2006-11-13T07:59:00.000-08:00

YOUTH HOPE-BUILDERS ACADEMY
A STORY OF JOY

PREFACE

The Youth Hope-Builders Academy (YHBA) of Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) completed four years of generous funding from The Lilly Endowment, Inc., September 30, 2006. Much has been accomplished during this period that calls for exceeding joy and celebration. But, it is not simply the accomplishments of the four years to which we assign great importance. At this juncture, we are mindful of the history of the Academy–the journey that led to the formation of the Academy–as well as how the Academy has unfolded, and the vision of its future. The Friday, September 29, 2006 and Saturday, September 30, 2006 event entitled “A Festival of Hope: Youth Ministry Past, Present, and Future,” brought closure to the four-year funding period. A collage of YHBA experiences in videos and testimonies of YHBA graduates, parents, and pastors recalled the story. Guest speakers, workshops for youth, youth leaders, pastors, and parents/guardians set an agenda for the future. The pages that follow contain in written form a summary of the program description, history, and outcomes.

Before turning to the written documentation of the YHBA journey, it is important to add that efforts are being made to assure the continuation of the Academy. The ITC was invited by The Lilly Endowment, Incorporated to apply for a supplemental grant in its Theological Programs for High School Youth Supplemental Grants Initiative. The intent of this initiative is to assist seminaries currently participating in the Theological Programs for High School Youth in continuing these programs. Application for a supplemental grant of $600,000 was sent to the Endowment prior to the September 1, 2006 deadline. And, our own sustainability efforts continue unabated.

A SUMMARY OF PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The Youth Hope-Builders Academy (YHBA) of Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) began in 2002 as a follow-up to an annual youth and family convocation begun in 1994 by an ITC Christian education class. Growing from an attendance of 173 youth, family members, and church and community leaders in 1994 to more than 1,200 in 2002, the convocation laid the groundwork for more intense attention to issues confronting Black youth, strategies that empower Black youth to be leaders and make hope-bearing choices in their everyday lives, and skills and resources needed by families and congregations to foster the positive growth and development of our youth. A primary premise on which the Academy moved forward was that the issues of contemporary Black youth must not be borne by youth alone but must be cared for forthrightly within a cohesive and caring “village” that includes Black family and the extended family comprising our congregations in concert with community leaders.

Over the four-year period from 2002-2006, the annual youth and family convocations continued as a pivotal part of the Academy, with the attendance rising to nearly 2,000 youth, young adults, family members, and church and community learners. Each convocation has included the provision of a theological framework and celebration of community through a community-wide worship experience, cross-generational plenary sessions with key-note speakers, drama, or panelists designed to highlight the importance of “village” solidarity, communication, and common efforts directed toward the common good. Interactive age/stage workshops for children, teens, young adults, parents/guardians and grandparents-raising grandchildren, and church leaders focused on critical thinking and skills-building around the stated convocation theme and purposes; and talent showcases designed to affirm the gifts of our youth.

Continued interest and participation of growing numbers in the convocations have been generated by the themes and purposes of each convocation developed by an intergenerational advisory board. The convocations are summarized as follows:

“Pathways to Christian Living: Making Responsible Choices in a Challenging World” (February 15-16, 2002), sought to promote responsible living in today’s world through providing models, guides, and skills for Christian decision-making in family, church, and community. The event emphasized responsibility-taking at a time when there is growing concern about the character and values by which we live. The convocation called every family member to awareness that it is critical to make life’s choices responsibly, to build and sustain “good character” through the practices of moral values and decision-making, and to influence the choices of others for the common good.

“Keeping the Faith: Celebrating Christian Character in Hip-Hop Culture” (February 28 - March 1, 2003). This convocation highlighted the nature and impact of hip-hop culture on youth, family and community life. Attention was given to hip-hop purposes, language, values, and meanings among the generations in light of Christian identity, values, and the promotion of Christian faith-building.

“Walk the Walk, Talk the Talk: Practicing What You Preach,” (February 20-21, 2004). Through this event, participants examined everyday realities that impede and promote effective modeling of the Christian lifestyle, discussed the impact of personal behavior on self and others, explored strategies that help our Christian “walk and talk,” and targeted church and community resources that provide encouragement and assistance in times of difficulty and trouble.

“Get Radical for Christ: Praise, Prayer, and Purpose,” (February 18-19, 2005), highlighted prevalent health challenges calling for radical response and pathways to health promotion for individuals and families, with particular attention to the nature, consequences, and responses to youth peer pressure, sexual behavior, family relational conflict, and congregations as radical mediators of family and community health.

“Breaking Free: Reclaiming Our Hope: Heritage, Oneness, Personhood, Empowerment (February 10, 18, 2006), invited participants to reclaim a new sense of hope and liberation by revisiting Black history and remembering key historical leaders who were examples of hope-building for past, present, and future generations.

The activities of the Youth Hope-Builders Academy (YHBA) proceeded not simply with the convocations, but also with two additional forums for parents/guardians and church leaders, one in the fall and one in late spring, and with a summer four-week residential program for high school youth. The forums typically explore parental and youth expectations for lives of promise and highlight parenting skills and the role of the church in the lives of youth. The late spring forum functions principally both as a graduation celebration of each class of youth who complete the year-long program of the Academy and the induction of the new class.

Over the 2002 - 2006 period, a total of 192 Black high school youth (96 young men and 96 young women), grades 9-12, completed the four-week residential program and attended the convocation and forums. These youth came from 73 congregations across the denominational spectrum in urban, suburban, small town, and rural areas of Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Regarding the residential program, a different group of 48 youth (24 young men and 24 young women), was chosen each year over the past four years to live together for a month-long period at Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center in Norcross, Georgia under the guidance of a capable on-site group of 25 adults leaders and mentors. These on-site leaders included pastors, Ph.D. students, master’s level seminarians, and upper level undergraduate students. In addition, presentations have been made by seminary faculty, church and community leaders, and individuals representing a variety of vocations. Throughout each year of the residential program, the youth have engaged in the following activities.

Christian Identity and Vocation Exploration. Carried out in small groups, this activity centered on the youths’ identities as human beings, Black people, and Christians as well as their gifts and opportunities for expressing their gifts in pastoral ministry, church leadership, and other vocations. Remarkable outcomes of this exploration have been the youths’ production of dramatizations that showcase problems and solutions around identity formation, nick-names, and language found in hip-hop music and culture. The vocational exploration in small groups has always been appended by panel presentations given during field trips to the Career Planning and Placement Center at Clark Atlanta University.

Black Youth Issues Exploration. Small groups of youth engaged in open dialogue and analysis of very real everyday concerns they encounter including peer pressure, sex and sexuality, health including attention to HIV/AIDS and STDs, racism, bullying and other conflict situations; exploration of feelings about issues they face, the relationship of their experiences of difficult issues to hope, and kinds of Christian practices that respond to the issues. As in the case of Christian Identity and Vocation Exploration, the youth have continually developed skits and role-plays that reflect their understanding of issues and proposals for addressing the issues. The issues exploration group experiences have also taken on key meaning as the result of field trips to a court room and a judge’s chambers.

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Endeavors. Aimed at raising global consciousness and building Pan-African awareness and relationships, these activities, called kin-to-kin connections, brought the entire group of youth into first-hand contact with youth in Bermuda, Ghana, and South Africa via video-conferences. The activities also included in-person, on-site interaction with adult speakers and youth from Bermuda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Africa, Trinidad, Tobago, and Barbados. In addition, the youth have been taken on field trips focused on Black history and culture, including ones to the Martin Luther King Center for Social Change in Atlanta, the Civil Rights Museum and the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Atlanta, the Apex Museum in Atlanta, and the African-American Research Library. Outcomes of these endeavors have shown repeatedly that our youth need and desire to know more about their heritage and culture.
Service Learning Opportunities made possible hands-on-community service in shelters for homeless individuals and families, senior adult high-rise, nursing homes, and hospitals. For many of the youth, these experiences served as first attempts to complete part of their high school service learning requirements. But, more than this, the youth formed new awareness and sensitivities to suffering and discovered new kinships including, most particularly, a special bonding with senior adults.

Theological Reflection was led by seminary faculty, pastors, and on-site staff. Through this activity, youth were challenged to think deeply and critically about the nature and application of faith in life, and to raise as well as to receive and pose answers to faith questions. In fact, a highlight each year of the Academy has been a session in which the youth place on newsprint as many questions that come to mind about faith and life followed by answers to questions by speakers. A significant outcome is the recognition that our youth are deep thinkers; they are theologians in their own right who want opportunities to articulate in the presence of caring listeners powerful questions (e.g., How do we know there is a God? What is the color of God? Where did God come from? Why does God allow so much suffering in the world? Is there really a hell? Will someone who is raped go to hell? Is everyone who is in prison going to hell? What difference does it make if I’m a Christian or not?) Likewise, our youth want adults who will give their perspectives on the answers and help them to wrestle with the answers.

Worship and Arts Experiences. These activities exposed youth to diverse Pan-African styles of worship, provided opportunities for them to practice leadership roles in worship, and fostered religious imagination through music, liturgical dance/movement and mime, and visual arts. On-site worship was extended to include field-trips to Sunday morning worship at churches of various denominations in and beyond Atlanta, including indigenous African churches. Through the worship and arts activities, youth have affirmed or discovered their speaking, preaching, and singing voice, leadership abilities, and talent that heretofore lay dormant. In fact, a number of the youth experienced their call to ministry during the residential program and preached their first sermon during worship. Likewise, a number of youth “lost” their sense of shyness through dance and mime, and some discovered their artistic abilities while others built on these abilities as was the case with one young man who illustrated the cover of a convocation program.

Heart-to-Heart Mentoring Groups led by senior level seminary student mentors paired with upper-level undergraduate student associates provided formal and informal sacred spaces for youth to disclose and process personal experiences in and beyond the Academy, receive guidance, and develop a theological basis for meaning-making. Within these close-knit groups, youth have unburdened themselves of difficult life circumstances and experiences and found ways to move forward with courage and hope.

The youth, parents/guardians, YHBA staff and church leaders have had opportunities to testify about the impact of the Academy on them. Pre- and Post-evaluation tools completed by the youth and analyzed by a statistician showed significant positive changes in the youths’ self-perceptions and of themselves as being capable of engaging life effectively as Christians. The data across the classes show that the program enhanced their awareness of their spiritual gifts; strongly impacted their feelings of hopefulness and perceived positive behavior, attitudes, and skills needed to make a difference in the world; and it lead to the youths’ feeling more capable of making decisions in their lives and being more responsible for their actions. Twenty (20) youth have entered the Faith Journey: Partnership in Parish Ministry Formation program, an initiative of ITC through which young people are mentored as they prepare for a journey in parish ministry. YHBA graduates who have completed high school have gone on to colleges and universities such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Alabama, Alabama State, Auburn University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Clark-Atlanta University, Hampton University, Tuskegee, Fisk, Gordon College, Savannah State, Georgia Southern, Valdosta State, Georgia State, Albany State College, University of Michigan, Boston College, Paine College, Clemson University, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

During the Fall of 2005, a questionnaire was sent to the 2003 and 2004 YHBA classes. Nearly a third of the 2003 class and nearly half of the 2004 class responded to inquiries focused on the impact of the program on their lives. All of the respondents affirmed the positive influence of the various aspects of the program. In addition to their responses to Likert scale options, many wrote comments depicting the impact of the YHBA on life application. For example, from the 2003 class: “My faith grew the most and I realize that now I instill faith into my peers, friends, and family.” “The development of my leadership was strong, and I notice that I take it everywhere with me.” “I thank God for the opportunity to be part of this Academy. I truly believe that this training has allowed me to touch the lives of others in the way the Academy touched me. I just hope that someday, I can give back in the same way it gave to me.”

Class members of the 2004 class said: “Hope guides my life today because of what I learned about hope.” “YHBA gave me confidence in my ability to do things now that I was not able to do before YHBA.” “I learned more about my African heritage and I’m proud of it. The program stimulated my trip to Africa.” “I am able to be more critical and make decisions about everyday issues. With the help of YHBA, I know how to deal with them.” “YHBA helped me to help others at school and I feel more open to helping others.” “YHBA helped me know there are differences, especially because of the foreign speakers we heard and our visits to [indigenous] African churches.” “I have a wider mind-set on how to worship God.” “I learned you can use art and dance as ministry. I am now part of my church’s dance ministry.”

During the Fall of 2005, a random sample of a third of the parents/guardians of the youth in the 2003-2004 classes was surveyed to determine their perspectives on the long-term impact of the program on the youth. Comments of the parents/guardians included: “He is more helpful.” “I see a young lady who has overcome being shy. She has blossomed!” “My son is more vocal about declaring his faith.” “I have seen phenomenal change and positive awareness of self.” “The program helped to open my child’s eyes to the outside world, beyond a single-minded view.” “My son’s awareness of the needs of others and connection to the community has truly increased. He has returned to us with a more directed path. He is less concerned with what his peers think, and tries to get them to consider a new way of thinking that would be pleasing to God.” “I see major differences in my child’s ability to discern and think more carefully about choices. The YHBA program was a God-send in our lives. Our son is more aware of his responsibilities as a leader, son, and Black youth.” “My child is more involved in church and takes leadership in the youth group and other ways. I no longer have to prod him to go to church.”

Over the past four years, a dominant impact of the parents/guardians’ involvement in YHBA activities has been the increasing call of these family members for a Parents Hope-Builders Academy. This resounding call comes from what these adults describe as the challenge they experience in knowing how to parent Black teens in today’s world. They tell in clearest terms their need and desire for support and skills in parenting and guiding their youth in helpful ways. Regarding the YHBA leaders, post-evaluation tools completed by them invariably describe their experiences with the youth as life-changing; of bringing surprise and sometimes shock at the level of the needs of our youth; of calling forth or affirming their commitment to youth ministry; of having a sense that they received far more then they gave; and of being thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our youth. Responses from pastors and youth ministry leaders have also affirmed their interest in and uses or adaptation of the YHBA model. For example:

Over the past four years, the YHBA summer residential program participants have been welcomed into worship and/or social experiences in nine (9) different congregations including CME and Baptist churches in Birmingham, Alabama; a Baptist church in Mauldin, South Carolina; a Baptist church in Appling, Georgia; the Ghana Interdenominational Church in Atlanta; a Zimbabwean AME Church in Atlanta; a Baptist church in Atlanta; a Lutheran church in Atlanta; and a Presbyterian church in Atlanta.

YHBA youth are invited to share their experiences with other youth and their congregations, lead youth worship services, usher, use special gifts in church ministries such as choir, liturgical dance, and mime. Four youth have delivered sermons in their churches.

The impact of YHBA is also seen in requests from the Methodist Church in the West Indies, The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Alexandra, South Africa, the CedarBridge Academy in Bermuda, an interdenominational group in Ghana, and a group of churches in Nigeria for ongoing involvement with YHBA and adaptation of the program in their location.

In 2004, the Reedy River Baptist Church in Mauldin, South Carolina, integrated the YHBA Heart-to-Heart model in their church’s youth ministry. This church’s intention is to expand the model in the overall church school curriculum.

In 2005 and 2006, Friendship Baptist Church in Appling, Georgia held a Youth Hope-Builders Week with a series of workshops, youth and adult leaders, and a culminating worship experience.

Three primary products of the YHBA include the following:

The book, Keep It Real: Working With Today’s Black Youth, edited by the Academy’s director, Dr. Anne Streaty Wimberly, was published by Abingdon Press in 2005.

The Academy produces quarterly issues of The Hope Messenger, the YHBA newsletter. The newsletter has a readership of approximately 2,000.

Two curricula including one on Christian Identity and Vocation and the other on Black Youth Issues, will be piloted in selected congregations beginning in the Fall 2006.

A book entitled Heart2Heart is in process. Written by YHBA graduates, it is a book by youth for youth.

YOUTH HOPE BUILDERS ACADEMY