(Intelligent?) Design Theory - (Also from Monday, Jan 23 2012)

My first elective session (“re:Designing your Youth Ministry”) was pretty engaging, I must say.  My concern heading into this session was that I would be hearing a presentation on a new youth ministry model that was “it” … “the best” … “the one.”  In a church culture that is panicking over the decline in numbers of young people in attendance, everyone seems to be looking around for the magic button to push to make everything alright.  Do this, and you’ll be packed with young people.  Buy a pool table.  Use this curriculum.  Hire this person. 

Anyone who’s been in ministry with youth (or ministry in general?) knows that there is no such thing as one universal template for ministry.  However, as we definitely got into during this session, our processes for discerning possible courses of action also get bogged down either by our own human tendencies, or by church structure.  Even a task as simple as a brainstorm can be hijacked easily, and with nobody realizing it has happened.

So the session today took a look at applying Design Theory principles to Practical Theology as a framework for honing our youth ministry.  Check out the video below.  It’s an 8 minute video that shows you the essential idea/process from a product design standpoint (not a ministry design standpoint).  I guarantee you won’t look at a shopping cart the same way again, and you will get some good laughs in the process!

Once the theory was unpacked, we gathered in smaller groups and set our minds to the task of solving the world’s problems … well, the church’s problems … okay, one problem expressed by a youth minister in our group who hails from Minnesota (“I can’t get any seniors from my congregation to participate in my ministry to youth”).  Even as a practice session, we had a huge amount of discussion that I don’t think ever would have come up in a different process.  I can’t imagine how freakingly awesome a real process would be for the church and its ministry.For me, the question is whether or not I could find the minds to sit around the table and get them committed to it.

So here’s the question for you … what do you think the biggest problem area is for the church’s ministry to young people?  Be specific!