Where Will the Network Be in 5 Years

I was asked the question: What will the Network be like in 5 years? Great question! My answer: "I don't Know." Only God knows. And the Holy Spirit will take the Network where it goes.

But I have dreams, visions and ideas. I know what I want it to look like. So here are my thoughts on what the Network would look like in September of 2012, if I could draw the blueprint. These ar not in any particular order:

There would be 2000 paying members of what is a "guild" of youth and family ministry professionals and volunteers. These people would be from a vast and diverse collection of congregations. Urban, surburban and rural.

• The Network would be the proactive element in determining goals, strategies and resources for effective youth and family minstries. We would be in partnership with resource providers, but the practitioners would set the agenda. Qualititaively, members of the Network would be eqipped to determine their own needs and the resource providers would work to provide materials to meet those needs. This represents a significant shift in how resourcing happens.


• The Extravaganza would remain the Network's primary product, and actually would grow in importance. It would continue to bring the best in educational resources and make them available affordably. It's role as the central Networking and gathering place would grow as the number of participants grow.


• A community of mutually supportive, caring colleagues will exist that provides support and mutual resourcing will grow.


• Lively discussion and theological reflection will be triggered by paper and online issues of "Connect."


• Every year, 200-250 leaders from a variety of congregational settings will participate in dynamic online training opportunities that will include theological training as well as practical "how to" information.


• This culture of inquiry and learning will increase the flow of congregatinoal leaders seeking advanced, degree oriented training in our seminaries.


• Likewise, the number of people entering into ELCA candidacy will increase as Network training programs are recognized as fulfilling educational requirements for candidacy.


• The Network will become the primary delivery system for new research and acadeic thinking, as it is interpreted for the practitioner.


• A web of Networks across our church will form, and existing Networks will be strengthened as a stronger sense of belonging is fostered.


• Local and regional training events that supplement and interpret the work of the Extravaganza will happen throughout the year.


• A thematic focus will be developed each year. This theme would be introduced and interpreted at the Extravaganza, and supporting materials (content and publication/marketing) will be produced and distuibuted through the website and through Connect. This theme and its associated materials would be "given away" to congregations to use as themes for retreats, camps, confirmation programs, year-long themes for sr high or jr high ministry and for Bible studies. Synods could use this theme and its related materials for their youth gatherings and other events.


• Youth and family ministry volunteers will seek to meet and maintain minimum professional standards. Every year these standards will be affirmed as best practices for individuals at the Extravaganza.


• The Network, primarily through the Extravaganza, will become the common gathering for other Networks that related to youth and family ministry. This would include (but is not limited to) colleges with Y&F majors, the ELCA seminaries, network built around ministry form (urban, suburban and rural), outdoor ministries, parachurch organizations, resource providers, the SYMBOL Network and others.

Is this vision comprehensive? No. Is it all destined to be? Doubtful. God's Holy Spirit, I believe may have different dreams, and perhaps much larger dreams.

More to come...