Youth Unlimited Magazine | Fall 2017

FA L L 2 0 1 7 I S S U E

YO U T H U N L I M I T E D . O R G

YOUTHUNLIMITED STUDENTS | CHURCHES | FAITH-FORMING EXPERIENCES A L S O I N S I D E : S E R V E S H O E S | E N G AG I N G YO U T H | A LO O K B AC K AT S E R V E 2 0 1 7 | S E R V E 2 0 1 8 T H E M E S N E A K P E E K

YOUTH UNLIMITED | Fall 2017 Youth Unlimited has a rich 98 year history of assisting churches ministering to youth. Birthed out of the Christian Reformed Church, Youth Unlimited remains committed to the reformed perspective while serving alongside congregations of any denomination. We strongly believe that the local church is the tool God is using to reveal himself to this world, and we are blessed to partner with congregations to offer faith-forming experiences that reach this generation of youth for Jesus Christ!

This informational magazine is printed in the United States as a free resource to churches across North America. It is published triannually by Youth Unlimited, Grand Rapids, MI.

Design & Publication | SDPcreative Contributing Writers | Kyle De Boer, Kevin VanderVeen,

and Gil Clelland

Editor | Mandi Grasmeyer and Sandy Swartzentruber USA | Postmaster, please send undeliverable copies and address changes to: Youth Unlimited 1333 Alger Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Contents from the director.. .................................................................. 1 Connecting students with Christ: SERVE shoes. . ..............................................................................2 Connecting students with the church: Engaging youth.. ....................................................................... 4 Connecting students with the community: The Name of love.. ....................................................................6 A Sneak Peek at the SERVE 2018 Theme......................... 8 a look back at serve 2017.. ...............................................10 FACES OF YOUTH UNLIMITED...................................................12 Let’s Connect. . .........................................................................13

Canada | Canada Post International Sales Agreement #41124116.

Please send undeliverable copies and address changes to: Youth Unlimited PO Box 1100 Norwich, ON N0J 1P0

THE YOUTH UNLIMITED TEAM: Executive Director:

Jeff Kruithof 616.241.5616 ext. 3043 jeff@youthunlimited.org

Engaging Youth –Page 4

American SERVE Coordinator: Amanda Roozeboom 616.241.5616 ext. 3038 amanda@youthunlimited.org

Canadian SERVE Director: Ron DeVries 780.619.6566 ron@youthunlimited.org

Canadian SERVE Coordinator: Elizabeth Bosscher 616.241.5616 ext. 3039 elizabeth@youthunlimited.org

Serve 2018 Theme: Sneak Peek –Page 8

FROM THE DIRECTOR

I

t’s hard to believe SERVE 2017 is behind us and the planning for SERVE 2018 is underway!

We are excited to unveil the theme for SERVE 2018, Love God – Love the World, in this issue of the Youth Unlimited Magazine. In Luke 4:18-19 it says, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Through our SERVE sites next summer, we long with great anticipation to see students discover Christ for the first time or in a fresh new way and then empower them to reflect his love in this broken world!

However, before we dive too far into SERVE 2018, we’ll take some time in this issue to reflect on a few of the moments of transformation that have already happened to students on SERVE. You’ll read about when the Holy Spirit moved in a student’s life at SERVE through the article "SERVE Shoes" and when the Holy Spirit visited a man living on the streets through a group of students in the article "The Name of Love."

When you think about all the students who participate each summer, all the volunteers at each SERVE Site that plan the week and all the adult leaders that take the students on a SERVE week, it is clear that God really does use SERVE to make a great impact on this world each summer.

Youth Unlimited is blessed to partner with you through SERVE to connect students with Christ, the Church, and the Community.

Serving together,

Jeff Kruithof Executive Director Youth Unlimited

"…it is clear that God really does use SERVE to make a great impact on this world each summer."

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STUDENTS+ CHRIST

“The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same” (Luke 3:11).

SERVE Shoes As they arrived mid-morning, a group of students and adults with Gallatin Valley SERVE were hard at work, repainting and repairing Grandma’s house.

Johnathon and his sister began to get to know this group of strangers from across the United States. Lunch time came quickly, so Johnathon brought his food outside to join this group from SERVE.

BY KYLE DE BOER

F

Gallatin Valley SERVE Host Team Coordinator

or a high school student from the Gallatin Valley, a Tuesday at Grandma’s house turned into a life-altering encounter with a servant of Christ.

Johnathon had just finished his sophomore year of high school. Since his brother and mom were working, he had to keep an eye on his little sister who broke her arm a few days earlier, so they ventured down the road to Grandma’s house.

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Tyler, a senior from South Dakota, connected with Johnathon as they ate their sandwiches under the hot noonday sun. Tyler was curious about life in rural Montana. Johnathon had questions about SERVE. The conversations continued as they picked up the paintbrushes for an afternoon of work.

The singlewide home began to take on a new look after a coat of paint and repairs to the fascia.

Before departing, Tyler asked Johnathon, “Do you want to join us on a hike tomorrow for our day away?”

Johnathon was hesitant, unsure of how to respond. During the pause, Tyler noticed the ripped and tattered Converse shoes that Johnathon wore.

“Do you have any other shoes than those?”

“No, this is my only pair.”

Tyler walked over to the 12-passenger van, pulled out a pair of gray and black Nikes, and handed them to Johnathon.

“Try these on.” Surprisingly, they fit perfectly!

“You can have them,” Tyler said, “These are my extra pair and I have sandals along.”

The message of the gospel was communicated clearly to Johnathon when Tyler gave him a pair of shoes.

Nearly one year later, those gray and black Nikes have just been replaced, but that act of gospel generosity is clearly etched in Johnathon’s mind and informs how he lives today!

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STUDENTS+ CHURCH

Engaging

Youth When the church engages young people meaningfully, church ministry thrives.

BY KEVIN VANDERVEEN

Niagara SERVE Host Team Member

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A

s a youth pastor, I find myself praying for young people in the church often. I pray young people will discover the depth of God’s love for them and know that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. I pray they will take joy in God as the greatest treasure of their life. I pray they will become increasingly aware of how God has uniquely gifted them to serve in his kingdom. I pray the young people in the church may experience a sense of urgency to use and develop their gifts for God’s glory.

At Covenant, we are blessed with young people of all ages, and we’re learning how to approach our ministry to young people in a way that is strategic and developmentally appropriate. As we wonder about what this looks like, we find ourselves asking questions like: How do we engage young people meaningfully so they will grow and develop spiritually? And what congregational practices lead to spiritual maturity in our young people? In my experience, we are not alone in wrestling with questions like these. The fact is, ministering to young people is an area of concern for the church, and we are all trying to learn how to do this well.

Each ministry context is different, which means ministry will take a different shape in each of our church communities. I would like to suggest, though, that there are some things we can do, regardless of context, to strengthen our ministry to young people. Strengthening our programs or making programmatic changes is not one of those things. If we are going to minister to young people in the church effectively, then we need to think bigger; we need to begin thinking about the culture within our church communities. Young people want to feel as though they are a part of the church, and they want to be embraced by the church as a valued part of the body of Christ. To me, that suggests that we, as churches, need to enfold young people into the life of the church.

What would that look like?

Fuller Youth Institute put together a list of common characteristics that are present in churches engaging young people effectively. Here are four of those characteristics: Cultivating authentic community through peer and intergenerational relationships.

Relationship is key, but youth need both peer and intergenerational relationships.

Many churches offer opportunities for peer relationships but struggle with intergenerational relationships. I wonder what it would look like for us to get together, intergenerationally, to share our faith stories. We encourage young people to reflect on their faith stories, but do we ever share our stories with them? I have been blessed by hearing stories from the older members in our community. We have all experienced God in different ways, and sharing those experiences helps build relationships.

Corporate worship that is both engaging and intergenerational.

Treating parents as active partners in discipleship.

As a pastor, I pray for the young people in the church today, but I also pray for the church. I pray God may lead and guide us forward as we seek to be faithful to his calling for us. I pray the church may foster intergenerational relationships, partner with parents, engage the world well and worship in inclusive and meaningful ways.

Youth ministry is always youth and family ministry. As churches, we need to find meaningful ways to encourage and equip parents as they partner with us in discipleship. Many parents want to be a part of their children’s spiritual growth, but they’re not sure how, so they hand off the responsibility to church leaders.

We need to find ways to give parents the tools they need to partner with us in discipleship.

Intentional engagement with wider culture with a redemptive focus.

In our context, one of the most celebrated times is corporate worship, and young people love being involved.

We have young people leading worship, reading Scripture and running our technology. Our young people love having leadership in worship, and the Covenant community has been blessed by their leadership. When worship leading and planning is intergenerational, young people are drawn in and engaged.

When the church engages young people meaningfully, church ministry thrives.

We are on a journey of learning how to engage young people effectively; let us learn together.

Perhaps the greatest gift that we, as churches, can give to young people is the capacity to think critically and theologically about the world around them. Our approach must be twofold: first laying a theological foundation, and second, engaging with broader culture with a redemptive focus. youthunlimited.org | 5

e m a N The E V ofLO

STUDENTS+ COMMUNITY

BY GIL CLELLAND

London SERVE Speaker

L

ove has a name. We were out on an educational walk in our city’s core, learning about poverty.

Six SERVE students and I were engaged in a good conversation, trying to understand how people can end up on the streets and what we can do to respond. And then we saw him.

He sat there alone. People walked by.

Perhaps they did not notice him. Perhaps they did not want to notice him. Grey, weathered clothing blended into the grey, weathered sidewalk. An empty hat opened expectantly to offerings from passers-by. A cardboard sign—“Any help will do.”

I knelt down to speak to him. The youth gathered with me. He looked at us all, and his hauntingly empty eyes met mine.

“New to the city?” I asked.

“Just passin’ through … off to Toronto … soon, I hope” “My name is Gil. Good to meet you,” I said, and I offered my hand.

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“Yeah …” No hand returned.

I withdrew my hand and sat down. The youth knelt in close. We talked for a bit.

Small talk was tough. I tried. Dave, a 14-year-old youth from a small farming community tried to share a bit. This man did not respond much. Sometimes, trust is hard to build for someone who has seen so much. After a few minutes, we got up to leave. We excused ourselves and turned away.

“I’m Ken …” I turned back. His hand was out. I shook his hand, caught his eyes and a moment of connection occurred.

Ken felt safe enough with us to share his name. He looked at each one of the young people. In order, he shook their hands.

“Thanks for stopping to say hello.”

We walked on for some time after that in silence. We each knew that we had just experienced something sacred. Then I reflected about the homeless memorial in Toronto. Thousands of people are listed there. People who have died on the streets. By far, the most common name

among those dead is John Doe. John Doe is the name the city gives to people when they don’t know their real name. In other words, many of those people named and listed as John Doe died alone. They didn’t even have their name. And that is the biggest problem with homelessness.

People are home-less. They do not have all the things we think of when we think of home. Sometimes, not even their name.

Jesus commanded us to love our neighbours as ourselves. The question I ask is, “How can we love our neighbours if we don’t know their name?” It is only when we get to know people by their name, by their story, seeing them as truly human, that we can begin to love them.

At SERVE, we try to break those barriers.

We try to get to know others by their name. At SERVE, we get to hear their stories. We share our stories. We sit for a while. It may be tough. Small talk may seem wooden and uninspired for a while, but we learn to keep trying.

Love begins with “hello.”

How can we love our neighbours if we don’t know their name?

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A Sneak Peek at the SERVE 2018 Theme “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” - Luke 4:18-19 Jesus begins his ministry in Luke’s gospel by going to the synagogue where he reads from the book of Isaiah.

When he finishes, he calmly sits down, and tells those sitting there, “All of this is being fulfilled right in front of your very eyes.” For Luke, this passage from Isaiah is a snapshot of God’s mission to the world. In Jesus Christ, God has come to save us from our sin, to restore our relationship with him, but the good news is more than that. The gospel is good news for those who suffer, it is good news for those living with poverty and racism, it is good news for people struggling with slavery and bondage in every form. In that synagogue, some 2,000 years ago, Jesus tells us that he has come to reveal God’s love for a world that desperately needs to be reminded about who we are and who we were created to be.

In Luke’s gospel, Jesus tells many parables that imaginatively tell us what it looks like when God is in charge. These are stories that show us what God is like, how much God loves us and how much God cares about our lives in this world. They also show us Jesus asks us all to become his disciples so we can participate in this mission by showing others a small sign of God’s love.

In each of the parables students will read at SERVE 2018, they will see how loving God always leads to loving our neighbor. In the parable of the good Samaritan,

they’ll see how loving God means “coming near” to those in need. In the parable of the prodigal son, they’ll encounter God’s reckless love that runs out to meet his children. They’ll hear about what it means to “eat” with sinners and tax collectors and how it is in loving our neighbor that Jesus most often appears. After all, this is what the week of SERVE is all about—participating in God’s mission to the world by loving our neighbor.

At SERVE 2018, students are invited to follow Jesus by coming near to those who need to hear the good news of God’s love and grace. Our hope is that Jesus will appear to them in ways they never expected!

The 2018 theme material, Love God-Love the World, was written by Jason Lief. Jason teaches Youth Ministry at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa where he helps young people discern their call to participate in God’s work in the world. He also has spent time as the interim pastor of his home church—First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center, Iowa. Jason loves baseball, movies, and heavy metal music, and most recently he’s been exploring the importance of St. Francis of Assisi for youth ministry. He’s written two books, Poetic Youth Ministry: Leaning to Love Young People by Letting Them Go, and Transgressing the Sacred: Christianity and Heavy Metal as Impure Sacred in the Secular West. He is currently working on a third book in collaboration with Northwestern biology professor Sara Tolsma on the relationship between science and youth ministry. For the past four years he has co-led Prairie SERVE in Sioux City, Iowa. Jason lives in Sioux Center, Iowa with his wife Tammy and their three children: Naomi, Christian and Savannah.

Visit YouthUnlimited.org for more information.

High school, middle school and special needs SERVE mission trips are available.

Registration opens November 1.

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I was so excited to visit SERVE sites and see what this is all about. I knew SERVE in theory before this summer, but since I had never been on a SERVE trip I was excited to see it in action.

If you were a student now, what would be your favorite thing about SERVE?

Elizabeth Bosscher Holland, MI

Q. What is your role at Youth Unlimited?

A. I am the Canadian SERVE Coordinator, which means I handle all the administrative details for our Canadian SERVE sites. I am also the resident technology help and troubleshoot any technology issues we may have.

Where are you from, and what brought you to Youth Unlimited?

I grew up in Mankato, Minnesota and just moved to Michigan this last August so my husband could attend school in the area. I searched for a job for a few months after we moved here before I happened to meet one of Youth Unlimited’s board members who told me about the open position. I had an interview the next week and ended up feeling like this was the job God had been telling me to wait for.

When you were a student, what was the most faith-formational experience you had?

I think the most faith-formational part of being a student wasn’t one experience for me but instead it was a youth pastor who saw potential in me and was constantly encouraging me to get past my comfort zone and learn to take my faith on as my own.

He showed me what it looks like to live passionately for Christ in everything you do, not just at church on Sunday.

What were you most excited about for SERVE 2017?

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My favorite thing about SERVE would be that I would get to experience the community and friendships that come when you spend all week focused on serving Christ together. There is something about hard work for a good purpose that bonds people together and often results in a lot of fun and joy that you don’t always find in everyday life. It’s amazing what can happen when you put aside your selfish tendencies and focus on tangibly showing Christ to others.

What’s your favorite youth group game to play?

FACES

OF YOUTH UNLIMITED

What type of service project do you love so much that you could do it every day?

I have always been a fan of painting. I loved how such a simple act could make a house or a room or really anything feeling refreshed and taken care of.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

I love exploring new cities and places!

So, I guess that means my favorite is the place I have never been before.

I used to love “Bigger or Better.” We would start with a penny and go around town with our small groups and knock on people’s doors asking if they had anything bigger or better than the thing we currently had that they would be willing to trade with us. This game is how our youth group acquired most of our youth room couches.

When you were a student, who was your greatest mentor and why?

Apart from the youth pastor I mentioned earlier, one of my greatest mentors was my cousin. She moved into my hometown for college when I was 10 and she became one of my best friends. She is so intentional about asking me how I’m really doing and she helps me process life. I have had the privilege of getting to watch her go through college, get her first real job, get married and have kids. I have learned a lot from watching her go through those milestones and she has passed her wisdom on to me when I have faced some of the same milestones.

What’s your favorite late night snack?

Depending on the mood I am in I will either go for some chips and salsa or something chocolate.

Ron DeVries Edmonton, AB

Q. What is your role at Youth Unlimited?

A. I am the Canadian SERVE Director.

Where are you from, and what brought you to Youth Unlimited?

I am from Alberta, Canada. For the last ten years, I had served as the Youth Ministry Consultant for the Christian Reformed Church, Classis Alberta North. Following many conversations with Jeff at Youth Unlimited, we could see how a Canadian Director could be a blessing for Youth Unlimited, who would be working alongside a US Director so we said, let’s try it.

I had grown up in the Christian Reformed Church where our youth group experiences began at age 16 and ended around the age of 25 or when you got married. At the age of 22, I had a friend who died in a car accident and this hit home for me. The fragility of life became so clear and Christ became so powerfully real to me in those days.

What were you most excited about for SERVE 2017?

I was most excited about the possibility of seeing youth from across North America experience the Authentic Communities that God has laid out for our teams.

If you were a student now, what would be your favorite things about SERVE? The SERVEant and the SERVE 2017 Authentic Community Blend coffee would have been my favorites. Oh, and the shirts were awesome this year!

What’s your favorite youth group game to play?

Four on the Couch - The purpose of the game is to get everyone from your gender in the four seats on the couch (or position on the floor).

Players sit in a circle. One chair, or spot, in the circle should be open.

Have everyone write their name on a piece of paper. Collect the papers and pass them out again so that everyone has a paper with someone else’s name on it. Players should not show anyone who they have.

The player to the left of the open spot says someone’s name. Whoever is holding onto the paper with that name must get up and move to the open spot.

Then the player who moved must trade papers with the person who called the name.

The player sitting to the left of the new open spot then says the next name and the process continues.

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By memorizing who has what name and what the names are of those on the couch, players try to get their gender to occupy all four seats on the couch. When one gender does this successfully, they win.

When you were a student, who was your greatest mentor and why?

My dad was my greatest mentor because of how he lives for Christ.

What’s your favorite late night snack?

Peanut butter sandwiches.

What type of service project do you love so much that you could do it every day?

Working in places that reach out to those who are on the fringes of life. It is hard work, but all of God’s children are important to the kingdom.

What’s your favorite vacation spot?

Hawaii.

Let us know if you’d like to be interviewed for a future issue of the Youth Unlimited Magazine at interview@youthunlimited.org

LET’S CONNECT

When you were a student, what was the most faith-formational experience you had?

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