Fortunately, there is an increasing trend toward "doing" the Word, not just hearing it! In this session, we will deal with the "how" and "health" of involving our kids in lifestyle Christianity. Doing our faith through outreach, service projects and overseas missions. Youth have an inbuilt desire to get involved ministering in a real and hurting world.

RATIONALE: Common sense or scriptural mandate point to the need to involve ourselves and our youth in ministering to the seedy ... needy world! This kind of working Christianity brings a healthy dimension to our youth program and a credibility to our faith. (Matthew 5:13-16)

TESTIMONY: If I can be a bit subjective here, the basic integrity of our group changed when we moved out of our synthetic program and activity rut ... into a very real and purposeful world of need. We created an opportunity to minister. When my kids experienced the satisfaction and love as a result of ministering to the needy, we had a humility, energy, love and cohesion we had never experienced before. This ministry "element" produced a new body health. As a direct result of this focus, we have over forty of our young men and women in the ministry today.

OUTREACH DANGER: Outreach, unfortunately, can become just that ... reaching out from where we are to the needy of the world. Christ didn't teach "reach out" but "go out"! Service, ministry, missions ... are not "reach out" terms ... but "go out" terms! "For God's sake, Christian, let's hit the road!"

I. LEADERSHIP: No question, it is the leader's responsibility to initiate the vision, create the program and motivate the group ... and take them!

Catching the vision.

1. Vision: Looking through Jesus' eyes.

2. Heart: Empathy and compassion.

3. Love: Sacrificial involvement.

II. THE OPPORTUNITIES: In our own world, there are many very real needs. It becomes a matter of selecting a needy area, implementing a program and serving.

Opportunities of service:

• Old Folks

• Retarded

• Hospital

• Church maintenance, Etc.

• Poor

• Inner-City

• Rescue Mission

• Indian Reservation

• Ethnic-group Needs

• Mexico

III. THE RESOURCES: Opportunities must be matched with "human" resources. You and your group are two primary resources.

A. YOURSELF: As a leader, you are the KEY resource. Some honest questions about yourself as a leader.

1. How long have you been the leader of this group?

2. Do your people follow you?

3. Have you personally been involved in missions and/or ministry? On a consistent basis? Were you successful?

4. Are you now personally involved in ministry or missions of any kind?

5. Would you say you have a heart for it?

6. Would you say you are self-motivated as a leader?

7. How much time and effort would you be able and/or willing to put into ministry and/or missions?

8. How much could you generate for ministry or mission causes.?

9. Looking at the lifestyle of the majority of the world, would you say you were tough, "lean & mean," weak or ________?

B. YOUR GROUP: Would certainly be an important "human" resource. How about a quick profile by questions ... Honestly now, how much serving potential do you have.?

1. Do you know your group?

2. Is your group ready for ministry? Missions?

3. Is it a large or small group in number?

4. Are they mature or immature for their age? ... as a group?

5. Is your group, as a whole, energetic or passive.

6. Are they, as a whole, performers or spectators?

7. How is their history at taking and finishing projects?

8. Have they been burned by past failures? ... often?

9. How and what will you have to do to get them involved in service or missions?

IV. THE PROGRAM: The program must be created and implemented.

A. Creating the Program: The "vehicle."

1. Sensitivity: What your kids will gain and help they can give.

2. "Token" or on-going ministry?

3. Who? What? Where? Mechanics?

4. Staff and transportation.

5. Finance: Money raising ... how?

B. Communicating the Vision: Motivating the troops!

1. You must be convinced! Visit your ministry! Observe!

2. Speak out your heart. Use scripture.

3. Plan ahead ... not an impulsive move.

4. Be consistent in sharing your burden.

C. Preparing your group:

1. Research your new ministry. Educate yourself.

2. Another visit ... take several prepared teen leaders. Observe.

3. A basic group visit to observe and debrief. Study them.

4. Communicate to your group what they're to do and how.

5. Model: Consistent example. "Go ye" or "follow me."

V. THE FOREIGN VIEW: There is nothing like a trip to the mission field to both serve and stimulate interest in missions and give a new dimension to world community.

A. Catching the vision ... Take a trip abroad!

B. Look for opportunities to get selected kids overseas.

C. Motivate them to take a trip abroad.

D. Inform them. Help them. Take them.

E. Prepare them for the trip.

1. Books and research

2. Counseling.

F. Finance: The hang-up. Here is how.

1. Church responsibility

2. Projects.

VI. PROJECTS: From time to time, a class or group "missions project" is good. Danger! If this is overdone, it can and will foster a "proxi-mentality" ... I'll pay someone else to do my job. "My spiritual contribution is giving money ... not myself!"