Document Type

Paper

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Abstract

“6 out of 10 twentysomethings who were involved in church during their teen years will fail to maintain their active spirituality during their years of adulthood” (Robbins 17). Even the majority of adolescents involved in the church eventually separate from their faith and faith community. David Kinnaman, the president of Barna Group, explains that more than 50 percent of teenagers and young adults who are not committed Christians report that their former faith community (e.g., church, parish, etc.) did not help them understand their purpose and view their gifts and passions as part of God’s calling (159). The separation of these adolescents from their faith and faith community is connected to the church’s lost emphasis on helping these individuals find purpose and calling in their lives. Calling is the biblical idea of God “summoning people by his Word and laying hold of them by his power to participate in benefits of his gracious redemptive purposes” (Packer 151). Calling is a critical aspect of participating in the faith and works of God. Paul J Wadell and Charles R. Pinches, professors of religious studies, explain that living a called, purposeful life leads to genuine fulfillment, happiness, and peace. In contrast, a life without calling is desperate, shallow, and empty (14). Adolescents must be given purpose and calling for the longevity of their faith and the fulfillment of their lives. This paper explains a philosophy and strategy for developing a student ministry team for high school students in the church, which nurtures the individual callings of adolescents to maintain their faith after their teenage years. The audience for this paper is adults in the church who wish to partner with and equip adolescents to become mature, passionate disciples of Christ.This section of the paper will introduce the need for Harvest Workers Ministry, explain the ministry’s structure, describe a candidate for this ministry, and the personal interest of this ministry. William Frankena’s Model Figure 1 Harvest Workers Ministry will continue to be fleshed out in the implementation of William Frankena’s educational model depicted in Figure 1. William Frankena was an American philosopher, who created an educational model which Christian educators adapted for general Christian educational theory and practice (Stevens 302–303). Frankena’s model is made up of five boxes of consistent and logical reasoning for the philosophy and practices of an educational model. Box A states the ultimate purpose of humankind which provides unity to the rest of the four boxes. Box B provides the premises (e.g., human nature, life, and the world) which inform the philosophy of a ministry. Box C integrates Box A and B to refer to the results, profiles, or excellencies the educational model is designed to produce. Box D describes the processes that produce the result the educational model is working to produce. Last, Box E is the culmination of the previous four boxes and provides the specific educational strategy to accomplish the goals and objectives of the educational model (Newton, “Philosophy of Christian Education” 535). Harvest Workers Ministry has adapted Frankena’s model and utilized it to describe what is believed about Harvest Workers Ministry and the rationale for our approach to ministry (Glassford 537).

Notes

Course: CMI 421, Philosophy and Strategies for Christian Ministry (Dr. Phil Collins)

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