ALLIANCE YOUTH NETWORK TRAINING DATES
SEE THE ALLIANCE NETWORK CALENDAR
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Alliance Youth Network
Training Notes from Youth Specialties CORE Training
Speaker, Tic Long, Youth Specialties Events President
Subject: Rethinking The American Teenager
1. There are three basic tasks of the adolescent journey, who am I, Do I & my choices matter, Where do it fit?
2. We need 4 things in youth ministry, the right youth workers, the right message, the right understanding of teens, and the right method.
3. Teenagers respond to abandonment through an underground world, second families, acting out multiple lives, and they create a new morality.
4. Today's kids long to belong, long to be taken seriously, long to matter, long for a safe place, long to be unique, and long to be wanted and liked.
5. We must be committed to a healthy authenticity if we want to reach teens.
6. We must create a sanctuary or safe place for teens.
7. We must pursue one teen at a time.
8. We must recognize a general principle: boys like things and how they work and girls like people and how they feel.
9. We must remember guys connect physically and girls connect verbally.
10. We must remember that a night away is worth 6 months of Sunday School.
Speaker, Tic Long, Youth Specialties Events President
Subject: Reclaiming The American Teenager
1. If we want to recapture a teen's heart, we must go from relevant to relational youth workers.
2. We must help our teens move from individualism to community minded.
3. We must instill in teens a heart for their family.
4. We must introduce teens to the concept of service outside the church (Little League Coach, Library Helper, etc).
5. We must expose teens to invest in international and cross-cultural mission experiences.
6. We must help teens embrace the complexity, mystery, and wonder of God.
7. We must help teens question the acceptance of popular thinking in culture and in the church.
8. We must help teens practice reflective thinking.
9. We must help teens redeem their soul by giving them a kingdom vision.
10. We must give them kingdom vision by modeling it for them and reminding them what is true.
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Alliance Youth Network
1st Speaker, Adrian Burnim, NCFY
Subject: Grants for Youth Ministry
1. Believe that God has ALL RICHES, POWER, and GLORY in HIS hands and will provide for his children.
2. Learn how the Government departments are compartmentalized by topic areas: (education, children, families, mental health, sexual education, etc.)
3. Identify one or two specific program areas (needs) to target before starting your search for funding.
4. Call 800-666-6380 to order the “Grantseekers Guide to Faith-Based Funding” by CD Publications.
5. Organize your grant seeking activities and keep ongoing folders ready for each program area.
6. Use archived funding announcements to anticipate future releases and get a head start.
7. Know that government grants are due 30-90 days after release.
8. Utilize professional grant writers. Begin by asking your own congregation members
9. Don’t chase money, but know that a good mission will be sustained. Focus on mission not Money!
10. Contact the National Clearinghouse on Families & Youth to use their free information services regarding youth and families. (info@ncfy.com or 301-608-8098)
2nd Speaker, Michael Fitzpatrick, Boy Scout of America
Subject: Benefits of a Weekend Venturing Program for Youth
1. It gives you an opportunity to prepare our next generation of leaders.
2. It helps with team-building attitude within your youth ministry and organization.
3. It shows a visible commitment to the welfare of your community and the nation.
4. The liability insurance is through the Boy Scouts of America so the church is not responsible for any unforeseen accidents.
5. You have full access to local and national Boy Scouts of America outdoor facilities, which could bless your next Teen Retreat.
6. You can use local and national Venturing events to supplement your youth ministry program.
7. You have free access to extensive literature and training materials that can bless your youth workers.
8. You can also use the adult and youth leader training courses.
9. The program also consists of outdoor youth protection training and videos for both adults and youth.
10. The program also has youth awards and advancement programs.
11. Helpful statistics: 96% said they made new friends; 93% said they had opportunities to go places and do things never experienced; 91% was encouraged to share their ideas and opinions; 89% said being a Venturer has taught them to have more self-confidence; and 56% of Venturers go on to participate in a service project in their community.
12. For more info, contact Michael Fitzpatrick, Senior District Executive at 443-573-2537 or
mfitzpatrick@baltimorebsa.org or www.baltimorebsa.org.
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Alliance Youth Network Training Notes
1st Speaker, Betty Jones, Jones Training & Associates
Subject: Taking Your Youth Night To The Next Level
1. Like fishing, our goal is to catch youth, clean them, and send them back out.
2. The higher the unpredictability of your program, the more you communicate.
3. When at all possible, you want to separate your youth groups when doing events.
4. Create a purpose statement for your youth ministry so people understand what you're doing.
5. Event nights should be done on a consistent basis and the theme needs to be specific.
6. Event nights can consist of skits, games, movie clips, or rap sessions.
7. A good way to keep your event night fresh is to start a creative team ministry.
8. Five things you want to concentrate on are the topic, main idea, elements, room, and flow.
2nd Speaker, Darrell Williams, First Christian Community Church
Subject: Raising Up Young Heroes
(From the book by Efrem Smith)
1. God yearns to interact with young people and is in the business of using them to do incredible things.
2. We must see past youth group smiles and laughter to catch a glimpse of what’s really going on in their lives.
3. We have to see youth through God’s eyes and provide opportunities for youth to get up close to Jesus.
4. We must take a warfare approach to youth ministry because we are fighting a spiritual battle.
5. Like David, our boys must understand there is an enemy who seeks to keep them from fulfilling their intended calling.
6. Our boys must become lion-killers through intimacy with God and the strength that it provides.
7. Boys need to kill something in order to become adults and this illustrates the principle that we must all deal with lions in our personal lives.
8. We must proactively show girls the difference between how God sees females and how the world sees them.
9. We must deal head-on with how the girls in our youth ministries carry themselves.
10. When our girls start acting like winners, they well be seen as winners – by others and by themselves.
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Alliance Youth Network
Training Notes from UYWI Reload DC Conference
1st Speaker, Fred Lynch, God Style Ministries
Subject: Heroes Wanted
1. God is looking for Heroes to work with His youth.
2. God is looking for Heroes that can see trouble (Psalm 138:7).
3. God is looking for Heroes that hate trouble (Psalm 119:104).
4. God is looking for Heroes that get into trouble (John 10:32).
5. God is looking for Heroes that will change the trouble.
6. God wants to add His super with our natural, to create something supernatural.
7. Don’t forget that Jesus took it upon Himself to get into our troubles.
8. As a result, we have to get into the troubles of our youth.
2nd Speaker, Darrell Williams, Alliance Ministries
Subject: How to Avoid Burnout & Remain A Solid Leader at Heart
1. Change your hectic schedule by bringing in structure and discipline from the outside.
2. Leaders who avoid burnout schedule the important things first to support their heart’s values and priorities.
3. Set specific and realistic personal goals for yourself.
4. Set healthier boundaries…learn to say “No!”
5. Get one or more people around you for community and accountability.
6. Give your wife/husband veto-power over your schedule if you’re married or a friend if you are single to help you from over-scheduling.
7. Date each of your children once a month or at a minimum, twice a month as a group.
8. Date or spend time with friends once a week if you are single. Your best friends shouldn’t be the youth in your ministry.
9. Schedule time for study, furthering your education, and/or reading weekly.
10. Spend time with God to get more power and stay prayed up.
