Build The Future By Building Relationships


Thomas Brackeen Jr - February 22, 2022
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One of the ways to be intentional and prioritize the future is by taking a look at the lessons we learned from the past. These last few years, we have learned a lot of lessons about how we should engage youth ministry differently. The pandemic, in many ways, either highlighted what our strengths were or highlighted our weaknesses are. Youth ministers and leaders across the country are faced with many questions.  How do we re-engage young people back into the church?  Also, how do we keep the "now" generation of the church alive and growing?

Technology and social media have become one of our biggest strengths in society to access information and communion. But, in many ways, it's become a massive obstacle in getting the attention of Gen Z. There is no real secret weapon, easy fix, no colossal event, or no headline artist that can fix this. I don't even believe a youth leadership conference with a well-known speaker has the three steps to grow your ministry. It goes back to relationships, relationships, and relationships. This thought can seem like a significant challenge in a world that looks so fast-paced, and no one has time to connect anymore. Especially when we invite our kids to come to our physical and virtual church spaces, they just don't show up.

What if this means we have to envision youth ministry in a way that goes beyond the church's walls? For years, we have been saying this is what the church should be doing, but have we embraced the idea? What if this means that I may not measure the number of kids that show up for an event? Could impact be measured by spending time with families one on one, showing up for football games and dance recitals, creating more small group opportunities? What if the impact was measured by showing up to the community event that doesn't have the church name headlining the event and finding ways to develop authentic relationships in the community.

Essentially, what I am trying to say is that what worked in the past may not work in the future as we move forward. We may have to adapt to move uncomfortable measures and efforts to do ministry work effectively. The answers aren't fluid. Down the street, what may work for the church may not work for another church three states away. This new journey is critical to learn and listen to God for answers. But as we are listening to God, it's just as important to sit down and find ways to reach out to our students and families and reimagine together.

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Rev. Thomas Brackeen, Jr. is the East Central Regional Coordinator for NNYM and also serves as the "Minister to Youth and Families" at the Historic Metropolitan AME Church of Downtown Washington, DC.

 

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  • “What worked in the past may not work in the future as we move forward. We may have to adapt to move uncomfortable measures and efforts to do ministry work effectively.”