment level youth ministry involves identifying the different categories of young people who attend the youth group. Include the following categories of youth: unchurched, non-believers, seekers, converts, disciples, leaders, etc.
   
2. Identify youth commitment levels. The next stage involves understanding where young people are spiritually, by attempting to place each of the young people in one of the six levels of commitment. This exercise will provide a guideline as to where the concentration of youth lies, and will reveal areas of weakness. This is not a simple process; the end result should be regarded only as a guideline. Leaders will find that some youth fall between the levels; in fact, it is best to think in terms of a sliding scale or continuum. The names of youth should be filled in on the following chart:

EVALUATING YOUTH

1. Evaluate ministries at each level. The funnel analogy is helpful as the youth pastor evaluates what programmes are offered to the group at each level of commitment. This step will show if the group is presenting too many programmes at a certain level and will depict which levels are being neglected. Leaders should also monitor the effectiveness of programmes by evaluating the commitment level of those attending the event in comparison to the level at which it is actually targeted. For example, a come level event must be aimed at the unchurched person; a Bible study would be appropriate at the grow or develop level event.

EVALUATING MINISTRIES

1. Adjust programmes as necessary. The group should end programmes that are unnecessary, adjust those that need changing, and begin new programmes at untapped commitment levels. However, do not start too many programmes simultaneously. Be bold, but realistic, in strategising for the future. Implementation should proceed slowly to ensure that present leaders are not overwhelmed. The group could start with three levels of ministry: a come event (to make contact with youth in your community); a grow event (to evangelise youth), and a disciple event (to follow up converts). Soon, a humanity event could be added in which the group ventures onto the turf of unchurched youth. Later, a multiply event, such as leadership training. Finally, the group could add a develop event, perhaps in the form of a service project or short-term mission.
   
2. Draw a funnel of all ministries. Draw a diagram that places all the programmes in sequence as a funnel-moving from humanity events at the widest part to multiply level events at the narrowest section.

NEW MINISTRIES FUNNEL

1. Develop the model further. The following suggestions involve developing the model in the life of the local church:

-Develop a council to coordinate youth ministry. This is a group of representing each of the three age group ministries (children, teenage, and young adult), under the oversight of a youth pastor or youth ministry coordinator. The council also includes any youth specialists within the church, such as social workers, counsellors, parents, and concerned adults. Include representatives from all ministries that affect youth, including Sunday School. The functions of the youth council follow: ensure a smooth transition between the age groups, provide a unified sense of purpose and direction regarding focus and curriculum, organise combined events that unite the different groups, and share resources between the groups.

-Involve leaders in the younger age group. Disciple, develop, or multiply level teenagers can be involved in the leadership of the children''s group according to their spiritual maturity and gifting. The same applies to young adults working as leaders in the teenage group alongside teenage leaders. This implies that middle-aged adults should be involved in the young adult group. In fact, each generation should be reaching back to pass on what they have learned to the generation following them.

-Extend the commitment model of ministry to the whole church. The whole church should be run with a commitment level ministry philosophy. Each age-specific ministry must be encouraged to adapt programmes to meet people at each commitment level.

-Ensure that all ministries are relational. The key to effective youth ministry is relationships with youth. Significant ministry occurs as leaders lives impact the lives of youth. Events must include time for relationship building before, during, and after the programme.
RECOMMENDED READING

1. Buckeridge, J. (1995). Nurturing young disciples. London: Marshall Pickering.
2. Farley, R. (1991). Strategy for youth leaders. New South Wales: Scripture Union.
3. Hybels, L. & Hybels, B. (1995). Rediscovering church. Michigan: Zondervan.
4. Robbins, D. (1992, Winter). More than a meeting. Youthworker Journal, pp.42-47.
5. Robbins, D. (1990). The ministry of nurture. Michigan: Youth Specialties.
6. Robbins, D. (1990). Youth ministry nuts and bolts. Michigan: Zondervan.
7. Robbins, D. (1991). Youth ministry that works. Illinois: Victor Books.
8. Ward, P. (1995). Relational youthwork. Oxford, England: Lynx Communications.
9. Ward, P. (1996). Growing up evangelical. London: SPCK.
10. Warren, R. (1995). The purpose driven church. Michigan: Zondervan.

Mark Tittley cCYS