"I am called and gifted by God to be a difference maker in my world to His glory!"
Given the reality of today's culture, the challenges of ministry today will only be addressed by those individuals and spiritual communities who are willing to risk dreaming and acting on God-sized dreams. At Re/New Ministry (formally, the Youth Leadership Institute of the Haggard School of Theology (Azusa Pacific University), that is our mission. We dream of how God can release an emerging generation for effective Kingdom Ministry today. The opportunities are endless. The fields are "white unto harvest". The only question that needs to be addressed is "who will lead the ministries that will impact this new generation for Jesus Christ?" We are committed to equipping, enabling, and encouraging young people to passionately pursue that goal through being difference makers in their world to the glory of God! The Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) pioneers new paradigms of high school student leadership development, oversees a mentoring process which further equips and encourages students as they grow to be "difference makers" for the Kingdom, and trains and mentors current youth worker in the field through ministry partnerships and cooperation. The institute also seeks to encourage emerging student leaders to fulfill God's call to them as Christian leaders whether in vocational or marketplace service. We believe with all our heart...in fact, it is our ministry passion to equip students to embrace the following: "I am called and gifted by God to be a difference maker in my world to His glory" The Youth Leadership Institute engages youth in theological reflection; stimulates their spiritual development and maturity in Jesus; and encourages and equips them for full devotion to Christian ministry.
What Re/New does:
Given the passions, giftedness, and callings of the members of our community, Re/New Ministries engages in the following missional activities. Each is a distinct Division of Re/New:
1. Re/New Faith Community - Weekly community gatherings which include worship experiences, teaching, biblical study/reflection, spiritual exercises, sharing life in community, etc. Bi-Weekly Worship Gatherings in the Eagle/Meridian area – many of the members of our community are passionate about worship gatherings and have specific gifts in that arena. Our community’s desire is to offer a specific “missional” understanding of worship to the Eagle/Meridian community that would explore different forms of worship, interactive teaching and a call to a lifestyle of Christ-following NOT institutional involvement.
2. Re/New Partnerships - Youth Ministry in partnership with The Landing Teen Center and Young Life – this type of ministry is on the heart of most of our members. One glaring need in our community of Eagle is for intentionality in ministry to Junior High students. All the communities listed above feel a calling to form a coalition/partnership for the specified work of Junior High ministry. This alliance will take form in the fall of 2006 with activities beginning in the same time period. Alliances with our faith communities in missional activities in the Eagle area – one of the realities of Kingdom living is alliances and partnerships with other communities seeking to live life faithfully in a “life manner” as we have chosen. Currently, two other faith communities are in partnership with ours for the purpose of fellowship, support, mutual sharing of “resources” and missional callings. We anticipate this partnership to continue and to deepen during the coming year.
3. Youth Leadership Institute - Re/New Training - Ministry within the context of the former Youth Leadership Institute – YLI was the seed organization to this ministry. Most of our lives have been changed and challenged by the work of YLI in our midst. We will continue to explore in community how the YLI mission and strategy will be supported through our community’s commitment and love for Kingdom work during the coming years. 2007 will be a critical year in the life flow of Re/New as an organization. In addition, as Re/New continues to partner with Allelon in a new Internship venture, our ministry will be supporting interns this year by including them in the life flow of our community’s life and mission.
4. Youth Leadership Institute - Re/New Missional Order of Revolutionaries - This Order is a voluntary, self-perpetuating organization consisting of a of community of emerging Christ-followers who choose, for themselves, to live missionally and incarnationally through a commitment to the Vows, Principles and Practices of the Order. The Order is established through the context of the mission of the Youth Leadership Institute. The Order calls its adherents to enter the following engagements (oblations) as a way of life:
* God-centered life (from self to a theocentric life).
* A community of relationships which recognize the church as the living and organic body of Christ rather than a gathering of individuals or an institution.
* Living incarnationally in and for the neighborhoods, communities, campuses, networks and world in which they live.
* To orient oneself around the promise of spiritual formation and development
* Those choosing to join the Order agree to live out of the Vows, Principles and Practices of the Order.
5. Re/New Adventure – Re/New Ministries is committed to creative strategies and initiatives that further the goals and purposes of our organization. One such strategy includes experiences in the wilderness and what is commonly called, “adventure sports” (e.g. skiing, mountain climbing, backpacking, rock-climbing, etc.). These initiatives are designed to further the relational, spiritual and community building goals of Re/New.
