The Integration of the English Adult and Youth Services

At the recent strategic planning retreat, the BOE, pastors and senior leaders felt resonance and assurance about the idea of integrating the youth and adult services. This paper is to elaborate the idea and act as starting point for feedback and input.

The goal:

To develop one strong, inter-generational worship service in which to glorify God and to grow together.

The advantages:

The excitement and synergy of the combined service: a larger crowd matching the energy of the teens with the stability of the adults gives a balanced mix that can help the church grow spiritually and numerically.

Intentional intergenerational learning, relationships and trust can best take place if both generations are together often.

Bypasses the tricky transit of youths into the main service, a hurdle in many churches which results in youth leaving church (See Leadership Journal online article titled, “Is the era of age segregation over?”).

More effective use of our church resources (musicians, technicians, time, space) which are currently stretched.

The criteria for successful integration:

The combined worship service have to be changed from what it is now. The changes will accomodate the teenagers and young adults, and assume that the adult has the grace and generosity to embrace the unfamiliar, eg.music style.

The youths will partner the adults and be significantly involved in the whole worship service and Sunday experience.

Inter-generational learning and interaction has to be intentional and not left to chance. Teaming up in music, worship leading, altar prayer, ushering, catering, prayer leading, etc.

The youths will still have a platform outside the integrated service where their group identity is nurtured. (See the below table “Youth ministry functions and activities after integration”)

Concerns

The youths may feel a loss of group identity.

The youths may have less avenues of service as grown-ups dominate and if there are opportunities, may feel intimidated or inferior.

The youths may not be satisfied with changes made to music style, sermon relevancy, and the presence of parents.

We will take seriously the feedback of the youth and though we cannot fully satisfy everyone in everything, we will do what we can even as we do what is best for all concerned.

The preparation leading to the integration(in Aug 2010):

October- December 2009:

Communicate with Youth exco and youth cell leaders and consider their input. Communicate with the CLT how the Lord is guiding the leadership about this and consider their input. Merge English Adult and Youth worship ex-cos into a joint core group and begin team building.

January to July 2010:

The whole January 2010 will be combined services and sermons will focus on the kind of disciple we want to build and how we are going to build them. We will start tweaking the service with a view to integration.

In the first Sunday of February, we will communicate with the whole church the plan to integrate the service and prepare them for the August launch.

The joint worship ex-co will work together to redesign the combined worship services to accomodate the youths and young adults(every first Sunday, the March school vacation, the June school vacation will be combined services where we fine-tune the various aspects of the integrated worship service). The services will be evaluated, with feedback and dialogue with the lower and upper secondary students. We will make  necessary adjustments before the full launch in August 2010.

August 2010:

Integrated Worship Service launched. From here on all the Sunday services will be combined Youth-Adult English.

Kenny Chee

22 October 2009