Welcome Certification School Participants! You are entering into an adventure! It will be a spiritual, mental, communal, personal and physical adventure. Outcomes for Certification School Participants Equip leaders with a foundational knowledge of effective youth and family ministry practices. Nurture the faith and spiritual lives of participants in the school. Create an ongoing learning community of youth and family ministry leaders. Create an ongoing support network of youth and family ministry leaders. Deepen the biblical and theological understandings of the participants. Equip lay leaders and clergy to teach effective youth and family ministry practices. Build a church culture dedicated to effective practices in vibrant faith formation. Costs: The cost of Youth Ministry Certification School is $2500. To help defer some of this cost Vibrant Faith Ministries is providing a $3000 grant to each of the six synods. Talk to your synod coordinator and bishop to help you with the remaining costs. This fee covers: Resources (see below) Lodging at the camps Meals at the camps Invitation for pastors and congregational leaders to sit in on online classes Instructors and instruction TRANSPORTATION IS NOT INCLUDED Tuition includes: Meals and lodging for week-long intensive and the reunion The Certification School Syllabus and various downloadable manuals Books and Resources: o Frogs Without Legs Can t Hear o From Great Omission to Vibrant Faith o Vibrant Faith in the Congregation o Four Key Faithtalk Cards o Heart Ignite o Six Week trial of TAKING FAITH HOME bulletin insert o Mission Trip Milestone o Youth Ministry Journal-Lifelong Faith Associates Publications o From Surface to Soul: Coaching Spiritual Vitality in Congregations o VFM Certification School Training Manual Free access to webinars before, during and after the Certification School process Instructors and instruction along with a Ministry Plan template and planning resources How the School Works This certification school combines three face-to-face intensives with five sessions of course work (online and other). This design is intended to provide optimum learning through a highly flexible and user-friendly format. The online weeks require students to do 10-12 hours of reading, blogging and to participate in webinars.
To be certified students must: Demonstrate competencies in youth ministry (see outcomes above) Do reading assignments (see curriculum) Submit a comprehensive Ministry Plan and present it to other Certification School students Participate in webinar sessions (see schedule below) Participate in a Facebook Party and Facebook group conversations Review downloadable resources
Schedule August 12-17,2012 Adventure Immersion Week: (see instructions for Adventure Immersion Week for full details regarding arrival and departure, as well as, the daily schedule.) Where: Lutherpoint Bible Camp, Grantsburg, WI Hosts: VFM, South Central, NGL Instructors: Dr. Paul Hill, Dr. David Anderson, Mr. Jim LaDoux, Pre-Reading: (resources included in tuition fees) Frogs Without Legs Can t Hear: Nurturing Disciples in Home and Congregation, Anderson and Hill From Great Omission to Vibrant Faith: Anderson September 2012, Old Testament Bible Immersion (10 hours) Done Locally in Synod Groups October 2012, New Testament Bible Immersion (10 hours) Done Locally in Synod Groups November 16-18, 2012, Lutheran Confessions and Long Range Planning Preview before the weekend: The Luther movie Where: Imago Dei Village, Clintonville, WI Arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Nov. 19 Depart by 2:00 p.m on Nov. 21 Host: LaCrosse and NW Instructors: Bishop Jim Arends, and Dr. Paul Hill, December, 2012 Enjoy the Holidays January, 2012, Adolescent Development, Social Networking Reading: Boys Adrift, or Girls on the Edge, Leonard Sax (these two books are NOT provided in your resources), Youth Ministry-Lifelong Faith Associates Journal Where: Your favorite place to go online Instructors: Anna Rendell Dr. Paul Hill, February 2012, Milestones Ministry, From Surface To Soul Reading: From Surface to Soul: Coaching Spiritual Vitality in Congregations Where: Your favorite place to go online Instructor: Jim LaDoux, Dr. David Anderson March 18-20, 2012, Synodical Small Group Process, Class Presentations, Certificate Ceremony Where: Pine Lake Bible Camp, Waupaca, WI Host: GMS and East Central Instructors: Dr. Paul Hill, Synod Coordinators, bishops
August 12-17, Adventure Immersion Week Pre-reading Assignment: FROGS WITHOUT LEGS CAN T HEAR, Anderson and Hill FROM GREAT OMISSION TO VIBRANT FAITH, Anderson These books should be read by the pastor and select congregational leaders as well. August 12, Sunday: Arrive at Luther Point Bible Camp at camp 7:00 Welcome Reception from Vibrant Faith Ministries Syco groups meet regarding hopes for the week (one-on-one s) Is there anything that may inhibit your learning this week? August 13, Monday: 8:00 a.m. Breakfast 8:45 a.m. Opening Devotions: Orientation: Bishops Initiative Team 9:30 Class and Adventure: Community Building and Theological Reflection with Paul Sequencing to Covenant The Practical Theology Circle 1:00 Sabbath time 1:30 Class and Adventure continues with Paul DRAGBiG Family meeting in synod groups August 14, Tuesday: 8:45 Opening Devotions: 9:00 Where The Five Rivers Meet-The Case for Effective Vibrant Faith Formation Practices: Paul Hill 1:00 Sabbath time 1:30 Adventure time Campfire (optional) August 15, Wednesday: 8:45 Opening Devotions: 9:00 The nuts and bolts of ministry day with Jim La Doux 1. Ministry Plan 2. Ministry Inventories 3. Leading small groups
4. Meetings 5. Marketing your Ministry 6. Budgets 1:00 Sabbath time 1:30 Jim LaDoux continues Campfire with communion: August 16, Thursday: 8:45 Opening Devotions: 9:00 How to read your Bible: Hermeneutics 1:00 Adventure Sequencing August 17, Friday: 8:30 Opening Devotions: 8:45 Depart for Ox Lake, Low and High Ropes 12:00 Sack Lunches 1:30 High Ropes 5:00 Depart
Steps for Creating a Ministry Plan 1. Take time to PRAY and REFLECT on the mission of Jesus Christ, the role Jesus plays in your life and the life of the congregation. 2. IDENTIFY TRENDS AND PARADIGM SHIFTS taking place around us. How is music, communication, demographics, political leanings, family structures and technology impacting what we do and how we do it? 3. IDENTIFY WHERE WE RE GOING. If you were to do nothing different from what you re doing right now, what would be the logical consequences? 4. Write a paragraph or two addressing the question, WHAT IS GOD S PREFERRED FUTURE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES? Raise this question with the visioning team, staff members, and several members. What patterns seem to be emerging? 5. DETERMINE WHO IS IT THAT WE RE SEEKING TO SERVE. What are they like? What are their needs, concerns, dreams, life situations and aspirations? 6. Make a list of your ASSETS, TALENTS, AND RESOURCES. Determine ways to build on your strengths. Consider how your resources can help grow your ministry. 7. Pray and reflect on the question, WHAT IS GOD S MISSION FOR US? Read and reflect on Matthew 28.19, or Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Ask yourself, Are you thinking big enough? 8. Write a concise VISION STATEMENT that reflects what you have concluded from step #7. A vision statement should inspire and be easily memorized. 9. Write a concise MISSION STATEMENT that give specific grounding for the driving vision of the organization and addresses the question, Why do we exist? 10. Describe what is UNIQUE ABOUT WHAT WE RE DOING? Make sure you re not duplicating a ministry that is already taking place. 11. List your PRIMARY GOALS. Are they related to your mission and vision statements? Review Proverbs 15 for insights on goal setting. 12. Determine what OBJECTIVES/STRATEGIES CAN YOU USE to meet these goals. 13. Determine what STAFFING IS NEEDED to meet desired goals. 14. Determine what FACILITIES are needed to support ministry goals. 15. Establish a BUDGET to SUPPORT MINISTRY GOALS. 16. Establish a TIME LINE for the goals that have been identified. Determine what needs to be done in the next 30 days? 90 days? Six months? Year? Identify these tasks and put a date on when they will be completed. Identify WHO is going to complete each assigned tasks. 17. Determine how and when you will MONITOR THE PLAN AND MAKE MODIFICATIONS IF NEEDED. 18. Take time to CELEBRATE THE PROGRESS BEING MADE. Identify and celebrate the short-term wins during worship, at meetings, in the newsletter, in emails and on your website. 19. Take time to LEARN FROM THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. What s working for you and your organization? What s not working? What might you need to do
differently in the future to obtain a better result? How might you speed up the planning and implementation process? 20. Take time to THANK GOD and celebrate the gifts of those involved in fulfilling the vision. Master Projects Checklist To be completed BEFORE attending the week-long Intensive Submit your registration form and payment Submit proof of having a recent (within 18 months) background check Read Frog Without Legs Can t Hear and From the Great Omission to Vibrant Faith To be completed DURING week-long intensive Submit focus areas that Ministry Plan will address Review and sign class covenant Review all downloadable resources available to students To be completed BETWEEN face-to-face intensives and graduation Meet with your supervising pastor to share your key learnings, ministry rocks, etc. Ask supervising pastor to read the Frogs and The Great Omission Participate in scheduled webinars (if not available, must write summary of recorded webinars) Read documents related to scheduled webinars BEFORE participating in the webinars Submit a completed Milestones Ministry Planning for a Milestone Celebration of your choice Submit a completed Integrating the Four Key form for one of the Four Keys Review the Recommended Resources and Links List Develop long range plan and design