BetterThanBlank - Latest Comments in Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

Re: Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

WorshipCity — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:15:11 -0000

We have a congregation of about 400.
Sun 9AM - Middle School only
Sun 10:45 - No youth activities
Sun 4:30 - No church but both Middle School and High School meet.

We've identified that 9AM is probably a bad time to have youth in the morning if we can only do it at one time we should do it at 10:45 so we're looking to do that either in the summer or the fall. We encourage High school to serve in the mornings.

Re: Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

Fred McKinnon — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 23:58:37 -0000

Hey man, our Junior High has the 11:00 AM slot called "Rush Hour" on Sunday AM. The high schoolers have "Inside Out" on Wed. PM.

Re: Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

billychia — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:57:19 -0000

the church I came from ran around 3k on the weekends. The did
Sat 6pm - No Programmed Youth
Sun 9am - sr. and jr. high
Sun 10:40am - No Programmed Youth

The goal was actually get families to stick around for 2 hours on Sunday morning. The first hour was for youth specific stuff and the idea was that parents would serve or go to a class and then they'd worship as a family at 10:40. A big trend in the church was kids graduating high school and graduating faith altogether - "youth group" looked so different from "big church" when they go to college they didn't know how to plug in.

Re: Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

Peter — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:45:06 -0000

"If they can’t do that then you need to teach them how; or simply find some different Youth Pastors."

HERE HERE!

Re: Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

eric — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:05:02 -0000

We have 2 services on Sunday (9:00am & 10:30am).

We have Youth Services (separate Jr. High & High School) @ the 10:30 service only. It's our weakest youth event.

We have 411 on Tuesday nights from 7-8:30. Jr. High meets @ one house, High School at another. Every 3 months we'll do a combined service.

We started 411 as a combined Tuesday night service in our High School Pastors garage with about 30 kids. We just recently split them up. I didn't want to, but our Youth Pastors did... They were right. Both groups have now grown to 30+ kids because of it. Now our combined gatherings are packed.

My suggestion would be rather than push what you or your Pastor thinks is most effective, sit with them and help them build their own vision. What are they good at? How do they most effectively minister? It might not be in a large group setting.

If they can't do that then you need to teach them how; or simply find some different Youth Pastors.

Re: Multiple Services & Youth Ministry

Peter — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:43:51 -0000

This is how our previous church did things:
www.thecrossing.com
Congregation of about: 2000
SERVICE TIMES:
Saturday: 5:30 pm
Sunday: 8:30, 10:00,
10:30 & 11:45 am

Traducción al español disponible en
nuestros servicio de las 10:30
(Spanish translation
available @ 10:30am)

KIDZONE
Nursery - 5th grade

at all services

IGNITE
Junior High 6-8th Grade
Saturday: 5:30pm
Sunday: 10am

REALIFE
Senior High 9-12th Grade
Sunday 11:45 am
I think since the Jr. High is larger, it allotted another service to them on Saturday.

I suppose my only concern with adding services in any capacity (being youth, worship or adult) is that if there are not proper resources (e.g. volunteers) set up to accomadate the demand then it runs the risk burning out(the minstry,the pastor, the church). Obviously we all understand that there is a job that needs to be done, done well, nay done very well. But at what cost?
It is a realistic goal but is it ultimately nessecary? Does it in fact utilize the people that are head of those ministries?