Disrupting Ministry

A lot of times when we get into ministry, we place the pressure on ourselves to be the ones who make the change, who bring about something new. When, in fact, if we just remembered that God is about that work of doing something new already, then we get to actually watch what's emerging through the Holy Spirit's work and in a context. -Rev. Abigail Visco RusertPart One—The Gathering(0:00-2:22)Host Megan DeWald invites her colleagues at the Institute for Youth Ministry, the Rev. Abigail Visco Rusert and Carmelle Beaugelin, into a reflective conversation on this pilot season of Disrupting Ministry.Part Two—The Agenda(2:23-32:29)The IYM staff discusses the themes that have emerged in this season of the podcast, as well as what they're learning about the shapes that youth ministry might take in the 21st Century.Part Three—The Post-Script(32:30-41:29)Megan asks Abigail and Carmelle a few rapid-fire questions so our listeners can get to know them better and enjoy the IYM staff dynamics.Conclusion & Credits(41:30-43:22)Disrupting Ministry will be back later this spring with its second season, which will feature the remaining churches in the Log College Project and their stories of disrupting the status quo in the Church by developing innovative forms of ministry with young people. ___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Christine Toto, and all of you for listening.

We were on a path that we thought we knew how to do, and we needed to have that pushed so far aside that there really was room for the Holy Spirit to come in and do something new. And that's what wound up happening! Even what we're doing now is nothing of the pieces that we put down on paper in that process and everything of the spirit of it. -Rev. Meredith KeseleyPart One—Rockin' the Suburbs(0:00-4:36)Host Megan DeWald sets the stage for understanding the context in which Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, Virginia is developing a new form of youth ministry through the Institute for Youth Ministry's Log College Project.Part Two—The Gift of Honest Feedback(4:37-19:43)Abigail Visco Rusert discusses how the mutuality of the Log College Project allowed the IYM to learn alongside and from our Design Fellows like the Rev. Meredith Keseley. Meredith shares her realization that being pushed outside of the box can make room for the Holy Spirit.Part Three—Making Room(19:44-34:22)Meredith describes how her vocational journey mirrored her congregation's journey through the Log College Project, paying attention to the Holy Spirit at work, even in unexpected ways. By tracing this thread, Meredith and her Design Team were able to respond quickly and creatively to the needs of young people in the wake of the pandemic.Part Four—Authentic Relationships(33:23-39:51)Aqueelah Ligonde, a Research Fellow for the Log College Project, shares stories from her visit to Abiding Presence and reflects on the depth of care she witnessed in relationships across generations.Conclusion & Credits(39:52)Next week, we'll wrap up this first season of our podcast by inviting you into a staff meeting of the Institute for Youth Ministry. In this bonus episode, we'll discuss the themes that have emerged from this season of Disrupting Ministry, as we dream, scheme, and co-conspire about the future of ministry with young people.___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Meredith Keseley, Aqueelah Ligonde, & Christine Toto.

If we want to keep the dignity of a person, it's not just giving them handouts, it's empowering them to do something good for themselves and for the community. So that's where we're kind of leaning towards— empowering youth to see and to understand this new world that their parents have brought them in. And then to have those young people influence more young people. -Rev. Eliseo MoralesPart One—Movement(0:00-4:19)Host Megan DeWald sets the stage for understanding the context in which Esperanza Viva Iglesia Cristiana in Norwalk, California is developing a new form of youth ministry through the Institute for Youth Ministry's Log College Project.Part Two—Love, Translated(4:20-17:56)Carmelle Beaugelin discusses how the predominantly white contexts that have the biggest platforms for influencing the practice of youth ministry often neglect to consider the realities of communities of Color. The Rev. Eliseo Morales, the Log College Project Design Fellow for Esperanza Viva, explains the complex role that children of immigrants play in their families and why the peer connection is so vital.Part Three—Origin Stories(17:57-34:05)Eliseo shares the story of the founding of Esperanza Viva and how the church has always been flexible and responsive to the real-time opportunities and needs of its people and community. In doing so, the Design Team was able to pivot their ministry idea in the face of the pandemic by attending to the emerging challenges.Part Four—Context Rules(34:06-40:36)Seth Vopat, a Research Fellow for the Log College Project, admires Eliseo as a leader who can graciously hold the various identities and dynamics in his church in tension. Megan and Carmelle ponder how Eliseo's lived experience as a third culture kid has helped him develop these skills.Conclusion & Credits(40:37-41:45)Next week, we feature stories from Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Burke, Virginia, and you’ll learn about how the pandemic created a space for mentorship and moneymaking for young people. ___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Eliseo Morales, Christine Toto, & Seth Vopat.

To try and try again and reiterate and pivot and invest in something like the Log College Project—that shows so much faith in this idea that relationships and faith and young people matter to the congregation. And if that's not God building something in the community, I don't know what is. -Kelsey LambrightPart One—From Tragedy to Transformation(0:00-5:04)Host Megan DeWald sets the stage for understanding the context in which Calvary Episcopal Church in Rochester, Minnesota is developing a new form of youth ministry through the Institute for Youth Ministry's Log College Project.Part Two—The Church as Caretaker(5:05-16:44)Abigail Visco Rusert discusses the theological questions raised by Calvary Episcopal Church in their application to the Log College Project, particularly calling us to consider the role of baptism in youth ministry. She also discusses the very unique context in which Calvary sits.Part Three—If at First, You Don't Succeed(16:45-26:02)Rev. Beth Royalty, the Log College Project Design Fellow from Calvary, shares her theological commitment to relationships as the place where we encounter Christ in the world, while understanding her church's need for innovation. Kelsey Lambright, Lead Researcher, suggests that Calvary's unique culture provides them with a particular challenge in the innovation process.Part Four—God's Dream(26:03-35:40)Kelsey observes that the assumptions that informed the design of the Log College Project might not be true in every context. Beth and Abigail discuss the possibilities of authentic relationships and connection.Conclusion & Credits(35:41-37:00)Next week, we feature stories from Esperanza Viva Iglesia Cristiana in Norwalk, California, and learn about their ministry of empowering and upholding the dignity and self-respect of every person in their immigrant community.___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Kelsey Lambright, Beth Royalty, & Christine Toto.

I think that was really liberating, the first time that we heard from the voice of Princeton that 'we expect you to fail, and it's okay! And we will learn from that failure, and "fail forward" is a thing'... And so to really benefit from the innovation process or the design process, you have to embrace that value, or it doesn't work. -Lisa KauferPart One—More Than a Single Story(0:00-5:07)Host Megan DeWald sets the stage for understanding the context in which the First Presbyterian Church of Middletown, Ohio is developing a new form of youth ministry through the Institute for Youth Ministry's Log College Project.Part Two—The Ghost of Youth Ministry Past(5:08-13:34)Abigail Visco Rusert discusses how the nostalgic longing that churches have to return to the youth ministry models of the past gets in the way of our capacity attend to the real needs of young people today. Design Fellow Lisa Kaufer shares how her church has worked to embrace "failure" as a virtue of the design process.Part Three—Safe Space(13:35-24:53)Lisa explores how her church has been experiencing major paradigm shifts that are the result of the intentional practice of listening to the community. This practice also led to the discovery that young people need safe space outside the walls of the church where they can experience true welcome and belonging.Part Four—The Practice of Prophetic Listening (24:54-32:53)Kelsey Lambright, the Lead Researcher for the Log College Project, reflects on how First Pres Middletown has begun to value the perspectives and passions of their young people, even honoring their concerns as prophetic.Conclusion & Credits(32:54-34:15)Next week, we feature stories from Calvary Episcopal Church of Rochester, Minnesota, and learn about how their unique context in a premiere medical destination has informed their dreams of connecting middle school students to one another and to the church. ___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Lisa Kaufer, Kelsey Lambright, & Christine Toto.

And in his application, he proceeded to explain that, while we don't have young people or teenagers as part of our membership, or their parents necessarily being a large part of our membership, our young people are the young people in the community, and they are fully our young people. -Carmelle BeaugelinPart One—The South Side(0:00-4:02)Host Megan DeWald sets the stage for understanding the context in which Coppin Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church is developing a new form of youth ministry in the South Side of Chicago through the Institute for Youth Ministry's Log College Project.Part Two—New Form, New Norm(4:03-18:32)Carmelle Beaugelin discusses how Coppin understood their "youth group" to be all of the young people in the neighborhood. Design Fellow Michelle Robinson shares how she watched these youth grow and develop into Christian leaders who are dedicated to bringing transformation to their neighborhood.Part Three—The Only Constant is Change(18:33-25:06)In the midst of the project, Coppin navigates a leadership transition, which brings Frankye Parham into the role of Design Fellow. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hits, and Coppin navigates next steps.Part Four—So, Who's a Youth Pastor?(25:07-35:31)The Rev. Aqueelah Ligonde, a Research Fellow for the Log College Project, reflects on how we need to redefine the role of "youth leader" in the church and consider how we can best honor the agency and gifts of young people.Conclusion & Credits(35:32-37:00)Next week, we feature stories from First Presbyterian Church of Middletown, Ohio, and their vision to serve pop-up hospitality to young people in their community through overflowing tables of welcome and belonging. ___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Aqueelah Ligonde, Tamesha Mills, Frankye Parham, Michelle Robinson, & Christine Toto.

It's really interesting to me that this project that William Tennant did with young people, to me, it's youth ministry. To me, Princeton Theological Seminary’s founding was a youth ministry project. And so, I thought, ‘okay, if we're supposed to do something, that's in line with our mission, vision, and values, why not go back to our founding?’ Arguably, our founding was via youth ministry. Let’s lean into that. -Rev. Abigail Visco RusertPart One—Introducing: Disrupting Ministry(0:00-6:36)Host Megan DeWald introduces the Rev. Abigail Visco Rusert, Director of the Institute for Youth Ministry and creator of the Log College Project, a grant initiative designed to help churches reimagine youth ministry in the 21st Century.Part Two—What is the Institute for Youth Ministry—and Why?(6:37-17:34)Abigail traces the origins of the Log College Project to the origins of Princeton Theological Seminary, which was founded, she suggests, as innovation in youth ministry.Part Three—What is the Log College Project—and How Does It Work?(17:35-31:40)Megan introduces Carmelle Beaugelin, Program Coordinator for the Log College Project, who explains its inner workings and hypotheses. Megan then introduces the Rev. Dr. Erin Raffety, a cultural anthropologist and practical theologian who has served as the Research Advisor for the project.Part Four—The Big Pivot, or The Great Accelerator(31:41-37:29)Abigail and Carmelle reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic and the social upheaval of 2020 have impacted the churches of the Log College Project, along with potential long-term impacts on the practice of youth ministry as a whole.Conclusion & Credits(37:30-39:12)Next week, we feature stories from Coppin Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chicago, Illinois, and their quest to create a "new normal" in their community.___________________________________Audio editing  and production by Nii Addo Abrahams (Follow @_nickyflash_)Music available at Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/)The IYM thanks Maiia Avelino, Brooke Matejka, Tamesha Mills, Erin Raffety, & Christine Toto.

Welcome to Disrupting Ministry, a new podcast from the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary. In this podcast, we bring you stories of faith communities who are disrupting the status quo in the Church by developing innovative forms of ministry with young people.