Exemplar Youth Ministry

September 6th, 2007

I recently attended the National Youth Worker’s Inservice in Queensland, a national gathering of UCA Youth and Children’s Ministry Workers from all over the country. The event was a great time of prayer, worship, retreat, education, resource sharing, thinking, dreaming and reconnecting with each other, people who over the years have supported my ministry as well as people who I’ve mentored.

The guest speaker at the conference was Roland Martinson from Exemplar Youth Ministry who has had over 30 years of youth ministry experience and now lectures at Luther Seminary, and has also written a number of books on youth ministry. I believe Roalnd’s sessions with us will be available via dvd or cd sometime soon, but for pwople who are interested the SA Synod hosted him earlier in his stay and recorded a number of his sessions. The sessions are currently available as mp3 files via the SA Synod’s Parkin Wesley College website.

What REALLY makes youth ministry work? In his recent seminars in Adelaide, Roland Martinson gave the clearest answer to this question in over a decade. ‘Rollie’ is a passionate, energetic, and wise advocate of youth ministry with over 30 years of teaching, research and writing. He is extremely athletic in spirit as well as in body.

So what matters in youth ministry?

… theology matters
… spiritual growth matters
… mission service matters
… minister support matters
… relationships matter
… families matter
… mentors matter