Youth Ministry Leadership: A Strategy for Developing Diverse Leadership Teams that Expand Impact and Promote Stability
Date
9-2017
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Doctor of Ministry (DMin)
Chair
Robert A Gowins
Keywords
Church, Leadership, Ministry, Strategy, Team, Youth
Disciplines
Christianity | Other Religion | Practical Theology | Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion
Recommended Citation
Ruffenach, Donald, "Youth Ministry Leadership: A Strategy for Developing Diverse Leadership Teams that Expand Impact and Promote Stability" (2017). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 1529.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1529
Abstract
Youth ministry has inherent instabilities due to the strong impact of social cliques among adolescents, and the frequent turnover of both teens and adult leaders. These factors limit the diversity of those involved in the ministry and produce volatility in overall participation. This thesis will describe a plan for developing a team of leaders diverse in personality, life experiences, and interests, helping to increase the types of students impacted and overall ministry stability. The project will examine various team-building techniques including the SonLife Strategy and DiSC profile, as well as the biblical guidelines found in Romans 8, I Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and other texts. A series of interviews among Faith Baptist youth leaders will be conducted as both a longitudinal study and current synopsis of various approaches. A plan for developing such a team in the context of Faith Baptist Church in Washington, IA, will be proposed.