North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists: Youth Ministry
Minutes
3.10.15
NAD Executive
Youth Committee
1:30 -5:30
pm
Lincoln, NE
Welcome – James Black
Devotion and Prayer – James Black
Put your trust in God. Do not trust yourself.
Introductions – James Black
YA 2015.01
Prior Minutes
Voted: Accept the minutes from the Feb. 18, 2014 meeting in Miami, FL.
YI #15.01
Union Reports
This list includes only of few of the many highlights shared.
• AU - Infused in ministries is the Compassion Ministry an every second Sabbath of the month ministry in the community. Each year they hold a Union Compassion event. This year it will be in Bermuda. • CU - New leaders in Ohio and Potomac. PA is in search process for a new director. Mission trips to Panama and Albania, plus others. Lots of Young Adult Retreats.
• LU - The greatest challenge is to address ways to attract and retain senior youth / young adults at the local church. We are training local congregations with COR and other resources and are putting into place a new leadership structure to address the needs of our public school students. Sabbath School Ministry is very weak within our Union and we have no union wide approach to fix this problem at this time. Most effective Ministries and Collaborations: Club & Camp Ministries, Youth Rallies, Mission Trips. The LUC has strong collaboration relationships with various NAD departments & CYE. • MAU - We see a real need for training of HS youth leaders. • NPU - Working with Alaska to find them a full-time Youth Director. Big Lake Camp hosts those who hike the Pacific Crest Trail, as the trail passes through the camp. Wayne Hicks is retiring. In Washington Conf. they are developing a Youth and Young Adult Summit to train senior youth leaders.
• SDAinCanada – Held a Youth Summit at Mohawk College. ACF Institute will be in Ontario in May. Witnessing at the PanAm Games in Toronto this summer. BC is big into Mission Lifeguard.
• PU – Young Adult Life is huge as is Public HS ministry. Six healthy summer camp programs. Union wide Youth Leadership Summit focused on youth training and mentoring.
• SWU – “Stay, don't go” is their emphasis. Lots of mission trips and high participation in Bible Bowl, sports ministry and Empowerment training. Union wide Music Festival with over 1000 youth attending. Union ski trip and a purity conference. • SU – “Growing Life Long Disciples” to focus on long term ministry. Public Campus ministry, mission trips, Bible study, camping ministry, every conferences has leadership training. 38% of the baptisms in SU are youth and young adults.
Sometimes its good to not believe the hype about our “loses.” We may be loosing half, but we are keeping half and we need to celebrate that. We need to let them know that we are so glad that they are faithful.
Members
Debra Brill, Chair - NAD James Black, Secretary - NAD Glen Milam, Recording Sec. - NAD Alphonzo McCarthy Andre Turner Benjamin Lundquist Bill Wood Brad Forbes Brad Gary Cyril Millet David Yeagley Eddie Heinrich Gary Blanchard Gilbert Cangy Glen Milam Helvis Moody Hubert Cisneros Joel Johnson Ken Rogers Lisa Gary Paulet Howard Richard Williams Roger Wade Ron Pickell Ron Whitehead Scott Ward Wendy Eberhardt Absent Abraham Henry Atlantic Union Director Loren Nelson Steve Case Steven Silva Suzanne Ocsai Vandeon GriffinAdvisory Members
Conference Directors Area Directors InviteesYI #15.02
Directors Updates
Union Advisories Support & EthnicsPastor Black reported – Glad that all the Unions have advisories. Lets make certain we are always supporting each other. YM has enough challenges for us to add more between ourselves. YPAC Convention Pastor Black reported – There is a need for Leadership training. Some years ago NAD joined the YPAC training with the JCI prayer conference. We came to see that it just didn't work. So we have lots of requests to restart YPAC training. We have a MG convention in the works for August in Texas, and we have asked them to consider opening it up to a broader spectrum of leadership training. August of 2016.
Discussion focused on two points: Is there a need for NAD level training and would the Aug. 2016 opportunity work.
• Prefer local training, but there is still a need in many areas for additional training opportunities • BAYDA youth congress also in 2016 and may be
a challenge for regional conferences. • Some summer camps go to Labor Day. • Many Union Camporees in 2017. • Perhaps two dates, with an event on each coast. CLYP Scholarships Pastor Black reported – A number of names have been submitted. Canada has given an outstanding number of responses. Scholarships cover all but $1. Scores signed up for CLYP at the Atlantic Union Leadership Convention. Still some scholarships available. See CLYPonline.org
NADYM Open Positions/New Leadership Structure
Pastor Black reported – Interviewing for an open position. NAD Admin. has authorized two positions. One will cover Club Ministries and Jr. Youth. The other will cover Public Campus Ministries and Young Adults do some joint work with ACS in youth training etc. for Disaster Relief and other ACS programs. The request has been made that each will have a budget and direct authority. JB will coordinate and do Senior Youth and Conventions. We hope to have these positions filled by the spring. Sean Robinson, ACS Director of Disaster Response reported – The ACS wants to create a sustainable structural change for good in our communities, not just disaster relief.
YI #15.03
Mission Lifeguard Update
Pastor Black reported – Reclamation is tough but Mission Lifeguard is making a difference under the dedicated leadership of Steve Case. Brian Wahl shared what is happening in BC with Mission Lifeguard. Brian took this ministry to his Pastors and coordinators, but no one took him up on implementing it in their church or area. Finally a lay person asked to take on the program. From there it grew. Currently 20 churches currently running it. It tends to be the grandparents and the young adults who will really commit to reach out to reclaim the lost and keep it up.
YI #15.04
ACF update
Ron Pickell reported – 80% of Adventist college students are in public universities. Weekend training called “Campus Catalyst” is available to come to your area and give training. This can help them students see the vision of what can take place on public campuses and give the a few basic tools to get a ministry started. 2015 ACF Institute ACFI is a ten-day campus mission boot camp to help prepare chaplains, campus missionaries, and student leaders to reach others for Christ. Mornings will be spent in a classroom setting learning the tools of campus evangelism. Afternoons are reserved for on campus interaction and witness where instruction will be put into practice.All college students, ACF mission year volunteers, campus ministry leaders, pastors near public universities, local church lay leaders ministering to public college students and young adult leaders are invited to attend. Date & Location: May 22-31, 2015. Mohawk College, 135 Fennell Avenue West, Hamilton, ON L9C 1E9, Canada.
My Church: Joining the Mission of God on Campus
My Church is a three-day weekend Summit for Adventist collegiate & young adults inviting their views and participation in the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church. We will be discussing the alarming trends of young adult attrition by asking the four main questions of why young adults are leaving the church, why they are staying, what they need from their church and what they are prepared to commit to the churches mission. We have already heard from student delegates on SDA colleges through the, “Young Adult Retention and Involvement Summit,” at Union College, November, 2014. It is time
to hear from students attending non-Adventist college and university campuses who make up the majority 80% voice of Adventist Young Adults across the North American Division. Is this your church? The My Church Summit will give students on non-Adventist colleges an opportunity to speak up about their church and the mission we have on public college campuses. Adventist collegiate and young adults, especially those attending non-Adventist colleges and universities are invited to attend. Date & Location: May 28-31, 2015. Mohawk College, 135 Fennell Avenue West, Hamilton, ON L9C 1E9, Canada. Event dates • April 11-12 – LUC Campus Catalyst, Chicago • May 22 - 31 – ACF INSTITUTE, (Niagara Falls) • May 28-30 – My Church PCM Involvement/ Retention Summit • July 2 - July 11 – GC Session, (Impact San Antonio) • August 21-23 – SUC Campus Catalyst (Cohutta Springs) • September 25-27 – CUC Campus Catalyst, (Alberta) • November 6-8 – Wisconsin Collegiate/Young Adult Catalyst
YI #15.05
Young Adult Life
Benjamin Lundquist reported - If you want young adult ministry to be a force in your conference, you have to be in the Conf. Presidents office weekly to keep it up front. • NAD Young Adult Life is led and run by young adults. • YoungAdultLife.com - Provides logo packs and other marketing items as well as news and features about YAL events and local ministries. • ACF Movement • Mission Lifeguard • The Locals - a grant program to assist in funding growing local YAL ministries
• Full Release of the Barna Research Study on young adults is available for download • Clint Jenkins has produced a 10-part video series that explains the Barna research and what to do with it. • Overflow a mentoring resource will be available April 2015
• We Are Listening a book release will be available April 2015
• Impact San Antonio will take place July 2-11, 2015 in conjunction with the General Conference Session.
• Follow on Facebook at NAD Young Adult
Ministry Advisory
YI #15.06
iPray JCI Resource Kit & 2016
Convention Update
Cyril Millet reported - We invite our kids to JCI and they have a tremendous experience, but they have low points between the prayer conferences. So we want to develop resources for local prayer ministry. We have a vision for a trained iPray leader in every local church. Dozens of new iPray ministry resources are under development. A web site is under development and will provide a portal for those resources.
James Black reported - We are living in a time that if we don't get our youth talking to the Lord for themselves, nothing will ever change. The prayer connection is the desired outcome. The only opponent to prayer is Satan. Lets commit ourselves to getting young people to talk to God.
Eddie Heinrich shared his story of his back injury and the recovery. At a critical point, 400 young people prayed with him and for him. At one low point, two hospital chaplains came to visit but could not explain to him why God loved him. Finally a friend said the words, "He created you. You are His son. He loves you." If we can show our young people how to connect to the Lord, can you image what could happen when a large group really prayed.
Pacific Union Youth Directors have teamed up to lead JCI5. JCI - World Changers is going be different, more intention about making prayer THE central point of the event. “Young people don't attend for the speaker, they attend because you invite them. They attend because their friends are coming.” The first 800 can attend for $199 (not including transportation. The desire is for each conference to commit to bringing 20 young people. Bill Wood is coordinating the efforts to raise $100,000 in support of the event to enable the low participant price they have set. For more information or to volunteer, contact Eddie@ nccsda.com
YI #15.07
Global Youth Day
GC Youth Director, Gilbert Cangy gave a brief testimonial on the impact of two young people praying
for him when he was asked to serve as SPD Youth Director. The youth called him and said they felt compelled that he needed prayer and a lunch time meeting was set. During the morning of that day Gilbert was offered the new position. While struggling to find the Lords will in regard to the position, he went to the prayer appointment. The young ladies prayed for every concern he had....without him having shared them. He accepted the position.
Gilbert then reminded to the of the upcoming Global Youth Day, a world wide commitment by youth to reach out to their local community and serve, to Be the Sermon on March 21, 2015. More info at globalyouthday.org
YI #15.08
Next Meeting Date
Feb. 16, 2016 in Ontario CA in conjunction with JCI5.
Adjournment
Pastor Black asked all the ministry coordinators and Gael Murray his administrative assistant to come up and be thanked for their service. Manny Cruz closed the meeting with Prayer.
The following information was added for the record after the meeting.
YI #15.09
Introduction to NADYM Standing
Committees, Advisories & Focus
Groups
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has prospered for many years because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit and its structure of governance. There are representative groups on all levels to help direct the church towards its mission. There are standing, ad-hoc, and administrative committees, advisories, and focus groups, that are composed of a wide range of representatives all levels of the church structure.In the NAD, department directors are accountable to the NAD Administration, which consists of the executive officers (President, Secretary and Treasurer). The next level includes the union presidents and NAD vice presidents. The highest level of governance for the division is the NAD Executive Committee, which consists of representatives from conferences, unions, institutions, division and the General Conference.
A department director is responsible for creating and managing a structure of governance to assist him/her in leading their ministry. While there are no separate constitutions or bylaws that govern departmental work within the church, there are basic expectations for inclusiveness within organizing committees to assist the director. If a standing committee is established, the committee must be submitted to the NAD secretariat with terms of reference. Advisories, focus groups, etc. are established at the discretion of the director or if instructed by Administration. In the NADYM, we have the following Standing Committees with Terms of Reference: • NAD Adventurer Committee • NAD Pathfinder Committee • NAD Master Guide Committee • NAD Youth Executive Committee • NAD Camp Committee • NAD Young Adult Committee • NAD Adventist Fellowship Committee Membership The department director and the NAD vice president have determined membership for these committees. Members include ministry volunteer coordinators, focus group chairpersons and a representative from supporting organizations, union recommendations, and/or committee recommendations. All members in these categories have voice and vote as per the terms of reference.
Advisory Meetings
Generally, an advisory is not a standing committee, but a time where leaders of conferences, unions, organizations, and lay coordinators can come to share their thoughts and also give input on matters regarding their area of ministry. It is designed to be a time of sharing and receiving. Some departments may have only a committee while others may have both a committee and advisory meetings. In the NADYM department, we have tried to accommodate both and have tried a variety of processes for hearing from the field. We have had committees only, we have had advisories only, and we have tried to combine the two. All Advisories have voice and vote when making recommendations to the standing committee or the director. There has been no specific membership lists as such but it has been expected that conference youth and young adult ministries directors who attend have both voice and vote. Presently, we have a practice where both the standing committees and the advisories meet together. It is expected that the committee members will vote while the advisory invitees have voice only (in most meeting this has not been enforced and all attendees have had voice and vote). We have also practiced taking a vote from the advisory attendees following a committee vote,
with the minutes reflecting both actions. The challenge continues to be the limited time during our annual gatherings, along with the duplication of information over a three-day period.
Scheduled Meetings
Committees/Advisories are scheduled once a year. Generally connected to a convention or other NAD approved event. Meetings are followed up by yearly teleconferences led by chairpersons.
As a conference director for 10 years, I thought it important to be informed and heard. For this reason, I have only missed two meetings in ten years. This is why we urge all conference directors be present for the ministries they represent. We take very seriously the time and commitment of those who attend and we value their counsel. Focus Groups Focus Groups are subcommittees that have been voted by a standing committee. Members are voted by the committee and/or appointed by the director. The chairperson is appointed either by the committee or the focus group. However, our practice is to allow any persons attending to have voice and vote when making recommendations to a standing committee. This is an opportunity for ALL LEADERS to participate in making recommendations that affect the ministry they represent. Although not perfect, God has blessed our process allowing us to create a record number of resources.
Travel Expenses
All committee members, focus groups and advisories are responsible for their own travel. Unions are
responsible for their representatives’ travel. We are grateful for their support through the years. This is also the policy for union representatives attending all NAD/GC meetings. At the discretion of the director, assistance is provided to volunteer coordinators and those appointed for specific assignments. Conclusion We hope that this information will provide some clarity for new and veterans leaders. This is the last year of this 5 years term. We ask for your continued suggestions and prayers as we move forward together in leading children, youth and young adults to Jesus.
