By Mike North

1. Module One:
Children’s and Youth Ministry and the Minister

2. Today’s sessions…
Morning:
• VALUES: Relational discipleship and spiritual formation
Afternoon:
• VALUES: Empowering
• VALUES: Educational
• VALUES: Equal opportunities
• How to write a great assignment

3. Relational Discipleship and
Spiritual Formation
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

4. Relationships are essential to
children’s and youth work.
Walk with. Be with. Do with.
WITH.
Jesus spent time WITH his friends /
disciples. He did life WITH them.
How relational is your ministry?
Relational
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

5. Biblical reflection: What does the Bible teach us about
relationships?
Not at a distance. Not disconnected. Not private. Not
fake. Not just a teacher. Not just an entertainer. Not just
an events manager, or crowd control. Not just
supervisors. Not just helpers or volunteers.
Live CHURCH with your children and young people.
Relational
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

6. The importance of accountability (relational team)
Children and young people need real ‘friends’ more than
ever
Supports good mental health
How do you build relationships with
your children and young people?
Relational
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

7. John 15: 12-15
My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I
command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant
does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called
you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I
have made known to you.
Relational
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

8. Relational
Experience:
What good examples of appropriate ‘friendship’ do you
have with children and young people?
What makes for positive relationships with children and
young people?
- Listening, caring, commitment, laughing with, crying
with, time…
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

9. Experience:
How relational is your children’s or
youth group?
What could be achieved through better
relationships?
Relational
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

10. The children’s and youth worker never gives up.
The children’s and youth worker cares more for others than for self.
The children’s and youth worker doesn’t want what he/she doesn’t have.
The children’s and youth worker doesn’t strut,
The children’s and youth worker doesn’t have a swelled head,
The children’s and youth worker doesn’t force him or herself on others,
The children’s and youth worker isn’t always “me first,”
The children’s and youth worker doesn’t fly off the handle…
1 Corinthians 13: 3-7 (Adapted from The Message)
Relational
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

11. Why is discipleship important?
Relational isn’t enough.
Jesus said “follow me”.
How can you nurture discipleship?
Discipleship
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

12. Discipleship
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

13. Discipleship
How can children and young people access the Bible?
What can children and young people do to live out their faith?
Practice being a Christian in safe
places… then go!
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

14. Spiritual formation
Spiritual Development: Not just a Christian thing…
Inner life, existence and meaning
Everyday living whole life openness to God
Invest in spiritual formation - spending time reflecting on
God’s love, presence and plans for us
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

15. I want to suggest that our role is to support
young people in encountering, receiving and
embracing the vision of the good life that
Jesus talks about when he describes ‘life in
all its fullness’
(John 10:10).
Jo Whitehead (Christian Youth Work in Theory and Practice, p148)
Spiritual formation
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

16. From children to young people.
What are the changes that affect spirituality?
Imagination
Choice
Innocence
Perspective
Spiritual formation
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

17. Spiritual disciplines…
• Prayer
• Reflection
• Worship
• Scripture reading
• Fasting
• Pilgrimage…
Spiritual formation
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

18. Set the stage for God to work…
Striped back encounters with God can
be powerful.
Consider: no tech, no phones, no
distractions… just intimate closeness
with each other and God.
Spiritual formation
Relational discipleship and spiritual formation

19. Module One:
Children’s and Youth Ministry and the Minister