Executive Summary

 Youth programs at Peace Lutheran are a high priority for many members, and a significant portion of the members feel those programs are not as effective as they could be.  An examination of other congregations in our community showed that our programs and general level of participation were similar, and that those congregations are facing the same challenges of reaching members that deal with busy family lives.  After examining Peace’s youth programs and listening to youth and adult members, the committee makes the following recommendations.

 ·        Increase programming efforts intended to prepare parents to be faith examples and teachers for their children, particularly in the home. 

·        Increase opportunities for youth to interact with non-parent adults in a faith developing setting. 

·        Provide increased training for adult volunteers in all youth programs. 

·        Increase and improve the availability of educational materials for instructors and leaders and parents. 

·        Provide more opportunities for stewardship and service, particularly for high school age youth. 

·        Identify and train non-parent adults with a passion for youth programming to work with the high school age youth. 

·        Add a Family Care Ministry group to the congregation’s organizational structure. 

The committee recommends that the Congregational Council establish an implementation committee that would be charged to work in 2004 with existing staff and committees to develop a coordinated plan addressing the above recommendations.  The implementation committee should be given a three part charge; 1) to determine the most appropriate structure for the Family Care Ministry committee, 2) to work with the existing committees to adopt as many of the recommended actions as possible in the short term and 3) to develop a communication plan that will highlight an increased emphasis within Peace on youth and family ministry. 

 The issue of adding a youth and family ministry staff person was discussed with focus groups and within the committee.  A straw poll of members in the congregational survey discussion groups on adding a youth and family staff member was overwhelmingly positive.  While a staff member with youth and family responsibility could be a positive addition to the Peace staff, adding staff is not the only means of improving our youth ministry.  The committee strongly feels that adding staff without a commitment by congregational members to participate in expanded programs is not likely to make a long-term improvement in the participation or perceived satisfaction with the programs.  The committee believes that a restructuring of Peace’s youth and family effort based on the above recommendations is more likely to result in an improved program than simply relying on additional staff.  While the committee does not oppose the hiring of a youth and family minister, the first action should be to put in place a structure and programs that will increase involvement by the congregation.