So how do we actually do the reaching and keeping? Many ministers asked that Youth Board produce more resources designed for the local situation and it is clearly not easy to provide programmes which are effective with the "MTV generation".

• All three groups in the survey agreed about what are the most valuable ways of working with young people in the 21st Century:
  Weekends, modern worship, youth talks, youth services, small groups, big events
  
  "One of the keys we feel in youth work is building up relationships." - Minister
  
  
• There is a clear opportunity to design programmes which connect with young people eager to learn Scriptural Truth as it applies to their daily lives. Many Young people surveyed showed a commitment to "being part of" learning what it means to be a Christian (76%), "more time learning about prayer and worship" (68%).
  
  
• There is a resounding endorsement for culturally relevant evangelism with 91% of young people stated their belief that "it is important for the church to run events specifically for young people who don't normally come to church".
  
  But how we effectively reach and keep young people is about much more than the actual programming but the level of strategic investment in Youth Ministry. The following statistics raise doubts about the current priority of young people within our congregations and demonstrate the urgent need to act in specific ways to address this:
  • Only 11% of ministers said they had youth budget
  • Only 20% ministers and 23% of leaders said their congregation had a youth strategy
  
  One of the key aspects of strategic youth ministry and is the influence young people have and feel they have over the decision-making in our churches - not just decisions over the youth work but in every area of congregational life and witness.
  
  
• Only a quarter (26%) of Young People said they had a say in decision making in their congregations. Ministers backed this up, reporting that 73% of their congregations have no one under 25 on any committee or sub committee. Furthermore, 80% of ministers also disagreed with the statement that "young people are well represented in decision making of my congregation".
  
  "We exclude young people not only from ministry but from leadership and we exclude their perspective from the General Assembly. Their views are never sought; we exclude their perspective at the Kirk Session and the church committee meetings. They are always on the receiving end of ministry and I don't think it's Biblical." - Minister
  
  There was a call from Ministers and leaders to radically review what we are currently doing with our young people and to take courageous steps towards strategic, inclusive ministry.
  
  "There are so many opportunities for churches to engage with the community and the outreach …for that to happen there needs to be real vision and bravery and courage and the church may have to change…but there's real potential there." - Youth Leader

Quote:

'After three years of full-time youth work, I had attracted loads of kids but made few disciples, was successful in creating loads of fun but little interest in matters of faith, had lots of young people in our programme but few who were really committed to Jesus Christ. I was working 80 to 90 hours a week, yet nothing ever seemed to be enough and, worst of all, my passion was dying.'
- Mark Yaconneli, Director of the Young People and Spirituality project at San Francisco Theological Seminary

Did the '80 or 90 hours a week' resonate with you? I am sure it did. Models and methods are springing up everywhere in Christian Ministry circles because we all know that the 80 or 90 hours a week just to keep our head above water, is not effective. Some useful insights that are emerging from these models, and that inform the youth issue are:-

• where there is a clear statement of purpose for the entire ministry life of the congregation with a specific and practical vision statement for youth and children's ministry, the ministry outcomes are impressive.
• where programmes are strategically used to nurture relationships ministry is very effective.
• where small groups and cell groups are the basis for discipleship faith development seems to really flourish.
• where young people are given real responsibility within the ministry life of the church, this nurtures commitment and sustained involvement by young people.
• where the ministry priorities of a congregation are clear, the finance required to implement the ministry is made available willingly and often sacrificially.
• where young people's views are taken seriously and acted upon commitment to church membership by the under 25 year olds increases.