by Mike Stark
One of my overall strategies for the future of the youth ministry at Niddrie Community Church is to have youth work shared between a team of committed leaders.
One of the things I have become increasingly aware of in Niddrie over the past 2 years is that I’m incapable of having a significant impact in the lives of young people in Niddrie by myself. A one-man ministry may be possible in a context where young people are happy to be discipled as part of a youth group, with mature young people who are also involved in the leadership of the group, but that’s not where we are at here. Young people in Niddrie demand a massive investment over a long period of time.
A significant step towards the goal of having a thriving youth ministry shared between a team of committed leaders at Niddrie was the appointment of Ellis as Community and Youth Intern (or in other words, trainee youth worker). Although there has been, and continues to be a significant time investment in managing and training Ellis, I have been really encouraged by his progress, and I believe that what we have been able to achieve together is greater than the sum of our efforts alone.
A team adds synergy and diversity to the ministry, different skills, interests, and gifting add to the overall effort. So part of my overall strategy is to continue building a team around me. Another significant step towards this goal of a committed youth work team was the establishing of the Youth Café in March 2011. The success of the Youth Café has been by no small part because of the leaders we’re blessed with. They can and should be seen as unpaid members of my youth work team. How do I encourage, and equip this group of people for more effective service?
For quite some time now, the greatest need we’ve had for the development of the youth and children’s work at NCC is the appointment of a female youth worker to join Ellis and I as full time youth work staff. There’s a huge number of girls in the area, with whom Ellis and I can have next to no impact – which is a real shame. So please pray for us, that our little team will continue to grow and that, very soon, we’d be able to have a significant impact in the lives of young women in the area.