LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 64

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

64 PARISH, YOUTH, AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES

Resources for congregations

Leadership development

Special ministries, such as junior high, young adults,
servant events, civic youth agencies, synodical schools,
and other such resources and events

On Go

1983 Youth Gathering

“Amigos De Cristo” (Friends of Christ) is the theme for our
August 13—17, 1983, vouth gathering in San Antonio, Tex. Up
to 10,000 youth and adults are expected to participate.
Hundreds of people have been involved in the planning and
promoting of it. Districts have worked hard at encouraging
family units to attend. There is a strong emphasis on “Back
Home Ministries,” whereby youth and adults will be encour-
aged to continue their ministry as they return to their homes. A
post-gathering resource piece is being developed to send to all
LCMS congregations after the gathering to share various
worship and Bible study resources and models.

Synodical youth gatherings continue to be a priority item
for the BYS. Much energies and efforts go into such an event,
but the results are also many fold. A pattern of sponsoring a
svnodical vouth gathering every three years seems to be
developing. If this is the case, the next synodical gathering
would be held in the summer of 1986. Depending on size
limitations, it has also been suggested that the Synod consider
two regional events in order to cut down size and travel costs.
These recommendations are being studied by the board and
staff.

District youth gatherings also continue to be held through-
out most of the Districts. Thirty-five of the 38 Districts held
youth gatherings last year. Twelve Districts sponsored a
Midwest Youth Gathering, ‘‘Reflect the Promise,” in St. Louis
in the summer of 1982. where over 3,000 youth and adults
attended. Youth gatherings are here to stay, at least for the
coming years!

Resources for Youth Ministry

A most helpful resource from the BYS is Resources for
Youth Ministry, our quarterly publication. This excellent piece
has served adult workers with youth for many years and
provides Bible studies, topics, dramas, ideas, music, and other
helps. It continues to receive positive reviews from its reader-
ship. Some 9,000 copies of each issue are printed. The 1983
theme is ‘‘A Time to Dance.” This theme reflects the contents
which attempt to deal with various concerns of youth in the
light of the Gospel message of love and forgiveness.

Peer Ministry

Peer ministry is one of the newer programs developed from
a significant grant from Aid Association for Lutherans. It
trains adults in Districts toin turn train other adults and youth
to enable young people to be more caring and effective in their
witness life to other young people. It attempts to help youth be
more sensitive and concerned with other youth around them
who often come for sharing and counsel. Twenty-three of our
Districts are currently involved in this program. It is hoped
that thousands of young people throughout the Synod will be
helped by this special training program. Peer ministry isa new
area for the Synod. In the past there has been strong emphasis
on training adults for youth ministry, and now peer ministry
helps to train youth for their own specific youth ministries in
their daily lives. Other denominations are also looking at our
peer ministry program as an effective model and tool for them
in their ministry programs.

Youth Evangelism

BYS continues to work cooperatively with Synod’s Board
for Evangelism Services in various evangelism programs. A
new program, “Discipleshops,” is being developed at the
present time which will help to train youth and adults in
witnessing tools and techniques.

The BYS also continues to support the work of Ongoing
Ambassadors for Christ, which is located at St. John’s Win-
field, Kans. This organization continues to give helpful train-
ing to young people as they witness to their Lord and Savior.

Many young people have been touched by the OAFC program
through its conferences and training events.

District Network

Support for District youth ministry people is also a high-
agenda item for the BYS. Through regular mailings, such as
the District Bulletin, BYS-KIT, and other materials, the BYS
attempts to keep in touch with its network through this support
style.

A District Leader’s Conference is held bi-annually, which
brings together District executives and youth ministry commit-
tee chairpersons. The last DLC was held in San Antonio in
1982, and another one is projected for October of 1984. It is at
this meeting that priorities are developed and directions for the
future years are shared.

The BYS staff also continues to be involved in many
consultations, training events, and youth gatherings through
many of our Districts. We are grateful for this opportunity to be
of service to our Districts as well as for the opportunity to
assess their needs and resources.

Youth-Staffer Program

The youth-staffer program continues in a number of our
Districts. For the past 15 years it has effectively served a
number of our parishes by providing a youth ministry resource
person to work specifically with District parishes. Due to
budget limitations, some of the support both on the synodical
and District levels has been decreased. It is hoped that this
program can continue to be one option for Districts to consider
as they review their youth ministry needs.

This program provides an opportunity for a voung adult,
age 18—25, to volunteer a year in service to a specific District.
This person is recruited, selected, and trained by the BYS staff
and placed in a District for one year. Many of these young
adults, at the end of the youth-staffer period, have gone on to
full-time professional church-worker careers.

New Circuit Associates in Youth Ministry

A new program has been developed as an offshoot to the
youth-staffer program. This is called the CAYM program or
Circuit Associates in Youth Ministry. This is a program where
Districts select a young adult currently in their respective
District who will then be trained by the BYS staff to serve as a
resource person in youth ministry in his or her home District.
This person would negotiate with the District in terms of how
many days a month he or she would serve as a youth ministry
resource person. It is hoped that many Districts will take
advantage of this new approach to youth ministry.

Overseas Volunteer Program

Another strong program geared for young adult involve-
mentin Taiwan and Japan is our Overseas Volunteer program.
This ministry program is a joint project between the Board for
Mission Services and the BYS. We continue to recruit, select, an
train young adults who commit themselves to 24 years of
service in a foreign country. This program continues to gather
effective young adults who are willing to serve their Lord in
this way. The BMS and BYS continue to coordinate and
monitor this program.

Young Adults

The BYS is responsible for ministry to post-high-school
persons, ages 18—25. We have been working cooperatively
with other departments of the Synod in developing resource
materials and directions. It is hoped that we can help sponsora
number of training sessions for adults involved in young adult
work. Additional materials are being developed to enable
young adults to be more effective in their ministries. A new
young adult catalog is being developed by all of the Synod’s
departments. We also support various young adult groups who
sponsor gatherings and convocations throughout the year in
various Districts.

Junior High Ministry

A new junior high kit was developed during the past year
which has met with great success. It provides models and other