LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 301

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PARISH SERVICES AND YOUTH 301

shaping the new direction. A close relationship with the
League will make it possible for the Board of Youth Min-
istry to carry out its assigned duty “to provide guidance”
and also will facilitate the Walther League’s desire to be
supportive of youth ministry within The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod.

Historically, the role of the Walther League has been to
initiate new programs within the youth ministry of the
Synod, not only for the benefit of youth but for the entire
church. With new understanding of its own purposes and
some organizational adjustments, the League can and will
continue its role as an initiator of new programs and ideas
within the Synod. The League is committed as an auxiliary
to carry out a supportive role of The Lutheran Church —
Missouri Synod.

Civic Agencies

Since February 1967 relationships with scouting and other
civic youth agencies have been the responsibility of the
Office of National Youth Agency Relationships of the Lu-
theran Council in the U.S.A. Ralph Dinger, a member of
the LCMS, is director of ONYAR. The Board of Youth Min-
istry serves as liaison with that office of the Council. In
LCUSA we have 17,900 local churches sponsoring 6,598
scouting units and serving 160,800 youth members.

The LCMS has encouraged scouting in local parishes
since 1944 when a synodical convention passed a resolution
encouraging scouting as one option of the local parish in
its ministry to youth.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

We must plan for the future in such a way that the
church's ministry will be a sign of God's presence, a demon-
stration of hope. a signal of promise. In part this can be
done by supporting and affirming young people in their
diverse approaches to the ministry God has given us. The
Board of Youth Ministry has also identified the following
areas of need:

Needed: Adults and Youth Who Have a Clear Concept
of Ministry

The Gospel calls us to discipleship — to ministry. Min-
istry is a starting place and also an end product of Christian
life. We begin by helping young people develop their own
unique styles of ministry and move from there.

People in ministry need the support of others in the
Christian community. The church must recognize that the
development of a community in which young people feel
good about being a part of the church is key to her entire
ministry. In our automated, mechanized society it is diffi-
cult to find the closeness and warmth that people need to
live and to minister. Providing a supportive community,
helping young people feel good about being a part of the
church is necessary for ministry and is in itself ministry.

No one can be a part of a ministering community unless
he also understands who he is. In a_ faceless society the
church must help her young people discover the meaning
of their existence. People can grow in understanding their
own identity only in relationship to other persons. So both
being in a community of Christians and being active in min-
istry are necessary to gain identity.

Each of these three aspects of Christian life — ministry,
community, identity —- is dependent on the other two.
Adults and young people who are growing in their under-
standing of the cyclical flow of ministry — community —
identity are needed to make the youth ministry of the church
a clear sign of promise and hope.

Needed: Local Development of Diverse Ministries

A ministry diverse enough to meet the variety of needs
of people today must be developed locally. The Board of
Youth Ministry recommends broadening the scope of min-
istry rather than focusing on a single program. Therefore,
leadership and resources are needed at the local level to
discover the needs there, establish goals. and plan for min-
istry. Because young people are mobile and move easily
from parish to parish for certain activities. it is possible for
congregations in some localities to develop programs that
draw on their strengths and then work cooperatively with
other nearby congregations. Even with this possibility of

“specialization” and sharing, the local congregation must de-
velop a process for planning and carrying out its ministry.

Needed: A Consultative Stance on the Part of Districts
and Synod

The role of District and Synodical leaders has always
been to equip people for ministry in the congregations. To-
day, with diverse local ministries needed, that equipping
role must become increasingly that of a consultant. Supply-
ing materials, ideas, and even planning helps is not enough.
Neither are “one-time” training events, though all of these
are needed, What is needed in addition is ongoing consultant
services from resource persons who can help congregations
discover and develop their strengths and plan for themselves.
A climate and rapport is necessary that will encourage con-
gregations to take the initiative in requesting consultation
services from District leaders and for the Districts to request
similar services from Synod’s Board of Youth Ministry. The
Board believes that congregations have the capabilities for
developing meaningful local ministries with young people,
and these congregations that want and need catalystic re-
source persons and materials should be able to get them.

Needed: A Strong Christian Witness Made in Diverse Styles

Christians who witness are each unique and so are those
who hear and see their witness. The church must recog-
nize that each young person who knows the love of Jesus
Christ is searching for ways to make his life a witness to
that love. Because many voices are coming at young people
telling them to abandon that love and others telling them
how that love must be expressed, the Christian young per-
son needs help from his church. Young people need and
want help in seeing how their special gifts and individual
life situations determine their style of witness. These will
not all be the same. As diverse styles of youth ministry
are a sign of God's presence in the church, so diverse styles
of witness by young people are a signal of hope and prom-
ise for today's world,

Needed: Leadership Opportunities for Young People

Youth organizations, with young people holding office
and carrying out organization responsibility, provided im-
portant leadership experiences for young people for many
years. Today additional leadership opportunities are badly
needed. Parishes, Districts, and Synod must continually
work to develop opportunities for young people to serve as
responsible leaders. Camp counselors, class leaders, retreat
leaders, District staffers, volunteer workers, parish consul-
tants in youth ministry, worship leaders, board members,
planning group members, and task force members are illus-
trations of opportunities that could be made available. The
diversity of ministry presents many different situations in
which young people can grow in responsible churchmanship
and leadership skills, but these situations must be recog-
nized and presented as opportunities to young people.

Needed: Opportunities for Professional Youth Leadership
Development

There is a need for professional leadership in the church
in a variety of areas related to youth ministry. Some specific
examples are leaders for camps and retreats, people with
special skills in group dynamics, and consultants to facilitate
the planning process. Some of these needs must be filled
by people who are in the professional ministries of the
church. Our teachers colleges and seminaries are making
it possible for a growing number of undergraduates and
ministers in service to grow in the necessary skills and un-
derstanding for professional youth leadership. Because of
the nature of leadership skills, a heavy emphasis must be
placed on experiential educational settings. The Board of
Youth Ministry sees a need to encourage and expand these
opportunities and offers its resources to the church in de-
veloping this area of leadership education.

Not only by filling these needs, but also by the ways we
work at them, we are in ministry. We have a single clear
arrow of purpose — to point to God and give Him glory.
The bow of ministry that launches that arrow is diverse —
as varied as the rainbow that God set in the sky as a sign
of His promise and love for the world. The Board of Youth