Technology to Connect Without Traveling

1. Technology to Connect Without Traveling By: Bill Wong

2. Why Do We Need Technology • “Catch up with the times” • Engage more young people • Opening up new opportunities to do ministry

3. Why We Need To Engage Young People • 24 Million 16-29 years olds in the U.S. are “outsiders to Christianity”, or 40% of this population (from unChristian) • YAYAs are minorities in our parishes (from our Convocation’s Mission Statement Committee Report) • Most of our YAYAs are not aware of the “aging church” phenomenon

4. Why We Need To Engage Young People (Cont.) • The ministry as a whole need to talk “in their language”. • Current young adults serving in this ministry are doers, not leaders (me included). • Most of our YAYAs are not equipped to serve in this ministry/“Mad Church Disease” of the existing YAYAs serving in our ministry

5. Why Doers? • Our way to gain acceptance from elders. • Current YAs are paving the path for next generation of YA leaders to follow • Few YAs are serving in this ministry • Lack of/Inconsistent/Insufficient support

6. Why “Not Equipped” • Neglect from older folks • Couldn’t attend EAM/Leadership Gathering (due to lack of time/schedule conflict) • Existing YAs don’t advocate how important Chinese Ministry is to others • No sense of unity internally in this Convocation

7. What is Mad Church Disease? (MCD) • Physical and/or mental burnout from doing ministry work • Can lie dormant for months to years • Can happen to anyone • Internal risk factors- Personality, Personal History, Health, Our Relationship with God • External risk factors- Tools, Lack of Control, Pressure, Unclear Expectations, Conflicts in Personality/Values, Mismatch, Church Politics, Crushed Dreams

8. Why MCD is relevant? • Support issue • Pressure to do well • Unclear Expectations • Mismatch (skills/passion) • Crushed Dreams • Lack of YAs serving in this ministry • Our YAs have to balance between work/school, ministry work, and time for ourselves, which can be difficult.

9. What Could We Do? • Mentor Program For YA Leaders • Why: To prevent/reduce likelihood of MCD happening to YA leaders in our Convocation • How: Podcasts • Podcasts = Topics TBD (Objective: To reach Episcopalians in the U.S.); could collaborate with other convocations and create an EAM podcast. • How to create a podcast • Goal: Start a series by General Convention 2012 • How: Cyber chat • Objective: To educate YAs on how to serve in Chinese Ministry • Goal: Train more young leaders and provide mutual support

10. YA Mentor Program • Reason: • Mad Church Disease is REAL. Clergies, parents, and YAYAs need to be aware of that. • Solution: • Awareness: Get a copy of Mad Church Disease

11. YA Mentor Program (cont.) • One-on-one “tutoring” (Leaders Redesign) • Utilize a similar idea from an area of OT called LifeStyle Redesign • Goal: Mentors are not only responsible for raising successful leaders, but they need to provide guidance and support as well. • Plan: Each church is responsible for bringing at least one youth or young adult who has not participated in any EAM event before. The convocation is responsible for organizing a mentoring team. • Each youth/young adult is assigned a mentor. The youth/young adult is responsible for communicating with the mentor at least once every three months. Mentors can’t mentor someone from their own parishes.

12. YA Mentor Program (cont.) • Mentors are free to use what they feel are best to assist the apprentices to be leaders (e.g. books, podcasts, etc.). The objective is to encourage apprentices to explore their strengths and address their weaknesses if applicable. • Mentors and apprentices are responsible for agreeing on how they are going to communicate (e.g. phone call, email, text/video chat) • The Convocation is responsible for the evaluation and reporting process for 2011’s Leadership Gathering. • I would be an OT consultant in this program. I will communicate and provide spiritual and/or mental support for the apprentices if needed.