Ashton Hooper

Worked With: John Hill (Training Leaders), Kristen Riggleman (Enviroments), Camille Speece
(Traditions), Hannah Couch (Multigenerational)
Mission Trip Project for the Environments Project.
What: We will be partnering with CIY Engage: The World to serve the community and people of
Tegucigalpa, Honduras through VBS projects, clothing distributions, work projects, food
distributions, visiting children in hospitals and encouraging local churches. We will also have
opportunities to share about how God has worked in our own lives and be exposed to another
culture.
Who: Our High Schoolers and Adult Leaders will be working alongside missionaries Felipe and
Valerie Colby to serve the people of Tegucigalpa
When: The 2015 Mission Trip will be July 05- July 12
Where: We will be going to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We will stay at His Eyes campus, which is
the optometry clinic that the Colbys helped start. The campus is gated and there are separate
rooms for boys and girls and are all equipped with bunk-beds and adjoining bathrooms.
Why: We want to equip students to be devoted life-long disciples of Christ therefore during this
trip students and our adult leaders can be trained to engage people as they follow Jesus by
serving the peoples of Tegucigalpa needs as well as sharing their own spiritual journey with
those they meet.
How:

September: 1st Announcement of Trip: Applications handed out

October: Multiple Announcements made: Interest Meeting- Discuss finances for trip
($2000 per person),discuss what money goes toward: airfare, lodging, food, engage tshirt, taxes, work project materials, etc., discuss timeline - Early Interest Application Due

November: All Applications due at the beginning of November (on application everyone
must have up to date Tetanus, Hepatitis A&B and Typhoid shots). 1st Group meeting with
all students and parents and adult volunteers: Discuss support raising letters, discuss
rough itinerary of trip, discuss expectations of the trip, discuss expectations of students
while on trip, have students come up with ways they would like to raise money as a group
as well as individually

December-April: Group Financial Raising Activities (One a Month), A bible study every
other week to prepare students spiritually, Monthly Mission meetings to make sure
everyone is on the same page

December: Serve The Church Meal: Mission Trippers will sell tickets for $5 a plate,
students will serve attendees a Honduran meal of rice and beans, entertainment will be
provided (a student band), Youth Minister will share with the church about the Mission
Trip to Honduras including what they will be doing as well as the financial goal, students
will share testimonies and what this trip means to them, an offering will be collected

January: Bake Sale

February: Student Service Auction: students will use their abilities to help the community
as well as raise money; for example, Little Johnny likes working in the Yard so he is
auctioned off to help someone in their yard- pulling weeds, mowing, planting flowers.
Another example- Jill loves children so she is auctioned off to babysit for a night

March: Sunday Youth Takeover Service: a full student worship bad, a student speaker,
sharing of testimonies, share with the church the purpose of the takeover (Honduras trip),
offering collected for trip

April: Car Wash at beginning of month; all money and forms due by April 26

May: Continued Monthly meetings & bible studies;

June: team bonding weekend: stay at church, prepare mentally and spiritually through a
weekend of team building exercises,

July: Go on trip!

How to Train Your Leaders:

Section:
After recruiting youth ministry volunteers, there is a necessity of training those volunteers
effectively in understanding the vision of your ministry and also coordinate volunteers in
reaching this vision as a team. Our Student Ministry Vision is to develop life-long disciples of
Jesus. To see this vision accomplished a staff cannot do the work of ministry alone, there is a
need for student ministry volunteers to be an incarnational picture Jesus for our students now.
Training student ministry volunteers requires effort in both of these areas: Communicating the
Vision and Reaching the Vision. Our Student Ministry will communicate our vision in 2 ways:
Volunteer Meetings, and Written Formats.

Communicating the Vision:

Volunteer Meetings: For Volunteers, there will be a weekly meeting that will take place before
students arrive. All Wednesday Night volunteers will be expected to attend this meeting. The
meeting will be held by a student ministry staff member and will cover 4 major areas:
Celebration, Weekly Ministry Skill, Tonights Schedule, Prayer for Students.

1) Celebration: The Meeting will open with volunteers sharing a few stories of how God had
been working in their students live the week before. (These stories could come from small group
times, personal conversations, baptisms, new steps in faith, etc.) As team we need to always take
a moment to Celebrate and thank God for what He has done and will continue to do.

2) Weekly Ministry Skill: There are certain parts of student ministry that life doesnt always
prepare us for. Some examples include: What do we do if two students start a fight? How do we
lead a student to Jesus? How do we report suspicions of abuse? These are all very real things that
take place. So this time will address one key Ministry Skill in how to handle situations like this
effectively. With each teaching, there will be a handout given and will be available under the
volunteer section of our website.

3) Tonights Schedule: In this section of the meeting, we would cover what tonights lesson
would look like and also assigning volunteers their positions during worship service. Volunteer
Positions will be designated as: Check-in Team, Door Team, and Welcome Team.

* Check-in Team: While manning the check-in table, this team will be responsible for checking
in all students entering worship service. They also will be responsible for registering any first
time guests.

* Door Team: This team will be in charge of opening doors into the sanctuary when worship
begins and also will man the doors during worship to keep students inside the sactuary during
worship service.

* Welcome Team: This team will be focused on helping students feel welcomed and to stir up
excitement before the worship service by running games with students and also having
conversations. This position will be intended to help new students feel welcomed and get other
students energized for worship.
4) Prayer: Lastly we will lift up any prayer requests for any of ours students together as a team,
and also pray for one another in how we reflect the purpose and personality of Jesus.

Application:
Reaching the Vision:
In each program, assignment and format of communicating our vision they are only valuable if
volunteers attempt to be incarnational or become flesh with our students. To be incarnational in
student ministry is to be a servant to those that Christ has given you; To be among them, and to
be present in their lives not only on church campus but outside as well. Any person can be
present at a youth ministry worship service or event. Any person can sit down a small group of
Middle Schoolers, or play games with students before worship but if there is no vision or
relationship, students will not become life-long disciples of Jesus.
So this leads to our volunteer expectations which we believe will facilitate this kid of
incarnational youth ministry:
Wednesday Night Volunteer Schedule:
* 5:45 PM: Volunteer Meeting
* 6:00 PM: Students Arrive
* 6:30 PM: Worship Service
* 7:30 PM: Students Go Home.
Wednesday Volunteer Expectations:
1) Comply With All Student Safety Rules.
2) Represent Christ in Volunteer and Personal Setting.
3) Intentionally Disciple Our Students.
4) Show Up on Time.
5) Attend Wednesday Night Volunteer Meeting.
6) Attend Student Ministry Special Events.

Sunday Morning Volunteer Schedule:

* 9:15 AM: Students and Leaders Arrive
* 9:30 AM: Small Groups Begin
* 10:30 AM: Small Group Time Ends

Sunday Morning Volunteer Expectations:

1) Comply With All Student Safety Rules.
2) Represent Christ in Volunteer and Personal Setting.
3) Intentionally Disciple Our Students.
4) Show Up on Time.

Meaningful Friendships: Using Matthew 18 in Resolving Youth Ministry Conflict

Conflict at Youth Group can come in many shapes and sizes for various reasons. Thankfully
Jesus gave the church a specific format to follow in resolving conflict within the church. Youre
role as volunteer will be to point students to what Jesus teaches about resolving conflicts with
one another.
If a student at Elevate approaches you wishing to resolve a conflict with another student, this is
the format we should follow:
Matthew 18:15 If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of
you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

If there is a conflict between two Christians, the first step is to address the issue among the two
of them one on one.
At Elevate: If not done already, encourage the student to discuss the conflict with one another
and attempt to resolve it like the verse suggests.
Matthew 18:16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter
may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
If the one causing the conflict doesnt listen, then the one who has been sinned against is
supposed to return with another Christian to discuss the issue.
At Elevate: At this point if the student has not been willing to resolve the issue, then you and
another volunteer should have a conversation separately with the students involved in order to
resolve the conflict.
Matthew 18:17a If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;
If the one causing the issue still will not be willing to resolve the conflict, then Jesus instruction
is to allow the church to get involved.
At Elevate: If the students are still unwilling to resolve any issues then volunteers should find a
staff member to help with discipline or resolving the issue.
Multigenerational Project

What: Mother daughter Banquet

Who: All Mothers and daughters are invited, Men of all ages needed as volunteers to serve.
When: The Saturday of Mothers day weekend every year
Where: The church dining area
Why: To show appreciation for our mothers and all the hard work they did in raising us, also to
promote respect and love between the generations of the church and bonding between the male
volunteers of all ages. The men will be serving the women to show them appreciation and
respect. The volunteers of all ages will be able to bridge the generational gap by working
alongside each other to serve the women.
How:
* A few months before the womens board and the youth group of the church will begin planning
and can incorporate the youth group female leaders in brainstorming.
* Create a budget and stick to it
* All the money from the ticket purchases will go to helping the support kids for missions trips
and summer trips with the youth group.
* Create a theme and some form of entertainment for after the meal
* Plan a menu and figure out the cost per plate and how many people will be attending
* Have a volunteer sign up sheet for all of the men in the church; many will be the men of the
families in attendance at the banquet.
* Week before- make sure all supplies needed is there and decorate the church dining area
* Day of- make sure all food is prepared and the volunteers understand what to do, they will be
serving the women the food and drinks as well as helping prepare and tear down day of.
* Afterwards send the photos taken at the door of each family of mother and daughters.
Environment Project for the Environments Project.
What: Random Monthly Outings For Students
Who: Students and Volunteers

When: Special Event Night of Each Month

Where: Random sights around the city
Why: To promote closeness and a family-like atmosphere beyond the church within the group
How:
* Take a consensus of some of the things the students/volunteers are interested in and research
these events
* Compare the desired outings with the allowed budget to decide which outings are feasible
* Announce each new outing at the outing currently attending/each week at youth group in the
announcements (i.e. Januarys event will be announced in December)
* Use the strength of your volunteer team to help you plan and coordinate each event and gather
necessary supplies
o Getting bus, snacks, venue, event, waivers/parent forms, etc.
* Week of:
o Confirm with kids/parents/volunteers
o Confirm with venue if necessary
o Have final deposits turned in for event if necessary
* Day of:
o Get keys to van if needed
o Prepare snacks if needed
o Have kids/parents sign waivers
o Go have a great time!
Tradition Project for the Environments Project.
What: Easter Sonrise Service Fundraiser Breakfast
Who: The student leadership team will organize the other youth and adult helpers
When: Every Easter Sunday after Sonrise Service
Where: The church kitchen and dining area
Why: To encourage leadership skills in those in charge, develop camaraderie in everyone
involved, raise money for the Mission Trip, and serve the people of our congregation.
How:

* In January, approach specific students to form a group of five to lead the group. Let them
know that they must recruit and organize both adult and teen volunteers and get supplies for a
bacon and pancakes breakfast.
* February: Have a brief meeting with the leadership and make certain that they have sign-ups
set out for volunteers and supplies.
* March: Have the student leaders designate a drop-off time for supplies, make a plan to remind
volunteers of their responsibility, and make a plan for a speedy and efficient breakfast service.
* Week of: Double check with the students that the supplies have been received and that all
volunteers have been reminded.
* Day off: Be there to oversee everything while still letting the kids take the reigns.