Continuing our conversation about what has contributed to the strength of youth ministry in Sydney and how we can move forward, I’m speaking this time with Ron Irving, youth minister at Figtree. Ron has been in parish youth ministry since 1994 ranging from St. John’s Park in South-Western Sydney, Ulladulla on the coast at the southern edge of the Diocese, and now in suburban Wollongong. He’s a long-term practitioner with a track record of effective ministry in different settings. Here are some of his thoughts:

First I want to affirm what Scott and Cameron have already said in previous articles. I would have said some of those things myself, especially about leadership longevity/stability, but thought I’d look at different things to help the conversation keep going.

Ron’s thoughts point out the value of giving emerging leaders a go in a way that gets ministry happening and gets people committed to ministry:

One of the reasons I think youth ministry has been strong is because there seems to be a different expectation or permissiveness or willingness to take risks around youth ministry.

At times this can become the downfall of youth ministry, giving it a bad name when it’s done by people who aren’t gifted, trained or equipped for the task. Yet, in the context where some of the other things already mentioned are happening (a focus on relationship and Christian community around the proclaimed word; investment in leaders; sense of vision) there seems to be the ability to empower and equip people in youth ministry that encourages the broad range of gifts and ideas that God gives to his church.  I’ve seen this motivate, encourage and mobilise people into ministry, and seen those people trained and developed in their ministry skills.

We seem to be more willing to ask someone “raw” to “start the youth ministry” than to look after other areas of church life. The upside of this can be that through either intentional support and coaching or through hard work, mistakes, asking, thinking or simply miraculous divine intervention, young leaders are entrusted with opportunities to use their gifts and ideas for the kingdom. They get excited, others get involved and a youth ministry grows.

In larger youth ministries, it is often (maybe even always) that the long term “professional” youth minister is seeking to raise up leadership around him (sometimes by sheer need, other times by pastoral intent) and allow the gifts and ideas of these leaders to be expressed in youth ministry.

This is a great reminder of the value of identifying emerging leaders, giving them some responsibility and authority to act, and providing the training and support they need to prosper. It reminds us of the value for the whole church from investing in youth ministry and the need for the whole church to make that investment.

Having then identified a likely candidate (or even an unlikely one) the point is not to just let them loose on the young people and come back later to marvel at the outcome or pick up the pieces. Ron points out that it’s a reflective ministry practice that enables the experience and successful practice of the past to be taken up by new leaders in new contexts. This is what will keep youth ministry connected with the developing culture of young people without sacrificing our commitment to sound theology and strategy.  

I think Youth Ministry in Sydney is more reflective than other aspects of ministry. I can see the legacy of John Kidson and the youth department under Tom Smith. 

It seems to me that youth ministry teams or leaders are far more likely to sit down and ask “How did that go?” or “Where are crew at?” or “What’s going on for me?”  This inclination to reflection and debriefing ensures not only the program aspects are being developed, nor just that the people are growing; but that the ministers (remembering Cameron’s point that using all are ministers) are also growing.  It promotes self-awareness, emotional engagement and (when it happens in teams) a good sense of supportive community among leaders. In turn, that has a healthy flow on effect into the youth ministry and to young people.

The bottom line seems to be, give someone a go, give them sufficient training and support, and help them ask questions of critical reflection on their life and ministry. Sounds like a decent plan to me (I could even suggest a youth ministry training college that could help out!). I wonder what’s stopping us making this happen more broadly?