Page History

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1. Prayer
2. Review of our overall objective from last time and on-line notes area
3. Let's select a guiding verse for our activities in this committee (bring your choices)
4. Pick one of the 5 needs and start an in-depth discussion
5. Wrap-up

The following was voted and selected as our guiding verse.

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Picked Need #3 to start the conversation:

Need to belong to the full community of the church

1. Cultivate a real connection instead of focus on youth groups.
2. Encourage fellowship with Christ at the center
3. Practice active listening
4. Mentorship (Counsellors)
5. Ask these questions about any SS activity:
1. Is Jesus always what unites us?
2. How can we make youngsters into active members of our community?
3. How to cultivate real deep connections coming from openness and vulnerability?

Discussion Notes:

1. Steve: Engage kids when you ask them to do something, participate and do it with them. Be a role model. Creates rapport in the relationship.
2. Manal + Youssef: At a certain age, when the kid does not have a close friend, drags their feet to go to church. Connects better with school kids. Effect of peers.
   1. Servants need to create an atmosphere that facilitates friendship between the kids.
   2. Find ways for the kids to connect with each other.
   3. The servant does not have to be the person talking all the time.
3. Hossam: What connects the person to church is CHRIST. We need to work on that need first.
   1. Unity has to be a goal. Prayer meetings for servants so kids see the role model.
   2. Find the talent of each child and initiate activities to help their talent shine. Show their identity.
   3. Kids need to know each other well. We need give them opportunity to get to know each other through play.
   4. Find opportunity for kids to play. Find games.
4. Nancy: Specific to Youth
   1. Personal touch. Show the care towards them specifically. This is important at all ages.
   2. Create a service which they can do together so they have a good/right common goal. Charity work as a group. Plan as a group. Focus on fellowship.
   3. Give them sincere chance to talk without being judged (looks/reactions).
   4. Give them a specific role so the feel the are active participant.
5. Holy: Instill responsibility towards the church and people of the church.
   1. The church is my home. I am part of the community and do things for this community.
   2. I belong to this church and my efforts matter
6. Marian: Activities that encourage groups to work together.
7. Nelly: What to do about counselling? How do we foster a counselling mentality and people to help with the youth at church.

Things to consider for our To Do List:

1. Review minutes and as homework come up with more in-depth plans on how we can achieve some of the above points.
2. Consider creating a "Servants Manual" which can be shared with the larger group of servants.
3. We become the champions of each of these initiatives.
4. Deliver the material through workshops, retreats, conventions etc.