Long Island Youth Federation - Senior Youth Leadership

Senior Youth Leadership

The purpose of this program is to equip you as Senior Youth Leader and prepare you for effective service in our church and world. In looking at the world today we must admit that business as usual is no longer acceptable. We can not settle for the mediocre and mundane.

The time demands that effective leadership must be on the cutting edge of the vast array of information and resources available to us today. This is the goal of this course.

The prophetess of our church had this to say in 1903 to her church and it is still relevant today, "With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen and soon coming Savior might be carried to the whole world!" - Education p.271.

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Course Outline and Description

Section I YOU AND YOUR GOD

A. Complete the 10-hour Youth Ministries Training Course

B. Read the book Messages to Young People by Ellen G. White and write a three (3) page report. The following points should be covered:

a. Main Ideas
b. How the reading has strengthened your faith in God and your desire to minister to young people.
c. What conclusions you have drawn from the reading. This response must reflect your personal appraisal of the book. What did the book do for you? How has it impacted on your life to make you a better Youth Leader?

C. Read one of the following books and do a three page report following the guidelines of the Message to Young People book report. The books are: Education, Adventist Home or Child Guidance, all written by Ellen G. White.

D. Pass the Bible Truth Examination, covering the 28 Fundamental Beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The textbook is available at your local Adventist Book Center (ABC).

E. Study the doctrine of the Sanctuary discussed in chapter twenty-Five of the textbook and do the following:

a. Show how Christ is the center of the doctrine.
b. List ways that belief in this doctrine affects your daily living

The following chapters should be clearly understood in light of your preparation: Leviticus 16 and 23; Hebrews 8 and 9; and those relevant chapters of the books of Daniel and Revelation. Also study Patriarch and Prophets, Chapter 30 and the Great Controversy, Chapters 23, 24 and 28. Do a five (5) page, double spaced report on the Sanctuary.

F. Do the following Adventist Youth Honors:
a. Christian Storytelling
b. Junior Youth Leadership
c. Christian Citizenship
d. Do any one (1) of the following:
a. Physical Fitness
b. Junior Witnessing
c. Personal Evangelism
d. Stewardship

If you have already completed these honors do two (2) other AY Honors, one from Recreational Pursuits and one (1) from Household Arts.

G. Have a current First Aid and CPR certificate.

H. Do two of the following:

a. Belong to a local Temperance Society or Health Organization.
b. Participate in a Temperance oratorical, poster or photo contest.
c. Participate in a Temperance/Anti-Drug March
d. Attend and participate in a Youth-to-Youth Seminar

Section II YOU AND YOUTH

A. Attend a Counseling Seminar with specific emphasis on Junior Youth (10-15), Senior Youth (16-22), and Young Adult (23-35. There is an excellent Video Series on counseling Teenagers, with its companion Textbook by Dr. G. Keith Olson. You may want to include this in your overall preparation for this segment.

B. Using the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy (including Messages to Young People) and other related materials, conduct a study or seminar during an AY meeting or in a small group on four (4) current issues that relates to Adventist Youth. Prepare a maximum two (2) page summary on each of these issues for presentation and inclusion in your folder. The following should be considered:

Christian Music; Christian Dress and Modesty; Healthful Living; Dating and marriage; Premarital Sex; Recreation versus Amusement; Career Choices; Relationship to Government and the Military; Peer Influence; Books; Involvement in Politics; Race relations in the Church; Drugs/Substance use and Abuse

[You may team up with no more than two persons for this presentation]

Section III YOU AND YOUR CHURCH

A. Pass the Church Heritage Test. Books that should be use to fulfill this requirement are: The Great Advent Movement by Emma Howell Cooper (not in print but is available); Light Bearers to the Remnant by Richard Schwartz; Moving Out by the Education Department of the General Conference; Tell It To The World by Mervyn Maxwell. All books are available at your local Adventist Book Center.

B. Complete a course in local church leadership. Books for this requirement are the Church Manual (available at the local ABC); So You Want To Be A Leader by Robert H. Pierson (available from the Ministerial Department of the General Conference)

C. Complete one of the following:

a. Plan and direct or co-direct a weekend church or campus Youth retreat, or a Spiritual Emphasis for youth (Youth Week of Prayer)
b. Plan and direct, or assist in, at least two Senior Youth Recreational Activities covering a total time span of at least six hours. Consult your Adventist Youth Honor Book. Do a written report on a maximum of three (3) pages, double spaced.
c. Teach the Sabbath School Lesson to a group of Senior Youth class for at least one quarter. Prepare a written statement that you have completed this assignment. Sign and let the Senior Sabbath School Superintendent or Church Pastor verify the statement with their signature.

•d. Currently serve as an officer in the Adventist Youth Society, Youth Sabbath School, Adventist Youth Council or similar church or campus Youth organization for a minimum of six months. Prepare a signed written statement and let the Church Pastor or First Elder verify with their signature.

Section IV YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY

After studying the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy teachings regarding Spiritual Gifts, write a brief summary (not exceeding 5 ages) of how your gift can most effectively be used in Adventist Youth Ministries. (See Ephesians 4:11-16; 1Corinthians 12; and Romans 8). The textbook for this segment is Every Member a Minister by Rex D. Edwards. This is available from the Ministerial Department of the general Conference. Choose and do one of the following A-E:

A. Participate in a visiting activity on one of the following and write a two (2) page report on the visit:

a. Hospital
b. Orphanage
c. Retirement/ Nursing Home
d. Reformatory (Boys or Girls) Home
e. Prison

B. Complete a Community training Course and be an active member of a Community Service Organization (or volunteer for an activity to help others). This will be networked with the Community Ministries Department of the local Church or Conference.

C. Complete a Lay Evangelist or Bible Worker Training Course with a focus on reaching Youth for Jesus. This will be offered with the Youth Ministries department networking with the personal Ministries department of the local Church or Conference.

D. Complete a Sabbath School Teachers' Training Course with a focus on reaching Junior and Senior Youth and Young Adults

E. Do one of the following, endeavoring to lead one or more persons to Christ:
a. Organize and direct or present the sermons for an evangelistic campaign for a minimum of ten nights, emphasizing Christ as the center of all Bible Truths.

b. Give a series of Christ-centered Bible Studies covering at least thirteen major doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Upon completion of this assignment, have the Pastor sign and verify the completion. Have a written or an audio copy of the subjects presented.

Section V YOU AND YOUR CULTURAL HERITAGE

A. Have a Black heritage Certificate. This assignment covers the development and growth of the Regional Conferences in North America and the contributions that African-American Seventh-day Adventist has made to the work of the church. It also focuses on preparing our children for the cultural experiences that they must have to be identified with everything about their heritage, Rights of Passage, special celebration, etc. The books that will serve as resource for the completion of this requirement are: We Have Tomorrow by Louis B. Reynolds, The Unknown Prophet by Delbert baker, The Southern Work by Ellen G. White, Righteous Rebel by W.W. Fordham; Roots, Race and Religion (3 Volumes) by Dr. W.R. Robinson; Thou Who Hath Brought Us, Volume 1 by Charles E. Dudley. These books are available at your local ABC

B. Earn the AY Honor People of Other Lands

BOOKLIST FOR AY LEADERS TRAINING COURSE

1. Messages To Young People by Ellen G. White
2. Education by Ellen G. White
3. Adventist Homes by Ellen G. White
4. Child Guidance by Ellen G. White
5. Seventh-day Adventists Beliefs
6. Patriarch and Prophets by Ellen G. White
7. Great Controversy by Ellen G. White
8. The Great Advent Movement by Emma Howell Cooper
9. Light Bearers to the Remnants by Richard Schwartz
10. Moving Out by General Conference Department of Education
11. Tell It To The World by Mervyn Maxwell
12. Church Manual (Revised 2005, 17^th Edition)
13. So You Want To Be A Leader by Robert H. Pierson
14. Every Member a Minister by Rex D. Edwards
15. We Have Tomorrow by Louis B. Reynolds
16. The Unknown Prophet by Delbert Baker
17. The Southern Work by Ellen G. White
18. Righteous Rebel by W.W. Fordham
19. Roots, Race and Religion by Dr. W.R. Robinson
20. Thou Who Hath Brought Us, Volume 1 by Charles E. Dudley