Church work with youth

Douglas Brent Moore

The purpose of this project was to develop a life-stage transition strategy from pre-adolescence to post-adolescence for Emerald Coast Fellowship, Lynn Haven, Florida. First, the project director explored the internal demographics of Emerald Coast Fellowship to determine critical issues in selected transitions through a church-wide survey. Second, the project director researched and explored existing life-stage transition strategies to develop an annotated bibliography and report on best practices for Emerald Coast Fellowships pre-to-post-adolescent youth. Third, the project director developed a life-stage transition strategy for pre-to post-adolescent youth at Emerald Coast Fellowship using a strategy team. Fourth, the project director presented the strategy to the senior pastor of Emerald Coast Fellowship for consideration to implement the life-stage transition strategy at Emerald Coast Fellowship. This final project report details the project director’s process to develop the life-stage transition project for Emerald Coast Fellowship

David Delane Baysinger

The purpose of this project was to develop a disciple-making strategy for the student ministry of First Baptist Church (FBCC), Corinth, Texas. The project director conducted assessments to determine the disciple-making potential within the student ministry. Then he researched existing disciple0making methods and strategies to determine best practices. The project director synthesized all assessments and research and presented it to the strategy planning team. The team worked together to develop a final disciple-making strategy, which included a discipleship pathway and small-ratio discipleship groups. The project director presented the final disciple-making strategy to the ministerial staff for feedback affirmation. He also presented the strategy to the deacon body for encouragement and prayer.

Seth Troutt

The purpose of this study is to examine how Christian therapists and professors describe the impact of digitization on Generation Z’s bodily self-concept. Generation Z has grown up with phones in their hands and with their friends in their phones. Pastors must consider the effects digitization will have on the iGen and give substantial reflection on how digitized ecclesiologies might contribute to gnostic instincts in the information age.
This study utilized a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with seven Christian therapists and professors with extensive experience working with Generation Z. The interviews focused on gaining data with three research questions: 1) How do Christian therapists and professors describe Gen Z’s self-understanding of their bodies? 2) How do Christian therapists and professors describe the impact of digitization on Gen Z’s views of their bodies? 3) How do Christian therapists and professors advise ministry leaders to minister to Gen Z concerning Gen Z Christians’ views of their bodies? The literature review focused on four key areas to understand ministry in this context: theology of the body, theology of technology, digital effect on bodily self-concept, and Generation Z’s relationship with digitization.
This study concluded that digitization does contribute to overly developed dualistic instincts in Generation Z. This reduces personhood to cognition, promotes dissociative instincts with regards to bodily processes, dislodges self from place, and fragments self-concept. Ministry leaders ought to resist the effects of digitization by means of teaching a robust theology of the body, training parents, creating embodied experiences, and helping Generation Z see the goodness of congruence in Christ.

Andrew Stern

The purpose of this study was to examine how church leaders who participated in a domestic short term mission (STM) during high school engage local community needs years later. While STM is a prevalent and costly event in church youth ministry, little study has been done to measure the impact of adolescent STM on future church leaders.
This research utilized a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with seven church leaders. As adolescents, they participated in a domestic STM. The interview analysis concluded that participants’ domestic high school STM had significant immediate and long-lasting impact in their vocational calling, leadership development, work in their community, and biases around race and culture.
The literature review reveals that STM has a biblical basis. STM is evidenced in wall-building in Nehemiah 3. The impact of wall-building in Nehemiah 3 is transformational for both individuals and the community in Nehemiah 5.
Contemporary research concludes that STM is a cornerstone of church youth ministry. This study showed the importance of adolescent STM in revealing and affirming ministry calling and leadership gifting. This research affirmed that STM facilitates transformational learning when it is coupled with service learning practices. This transformational learning broke down bias around race and culture. Neurobiological research affirms that adolescent brain development supports this transformational, perspective-changing learning during STM. Global learning objectives aid STM planning and evaluation. Church leaders advocate for STM because they value its role in beginning the process of breaking down bias.
Coinciding with recent STM research, this study affirms that domestic STM is better suited to adolescents when compared to international STM. Domestic STM provides sufficient but not overwhelming challenge to foster transformational learning for adolescents. As one participant said, adolescent domestic STM fosters “getting your feet wet without drowning.”

Richard Paul Grendahl D.Min.

This study presented modern scientific theories along with Christian theological concepts to lead young people to a deeper understanding of their Christian faith. The project consists of four lessons covering The Big Bang Theory and Creation, Evolution and the Image of God, Centering Prayer, and World-Class Scientists who are devout Christians. The participants were surveyed before the lessons began; after the lessons were completed, as well as a month later to determine the effectiveness of the lessons. An evaluation of the project with recommendations for future use is included. A PowerPoint presentation for this project is included in the Appendix.

Roy Rodríguez

This present research project carried out through the bibliographic modality and with a field research complement through the application of a research instrument called a questionnaire has as its essential purpose to make known the importance of the need to use social networks as an instrument of evangelization in this time of isolation and restrictions regarding personal social interactions. In the same way, to know the point of view of some ecclesiastical leaders concerning their points of view of the use of social networks as an instrument or transversal axis in the modalities of evangelization. Similarly, recognize that this research arises from the need that has led to isolation and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitations that being able to carry out cults and other ecclesiastical activities with the usual openings have brought with it. As a result of this effect, it was necessary to investigate the level of understanding in the management of technological tools and social networks by the leaders and ministers of the congregations and thus know for sure if there was a ministerial body in the congregations conditions to carry out a task of evangelization through social networks and thus reach the largest possible number of new generations, which are very active in the use of new technologies as their preferred means of communication.

Oscar Joel Contreras Rojas

The indiscriminate use that adolescents give to information and communication technologies has generated a social problem in Guatemala. Some pastors, leaders, and parents are struggling or failing to provide desperately needed pastoral care to teens due to the abuse of technology. This dissertation seeks to answer the question: “What kind of pastoral care is faithful and effective in ministry with victims of information and communication technology use in Guatemala?” using Richard Osmer's four tasks of practical theology. Based on the knowledge of psychology, sociology and theology, the current pastoral care of adolescent victims of the abuse of information technologies in Guatemala could be guided towards a more faithful and effective praxis. An effective praxis is defined through the proposal of a model of pastoral care by implementing the detection of needs, observation and spiritual accompaniment, transmitting a sensitive, courageous vision, empowering and strengthening the ministry of pastoral care with adolescents and young people.

Cleo Vandermolen Ludwick

This project is a descriptive design of ministry to adolescents who are institutionalized for treatment of emotional and behavioral problems that illustrate how a particular kind of ministry facilitates faith development and spiritual formation.

The first section discusses the theological, biblical, and ministerial context of the project. Paul's letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4:7-13, is a challenge in this project.

Being human is a gift of God. It is good. It is rich and satisfying, not in spite of the hurt and pain of separation and difficulty, but because in those times, one experiences the awesome, holy presence of God when there is a significant other there to sustain and to guide. It is in those times that faith is born, and the process of healing begins.

The chaplain is a vehicle through whom God works the process of healing, sustaining, guiding, and reconciling. The goal: healthy, whole humanity living in community.

The second section discusses pastoral care in the Christian tradition and how that tradition helps define the role of chaplain in a 20th century institutional setting.

The three sub-divisions of the second section discuss the role of spiritual physician in counseling, Christian education arid spiritual life activities, and worship.

Section three discusses chaplaincy in the modern psychiatric hospital where the clinical model is foremost in treatment; yet, the need for pastoral availability and theological resources are recognized as important dimensions of basic physical and mental health.

The three sub-sections discuss the role of spiritual guide in working with the multidisciplinary treatment team as it designs the treatment for each adolescent, with staff in areas of relationship and spiritual growth, and with the community as it struggles to understand adolescent developmental issues.

Robert Elson Yoder

In recent decades there has been an increase in eating disorders, depression, suicide and other mental health illnesses among American adolescents. There is a proliferation for a "feel good" attitude in our American culture that denies or limits constructive expressions of lament, but strives for success and accelerated achievement. Theologically, our society narrowly views God as a therapeutic being who "helps us" when we need to feel good. Mennonite youth are not immune to the societal pressures and various mental health concerns that persist. Lamenting Youth, Believing Youth explores the role of biblical lament in faith formation and pastoral care of early, middle, and late Mennonite adolescents as a response to contemporary cultural realities. The thesis of this Doctor of Ministry project is that Mennonite pastors and youth workers will be motivated to engage youth in expressions of biblical lament by enabling youth to write their own prayers of lament. After describing a theology and understanding of biblical lament, I then explore how regular engagement in practices of lament will aid in the faith formation and pastoral care of adolescents. The method I used to investigate this thesis was to equip three different youth pastors to lead members of their junior and senior high youth groups through a series of timed-writing prayer exercises of lament. In addition, one pastor led this same practice with his young adult church group, while I conducted it with a college youth ministry class comprised mainly of young adults. Observations were then made from the questionnaires that adolescents in this study completed, as well as from their voluntarily submitted prayers of lament. I discovered that young people were comfortable engaging this prayer discipline and appreciated the opportunity to express their emotions to God.

Lisa Greene Henderson

This in depth study of one church’s in-house student mission program presents critical elements that can guide other church bodies in the development of the spiritual formation and biblical worldview of their youth through short-term mission. Using grounded theory methodology, the leveled program aimed at providing age-appropriate successive short-term mission trips was studied, along with active students, leaders and host communities. The study was conducted in order to distill key elements transferable to other church bodies. Critical elements that emerged include: age appropriate levels of engagement, training, mentoring, cross-cultural engagement and long-term relationship with host communities. A biblical theology of mission and feedback from a target audience of mission and youth pastors are also included.