AGTrust partners with national Youth Ministries
General Superintendent George O. Wood shares with
those attending Monday evening’s service that AGTrust
will partner with national Youth Ministries to ship volume
three of The Fifty-Two to all U.S. AG churches.
By Amber Weigand-Buckley
During the OrlandO9 Monday night opening service, General Superintendent George O. Wood announced the AGTrust partnership with national Youth Ministries to distribute The Fifty-Two Volume III (www.TheFiftyTwo.com) “youth ministry in a box” resource to all 12,400 AG churches in the nation.
Of that number, 73 percent are led by volunteer staff. “We know these volunteers have a passion for ministering to students. But we also know their preparation and planning time for youth services is limited by their jobs and other responsibilities, said Assistant General Superintendent Alton Garrison, who joined Dr. Wood during the Monday evening announcement.
According to Wood, this $2.5 million investment is a part of the focused initiative to meet the core values of the Fellowship:
(1) To strategically invest in the next generation
(2) Vigorously plant new churches and
(3) Skillfully resource our Fellowship.
This Web-based resource contains 52 weeks of sermons, small group studies, graphic support, training materials, ministry applications, ideas and much more.
“It is a tool that will empower a pastor, volunteer, student or team to lead an effective youth ministry for any size church. I know from personal experience that a tool like this works!” says national Youth Director Jay Mooney.
The Volume III update, which released during Orland09, has been completely revised for improved ease of use. The Web site includes the following user experience improvements:
- Cleaner design
- New menu
- New “Plan52” section gives a church without a youth ministry the tools to start a youth group from the ground up
- Video tutorials — includes three videos — general information about Volume III, how to sign up and how to use it
- Simplified AGPassport — you don’t have to be a minister, and if you are not a minister you can choose your own username and password
Garrison said of the resource: “This tool will help equip every youth leader in America with the resources they need to effectively win, build and send students prepared to fulfill the Great Commission.” The complete Fifty-Two video tutorial is available at the Web site.
By the end of August, all churches should receive a letter with three complimentary membership codes to The Fifty-Two, Volume 3, along with instructions that can be given to volunteer or staff youth leader(s). These codes have been issued specifically to each individual church to access free membership of The Fifty-Two Volume III at www.TheFiftyTwo.com.
Churches that do not receive a letter by the end of August, should contact their district or the national Youth Ministries office at 417-862-2781 x 4030 or youth@ag.org.
For more information on The Fifty-Two, Volume 3, visit www.TheFiftyTwo.com.