Effective YTH Ministry Blending
YTH ministry has struggled through the years over an important discussion. It is the discussion of presence-based and program-based approaches to our work when it comes to blending middle and high school aged students.
But one thing is very clear. We cannot keep arguing with each other or siding against each other between a separated or blended YTH ministry. Why? Because the two can co-exist together effectively. Especially the combining of middle and high school students together.
Remember, students are growing up and really defy labels anyway. It is much better to allow for the growth of teenagers in a more challenging setting than to stunt their growth in a setting with lower ceilings.
Whether small group or large group, what is gained in a corporate setting of middle and high school teenagers is a valuable takeaway in YTH Ministry:
families must trust the upbringing of their children and realize the safest place for their children to grow up is a healthy YTH ministry in the church - much safer than secular sectors of society
services can be shared together, small groups and events can be separated by junior high and senior high
the mentor/mentee impact of older Christian students upon younger students is undeniable
peer to peer discipleship of students of like age
a quicker leadership development of the younger students because of the presence of the older students, and, the longevity of younger students being under the blended YTH leadership
the familial oversight of siblings in the same setting
the development of teenagers is accelerated in the information age of education and they can handle the language of older high school students
the increase of expectations have been raised at the public school setting for teenagers - time management, assignment deadlines, study groups, peer respect in the classroom, and respect for authority - and the church needs to do the same
adolescent topics are often set in a neutral developmental stage narrative because of the global education of teenagers in the 21st century
families must trust the upbringing of their children and realize the safest place for their children to grow up is a healthy YTH ministry in the church - much safer than secular sectors of society
The differences of the middle and high school setting really are obvious. But not insurmountable. Here are some suggestions about the differences from multiple authors and articles. SOURCE: 10 Differences Between Middle School and High School | HowStuffWorks ; Are Middle School and High School Students Really That Different? Observations and Advice From MS/HS Teachers - Center for Teaching Quality #CTQCollab
Again, there are differences, but they are not insurmountable. And definitely worth the work.
The Size of the Setting
One of the scariest things about moving from middle school into high school is the often dramatic increase in school size. It's daunting enough to make the move from a three-grade into a four-grade school — and then on top of that, several middle schools from one district often dump into one high school. So there could easily be four times as many kids at the high school, most of whom will be absolute strangers.
One thing to remember is that most high schools are pretty attentive about easing the transition, offering multiple programs and efforts to make sure kids do not get lost in the shuffle.
Expanded Workload
There’s going to be a lot more homework in high school. And they do this for a reason: There's a lot more homework in college. However, eighth-grade teachers will tell you that they have already been preparing teenagers forward and not backwards! So why would the church take steps backwards in our philosophy?
The increased workload — combined with the stress of new environments, schedules, expectations, teachers and classmates — can really throw some kids for a loop, so it's especially important for parents to be on their game during this transitional time. What is so important about this is that the College preparation begins at this moment and the rewards are worth it.
Hierarchy Switch
Eighth graders are the oldest in the middle school setting, and they take any opportunity to lord this fact over anyone they deem to be beneath them. But when fall rolls around, they discover pretty quickly how demoralizing it can be to plummet from head of the pack to bottom of the barrel. Some schools have tried to combat this phenomenon by separating freshman from the crowd just a little bit — they institute "ninth grade academies or wings" or smaller class sizes to maintain some of that middle-school feeling for a while longer.
In the back of parents minds is the bullying that takes place in their child’s life. And, although it may be a reality of eighth-graders making the transition into high school, some studies have shown there's actually less bullying in high school than in middle school. In fact, seniors are more likely to ignore a lowly freshman than they are to stick his head in a toilet.
Class Choices
In most middle schools, with their emphasis on community-building and nurturing students, kids don't get much choice in what classes they take. Students might be put in different groups based on skill level, but in general, there's little variation in the courses. High school is a whole new ballgame, with seemingly endless choices — which is exciting, obviously, but it can be overwhelming.
There might not be an easy answer or a quick fix, but if parents, teachers and counselors work together, they can create a balanced schedule. Especially as the interests of a younger student is peaked, having course choices expanded can specialize the learning of students much quicker
Think about that when it comes to YTH group! The spiritual growth of deeper theological messages will expedite the spiritual formation of teenagers.
Parent Involvement
You might think that, as academic and athletic demands increase in high school, so might parent involvement. But you'd be thinking wrong: Parent involvement actually decreases during the high school years. One reason is that high schools often don't court parent involvement as much as elementary and middle schools do — it's just a more hands-off type of environment that prepares them for college life.
Many studies have shown that parental involvement is a major factor in their children's success. So go ahead and volunteer but understand that it may not be welcomed as much. A disciplined plan by parents will certainly be much more welcomed as a value add in the high school setting.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure rears its ugly head pretty early in any kid's life, but the stakes are certainly raised in high school. Pressure of drink and drugs without question shows up for some during the middle school years, but kids (and parents) soon realize that those concerns are small potatoes compared to what's lurking in high school. But this is not only about illegal substances.
This is more about how students can handle discussions about clothes, eating, cheating, authority, and sexuality and other topics in the youth culture. Succumbing to peer pressure can quickly derail an academic career, and it's a major factor in many dropout cases. But, it can also help students decide what kind of influence they will listen to as they learn from the mistakes of other students older than them.
Here are some of the practical plans you could implement as you prepare for the corporate YTH service blend:
In planning an effective blended YTH service, plan some separate pre-service events for each group
Assign adult leaders and older student leaders to be inter-set into the younger section
You can have separate seating, but, it is important to have shared areas for the response time at the altar/platform
Create separate announcements for each group that have specific information like small groups, events, or other information needed for promotion
The content is really not the issue - each of the sets in the teenage world hear the same language - it is the simplicity of the presentation that must be considered
YTH ministry has struggled through the years to balance programming versus presence. The program-based people want a presentation-based organization with structure and small groups. And the presence-based people want a response-based relationship with spirituality and worship. I don’t believe the two need to be mutually exclusive.
Finally
The culture of the teenager today is really globally diverse and inclusive and the connectivity of the Information Age is like a university education. Asking the right questions is important: Do we have enough leaders present? How long should the message be? When should I do small groups? Should we even do small groups? When is a YTH service too long for teenagers? How much separation should there be? Is the content understandable?
What is clear is that if we are going to error, we should be calling teenagers up to another level of social and educational and spiritual development and commitment. All of this can be presented with great success when we understand the differences and the likenesses of this middle and high school set.