ADVENTIST YOUNG

ADULTS MINISTRIES
(AYAM)
ADMINISTRATIVE
MANUAL
ONGATA RONGAI SEVENTH-DAY
ADVENTIST CHURCH.
ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS
MINISTRIES.

INTRODUCTION

WHY YOUNG ADULTS MINISTRY?

"Young adults are adults, and thus they need to be
treated as such."

The purpose of ministry to Young adults is to help them see that they ARE
the church and to help them come to a place of ministry. As we move
towards recognizing that each stage of life comes with its own ministry
challenges, we also understand better the need for an intergenerational
church community. In a truly intergenerational community, people of all ages
are valued and respected for what they have to bring, and each person is
given the opportunity to interact with and learn from people at different

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points in their lives. At its best, Young adults ministry is one piece of this
puzzle.
Those who minister to and with Young adults should seek, ultimately, to
create church communities that value the young adults and the young adult
experience in our society.

These church communities would welcome young adults, recognize their

gifts and talents, uphold their experience, and offer opportunities for
personal and spiritual (faith) development in the caring embrace of a
congregation. These church communities would simultaneously recognize
the validity of the experiences that young adults bring to their congregation
and provide more experienced mentors to them as they pursue journeys of
independence and maturity. It’s a fine balance, but one that must be held.

A congregation that drives its young adults away from among them is, to be
frank, doing something wrong. While not all church communities have young
adult populations—we just can’t afford to assume that they will adequately
integrate and adjust as expected. Our church congregations are nurturing
places where any social group of individuals who are members of the
Seventh-day Adventist church identity can establish themselves, take hold
and thrive. This identity- transcending personal opinions of what somebody
should be doing because of their age- creates people who are committed to
the principles of free religion, liberty of conscience being key amongst them.
Young adults have a lot to bring to our church congregations, and we
shouldn’t be reticent (unwilling) to love them where they are, accept them as
they are and claim those gifts God has bestowed upon them for the service
of the church.
Every church community needs a constant supply of fresh ideas and energy,
lest it stagnate, dwindle, and eventually disappear. This is one such idea.
Healthy congregations need new families, new passions, new skills, and new
members. Our churches need to be challenged to live up to our call to justice
and equity in society, and to walk the talk of openness and inclusivity.
Accepting the reality of young adults can help bring these things to our
congregation.
So let’s open our eyes, ears, minds, hearts and doors. Welcome those Young
adults. Weave their beautiful, colorful lives into the rich tapestry of our
congregations. In doing so, we will be taking a necessary step to creating a
true intergenerational church community—and towards a whole church that
embraces each step along the journey of life.

Since its inception, the Seventh-day Adventist Youth Ministry Department

has served the youth through various levels; namely, Adventurer Club for 6 -
9 years old; Pathfinder Club for 10 - 15 years old; ambassadors club for 16-
21and Senior Youth/Young Adults for21- 31+ years old.

However, just as divisions noted that the young people who complete the
Pathfinder requirements were left without a program that met their needs,
they did not want to leave the pathfinder club, but at the same time they did

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not feel old enough to associate themselves with the Senior Youth. This led
to the creation of the ambassadors club. The same phenomenon is
replicating itself for the ambassadors club members who are starting to feel
out of place in the club but don’t feel old enough to associate with the Senior
Youth. The young adults in the senior youth who also feel out of place in that
club and also don’t feel old enough to associate themselves with AMO and
Women Ministries because of their “young” status are an obstacle to the
uncomfortable ambassadors in joining the Senior Youth Club .In the absence
of
an established program/level for the Young Adults to function in, the
stalemate continues.

The Adventist Young Adults Ministries (AYAM) seeks to create the needed
space for the young adults and leave space for the ambassadors to graduate
into the senior youth club.
Today you are holding in your hands the outcome of action by Young Adults
to provide a solution to a real problem in our church congregation.
Please note that the proposed Adventist Young Adults Ministries club (AYAM)
is not intended to replace the AYS, but instead, will strengthen the current
Senior Youth Ministry of our Church. This new level will provide a structured
and organized way for 27+ years olds to become actively involved in their
church without the shame of the stigma associated with their sort, both
locally and otherwise.
It’s intended that the Adventist Young Adults Ministries should not be under
the AYS umbrella, but should exist as a special population group like the
Annah family. This is a pioneering move that should be encouraged and
supported by the church.

Great appreciation goes to all individuals that have contributed to the

material in this manual.

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 CHAPTER 1
The Club

MEMBERSHI P

Any young and/or single adult aged approximately between 27-38 years who
chooses to live by the principles and guidelines of the Seventh-day Adventist
Church.
For definition purposes, the Young Adult Ministries defines a young and/or
single adult as adults, approximately ages 27 or older who happen to be
UNMARRIED BY CHANCE, CHANGE OR CHOICE, whether theirs or
someone else's. They fall into one or more of the following general
categories:
1) Never married
2) Young widow/widower
3) Single parent
4) Newly weds

This club’s focus is primarily for those within the Young Adult category; age
limit is left more open because in many areas there are young people in their

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mid 20’s and late 30’s that would very much enjoy the benefits of
membership in this club.

Types of membership

There are three categories of membership in the AYAM Club.

Regular Members:
Young and/or single adults as defined above who are members of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church in good and regular standing and who desire
to engage in active service for Christ may enroll as regular members.

Associate Members:
Young and/or single adults who are not members of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, but who have Christian ideals and desire to be associated
with the young adults of the church in their aims should be accepted as
associate members. Associate members may not hold office, but they should
be cordially received into the AYAM Club and encouraged to become regular
members as soon as possible.

Honorary Members.
Adult members of the church who support the AYAM may enroll as honorary
members. Many persons don’t meet the description above but would like to
attend AYAM Club meetings and participate in whatever way possible.
Whenever it may seem advisable, they should receive
an honorary membership card. Their membership is not included in the
secretary’s report.

IDENTIFYING EMBLEM

AYAM
LIVING FOR CHRIST
Jesus’ sacrifice is the source of our Christian experience with Him. The red is
symbolic of His sacrifice, giving us hope of a new and better life now and in the
future; both here on earth, and an earth made new at His return. The burning flame
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is a symbol of our active, living and committed relationship with Him based in our
faith, knowledge, and lifestyle, since He is the light of the world, and once we
accept Him as Lord and savior, we also become light to the world; a lamp that has
been lit and must shine its light for all to see in this dark world.

AIM AND MOTTO

Living for Christ
Reaching and empowering young and single adults to create a Christ-
centered safe space for fellowship, nurture and service in sharing The Advent
Message To All the World in Our Generation, in a world that’s in rebellion to
God.

The Future Is Now

The promises of Jesus Christ for our lives are applicable in our lives now, in
His presently existing Kingdom. We should claim them and live by them
because it’s in them we find our strength. We can count on the faithfulness
of Jesus Christ to keep His promises.

MI S SION STAT EME N T

The Ongata Rongai SDA Church-Main, Adventist Young Adults Ministry
(AYAM) will address the social, spiritual, physical, mental and other needs of
Young Adults and Singles while producing a stronger sense of community
within the church. AYAM will seek to empower Young Adults and/or Singles
through opportunities for in-reach, outreach and up-reach that enhance
unity, evangelism and spiritual growth in the church.

PHI LOSOPHY
The Ongata Rongai Seventh-day Adventist Church-Main, is committed to
understanding and meeting the needs of all its members in preparation for
eternity.
Considering its diverse membership, the Adventist Young Adults Ministries is
a new existing need that has arisen.
It is not an extension of the Senior Youth Club or as some might envision—
out of place Senior Youth who are unable to marry or are slow learners.
It does not follow the same programmatic format as that of the AYS nor have
other external similarities.
It does not use the same emblems, tokens and other devices as used by the
AYS Club except as individual members of the Adventist Young Adults
Ministries (AYAM) may choose to get involved in AYS activities such as their
choir.
The Adventist Young Adults Ministries (AYAM) exists primarily in its
uniqueness as a safe Christ-space and a crossing bridge into adulthood
responsibilities and marriage preparation for its members. It provides
members with an organized structured system that will promote active
involvement of its membership in their church (local and otherwise) as well
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as in their community while providing them with opportunities to discover
and nurture themselves in ways they never knew before.

Fairly or unfairly, the church will view the purpose of the AYAM as a place to
meet, mingle and marry. Such a reputation and culture would only attract
socially confident members. Such a culture can intimidate and turn away the
very members who are falling away from the church-the Young and Single
Adults-who often lack confidence, or don’t share that purpose.
If all AYAM needs to do is to get its members married, then it stands to
reason that all we need to do is support a series of get together activities
that encourage dating, courtship and marriage.

On the other hand, if our young and/or single adults are also struggling with
testimony, serious moral issues and problems, lack of life and social skills,
serious depression and anxiety and/or effects of abuse (trauma), then it’s
obvious that the Adventist Young Adults Ministries (AYAM) is much more than
a dating service, and more of a Spiritual Hospital.
If we ensure that the purpose of the Adventist Young Adults Ministries
(AYAM) is known by all as providing all AYAM members unique opportunities
for growth, leadership and service in the Kingdom of God through reaching
and empowering young and/or single adults to create Christ-centred safe
spaces for fellowship, nurture and service, as a place where they will come to
love the Lord and love serving Him, we will attract more AYAM members into
full activity and more of them would marry, since not being married would
seem like their standing out “tattoo” of identification-not their spirituality.

The particular specific agendas and focus of the club will be determined by
the membership in addressing their felt needs, working in consultation with
the church administration seeking to ensure that the overall mission of both
the Church and the club is not placed in jeopardy.

The main focus selected may vary during any given programmatic year, or
may develop over several years based on cycles of leadership, training, or
may function concurrently based on felt, arising and identified group needs.

Thus a yearly calendar of events may include these among others as the
foundation for programming:
1. Leadership development
2. Community outreach
3. Spiritual development through traditional and innovative methods
4. Lifestyle vocational/career development through multi-vocational training
5. Friendship skills development through specifically focused socials and pre-
marriage seminars
6. Character and personality development/self-awareness
7. Life enrichment and personal development and growth
8. Recreational activities and interactions with nature
9. Exposure though external camps, outings and trips

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10. Life skills, entrepreneurial skills and community participatory skills
OB J E C T I V E S
Marriage provides a seriously needed support and structure for young and/or
single adults. Delayed marriage prolongs the period in their lives when they
are most vulnerable to the worldly temptations of drugs and substance
abuse, pornography, easily available, accessible and acceptable pre-marital
sex and many others. But it’s unrealistic to expect everybody to fall
uniformly in love and marry before age 25.
There has always been a distribution around the mean age of marriage, and
our society must accept that this age has shifted and more people are
getting married later for various and varied reasons. It’s advised and
preferred that people marry sooner than later, but what happens to those
who will marry later? How does our church view them? What has the church
done to them?
The challenges of the young and/or single adults face are serious but not
insurmountable. We believe that through study, faith,, prayer, hard work,
counselling together and teaching each other, we can all learn how to better
help ourselves, draw closer to God and find lifetime companions. We will also
find joy and peace as we build the Kingdom of our Father together.

The following objectives can be, must be, and will be achieved as Ministry
leaders explore and develop their focus and programs based on the above
foundations.
1. Integrate, nurture and support young and/or single adults in the church
community;
2. Dispel misperceptions about single and/or young adults in the church;
3. Address unique needs and interests of young and/or single adults in
and out of the church;
4. Promote the role of young and/or single adults in helping to build the
church by attending, giving, serving and bringing people to Christ;
5. Provide a structure/forum/vehicle to more fully reach the young and/or
single adults in the Church and the wider community;
6. Enhance spiritual growth among young and/or single adults;
7. Empower young and/or single adults with life skills that enhance total
health (physical, spiritual, social, emotional, financial and mental);
8. Help young and/or single adults accept their young adult and single
status;
9. Better prepare singles for successful marriage where applicable;
10. Provide a setting for social interaction and development of
friendships among young and/or single persons within and without the
church;
11. Provide opportunities for involvement of young and/or single
adults in outreach including service and evangelistic activity;
12. Promote greater awareness and understanding of young and/or
single adults within the church;
13. Enhance the sense of belonging within the church community;

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 14. Be mentors and a good example to the AYS and Ambassadors
Club.

CHAPTER 2

Understanding the Young Adult

Every group in the church has unique needs and gifts...children, youth, men,
women, the married etc. Young adults are no exception.

Let's define the term "Young adult." We are referring to adults,

approximately ages 27 or older who happen to be UNMARRIED BY
CHANCE, CHANGE OR CHOICE, whether theirs or someone else's. They fall
into one or more of the following general categories:
1) Never married
2) Young widow/widower
3) Single parent
4) Newly weds

They are also relatively new at the business of being an adult;

a. They are within the 27 to 37 year age bracket and there about;
b. They are self-supporting having left home or school permanently;
c. They feel over-grown for the AYS and under-grown for the AMO or Women
ministries.
The young and/or single adult represents many things to different people.
S/he is a person in transition. If they joined the AMO, they would feel like the
small brother among fathers. If they joined the Women Ministries, they would
feel like the single sister among mothers. They have learned many lessons
from the parents, school and community. They still have many problems to
overcome. The hurdles of the young and/or single adults include:
1. Leaving home and achieving freedom from parental authority;
2. Leaving youth patterns and learning the task and role of adulthood;
3. Forming new relationships and finding a sense belonging;
4. Realizing the freedom to examine, to evaluate, and to decide;
5. Learning the meaning of existence and determining one's destiny in life
goals;
6. Making decisions as to styles or patterns of life: middle class standards,
organization man,
sophistication, etc;
7. Choosing or changing one's vocation;

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8. Achieving economic independence and determining the use of one's
material resources;
9. Finding a mate, marriage, and parenthood, or adjusting to singleness;
10. Achieving sexual maturity and learning one's sex role;
11. Making moral decisions based on religious beliefs and experiences;
12. Searching for meaningful beliefs and experiences;
13. Finding one's place in the church and participating in its mission;
14. Assuming responsibility for developing and maintaining world
community;
15. Learning to accept oneself where one is at a particular moment in life;
16. Finding life meaningful and having a sense of purpose or destiny.

This group exists all around us in unknown numbers and they do have needs
and issues of their young and unmarried life. It is time, even PAST TIME that
the church became aware and involved with them in an open and official
capacity. We need to develop a mentality of acceptance, wholeness and
MINISTRY TO, FOR AND THROUGH this ever-increasing segment of society. It
is time for the church to think new thoughts...to be bold and
creative as it reaches out to an increasingly "non-nuclear family
community.”
UNDERSTANDING THE NEED

We now consider the need to minister to/with these young adults from at
least five perspectives.

THE EDUCATIONAL NEED

Young and married adults have the same spiritual needs and issues and
need teaching and discussion opportunities regarding them. (salvation,
commitment, prayer, discipline, Holy Spirit etc) Young unmarried adults,
however, also have unique challenges that deserve teaching and discussion
opportunities. Some of these include:
-Identity as a single adult/Identity as a young adult
-Dating/dating again
-Sexuality
-Managing money as a young and/or single adult
-Career direction
-Relating to parents
-Grief recovery
-Loneliness
-Single Parenting
-The blended family
-Marital education
-Issues of marital separation
-Re-marital education
-Divorce recovery
-Dealing with change
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 -Forgiveness (self & former spouse)
-Others
Unless a church has an ongoing ministry to young adults, these and other
relevant topics are not usually addressed from a young adult
perspective. A Young Adults Ministry would be the ideal setting for these
topics to be taught and discussed in detail and clarity. Occasional
classes/workshops sponsored by one or several churches could also be
offered to address specific topics to enrich the lives and knowledge of this
population.

THE EMOTIONAL NEED

Some people might ask, “do we need a specific class or group for Young
adults? Can't/won't they be a part of our church's adult classes?” Most young
adults feel like a fifth wheel in these classes since they are comprised mainly
of married adults. Unless a church is intentional about designing classes for
young adults, or the class is led by a young adult, the subject matter,
illustrations and discussions relate more to married adults than young adults
and singles. This leaves a person feeling left out, misunderstood and in some
cases lonely.
"General ministry, ministry where families are the unspoken focus, can
sometimes make those who are not married feel on the outside."
This certainly is not the intention of pastors and church leaders. It just
happens to be a reality in churches today, due to a lack of understanding
and/or experience with the single or single again person. Experience is
gained quickly when a pastor or church leader's family member goes through
a divorce, or perhaps reaches the age of 30 and is not yet married. Then the
reality of some of his/her needs is apparent and the point "hits home.”
THE NUMERICAL NEED

The church needs to expand-or at least visibly demonstrate- its

understanding of the term "family," moving from only a traditional nuclear
family definition to one that includes singles, widows, single-parent families,
extended families, expanded families, step families, and blended families.
We must become the family we are-families in the family of God.
The young and/or single adults statistics in Kenya are growing rapidly and
affecting lifestyles and family types. We must expand to accommodate all
categories of people found in our society.

COHABITATION
The come we stay phenomena is a reality we cannot deny. A lot of people
live with someone they are not legally married to- an unmarried partner.
While marriage's front door has been closing slowly, its back door has been
widening fast.
The church needs to have a high standard on divorce, and in most cases it
does. God hates divorce, as all of us do because of the brokenness that
comes to a family's life. The Young Adults Ministry will address this need by
providing marriage education workshops, which help a person sort through

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such confusion. We also need to have an equally high standard on marriage
taught through this forum to avoid premature unions that are not ready for
the responsibilities of marriage.

YOUNG WIDOWS/WIDOWERS

These people are not considered single but in reality are living a single life
and with time come to accept singleness. The Young adults Ministries can
greatly reduce the emotional and psychological pain and torture they go
through.

THE RELATIONAL NEED

One of the biggest desires of a young or single adult of any age is to have
quality friendships with others of the same and opposite sex. A ministry to
young and single adults provides an atmosphere of acceptance and
openness where people can discover others with the same experiences,
hopes and hurts, and establish relationships that are nurtured in a Christian
context. Many have come from the bar scene, tired of the "give me,” selfish
attitudes they have experienced, and are open to the grace and love of God
through others.
It should create a feeling of; "I don't feel like I'm just 'waiting to be married
anymore.' The Young Adult Ministry has to provide us with a circle of friends
and activities.... We have others that we can talk and relate to that are being
stretched and grown by God in the same ways as we are.

Because of common experiences there is a greater understanding of the

struggles as well as help and encouragement. People without common
experiences may be able to sympathize, feel FOR you, but cannot
empathize, feel WITH you, because they do not have similar experiences. (II
Cor. 1: 4) Because of this commonality, there is a dynamic that fosters
spiritual, emotional and relational growth.

THE SPIRITUAL NEED

Single and married adults have the same basic spiritual needs. However,
because of feeling uncomfortable in many church's family-oriented programs
and identities, they do not always stay around long enough for these needs
to be met.
Also, because of not having a spouse to provide encouragement and spiritual
support, some singles that love God may become undisciplined in their
spiritual life. A specialized ministry provides a place in which to identify with
others, and in this atmosphere spiritual needs such as self-esteem,
commitment to God, faith, etc can be nurtured. Just getting the opportunity
to observe and get to know other young and single Christians challenges and
humbles us spiritually. It helps us to value others for the gifts God has given
them and increases our tolerance and patience.

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Being a part of a young and single people ministry gives us a place where we
can come and find friendship, encouragement and support. Our friends hold
us accountable to our commitment to the Lord as we share in each others'
lives.

CONCLUSION

Churches which decide that they are too small or choose not to
develop a young and single adults ministry, should at the very least
work at understanding the issues young adults and singles face, and
endeavor to portray open, accepting and Informed ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS
towards them. Helping a single-parent mom with occasional home repairs,
free childcare, financial help to attend a church event, etc. shows Christ's
love in practical ways.
Single and single-again people are here to stay. Kenya has become a nation
of many "family types." If the church is going to be effective in reaching,
nurturing, discipline and training adults, the young and single adult warrants
our efforts, time, prayer and resources.

The singles population is TOO LARGE TO IGNORE and the abilities and
talents of these people are TOO VALUABLE TO WASTE. Their salvation is
at stake!
A church of any size CAN and SHOULD minister to single adults, whether it
be through an established group or individually. Of course, I believe that
most churches could establish a group to reach at least ONE AGE SEGMENT
of singles. Through prayerful consideration and church and community
demographic surveys, more of these people could become a ministry force in
your church! More individuals in your church would be emulating the
GREATEST YOUNG AND SINGLE ADULT—JESUS CHRIST!

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 CHAPTER 3
Organization

OR GA N I Z I N G T H E ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS MINISTRIES

(AYAM) C LUB
1. Meet with Potential Members
It is important first of all to be certain that there is a need for such a ministry
in our church. The only people who can assure you that it would be the right
thing to do are those who the ministry is intended to serve. Any person in
our local church who sees the need for this ministry and is willing to join and
support it is our seal to launch this ministry.
Then you can counsel with the potential members to make future plans, the
reason being simple—becoming familiar with the influence and resources
available will greatly enable
further actions. Choose a steering committee to kick-start the process and
report back to the potential members.

2. Meet with the Church Pastor/Elders

After reporting back to the potential members and finalizing plans to
establish The AYAM Club
The steering committee can make arrangements for all potential members to
have a meeting with the church pastor or elders. All potential members
should be in attendance facilitators and encouragers ready to explain the
AYAM Ministry and answer any questions showing how the AYAM program
will enhance their lives and the work of the church through the Club.

3. Present the Plan to the Church Board

If possible, the Chairperson of the steering committee should attend the
Church Board and make the presentation to the board. It is necessary for the
board to approve the organization of this club if they are convinced that it is
a viable idea. The board should be fully informed of all its aims, financial
requirements and a suggested budget as well as the role it will be expected
to play in the mission of the church.
The board should be given information sheets with relevant details and
should be asked to provide useful information as well.
The information they may contribute should include names of potential
participants and names of persons who could be invited to help in a
leadership role.
The church board should also elect a Director to lead out from this point
forward. The Director
could be the person who has shown the interest in moving forward thus far,
or another person, leaving this first person to be an advisor or associate as
the person chooses. Often a person has a burden for a perceived need but is
not the person indicated to actually lead and would rather assist or advise.

4. Inform the Congregation

This would best done before a Sabbath service. It is important that all the
members be informed about The Adventist Young Adults Ministries Club and
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its plans. A qualified person should take the time on Sabbath to share with
the congregation the needs the church has for this club and a call may be
made seeking those willing to help and those interested in belonging.

5. Call a Special Meeting on Sabbath Afternoon

Invite all senior youth who are interested in belonging to come for a sharing
session to present the overall concept and receive input as to perceived
priorities for program planning purposes. The meeting may also serve as a
general planning session since it is a good idea to have as much input from
its new membership as possible.

6. Choose a small executive committee

The size of this committee will vary depending on the potential membership.
In small churches
with but a half dozen members of the qualifying age, all may participate in a
leadership capacity. It is advised that all executive committee meetings
should also be member meetings.

7. Program Planning
The executive committee will meet on several occasions to prepare the
actual program based on the recommendations of the group to be involved.
These meetings should take place in the space of no more than two weeks
from the initial Sabbath gathering (point 5 above) so that the group does not
loose its interest in the new club. The first event should be announced at that
time and take place no later than one week after the planning process has a
program in place. (If your membership is not large-more than 15-all
members can be included in every step of planning and decision making to
foster a sense of ownership and belonging.)

8. Enrollment
As part of the first event, there should be an enrollment of participants,
presentation of final plans for the year, announcements of program
components, uniform options (if members decide on uniform use) and other
points of interest to the group.

CLUB MAINTENANCE

Morale, or club spirit, is that intangible element that determines the success
of any organization. It is a combination of a variety of important factors. All
leaders and members will need to work
closely together in developing a sense of unity and belonging, and
maintaining interest and enthusiasm.
Leaders must remember that this club is not a “AYS as usual” Club. It is
geared to the psychological and felt needs of a different age bracket that
cannot be met in the AYS. Immature tendencies must be discouraged from
the get go.

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To best meet those needs, it is best to have a more relaxed informal
environment,
with a varied, multiple-options program both in content and format and with
much input from
the participants. A highly structured somewhat more disciplinary format
should be avoided at all costs.

Club staff will want to periodically review the program with these
considerations in mind:
1. Spiritual Objectives
AYAM leaders and all members will need to be psychologically prepared and
will also need to ensure that the club operates more from an intellectual and
spiritual basis than an activity basis. Scriptural principles must be clearly in
focus. Representing Christ in an effective manner must be uppermost. Make
full use of the church pastor or church elders. Ensure enough time for
devotional growth and do all that is possible to make this time meaningful.
Music will be secondary, not primary as in the AYS.

2. Attendance
The nature of this club and its programming will demand we aim for 100%
attendance. When any event is organized, it is done so with member needs
in mind and thus it’s impossible for these events to be irrelevant to any
member. All members should find it worth their while to attend and commit
to our agendas. We should take into consideration the fact that at this age,
individuals will have work and other commitments while planning our
activities. Program input by a large majority of members will ensure greater
participation and interest.

3. Personal Contact
There is nothing so effective as personal contact and encouragement on the
part of leaders with
those who find regular attendance most difficult.

4. Staff meetings
These meetings should not be closed meetings, but should be announced to
all and those wishing to attend feel free to do so to add their input. This also
becomes a good way to find staff replacements when the needs arise.

5. Members Welcome
It would seem unnecessary to say, but ALL persons who attend should be
made to feel welcome,
even those such as an occasional older person who might be coming only to
criticize. A welcome attitude on the part of leaders can strongly encourage
the downhearted and be like coals on the heads of the critical.

6. Planning a balanced Program

It is important not to get out of balance in a club of this type. Leaders cannot
shy away from that which they know will draw criticism, and other reasons.

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Continually evaluate all your options as a group and be sure to include as
many as possible.

7. Meeting area
Be sure the meeting location chosen or available is appropriate to the
activity planned, and
will meet the weather needs. Adequate seating, activity space, materials for
instruction or practice should also be considered.

U N I FORMS
There is no officially recognized uniform for this club, just as the club
emblem. We may wish to provide an unofficial uniform or not.
The Master Guide or Youth Leadership scarf, slide and pin may be worn by
any persons who have completed the proper requirements and been
invested.
A club scarf with the logo imprinted may be worn by all other club members
if so determined by the members and if authorized by the Church Board.

Today we live in a global village, that which is done in one place is known
everywhere else,
therefore to protect our organization and its existence in these countries,
military or camouflage clothing is not considered appropriate at any time.
This includes the use of combat boots, blousing of pant legs, and use of any
weapons or weapon-resembling substitutes. (In other words anything that
may be interpreted by governments as this being a paramilitary organization
should not be worn.)
A sash that matches the color of the slacks, blazer or polo; a casual safari-
style vest or other clothing device may be used for placement and display of
class pins, Honor patches and other special event patches and pins related
to the owner’s activities in the club. No military, paramilitary, or police
emblems are to be worn at any time.
A suggested Sabbath dress-up uniform is highly advised.

INSURANCE

CAUTION: Be sure all activities are being insured by the church insurance
policy against accidental mishaps. Also be sure that all safety regulations are
being followed for any high adventure activity as appropriate and promoted
by those entities that foster the activity.

APPLICT ION FORM

See appendix 1.

F L AG

17
There is no official flag already in use. If a club wishes, they could use a flag
with a white background with the club emblem sitting squarely in the middle
or any other position they would decide. Simple is decent.

FINANCES
As programming develops and activities become more numerous, finances
will become an issue. While most young people may have some personal
source of income, many will not and participation will become limited
causing discouragement, apathy, and an apparent lack of cooperation. Most
of the smaller expenditures may be covered by membership contributions as
the needs arise. However fund raising will soon become a necessity. The
leaders and members should be innovative on this issue.
Those sources that may be a bit more difficult to utilize but more substantial
come from individuals with greater resources, the community at large,
businesses, and local government. As the club becomes more involved in
community service projects, and develop a reputation for outstanding
volunteer work, funds become more readily available. These sources may be
carefully cultivated by clear, precise, well thought out presentations, colorful
informative printed materials, visible, well advertised involvement in
community felt-needs, and well run vocational training programs that are
open to the community. Today, the club can completely finance itself
through these methods.

FUND-RAISING POLICY
Here are some general guidelines to aid in determining whether or not the
proposed fund-raising project meets the standards set by the church.
1. Has the fund-raising program been approved by the local church board?
2. Is the plan in harmony with any ordinances the local community may have
in effect?
3. Does it refrain from having to appear to have any resemblance to
gambling?
4. Will the product be sold, if this is the case, be sold on its own merit and
without reference to the needs of the club or member?
5. Will those purchasing get their money’s worth?
6. Are any other clubs covering the same territory during the same time as
your fund-raising program?
7. Are you reasonably assured of the fact that no one who needs work will
lose it because of the fund-raising program?
8. Will the fund-raising program protect the character of The AYAM Club and
the Seventh-day Adventist Church and leave the local church free from any
agreement of financial responsibility?

Note: A financial report should be given to the church board at least once
every quarter, and an activity report should be presented to the church
board every month.
PUBLIC RELATIONS

18
SHARE YOUR ACTIVITIES!!!! As a general rule, we seem to strongly believe
the statement that the right hand should not know what the left hand is
doing. WRONG!!!!
Yes, there is a place for that, but not here. Sharing of activities should occur
continually and at several levels:
1. Membership—make sure that club members are often informed of what is
going on—no excuses, no immaturity but total responsibility.

2. Local church—if the church is expected to support and be proud of its

youth, they must know all the good things that are going on.

3. Community—the news is full of all that is evil, we have the opportunity to

counter
that fact with all the good that is taking place as well—not to mention the
increased financial support it may bring from unexpected sources.

4. Church hierarchy—local church club all need to know so as to encourage

growth in all other areas as well. Success can and will be replicated if given a
chance.
.
MAINTANING ENTHUSIASM

1. Set definite dates —make a yearly or bi-yearly calendar of events and

be committed to growing through actualizing it. We are the beneficiaries of
our programming.

2. Make the study worthwhile—it should be fun, active, meaningful and

helpful. Do not gloss over content lightly, it devalues the effort. We are
investing in ourselves to be better individuals, future parents and citizens.
We are no longer in the AYS and nobody should be chasing us around.

3. Flexibility—on rare occasions, as need may arise, flexibility will be

required on various issues and in various forms. We should cooperate
willingly.

4. Meeting the requirements—any work required must actually be done.

Observation or description instead of action does not fill the requirement. All
assigned responsibilities should be reported back successfully and
responsibly.

RECORDS

The club secretary should maintain a file and a detailed record of all the
official undertakings of AYAM.
Keeping careful accurate records will be of use for accountability purposes
and for teaching those who will come after us.

LEADERSHIP

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Club leadership should be selected by the local church board. . Leadership in
this club should consist of at least one leader, one associate and one
secretary. They should be members of the local church in good standing and
of sufficient maturity to serve as mentors and spiritual
guides to the membership.

All persons elected should be advised that the leadership position is for a
minimum of a one year period baring any need for change, unless as
determined by the church board for legitimate reasons.
In addition to the above elected leaders, each club will want to include the
services of additional personal to meet their varied needs at different times
and depending on the size of their organization.
These persons must be willing to abide by the Seventh-day Adventist church
lifestyle at all times.
If there will be occasions to utilize as guest presenters for given topics those
who do not practice our church lifestyle, these situations are taken into
consideration and allowed as necessary but not encouraged on a long-term
basis.

D U T I E S OF CLUB ADMINISTRATION MEMB E R S

Listed here are eleven club leadership positions which may be lumped or
further split depending on the realities of the club. There may be other
categories which may be added by the club as needed.

Sponsor/Elder
Generally churches like to elect an older adult such as one of the Elders of
the church to act as a Sponsor for any and all youth organizations to give
sage advice, encourage its leadership, and come to its defense when the
need arises.

AYAM Director
This person is elected by the church board. He or she is responsible for all
club doings and accountable to the church board. The person should be a
person that has shown a high degree of maturity and may be trusted with
proper financial management skills as well as have a high degree of interest
in the members of the church. It is recommended that this person also be a
member of the church board.

AYAM Assistant Director

May be elected by the church board or chosen by the club members in
consultation with the Director. He or she must have the same characteristics
mentioned above for the Director and will substitute the Director whenever
and wherever necessary.

The AYAM Director is the chairperson of all AYAM meetings.

.

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AYAM Secretary
AYAM Treasurer
AYAM Counselling Leader
AYAM Scheduling Leader
AYAM Marriage Education Leader
AYAM Social Education and Life Skills Leader
AYAM Spiritual Leader
AYAM Community and Public Relations Leader

AYAM Counselling Leader

Counselling is all about inner healing, development and growth, guidance in
helping members solve their own personal problems which are as varied as
the members.

AYAM Scheduling Leader

AYAM Marriage Education Leader

AYAM Social Education and Life Skills Leader

Numerous vocational training activities and hobbies may be encouraged and
developed through the use of the more than 250 Honors available. These will
encourage AYAM members to become self sufficient and provide
opportunities for employment in areas that they find interesting and fulfilling
as they look ahead to the future God has in mind for them.
 Vocational Training
 Hobby Development

AYAM Spiritual Leader

AYAM Community and Public Relations Leader

The primary objective of any entity sponsored by the church is that which
will involve the fulfilling of the Gospel Commission. This is done through all
forms of evangelism from the traditional formats to creative ideas not yet
thought of. It is the role of this team to search for and adapt those methods
most suited to their club membership skills and resources as well as local
cultural acceptance.
This team will also work in facilitating Community Service to ensure a
blending of activities and special events. . Every community has
organizations that need the volunteer support of our members; the options
are nearly limitless.

21
Relationships subcommittee Chairperson
•Social Events/ Lifestyle
•Pre-marriage Seminars
No group is complete without a strong social component. People need to
come together for
healthy opportunities to socialize. It is also a good way to bring fellow peers
to the knowledge of the gospel.
This team must work closely with the Outreach team along those lines. The
age of AYAM members is also at the level where basic lifestyle issues and
preparation for marriage takes a high priority. Every good club should plan
for a series of lifestyle and pre-marriage seminars each year especially for
those members reaching that stage in their lives. These seminars may be
large events with invitation to the public or they may be small events
designed just for the one or two couples needing them.
Recreational subcommittee Chairperson
•Camping Events
•High Adventure
•Sports
Related to social events, these types of activities take matters a step further
and require their own leadership which will of course still work closely with
the above team. Events that involve extended travel, several days of
camping, specialized training for effective participation will be the
responsibility of this team. There are clubs already involved in Search and
Rescue and other similar activities of adventure and sporting; these will be a
part of this team’s leadership.

22
 CHAPTER 4
Programming and Scheduling
Programming
Given our AYS background, over time there has been an absorption of wrong
values and attitudes, myths, perceptual distortions and absurdities. This is
reflected in the main negative characteristics of this age group namely:
1. Lack of structure;
2. Lack or loss of identity;
3. Trauma as a result of societal stigma;
4. Marrying for the wrong reasons parental, peer, gender, cultural and
congregational pressures being the main contributors;
5. Marrying against church guidelines;
6. Fall-out from the church.

In the pursuit and development of a new identity, it’s only obvious that a
mindset shift has to happen first. This is the basis of programming for the
AYAM founded on five (5) pillars:
1. Re-education
2. Internalization and active implementation
3. Exposure-both internal and external
4. Prayer
5. Structure

It occurs to us that there is no “pink pill” that will quickly solve all of the
issues related to the young and/or single adult members. Like all members,
23
young and single adults are a diverse group with varying needs. Additionally,
each individual has their own needs and challenges. Therefore, we do not
believe that we can completely script a solution. With that said, we do
believe and feel that we can do a lot better than we are currently doing. We
know that we are reaching a crisis stage in which this group has limited
options in regard to their social life.

Someone has said that, “the definition of insanity is doing the same things
and expecting a different result.” In regard to our young and/or single adults,
we must recognize that we simply cannot expect a different result so long as
we continue to stay on our current path.

It then goes without saying that the AYAM programming must happen from
the standing point of a “Spiritual Hospital” more than a “Dating Service”
based on the following realities:

 Point 1: Young and single adult members have many serious concerns
that require significant time and attention;
 Point 2: Members who are repenting of serious transgressions desire
follow-up and expect consequences.
 Point 3: Members desperately want, and need to be, involved in
meaningful calling and service;
 Point 4: Peer Young adult leaders are more effective in meeting the
needs of other members than older adult leaders;
 Point 5: AYAM members desire to live to a higher standard than that
prescribed by the AYS;
 Point 6: We need to stop dealing in generalities and get down to details
and specifics.

Point 1: Young and/or single adult members have many

serious concerns that require significant time & attention.
Therefore, leaders need to take the time to regularly meet
one-on-one with each and every AYAM member.

As mentioned above, young and/or single adult members often have serious
concerns that need to be resolved prior to marriage and family. Assisting
members in the resolution of these concerns is perhaps the greatest
responsibility AYAM will bear. This part of the calling requires significant time
& attention. Members must be made to feel safe in coming forward to get
help with their concerns. Therefore, AYAM needs to have time and take time
to regularly meet one-on-one with each and every member of the club.
Interviews should be frequent, lengthy and searching. Listening skills are
particularly important. This is what is commonly known as individual
counselling.

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Why do we make this point? As you know, we hear regularly (for example in
the AYS) of members who feel that their club does not have time for them or
does not know them. The result of this is that the member often does not get
help with their problems. When the club seems too busy to get to a personal
level members often avoid coming in to get help. Therefore, we hear of
churches and clubs where the leaders truly believe there are not many
problems with young and/or single adults. The results are heartbreaking.

Consider the consequences of allowing our members to leave our AYAM with
unresolved concerns:

 Lack of testimony- Weak testimonies leads to a lack of faith, a lack of

service, a lack of prayer and scripture study, a lack of church attendance, a
lack of payment of tithes and offerings and so forth. Consequently, a member
loses the very valuable blessings that attend each of these commandments.
Consequently, they lack the basic faith and spiritual promptings that lead to a
Holy marriage and a lifetime of service in the kingdom.
 Worthiness - When a person considers him or herself unworthy, they lose
the spirit and the confidence that goes with it. If pornography is involved,
they develop addictions that lead to loss of control and motivation. They have
guilty feelings that create real barriers to progress and they lose the ability to
attend the church at a critical decision making time in their life. Typically,
they do not feel worthy to date a worthy young man or young woman, let
alone marry that person.

 Abuse - Persons who have experienced abuse may have a hard time loving
themselves, let alone another person. They may have a difficult time in
developing relationships of trust. They may have loss of self-esteem, guilty
feelings, and inability to truly believe in the atonement and love of our Savior
Jesus Christ. Left unresolved, the effects of abuse can lead to a lifetime of
conflicted and negative feelings. Left unresolved, it could even lead to
perpetuation of dysfunctional family patterns into future generations.

 Depression and anxiety - Persons with these afflictions experience a real

loss of hope at a time when they need to be the most hopeful. They lose self-
esteem. They feel like giving up. They often withdraw from others and feel
very lonely. They occasionally develop addictions and even consider suicide.
Left untreated, members often avoid activity, service and marriage
commitments.

Clearly, this is a critical time in the life of this age group. Therefore, it is so
very important that they get issues and problems resolved early-now-while
they are young and/or single. Consequently, it is very important for members
to understand and accept the need and importance of counselling. We are
counseled to “listen carefully”, “give full and sincere attention”, “schedule
adequate time for AYAM activities”, “seek for counseling”, etc. Obviously,
this takes a lot of time, but it is so very worth it in the end.

With this in mind, selection and training of the leaders is perhaps the most
important element in meeting the needs of young and/or single adults.
Leaders need to have the time, means, skills and desire to devote significant

25
effort to this calling. AYAM members must have a vision of the impact that
can be made in the lives of each and every member as they call upon the
powers of heaven to give them guidance and direction. Communication and
listening skills are very important. Leaders must have a good understanding
of the principles of repentance and be able to help members through the
process of repentance.

Point 2: Members who are repenting of serious

transgressions, desire follow-up and expect
consequences. They often have deep remorse and they
have a strong desire to do all they can to be forgiven.
They also expect AYAM leaders to be reasonably
consistent in the administration of Club Discipline.
Leaders need to recognize that they are mentors and
teachers, as well as judges. They have a clear
responsibility to assist members in the development of
“holy habits and righteous routines” that lead to ongoing
church worthiness.

Members who are repenting do not need to be coddled or given undue

leniency. They desire to fully repent and to experience the joy that comes
when they know that they have done all they could do to make the
atonement effective in their life. Most of the members know that this will
take time and work on their part. They understand and expect restrictions on
sacrament and other church membership privileges. , In many
circumstances, church disciplinary actions are necessary to help the person
fully move forward. Members should particularly enjoy regular follow-up
meetings with the elders but this might not be practical in our reality. AYAM
member meetings become a wonderful opportunity to teach, bear testimony
and develop a friendship between the member and his/her new support
group family.

If members don’t have an effective support group, first the member often
continues to make poor choices. Second, these members regularly report
that they do not experience growth or feel forgiven, and consequently have
a difficult time in moving forward. Club consistency is required for the overall
welfare of all members.

26
Point 3: Members desperately want, and need to be,
involved in a meaningful calling. Callings give the
opportunity for spiritual growth, leadership experience,
and friendship. Therefore, AYAM leaders need to ensure
that each and every member is involved in a meaningful
calling each Quarter.

All new members need a friend, a calling, and to be taught the good word of
God. We believe this is particularly important for young and/or single adults.
Unfortunately, as you know, there are many of the members who don’t have
any calling at all and don’t know their spiritual gifts so that they can put
them to use. Young adults need to be involved in building the kingdom. They
need to know that they are needed in the church. They need to serve others.
They need to sit in the church board and departmental councils. And they
need to regularly interact with more experienced church leaders. When
young people “sit out” for the quarter/year, they often struggle with their
spirituality, they struggle with Sabbath church activity, they struggle with
friendship, and they struggle with their testimony. Consequently, they can
make poor decisions. At the very least, they miss the essential leadership
preparation so very necessary when they serve in their church.

Therefore, AYAM leaders need to ensure that each and every member is
involved in a meaningful calling soon upon their arrival (days not weeks).
Members should be taught the effective use of our fellowship and they
should be regularly and deeply involved in group activities that support the
mission of the church, be creative and result in performing compassionate
service to others. Membership should include a good mix of sisters and
brothers to facilitate interaction and friendship. A wonderful spirit is
developed through these interactions and we will see great growth among
our members as they council together and become actively engaged in a
good work. Both brothers and sisters need opportunities to serve as leaders
of the AYAM club from time to time.

27
Point 4: Peer Young and/or Single adult leaders are more
effective in meeting the needs of other members than the
older adult leaders.
Additionally peer members need opportunities for leadership and
responsibility. Therefore, every possible effort should be made to allow peer
adult members to administer the affairs of their own club. Peer adult leaders
should regularly meet together to consult on ways to meet the needs of the
members, both male and female. Then they need to carry out a plan to meet
these needs.

On a weekly/bi-weekly basis, meet together to discuss the needs of each

individual in the group, then go to work to meet those needs. A significant
number of individuals will be deeply blessed through these efforts. When
people work together, miracles happen. We have seen it time and time
again.

With this in mind, by prioritizing and paying specific attention to common felt
needs, leaders could reasonably attend to the needs of each member,
without excessive time commitments. Additionally, this makes it possible for
more people to experience growth and development. We will experience
more effective meetings than will enable us to achieve our objectives. For
our age group, time is of the essence.

Why make this point? As you know, if leaders are so overwhelmed with the
administrative burden of the Club, they will have little time to truly minister
to their own needs as an individual, thus becoming ineffective leaders, and
the membership will carry the consequences of their ineffectiveness. With
that in mind, it is highly recommended that all members share the work load
of the club to facilitate effective and optimum friendship, service, leadership,
testimony and self-confidence for all including the leaders.

Point 5: Members desire to live to a higher standard.

They desire to do good things. They want to have the spirit. This is a critical
time in their life, where many important decisions will be made. Therefore,
they need their leaders to clearly articulate a high standard and then to
challenge them to live these standards.

The main purpose of our fellowship is to work on building the spirituality of

each member. We need to try harder and certainly much more than our
earlier experience in the AYS. We must constantly and perpetually have
some type of spiritual challenge. This generation truly desires to live to a
higher standard and they like a challenge. In AYAM, our higher standard will
be called “The List”. The list is simply a daily and weekly checklist of items
our AYAM leaders have encouraged us to do.
28
“The List” is as follows:

 Two kneeling prayers each day AM/PM

 Read 1 Chapter from the Holy Bible each day-through the Bible in a year
guide

 Read the SDA Bible study guide, Adult Edition each day

 Exercise at least 15 minutes each day

 Live the Word of Wisdom each day

 Do 2 hours of meaningful service each week

 Attend and participate in AYAM meetings each week

 Attend all Church meetings each Sabbath

 Magnify Church calling each week

 Attend mid-week and Friday vespers prayer meetings each week

 Write in journal/diary each week

 Pay a full tithing each month

 Fast as often as possible each month

 Attend Sabbath afternoon Bible Study

 Share Christ’s love with another person

 Forgive before the sun goes down/sets

The list can be modified as per the AYAM members’ decisions.

They can make t-shirts that emphasize the list.

They can hand out checklists each Sabbath.
They can make video presentations that emphasize the importance of
following “The List.” They can even go door-to-door as an
outreach event exhorting fellow Christians and community members to “Live
the List,” etc.

It can be a remarkable and exciting experience to see how excited our

members can become with the prospect of living to a high standard. As
AYAM members actively work to be 100% on the list, we will notice a
significant increase in almost all of our Club activities. We will also feel a
palatable increase of the spirit during our meetings. It will be a wonderful
experience for all of us.

Regardless of the method, all AYAM members need to expend significant

effort in building the spirituality of the club and in teaching members how to
29
get and keep the spirit. Single adults need to be taught the principles of
receiving answers to their prayers. It is a mistake to assume that young
and/or single adults understand and follow gospel principles such as tithing,
fasting, Holy Communion meeting attendance, daily prayer and scripture
study, home and visit teaching, Church attendance, etc. These principles
must be clearly taught and regularly emphasized. All AYAM members must
recognize that their role is to teach, and listen, not entertain. Reverence of
God is critically important. Gospel principles should be taught and
emphasized at every opportunity. All AYAM Sabbath school teachers need to
be spiritually prepared and mature enough to ensure that class members
have a good opportunity to feel the spirit during each lesson.

Point 6: We need to stop dealing in generalities and get

down to specifics.
AYAM leaders and members need to develop a clear set of measures and
then use these measures to monitor progress and implement growth and
improvement plans.

If there is one piece of advice to be given, this would be it: measure,

measure, measure.

“When performance is measured, performance improves. When

performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement
accelerates.”

And, “When one deals in generalities, he will rarely have a success; but
when he deals in specifics, he will rarely have a failure.”

Effective leaders always use measures to drive improvement.

AYAM leaders and members need to regularly monitor their performance on

the issues on “The List.”

We need to know each and every individual, where they are, and how they
are doing. We need to encourage AYAM leaders to be even more
knowledgeable in regard to the individuals under their stewardship. I believe
we need to have high expectations. Measures (again by all individual
members-“The list” chart-appendix 2) should be reviewed each week. (Of
course confidential items such as tithes and offerings will not be reviewed by
members)

When an individual first starts to miss meetings, stops being accountable to

the group, stops fulfilling assignments, etc. we need to know it and make a
plan to meet the needs of that person. When group performance falls below
expectations, leaders need to take it seriously, figure out what is missing in
our approach, and take aggressive corrective action to get back on track.

30
Some would say this is a bit intrusive. Perhaps. We are people preparing to
get into marriage and take critical communal positions and responsibilities
and we cannot carry forward the indifference of the AYS experience over to
the AYAM! NO WAY! We must outgrow childishness and step up to adulthood
expectations, accountability being one of them.

At the end of the day, people appreciate living in a community where the
members and leaders know their name and where they knew someone
would notice if they were missing. Those who have nothing to hide nothing.

ADMINISTRATIVE GOALS
1. A proper functional organizational structure;
2. A regularization of the structure;
3. Implementing the resolution agreed upon by the AYAM members and ensure
a sustenance of the implementation momentum through member supervision
and accountability to the Church Board;
4. Eliminate structural confusions and contradictions. Everybody should be
reading from the same page and script. Clarify job descriptions and
expectations for membership ;
5. Have a lasting impact: Advocate member issues, programs, projects, reforms
and policies that will stand the test of time;
6. Teamwork: work for and with the people;
7. Sense of ownership: All members should feel at home at AYAM.
Accommodation and acceptance for all is and must be pursued always. Trust
is the most important thing. Where there is trust, a lot is accomplished;
8. Have realistic expectations and projections;
9. Consult with those who value and add value to our position and ideas: discuss
the work and do the discussed work;
10.Have an informed and loyal leadership. Teaching/educating people (our
members and leaders) builds confidence in them to perform and eliminate all
excuses and blame games;
11.Yearly strategic plan development;
12.Implementation of the AYAM administrative manual.

MEMBER GOALS
1. Ideas generation;

2. Ideas screening;

3. Concept development & testing- (SWOT ANALYSIS-Strengths, Weaknesses,

Opportunities, Threats);

4. AYAM members’ needs and services analysis/assessment;

5. AYAM strategy Development;

6. AYAM Administrative Manual development;

31
 7. AYAM Administrative Manual testing, assessment and amendment;

8. AYAM Administrative Manual Adoption and perpetuation.

Ideally, these are the issues that must be addressed in the AYAM population group
for effective member growth and development building on the foundation of the
pillars of society. The pillars of any society are:
1. Family
2. Religion
3. Education
4. Healthcare
5. Government
6. Arts and entertainment
7. The poor and Marginalized.
AYAM is rooted in the pillar of the SDA religion and seeks to contribute to
society in all ways possible.
PROJECTS AND ISSUES STRATEGY
 What is the Need

 Who and What is the Focus

 Identify Stakeholders

 Stakeholders meet to plan

 Conduct Needs Assessment

 Intervention: What is Being Implemented and/or Promoted

 Project/issue Goals

 Project Activities

 Who will Implement the Project

 Who are the Recipients

 Deliver the Project Intervention

 Evaluate the intervention

 Report back to Stakeholders

 Plan Future Projects

AYAM BEST PRACTICES

 Prevent, Reduce and Alleviate neglect and avoidable suffering to AYAM
members through proactive interventions;

 Promote and facilitate Individual and Systemic Change;

32
  Reduce Weaknesses, Risks & Promote Strengths and Opportunities;

 Engage all members in AYAM objectives and Social Advocacy.

AYAM FUTURE HOPES

 Model, communicate and minister the word of God in a Christ-like way to
subsequent generations to do our part in preventing a moral breakdown;

 Promote and pursue acceptance of AYAM as a legitimate and timely need in

our times;

 Focus more on strengths and opportunities for member welfare;

 Greater attention to social, institutional and systemic barriers to the

promotion and acceptance of the AYAM agenda in all environments.

QUOTE:

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish,
but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

The Blessings We Will Receive

As we work to bring more people to Christ through obedience, sacrifice,

service and repentance, we will experience many wonderful blessings.

Of course, the greatest blessing for us as AYAM would be to witness the

wonderful growth and progress of all our members. It will be a true miracle
to watch how the atonement will make a difference in the lives of our
members.

To see members with previous problems, get married in the Church, become
church workers, Departmental heads, Elders, and on and on, giving all glory
and honour to God. Let’s aim to be the greatest generation. Let us model,
communicate and minister the word of God to subsequent generations to
prevent a moral breakdown. It’s squarely upon our shoulders!

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 Scheduling
SUGGESTED PROGRAMMING
1. Leadership development
2. Community outreach
3. Spiritual development through traditional and innovative methods
4. Lifestyle vocational/career development through multi-vocational training
5. Friendship skills development through specifically focused socials and pre-
marriage seminars
6. Character and personality development/self-awareness
7. Life enrichment and personal development and growth
8. Recreational activities and interactions with nature
9. Exposure though external camps, outings and trips
10. Life skills, entrepreneurial skills and community participatory skills

Regular attendance meetings should take place at least once per month
preferably twice. These meetings are to focus on items 1, 4, 5 and 10 above
and when necessary will cover training under items 2, 3, and 7.
An additional meeting each month can be in an outdoor setting; it should be
activity oriented rather than utilizing a formal approach and will relate to
items 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
A systematic, carefully planned program should be developed which will
provide activities spread wide over several months throughout the year.
Style and content of each different program will vary in accordance with
determined specific needs and available resources.

The Leadership must however, always keep in mind that all events will be in
keeping with Christian principles and church guidelines. Time allowed for
meetings will vary from one hour
to half or full days and should be announced at least one week prior to each
meeting. Be sure to keep programs coordinated with all AYAM members

34
when there may be conflict of scheduling especially as to Sabbath
afternoons.

Types of AYAM Meetings

There are various types of AYAM meetings:

The regular meeting.

Experience meetings: when opportunity is given to individuals to tell the
experiences they have had in working for the Lord.

Convention: in which the home AYAM Club is host to visiting AYAM Clubs.

Special programs, such as:

1. Special programs for AYAM with the whole church attending.
2. Special programs for the promotion of some activity of project.
3. Special programs promoting a particular human interest issues e.g.
temperance.

Demonstrations/role playing: that will teach how to begin a conversation

that will lead to Bible studies hold meetings in homes, show slides, distribute
literature, sell books, and conduct Revelation Seminars.

The Success Formula for AYAM Activities

Clearly Define the Purposes and Objectives

Have a reason for holding meetings. If there is no motive it is better not to
meet. We must be orderly and avoid moving in a circle of activities, and
when the meetings ends, despite all the action, one feels that nothing has
been accomplished.

Make Plans
Good meetings are not mere accidents. They don’t just happen. Good
programs demand much planning, time, and effort.

Publicity
If attending the AYAM meetings is worthwhile, then it is worthwhile for others
to know about them. The more appealing the program announcements, the
more people will attend. The announcements must be clear, precise and
polite.

Effort
No team in the field of sports wins without putting forth a great effort. The
team that does prepare well rarely wins the game. Success is the result of
arduous work. In sports the coaches do not do it all. Each member of the
team has a responsibility and has to put forth real effort; if not, he or she will

35
soon be off the team. The AYAM program will be a success only if all are
ready to pay the price of hard work.

Punctuality
Good programs begin on time and end on time. If members know that they
will be on time, too. Should we keep the Lord waiting on us when we conduct
meetings to meet with Him? Let us honor the commitment of our members
by committing ourselves to beginning and ending meetings as scheduled.

Participation
No AYAM program will survive with the participation of the leader alone or
with the same three or four young adults week after week. Meetings are
better when various young adults take part, and when the leader of the
AYAM Club finds it possible, he or she should encourage the participation of
all the members in some way. Better attendance and a growing enthusiasm
for
the program will result.

Planning Programs

The program content and format contributes to the continuing life of the
AYAM Club, or to the
dwindling of its members. If you want interesting and beneficial programs
apply the following recommendations:
1. Make Christ the center of all meetings.

2. Provide variety. Do not repeat the same kind of program over and over
again.

3. Avoid long pauses or gaps during the program so those present do not
lose interest. Each participant should know the program schedule and
promptly move into position to begin his or her presentation. If movement on
and off the platform is required, an off-stage person should be
appointed to move groups or individuals to their proper places at the right
time.

4. Provide attractive, vivid, and interesting meetings, always within the

proper spiritual framework and purpose.

Preparing the AYAM Program

1. The task of planning the program belongs to all members.

2. Create your own material, and if any material is borrowed, adapt it to the
local AYAM Club needs, if necessary.
3. Keep in mind the needs of your members. Do not plan merely for
entertainment.
36
The AYAM has objectives that it should prepare for.
4. Discover the different talents and skills of the AYAM members and put
them to work, in accordance with their spiritual gifts.
5. Try to use all the AYAM members, not only those who can be easily
persuaded to participate. Have members encourage their peers who are
reluctant to take part.
6. Explain each part–the purpose of the meeting, the specific limits of the
subject to be discussed or presented, its relation to other points of the
program, the principal points and the duration of the program. Give each
participant a copy of the program with the order of events, and if
possible a time-element schedule.
7. Motivate and stimulate initiative, but use planned programs to
demonstrate available resources.
8. Plan ways to tie the different parts of the program together, in the
program maintain movement toward a goal. Stimulate those thoughts of the
listeners that will lead to a positive response.
9. Try to obtain a positive contribution from each participant in the program.
The comment that the program “was interesting” is not enough.
10. Exchange ideas and methods. Do not follow and established ritual. Think
outside the box.
11. Have those in the audience participate as often as possible.
12. Make plans for future presentations.
13. Carefully consider the meeting place: general appearance, cleanliness
and order, visual aids, sound system, lighting, ventilation, song books, etc.
Avoid confusion while people are arriving (See Duties of Ushers.)

Development of Program
1. Have ushers at the door to greet people and help them find a seat.
2. Begin on time even when some who attend may come in late.
3. Maintain an atmosphere appropriate to the program.
4. Present a short introduction, unless the program is a complete surprise.
5. While the program is being presented, the following questions should be
answered in the minds of those present.
 What is the purpose of the program?
 What is going to happen?
 How does this relate to me?
 What is expected of me?
6. When the public is expected to take part, the objectives and procedures
should be carefully explained. Repeat complicated instructions.
7. I f there is to be a forum or a time for questions, it is best to create an
informal atmosphere free from prejudice.
8. Look for opportunities to make brief comments based on your own
impression as to what the program is all about.
9. I f the program includes a call for dedication, make it an attractive and
voluntary opportunity.

37
10. Act in a spontaneous and natural way. Avoid compulsory methods. The
program should always smooth the way and encourage those present to
participate.
11. End the meeting on a high note. Do not allow the public to leave in a
frustrated attitude. The end of the program should be its climax.

A Creative Program
Brainstorm and stimulate ideas from which you may prepare your own
program.

Program Suggestions:

CHAPTER 5
Activities

38
YEARLY SCHEDULES

Here are some suggested schedules for the different departments of AYAM. It
must be understood that these are only suggestions that must be adapted to
local realities. The reality of is influenced by what the members decide.
Certain issues bear more weight and urgency than others for this age group.
The calendar of events at the local church level influences these schedules
as well and Personal Ministries must be consulted while developing our
yearly program.

We begin with the two heaviest programs, those of:

1. Social Pressure
2. Stigma
All other activities will need to fit around their scheduling.
It is not so essential to integrate activities. Any one or more of the
departments can function on its own within AYAM.

OUTREACH YEARLY SCHEDULE

January February
Evangelism Project
March April
Holy Week-of-Prayer Seminar planning
May June
Community Seminars
July August

September October

November December
Christmas planning- Christmas outreach

COMMUNITY SERVICE YEARLY SCHEDULE

January February
Plan Community Project I
March April

May June

July August
Plan Community Project II
39
September October
Plan Community Project III
November December
Community Project IV- Christmas party for orphans

RELATIONSHI PS YEARLY SCHEDULE

January February
New Year’s Welcome Valentine’s Day (Friendship Day)
March April
Pre-marriage Seminars-1,2; Pre-marriage Seminars- 3,4
May June
Pre-marriage Seminars- 5,6; Lifestyle Seminar-1
“Social to Save”— Weekend Retreat at Camp
July August
Lifestyle Seminar- 2 Lifestyle Seminar- 3
“Social to Save”—Summer Party
September October
Lifestyle Seminar- 4 Lifestyle Seminar- 5
“Social to Save”—Fall Party
November December
Lifestyle Seminar- 6 Christmas Sharing Party

RECREATIONAL YEARLY SCHEDULE

January February
Caving Trip Team Sport I Tournament
March April
Bicycle Camp Orienteering Meet
May June
Beginner’s Camping weekend Backpack weekend
July August
Rock Climbing Trip Track and Field Day/ Triathlon
September October
Canoe Trip Search and Rescue Training Camp
November December
Team Sport II Tournament Campout

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

40
 Attend and complete a two-hour seminar in each of the following
areas:
a. Leadership skills
b. Communication skills
c. Creativity and resource development
d. Child and youth evangelism

CHILD DEVELOPMENT

1. Read the book Education.

2. Read at least one additional book on child development or
attend
a three hour seminar dealing with child development within the
age group of your chosen ministry.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

1. Read a current book on your choice of topic under the general

category of Leadership Skill Development.
2. Demonstrate your leadership skills by doing the following:
a. Develop and conduct three worships
b. Participate in a leadership role with your local church
children’s/youth group in a conference sponsored event
c. Teach three Adventurer Awards or two Pathfinder Honors
d. Assist in planning and leading a field trip for a group of
Adventurers, Pathfinders or Sabbath School class
e. Be an active Adventurer, Pathfinder, Youth Club, Sabbath
School, or AY Society staff member for at least one year and
attend at least 75% of all staff meetings.
3. Identify three current roles in your life, at least one of which is
spiritually oriented, and list three goals or objectives for each.

FITNESS, LIFESTYLE DEVELOPMENT

1. Participate in a personal physical fitness plan for a minimum of

three months, and evaluate any level of improvement of
physical condition.
SERVING OTHERS
1. Participate in a discussion about witnessing toward other youth
and put into practice some guidelines in an actual situation.
41
2. Spend at least 20 hours total in the following projects:
Bringing at least 2 friends to attend meetings held by the church
Help plan and participate in an outreach program of the church
Visit by providing a special program two of the following places:
elderly care center, hospital, orphanage
3. With the help of a friend, spend at least one day (8 hours) on
a project for the church, school, or community.

MAKING FRIENDS
1. Name 10 qualities necessary for being a good friend. Discuss
four
daily situations in which you can practice the Golden Rule.
2. Participate in a panel discussion or skit on peer pressure and its
role in your decision making.
3. Complete one of the following Honors:
____ Christian Grooming and Manners
____ Family Life
4. Through personal study and in group discussion examine your
attitudes
on four of the following topics:
____ Friendship
____ Power of the Will
____ Self Concept
____ Relationships—parents, Family, others
____ Peer Pressure
____ Choosing a Profession
____ Moral Behavior
____ Love, Sex and marriage

OUT DOOR LIVING

1. Know how to make a rope and how to take of rope. Know how
to tie,
the practical uses of, and make a knot board of at least 15 knots.
2. Know 10 rules to follow while on a hike and what to do if lost.
3. Learn how to mark a trail, show ability to mark and follow a
trail set for 2 km
4. Complete an Honor that will qualify for one of the following
Masters: Aquatic, Recreation, or Sportsman
5. Design three types of wilderness shelters know how to use
them and
use one for a weekend campout

42
6. Pass a test in Advanced First Aid
7. Complete the Honor in Orienteering
8. Be able to light a fire on a rainy day; know where to find
firewood
for it; keep it lit. Know how to repair, replace, and tighten an axe
handle
9. With a group of not less than 4 persons including the instructor,
hike
at least 25 km in the wilderness that includes at least one over-
night.
Take notes to be used for an evaluation/discussion covering
planning,
participation, and observed flora and fauna
10. Design 5 lashing projects for a campsite and one club camp
entrance
11. Plan a menu for a pack trip of 3 days for 4 persons;
include at least 3 dehydrated foods
12. Be able to send and receive a message using semaphore, or
Morse
code using a flashlight, or sign language, or have a basic
knowledge
of Amateur Radio
13. Know how to find the 8 cardinal directions without the aid of
a compass

D E V E LOP I N G N EW A B I L I T I E S

1. Complete at least 10 hours of training sponsored by AYAM

covering the following topics:
____ Unit Counselor
____ Communications Skills
____ Camping Skills and Leadership
____ Developing Creative Resources
____ Junior Youth Evangelism

ACTIVITY IDEAS FOR THE ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY

We've gathered some of the best ideas and compiled them into categories
for you.
Trips

1. Float trip (canoe, inner tube)

43
 2. Bus trip to a tourist attraction

3. Boat cruise

4. Overnight trip to a special activity (sporting event, play, etc.)

5. Bike hike

6. Backpack trip

7. Hike through a park or wilderness area

8. Vacation trip

9. Ski trip

10. Witnessing trip (MAPS, AIM)

11. Trips with other SAMs (to conventions, seminars, retreats, etc.)

12. Hayride

Dinners

1. Potluck dinner
2. Brunches

3. Pancake breakfast

4. salad lunch

5. Soup or chili dinner

6. Fish dinner cook what you catch!

7. Special foreign dinner (Mexican, Chinese or other specialty dishes)

8. Banquet (formal or semi-formal)

9. Barbecue

10. Progressive Dinner

11. Late-Night dinners (pizza after a football game, etc.)

12. Bonfire

13. Special occasion dinners (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's)

Retreats, Seminars, Conventions

1. One-day retreat

44
 2. Overnight retreat (Noon to Noon)

3. Unplanned program retreat with special emphasis on sharing together

4. Single parenting retreat

5. Shillings & Sense retreat (money management)

6. Divorce-recovery retreat

7. Good Grief retreat (dealing with the positive aspects of grief)

8. Invite a guest specialist to provide a workshop (lawyer, doctor,

counselor, etc.)

9. Mini-convention (two days at the church with workshops, keynote

speakers, meals, etc.)

10. Bucket list/living list night/day/afternoon

Sports and Games

1. Volleyball (informal or form a team for league play)

2. Softball (informal or form a team for league play)

3. Basketball (informal or form a team for league play)

4. Soccer (informal or form a team for league play)

5. Tennis

6. Racquetball

7. Table tennis (Ping-pong)

8. Table games

9. Skiing

10. Roller skating

11. Ice Skating

12. Bowling

13. Scavenger hunt

Special Occasions
45
 1. Birthday parties
2. Celebrations (graduations, accomplishments, etc.)

3. Housewarmings

4. Bon Voyage (for vacationers or those moving away)

5. No-Special-Occasion Party

6. "Come as you wish you were" costume party

Dramas, Plays, Skits, Programs

1. Attend oar put on a play

2. Produce a skit to emphasize part of a lesson (good for parties or
retreat)

3. Attend a Christian drama performance

4. Have group members pantomime pmts of lessons, or put on a "mime"

play.

5. Develop a puppet group for demonstration of Christian principles

6. Singspiration (an all-music night).

7. Attend a Christian concert

8. Produce your own concert, using talented members of the group

9. Have a talent contest (not confined to music necessarily)

10. Have a Craft fair

11. Attend or produce a musical drama

12. Attend or produce a concert under the stars (outdoors)

13. Organize duets, quartets, ensembles, to perform for your church

or community.

Audiovisuals

1. Use a slide or video presentation to teach a lesson, show other places,

events.
2. Show slides or videos of recent vacations or retreats.

3. Have the group make a video (illustrate Bibilical story or principle, etc.

4. Show Christian movies or teaching/training videos.

46
F I R S T A I D EQU I PME N T FOR G ROU P CAMP I N G
This is a suggested listing of First Aid items as adapted from the Standard
Outward Bound Kit:
STANDARD PATROL FIRST AID BELT
10 pkgs. of diatrol
1 pocket mask for CPR
1 midsize airway
1 stethoscope
Inside Plastic Bag
6 accident report forms
6 emergency notice forms
6 vital signs charts
1 first aid booklet
1 mountaineering medicine booklet
4 tampons
8 gauze pads 4”x4”
8 telfa pads 3”x4”
2 rolls of kling
2 packages of spenco second skin
1 bottle of betadine (pharmidine) 4 oz.
1 wire splints
2 ace bandages
1 triangular bandage
2 surgipads
1 pair of sunglasses
8 hoseclamps

47
8 skin prep
Outside Zippered Pocket
1 pair of scissors
20 ¾” bandaids
20 1”x3” bandaids
2 2” adhesive tape
1 9”x18” moleskin
1 roll nylon rip-stop tape
1 small bar of soap
Inside Plastic Box
1 vial of coricidin
1 vial of aspirin/advil
1 vial of Tylenol
1 vial of milk of magnesia tablets
1 bottle of oil of cloves
1 nail clippers
1 tweezer
1 thermometer
1 hypothermic thermometer
3 steristrips
1 single edge razor blade
6 safety pins
1 tube of spectrin
1 tube of zinc oxide

Inside Plastic Box

2 pairs of scissors
2 tweezers
2 nail clippers
36 safety pins
3 thermometers
3 hypothermic thermometers
2 oil of cloves
Inside Manila Envelope
2 first aid booklets
10 accident report forms
10 emergency forms
10 vital signs forms
100 gauze pads 4”x 4”
100 telfa pads 3”x 4”
20 rolls 2” adhesive tape
4 pairs of sunglasses
1 large roll of moleskin
500 aspirin/ 500 Advil
500 tylenol
100 cold tablets

48
F I R S T A I D EQU I PME N T FOR G ROU P CAMP I N G
This is a suggested listing of First Aid items as adapted from the Standard
Outward Bound Kit
FIRST AID RESUPPLY BOX
100 milk of magnesia tablets
3 bottles of betadine (pharmidine) 4 oz.
2 bottles of benzoin
100 ¾” bandaids
100 2”x 3” bandaids
14 tubes of zinc oxide
4 tubes of spectrin
4 triangular bandages
3 wire splints
4 3” ace bandages
36 golf pencils
12 empty plastic vials
50 pkgs. of 2 diatrol
4 surgipads dressings
15 hoseclamps
1 roll nylon rip-stop tape
5 steristrips
6 spenco second skin
8 rolls of kling
10 small bars of soap
2 boxes single edge razor blades
1 box of tampons
50 skin preps
Application for membership:

ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS MINISTRY

Name_________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Sex: ¬ M ¬ F Baptized SDA ¬ Y¬ N

Phone_______________________ e-mail _________________________

I would like to join The Adventist Young Adults Ministries Club at the
Seventh-day Adventist Church, Ongata Rongai-Main. I will attend and
actively participate in the club

49
 and agree to live by the guidelines and rules established by the club in
keeping
with the lifestyle taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

I have been a member of other SDA youth organizations. ¬ Y¬ N

If yes, which? ________ Adventurers ________ Pathfinders ________ Master

Guide Club

________Youth Federation ________ Youth Emergency Service ________ Search

and Rescue

Adventist Youth Society ________

Other: ________________________________________

Signature _________________________________________________

Date __________________________

APPENDIX ONE

ADVENTIST YOUNG ADULTS MINISTRY

THE LIST
(ISSUE) (WEEKS)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 1 1 1
0 1 2 3
Two kneeling prayers each day
AM/PM
Read 1 Chapter from the Holy
Bible each day-through the
Bible in a year guide
Read the SDA Bible study
guide, Adult Edition each day

50
 Exercise at least 15 minutes
each day
Live the Word of Wisdom each
day-be positive and think
possibility
Attend and participate in AYAM
meetings each week
Attend all S/S Church meetings
each Sabbath
Do 1 hour of meaningful
volunteer service each week
Magnify Church calling each
week
Attend mid-week and Friday
vespers prayer meetings each
week
Write in journal/diary each
week
Pay a full tithing each month
Fast as often as possible each
month
Attend Sabbath afternoon
Bible Study
Share Christ’s love with
another
person
Forgive before the sun goes
down/sets

The main purpose of our fellowship is to work on building the spirituality of

each member. We need to try harder and certainly much more than our
earlier club life experiences before joining the AYAM. We must constantly
and perpetually have some type of spiritual challenge.

This generation truly desires to live to a higher standard and they like a
challenge. In AYAM, our higher standard is called “The List”. The list is simply
a daily and weekly checklist of items all AYAM Members and leaders are
encouraged to do. The list can be modified to suit your personal spiritual life.

DARE TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

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