Youth Workers

Bringing our Youth to Christ

Guiding Our Youth towards Christ

by Michelle Salamy

There is no denying that it's hard to be young in this day and age. And trying to be a follower of Christ is even harder. There's no denying that this country throws pressures at our young people a million miles a minute. There is also no denying that for parents, youth workers, priests, teachers, and etc.-there is a responsibility to guide our youth towards Christ in as many ways as possible. Our goal must be to lead them towards Him with as much love and patience as we can muster every chance we get. Our goal has to be to cement in our kids a lifestyle that breeds the active growth of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control'; against such things there is no law" (Gal. 5:22-23) So how do we do this?

First, consider this: our kids are ultimately undergoing the same pressures we are. Sure, those pressures may manifest themselves differently, but the premise is usually the same. Take for example the coveted social ladder we all strive to climb. Realize that the same reason kids so often dress a certain way, is the same reason we do. Ok, so maybe kids wear seductive clothing so that they look like the latest pop culture hit, or grab the attention of the popular people at school. But isn't that also why adults "dress for success", carrying the right purse, or wearing the correct shoes, or the perfect power suit? And what can we say about our choice of music? Do kids listen to hard core rap, or boy bands for any other reason than we might listen to say, opera, or big band? Isn't that just their version of what we like to call "being cultured"? At the end of the day, though the justification may be weak, realizing that we often teach our kids by our own actions helps us to understand that this striving for worldly acceptance by the use of mere externals is a learned behavior that they probably get from us! We too must keep in check what it is we strive for! "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God". (Romans 12:2)

Second, it is imperative that we not only teach our children that they are as important a member of the Body of Christ as anyone else, but it is imperative that we teach them in a way they understand. Translating the message of the Gospel into "teen lingo" is as important as preaching a sermon to the people in the language of the people. It does no good at all to speak Latin to a congregation that only speaks Greek. We can do this not only by talking about the Gospel and applying it to their lives today, but by living the message every day of our lives. Decision by decision is how we can exemplify the Gospel for our kids. We can encourage our children (and ourselves, for that matter) to make the kinds of decisions Christ would want us to make.

Third, I think it is our absolute duty to know what they know. One of the most important responsibilities, in my mind, we have when working with young people is to do the research! I remember one time, at a dinner with the seventh and eighth grade church school class I was teaching, parents and students were engulfed in a discussion about how to understand each other. Trying to be the "good facilitator", I asked the group who knew what a "4-20" was. Only one teenage boy raised his hand in the back. When I asked his parents if they also knew what that meant, they didn't. (Not surprising, as I hadn't known either until I spent some time researching "teen talk"). However, we all soon found out how important it was for us all to know what it meant, as it is a term used to refer to "the time to smoke pot". Granted, this teenager was not a drug user by ANY means. Granted, his parents are the most involved parents I've ever met. And we all got a good chuckle when his mother leaned over to his father and gasped through gritted teeth “Honey, WHY DOES HE KNOW THAT!!??" But the point remains the same, to truly be affective in influencing our kids; we have got to understand their language. Knowing pop culture is imperative if we ever hope to disarm its influence over our children.

Also, a simple two letter word that is so often underused in today’s society is the word "no". “No” is a simple tool that is more and more forgotten or faux pas. America, this wonderful land of opportunity has adopted and "anything goes, anything's possible" attitude. Let me be quick to say that I reject this attitude. Our job as leaders is to set boundaries. No, you cannot watch that show. No, you may not wear that out of this house. No, you may not speak to me that way. No, you may not go to that party. And absolutely, no, you may not skip church. In this day and age, at a time when our parents have worked so hard, and we continue in their footsteps-to ensure our kids get everything they want, we are easily sucked into this mode of supposed "providing". Be ware! Giving our children whatever they want is not the answer. In fact, doing so is often the opposite of providing. I know in my lifetime, the things I appreciate the most are the things I've had to work for. Sure, I enjoy things that are handed to me on a silver platter, but I often don't value them as much as I should.

Another thing to think about, and of the utmost importance, is realizing that in all things, we must guide our youth to put their fears, concerns, hopes, dreams-and ultimately, their whole lives, at the foot of the Cross. So many times in my life I have been at a choice-point, a crossroads that perplexes me silly. And I literally will be at a loss of what to do. I have struggled to make things happen by hard work, endless investment of time or resources, etc. But it is only when I turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, and begs of Him to make clear His Holy will, and not my own, that I am able to do the right thing. The same goes for our kids. Whatever their worries, whatever their fears, be it getting into the right college, or going out with a potential suitor-the point is the same...they must turn the decision over to God through prayer and submission. And remember-this behavior must be taught! XX Being a youth in America is indeed hard today. Being a parent or teacher of the youth seems even harder. But it is possible to do it well! The one thing that we can certainly take comfort in is that we can turn the whole business over to God. "No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11) Directing our energies to obeying Him and teaching His salvific Word to our children is the only way!

Michelle Salamy is a Youth Worker in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America

Changing Lives

“Taking the Time for our Youth”

By: Gizelle Baba Shadid

A Story of how Youth Directors Change Lives

I can remember those Saturday afternoons, when Deacon Tommy, (now Father Thomas Joseph) would come over to our house and spend time with us. He would carry his Bible Trivia game with him to Inwood Forest Dad’s Club and play softball with us, too. He spent time teaching us, getting to know us, and just being there for us. Knowing that I enjoyed middle school Theater Arts, Deacon Tom suggested I participate in the Oratorical Festival. “What’s that?” I asked. He proceeded to tell me about the Parish Life Conferences held each summer, of which I had no idea. It was enlightening, and I found a new door was opened for me. I ended up going to Tulsa that summer of ‘90 for the Parish Life Conference and happened upon a Teen SOYO meeting. “There’s a region? What’s this camp in Pennsylvania that I am hearing about?” I think to myself, “Yeah right, like I’m ever gonna get to go to Pennsylvania!” It seemed impossible at the time, but I soon learned that “with God, all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).

Now, with eight summers of camp experience and going on ten years being involved with Teen SOYO, I can look back and say “thank you” to that youth worker who took the time. I strongly believe that God uses his youth workers, among many other people, to help bring His children into the life of the Church. To make a long story short, I didn’t start getting involved in the Church until someone took the time to pull me in.

As of September 1999, I have been a full-time staff member at my church in Houston and have the awesome responsibility of being a Youth Director. This is the first time our church has had this position solely for the youth. The three years previous, I had served as one of the volunteer youth advisors. I find there is a tremendous difference in what we are able to accomplish, now that I am able to work full-time with our young people.

Let me say that the purpose of this article is not by any means to ‘toot my own horn.’ The aim is to use my personal experiences to help you realize the growing need for full-time Youth Directors in our parishes. Let’s face it, today’s society is much different than it was 50 years ago. A child is lucky to have one parent teaching them or even at home with them, let alone two. Think about it. The Church is competing with the media, with WWF and NWO, with video games, movies and entertainment, with the Internet and AOL…. and the list goes on! With all of these distractions and worldly images, how much time are our children making for Christ and His Church? Are they reading their Bibles? Are they being taught to read their Bibles? Are our children going to church, praying daily, fasting, tithing, sharing, and helping? Are they loving?

I remember last year and the years previous serving as a volunteer youth work where I felt so frustrated that a church as large as ours did not have a more active youth group. Sometimes I’d feel guilty, but I just didn’t have the time to do more than one or two activities a month with the youth. I had a full time job outside of the church as most of our youth workers do. I recall parents saying, “I wish our teens had things to do every weekend with their church friends. I wish they thought of the church as a place where they could hang out and be together. I don’t want my kids to be influenced their school friends…. When our kids come back from summer church camp, they are on a ‘spiritual high,’ then after a month or two, it’s gone.” It’s amazing what two weeks can do! What about the other 50 weeks in the year? What then? Camp should not be an exclusive experience where our children only feel close to Christ while they are there. Our camp directors have always implored us to take camp home with us. How do we do that?

Having a Youth Director allows for the year-round camp experience, where the kids are encouraged to sing Vespers and attend Christian education classes, among other things. I recall Fr. Michael Nasser, our current Camp Director, saying to the kids on the last day of camp (in so many words): “You are all crying right now because you don’t want to leave tomorrow, because you developed such close relationships with the people here and with Christ. Our goal is not to make this camp a refuge from the world or an experience you can only have here on this mountain in Pennsylvania. It is to teach you and to give you a model as to how to live your life when you go home. We want you to be so close to your church community at home that when you leave them to come to camp, you are crying.”

Now that we have an established youth program, not just for the teens, but for pre-teens and college students, we meet three, four, sometimes even five times a week! Our church is becoming a place where the youth can call their home. Our children are hungry! Let us feed them with the words of Christ! Let us fill their souls with the Holy Spirit, with love for one another, with fellowship. Let’s provide opportunities for them to go on trips together, to make pilgrimages to monasteries and taste the life of a monastic, let’s go to their homes and have Bible studies and play basketball together, go to their school functions, and just be there for them! Let us not forget about Christ those other 50 weeks.

All of this takes………..TIME.

When your church hires a Youth Director, you are sending your youth a message; we care about you; we want to invest in you. We want to keep you in this Church and make it a part of your lives now. We have to do something! For those of you who are thinking, “We can’t budget a Youth Director,” I will argue that it is cost effective to hire one. Once you get the kids involved, you’ll start seeing their parents coming to church. We have seen it in many parishes. The youth push their parents to go to church and to get more involved, and with it comes increased awareness and education on their part. Our parents also begin to experience how much the Church is there for their families and they eventually become active supporting members.

Now for those growing number of parishes who have realized this need and have done something about it, there are things to remember. The Youth Director is not the “Lone Ranger” by any means, nor can our parishes expect one person to do all the work that is needed for youth ministry. Each parish needs an intergenerational youth ministry team. We need young adults, married couples, and parents, even grandparents to get involved with the youth. The goal is to have at least one person on your Youth Ministry Team with whom each young person can feel some identification. We have to fill each other’s gaps. Christ Himself served as a perfect model, for He did not do all the work alone, He delegated. Christ appointed 12 disciples whose job it was to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Thus, when He physically left this earth, His ministry did not end. Les Christie, a well-known youth worker writes, “The long-term effectiveness of youth ministry depends on the ability of the youth worker to develop a team of committed adult volunteers” (How to Recruit and Train Volunteer Youth Workers, 10). We should expect our volunteers to be available to our kids, to have a sense of calling, to like kids, and to be growing spiritually (44). Above all, youth workers who want to be effective in their ministry must pray.

It is my prayer that we as a growing Church in this country actualize the need for full-time Youth Directors in our parishes. In retrospect, it was those home visits by a youth worker that got me to want to go to church. It was a person’s love and concern for my spiritual state that eventually helped me to realize how much I need Christ.

Gizelle Baba was the full time Youth Director for St. George Orthodox Church of Houston, Texas, when this article was written. She nows serves alongside her husband Jimmy Shadid in Wichita, KS

Job Description

Youth Minister Job Description

The purpose of a written job description is to give the parish and the youth minister a clear understanding of work expectations. The job description protects the youth minister from being assigned tasks beyond his or her immediate responsibilities. The job description also gives the parish a specific way to evaluate the work performed by the youth minister.

No job description can cover every situation or circumstance in the ministry. Thus the accountability section of this job description describes the process by which ministry happens in the church. It is important to have the youth minister responsible to the pastor and Parish Council. Feedback from the youth minister's supervisor and lay committee gives the youth minister general guidelines for implementing ministry. If staff or church members ask the youth minister to do tasks far afield from his job description, the youth minister should discuss the problem with those directly involved. He or she can also refer everyone involved back to the job description and seek clarification of the ministry tasks listed.

The following definitions may help clarify this job description:

Youth Ministry Team refers to adult volunteer youth workers, teachers and youth group officers or representatives, working together to plan and implement Youth Ministry in the parish.

Make sure the church and the youth minister understand and agree on how social security will be part of the salary package. It may be understood in two ways. First, if the youth minister is self employed, the Social Security amount would be fixed as a benefit to offset the amount of tax the youth minister is required to pay personally. Second, if the youth minister is an employee of the church, then the Social Security amount the church pays becomes an added expense to the church and should be calculated by the church as an expense associated with this position.

Youth Minister (Worker) Job Description

The youth minister shall be a well-trained professional, committed to Jesus Christ, the Holy Orthodox Church and to ministry with young people and their families. The youth minister shall possess the administrative skills necessary to perform his or her duties and carry out details, as well as the interpersonal, relational skills for working with young people and adults within the parish. He shall further work with the Regional and Archdiocese Youth Departments, as well as the Regional and Archdiocese Organizations with which he is working with on the parish level.

Responsibilities

1. Recruit, train, encourage and support lay people in the various volunteer ministries of working with young people in the parish.

Provide regular training sessions for teachers and volunteers
Have regular volunteer and teacher meetings for planning and programming.
Work with the youth ministry team (see introduction) to identify and recruit potential volunteer youth workers.
Help recruit volunteer youth workers.
Locate and use valuable resources like youth workers magazines, periodicals, curricula relevant to youth ministry, as well as to attend deanery, regional and archdiocese youth worker seminars and the like, as well as to utilize information and resources as provided by the Archdiocese Department of Youth.

2. Support young people and adults in planning and programming evening and weekend fellowships.

Work closely with the youth ministry team.
Develop a quarterly calendar of youth programs and events.
Help implement plans by ordering needed materials, scheduling speakers, handling setup details for events, etc.
Attend evening and weekend fellowships whenever possible.

3. Provide for growth of youth groups.

Arrange for regular pastoral visits to active, inactive and prospective young people and their families.
Develop effective publicity for youth activities through the church newsletter, bulletin, youth newsletter, mailings, media publicity, etc.
Research and schedule special events such as Antiochian Village Camp, conferences, delegates meetings, seminars, retreats, lock-ins, trips and so on.
Train young people and plan for special outreach to other teenagers within and without the parish, as well as from other Orthodox Communities.
Locate resources to meet the needs of smaller groups in such areas as spiritual growth, Bible study, drama, personal and interpersonal growth, and so on.
Offer service opportunities throughout the year to involve young people in ministering to others within and without the parish, such as visiting the elderly, shut-ins, as well as service projects such as Special Olympics and Project Mexico.

4. Work with the youth and education teams to coordinate youth ministry with the ministry of the total parish.

Provide the teams with information about quality resources for curriculum materials.
Offer ideas and personal input about future goals for the parishes' ministry with young people.

5. Build relationships with the parents of young people in the youth groups.

Visit young people in their homes - with their family.
Provide resource seminars for parents based on their needs.
Call on young people and parents in pastoral-need situations such as sickness, hospitalization, crisis intervention, death and other situations in which teenagers may need help or support.
Meet with parents at least three times a year to communicate about the youth ministry calendar, volunteer needs, parental concerns, etc.

6. Work with adult volunteers and other members of the congregation to make youth ministry an effective effort.

7. Work as a professional under the direction of the Pastor and with the Parish Council and other ministry team staff to provide for the pastoral needs of the parish.

8. Attend workshops and personal growth conferences to stay informed on new and effective ways to implement youth ministry.

9. Lead the parish members as they establish long-range goals and short-term objectives for ongoing youth ministry in the life of the church.

Accountability

1. The Pastor and the Parish Council will supervise the work of the youth minister (worker).

2. The youth minister will provide a written report to summarize his or her work for the past month to both the Pastor and the Parish Council.

3. The youth minister will communicate the plans and activities of the young people to the professional staff, the church planning committee and the youth ministry team.

4. The youth minister will be evaluated annually by the church's Pastor and Parish Council. A written report will be provided and explained. A copy of this report will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Archdiocese Department of Youth & Parish Ministries.

5. Should the youth minister feel mistreated by any staff, church member or committee in the parish, the youth minister may discuss any grievances confidentially with the pastoral relations committee and or the Pastor.

6. The parish or youth minister may dissolve this agreement by giving 30 days notice.

Compensation

1. Basic package (annually)

Base salary $

Housing allowance $

Utilities allowance $

2. Benefits (annually)

Retirement $

Car allowance $

Health insurance $

Social Security allowance $

Books and subscriptions $

Continuing education $

3. Vacation time: weeks per year.

4. Other:

This job description is entered into good faith through a commitment to serve Jesus Christ and His Holy Orthodox Church on .

date

Youth Minister Parish Council Chairman

Plan Your Youth Program

A tool to plan out your Youth Ministry Year

by Archpriest Joseph Purpura

Living the Orthodox Faith in Christ

Living the Orthodox Faith in Christ sets the tone for all youth ministry programs in our Archdiocese. We need to deliberately plan for youth ministry to take place in our parishes. Our goal in youth ministry is to see that our young people grow to love Christ and His Church and to pursue a righteous way of life. Living the Orthodox Faith in Christ is a process that takes place in the context of, Worship, Witness, Service and Fellowship. In the following I will briefly describe what we mean by these terms and how a youth group can utilize these actions to structure their youth group.

Worship is defined in the Youth Ministry Platform as:

For Orthodox Christians, corporate worship is the sacramental expression of and participation in Holy Tradition, and is the indispensable foundation of youth ministry at all levels. Upon this foundation, we must cultivate a daily personal prayer life and reading of Holy Scripture.

We read in the Orthodox Study Bible (p. 810) that worship means, "to bow down.’ In the Christian sense worship is the adoration of God through participation in the services of the Church, the highest act of a Christian (see John:4:19-24)." Further, Liturgy is, "The work or public service of the people of God, which is the worship of the one true God. The Divine Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Orthodox Church." Worship stands at the very core of youth ministry; in fact, all ministries begin with prayer and worship.

Witness - Christ calls us to be His witness in the world. We must enable our youth to express their faith for themselves and to others in order to be true witnesses to Christ and the Orthodox Faith.

The Orthodox Study Bible (p.810) states, "Witness (Gr. Martyria) is one who testifies by word and deed. In the New Testament, the word is also rendered "martyr," a reference to those who give their lives for the gospel of Christ. Also, the Holy Spirit bears witness to the spirits of those who believe in Christ, that they may belong to Him. See Rom. 8:16, Heb. 10:15; 12:1; 1 John 5:6-12; Rev. 11:3-12." We want our young people to live their lives reflecting that they do belong to Christ.

Service - Christ came not to be served, but to serve. We need to move our youth to do the same. We honor and glorify God by loving and serving mankind in the name of Jesus Christ, using our God-given gifts and talents.

Our Lord sets the tone for service, that we want our young people to emulate,

"Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ‘When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:34-40) We want our young people to instinctively reach out to their neighbors, as though they are serving the Lord..

Fellowship - The Holy Trinity is the perfect model of fellowship; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share perfect communion and exist in perfect love as a community. By gathering together in fellowship, and by showing love for one another in Christ, we emulate the life of the Holy Trinity in our daily life.

The Orthodox Study Bible (p. 798) states, "Fellowship (Gr. Koinonia) Literally, "communion"; the unity of believers through Christ based on the fellowship of the father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christians are united into a special fellowship through their love for one another and common union with Christ (Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3, 7). We often hear the statement from our young people, "my school friends are my friends while I am in school, but my Church friends are my friends for life." We want to create opportunities for our young people to be in the presence of one another, so as to strengthen their faith and resolve to live their lives as people of God and to enjoy the Fellowship of those people who belong to God.

Creating a balanced youth ministry program in the parish. Understanding our mission statement allows us to begin planning our youth ministry year focused on where we want to bring our young people. Teens, youth directors and pastors are encouraged to utilize the youth ministry mission statement above in planning out their year. An effective tool is to create a chart with "Living the Orthodox Faith in Christ" as the title to remind us that this is what we are striving to do and then to create four columns with Worship, Witness, Service and Fellowship at the top of each of these columns. As you plan out your youth ministry year place the activities you are planning into the columns that they appropriately belong. When you are done you should have a fairly balanced looking chart, if not, see where you have to add or replace to accomplish a balanced youth ministry program. The Department of Youth encourages parishes to begin planning and budgeting their youth programs in the early part of the summer. Planning, budgeting, and deliberately acting for youth ministry in the parish will positively affect many teens lives both within and beyond the parish.

This is a sample of how you might utilize your planning chart. Your planning chart should begin to look like the one below, though more extensive.

Living the Orthodox Faith in Christ

Worship

Witness

Service

Fellowship

Place your "Worship" events here such as:

Encourage other teens to attend Vespers and Divine Liturgy with you as a group.

Great Friday All Night Vigil

Attending Lenten and Holy Week Services together as a Youth Group and participating by singing, chanting and or reading.

Etc.

Place your "Witness" events here such as:

Holding a Bible Study for the Parish.

Providing Books on Orthodoxy to the local schools and libraries

Sharing your faith with your friends and inviting them to join your Bible Study or to come to a discussion with your youth group

Etc.

Place your "Service" events here such as:

Serving lunch as a group at the local Soup Kitchen

Helping as a group at a local orphanage

Cleaning the Church

Offering Tutoring to younger and peer students from the Church community, as well as those outside the community, as part of your youth groups community service.

Etc.

Place your "Fellowship" events here such as:

Playing basketball, Volleyball, or bowling together.

"Hanging out" at the Church Hall together on a specified evening with the Women’s Organization and learning how to cook or make Holy Bread

Visiting another Orthodox Youth Group as a the teen Group of your parish to foster friendships and cooperation with sister parish(es) in the local area.

Etc.

Resources

Youth Ministry Resources

Moral and Ethical Issues: Confronting Orthodox Youth across North America,
by Archpriest Joseph F Purpura
Getting Along with Parents Workbook for Youth Workers and Teens
edited by Archpriest Joseph and Kathleen Purpura

Getting Along with Parents

Getting Along with Parents for Orthodox Christian Teens

A four week work book for Junior & Senior High School Students, edited by two Orthodox Youth Workers and designed to be used by both teens and Parents in the classroom and or the Youth Group. Active Learning.

Available from:
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese Bookstore
358 Mountain Road
Englewood, NJ 97631

Cost: $7.95 each plus 10% postage and handling

Make your check payable to: The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese.

Permission to photo-copy work pages granted for one classroom or youth group per book.

Youth & Spiritual Direction

Youth & Spiritual Direction

V. Rev. Joseph F. Purpura

One of the greatest needs of our young people today is Spiritual Direction. Never before have I seen more young people seeking to better understand their faith, yet at the same time I have never sensed a greater lack of spiritual direction available to them. All one has to do is spend time with young people and ask them what is going on in their lives to see this need. Ask them; what are their struggles; what is important to them, and one is confronted with young people who are asking the "big questions" of who they are and how they fit in and relate to one another and how they fit into the greater picture. Our young people want to know that their lives matter and that they can affect the world they live in a real, positive, and profound way. At the same time one also sees that our young people are confronted with issues that demand attention and answers from the Church. The Church should respond, not simply because they are questions that the Church should traditionally answer, but because the Church can and should have a profound impact on our people, particularly in these areas.

In an article written by former President Jimmy Carter, appearing in Time magazine and entitled, "Offering a Healing Hand", he states, "Medical Science is increasingly documenting the link between spirituality and physical health. A Time cover story this past June reported a new study showing that one of the strongest predictors of survival after heart surgery is the degree to which patients draw strength and comfort from religion and that people who regularly attend religious services usually have lower blood pressure, less heart disease, lower rates of depression and better health overall than those who do not."

Precisely at a time when our young people need the Church and direction from her, the Church seems to be the quietest she has been in history. There appears to be no great commitment or effort towards providing Spiritual Direction to our young people, and despite this, our young people on their own continue to seek such direction. The question becomes, if we are silent, then whom are they listening to? Again, one only has to listen to their questions, follow their discussions on the Internet or in person and look at the constant seeking for meaning in their music and other forms of media. Unfortunately, we as Church seem ill equipped, or unwilling, to provide Spiritual Direction to our young people in a way that touches their everyday life and profoundly changes its direction. We avoid talking about the issues that really matter in their lives, i.e. "Who are we, as a people of God and how do I fit in and do I belong?", "Commitment", "meaning of life", "Who God is in relation to my life and does it matter and if so how?", "Sexuality", "Abortion", "Homosexuality", "Aides", "Euthanasia" and so forth. One simply has to attend a Parish Meeting to see where the focus of our parishes are, to see that these major issues have been relegated to the domain of the Priest, when and if he has time and of course to only be done in a none-pervasive manner.

If we really want to impact the lives of our young people and make a difference in their lives, then we need to take the Spiritual Direction of our young people seriously. We can no longer focus on simple social treats for our young people, hoping somehow or another that they will fall into a commitment in the life of the Church. It simply does not happen that way. Commitment to Christ and His Church comes about by deliberate education, mentoring, and drawing into the Body of Christ of our young people. We need more people who are committed to "mentoring" and or providing Spiritual Direction for our young people, leading them into a life committed and based on Christ and His Church. This commitment will not just happen, it has to be nurtured and encouraged by the whole community. I am not talking about turning our young people into monks, though we need to do that with those who are called to such a life, but rather equipping our young people with the tools to live a full and whole life.

In so many ways we have abdicated our responsibilities as parents, educators, and the Church to society in general and in particular to the media to form our children, young people and ultimately our adults moral and ethical systems. The results of this abdication of responsibility and nurturing have been catastrophic and even deadly. It is time that the Church regains Her place, being the body of Christ, as the one who sets the agenda for moral and ethical development. This role of the Church can only take place and be effective, if the Church acts as the Body of Christ.

In studies done by "RespecTeen" of the Lutheran Brotherhood which included responses from 46,799 children in grades 6-12 from the Midwest, we see that the Church, if she acts as the Body of Christ, as a source of truth and strength and guidance can make a major difference. In the study entitled, "The Troubled Journey: A Profile of American Youth" we see the difference that positive "External" and "Internal" assets can have on our young people. "External Assets" are seen as; Family support, Parent communication, involved in Church, community organizations, parental standards, parental monitoring and so forth. "Internal Assets" are seen as; Achievement motivation, educational aspiration, school performance, values helping people, concerned about world hunger, cares about people’s feelings, values sexual restraint, friendship making skills, decision-making skills and so forth. From this list we see that the Church can not only help mentor our young people and their families toward positive assets, but that in fact the life of the Church, when the Church acts as Church is precisely that source of positive "assets" for our young people . The reverse of "assets" is "deficits".

Deficits, "are factors inhibiting healthy teenage development. They include influences which limit access to external assets, which block development of internal assets, or which ease the way into risky behavioral choices. Deficits are liabilities, none of which do permanent harm, but each of which makes harm more probable.

The ten deficits listed are associated with risky behaviors, such as frequent alcohol use, attempted suicide and high levels of sexual activity. Few students are immune to all ten."

Some of the deficits and statistics associated with them from the study are as follows:

A Spiritual Director or Mentor would surely have an impact on the above issues and would likely have a major impact, as a positive asset, and undoubtedly help reduce some of the deficits by simply spending time with the young person, let alone the other positive effects.

In RespecTeen’s report, "Healthy Communities; Healthy Youth, How Communities Contribute to Positive Youth Development" a direct link can be seen between the support structure of the community and how well the youth succeed in living life. "This study defines community health strictly in terms of the at-risk behaviors of adolescents living within the community. Thus, a healthy community is simply one in which its youth engage in a small number of key at risk behaviors." The report begins with the following statement that I feel is worth considering in our work with our young people and I believe shows a direct correlation between Spiritual Direction within the life of the Church Community,

"Picture two communities in the Midwest. Both are relatively small. Both have similar demographic and economic profiles. From a distance, these two communities seem remarkably alike.

But when you zoom in more closely significant differences emerge. You discover that more than 46 percent of youth in one of these communities engage in at-risk behaviors such as heavy alcohol or other drugs use, sexual activity, attempted suicide and delinquent behaviors. In the other, only none percent do.

What’s the difference between the two communities? What, if anything, happens in the second community that deters at-risk involvement? Can it be replicated in other communities?

Communities have a tremendous effect on the journey of children into adolescents, because adolescents spend decreasing amounts of time with their families and increasing amounts of time in peer, school, church and other community contexts.

…The findings suggest that families, schools, churches, media, businesses, government and other segments within the community must work together to address common concerns, share resources and create a better world for our young people."

The study goes on to give the specifics and what is clear from this and other studies is that we can make a major difference in the lives of our young people, the Church Community and Society itself. Spiritual Direction of our young people is a key ingredient in creating "healthy youth and healthy communities". It is this direct contact with adults who love God and love the children they are mentoring or directing that changes lives. Jesus ministered to his twelve disciples who in turned went out and ministered to others and so forth. Imagine the impact we could have if we started with the youth in our parishes, who in turn would become the spiritual directors and mentors in their communities in the future and even now as "peer counselors".

If the Church desires to have impact on society and the life of our young people, then the Church must take seriously its expected role in molding and modeling the thinking and actions of our young people. I can think of no time in the life of this country when the influence and guidance of the Church has been needed more. Edicts, statements, articles and workshops will not change the life of our people, people will change people. What is needed are role models, mentors and Spiritual Directors who can set the example in their lives, affect others by simply being who they are, be present and preach the Gospel and as St. Francis says, "and if necessary use words". I have watched over the years many young people grow and mature under the spiritual direction of a mentor or spiritual father or mother and have seen that such a relationship really does matter. Unfortunately, the great majority of our young people and adults lack such direction. We need to develop, educate and empower adults in our communities, whether they be clergy and or just good moral and ethical people to become mentors, as well as spiritual directors. Here I differentiate between the mentor and spiritual director. The mentor is the one who takes a young person "under their wing" and spends time with them, listens to them and counsels them. The "Spiritual Director" is the mature lay man or woman, or priest in the community whose own devoted life in Christ radiates with that joy and truth which comes from Christ alone and he or she willing shares that joy in counsel with others. The Spiritual Director who for many years has struggled with their relationship with Christ and others, can be found as a source of healing and direction for those of us in our own struggles with life and relationship with Christ and others.

I have no simple or methodical answers other than to say we need to start taking this responsibility and need seriously. Too long the Church has put as priority those things which are simply administrative needs and has lacked the foresight and commitment to those things that really make us the Body of Christ. If you doubt this statement simply look at the conditions of our parish agendas. Look at what sits on the agenda of virtually every Parish Council Meeting. More importantly look at the things that virtually never get discussed at a Parish or Parish Council Meeting. Read the minutes of Meetings where clergy are bold and insightful enough to stress the real needs of spiritual direction and see how it ends up getting recorded or not even mentioned in the minutes of a meeting.

I recently spent time with a Romanian Monk who was the spiritual director of a women’s monastery in the United States. I was moved and uplifted by his example. His words to me at the Liturgy as I went out to preach the sermon were, "We are not in a hurry here, take as much time as you like". I wonder how many Parish Councils would say the same to our parish priests. Again, at dinner, while eating a modest meal, I witnessed how this man generously welcomed with open arms everyone who came to the monastery for Liturgy to join us for this meal, never asking for compensation. More importantly, seeing the joy on his face as each new person walked in the door to eat and find a spot in the crowded dinning room. What marveled me most was to see out the window that they were building an addition and not once that day had I heard him or anyone else ever ask for money. When I inquired as to the date of completion of the building project he simply answered, "as God provides the resources we will continue the work". No more was said, but you could detect the sense of immense gratitude for all that had been accomplished to date. At the same time a filling peace, freedom, security and trust in God that he would provide as the need arose could be felt. Even more profound was the sense that if he did not provide then the need must not really be there at this time. It is precisely this joy and satisfaction that we need to capture, so as to dissolve away the constant greed and dissatisfaction that permeates our society and Churches and draws us so far away from God.

It is precisely the seriousness and tranquility of these monks that we need to touch the lives of our young people with, though not only monks, but the many other special people who so often quietly take a seat in our parishes. When I was a parish priest, I was often asked, during the course of pre-marital counseling, what it would take to have a long and successful marriage. I would often send these couples to spend time with some of the elderly couples in the Parish who had been married for fifty or more years. I would then ask upon their return, what did they say? I always heard a similar answer, "they said they worked at making their marriage work", "they only thought of making it work, no matter how bad it got", "it was not always this good, there were rough times and we had to really work at it". The same is true for spiritual formation, we have to work at it and at times work very hard at it, especially at those moments when we seem the furthest from God. Our young people need to hear and see other people working very hard at their relationship with God and those around them.

We all, for the most part, have those people in our parishes who seem at peace with God and themselves, though they will probably tell you that it has not always been that way. We cannot and should not underestimate the great value of joining in relationship our young people with those good and committed mature Christian people in our parishes who love God, his Church and the young people in it. Such a relationship and mentoring could have a profound and far reaching effect for the life of our young people and consequently the communities they live in. A strong mentoring program or way of life closely related and working hand in hand with the Spiritual Director of the community can and will have a profound and life changing effect.

Survival Guide

HELP!

A Survival Guide for Orthodox Youth Advisors
By Tatiana Garrett Mulry

What did I get myself into?

- - Time after time, even the most experienced youth advisor asks this question. Sometimes the pressures mount, the teens seem bored, we feel burnt out, nothing seems to go right, no relief is in sight. Sometimes we spend our time and energy complaining about how hard we work and how little we get from it. When things get this bad, we are all tempted to return to civilian life, to retreat from the work and the criticism and to give up something we once loved. The negatives pile up and we forget why we had dedicated our lives to working with youth. In this discussion we will address the following questions:

- - How do we recapture the flame that once ignited when we were called to take on this awesome responsibility?
  - What is our role in the life of the Church?
  - How do we have maximum impact in the lives of our teens?
  - Where can we go for help?

Recapture the Flame

The first, and most critical thing, is to remember that we can not do this work without help and that the primary source of our help is through our personal relationship with God. Do we pray for help and guidance? Do we work on increasing our faith every day? Have we dedicated our talents to God?

When I was young, my family would say The Lord’s Prayer before meals and we would gather at night to say The Trisogion Prayers together. When I left the fold of my family as an adult, that kind of discipline was hard to muster. Sometimes it is difficult to even make the sign of the Cross in public. Why?

Do we feel different because we do not conform exactly with the Western world’s idea of Christianity or are we so caught up in our secular lives that we forget to acknowledge that God gave his only Son to die for our sins? What could be more important than remembering this gift when we eat, travel or begin an important task? When was the last time you were planning a spaghetti dinner for the parish and remembered that simple and unambiguous act of Divine Love?

We can strengthen our faith and act as examples to our teens by adopting simple prayer into our lives. Little known secret: prayer can be as simple as making the sign of the cross or as saying the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." Make an commitment today to privately remember God’s love.

I have a hunch that when we are apprehensive about our faith, teens sense it. When we are resolute and enthusiastic about being witnesses to the faith, we send a powerful message.

St. Seraphim of Sarov was fond of saying, "Save yourself and thousands around you will be saved." Even if you have five teens in your group, they will affect their friends, families, classmates, coworkers, children and grandchildren. You have a great gift within you to share with all of these people.

The Church

- - Parish Council Meeting, Teen SOYO meeting, Sunday School, Choir, PTA, Soccer practices, business travel, family commitments... In how many directions are you being pulled?
    
    How do we prioritize when everything seems so important and the loudest whiners usually win? While our family at the Church is certainly important, we have made lifelong vows to our spouses, children and other family members. They need us too. We need them. It is absolutely not an option to let them fall by the wayside while you chauffeur someone else’s teens to dances, Broadway shows, apple picking and bowling.
    
    In early Christian communities, life revolved around the Church. Persecution was more overt and there was safety in numbers. The Church was a local gathering place and all of the functions of life were performed there. Undoubtedly, we would still like to feel this deep sense of community with our fellow parishioners and especially our teens, but we sometimes allow distance and busy schedules to get in our way.
    
    We are teachers and listeners and encouragers and friends to the youth in our community. Some in the Church will appreciate us, some will take us for granted. We have the choice to believe the opinion of either party. Which choice will enable us to be tireless in our efforts to serve the youth in our communities and by extension, serve the whole community?
    
    When the arrows fly in your direction, do you respond with arrows or love? How did Jesus respond? He died for us. How did the saints respond? They died for Jesus and therefore also died in our names.
    
    Often I get phone calls or hear comments about how this year in Teen SOYO is going. How trustworthy the kids are, how much money they raised on their Turkey Raffle, how many kids showed up at a meeting, how one kid gets along with the others. Good, bad indifferent, everyone has an opinion. What is our response?
    
    Always thank God that at least one kid showed up, or that we were able to donate food to the hungry or that the teens were able to cheer up a shut-in, or that they learned a lesson from an event that some would label a failure. Once we lose the connection with our service to God, we lose sight of what we are really trying to accomplish.
    
    I often think of the lyrics of a song by the band, The Blues Traveler when I hear praise or criticism for something that is just a small part of the whole. They sing, "And it won’t mean a thing in a hundred years." It’s true. No one will remember that three kids went bowling or one kid didn’t get along or that 500 kids showed up for a retreat. In a hundred years, if we have done our job right, there will still be families going to Church. There will still be believers in our one, holy and apostolic faith. Our children’s children’s children will have Sunday School teachers who are full of faith and will find an Advisor to guide them through their teen years. We will have enough priests, deacons, monastics and lay people doing God’s work on earth. In a hundred years...
    
    Wow. Are we really a part of Church history? Yes! We are called to use our talents for the glory of God just like the Church Fathers, Martyrs, Ascetics and all the saints. They are not a part of a bygone, dusty era relegated to tiny parish library rooms. They are our models. Have you ever taken time to read their stories or reflected on their icons that line our church walls? We have been given great gifts by our forefathers including very visible reminders of their deeds. What have they taught us if we have not chosen to learn from them? Make the time next Sunday to read about or ask about one of the Saints of the church. Start with your patron Saint. How did their one life affect the life of the Church? How can their love of God translate into your life?
    
    Please do not let your relationship with your spiritual father lapse! Your parish priest, deacon or other clergy member is interested in the health of the youth group, but is also interested in you. Even if they neglect to ask how you are every week, remind them that you need them and their guidance in order to complete your work. When you are unsure, please go to them! When they are too involved in the group (I have heard this complaint also) talk to them about the importance of teaching responsibility to the teens and thereby improving self-esteem. Thanks are in order for taking the time and effort to reach the teens. Even if it is frustrating to you personally at times, the teens need to know that the clergy cares for them also. Sometimes it feels as if the Church is focused on babies, families and the elderly and that teens are not the priority, so keep this in mind. However, there are graceful ways to unburden a priest that needs to do everything. Keep the priest informed, have the priest attend meetings, have the tasks assigned to specific people who pledge to do the job. Once a priest sees that jobs get done, it is easier to let go. But always be thankful! Gratitude is still the attitude!
    
    How often we forget to pray! Ask your priest, your parish, your family and others to pray for you and your ministry and for the teens. Encourage the teens to pray for each other. Let them know that others are praying for them and for you. It is an amazing blessing and relief for teenagers to find that someone cares for them enough to make that small step. Magnify that blessing by the number of people in your parish. The glorious feeling resulting from having those around us pray for us is only a fragment of the love that God has for us. Teaching your teenagers and parish to pray for each other is a phenomenal gift that will last well beyond your time with them.
    
    Now we have covered commitment to God, commitment to family, commitment to the Church, are we going to talk about teens? Absolutely.

Teenagers: Friends or Foes

- - Either you love them or you don’t. If you don’t love them, why are you torturing yourself? Loving is really easy and really hard at the same time. If you have been conflicted about whether or not you really care about these "monsters" now is the time to make a critical decision. PLEASE, love them, or choose a different outlet for your ministry.
    
    Now "liking" them is another thing entirely. It is sometimes difficult to like the teen that always disrupts a meeting or gives you a hard time at every turn. This is also important. There is probably a reason that a particular teen acts inappropriately. What is going on behind the scenes? Try to understand the Monday to Saturday teen when the Sunday teen is less than likable. Maybe they are asking for help or acceptance from you. Getting angry or critical will deepen the problem, but reaching out could make an enormous impact on the life of this teen and in your group.
    
    Sometimes we are asked to do things that are outside the scope of our talents. I know I was an average 1st Grade Sunday School teacher. After I was recruited, I tried my best to keep an open mind about the situation. However, I found myself getting impatient and judging the kids more harshly in my mind than I should have. I was frustrated and resentful that I had to go through this every week. Maybe I could have chosen the noble path of MORE resistance and forced myself through another year, but instead, I spared the kids my personal resistance and gave them a more patient and suitable teacher next year.
    
    On the other hand, I can relate to teenagers. I remember their problems. Every story that I have heard this year from these teens I remember happening to me. I feel like my ministry matters and that reinforcement keeps me going when all else fails.
    
    So please evaluate your level of interest in this ministry. Both you and the teens will be better served if the right person is doing the job. Do not worry if you do not feel like you are the right person. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the right person just hasn’t been asked yet. (Saying no for the right reason is not the end of the world, even to your parish priest...it won’t mean a thing in a hundred years.)
    
    Now for the fun stuff.
    
    When you were a teenager, what were your top five concerns? I bet they had nothing to do with gang violence, date rape, drug abuse, divorce or suicide. I know that I do not need to insert statistics to convince you that times have changed. Sometimes we really wonder if we can reach the multimedia generation with our limited resources. It is simply not true.
    
    Teens fundamentally have not changed. The stimuli around them has changed, but that has been the case in every generation.
    
    You are a stimulus to the teens as well. You have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with each one of them. Have you ever called or written a teen in your group to say hi, to find out what is going on in school or with a boyfriend or to find out when the school play is? Do you know what sports they play, what their favorite subject is or what college they want to go to? These are questions we could relate to as teens and they can too!
    
    I wanted someone to confide in, somewhere to go for guidance, someone to trust. Luckily I found it in the Church rather than on MTV or on the internet. Do our teens have that option available to them or have we forgotten our personal ministry to fulfill the goals of our group ministry?
    
    I would argue that no group is too small for an activity. I do not (in a hundred years...) let myself get discouraged when only one or two kids show up for a discussion or a movie night. It lets me really get to know someone who made the effort to be included in the life of the Church. Once one teen feels a personal bond to you, believe me, the rest will flock to you like bees to honey. Just be available to them. Let them know that you care and that God cares. "When you do this to the least of my brethren, you do it to me." This is the core of our ministry to the youth. We are called to illumine teens’ relationships to God.
    
    Outreach to teens who do not respond to this technique is also important. However, it is critical that your outreach me more substantial than a pure membership drive. Teens see right through that, and so would you. How do you develop relationships with those who do not want relationships? How did you get recruited for this job in the first place? I would bet you weren’t putting "Position Wanted" ads in the bulletin. Ask a hesitant teen to help in some way. I have found that some teens will only come when they know that they are needed. I have designated salad makers at every meal that we prepare, but who aren’t so involved in other types of activities. This is a great start. Once you hit upon a talent, create activities which capitalize on it.
    
    I am a firm believer that you should not do the planning of events. Cataclysmic idea, I know. You should not be going to Price Club for every event and calling every charity in the county. If we are trying to instill confidence and leadership skills in our youth, they need to learn to do these things! If the group decides that they want to hold a dance or a lock-in or a visit to a homeless shelter, an event chairperson should be appointed and should (with your guidance and okay) take care of assigning tasks and working out details. Phone squads should be set up and calls should be made by the teens for the most part. I guarantee that one teen would find it difficult to say no to a peer (ever heard of peer pressure) and when one teen is excited about an event, it is definitely contagious. This is our little secret; they do not need to know that the world is on their shoulders. Obviously it is sometimes necessary to intervene and find a DJ three days before the dance because these things happen, but for the most part, you will find that teens take pride in doing things for themselves, the Church and the community.
    
    So to recap:

- - Let them know that you care.
  - Remind them that God cares.
  - Remind them that doing our little part pales in comparison to the sacrifice that God made when he sent his only Son to die for our sins.
  - Encourage them to participate in the sacramental life of the Church.
  - Expose their talents and develop them.
  - Trust them and give them responsibility for the success of each event.
  - Let go, but assure them that you will be there for them.

- - Of course, if you are a parent and an advisor, you already know this stuff, but for the novices, these are things that don’t necessarily come naturally.
    
    Speaking of parents: how do you interact with them? Do you feel like a baby-sitting service some days? Do parents volunteer to help? Have you ever asked? Parents are a terrific resource that is rarely tapped.
    
    At the risk of generalizing, I would venture to say that most parents that manage bring their teens to church every week really care about making sure that the teachings of the Church have a lasting impact on their kids. Moreover, they are probably concerned with the teen’s social life and the friends that they develop and the habits they form. Many have vans! They bake! They can chaperone or make phone calls, or prepare short presentations. They want to be involved in their kids’ lives, but do not want to appear pushy or domineering. BUT, they are willing to do some of the background work to help you help their kids.
    
    Establishing personal relationships with the parents is a great way to build community spirit, get parents to keep kids involved and develop a greater understanding of the family life of each of your teens. A good rule of thumb is that you could get some involvement from at least one parent of about half of your teens. That could be revolutionary in terms of expanding the scope of youth ministry in your parish!
    
    In many parishes there are young adults or, if you are lucky, college students who would also lend a hand. This is a way to broaden ministry to young adults and to start grooming a new generation of youth workers.

Back to the Basics: I Need HELP!

- - It is high time that we got excited about youth ministry! Think of this as a blessed miracle: If the love of God dwells in your heart and you act on it, your ministry will reach out to the teens, their parents, the parishioners, the community, the region, the country, the world! Sometimes we shy away from this vision and from expressing our faith in our work. I will tell you now, that is why we fear that our work is hopeless and meaningless. Without focusing on serving Christ in our service and love to our Teens, our work is hollow and unfulfilling. As I mentioned before, the first source of help is our faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
    
    However, there are a million resources that we really do not come across easily or that never occurred to us. Your parish priest, parish library, past advisors, regional Youth Directors, regional Spiritual Advisors and parents of the teens in the Church are all available to us, especially in times of trouble.
    
    In a crisis, sometimes we waver between protecting a teen and preserving the youth group. A teen in crisis is a very terrifying and mind blowing situation that unfortunately we sometimes face. When this happens, realize your limits. If you are not a trained counselor, you must seek help. Your parish priest has most likely had more experience in dealing with this kind of situation and you need to get him involved. The priest is the spiritual father to your teens and to you. He should be kept involved from the very beginning. It may help to keep notes on the situation to keep the details clear and available latter. If you and your priest decide the situation is more than you are trained to handle, referrals to outside agencies or counselors can be made. By sending the teen to the person with the proper tools you stand the greatest chance of solving the problem. Also, you are more likely able to dedicate yourself to the job you have been assigned to do. With that being said, we can concentrate on creating a good environment for youth ministry.
    
    The most modern, snazzy and helpful (in my humble opinion) resource is the internet. Exhale. This won’t hurt! I promise.
    
    Most likely, if you do not have internet access at home or at work, a public library or school or even your parish may have access. Access requires a computer, a line (like a modem, ISDN or T1) to connect with the service and an on line service (like America On-Line) or internet browser (like Netscape or Microsoft Explorer). If your church has a computer, but no internet access, this could be a great fund raising cause. Find someone who is technically inclined to tell you exactly what you need and how much it would cost and take a collection or have a bake sale. It is worth it.
    
    Now that you are on line there are literally thousands of sites to give you ideas, inspiration and information. Here are some addresses to get you started:
    
    http://www.antiochian.org/youth (Antiochian Archdiocese Youth site)
    
    http://www.goarch.org/access/calendar/ (Greek Archdiocese site)
    
    http://www.oca.org (Orthodox Church in America site - look at the youth section)
    
    http://www.eit.com/goodies/www.guide/ (Handy Guide to Cyberspace)
    
    http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion/Christianity/Organizations/Youth/
    
    http://www.excite.com/xdr/Lifestyle/Religion/Christianity/
    
    http://www.grouppublishing.com/mags/Group/
    
    http://360.org/
    
    http://www.gospelcom.net/ys/
    
    http://www.castyournet.com/EGAD!/index.html
    
    http://www.milkandhoney.ab.ca/cyr/
    
    http://www.aphids.com/relres/
    
    http://www.YouthPastor.com/index2.htm
    
    This should get you started. All of these sites will have links to other sites relating to religion or youth ministry. Sometimes you will come across great ideas, sometimes they will be a little corny. If you do not feel completely comfortable with an idea, run it by another youth worker and/or your parish priest. Some of the sites listed above are not Orthodox per se and the ideas found there should be adapted to reflect our faith. Although there are more similarities than differences between the beliefs of different Christian views, you may come across some very diverse ideas. On the other hand, we can learn a great deal from other churches who have put such an emphasis on youth ministry.
    
    If you have a specific idea that you would like to research, try a search engine:
    
    http://www.excite.com
    
    http://www.yahoo.com
    
    http://www.lycos.com
    
    http://www.magellan.com
    
    Type in the idea you would like information on and click on the search button. Lo and behold you will probably find thousands of sites related to your topic. Some will be useful and some not, but you will probably find what you are looking for!
    
    Current events, articles in teen magazines (why not pick one up to stay au currant with the trends), issues that come up within the group (the death of a grandparent, the birth of a sister or brother, the marriage of people in the church), there are tons of ideas all around you. Can you bear to go to the music store and look for the top 10 singles? They cost about $5 and probably come with lyrics. Some stores let you listen to the song before you buy it. Find one that seems like it is about an issue and bring it to the next meeting. You will definitely get their attention. Just ask them what the song means and you will have an hour rap session, guaranteed.
    
    Charity groups are mentioned in the news, in the yellow pages, on billboards and in the mail. If a current tragedy captures the imagination of your group, mobilize the troops! One group in our region collected shoes for needy people in Haiti when political unrest erupted there. Others raise money when homes burn down or when medical emergencies occur. It is important to be humble about donating to charity, but it means more to the giver and the receiver when the gift is made in person. If you buy toys for a children’s shelter, arrange a visit to play with the children. If you have a food drive for hungry people, arrange a visit to a soup kitchen so that teens see what impact they have on people’s lives.
    
    Be careful about asserting your interests on the teens. If they share your interests it could be a very rewarding experience, but if they don’t they could resent your efforts. If you hate camping but the kids love it, before you shoot down the idea, consider enlisting more help than usual (there have to be outdoorsy types in your church) to make the experience less traumatic for you.

And in the End...

I do not know if this was what the Beatles intended, but I think that this song applies: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." You really do get out of youth ministry what you put into it. (Sometimes we actually get more than we gave, but that is our little secret. Don’t tell the teens!) This is a lesson to take back to your teens because it is equally true for them. Focus on the reason we are gathered together as a Church, and then teach love, courage and responsibility through your actions and guidance. Pray for help in your ministry and take action every day to improve your teens’ lives in the Church. Consult the myriad of resources available to you and rely on each other for help and encouragement. Our conference theme in 1997 was "Faith without works is dead." You have the opportunity to keep our ancient faith alive through your ceaseless efforts. God bless you and keep you on this timeless journey.

Volunteers

Volunteers in Youth Ministry
by Archpriest Joseph Purpura

Statistically we know that the average parish youth worker (teen advisor) stays with the assignment for only two years. When asked why they leave many of these youth workers comment that they do not feel that they have the training or the support to continue working with our young people. Working with young people is a challenging and rewarding experience, provided we are trained and supported in this ministry. One of the goals of this department is to change the above-mentioned statistic. We want youth workers in the parish to stay for the duration. Our young people need and deserve dedicated parish youth workers who are trained to work with young people. Our young people need consistency in their lives and in their relationships and that includes the parish youth workers.

Most parishes do not have paid youth workers, though full time youth workers would certainly have a major impact on the life of our communities. Even if we have a paid youth worker in the parish, we still need volunteers to effectively minister to our young people. Our young people need a variety of adults ministering alongside them. God has given each of us different talents. Our young people also have different talents and different interests from one another. Just as you and I relate better to different people more so than others and they may not be the same people that you and I relate better to, our young people also relate better to some adults than to other adults. Therefore we need a variety of adults to meet the different needs and interests of our young people. Additionally, ministry takes place in relationship with people. One youth worker can not effectively minister at one time to much more than about seven to ten young people. Therefore the larger the group the more adults we need involved to help in this ministry.

We question at times why our groups will not grow much more beyond their present numbers. Sometimes the growth is hampered by the lack of adult involvement. We very much want our young people to live up to their Youth Ministry Platform, "Living the Orthodox Faith in Christ through Worship, Witness, Service, and Fellowship. We also want them to lead their own youth group, but this does not mean leaving them on their own. As I travel around this Archdiocese and I look at other Orthodox and non-Orthodox Youth groups alike, one fact stands out clearly with those groups that are successful and that is adult involvement. Very few of us would leave our children to run their own schools in hopes that they will learn on their own. We know that we need to work with our children to facilitate the process of learning, how much more this is true for our Youth groups where we want to form the spiritual and emotional foundations of our young people. Being a parent of four school age children ranging in age from a College Student to a fifth grader, I have seen first hand the impact that direct parental and other adult involvement has had on my own children and their peers academic learning and certainly their sports programs. Just as one adult would never venture to do the above work alone, we should not attempt to do youth ministry alone.

We know that programs can bring young people to the Church, but we also know that it is relationships that keep the young people in the Church. Again, in order to build relationships with the young people in the Church we need a number of adults who can and are willing to spend time with our young people. Youth Ministry cannot grow or expand if we do it alone. We need at least one volunteer for approximately every 7-10 young people. Even if we have no more than seven teens, we should still not do it alone. It is not a good idea to minister to our youth alone for a variety of reasons. At times our young people need to speak with other adults or need a variety of adult role models. It is also not biblical to do ministry alone. Moses in Exodus 18:13-27 realized that he could not minister alone. The Great Missionary and Apostle Paul always brought someone along with him, such as Silas or Timothy. When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach he sent them out in twos.

Are you an adult who loves young people and likes being with them? Do you love Christ and His Church. Are you a committed Orthodox Christian in good standing in your parish? Are you willing to be trained to work with the young people in your parish? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you can help your parish youth ministry grow. Volunteer to work with your pastor, youth director and other adults from your parish in ministering to and alongside our young people. Take advantage of the Youth Ministry Training Workshops being held at the Regional Parish Life Conferences, the workshops offered by your region's youth director at delegates meetings and the Annual Pan-Orthodox Youth Workers Conference offered each year.