Jungle leaders contribute much to the building of the house of "church" as "builders."
Where and how do they help?
Jungschar contributes to the church
Let us imagine the church in our minds. A house with many rooms and many builders at work. For the church is God's building site. We youth leaders also contribute much to the building of the house "church" as construction workers. We are appointed by God. Let's take a look around this building site. Where and how do we help?
The Young Leader
- On the building site
You use your time and gifts specifically for God. JS ministry in particular is a unique field of activity for you. Your gifts will be nurtured and new ones discovered. You become a useful tool of God. Use this time as a construction worker and discover your abilities. The varied training offer is a chance for you. The training and further education is a personal help for your work.
You can try out the ideas and suggestions practically in the JS work. It's also not a big deal if something doesn't go your way. The Jungschar work is a practice field. Do not be discouraged. Learn from mistakes. For many Jungschar leaders, training and continuing education in particular may also become a stepping stone to the church. Not only does the Jungschar benefit, but so does the congregation.
- As a Foreman
How you conduct yourself on the "church" site is not unimportant. Your young wardens mimic and copy you. What you do, of course, the young wardens may do. Therefore, you are a foreman, a role model, for the children.
It is crucial for the growing construction workers (Jungschärler) to be integrated into the Jungschar at an early age. If they are given adapted responsibilities at an early age, they will learn from you the way of life of cooperation, which will also be a help to them later.
Your example is thereby of carrying strength and importance!
- As a Fitter
If young builders are to take on responsibilities appropriate to them at an early age, they must be guided to do so. It is you who guide the young builders in the craft of community building. You pass on the tools so that they also learn to handle the Bible. You are the sponsor who enables them to get to know the whole building site, who motivates them for training and further education, e.g. in pioneer week, mini-leaders' course or basic course. Orient them about what is on offer.
- In tension
Much is expected of the many good and motivated youth leaders today. Everywhere they are applicable, because they are well trained. There are the wishes and concerns of the church leadership, on the other hand there is the time-consuming commitment to the youth group. Somewhere in between there is the free time. Even hobbies need their time. Surely you know this tension. Where should you as a leader still take the time to do justice to all.
You have to set priorities!
Rethink your priorities for your life. This doesn't mean that all you have to do is be involved in the community. For some, this may well be right. For others, it is also important to be able to be a teenager for a change, to pursue their hobbies and needs (be it football, going to the cinema, going out with friends, going to a motorbike meeting, horse riding, etc.). The teenager often needs this variety. It is important that your motives are right. But it is also not good if you only pursue your hobbies and neglect your task on the building site of the community.
Deliberately rethink your priorities and motives. This looks different for every leader. There is no single pattern.
Dear Young Leader Try to put yourself in the shoes of the church leadership the next time you are asked to help. It is not always easy for them to know what is happening on the site. With the inquiry they show you that they trust you.
In personal preparation
As a Jungschar leader, you bring a lot of strength, time and energy to the JS ministry. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you are also strengthened and encouraged. The church, the service is the place where you are strengthened anew by God. Here you can recharge your batteries, breathe spiritually, and be equipped for your many tasks
A leader without a church connection is like a room without a window!
That's a lot of mail, you may think. But think about it for a moment in silence. A leader should not be so quick to put anything more important than worshiping in the church. Also, attending Bible nights and prayer meetings are a great help in preparing for the youth ministry.
The Young Wardens
Winning for the community
By offering an attractive, exciting, age-appropriate program, you will quickly have access to outgoing children. Isn't it also your desire that they and the "church's own" children find access to the church?
The primary importance of prayer is not the issue here and should be well known. But how do the children come into contact with the congregation in concrete terms? Here are some ideas:
Threshold fear
Many young people simply do not make the step into a more advanced group (see also "Jungschar und Gemeindejugendarbeit", topic "Transition"). Therefore, it is especially important to create points of contact with other groups. Here is a supplementary example:
- The Goddess System:
At a transition party, each former JS-ler receives a godmother or godfather from the youth group. This JG-ler takes special care of his godchild. He or she picks up the child and accompanies him or her for the first few months. So new relationships can develop and the Jungschärler soon feel comfortable.
- The community
To create contact points with the community, 1 - 2 occasions per year are necessary. This allows the young person to experience the community. Below are some suggestions:
- Do the young warriors know the church leader? Why don't he tell a story for example, a Christmas story, a motivational story or the part of an ongoing story.... .
- Visit the elderly and aged of the community with the youth group. Serenade them, give away a craft, do simple chores ....
- Organize and carry out the introduction of the service.
- Participate in the old age Christmas party.
- Rehearse and perform a Christmas celebration (Zällerwiehnacht) with the whole congregation.
- Participate in community events such as bazaar, soup day, Advent wreath making, car wash, flea market .... .
- Play in the service e.g. to the Thanksgiving.
- Rehearse a musical, play, spoken word motet.
- Organize community picnic.
- Open youth group afternoon: the youth group invites the congregation. Show slides
- From Pfila, Sola, etc. Parishioners also enjoy the JS technique.... .
- Integrate parishioners into summer camp... Conduct joint worship and fellowship tournament, visitation day...
- Parents' evening with Jungschärler. Outsider parents come into contact with parents of the congregation.
- Involve or visit professionals from the community: carpenter, baker, kindergarten teacher, craft aunt for craft programs, farmers, hunters, foresters for naturkund,e Samaritans for 1st aid, doctor for emergency drill ...
- Open movie afternoon
- OL afternoon: offer different categories
- Create family worship service followed by lunch together
Humanly speaking, it depends on no one so much as you as a Jungschar leader whether the JS-ers will ever make the step into the church. It's not the amount of activities, it's you.
The Jungschärler will most certainly make the move into the church who have a JS leader with a strong pull into the church.
Therefore, the leader should especially care about the community.
The Parents
Community-oriented youth ministry is family-oriented youth ministry!
The attitude of some parents towards the church may not be positive. This is where thorough information is in place to reduce prejudice and skepticism. The Good News is worth sharing without trying to hold overblown views regarding the church. But don't we want to win unbelieving parents (the whole family) for God? This is precisely where a positive attitude toward the church has a powerful effect. The inner missionary attitude drives us to the outsiders. Here are some complementary ideas:
- Parent visits (not always just the main leader). Just getting to know a leader can become a bridge of trust.
- Good and thorough information letters.
- Motivate parents to help (luggage transport for Pfila, Sola, WE, escort on a hike or bike tour, pick-up service ...).
- Integrate parents in camps.
Prayer
But the most important task is prayer. Do parents count among your prayer requests? God can work it to open doors and ways.
Multiple references have been made to the importance of prayer. Finally, here are some suggestions on how to specifically bring prayer concerns to the church:
- At least one leader attends the congregation's prayer meeting and shares the concerns. Leaders may take turns.
- Contact person to the prayer meetings who relays the JS concerns. This person is not a youth leader.
- Prayer cards with personal information and photo of leaders (and JS-ers, if applicable).
- Prayer hike: you hike with each other and pray silently on the same part of the way for the same intention.
practice steps
What is the cooperation like on the building site church? Church leadership and the Jungschar team consider how warm, or cool, the Jungschar's relationship is with the congregation. The warmer the better! Maybe certain areas are undercooled ... or you even burn your fingers. Talk openly with each other!
Source reference:
Content: Annual focus 1993 "Community", Peter Blaser, Siegfried Nüesch, Martin Bihr, Hansruedi Tanner, Ueli Obrist, Johannes Wallmeroth, Peter Schulthess
Copyright: www.besj.ch
Cover: Clipart courtesy of buch+musik ejw-service gmbh, Stuttgart - www.ejw-buch.de
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