Quite possibly the biggest day in the history of Tampa Bay (other than the day Gaspar the Pirate first invaded) was January 26, 2003. On that day our beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII by a score of 48-21. All of Tampa was in party mode for weeks following the event, and Jon Gruden was hailed as the unofficial King of the World. It was a wild time to to live by the Bay.
In April of that same year Marilyn and I attended the wedding of a former youth in High Point, NC. We would miss Graceland on that Sunday evening, and as was my habit I asked a member of our Youth Ministry Team to step up and teach the lesson in my absence. On this particular occasion that responsibility fell to George Woods. George had been chairperson of the committee that hired me at Wesley Memorial UMC, and we had become good friends. He was also the marketing director for the Bucs. He and his wife Jennifer had been in San Diego for the Super Bowl, and their son had stayed with us. George was very comfortable in front of the youth and they loved him, so I knew he would do a great job. I just had no idea how great...
I spoke with George that Sunday morning (this time our son Will was staying with them) and he assured me he had something special planned. I discovered later that he went around church that morning telling everyone not to miss Graceland that afternoon or they would be sorry. I often tried that strategy; the difference was this time it was REALLY true! When the students arrived for youth group, George talked about the Super Bowl, and how some of the players had thought that winning that trophy would make them feel complete. He made the point that if you feel incomplete without the awards and "stuff" of this world that you would never feel complete with them, either. The only thing that fills those holes in our hearts is Jesus. And then...George Woods broke out the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The REAL one, straight from 1 Buc Place. It was such a big deal that he couldn't tell anyone ahead of time it would be there; it was all very hush-hush. He and Jennifer took individual pictures of everyone with the trophy, and a week later gave them to the kids in a frame with a scripture verse. It was just simply awesome!
When I began getting calls telling me what had taken place at Graceland that night I simply couldn't believe it. One of the greatest events in the history of student ministry had just happened at MY church- and I missed it! After harassing George a few days, he brought the trophy back by the church one afternoon so I could get my picture taken with it. It was an evening and a lesson those kids will never forget. And I learned a lesson too- not only could Graceland survive with me away, it could THRIVE! This story always reminds me of how blessed I was through the years to have so many adults who loved Jesus and loved students serve side-by-side with me in youth ministry. God gifted me and used me in student ministry, but He didn't need me to do it all. He blessed me with lots of help. Thanks, George!
I have to admit, posing with the trophy was just plain cool. Here's a pic of me with Vince. Now tell me the truth- are any of you coveting right now? :) Be blessed, my friends!
Because of Jesus,
One of the first and most important things I learned on the journey to becoming a professional youth pastor was something called The 4 Phases of Ease. David Stone taught this method of enabling the people around you to learn new tasks and do them well at a workshop in 1979, and I never forgot it. The catchy name is a play on The Three Faces of Eve, a 1950's movie about a psychotic woman. Fits right in with youth ministry, huh? And I think it is still valuable to all of us today.
Whether in ministry or in life, most of us would like to be able to pass our methods and knowledge along to others in a manner that doesn't hinder our work or hang them out to dry. This is the very purpose of the 4 Phases. There are two things about the process that I have always loved. One, it works. And two, it has no charts or graphs or tests, and it has no time limits. You simply help people grow, and in the process free yourself up for new adventures. So here are the 4 Phases of Ease:
- I Do It (and you watch)- It's what you already do. When you want a Bible study taught a certain way, you do it and everyone else watches. So the first great thing about the process is that EVERYONE is already on step 1. How cool is that?
- I Do It (and you help)- Now we begin to actively involve future leaders in the process. This stage is also a classic parenting technique. You teach your children to cook or hammer nails by showing them proper methods and then letting them help. Or in ministry you might take someone to visit a student at home and show them what to do and what not to do as you both visit with the youth. This leads to...
- You Do It (and I'll help)- You begin to turn it over to your budding apprentice, but you do not leave them out on the ledge. You go with them. You supervise. You encourage and let them know how important they are. And when they are ready...
- You Do It (and I'll move on to something else!)- Just like that, things are happening in a way that is actually helpful to you! You can actually trust someone to set up the chairs, someone else to teach the lesson and someone else to handle the snacks- all in the ways you would have done it! You can just sit back and hang out with the youth...or watch the Letterman you Tivo'd the night before!
As Velvet Jones once famously said, "It's as simple as that!" I have found the concept to work in various situations and with all kinds of people, including my 15 year old son. And here's the best part- there is no pressure on the person who is learning. It's not some program they must finish or they will be a failure. They simply learn and progress to the point where the task (or ministry) becomes their own. It's awesome.
So that's today's piece of old school youth ministry wisdom. Tomorrow I'll tell you about some ancient artifacts no current youth ministry should be without!
Because of Jesus,
