Back to the Basics Inventory
For all Young Life Clubs and Ministries
Back to the Basics is intended to help define, discover and remember the principles and models that enable us to develop ministry that affects the culture of a school in such a manner that Dynamic Presence* is achieved for the long haul. The purpose is to focus on principles that, when applied well, enhance longevity and bring health and growth to ministry. Our desire is to experience the Holy Spirit producing growth.
“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” Mark 4: 26-29 (NIV)
*Dynamic Presence refers to a ministry that is bearing tangible fruit in changed lives of kidsin a community over the course of time.
Note: Back to the Basics is a quality assessment tool, not a quantity assessment tool. However, one of the results of a quality ministry is that it usually tends to grow naturally as others are attracted to it. Different ministry settings and types demand different expectations in this regard. This is certainly true for specialty ministries and ministries in urban areas or small towns. Therefore, we have left question #16 blank for your regional director to fill in so the bar that is set inspires and encourages your particular ministry.
Directions
- The team meets together twice a year, at the beginning of the year and again at the mid-year point, to inventory their ministry and consider action steps for greater fruitfulness during the coming semester.
Note: this is not a personal evaluation; it is a ministry assessment tool. Therefore, the team should complete this assessment together as a group. For an effective inventory, it is important that each member of the team is honest and feels heard in the process.
- The team identifies one opportunity for growth based on the minimum factor score from the eight ministry aspects inventoried.
- The area director meets with each team leader following their inventory to agree on a plan for training, involvement and accountability toward the minimum factor growth opportunity and action steps set by the team.
- The area director trains and coaches the team leader and team to succeed in these action steps.
Eight Ministry Aspects and Principles to Assess:
Aspect:Principle:
I. Christ: Vibrant Personal Faith
- Leadership:Empowering Leadership
- Team: Team-based Ministry
- Contact Work:Incarnational Evangelism
- Relationships:Authentic Relationships
- Club/Camp:Transforming Proclamation
- Campaigners/Discipleship:Life-on-Life Discipleship
- Support Systems:Effective Organization
Instructions for Regional Directors
Question 16deals with the percentage of kids in a given school who attend club. Rather than setting one mission standard, we thought it best to allow each regional director to establish their own standard for what “dynamic presence” looks like based on the unique dynamics of the ministries involved. As noted above, the intent is to set a standard that inspires and encourages. So please select a number and fill in the blank space in this question for your teams to use.
Dynamic Presence is achieved by an average score of “3” on the scale.
Not Experiencing Dynamic Presence1 / Experiencing Some Dynamic Presence
2 / Dynamic Presence
Achieved
3 / Exceeds Dynamic Presence
4
Significant improvement
is needed in basic ministry aspects / Accomplishes some,
but not all,
basic ministry aspects / Accomplishes all basic ministry aspects quite well / Extraordinary and exceptional performance
Team Profile
Only needs to be filled out by team leader with a copy shared with area director.
1
Version 1.1 / Sep 06
Current Date:
Name of Club:
School(s) involved:
Total Enrollment of schools involved:
Team Leader’s Name:
Years Leading this Team:
Names of all Leaders and years on this team:
Leader Years
Leader Years
Leader Years
Leader Years
Leader Years
Leader Years
Leader Years
Leader Years
Years Club has been in existence:
Area Director’s Name:
Area Name and Number:
1
Version 1.1 / Sep 06
I. Christ (Vibrant Personal Faith)
We are Christ-centered leaders who communicate Christ both verbally and nonverbally all the time. Leaders who have a vibrant personal faith illustrate the principle that a healthy, growing, Spirit-led ministry comes out of a person’s life and is dependant upon the depth of his or her relationship with Christ.
“I am the real vine; my father is the vine-dresser. He removes any of my branches which is not bearing fruit and he prunes every branch that does bear fruit to increase its yield. Now, you have already been pruned by my words. You must go on growing in me and I will grow in you. For just as the branch cannot bear any fruit unless it shares the life of the vine, so you can produce nothing unless you go on growing in me. I am the vine itself, you are the branches. It is the man who shares my life and whose life I share who proves fruitful. For apart from me you can do nothing at all.” John 15:1-5 (JBP)
1. Leaders are actively pursuing spiritual growth and fellowship.
The team is filled with individuals who are growing spiritually, people of the Word and prayer, faithfully attend church and are involved in accountability relationships for health and growth.
4 = Leaders are godly men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit and committed to accountable relationships
3 = Solid maturity shown by almost every team member and they practice healthy fellowship
2 = Some leaders are showing maturity, pursuing Christ and involved in fellowship
1 = As a team we are struggling with spiritual maturity and finding meaningful fellowship
Score:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (Today’s NIV)
2. Leaders live a life in Christ that enables them to easily adhere to Young Life’s Faith and Conduct policy and as a team they encourage each other.
4 = All leaders on team fit this description
3 = Most leaders fit this description
2 = Some leaders fit this description
1 = One or more leaders are struggling in Christ and are having difficulty living out a requirement of the YoungLife Faith and Conduct policy. The team dynamics are less than encouraging.
Score:
II. Leadership (Empowering Leadership)
For more than 65 years, men and women in Young Life have been called leaders.Empowering leaders lead ministry and maximize other team members by supporting them, recognizing their potential and coaching them to become who Christ made them to be.
From Him [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)
3. Leaders are using gifts and growing in their abilities to lead others.
Team leader meets with individual team members monthly, utilizes each person’s gifts and gives consistentfeedback as they observe leaders in their various roles.
4 = Team leader meets consistently with each leader and all are growing in their gifts and abilities
3 = Team leader meets with most leaders and they are experiencing growth
2 = Team leader does some personal training and leaders learn from the experience
1 = Team leader does not meet with individuals and leaders are not growing
Score:
4. Leaders feel set up to succeed.
Team leader delegates responsibilities with clear expectations, timelines, feedback and the necessary training to succeed.
4 = All responsibilities clearly delegated with necessary training provided and feedback given afterward
3 = Most responsibilities clearly delegated with necessary training provided and feedback given afterward
2 = Team leader delegates but with little training or follow through
1 = Team leader never delegates or, if so, assignments are rarely understood
Score:
III. Team (Team-based Ministry)
Team-based ministry maintains the health and growth of the ministry by encouraging the unique combination of gifts, skills and abilities of every member and maximizing them to the greatest possible extent.
“I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples. John 13:34-35 (Jerusalem Bible)
5. Team meets regularly to pray, share, encourage and do necessary business.
Team meetings occur regularly where leaders share their ministry and lives and pray together for an extended time, as well as plan and make decisions to enable excellence in all aspects of the ministry.
4 = This happens on a weekly basis, with additional meetings as needed
3 = This happens on a weekly basis, but we sometimes feel rushed
2 = This happens less than weekly
1 = This happens rarely so that we feel out of synch
Score:
6. Team has and executes a prayer strategy (i.e., yearbook, contact work journal, club list, year-round camp prayer strategy, adult prayer support, etc.).
The team as a whole, and individually, carries out a plan for daily personal prayer in which they and adult prayer supporters intercede for kids by name.
4 = All leaders pray for kids daily and enlist others to do the same
3 = Almost all leaders do this faithfully; the team and adult supporters pray for kids systematically
2 = Some of these elements are in place
1 = Neither the team, nor adult supporters pray regularly for kids
Score:
7. To sustain ministry and foster smooth leadership transitions, the whole team actively identifies potential new leaders to reach kids and owns the recruitment process.
4 = Leaders have recruited several new leaders each year and make nearly seamless transitions
3 = Most leaders actively partner with the staff in the recruitment process and assist with smooth transitions
2 = Some leaders work to identify potential new leaders
1 = Leaders do not help in identifying new leaders
Score:
8. Adult or Parent Support Team (PST) meets, prays and works with leaders and adults monthly.
Leaders and PST meet monthly and work together to engage the community through prayer, activities and relationships with parents of kids, teachers, coaches and community administrators.
4 = Leaders and PST meet each month and are seeing expanded influence for Young Life
3 = Leaders and PST meet each month and the community is supportive of Young Life
2 = Leaders and PST meet somewhat regularly and have great relationships in the community
1 = Leaders and PST either meet sporadically, or we don’t have a PST established
Score:
9. The team represents the ethnic demographics of the school or community.
4 = Team mirrors, identifies and reaches the ethnic demographic of the school
3 = Team mirrors the ethnic demographics of the school or community
2 = Team has some has some ethnic diversity complementary to the school or community
1 = Team is homogenous and does not reflect the ethnic make-up of the school or community
Score:
IV. Contact Work (Incarnational Evangelism)
Leaders “win the right to be heard” by going to kids and contacting them on their turf. Leaders go to where lost kids are and build friendships with them. We are not limited to contact work only with the kids at our meetings.
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” John 1:14 (the Message)
10. Leaders’ lives reflect the attitudes of missionaries in their school communities.
Leaders live out missionary lifestyles as modeled by Paul: “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our very lives as well.” I Thes. 2:8
4 = All leaders live as missionaries in their community
3 = Almost all leaders embrace and live out this missionary mentality
2 = A few of the leaders live out this missionary mentality
1 = Leaders, for the most part, just come to meetings and don’t engage relationally with kids
Score:
11. Leaders implement a strategy to meet new kids all year long that includes spending time with non-Campaigner kids, some of whom don’t come to club.
Each leader has a contact work strategy that is connected to a non-club group of kids
4 = Every leader is implementing a strategy and is meeting a large number of new kids
3 = Almost every leader is implementing a strategy that impacts a number of new kids
2 = Some leaders are implementing a strategy and meeting new kids
1 = Leaders do not have a strategy in place and are not meeting new kids
Score:
12. Leaders are doing creative and effective contact work multiple times every week.
Every leader is going to where kids are to be with them two or more times a week outside of meetings, and is successfully progressing relationships with kids along the levels of contact work: seeing, talking and doing.
4 = All leaders are doing this
3 = Most leaders are doing this
2 = A few leaders are doing this
1 = Most leaders are doing this once a week or less
Score:
13. Leaders are equipped and are personally sharing the Gospel with kids.
Leaders know how to explain the Gospel to an individual kid in clear and compelling terms and are doing it.
4 = Leaders implement a strategy for meeting with individual kids regularly to share the gospel, and kids are responding
3 = Leaders regularly meet with individual kids to do this
2 = Leaders occasionally meet with individual kids to do this
1 = Leaders are not doing this
Score:
V. Relationships (Authentic Relationships)
Leaders live out the principle that relationships with people are more important than the program. People are the program and our friendships with them display this in the way we treat them and the time we spend with them.
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:12-14 (NIV)
14. Leaders love kids in an authentic way that goes beyond ministry structures.
Kids know that their leader cares beyond participation in ministry events. This is shown by the longevity of the relationship.
4 = Leaders care in a way that is life changing to kids. Relationships continue beyond middle or high school.
3 = Leaders know what is going on in the kids’ lives and are always available
2 = Leaders know some of what is going on and are available when called upon
1 = Leaders only care for kids at ministry events
Score:
15. Team is living out Jesus’ command in John 13:34-35.
Team is committed to loving, authentic and trusting relationships, despite conflict or disagreement. Team lives thisout with each other and with Campaigner kids.
4 = Team does practically everything together and truly enjoys one another. Conflict is dealt with quickly and appropriately.
3 = Team cares and spends time together outside of ministry events. Conflict usually handled responsibly.
2 = Team sometimes spends time together outside of ministry events. Conflict occasionally an issue.
1 = Team rarely spends time together outside of ministry events. Hidden agendas and gossip are problems.
Score:
VI. Club/Camp (Transforming Proclamation)
“It’s a sin to bore a kid with the Gospel.” The proclamation ministry principles in Young life are based upon the desire to share the Gospel in a group or camp setting with lost kids with whom leaders and Campaigners have built relationships. The verbal and non-verbal proclamation of the Gospel is expressed in the lives of people who are transformed themselves.
A. Club
“When he re-entered Capernaum some days later, a rumor spread that he was in somebody’s house. Such a large crowd collected that while he was giving them his message it was impossible to even get near the doorway.” Mark 2:1-2 (JBP)
16. A growing percent of the school regularly attends club.
Club is a dominant force and represents the largest gathering of kids in the school.
4 = Club is percent of the school or more than 10 percent bigger than last year
3 = Club ispercent of the school or 7 percent bigger than last year
2 = Club ispercent of the school or 5 percent bigger than last year
1 = Club is not approaching Dynamic Presence and has seen little or no increase from last year
Score:
17. Club represents the ethnic demographics of the school or community.
4 = Club mirrors, identifies and reaches the ethnic demographic of the school every week