Ministry Training Areas

(The “new frontier” for the National Youth Convention) 
 

Written by: Travis Huseby 

     For many years, at the IFCA National Youth Convention we have held competitions in areas of Christian service.  Expository preaching, puppetry, vocal music, instrumental music, and drama have been areas that students have competed in for decades.  I myself was involved in many of these competitions during my years of junior high and high school.  In each area of competition, a student would be observed by three qualified judges and given scores to represent their presentation.  If a student scored 90 points or above, they received a “division one rating.”  At the regional level, this meant they qualified to go to the national convention. At the national convention, it meant that they could earn a college scholarship if they were a junior or a senior.  Within the division ratings the scores each student received would rank them in order from first place to last place and they were given awards to that end. 

   
The competitions and the philosophy of competition has undergone many changes in the last two years, I hope I am able to clearly explain them in this article.  I want to make sure that these changes are clearly understood by our IFCA churches and their members, because the changes that have come are specifically meant to strengthen the local church.  I see the national convention as a tool for every IFCA church to use.  In this article, I hope you will begin to see the usefulness of sending students from your church to be encouraged and equipped, during the week of our national convention, to serve in your church.  
    
The first change that was made four years ago was to add two more competitions to the list we already had.  Worship leading and Bible story teaching were the two new areas students could compete in at our convention.  With careful leadership and some time I can say that these areas are growing. 

Although adding to the list of things that our students could compete in was nice, the national youth committee felt a philosophical change was needed as well.  Through feedback, suggestions and a careful look at what these competitions were producing we felt the Lord’s leading to abandon the competition structure of awarding prizes and recognizing who received first place, second place… and pursue a healthier approach to these areas of ministry. 

In the end, at our convention a few years we began to implement the change in name and philosophy concerning the competitions.  We no longer hand out who received first, second or third place within a division one rating.  This is because we as a committee feel that who scored the best should not be the focus, nor should scoring the best be the motivation for these areas of church ministry. 

The new name we are now using to describe (Preaching, Bible story teaching, worship leading, vocal music, instrumental music, drama, and puppetry) is “Ministry Training Areas.”  Our heart is to see each of our students at the regional level and those that qualify to come to the national convention in our ministry training areas, encouraged to do their best for God as they explore the talents and gifts He has given them.  This is in contrast to the feeling that competition has a propensity to encourage; that we need to be “the best” in order to be the most effective in an area of ministry.  We want students to receive the Biblical message that we should be striving to do our best whenever we serve God with the talents He’s given us instead of looking at others who are serving and trying to be like them. 

As a practical example, we don’t want a student to participate in any of these areas of ministry training and then feel as though they have to be the best singer in the church before they sing a special number or lead the worship.  In the same fashion, it would be a disgrace for us to encourage young men to feel that until they are “the best” preacher they aren’t really serving the Lord.  We need to be sending a different message.  When you use your gifts for God, do your very best and do it for Him.  Not only will the Lord be glorified in this but the church will be built up and edified as well. 

In years gone by, the competitions were most of what happened during our days at the national convention.  This, too, is changing as we see a great need for more training and spiritual challenge than just at our main sessions with our main speaker.  Each year we are taking advantage of the time during the day to hold workshops, clinics, and breakout sessions that will help further equip students for service in their local church and living lives characterized by holiness.  I can truly say that students are receiving a great week of spiritual training during the week of the IFCA National Youth Convention. 

I know I have sprayed the proverbial fire hose in your direction in this article, but I hope through all of it you have gotten the understanding that the students in your church would benefit greatly from being a part of our national convention.  I am praying that you will allow us the opportunity this summer to help your church be strengthen through the teenagers in your body as they attend a week of ministry training at this year’s IFCA national youth convention.