Integrating Youth Ministry into the Home and Church – YOUT 615

Course Description

A course designed to study the philosophy and principles of ministry leadership as they relate to the duel responsibilities of home ministry and local church ministry. Issues such as balancing family and ministry, establishment of priorities, strategies of integration, roles and responsibilities of parents and leaders, team building, outcomes and goals, shifting emphases and trends will be addressed. Special emphasis will be placed on helping ministry leaders address the special challenges of balancing spousal, parental and ministry leadership responsibilities through priorities and integration by developing a personal paradigm for each of the roles.

Prerequisite

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

This course is designed to present a fresh approach to student ministry that integrates parental involvement in youth ministry and which emphasizes a paradigm that focuses on discipleship and training rather than activities and entertainment. A refocused parent-integrated youth ministry also helps the youth leader to be more effective as a spouse and parent which provides modeling and training opportunities for both students and their parents. This will lead to a more balanced approach to ministry leadership reducing the risk of burnout or other consequences of dysfunctional expectations or programming.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are a collaborative experience. Therefore, the student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be 400 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads in at least 200 words. (CLOs: A, B, C)

4-MAT Book Review Paper Assignment

The 4-MAT Review system is a way of responding to readings, lectures, and life experiences, requiring the learner to interact with new ideas on several levels. The format must be 4–5 pages, submitted as a Microsoft Word document, and follow the format for the degree program in which the student is enrolled. The submissions must include a title page, a minimum of 2 footnotes/citations, subtitles, pagination, and a bibliography per current Turabian guidelines. (CLO: E)

Ministry Health Essay Assignment

The student will write a 4 – 5-page analysis focusing on the over-all “health” of the youth ministry and youth leader in today’s American church. The essay must also include a brief exposition of what Scripture would say leads to a healthy church/leader/ministry. The essay must include at least 4 references and must be formatted according to current Turabian format. (CLO: F)

Research Paper: Annotated Bibliography Assignment

The student will submit an annotated bibliography for his/her research paper. The bibliography must contain 10 sources pertinent to the topic being studied with a brief, 50 – 150 word annotation/synopsis of each source. The material must be current and formatted in current Turabian. (CLO: A)

Research Paper: Introduction and Thesis Assignment

The student will provide his/her introduction and thesis statement for his/her final paper. This portion of the assignment must clearly communicate to the instructor where the student is directing his/her research paper. (CLO: A)

Research Paper: Final Assignment

The student will write a 10 – 15-page research-based paper in current Turabian format that focuses on a topic of his/her choosing as related to youth ministry. The paper must include at least 10 references. (CLO: A)

Youth Minister Action Plan Assignment

The student will write a 5 – 7-page research-based paper in current Turabian format that focuses on a plan for personal/family priorities and boundaries, integrating principled parental involvement, and training parents in assuming his/her role as the primary disciple-maker. The paper must include at least 3 references. (CLO: D)