At its fall meeting, the Council of Bishops approved a plan that had a goal of lowering the average age of members by 10 years (from the current average age of 57 to 47) in 10 years (2019).  I’m not sure about the plan details and I fully support the hope, but I’m confident that if the church is going to be younger in 10 years, it won’t be because a plan designed and carried out by older people has succeeded in recruiting younger people to join the church.  It will happen because a movement of younger people transformed by the love of God in Jesus Christ, excited to be United Methodists who know that love, and equipped by the church to share that faith, will by the very nature of their passion and transformation draw other young people to the movement that is United Methodism.

As youth ministry leaders the challenge before us, therefore, is not simply to design great programs that draw young people to the church.  Instead, we need to focus on the following:

1.  We must convince the leadership of our churches to include young people (youth and young adults) in every aspect of church leadership.  And this doesn’t mean a token voice on each committee.  It means invested involvement of young leaders.  Adam Hamilton, at the 2009 Indiana Annual Conference, said that Church of the Resurrection was committed to 50% of the leaders on every committee being under 30.  This isn’t easy for churches.  It means giving up control.  It means choosing passion and energy over much-valued experience.  But its crucial.  If we want to be in ministry with those under 30, we have to let them guide us.  Convincing church leadership will take time and it will be frustrating at times, but we have to keep raising this issue.

2.  We must recruit, and disciple, and train, and equip young leaders.  We know this, but sometimes we prepare young people to lead in our youth ministries but not in our churches or in our world.  We need to give them the tools to share their faith wherever they are.

3.  We must organize a movement.  The leaders of our church mean it when they say they want to reach young people.  They are sincere and hopeful.  The model that most of them know, however, is one based in church programs where youth came to UMYF because it was all there was to do on Sunday night at worst, or because of a great program at best.  We need to educate our churches on new models of ministry with young people.  We need to involve them as mentors and show them how vital relationships are to ministry with young people today.  We need to remind them that John Wesley didn’t wait for people to come to church, he went out to where people were and created relationship circles that nurtured and cared for people in their faith.  We need to ask them where in their lives they are encountering and sharing their faith with young people, or are they?  Ultimately, as youth ministry leaders we’ve been known as rebels in our relationships with our churches, and I’m not sure how helpful that reputation has been.  Our leaders are looking for answers, and perhaps now is the time to come forward with a unified voice, a plan for our churches and our conference, and a renewal of the sense of movement that our young people desire and that began the tradition we embrace.

This is a little preachy I know, but I’m passionate and believe there is an opportunity to impact the United Methodist Church, both in Indiana and globally, that hasn’t necessarily been open for a while.  If you have ideas or would like to be part of an ongoing conversation, post a comment here or send me an email.

Peace and blessings,

Brian