Children Through the Eyes of Society

1
Developing strategies to engage young people
Matt SummerfieldExecutive Director, Urban
Saintsmsummerfield_at_urbansaints.org
2

• Why are we here today?
• Over 90 of young people are outside the church
• The majority of those inside the church are not
  fully devoted followers of Christ

3

• The challenge to the church
• Crisis of foresight
• Crisis of vision
• Crisis of creativity

4
2 Chronicles 1232 (tribe of Issachar)understoo
d the times and knew what Israel should do
5

• What is happening to our young people?
• Cultivating a Kingdom vision
• Urban Saints vision
• Developing a healthy youth ministry
• Leading for the long haul

6
What is happening to our young people?
7
(No Transcript)
8
Life is a rollercoaster
9
all youth are reckless beyond words Greek Poet
Hesiod in the 8th Century
Theres nothing new under the sun.
Youth has no regard for old age and the wisdom
of the centuries is looked down upon both as
stupid and foolishness. Peter the Hermit in the
12th century
10
Discuss together the issues and challenges facing
young people
11
In a global culture whose citizens are
wealthier, healthier and more privileged than
ever before, children grow unhappier every year.
From the disgruntled and disoriented to the
depressed and dysfunctional, we seem to be
raising a generation with nothing to love but
its attitude problem. Sue Palmer, Education
Specialist
12
The tsunami of consumerism
Consumerism proclaims pleasure not merely as the
right of every individual but also as every
individuals obligation to him or herself
Yiannis Gabriel and Tim Lang The Unmanageable
Consumer
13
The tsunami of consumerism
The total net worth of the child-oriented market,
including pester power, is estimated to be
around 30 billion a year!
14
The tsunami of consumerism
15
The tsunami of consumerism
I love brands Brands not only tell me who I am,
but also protect me from problems with the others
in my class A quote from an 11 year old in
Martin Lindstroms book, BRANDCHILD
16
The tsunami of consumerism
Key Challenge How can we help children and
young people understand the false promise of the
consumerist worldview, as well as presenting the
true promise of a biblical worldview?
17
The apathy for healthy living
Diet Sleep Mental Health Sexual Activity Alcohol
Consumption Smoking and other drug use Self
Harm Suicide
18
The apathy for healthy living
Key Challenge How can we inspire and equip
children and young people to develop healthy
lifestyle habits that positively affect their
overall well-being?
19
The inequality of wealth
Over 3 million child in the UK today are
currently living in poverty
20
The inequality of wealth
the poverty in Britain is worse than poor
countries because its so isolating. The
discrepancy is staring you in the face all the
time on TV, in the shops. Children learn very
early to associate lack of money with lack of
dignity. Camila Batmanghelidjh, founder of Kids
Company and The Place2Be
21
The inequality of wealth
All too often, the culture of debt becomes a
part of young peoples lives from the word go.
That can be a daunting prospect, and debt can
very quickly become first a habit, and then a
downward spiral that becomes overwhelming. More
than ever before, sound management of one's
personal finances is an essential requirement for
young people as they start their adult
lives. Keith Tondeur, National Director of
Credit Action
22
The inequality of wealth
Key Challenge How can we ensure that every child
and young person has the opportunity to engage in
our activities, regardless of family wealth? How
can we provide opportunities that encourage and
equip young people to handle money effectively so
as to avoid debt and/or poverty?
23
The evolution of education
Schools to become the hub of communities
24
The evolution of education
Every Child Matters agenda stay safe be
healthy enjoy and achieve achieve economic
well-being make a positive contribution
25
The evolution of education
1,000 pupils were permanently excluded from
Primary Schools in 2005 and more than 8,000 were
excluded from Secondary schools
26
The evolution of education
Key Challenge How should we play a role in the
education system, particularly in terms of our
relationship with schools?
27
The fragmentation of family
Every week 3000 young people are facing the pain
of divorce. 700,000 children are growing up
never seeing their fathers.
28
The fragmentation of family

• Effects of divorce (2001 Survey)
• perform worse on academic tests,
• display more behavioural problems,
• have low self esteem,
• have weaker social relationships,
• become depressed,
• become drug or drink dependent,
• get involved in crime,
• have unhappy marriages themselves.

29
The fragmentation of family
Im often asked by parents what they can do to
help their child success at school. The simple
answer, born out of research, is talk and listen.
Or maybe that should be listen and talk... All
the prescriptions for successful parenting come
back to key two words time and attention the
key to successful child development is presence,
not presents Sue Palmer, Toxic Childhood
30
The fragmentation of family
Key Challenge How can we promote the importance
of strong families and offer support to parents
in their key task of raising children and young
people?
31
The power of the media
Is society paranoid schizophrenic?
Young people are vulnerable and in need of
protection
Young people are a threat to society and we need
protecting
32
The power of the media
71 of stories in the press about young people
are negative and only 14 are positive
33
The power of the media
1.5 million people in Britain considered moving
away because of fear of trouble from young
people 2004/05 British Crime Survey
34
The power of the media
In 2003 alone 35 of children aged 10 to 15 were
victims of crime, with 19 experiencing 5 or
more incidents
35
The power of the media
Young people are 10 times more likely to be
actively volunteering in the community than
committing offences Elaine Peace, NCH childrens
charity
36
The power of the media
Key Challenge How can we act as advocates in
society promoting value and respect for children
and young people today?
37
The pervasiveness of technology
In 2006, 8 out of 10 children aged 5 to 16 in the
UK had a TV in their room Nearly 1.5 million
young people (approximately 1 in 5 children) have
access to the internet in their bedroom. In
2006, 49 of children aged 8 to 11 and 82 of
those aged 12 to 15 had their own mobile phone.
38
The pervasiveness of technology
Key Challenge How can we help children and young
people to make appropriate use of technology, and
also provide paths to help them out of
destructive habits (e.g. internet pornography)?
39
The influence of peers
In a 2001/02 survey just 45 of boys and 56 of
girls aged 11 in England stated that their
friends were kind and helpful
40
The influence of peers
of young people who are sometimes afraid of
going to school because of bullying 28 of
girls and 20 of boys aged 12 to 13 22 for girls
and 15 for boys aged 14 to 15
41
The influence of peers
Key Challenge How can we provide regular
opportunities for children and young people to
mix with different peers for the purpose of
positive influence and respect?
42
The drought of play facilities
Only 17 of young people agreed with the
statement My area cares about its young
people 2006 Good Childhood inquiry, initiated
by the Childrens Trust,
43
The drought of play facilities

• Positive outcomes of structured play
  activities/facilities
• Lower rates of school failure and drop out
• Heightened school engagement
• Better academic performance
• Increased aspirations for the future
• Reduced problem behaviour
• Development of personal and social skills
• Improved mental health
• Increased self-esteem and sense of identity
  (2006 Public Policy Research)

44
The drought of play facilities
Key Challenge How can we work with communities to
provide an exciting range of activities that are
accessible for children and young people in every
area across the country?
45
The side-lining of the church
50 of churches have a youth ministry Only 4 -
10 of UK youth are regularly connected
46
The side-lining of the church
Key Challenge How can we help the church be
re-positioned as a life-giving hub of the
community? What can we offer that young people
really need e.g. guidance, acceptance, love and
significance?
47
The signs of the times
The tsunami of consumerism The apathy for
healthy living The inequality of wealth The
evolution of education The fragmentation of
family The power of the media The
pervasiveness of technology The influence of
peers The drought of play facilities The
side-lining of church
Train a child in the way he should go, and when
he is old he will not turn from it Proverbs 226
48
The signs of the times
"This is why I weep and my eyes overflow with
tears. No one is near to comfort me, no one to
restore my spirit. My children are destitute
because the enemy has prevailed Lamentations
116
Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of
the night begin pour out your heart like water
in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands
to him for the lives of your children, who faint
from hunger at the head of every
street. Lamentations 219
49
Cultivating a Kingdom vision
50
SHALOM The good news that brings wholeness and
well-being to the whole person
51
What is God like?

• Incommunicable attributes
• Omnipotence all powerful
• Omniscience all knowing
• Omnipresence ever present
• Communicable attributes (taken from Christ
  Empowered Living Selywn Hughes)
• God is a personal being who relates (Genesis
  126, Isaiah 68)
• God is a rational being who thinks (Psalm
  1443, Psalm 13917)
• God is an emotional being who feels
  (Lamentations 116, Zephaniah 317)
• God is a volitional being who chooses (1
  Corinthians 127, Revelation 411)
• In Jesus, God is a physical being (John 114)

52
Made in the image of God?
To put it in its simplest form, being made in
Gods image mean that when the Almighty designed
the first human pair, He saw something of Himself
reflected in them. Selwyn Hughes, Christ
Empowered Living
God God is a personal being who relates
We Relate
Broken relationships
Result of the Fall
God is a rational being who thinks
Think
Broken minds
God is a emotional being who feels
Feel
Broken emotions
God is a volitional being who chooses
Choose
Broken choices
God made us in His image as physical beings who
can relate, think, feel and choose
Broken bodies
53
The mission of God
The history of the human race can be summed up
in four concise phrases Man formed, man
deformed, man informed, man transformed Martin
Lloyd-Jones
The Gospel of Shalom is about God, through Jesus,
restoring us back to wholeness

• relational wholeness
• rational wholeness
• emotional wholeness
• volitional wholeness
• and eventually physical wholeness

physical
spiritual
And the child grew and became strong he was
filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was
upon him Luke 240
rational, emotional, volitional
relational
54
The mission of God
The history of the human race can be summed up
in four concise phrases Man formed, man
deformed, man informed, man transformed Martin
Lloyd-Jones
The Gospel of Shalom is about God, through Jesus,
restoring us back to wholeness

• relational wholeness
• rational wholeness
• emotional wholeness
• volitional wholeness
• and eventually physical wholeness

physical
rational, emotional, volitional
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
favour with God and men Luke 252
relational
55
The mission of God
The history of the human race can be summed up
in four concise phrases Man formed, man
deformed, man informed, man transformed Martin
Lloyd-Jones
The Gospel of Shalom is about God, through Jesus,
restoring us back to wholeness

• relational wholeness
• rational wholeness
• emotional wholeness
• volitional wholeness
• and eventually physical wholeness

The good news of Jesus Christ offers spiritual,
emotional, mental, and relational healing and
wholeness to every man, women and child both
now and for all eternity .
We were made by God, and made for God, and our
identity will never be fully complete until we
relate to God Augustine 4th Century
56
Dreaming the Kingdom dream
Some men see things as they are and ask, why?
I dream of things that never were and ask, why
not?. George Bernard Shaw
57
Dreaming the Kingdom dream
Where there is no vision, the people perish
Proverbs 2918
58
Dreaming the Kingdom dream
What is your dream?
59
Our dream
To release a movement of radical young
people, committed to taking the good news of
Jesus Christ to every generation
60
Our passion
To help young people live lives of faith, hope
and love through Jesus Christ
61
Our commitments

• Creating family
• Living adventurously
• Serving each other
• Working together to reach our full potential
• Partnering with other organisations
• Striving for excellence in all we do

62
Mobilising volunteers
Smaller Areas Bigger Regions
Growth
Equality
Local Groups
Regional Volunteers
Regional Directors
63
Equipping leaders

• Meeting plans

• Drama sketches

• Articles

• Devotionals

• Training

• Networking

64
Empowering young people
Development
65
Developing a healthy youth ministry
Blessed is the man whose strength is in
You,         Whose heart is set on pilgrimage
Psalm 845
66
God is much closer than you think
Moving from.what do we need to do? Moving
towhat is God doing?
67
Anxiety-based youth ministry

• Anxiety seeks control
• Anxiety seeks professionals
• Anxiety wants products
• Anxiety lifts up gurus
• Anxiety rests in results
• Anxiety seeks conformity
• Anxiety wants activity
• Anxiety seeks answers

We have to allow God to de-programme us from
habitually relating to kids as projects that need
managing rather than persons who need Gods love
and trust Mark Yaconelli, Contemplative Youth
Ministry
68
Creating a journey
The broader the range of young people aimed at,
the lower the Christian pitch should be
Christian Pitch
The higher the Christian pitch, the narrower
the range of young people effectively reached
69
Creating a journey
Detached youth work
Schools work
Special events
Weekly outreach clubs
Celebrations
Cells
70
Key elements of healthy youth ministry
R
(5e)
71
Enjoyment Education
lets make a group decision to drop once and
for all the Bible-as-owners-manual metaphor.
Its terrible. It really isWhen was the last
time you read the owners manual for your
toaster? Do you find it remotely inspiring and
meaningful?...We have to embrace the Bible as the
wild, uncensored, passionate account it is of
people experiencing the living God Rob Bell,
Velvet Elvis
72
Enjoyment Education
the sacred stories found in the Bible are part
of the great story of God, through Jesus,
reconciling the world. But we do more than just
tell these stories we believe and live into
these stories. We allow these stories to
penetrate our understanding of life, to form and
shape us, to guide and articulate our own
experience
73
Enjoyment Education
The stories of Scripture are windows into the
nature of God and humanity and our relationship
to one another. They are stories that help us
repent, heal, learn, grow and stretch toward
Gods love and wholeness
74
Enjoyment Education
We dont just want them to read or hear the
stories of Jesus, we want to allow them to enter
into these stories. We give them invitations to
find themselves in Scripture, to use the words
and images of Scripture to deepen their
experience of GodWe ask them to tell us where
theyve seen or experienced the story in
Scripture taking place today Mark Yaconelli,
Contemplative Youth Ministry
75
We dont need to deliver God to young people.
We simply need to help young people to notice the
ways in which each and every one of them is
already in relationship with God. Our role is to
help young people notice the ways in which Jesus
is already near, already seeking trust and
friendship. Mark Yaconelli, Contemplative Youth
Ministry
Enjoyment Education
Example Experience
76
Enjoyment Education
Example Experience

• We point
• We question
• We invite
• We create

77
Relationship
Enjoyment Education
Example Experience
Empower
78
Never give up!
Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me,
O God, till I declare your power to the next
generation, your might to all who are to
come Psalms 7118
79
Staying the course
80
Staying the course

• Get FOCUSED
• Get CONNECTED
• Get ACCOUNTABLE
• Get BALANCE

81
Staying the course

• Get FOCUSED
• Get CONNECTED
• Get ACCOUNTABLE
• Get BALANCE
• Get CLOSE

82
Yet the news about him spread all the more, so
that crowds of people came to hear him and to be
healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often
withdrew to lonely places and prayed Jesus was
in the habit of taking time out (Luke 515
16) After the people saw the miraculous sign
that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this
is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and
make him king by force, withdrew again to a
mountain by himselfJesus was did not seek the
praise of people (John 614 15) Simon and
his companions went to look for him, and when
they found him, they exclaimed "Everyone is
looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go
somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so that
I can preach there also. That is why I have
come.Jesus was not driven by the agenda of
people (Mark 136 38) The apostles gathered
round Jesus and reported to him all they had done
and taught. Then, because so many people were
coming and going that they did not even have a
chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by
yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
So they went away by themselves in a boat to a
solitary place.Jesus knew that His disciples
needed time out (Mark 630 32) "Come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy and my burden is light." Jesus invited
people to find rest in Him (Matthew 1128 30)