Mark Devries writes "Every church I looked at was using one of three distinct models. I haven't seen a youth program yet that doesn't fit into one of these three categories . . . Either of the first two can be quite effective. The third is the model used by the majority of churches and almost always results in a sense of frustration and failure."
1. Fortune 500 / Wal-Mart approach
-This ministry does everything well. It has many staff members, and costs $1K-2K annually per student.
2. The Starbucks approach [Remember that Devries is writing in the 90's: since then Starbucks has diversified]
-This ministry does one thing well: choir, youth meetings, Bible studies, missions. They focus on that one thing.
3. Comparative confusion / Going out of business sale
Tries to do everything like the fortune 500 approach, but places demands on the youth ministry that are not realistic for the church's budget. Perpetual frustration and failure ensues. The standard is what other churches are doing.
He goes on to mention a youth minister who says that frustration comes from people saying "You are doing a great job with our kids" as if it is the minister's job to raise the children. This minister wasn't even overwhelmed with the "adminis-trivia;" it was the parent's attitude that was difficult.
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