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Here’s a second study that may be easily misinterpreted: Some teenager’s brains may make them use drugs.  As a WSJ article wondered aloud, “Are Some Teenagers Wired for Addiction?”

The abstract emphasizes that this exploratory brain scanning found different neurological networks active in impulse-control experiments among different teenagers. The biggest finding here is that those who had ADHD symptoms were activating different parts of the brain than those who had a history of drug and alcohol use.  That could mean that having ADHD is not necessarily a risk factor for drug use.

It also seems that underfunctioning of the orbitofrontal cortex of 14-year-olds is one factor correlated with teenagers who have a history of drug use. But here’s the thing: The study is not a before-after longitudinal study. It only shows correlation after the fact. So to conclude that this low brain activity means some kids are predisposed to drug use is taking a leap beyond the research itself.

In other words, we still don’t know that some teens are hard-wired for addiction. As the researchers point out, “impulsivity is a multi-dimensional construct.” Let alone addiction, which is certainly a step beyond impulsivity.

As you read the headlines, be aware of the leaps we researchers and commentators make. Sometimes we all need reminders that the first rule of research is humility. Let’s apply that to interpretation as well.

Related posts:

1. Brain research: what are kids thinking?
2. Handle Brain (and all other) Research with Care
3. Teenagers’ IQ Can Change

I say this every time I quote neuroscience in a presentation, because I think it’s fair to warn listeners that my interpretation of the brain research I mention could be off-base. We do work down the hall from some brilliant neuropsychologists at Fuller, and feel smarter just by walking by their doors. But beyond that, I’m leaning on one neuropsych class in undergrad well over a decade ago, which isn’t much to go on.

I bring this up because I have seen a few instances lately where popular interpretation of research feels skewed.  Of course all research (including our own) is skewed in some way itself, but public reports can create all kinds of further misunderstandings. Two examples that seem to be open to misinterpretation within the past couple of weeks:

First, analytical thinking experiments (not actual brain research) triggered an interpretation that, as one headline read, “Thinking can undermine religious faith, study finds.” The study abstract states it slightly more positively, “Analytic Thinking Promotes Religious Disbelief.” To be more clear, the journal article reports that “these studies indicate that analytic processing is one factor (presumably among several) that promotes religious disbelief.”

What did this study actually find?

That there is some correlation between triggering analytic thinking (via asking subjects to perform cognitive tasks in a lab) and responding less positively to religious belief statements. In other words, when we get our brains into critical-thinking modes we’re less likely to voice agreement with statements that are, by their very nature, based on faith. That is different from proving that thinking undermines faith. As one commenter noted, belief responds to context. Faith is elastic, and elasticity and stickinesss are not necessarily opposed to one another.

Just as faith and doubt are not always enemies.

Tomorrow I’ll share the second study that could easily lead to misinterpretation.

Related posts:

1. Brain research: what are kids thinking?
2. This is Your Brain on Multitasking
3. Parenting the Teen Brain

In the past, I’ve thought of myself as a not very creative person, largely because I’m not a very artistic person (you should see me draw, let alone try to read my handwriting).  But over the years I’ve realized that I’m more creative than I thought, largely based on an expanding definition I have of creativity.  As the blog describes:

The bad news is that if you don’t think you’re creative, our survey data say that you probably are not. But there is good news: You can actually become more creative by changing your mind-set. Anyone can innovate, if they choose to. Disruptive innovators do it by choice, not chance. Their everyday actions swap out an “I’m not creative” mind-set for an “I am creative” one. And then magical (not mystical) things unfold.

According to the various researchers who wrote the HBR blog, there are 5 types of creativity:

Associational thinking: I creatively solve challenging problems by drawing on diverse ideas or knowledge.

Questioning: I often ask questions that challenge others’ fundamental assumptions.

Observing: I get innovative ideas by directly observing how people interact with products and services.

Idea Networking: I regularly talk with a diverse set of people (e.g., from different functions, industries, geographies) to find and refine new business ideas.

Experimenting: I frequently experiment to create new ways of doing things.

I like these various categories of creativity because they remind me of what I think is true about creativity:

1.  Much of creativity comes from observing others.  We think creativity happens when we’re alone, thinking deep thoughts.  Sometimes that’s the case, but often (maybe even more often), creativity happens by seeing what others are doing.

2.  Creativity comes often from a team.  I’m often my most creative when I’m with my great FYI colleagues, thinking about next steps, dreaming about the future.

3.  Creativity takes time.   The more time we have (especially with our team), the more creative we can be.  Because of that, our FYI team is trying to block off half of every staff meeting for “big picture” issues – the type of issues in which we need to be creative and can’t be squeezed into 7 minute chunks.

4.  Not only am I creative, everyone else is too.  Every student I know, every adult with whom I interact has their own brand of creativity – God-given creativity.   How can I help them tap into it?  How can the world benefit from it?

Here’s the good news:  you – and everyone else you know – is already more creative than you think.

Related posts:

1. Good News in Your Neighborhood
2. A Bridge Too Far – Exciting News from Saddleback Church
3. Jim Collins – Good Stuff

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3. Volume 5, Issue 10

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–- Pastor in a church ministry with children and youth in the Dominican Republic¹

We practice presence. What does it mean to be present for children and youth in our communities? How can my simple presence make a difference in their often difficult lives?

How can I put on my annual report to the church or ministry board, “I was present for the kids” and expect this to be sufficient evidence of successful ministry?

The children and youth served by the ministry leader quoted above—and those of seventeen other ministries in three Latin American countries that we studied in the recent Ministry to Children at Risk by Latin American Churches project—live their lives in situations of tremendous risk much of the time. Most are living in extreme or absolute poverty. Many struggle to stay in school and have to work from a young age to help their families or to have enough food.  Abandonment, neglect, abuse, and problems in their families are common issues faced by these children.²  How can merely “being present” for them be a “best practice” for ministry among these kids?

And yet this emerged as a key theme in the Ministry to Children at Risk study that I undertook in Bolivia, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic focused on exemplar churches ministering wholistically³ among children and youth in their communities. Most of these churches were very small with few material resources, and they often had little to give the children other than their love and presence.

After analyzing the data from thirty-eight interviews, I was struck by the seemingly simple yet profound reminders of some of the most important ways we can share Christ’s love with young people. We have much to learn from our Latin American brothers and sisters, and I will attempt to share just a few of those lessons here.

 Relationships are Key

Practicing presence is about building relationships, a key theme in this study. Latin American cultural values generally include more of an emphasis on dedicating time to relationships as compared to the U.S. So it is no wonder that one of the best practices identified in this study was the importance of building relationships with the kids, their parents, and the members of the community.

1. Building relationships with kids

Over and over again the pastors, volunteers, and leaders mentioned how they saw success in their ministries simply because the children felt loved and cared for by the church. Just as “being present” may not seem like we are “doing” enough, we often get so caught up in flashy programs or exciting curriculum and forget that our first and foremost job is to build authentic relationships based in the love of Christ and respect for the image of God in kids. Everything we do should facilitate these types of relationships.

In large churches, this will likely mean intentionally recruiting volunteers whose sole job is to nurture relationships with a small number of kids. This may also mean re-thinking the way we “do” church and creating spaces where kids can build relationships with people from different generations in our church—a major theme of the work of FYI. Building authentic relationships takes time and commitment, and we will need to help our church members see the value in this and give them the tools to do it well.

When discussing this best practice, one pastor said, “Here the work has been very personal, from person to person. . . . It is to look for the broken person, like the Word says, the little wounded lamb, the abandoned lamb, the beaten lamb, the lamb whose father isn’t around because he left them, the one whose mother is fighting to give them bread. . . . The internal brokenness can best be known in face to face relationships.”⁴ Who are those lambs in our ministries?

2. Building relationships with parents and the community

While the relationship with the kids was of utmost importance, building good relationships with the parents and the community members was another important strategy. The parents of these kids were often struggling themselves, and sometimes even part of the problems for the kids. At the end of the day, these youth go home, and if nothing changes there, long-term transformation will be difficult. Parents of high-risk kids often resist these ministries at first, but as they see the ways they are helping their kids, they often begin to come closer.

The churches in our study saw the most success by working with mothers, inviting them to serve in some small way in the ministry or teaching them new skills or beliefs, such as women’s and children’s rights. Many eventually saw the kids and their parents become part of their church or another church in the community. “Little by little the church has been growing, and the majority of the growth is from the relatives and the parents and others who have seen what we’ve been doing in the community.”⁵

Many of those interviewed emphasized how the perception of those in the community towards the church had changed when they started serving the kids of the community. The projects ranged from meal programs to after school tutoring to life skills teaching, but no matter what they were doing, they sought first to understand the needs of their community. The community began to see them as a partner, rather than simply those annoying people who make lots of noise with their praise and worship on Sundays (and usually several other nights a week).⁶

One pastor explained this well, saying we need to “draw close to the community, that they might know us, and find out what they think, what they believe, what their problems are and the things that need improvement, since they see the church as only religion. They need to know the leader of the church… and he or she must become involved in the activities of the school, the Development Association, and the health centers, to be an active part of the community and to collaborate with them. People are tired of the models from television and the routine of worship services only in the church.”⁷

This pastor was invited by the community to be the vice president of the local Development Association, and he has been instrumental in helping this very poor community to get water, garbage, and bus service. The community now sees the church as a key ally, and people who don’t go to the church want to help with the programs for kids. Building relationships with the people in the community and investing time in making it a better place for everyone is a kingdom value, but it is also a good practice for being effective in ministry with children and youth.

What do we need to do to better understand the issues in our communities? Who are other stakeholders in the life of the children we serve with whom we can build relationships and partner? How can our churches expand beyond their walls and share the love of Christ with those surrounding us?

Include Youth in the Conversation

In these discussions, we must never forget to include the kids themselves. This was another key theme in the research; involving children and youth at all levels from planning to implementation to evaluation of ministries and programs must be a high value.

Many of the leaders interviewed said this often started by a paradigm shift in the mind of the pastor and other church leaders. Once they began to see children and youth as important and valuable contributors to the church, rather than as people who don’t tithe or have much to give, their attitudes changed. They began to see the young people as made in God’s image with gifts, talents, and skills that can be utilized in the kingdom. The senior leadership in the church passed this vision on to other church members, and many ministries were started.

How do we involve and empower children and youth in planning our ministries? How do we give them a voice in decisions in our church? How do we create spaces where we can listen to their desires, needs, hopes, and fears so that we might partner with what God is already doing in their lives and in the lives of their friends and peers?

This brings us full circle to the idea of “practicing presence.” In order to truly listen to and empower children and youth, we must be present with them. Being truly present is not always an easy task for adults; we are so easily distracted by the many tasks we have to complete. In this, we can learn from our Latin American sisters and brothers who remind us that even when they may have little else to give, they practice presence, and in this presence, God will draw near.

Action Points

• How similar or different do some of the ministry challenges and insights from these Latin American churches seem to your own context?  What can you learn from these differences and similarities?
• If “practicing presence” with young people has been identified as a key best practice in ministry across multiple cultures, what are the obstacles to practicing presence with students in your ministry? What ideas do you have for beginning to remove some of those obstacles?
• To what extent do you involve young people in decision-making now? What are some ways you could invite them to the conversation and truly listen to their contributions?

1. Pastor, interview and translation by author, Dominican Republic, July 20, 2009. Names of ministries and interviewees will not be included in order to protect the identities of the children served by these ministries. 
2. This description of the lives of these children and youth represent the most common issues identified by those interviewed for this study. Thirty-eight in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with pastors, directors, leaders, staff and volunteers of twenty different churches, representing eighteen different projects in Bolivia, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Focus groups were also conducted in Bolivia with twenty-two churches represented. Participant observation at many of the projects also helped to enrich the data set. The study was funded by a generous donor and supported by the Fuller Youth Institute.
3. Both “wholistic” and “holistic” are accepted spellings of this term in English. I prefer the former spelling because it emphasizes the word “whole,” which reminds us of the meaning of the term.
4. Pastor/Director, interview by author, translation and emphasis mine, Costa Rica, March 18, 2009.
5. Pastor, interview by author, translation mine, Dominican Republic, July 20, 2009.
6. Several of the pastors and leaders interviewed mentioned that previously there had been complaints in their neighborhood about the noise of the church, but after the community learned what they were doing for the kids, they actually spoke out against anyone who wanted the church to be shut down.
7. Pastor/Director, interview and translation by author, Costa Rica, March 26, 2009.

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Personally, I do not find this statistic surprising.  It merely validates what the church has already known for years.

What might be surprising are the three words the majority of religiously unaffiliated Millennials believe describes present-day Christianity.  These words are “judgmental” (84%), “hypocritical” (84%), and “anti-gay” (79%).  No wonder these Millennials are walking away from Christianity!  But is this an accurate picture of Christianity?  Scripture doesn’t portray Jesus as being judgmental, hypocritical or overtly anti-gay.  Which makes me wonder, why is there such a large disconnect between what Christianity is and how people view it?  Somehow we have become known more for what we are against than what we are for.

The three descriptors I personally would use to talk about Christianity are welcoming, forgiving, and redeeming.  What three words would you use to describe Christian faith?  And how can the church begin to inspire others to view Christianity in a similar way?

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Even if you don’t work with gang members or high-risk kids, you probably feel this way from time to time. And for those who do serve kids on the margins, the day to day struggles can fog our vision for why we serve in the first place.

Recently Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries here in L.A., spoke in chapel at Fuller.  His meditation, a post-Easter reflection on the risen life, inspired our FYI team and the full house who joined us.  This week take some time to consider these words from Father Boyle about the risen life we find in one another—gang members, tough kids, and anyone else in whom life is often hidden.

(Note: Boyle’s talk starts at 8:22)

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Caine is a nine-year-old kid in East L.A. whose dad sells auto parts. Last summer he took Caine to work with him and gave him a little space of his own and some raw materials (mostly cardboard) to pass the time.  He created games out of cardboard boxes and offered people to play for a nickel. Over time Caine constructed an elaborate cardboard arcade, complete with “fun pass” options and an office. He basically took over the store.

But Caine didn’t get a lot of business.  Every weekend during the school year he’d show up and open his arcade, and most of the time he had no customers.  But one adult stumbled onto the arcade, bought a fun pass, and kept visiting. He couldn’t believe there weren’t people maxing out Caine’s arcade. So he organized a flash-mob-style event of folks to show up and surprise Caine one weekend afternoon…and play at his arcade. This short film captures the story and the big day:

Caine’s story is a fascinating phenomenon.  He’s not the only kid around who has to hang out at a parent’s workplace. He’s not the only kid around with creativity and imagination. So what is it about Caine that captures our attention?

Someone noticed.

One adult paid attention to Caine and thought his story was worth telling.  Of course he had his dad supporting him and giving him space to play and create (I don’t want to underplay the importance of his father at all here).  But when another adult also noticed Caine, talked to him, played his games, and decided to spread the word, something powerful happened. And it wasn’t just that a lot of people showed up for the party; it was that Caine’s creative work was given new value and dignity.

Since the premier of the video and an online paypal fund in April, nearly $200,000 has been raised online to help fund Caine’s college education as well as funding other creative and entrepreneurial young kids. Now there’s a foundation matching up to $250,000 in donations. All because one adult noticed.

I’m not necessarily suggesting more kids should spend their summers working or hanging out in auto parts stores. Or that we should exploit Caine or kids like him because they have an inspiring story (this is a difficult line to walk). But I am suggesting that there are a whole lot of Caines out there waiting to be noticed.

Let’s be on the lookout!

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And where you live is the starting point for you to bring—and be—good news.

A prayer altar in my neighborhood set up by teenagers grieving a friend's death.

This came even more alive for me recently when a local shooting stirred up a lot of questions about race, safety, and God’s presence in the midst of the death of a young man. Teenagers in the community gathered to pray and left this altar as a memorial of their friend, but also a testimony to their deep need to know and be touched by good news.

Recently our friends Adam McLane and Jon Huckins (a current Fuller student) released a 6-week downloadable student curriculum called Good News in the Neighborhood (video). From the introduction:

As humans every one of us is made in the image of God. We are hard-wired to love Good News. Good News is addictive to our soul. We can’t get enough Good News. All humans are searching for Good News in an instinctual way we can’t explain. And when Good News happens in our presence or when we partner with a neighbor to bring Good News to someone else, something in our soul deeply resonates with that…

In a post-Christian society, the best way to grow our ministry is to connect with the innate part of a persons soul that defies logic’s last stand. Good News supersedes all. It’s the Gospel’s secret weapon. And it spreads like wild fire.

What I love about the emphasis of this curriculum is that it emphasizes the expansiveness of the kingdom of God while also opening kids’ eyes to the ways that kingdom is expanding in the very streets and hearts around them. Overlapping with some of the goals of our Deep Justice work, Good News in the Neighborhood inspires students to seek the shalom—the wholeness, the flourishing—of all people, not just those who show up at their church.

What are some of the ways you are stirring up kids to be good news in their neighborhoods?

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1. How to Be More Creative. Good News: You Already Are.
2. When Racial Conflict Hits the Neighborhood
3. Changing the Neighborhood

Maybe that’s why this Christianity Today review of a new book (a book I haven’t read yet) called Girls Uncovered: New Research on What America’s Sexual Culture Does to Young Women hit me so hard.  Or maybe it’s because I’m a mom of daughters.  Or maybe it’s just because I’m a human who cares about others.

While sex outside of God’s intentions are harmful to all involved, the book seems to argue that the consequences are even more dire for females.

The primary message of Girls Uncovered is that sex is sexist: “When it comes to the negative consequences of sexual activity, girls easily get the worst of it.” Of course, they are the ones who have to struggle with any resultant pregnancy. But they are also more likely to get a sexually transmitted infection, and the consequences of such infections are typically more severe and longer-lasting in both girls and women. Female physiology doesn’t thrive under a diverse sexual resume. Nor does female psychology. Girls also suffer more seriously from depression and self-loathing at the break-up of a sexually active relationship as well as casual hook-ups.

I’m not familiar enough with the research to know if this is accurate, and I certainly have talked with both boys and girls who have been crushed by premarital sexual activity, but it’s interesting to think about the unique cost for girls (note that I said “unique” and not “greater”).

Leaders and parents, the book hints at an important insight for us as folks who think we’re equipping our kids to navigate the sexual landscape ahead of them.

While Girls Uncovered is written for all adults who have important relationships with teen and early twenty-something girls, McIlhaney and Bush wisely aim their call mostly at parents. This is for one simple reason: “Scientific surveys clearly reveal that more girls say their parents influence their behavior than girls say peers, media or other source are influencing their lives.” They cite data showing how parents can get this wrong in two ways. First, while 43 percent of parents believe others have more influence on their children on matters of sex, only 18 percent of teens believe this. Study after study shows that parents are a child’s most important and best influence. Even if you think they don’t, your children desperately want your advice and direction. Second, while 73 percent of mothers tell researchers they’ve talked with their teen about sex, only 46 percent of teens strongly agreed that they had. While it might be true that most parents have talked to their kids about sex, it doesn’t really count if the kids don’t recall it.

So we may think we’re talking about sex, but if our kids can’t remember the conversations have happened, then they don’t count.

How can you make your discussions about sex more memorable?  A few ideas come to mind to help parents (as well as youth leaders who work with parents):

1.   Don’t have just one discussion.  This is probably the most important thing I’m going to recommend.  Use everyday happenings, news events (the John Edwards trial right now provides plenty of fodder), songs, TV shows, movies, or whatever you can find as a conversation springboard.

2.   Explain that no matter what, you will still love and like your students.  We’ve seen in our Sticky Faith research that when students fail, then run from God, the church and their families just when they need them the most.  As I sent my son out to camp last week (his first camp without my husband, me, or an adult we know well as his counselor), I told him, “Your dad and I know you’ll make right choices, but even if you don’t, we still like you and love you.  And God does too.”  We want to communicate high expectations to our son but nonetheless let him know that we all fail, and we will stand with him when he fails.

 3.  Connect your teenager to other adults.  For those times when your child doesn’t want to talk to you about who they’re dating or their physical intimacy, try to agree together on another adult who they can talk to.  That way even if you’re not directly involved in the communication, your child is getting good advice and perspective.

Related posts:

1. Girls Puberty Age Drops?
2. Girls hitting puberty earlier, and we’re not sure why.
3. The Right Kind of Peer Pressure for Girls

This last month, I’ve been doing more travel than usual.  While it’s been exciting to have the chance to meet with leaders all over the country and share about Sticky Faith, I certainly haven’t enjoyed the time away from my family.

My view from my Virgin America seat last week. Doesn't it feel hip?

But I have learned a lot about airlines.

I’ve flown on everything from Southwest to Virgin America.  The basic configuration of a plane is generally the same for the cross-America flights I’ve been doing.  (Most have six seats across with an aisle down the middle.  I know some of you know what type of plane that is.  I’ve never made the effort to memorize plane types.)

And yet each airplane has a different vibe.

Virgin America makes me feel hip.

Southwest makes me feel fun and frugal.

United and American make me feel professional.

Delta makes me feel a bit spoiled (they have the best free snacks and great media/internet options).

What causes these respective vibes?

1. The ambiance.  Virgin America feels like a nightclub.  When you check in, there are hip flower arrangements, and throughout the entire experience (from check in to the airplane itself), the lighting is unusual and creative.  For instance, the airplane has blue lights overhead instead of the standard white.
2. 2.     The services provided.  Whatever Delta spends on complimentary peanuts and pretzels, it more than makes up for that expense by making me think the next time I’m booking a flight, “I’ll have a better experience on Delta.”
3. 3.     The staff.  I’ve saved what I think is the most determinative for last.  Southwest flight attendants are notorious for their tongue-and-cheek approach to on-flight announcements.  Virgin America employees made me feel like I was flying first class (believe me, I wasn’t).

Our FYI offices have a ways to go before they communicate the vibe we want them to (largely because they’re a bit small for the functions we perform).  Our house is closer, but I want our house to be even more hospitable and welcoming – from the lights we have on (or off) to the way I greet guests and offer them something to drink (which often at our house means either water or a juice box).

How about your youth room?  Your office space?  Your house?  What values do you want to communicate to folks who walk in the door?  How could you better communicate those values?

Related posts:

1. Social Media – Another Way For Kids To Feel Rejected
2. What a Difference a Day Makes
3. America is Stressed

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2. Volume 7, Issue 14
3. Volume 8, Issue 6

The story Tanya offered was captivating.  With conversational ease she described life in the Hilltop neighborhood of urban Tacoma.  Gang-banging was a given.  Family drama was an everyday reality.  Scrambling to pay bills was common.

But the rest of her story set Tanya apart from lots of other urban young people whose lives too often spiral downward in the face of daunting economic pressures, bleak job opportunities, rampant drugs, schools that don’t work, violence and unstable homes.

Tanya’s older sister had broken free of this hamster-wheel of hopelessness when she discovered the love of Christ.  Supported by a rich community of mentors, she became rooted in her faith while doing jail time.  She withstood the pain of seeing a best friend gunned down and became a force for positive change.  How could Tanya not want to follow her up and out of the despair?  Now both of them are involved in ministry, giving back to the neighborhood that they know all too well.

Research Insights for Leaders Like Tanya

In September and October of 2011 a team of research-trained youth workers gathered 81 such stories from young adults living in Tacoma, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Antonio, Columbus, Miami, New York and Philadelphia.  The project was orchestrated by Youth for Christ’s City Life ministry.  Those selected for interviews were at least 18 years old, had grown up in an urban environment and were perceived as vibrant Christian leaders currently working to bring about the Christian spiritual development of youth or adults through relational ministry in their urban communities.  They were indigenous urban ministry leaders.

Slightly more than two thirds of those interviewed were male.  There was substantial ethnic diversity represented in the sample, with 38% identifying themselves as Hispanic, 37% black and 17% white.  A third were 22 years old or younger; a third were at least 30 years old and the other third fell between these two ages.

Over the course of 30-45 minutes they told their stories to a listening, trained, note-taking pair of researchers.  During that time they shared about their initial faith experience in Christ, what it was like for them to grow as a Christian and how they saw their journey into ministry leadership.  Seven members of the team huddled together for four days in early November to make sense of 2,750 coded responses derived from the open-ended interview questions.

Here are five findings that jumped out of the data:

1. Relationships matter most.

Nearly half of all the responses that were coded from interviews fell into the relational domain category.  This included family (19% of relational mentions) and friends (10%).  The Youth for Christ (YFC) City Life holistic model suggests that a relational context is the foundation for ministry in five sub-domains:

1) spiritual and moral literacy;

2) economic literacy;

3) education;

4) basic health and safety;

5) civic literacy.

This study affirms the foundational importance of relationship development in urban ministry.

2. Catalytic life experiences make the greatest difference early in the journey.

They often represent challenges that—if they can be overcome—help someone persevere in their growth and become available for leadership.  And it was not unusual for these life hurdles to pop up in some of the sub-domains identified above. For example, one female in the study cited her experience of being sexually abused and how “being able to open up to others and get stuff off of my chest led me to become a follower of Jesus.”  Another described how her husband’s incarceration “made [her] get into the Word.”

3. Exemplars and mentors reverse importance over the course of the journey.

Seeing others model authentic Christian lives was a common and significant explanation for why participants decided initially to put their faith in Christ.  But as actively engaged mentors made relational investments they became more important than exemplars during their growing in Christ phase, helping them to navigate the tough life challenges described above.  These same mentors naturally moved into ministry coaching and they were cited even more frequently for their roles in this latter phase.  For example, one young man in Tacoma described how a volunteer leader and his wife drew him to Christ by “showing [him] God’s love.”  As he was attracted to the ministry and began to grow he named lots of others who taught and influenced him, including three men who were later called out for how important they were to his becoming a ministry leader: “they showed us how to do it.”

4. Intrinsic motivation becomes more important as Christ followers grow into ministry leaders.

This is the story line of maturity.  External circumstances surface most commonly as contributing factors during the initial faith phase (i.e., drug or alcohol abuse, family upheaval, gang-banging, school failure). They are cited less often as Christ followers grow and the Holy Spirit’s customized direction becomes familiar; leaders emerge as they pay increasing attention to their heart’s direction.

5. Providing opportunities can dramatically accelerate the transition from growth into ministry leadership.

During numerous interviews mentors were especially credited with opening ministry doors and encouraging their protégés to walk through them.  First ministry experiences are usually the result of invitations by others; they’re seldom self-initiated.  This was certainly true of the indigenous urban ministry leaders in our project.  Tanya, for example, gushed about how active she was in the weekly urban church that was planted in the neighborhood.  More than that, she recounted how she had been asked to help launch and lead ministry to younger kids that had been established by this church.  She also described how she still has plenty of “street cred,” but the importance of her witness as a known Christian leader meant, for example, that she refused to be drawn into a fight over boyfriends at the local McDonald’s.  There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that she is thinking like a responsible leader.

Action Points

Here are a few practical takeaways from this research:

1. Re-purpose any program that doesn’t support the goal of moving adults into closer relationships with kids.  Don’t waste valuable time or limited resources in creating activities that won’t deliver over the long haul.
2. Recognize that the biggest relational strain on adult leaders may come after young people come to Christ but before they emerge as leaders.  Kids can get derailed by life’s harsh obstacles as they seek to grow in their faith unless caring mentors help them power through the challenges.  Ramp up your support and training of caring volunteers so that they’re ready for this ministry burden.
3. Identify opportunities for influence that are appropriate for emerging leaders.  Camp and/or retreat counseling can be a great fit for this, with appropriate training and support.

Many thanks go to Dr. Kara Powell (Fuller Youth Institute) and Eileen Kooreman (DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative) for their active support and contribution to this research project.  Further research insights and City Life’s ongoing efforts to improve urban leadership development practices can be tracked through this link: http://www.yfc.net/citylife/resources/

Related posts:

1. Indigenous Urban Leadership Development
2. Assessing Your Urban Community
3. No Rest for the Weary: The Stressors of Urban Burnout

Who are you listening to?

How closely are you listening?

This year’s TEDxTeen talks are being released, and one of the inspiring talks from a young South African man gives testimony to the power of listening: a Xhosa boy who listened to a Pavarotti CD left behind by his father; a community who listened to the songs of boys on the streets; a city opera who listened to a remarkable young voice and chose to look beyond his gang background.

Take a few minutes to listen to Mteto Maphoyi’s story.  Chances are there are songs being sung around you that are longing to be heard, just waiting for us to listen.

No related posts.

I love that on opening day of class about leadership in urban youth ministry, professor Jeremy Del Rio opens with this very question. The students are all actively engaged in urban ministry of one sort another (as is Jeremy) in cities across the country and Canada. But Jeremy calls out an ambiguity that all of these students can identify with.

In American ministry culture, “Urban” has become a code word for ministry to people of color, or people impacted by poverty, or hip hop culture, or resource-deprived inner city neighborhoods, or all of the above. These distinctives aren’t necessarily bad, but they are very different, and none of them are tied by definition to the adjective “urban”.

Jeremy’s definition of urban ministry is a bit different, drawing from Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the welfare of the city…in its welfare you will find your welfare.” This is a word spoken by the prophet to a people in exile, a people who find themselves in a place they don’t want to be, among a people they must serve as captives.  Urban youth ministry is often like this, marked by serving in a context of exile.  Choosing to serve with a posture of longevity and seeking the shalom of the city can make all the difference.

How do you define urban ministry, and how does it shape what you do?

Related posts:

1. Urban Youth Ministry Certificate – 3 weeks away
2. Assessing Your Urban Community
3. Urban Self-Care Interview

Yes, our education system has problems.  Big ones.  But we still have a vision that every child living in this country, regardless of ethnic or socioeconomic background, deserves a good education. And pulling out our own kids and resources won’t do anything to help or reform the system. The kids who lose are the ones without access to anything “better”.

Despite all that, Godin is attempting something different here: opening the doors for bigger thinking about education: What is school for, anyway? Why should we make kids do it? How could we dream different dreams about school in America? Not just public schools, but all schooling. From the intro:

The economy has changed, probably forever.

School hasn’t.

School was invented to create a constant stream of compliant factory workers to the growing businesses of the 1900s. It continues to do an excellent job at achieving this goal, but it’s not a goal we need to achieve any longer.

In this 30,000 word manifesto, I imagine a different set of goals and start (I hope) a discussion about how we can reach them. One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’ve been getting.

Our kids are too important to sacrifice to the status quo.

Agreed. We invest blood, sweat and tears into our local school, and sometimes all we get is the stains on our clothes. There is a lot we disagree with in the educational system.  We do think our kids are ultimately getting a better education by learning the stories and cultures of the kids around them—some who are “like” them and many who are not. But it’s possible school is designed to kill their dreams.

I think Godin is asking good questions, questions for every kid in the country. What I hope is that this stirs us—in the church—to ask these questions but without the knee-jerk reaction of pulling out.  We have such a long track record of pulling away and cloistering rather than being good news in our neighborhoods. I think Godin has ideas that can be good news—truly liberating good news—for young people. But it will only be good news if Christians engage the system rather than retreat.

Interestingly, PBS picked up on some young teachers who are engaging education as a way of honoring the image of God in students in one low-income district. It’s not the only way to dream different dreams for kids, but it’s one making a difference:

Watch Education Justice on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.

Related posts:

1. Education and Race
2. Dreams About Justice
3. Ministry Dreams

Today, on the U.S. Support Teen Lit Day, it’s interesting to note the following data about teen/young adult books recently:

Children’s/Young Adult physical format (aka print format) hardcover and paperback both “saw strong double-digit growth (68.9% and 61.9% respectively)” over the same period last year. That’s an impressive growth in sales, partly due to the crazy popularity of The Hunger Games and other book series such as Percy Jackson & the Olympians and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Most shocking? Ebook sales. According to the AAP’s first monthly data on Children’s/YA eBooks, sales showed “a massive +475.1% increase from 2011 to 2012.”

It’s interesting to me that powerful stories seem to be capturing young people.  Having read The Hunger Games myself, I did find it a page-turner (I read it in less than 24 hours).

This week in my Youth Ministry Communication class at Fuller, Michael Novelli joined the class via video conference.  Michael is a very sharp, innovative thinker who’s written a number of books related to the power of storying.

As Michael shared, I could tell that my class of youth leaders was riveted by the recognition that much of Scripture is story (according to Michael, over 70% of the Bible is narrative) and yet we tend to teach in propositions, not narratives.  So in Michael’s own youth ministry experience, he’s inviting students to really step into Bible stories with him.  In particular, he uses four basic questions in a typical lesson (which in many ways remind me of Lectio Divina):

1.  What stories have we told so far?  (this is a review of previous lessons)

Then he introduces a new story and discusses with the students:

2.  What if you were there in the story?

3.  What stood out to you from the story?

4.  How is this OUR story?

I cheer that more students are reading these days than previous years.  And I’m so glad we have the chance to invite students to experience the ultimate story that can transform their own stories.

Related posts:

1. Sticky Faith Summit Day #3
2. Normalize Your Young Teen’s Experiences
3. Getting the Web of Support You Need

Or because we can?

These two questions in a recent blog by Seth Godin, brand and marketing guru, immediately caught my attention.   Our team at FYI is constantly asking if/when it’s time to offer some new resources or research for youth leaders.  As a youth leader, I have often wondered the same.   Should we offer a girls retreat, and guys retreat, this year?  Do we do two summer camps, or one?

Of course, the #1 force that I hope guides those decisions is God’s leading.  But I can’t always figure out if/when God is leading us to start something new.

That’s why I appreciate Seth’s advice in his blog (he talks about “market” and “brand” but we leaders can substitute the words “students” and “ministry”):

If you extend your reach because you can, because you have market power, you will probably be doing your existing customers a small service (centralized support or billing or just one less person to deal with) but your brand doesn’t increase in stature. You had a chance to bring some of your original magic to the table (after all, it’s that magic that got you started) but all you did was bully the competitors out of the way.

On the other hand, if you extend your brand because the new offering is better, magical in the way you can make it magical, then you’ve dramatically increased not just your market share but your perception as well.

I love the advice to avoid doing something new because we can, but rather because it’s better than what we’re already doing.  So as you and I contemplate new projects, it seems to be that we have to be ruthless and ask the following questions:

1. Will this help reach students, families, and our community better than what we are currently doing?
2. If so, what will we cut to make space to develop this new idea?
3. As we’re developing this idea, and after we experiment with it, how we will be able to assess if it’s worth continuing in the future?  In other words, what are our desired outcomes, and how can we tell whether or not we reach them?

I’m guessing that like me, you’re tired of adding either too much or too little, and you’re tired of adding and not subtracting.  May these and other wise and prayer-laden questions help guide our next steps.

Related posts:

1. A Truly Collaborative Youth Ministry Training Gathering
2. Ministry With Sharks
3. Ministry Dreams