Should leaders be using a model of ministry? Are there dangers in using a model?
Some people may question the wisdom of using a model of ministry, as do Colin Bennett and Dave Astill in The Church and Youth Ministry, edited by Pete Ward. They do so because of the tendency that leaders have to rely on the model and their methods rather than on the Holy Spirit. They conclude by saying that there is a vast difference between reliance on methods to communicate the gospel effectively to young people and the use of those methods. Maybe a quick text to determine whether we are keeping the balance is to look at how much we pray for God to work in the youth group. This kind of dependence on his working, linked to a well-developed strategy is what is needed for effective ministry in the local church.
There is a great danger in taking methods that work in one context and applying them into another context - unless the model or methods have been contextualised. The commitment level model is not specifics for ministry, but about identifying the various categories of commitment to target and about developing events or ministries for each level.
While it sounds spiritual to say: "We don't use a model, we reply on the Holy Spirit to guide us", this may just be an excuse for purposeless ministry. It is the conviction of the vast majority of youth leaders that having a strategy for ministry among youth is essential. A strategy that includes a clearly defined purpose, a way of turning the purpose into reality and a plan to determine the kind of programmes that will be most effective.
This website has an introduction section that looks at the original model of ministry (Duffy Robbins) and how it has been applied in a youth group context (Windsor). A later section is designed to guide youth leaders through a process of implementation. This will help each youth leader in a local church to adapt and apply the model into their context, rather than copying the model as it is. The rest of the links will provide further details for the development of the model.
Return to Model of Youth Ministry