No, I’m not talking about the Lion King! That’s a funny way to think about things…
In Christian Education circles though there is something that is called the Natural Learning Process. This offers a great means through which students learn. Learning style expert Bernice McCarthy (1996) has fostered this theory in which she suggests that each student has a unique way of learning. In order to successfully promote great learning we, as teachers and youth pastors, ought to lead students through the entire process. She posits four steps in the Natural Learning Process.
I have always been picky when it comes to inviting musicians to lead in youth ministry events. It started in my first job as a youth director working with what was at the time known as “alpha teens”. These are students whose taste in things like music are ahead of the trends. I dared not invite any cheesy bands lest I lose credibility and see our numbers plummet.
Now I run youth events for an Anglican diocese (regional collection of 50 churches), which I’ve been doing for more than 17 years. Worship music is a key component to what we do on our weekend events, which have ranged from 75 to nearly 400 hundred students depending on the event. There are plenty of musicians interested in playing for us but few that I will draw on.
Read MoreWhen one of my volunteer leaders told me about an upcoming life change, I was excited for her even though it meant she was going to step down from youth ministry. When my second leader told me they also had life changes that would require stepping down, my excitement was not quite as high. When my third leader in so many weeks shared exciting news that would require stepping down, I had to work hard to keep my poker face. Of course, I was happy for each one of them, but losing three quarters of my leaders in the span of a few weeks left me with conflicted emotions. I had spent almost two years working to put this team together and all my work was falling apart.
Read MoreIt’s probably a combination of a strength and a weakness, but the flow of my youth ministry gatherings have always depended on the willing participation of the students who are there. Because of that, I am not known for what you might call “classroom discipline.” I’ve counted on the group having an internal motivation for listening to instructions, waiting until appropriate times to ask questions, and generally keep order, usually because they respect me or at least value what we are doing as a group.
This means that when I have students who are a bit more...disruptive….I don’t naturally know what to do. The typical cycle of emotions for me is bewilderment, frustration, anger, flustered, and confusion.
It’s not a great look.