By Dr. Nancy Going, Director of the CYF Distributed Learning Program at Luther Seminary
Change is hard isn’t it?
Many Children, Youth, and Family ministry leaders find themselves thinking and talking about change in the church almost all the time. And even if you have identified and can clearly the see the change that needs to happen in the structures for the formation of faith for children and youth at your church, knowing about the change does not mean you can make that change happen.
Knowing about does not = change.
Change is a process.
You may find yourself wondering where to begin or if you will ever be able to get there?
That’s why the Center for First Third Ministry is offering a new coaching cohort beginning in January of 2013. We think we can help you get there. You can find out all the details here. We’ve very excited about it, because it reflects what we’ve learned in six years of working with congregations on insights from the Exemplary Youth Ministry Study. From the minute the EYM study was completed, we’ve been trying to give its results away. Our FirstThird Coaching process is another step in that process. It will provide both a vehicle and a broad time frame for you to move with your congregation through a process of change.
We are not just handing out a curriculum. We’re not inundating you study data either. We are leading a year-long coaching process, that will help you move into real cultural change in the life of your congregation. Change that will allow the Spirit generate a faith that matters in the lives of young people. We’ve seen the results of this in congregations already.
We’re also not just focusing on changing or equipping the youth minister. We’re focusing on how the whole congregation impacts a youth ministry. We’ll share tools with you, but this process of change is about far more than the tools. We’re going to help you in asking cultural and theological questions. We’re going to walk alongside of you in the midst of roadblocks and wanting to give up.
Think about it. How would REAL change affect your ministry? Even more important, how could it affect the faith lives of kids.
Join the conversation on Facebook.com/FirstThird!
Nancy Going is a life-long youth minister, who loves Jesus, other people learning to love Jesus, her husband Art Going, and the two new families that are her kids and grandkids.
