We both love the Fall weather and colors, the start of football season and the excitement of a new school year. The Oregon Youth Alive Ministry Academy began a new school year in September and is yet another reason we LOVE this time of year! The following is a list of the things I am most excited about this Fall...
Wednesday Meetings
Now begins a nearly 9 month period where we get to be with our ministry students every week! As the students (both returning 2nd-year as well as 1st-year newbies) begin classes at Northwest University Oregon, we also meet every Wednesday for teaching, discussion and training for practical ministry. During this time we've discuss a myriad of issues from ministry topics to personal relationship with Jesus to practical preaching and teaching techniques.
Coaching
Our Wednesday meetings also include our one-on-one "coaching" sessions where students are encouraged to take ownership of their journey. It's during Coaching that students are counseled, mentored, encouraged, and directed to reflect, pray, set practical action steps and be held accountable for setting goals in all areas of life, ministry, work, school, relationships and personal growth. Coaching is perhaps the single greatest thing that separates OYAMA from any other Bible college/ministerial training program. We believe that mentorship is the greatest key to success in life, ministry and discipleship.
Ministry
Also starting in September, our students have all entered into new phases of their ministry involvement. The purpose of these is to give our students experience as active participants in as well as leaders of Youth and Children's ministries. 1st-year students have begun what we call a "Job Shadow" at Albany Hope Church. They will be here through January. During this time they will be shadowing a large churches Youth and Kids Pastors and serving in a variety of practical ways for services and events. Meanwhile, our 2nd-year students have begun their large 2nd-year internship. This internship is a much more intense and specialized time where students are placed at different churches all within an hour of Albany, with Pastors hand picked for their ability to connect with and pour into that specific student. 2nd-year students take a higher leadership role as a Youth or Kids Pastor at these churches with a handful of required tasks to complete during their time at this church.
This year we have 6 great churches who have accepted our students to come and intern with them. Those churches with students serving at them are...
- Sheridan New Hope Church
- Berean Assembly of God Springfield
- Albany Neighborhood Church
- Salem Peoples Church
- Harvest Church Baker City
- River Valley Fellowship Independence
Events
Oregon Youth Alive put on our yearly Oregon Campus Forum events. We have two separate events, one for Youth ministry and another for Kids ministry, that is completely free and open to all of our Oregon Next Gen Pastors. OCF is a time for relaxing at the beach and worshiping together as co-laborers as well as a time to dream and strategize together as a network on how to best reach the next generation. Brittany and I attended one of these and enjoyed connecting with friends and joining the discussion of where our strengths and weaknesses are as a movement and where our top focuses should be moving forward. It was a great time!
I want to say thank you so much for your continued prayer and support! Youth Alive only functions because of people like you seeing the value in investing in the next generation!
As always, we are looking for sponsors to join us in funding the ministry. Please contact me and let's discuss options and the future of Oregon Youth Alive. As always, I'm available to talk over the phone, meet up for coffee, speak at a youth or young adult events as well as any church services.
Please consider joining the team as a prayer partner and/or as a financial supporter at https://giving.ag.org/ Be sure to type in 282345 as the ministry code.
