Amplify Parent Orientation

A relational ministry that nurtures adolescents into mature Christian adulthood.

Biblical Foundation Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting peoples sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.20 We are therefore Christs ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christs behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. John 1:14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. Three Bridges of Adolescent Development

(The Message)

For many, the space in between childhood and adulthood feels like a treacherous river. This space, called adolescence, is a pivotal period of development intended to allow for individuation. Here are three bridges that are constructed to help adolescence transition into adulthood. 1. The Bridge of Isolation The vast majority of teens in America exist with little to no significant relationships with adults.1 Christian sociologist Chap Clark calls this phenomenon adolescent abandonment. 2 As a result, adolescents are forced to construct their own bridge (read social reality).

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For example, I have read various sources that state the average father spends 6-15 minutes a day with his kids. For more information on adolescent abandonment check out Chap Clarks book Hurt 2.0.

2. The Bridge of Traditional Youth Ministry This bridge is built around the personality of the youth pastor. It is constructed by the youth pastor and, at best, a handful of volunteers. This model can be very successful in the short-run if the youth pastor is energetic and charismatic. The youth pastor can seemingly become a Pied Piper of teens. There are two significant problems with this model. The first is that the youth ministries exist in a vacuum and have little interaction with the rest of the church. There is also little parental involvement. The second is that the bridge usually collapses as soon as the youth pastor leaves the church. 3. The Bridge of Family-based Youth Ministry With this model family includes both nuclear families and the local church family. Parents are seen as the primary disciplers. The youth pastors role is to invest in youth, train adult volunteers to invest in youth, and equip parents to be primary disciplers. Adults of all ages are trained to model and teach the Gospel in a variety of contexts (from lecture based Bible studies to mission trips to games of dodge ball). While this model tends to take longer to cultivate it is the most sustainable and, in my opinion, healthy of the three. Amplify Elder Board/Planning Team The youth ministry will be stronger and more sustainable if we develop a team of parents and other adults who commit to praying, learning about adolescent ministry, and working as a team to plan gatherings. I am looking for individuals to join this team. Five Types of Youth Ministry Gatherings/Programs

Ministry Gathering Rhythm Weekly Time to check in with one another, pray, and wrestle with scripture Monthly Fellowship or service related gatherings Biannually Retreats (Jr. High in fall and Sr. High in winter) Annually Service Trip