Terry Linhart's Blog, page 31

How do you know how well you’re doing in ministry?

I’m teaching a class on assessment and evaluation in ministry. And I’m very curious as to how well you know you are doing it ministry? I would really like to hear what process you use to gauge how well you are doing. You can post it in a comment or you can e-mail it to me, but I would love to have some examples of what people use ( or don’t use) to measure their success.

The issue is that those of us in ministry (and nonprofits) are notorious for not embracing evaluation. Youth ministries in particular don’t often know, or able to point to, how well they are doing… Or not doing. If we are honest, we sometimes take our temperature on areas (like attendance, external response to worship music, listening attentively) that don’t align with discipleship or program outcomes.

I work and lead in a variety of nonprofit organizations. I currently teach at a Christian college, serve on the board of directors for a homeless ministry, serve on the board of a large church, and a member of an oversight committee for a local Catholic hospital, and consult with three national organizations.  There is a range of evaluation procedures among these organizations. And I’m not a big ‘evaluation’ guy. But I do think it’s important to know how well we are doing. Education has moved to be very focused on outcomes. The hospital that I work with is very effective in evaluating many of its programs. But in the highly relational energetic world of youth ministry, it seems like if we keep having kids, and there’s a general enthusiasm for the program, we must be doing something right.

Yet the recent research of Christian Smith and the collaborative study of the Sticky Faith group (Kara Powell, Brad Griffin, Cheryl Crawford and the think tank members) seems to suggest that we would benefit from spending time listening and reflecting with our students.

So, back to my question that I love for you to answer this weekend: how do you know how well you’re doing in ministry? If you could give me examples of your assessment, I would certainly appreciate it.

The recent success of consulting services for youth ministries and youth work groups (Youth Ministry Architects and Youth Workin’ It), tells me that many of you have also been thinking about this – and working to better monitor the health of your leadership efforts.

I look forward to your responses!  Thank you in advance for helping me.

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Meet some Bethel Youth Ministry students making a difference

If you haven’t learned by now, I’m super proud to be a faculty member at Bethel College near South Bend, Indiana. I tell new faculty members who come here that, though they may not be very familiar with Bethel College, they just came to one the best places to be a professor.  There is a warmth and spiritual Christ-centered vitality here that is not common and a lot of freedom to publish, research, and live.  Plus, Bethel College has what is so important – location, location, location (near Notre Dame, Chicago, and Lake Michigan beaches).

The other reason Bethel College is a great place to teach is the quality of students who come here to study.  Just check out our graduates for proof of that.  In the youth ministry degree program here, we have a special wealth of dynamic group of student leaders who are loaded with standout leadership gifts, yet humbled and called to follow Christ in Christian service, and who want to not sit around while in college but make a difference now. 

Bethel College recently published its , which featured a great article on a few of our youth ministry majors.  I am super proud of Luke Klimek, Kevin Brown, and Bri Pierce  and the ministry they lead with a few other students.  Here’s their story:

And, just a reminder, that if you’re a high school student who wants to make a difference in the lives of youth (youth ministry, youth work, camps, missions, global youth ministry, residencies, or counseling) and families (you can add a family studies minor), you need to come and check out Bethel College and its standout youth ministry program.  I’d be happy to personally sit down and talk with you (and your parents) and hear where God is leading you and share about the exciting future for students who major in youth ministry.

Luke Eichorn did just that. Luke is a nursing major and a youth ministry minor. He’s also a part of the BUILD program, Bethel’s leadership development program. Luke explains a bit about BUILD:

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A Favorite Prayer

In my morning reading time, I again came to this prayer from A Cry For Mercy by Henri Nouwen, which has long been a favorite prayer of mine:

O Lord, who else or what else can I desire but you? You are my Lord, Lord of my heart, mind, and soul.  You know me through and through.  In and through you everything that is finds its origin and goal. You embrace all that exists and care for it with divine love and compassion. Why, then, do I keep expecting happiness and satisfaction outside of you? Why do I keep relating to you as one of my many relationships, instead of my only relationship, in which all others are grounded? Why do I keep looking for popularity, respect from others, success, a claim, in sensual pleasures? Why, Lord, is it so hard for me to make you the only one? Why do I keep hesitating to surrender myself totally to you?

Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let die that thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in you and see through you the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words, in thought can become a him of praise to you.

I need your loving grace to travel on this hard road that leads to the death of my old self into a new life in and for you. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom.

Lord, dispel my mistrust and help me become a trusting friend. Amen.

 

 

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Wisdom’s Opposite

This is a bit of a “thinking out loud” therapeutic post.  I invite you to jump in on this and respond.  

I’ve been reflecting this past month on ‘wisdom’ and what it looks like in everyday life.  The importance of wisdom seemed to pop up often – during various meetings where the future seemed unclear, while parenting teenaged children, and in my reading.  Wisdom’s value seems obvious.  It’s what separates people, yet it seems to be a rare commodity. Troll through the Internet, watch the news, or listen to people talk at your local gathering place and you’ll find anything but wisdom at work.

I think our society values something I call “reactionary pragmatism.”  Reactionary pragmatism reacts to the what comes our way each day, and elevates “what works” over “what’s best.” I’ve just been developing this idea lately and its implications in leadership and youth ministry.

The political season reveals this cultural tendency for reactionary pragmatism.  Maybe it’s my moderate stance, but I am always surprised by the amount of emotion from either side, in union with an unwillingness to listen/consider other perspectives.  We react to what works best for our party’s purposes. And yet those party purposes may distract us from a more necessary (and wise) conversation about what’s best for our country (and please read this economically).

Being pragmatic and a bit reactionary is not always bad when it comes to leadership practice, but they can be deadly if it grows beyond a practice and becomes our guiding value for all that we do.  We can easily lose our bearings in two ways:  1)  What attracts more people and 2) What helps the bottom-line.

Our market-driven economy values what attracts.  If we gain followers, sell more books, and develop ‘influence’ then we must be on the right track.  Because it’s what works.  And we, along the way, have reacted to market research to make sure we write/say what attracts more people.  And we trust that if people buy/follow, then it must mean something to them.

Or we can become concerned only about the bottom-line:  What helps us financially. We see this struggle currently in local churches and in our educational system.  We make decisions based on the ledger and not on any guiding philosophy of what a community of believers ought to be like and do.  We look at our economic forecast and let that shape the curriculum for our students with the goal of what helps them make more money (versus what creates better educated citizens).

While reading Proverbs 9 recently, I was struck by two words the NIV translators used to describe Wisdom’s opposite, “Folly”, in verse 13:  undisciplined and without knowledge. I was struck that these are two characteristics of current pop culture, a culture that, like all others before it, is drawn toward Folly over Wisdom.

Currently we are drawn to reality television, YouTube, and sound-byte articles while avoiding outlets that push and deepen our knowledge.  Teens ridicule high school as ‘pointless’ and something they won’t use later in life yet sit in front of video games and homemade movies that others put on the Internet for hours each week.  Of course, I’m pushing the point a bit here with some hyperbole. But I’m close…..

I was personally challenged in my own life as I reflected on the first three months of this year:  Where had I grown in my knowledge?  In what ways did my disciplined nature allow me to accomplish some long-standing goal?  Neither answer made me happy.  I ‘got the job done’ each day, sure. I read off my To-Do list and clicked them off.  But I was still in the same spot that I was three months ago on most of my priorities for the year.

Guide to Prayer: My favorite and long-standing devotional book

So, I’ve made a series of adjustments to my life recently and committed to the big rocks again, not in a ‘try harder’ way to get stuff done (the rocks are all tasks), but do so in a space-creating way to address the tyranny of the urgent and instill what is beautiful and best again.  Here’s a simple checklist of big rocks I will make time for each day this month.  You may consider for yourself as well:

Spiritual readings, Bible reading, and prayer.
Reflection time. (Journal or drinking coffee and being still)
Daily writing.
Focused listening to others.
Purposeful reading of material that matters.
Exercise (CrossFit)
Good nutrition.
Healthy sleep patterns.

I will see how this month goes with these in place and report back on how the month went.  What have you been working on in the areas of discipline and gaining knowledge?

 

 

 

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Wisdom's Opposite

This is a bit of a "thinking out loud" therapeutic post.  I invite you to jump in on this and respond.  

I've been reflecting this past month on 'wisdom' and what it looks like in everyday life.  The importance of wisdom seemed to pop up often – during various meetings where the future seemed unclear, while parenting teenaged children, and in my reading.  Wisdom's value seems obvious.  It's what separates people, yet it seems to be a rare commodity. Troll through the Internet, watch the news, or listen to people talk at your local gathering place and you'll find anything but wisdom at work.

I think our society values something I call "reactionary pragmatism."  Reactionary pragmatism reacts to the what comes our way each day, and elevates "what works" over "what's best." I've just been developing this idea lately and its implications in leadership and youth ministry.

The political season reveals this cultural tendency for reactionary pragmatism.  Maybe it's my moderate stance, but I am always surprised by the amount of emotion from either side, in union with an unwillingness to listen/consider other perspectives.  We react to what works best for our party's purposes. And yet those party purposes may distract us from a more necessary (and wise) conversation about what's best for our country (and please read this economically).

Being pragmatic and a bit reactionary is not always bad when it comes to leadership practice, but they can be deadly if it grows beyond a practice and becomes our guiding value for all that we do.  We can easily lose our bearings in two ways:  1)  What attracts more people and 2) What helps the bottom-line.

Our market-driven economy values what attracts.  If we gain followers, sell more books, and develop 'influence' then we must be on the right track.  Because it's what works.  And we, along the way, have reacted to market research to make sure we write/say what attracts more people.  And we trust that if people buy/follow, then it must mean something to them.

Or we can become concerned only about the bottom-line:  What helps us financially. We see this struggle currently in local churches and in our educational system.  We make decisions based on the ledger and not on any guiding philosophy of what a community of believers ought to be like and do.  We look at our economic forecast and let that shape the curriculum for our students with the goal of what helps them make more money (versus what creates better educated citizens).

While reading Proverbs 9 recently, I was struck by two words the NIV translators used to describe Wisdom's opposite, "Folly", in verse 13:  undisciplined and without knowledge. I was struck that these are two characteristics of current pop culture, a culture that, like all others before it, is drawn toward Folly over Wisdom.

Currently we are drawn to reality television, YouTube, and sound-byte articles while avoiding outlets that push and deepen our knowledge.  Teens ridicule high school as 'pointless' and something they won't use later in life yet sit in front of video games and homemade movies that others put on the Internet for hours each week.  Of course, I'm pushing the point a bit here with some hyperbole. But I'm close…..

I was personally challenged in my own life as I reflected on the first three months of this year:  Where had I grown in my knowledge?  In what ways did my disciplined nature allow me to accomplish some long-standing goal?  Neither answer made me happy.  I 'got the job done' each day, sure. I read off my To-Do list and clicked them off.  But I was still in the same spot that I was three months ago on most of my priorities for the year.

Guide to Prayer: My favorite and long-standing devotional book

So, I've made a series of adjustments to my life recently and committed to the big rocks again, not in a 'try harder' way to get stuff done (the rocks are all tasks), but do so in a space-creating way to address the tyranny of the urgent and instill what is beautiful and best again.  Here's a simple checklist of big rocks I will make time for each day this month.  You may consider for yourself as well:

Spiritual readings, Bible reading, and prayer.
Reflection time. (Journal or drinking coffee and being still)
Daily writing.
Focused listening to others.
Purposeful reading of material that matters.
Exercise (CrossFit)
Good nutrition.
Healthy sleep patterns.

I will see how this month goes with these in place and report back on how the month went.  What have you been working on in the areas of discipline and gaining knowledge?

 

 

 

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The conVERGE 2012 highlight video

You've heard me say it before, but I love the conVERGE conference.  The 2012 conference video is out and it features the music of Tim Timmons (who led music that week) and many scenes from the weekend.  Held at Gull Lake Conference Center in Michigan, the 250 or so student leaders who attended experienced a high-tech and content-intensive weekend. I still hear comments from youth workers that it was the best event they've EVER taken their students to attend. So, while I'm looking forward to seeing what conVERGE looks like next year, I thought I'd post their highlight video so you can catch a glimpse of the spirit of the weekend.

conVERGE 2012 Highlight Video from conVERGE 2012 on Vimeo.

 

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The inevitable battle over college education in America has begun.

It was only a matter of time.  Housing and real estate led the way in 2009 – and now it's college education.  The bubble seems ready to burst, the pins are sharneped, and what we hear could be both good and bad news. It's good in that it will address some efficiency problems. It's very bad in that our economics have forced us to take our eyes off of what the purpose of education is.  Many still approach a college education with the goal of simply being able to eventually earn more money.

It used to be that one could 'invest' in home ownership, certain to get a return on his or her investment as housing prices rose and outpaced commodities and CDs.  Banks gleefully approved people for loans to the limits of sensibility and we happily signed on the bottom line for the biggest home we could afford.  "We'll get it all back and we'll always earn more in the future," we said.

Wrong. 

Cruise through some nearby communities or in a whole state near me and house prices have flatlined, some are worth half what they were three years ago (the loans still remain for the original value though), and observe how slow the housing market is.

College tuition is next. 

The drumbeats have begun to sound regarding college education.  Parents have been beating them for years.  In fact, I'm surprised how much private angst and even anger exists among otherwise congenial parents when they ask me about how to afford college education for their teenagers.  It's true. I can be having a nice normal conversation with a parent and then, because I'm a professor and a parent of teenagers, we'll talk about affording college and …. poof! …..there's a dramatic transformation.

College tuition costs have grown steadily over the past decades, far outpacing income in America.  The sticker price of college is now over 3x what it was 25 years ago, while income hasn't even doubled in that time period. (This is just my quick illustration, not hard facts) And public universities are significantly more expensive than what once was as the 'gap' between public and private colleges is shrinking.

The latest, expected and warranted, point of critique focused on professors and their workload.  Well, the question was actually "do they work hard enough?"  There's some validity in the question, but the data for it is lopsided.  Most professors at Christian colleges and schools I know actually teach twice as much as the 12-15 hours cited in the article and earn about 70% or less of the cited salary range.

Not everything said regarding college education compares 'apples to apples.' 

So, the pressure is on:  For students to pass tests to earn scholarships, tests that often (not always) reward short-term memory versus long-term wisdom.  For parents to work two jobs to help pay for tuition.  For students to take large loans to pay for school.

The pragmatism of paying for college has forced education to be less about, well, education and more about pragmatism – what you can earn, what 'works', and what gets you somewhere the fastest. In an era where we don't need to be expert, to learn vocabulary, or to memorize because we have Google, and in a time where our greatest goal is to entertain ourselves in comfort while we talk to each other in movie quotes, we may be heading for an era where our collective wisdom declines.  We may be able to function well, but with a mechanical and consumeristic way where we lose our humanity and all of its beauty.

Control the 'Google' and the entertainment and you can control the masses.

When higher education becomes less about learning and more about its role in a consumeristic society, we can see our economic appetites have forced us into a dark corner.

I think college is invaluable and I think the 3-4 years spent on a university campus are the most shaping of a person's life.  And I see this over and over each year in the lives of those who come to Bethel College (Indiana). Are there actions necessary for colleges to become more affordable? Yes.  Are there opportunities to help address concerns regarding the economic problems?  You bet. And private colleges are better poised to make these changes. As I read through these various articles, I am reminded of the Hebrew proverb:

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.  (Proverbs 4:7)

May that be our society's goal for our educational systems.

 

 

 

 

 

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Why Mitch Daniels didn't run for president in 2012: A leadership hyperbole

I just completed a weekend of travels across the Midwest and arrived back to my home state of Indiana.  As I neared my home, I was able to gain a glimpse of Indiana through the eyes of other Americans traveling through.  A much-maligned state, there are many good aspects to living in Indiana, especially when compared to states that seem to get a free pass on critiques (i.e. Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin).  But Indiana has one glaring problem to visitors and it's the elephant along the toll road that clearly (I think) kept our governor from feeling confident about his candidacy for our country's top office:

Indiana's toll road rest areas.

It would be difficult to tout reform, better use of the peoples' funds, and how to improve a state or country when your state features arguably the USA's dirtiest and least attractive rest areas.  Now, the people who work there are fine – great people.  It's not about them. (although they probably could use a pay raise).  However, the 'physical' and visual representation of what best serves our state's visitors, what is attractive in landscaping, what is basic cleanliness and, well, 'rest-full" seems lost on those who manage the toll road.

Of course this doesn't fall back on Daniels, though he did push hard for selling the toll road's management in his "Major Moves" initiative.  And, of course, this isn't the reason Mitch Daniels didn't run for president (thus the hyperbole).  But, like most leadership positions, what happens under our w.atch reflects on how people perceive our ability to envision what could be possible.  As I traveled about the Midwest, I was struck by the disparity with Ohio and its GORGEOUS rest areas, Michigan and it's pretty rest stops, and Illinois and its mall-like over-the-road oasis plazas.  If the managing company invest in the 12 rest areas, it would be a bit step forward.  I hope it's in their plans.

Two leadership phrases come to mind when I think of this example.  These two phrases are ones I use when evaluating leaders, potential hires, and reflecting on my own work:

What do I 'hang my hat' on?
What is the experience of the people I'm leading?

So many leaders have positions, titles, and influence, but if you get 'close enough to inspect' what they've accomplished, there's not much actual fruit. What they put their reputation on is their title, that they ran the program, the ministry, or the process, but they can't name an outcome from that time and energy spent.

On the flip side, noting what you value can help you assess where you need to go in the future.  It was early in my ministry when I realized one of the main values I held was that so many of our student leaders were heading into vocational ministry and that I wanted to eventually be a teacher for those who wanted to be full-time in non-profit work.

The second question gets dicier because we first have to value the input and perspective of those we lead.  And many leaders don't do that.  Some leaders talk poorly about youth, about students, and even about people they lead.  The old joke that "ministry would be so much better if it weren't for the people" revealed a frustration, but also had a hidden value that leaders and their vision are what mattered most.  And you can still see this in action today.

That doesn't sound like shepherding to me.

We need to be keenly in tune with the people we lead, with listening to what their experiences are in our programs, ministries, and under our leadership.  We may have some points of contact with them, like rest areas meant to refresh and refuel, that aren't in step with where people are today. Or may be unclean and present a message that they're not valued.  Or may be just plain ineffective.

I'm preparing to teach a course on evaluation and assessment and I'm reminded again at how little assessment is done in ministry and non-profit work.  Over the coming weeks, I plan to offer some thoughts from the course.  The last thing any of us want to do is to be leading forward and unaware that our point-of-contact with those who come through our programs are ineffective, in need of repair, or out of step.  Like an Indiana toll road rest area.

 

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"Not So Newleywed Game" idea for marriage retreat

In my preparation for speaking at a ministers' and spouses' retreat this weekend, I ran across a game I once led at a marriage retreat for a church.  It's called the "Not So Newlywed Game" and it's pretty tame (if you ever saw the original show, you know what I mean), but a lot of fun.  You have to run it like the old Newlywed Game Show, which means you'll need to act (and dress?) like a game show host…. and you'll need an assistant writing down the answers in marker on decent-sized poster board.  Once you learn how the game runs, this format is a great opening to have some fun, build repoire, and get to know some people from your group.

Oh, and one disclaimer… It's quite likely that I borrowed much of these questions, so I ap0logize for any infractions.  It's been so long since I used this that I forget where I may have found the questions.  But, the format 'works' so if you think any of these are lame, feel free to edit/add your own!

 NOT SO NEWLYWED GAME SHOW

5-6 couples upfront.  Ladies leave first.

Men, questions are worth 10 points.

 1)     When your wife leaves the house and you're home alone, what "time" is it for you?

a)    Party time

b)   Time to clean

c)    Nap time

2)    Within three, how many pairs of shoes will your wife say she has?

3)    What would your wife say is the best vacation you've ever taken together?

4)    For 15 points, how old was she when she got her first kiss?

Bring 'em back in!!!!

 

Women, questions are worth 15 points.

1)     What one item of clothing does your husband wear that you just cannot stand?

2)    Besides the Bible or any book connected to a group at church, what was the last book (not magazine) that your husband read?

3)    Ladies, when you first met your husband, what will he say was the one thing that first caught his attention about you?

4)    (20 points) What percentage of the housework would your husband say that he does?

a.     10 percent

b.    30 percent

c.     50 percent

d.    over 50 percent

 

 

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Digest of reviews for GLOBAL YOUTH MINISTRY

It's a bit awkward to post reviews of a book you wrote (or in this case, edited), but we're thrilled by all of the positive responses for the book Global Youth Ministry: Reaching Adolescents Around the World (YS Academic), so I thought I'd pull them all together in a post to show the range of positive response the book has gotten:

"The world is full of young people, and the church is ministering to them. In Global Youth Ministry: Reaching Adolescents Around the World (YS Academic), Terry Linhart and David Livermore have assembled an incredible array of experts in youth ministry from various cultures. The authors of the various chapters are youth workers who know the culture and needs of the young people in their contexts, giving the reader an idea of what youth ministry looks like throughout the world – in places like Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe." – Dennis Poulette, Youth Ministry International (Mexico).

"Do not misunderstand the title. This text is not only for those actively involved in international or cross cultural youth ministry. This text is provocative for anyone in youth ministry that recognizes that whether you live and serve in Paris, France or Paris, Texas, it is in a globalized context with cross pollinated ideas, media, entertainment, cultural informants, economic drivers, consumer goods, and political concerns the world around."  – Peter Nevins, CCVW Ministries (UK).

"Though it was written as a textbook for students of youth ministry, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy and enjoyable it was to read. I was also surprised by how meaningful the content was to me as a youth worker in the Midwest … This book, in fact, was one of the most insightful reads into the world of student ministry that I've ever read."  – Shawn Michael Shoup, Foursquare Church (USA).

Global Youth Ministry: Reaching Adolescents Around the World (YS Academic)"is not about how to establish youth programs from a culturally intelligent or sensitive matter within your culture.  It is not about how to build your system of youth culture to fit the local church in our global ministry field.  But Global Youth Ministry is about how God is moving in an incredibly diverse way through the youth of our world.  But don't misunderstand.  This book is not simply about youth programs that fit a global market.

I highly suggest that this book not only be used by you readers who are strictly involved in youth ministry, but also by general church leaders within North America.  We truly need the insights that are presented in both of these books for how we do global discipleship, not only youth ministry." – Bradley D. Friesen, Author & Speaker (Canada)

 

" If you buy into the idea that all youth ministry is contextual—I mean, that all of us are working to plant an outpost for the gospel of Jesus Christ in a particular setting in a particular time for a particular people—then Global Youth Ministry is a goldmine of thinking and ideas and encouragement. Written by a killer group of "in the trenches" global youth ministry leaders including Jonny Baker (UK), the Rev. Mark Tittley (South Africa), the Rev. Jacob G. Isaac (India), and Beth Baleke (Uganda), general editors Terry Linhart (Bethel College) and David Livermore (president of the Cultural Intelligence Center) have constructed a book full of diverse perspectives that somehow speaks with one voice. The stories, illustrations, and strategies embedded in this textbook make it a compelling mix of academic research and pragmatism. For years the rest of the world has looked to North America as a youth ministry mentor, but the tide is turning."  – Rick Lawrence, Editor, GROUP Magazine (USA).

"The temptation for the editors, who are in their own right highly experienced in global youth ministry, would have been to write the book themselves.  Yet the seemed to understand that what was needed were eyes that looked beyond the US perspective which dominates the youth ministry market … The book achieves more than its stated aim: It provides a global understanding that can inspire those in youth work and ministry to take seriously the unique and global nature of their work."  – Steven Emery-Wright, Cliff College (Wales), review in June 2011 Youth Work Magazine (UK).

"This text is required reading for our staff at YouthHOPE and we will continue to point people to it as a viable discussion of the theological, theoretical, sociocultural and historical issues that shape ministries around the world." – Justin Hanneken, Youth Hope.

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