Youth Ministry Degree Blog Day

The UthPastorTodd blog is participating in Youth Ministry Degree Blog Day November 3, 2009. The blog day is sponsored by mattcleaver.com. Check out Matt’s web site for more information on this. The idea is to give future undergraduate youth ministry students a look at various youth ministry programs from graduates.

I’m a 2007 graduate of John Brown University with a B.S. in youth ministries. I believe there are two very unique features to the JBU program, which are the seven month internship and the Christian education course. The seven month internship allows the youth ministry student gain valuable experience in a youth ministry setting where he or she can practice the theory and concepts that have been taught in the classroom. Additionally, because it is seven months the experience gained is very substantial and is great for after one graduates and begins to work full time on their own or as a part of a time. This is unique because most internships will only last for a summer (3 months) or one semester (about 4 months). The other unique quality of the JBU degree in my opinion is the Christian education with adolescents’ course. This course is taught by Dr. Dan Lambert the professor of youth ministry at JBU and the author of Teaching that Makes a Difference (Youth Specialties). This course will truly prepare a youth minister for how teach adolescents by adapting published curriculum or writing their own. This is important because teaching is such a major component of youth ministry.

I truly believe that my JBU youth ministry degree helped me to be a better youth pastor by giving me the tools and experience I needed to think through how to do youth ministry instead of just telling me how to do it by teaching a bunch of different models. Now I feel that I can work in any youth ministry situation because I was taught to think through and about youth ministry in order to accomplish successful youth ministry. Additionally, the JBU degree is a well rounded degree offering education in theology, biblical studies, church history, and practical theology.

I think one weakness of the program and it isn’t such a bad thing is that most of the youth ministry courses are taught by one professor (at least this was the case when I was there I think has begun to change). This of course tended to give us one point of view on youth ministry. I think it would have been great to have multiple points of view, but this is the case with a small program at a small Christian university. In addition to this it would have been great to have more courses on technology and ministry.

Overall I’m quite satisfied with my JBU degree and how it prepared me for ministry and seminary. I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering a youth ministry degree.

I Need A Home

Does your church have a college ministry?  If so what department is it housed in the youth/student ministry department or the young adult department?  Where does college ministry belong how should we classify college students that are roughly age 18-24.  Recently some psychologist and sociologist have extended adolescents to as old as age 25 this would make college ministry a part of any adolescent ministry department which in most churches would put it in the youth/student ministry department.  This extension of adolescents mainly because of cognitive development and stages of social development and their extension from traditional late adolescents to around age 25 or older.  However, there are some who still see this age group as young adults because they are gaining independence from mom and dad and taking on more and more responsibilities.  Recently I heard of a new classification for this age group called "emerging adulthood" emerging because for the most part college students and those in this age bracket are in between late adolescents and adulthood because of their cognitive and social development.  With these mixed ideas for classification where should we house college ministry in youth/student, young adults, or a new department all of its own.  So, this begs the question where does college ministry belong in the organizational structure of the church?  I welcome your comments and answers.  Some of you may be asking why this matters but when we can properly classify college ministry we will be able to minister more effectively to them because we will know whether to treat them as youth, adults, or somewhere in between

40 Days of Prayer for Campus Ministry

As we approach that time of the year again where everyone is gearing up for another school year College Union is sponsoring 40 days of prayer for campus ministry in the United Methodist Church.  The 40 days of prayer begins today and goes through September 25th.  As students pour back onto college campuses all across the country let us be in prayer for our United Methodist campus ministries.  Will you please join we me as I prayer for God to begin a new work among all our campus ministries from Wesley Foundations to local church ministries that we will truly seek God for his direction in the future of campus ministry.  Pray for the students, campus ministers, Bishops, District Superintendents, ministry board members, and the faculty and staff of the universities we minister to. Most especially pray for the college and universities that do not have a United Methodist campus ministry on their campus.  For more information about the 40 days of prayer campaign you can visit College Union or on Facebook at the group United Methodist Campus Ministry - Raising Up Christian Leaders.  You may also visit the website for the campus ministry I'm associated with The Bridge @ UA Fort Smith.  Please join with me for these next 40 days as we pray for God to begin a great work in UM campus ministries.