The following are the responsibilities of the Emergency Manager:

• all leaders must know who the EM is at each event
• the EM must know the emergency number of the area and where phones are located if they don’t have a cell phone
• must know the closest places to receive medical help and how to get there
• must be trained in first aid and CPR and know where the first aid kit is located
• must direct people in the event of a fire, earthquake, or tornado- where is everyone supposed to go and how do they get there?
• must know the total number of youth and adults at each event so they can lead a head-count in an emergency if needed
• must know which adults have medical training- doctors, nurses, EMTs, those with CPR and first aid training, etc.
• must know special medical conditions and medications taken of the youth
• has copies of all permission slips and medical release forms

In an emergency the EM:

• drops what they are doing and attends to the emergency
• assesses the situation and decides what needs to be done
• delegates tasks and directs the other students and youth
• delegates someone to call the emergency number
• stays with any injured youth or adults until medical help arrives
• has the medical release forms for any injured individuals
• appoints someone to go to the hospital with any injured individuals
• contacts the following people:
  • parents
  • then senior pastor
• makes sure the emergency site has been cleaned up if needed
• files incident and damage reports

• To prevent unhealthy relationships between volunteer leaders and students, volunteer leaders must go through a long evaluation and observation period. To learn about this process, click here.
• Volunteer leaders must also meet leader expectations to continue to volunteer with the ministry. The expectations can be found here.

• all students must turn in parental permission slips for each event
• all students must have an updated medical form on file (less than 6 mo. old) for any trips out of town or any over night events
• any medication must be turned in to the youth minister along with directions from a parent on the proper use (emergency medications such as an inhaler may stay with students but the youth minister must be informed)
• drugs, alcohol, weapons, pepper spray, or other potentially dangerous items will not be allowed
• students endangering themselves or others may be sent home- parents will be required to make arrangements to bring them home
• separate restroom, changing, and sleeping areas for males and females must be available as needed
• bring a well-stocked first aid kit for out-of-town events
• at least one adult must be trained in first aid and CPR
• leaders must know the emergency number of the area and where phones are located if they do not have a cell phone
• leaders must know the emergency plan (where will everyone go in the event of a fire? tornado?)
• at least one Emergency Manager must be along and all leaders must know to report any emergencies to the EM

• there must be at least one adult for every 20 students (but the ideal is 1 adult for every 6 or 7 students)
• a well-stocked first aid kit is available and in a convenient location
• all volunteer baristas will be trained in first aid and the youth minister and interns will be trained in CPR
• All volunteers are trained in emergency procedures when they are oriented to each site
• students and leaders must be in a public space if they are alone together
• alcohol. drugs, weapons, pepper spray, or other items deemed dangerous are not allowed on-site at any time
• students endangering themselves or others may be sent home- parents will be required to make arrangements to bring them home
• the following will not be allowed:
  • Chubby Bunny, eating of any raw meat/fish/eggs, any games where there is a reasonable risk for head injury (unless students wear helmets)
• there must be one Emergency Manager (EM) on site for any large-group event such as Friday Night at the Journey and all leaders must know to report emergencies to the EM

To find out what the youth minister is up to this Fall, click here.

The youth minister also attends all ministry events except Kingdom Works, and bible studies One, Two, and Four. To access the ministry calendar, click here.

Website

The Journey Ministries’ website will have a calendar of events and important announcements that are both updated often. This information can be accessed by both adolescents and parents at their convenience. An updated website is an important method of communication because so many people rely on the internet as their primary source of information.

The website will also offer information to volunteer and student leaders including training and meeting calendars.

E-mail

At every event, forms for new students will be available. When students fill them in, the ministry will gather their e-mail address and their family’s e-mail address. Every week a “What’s Going on at the Journey?” newsletter will be sent out to students and families with the schedule and announcements. Bible study leaders can also use e-mail to contact their group, while all leaders can use e-mail to stay in touch with individual students.

E-mail will be the primary communication method with volunteer leaders. Each week they will receive a “What’s Going on with the Journey?” newsletter along with important leader announcements and a training schedule.

Church Bulletins and Announcements

Large or significant events will be announced in the church bulletin or in church announcements. This will include events like fall kick-off, sign-up for camp or retreats, volunteer recruitment, or special events. The announcements will include the youth ministries’ website to encourage adolescents and their families to turn to the web for more consistent information.

To see a church bulletin blurb, click here.

Mailings and Fliers

Fliers are sent in the mail to adolescents and their families to announce schedules for each season and special events, like camp or retreats. At the beginning of Fall or Spring, fliers will be sent out announcing the After Class hours, when Bible Studies are offered, and the schedule of Friday Nights at the Journey. The fliers will also give sign-up information for programs like bible studies and give the web address for further information. Fliers also will be used to announce special events, such as holiday parties.

Posters

Posters announcing events and schedules at the Journey Coffeehouse will be posted at the Journey Coffeehouse, local schools, and other public areas were adolescents frequent. The posters will be updated regularly.

To see a poster example, click here.

Announcements

Announcements will be made at Friday Night at the Journey and bible studies to inform students of upcoming schedules and other important information.

Meetings

Meetings provide a way to share important information and receive feedback. To see the schedule of meetings, click here.

With student leaders: once-monthly Revolution meetings

With volunteer leaders: once-monthly volunteer leader training

With parents: once-monthly parental meeting

With church staff: once-a-week First Church staff meeting

The youth minister also has meeting time set aside each week to meet with students, parents, and leaders as needed.

missio Dei
We believe that God is working and active in all the world because he is both immanent and transcendent. Because we believe God is everywhere, we do not seek to bring people out of their lives and into our church but help them realize the ways God is already at work in their life.

the Gospel
We believe the gospel is just as much about how we live as how we die. We believe the gospel calls us to both a personal relationship with God and to build his Kingdom by loving others and living out his commands. We believe that God offers us a free gift of grace yet calls us to take up our cross and follow him. The Journey Ministries lives in this tension in the gospel. Therefore our mission calls us to seek the holistic transformation of adolescents towards Christ-likeness and commitment to building his Kingdom. We believe that a personal relationship with God can transform every part of an adolescent’s life towards Christ-likeness. We also believe that following Jesus means building his Kingdom on earth by creating communities that that embody the Kingdom.

humanity

We believe that all humans bear God’s image and therefore have intrinsic value. Therefore, we believe we need to serve the needs of all people, even non-Christians. Therefore we seek to reach the greater Madison community and serve them through the Journey Coffeehouse and Ministries. We believe that Christians should not only meet the spiritual needs of others, but the physical, mental, and emotional needs as a way of displaying God’s love for them.

The Journey Ministries are centered around the Journey Coffeehouse. The Journey Coffeehouse is simply a place to build a transformational community. Most youth ministries meet at a church but Journey chose to build community at a coffeehouse so that the community can come in contact with everyone of any age and background. Non-Christians may feel unsafe when interacting with Christians at a church so the coffeehouse is meant to be a neutral and “safe-place” for Christians and non-Christians to interact.

At the Journey the leaders act as catalysts for community. Leaders intentionally work to connect with students and connect students with each other. Leaders also work to make the community intentionally Christian and transformational. Leaders work to live out the gospel every day, giving students an example of the true Christian life. Leaders also gently challenge and question students to direct them towards spiritual growth. The leaders at the Journey Ministries must know and embody the mission of the ministry if it is to be carried out.

Through the Journey Ministries adolescents can move from being part of the larger Madison community with no commitment to Christ or a church to a deep commitment to Christ and a community of Christians.

Adolescents may contact the community by coming into the coffeehouse or coming to a Friday Night at the Journey with a friend. From there they can get involved with After Class or Homework Help and begin to build relationships with other students and leaders and become integrated into the community. Volunteer and student leaders purposefully work to create community at the coffeehouse during After Class hours and volunteer baristas are at the coffeehouse whenever it is open to support the community and members of it.

After becoming relationally tied to the community they can join a smaller community within one of the weekly bible studies. The Journey Ministries offer bible studies for both Christian and non-Christian youth. After Hours and Friday Nights at the Journey continue to offer space to build community with other adolescents and leaders.

Bible studies, retreats, camps, and relationships with leaders all seek to move students to a deeper understanding of and commitment to being a follower of Christ. Kingdom Works gives students an opportunity to regularly serve in the community and understand what it means to be a Kingdom-builder and part of God’s redemptive plan for creation. Volunteer leaders mentor students who wish for a guide to walk with them in their faith-journey.

Committed Christ-followers can join Revolution, the student leadership team, where their leadership skills will be developed and where they will get opportunities to minister to younger students within the ministry. All students who are committed Christ-followers within the Journey Ministries are encouraged to build Christian community with their non-Christian friends either by involving them in the Journey community or leading new communities of their own.

Our programs exist to build community so that our mission may be fulfilled.

Paid Staff

• One full time youth minister
• One full time administrative assistant shared with Children’s and College-age ministry
• Year-round internship program (interns work 15 hrs/week)

Volunteer Staff

• 15 committed adult volunteers
• 10 volunteer baristas (see job description here)
• 10 high school students in 11th/12th grade who volunteer with jr. high students

Leadership Training Resources

• for a list of volunteer training resources used, click here

Leadership Retreats and Training

• one student leadership training retreat per year
• one volunteer leader training retreat per year
• one volunteer leader training trip to Youth Specialties’ CORE training per year

Facility:

Journey Coffeehouse

• space in the coffeehouse for 35 with tables, 60 without tables
• coffeehouse space also has:
  • small stage
  • sound system
  • stage lights
  • games
  • CD changer
  • school supplies
  • 2 laptops for in-shop use for students with ID
• a “youth room” in the basement of the coffeehouse with room for 75
• youth room also has:
  • karaoke machine
  • movie projector and screen
  • sound system
  • tables and chairs
• youth minister’s office and small meeting space

First Church

• rooms available for reserve
• large kitchen
• sanctuary available for reserve
• meeting rooms

Finances:

• to see the budget, click here

Books/Curriculum:

• “Best-Ever Games” by Les Christie’s “
• “Jesus with Dirty Feet” by Don Everts
• “Jesus with Dirty Feet Discussion Guide” by Don Everts and Douglas Scott
• “What’s Up with Boys?” by Crystal Krigiss
• “Mirror Mirror” by Kara Powell and Kendall Payne
• “The Naked Truth” by Bill Perkins and Randy Southern
• “The Top 13 Questions about God” from Group Publishing
• “Coffeehouse Theology” by Jim Thomas
• “Blue Like Jazz” by Don Miller
• “Revolution” edited by Heather Zydek
• “Soul Shaper” by Tony Jones

Miscellaneous:

• Prizes: Journey Coffee gift certificates, candy