What is Teenstreet?

TeenStreet is a ministry for Christian teens, presented by Operation Mobilisation (OM), an international missions organisation that was started in 1957.

TeenStreet is much more then a week´s event.  It is a vision to work with churches and their leaders to grow models of youth work that have lasting impact.  The values of TeenStreet are: Focus on lasting Impact (instead of short term excitement), Focus on relationships (instead of numbers) and Focus on empowerment (instead of Entertainment and reducing teens to consume Christianity).
Based on these values every local TeenStreet is shaped according to each local culture and situation, but with a few characteristics like small group based, available adults, personal time with God and creative plenary meetings.

Teenstreet Purpose Statement:

"To work with the church to motivate and equip Christian teens to have a real friendship with Jesus to reflect Him daily in their world."

TeenStreet impacts teens by helping them build deep relationships that will strengthen and empower their Christian walk. Meeting together throughout a week-long camp means the messages that are taught from the stage can be discussed and applied, bringing real growth.  From the early days TeenStreet combined large worship gatherings and main meetings with small group Bible studies, interaction and personal support for each teen so no-one gets lost in the crowd.

Teenstreet History

TeenStreet began in a pizza place in the Netherlands, in September 1992. Four people sat around a pizza and dreamed of an international congress for Teens. The name TeenStreet was all about showing teens a street to travel on (or a way of life).

After much prayer and planning, the first TeenStreet took place in the summer of 1993 when 56 people met in Offenburg, Germany. As a ministry of OM, TeenStreet fulfilled the vision to motivate young people to love Jesus and share Him with others.

The yearly congress in Germany grew rapidly attracting teenagers from right across Europe. By 2001, numbers had exploded to more than 2,700 with many ‘graduate’ teens returning to serve as volunteers on the Service Team.

With the success of TeenStreet Germany, leaders began discussions with OM leaders in other parts of the world to explore the potential of running similar programmes to serve their regions.

In February 2002, TeenStreet Uruguay was launched with the vision to support OM’s youth ministry in Latin America. This became the pilot for other TS events. In every place, TeenStreet established local leadership and sought partnership with the local churches. While the overall vision remained the same, TeenStreet took on a unique flavour in each location.

TeenStreet Brazil was launched in 2004 (growing to 500 in 2006). This was followed by the launch of three new TeenStreet Congresses in 2005 in India, Czech Republic (serving Eastern Europe), Malaysia (serving the East Asia Pacific region) and Australia.

In the meantime, TeenStreet Germany continued to grow with more than 3.500 people attending in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is TeenStreet affiliated with?
TeenStreet is presented by Operation Mobilisation.

Who is OM?
Operation Mobilisation works in more than 100 countries, motivating and equipping people to share God's love with people all over the world. OM's role in the Church is to mobilise people to share the knowledge of Jesus and His love with every generation in every nation. OM pioneers and leads initiatives to redeem lives, rebuild communities and restore hope in over 110 countries and onboard ships Doulos and Logos Hope.

Why is a mission organisation running a youth event for Christians?
From every continent we have got the same message: "Young people are leaving the church as soon as the influence of their parents is smaller" Of course there are great exceptions but world wide we believe this is one of the biggest challenges for every church and every mission organisation. Instead we want to turn this trend into raising up a generation of Christians that will truly impact their world.
Working with, and building into the church is far more effective than trying to do this on our own.

Do groups need to bring a leader?
Our desire is to partner with the church's youth group as a whole.Some of the local TeenStreets welcome Individuals or groups without leaders to some degree, but we believe that the time can be more effective if the teens and leaders go through the same experience. The best is actually to have some senior leaders coming to Street together with youth leaders and teenagers. Then there is usually a much better ground to take values and methods back to the local church.

How are NET groups put together?
NET groups (small groups) contain 6 teens and one leader of the same gender. We would like to maintain a balance between having teens who are already comfortable with each other, and intentionally pushing the comfort zone by mixing youth groups. We believe this is the way to get the most out of TeenStreet. Church groups have the opportunity to meet their own people during afternoons etc but many churches found it better to mix a bit in the Net groups. Some TeenStreets are still allowing whole church groups to stay together if there are good reasons for that.

How are the Teens supported and cared for during the week?
Teens are in NET groups of 6 teens and 1 Coach. The Coach is responsible for caring for the teens. Sometimes the Coach is not experienced enough to handle a particular situation. In this case he has the experience of his M&M, coach support & home office reps to call on. The entire week is covered in prayer, and the prayer and counselling team is always available for the teenagers.

How do you address safety at such a large event?
The safety of your teenagers is a top priority for our TeenStreet leadership team. Each TeenStreet has a security organisation as well as clear policies for where the teens can be during their freetime. Besides we also have a clear structure for smaller or larger crisis at TS or elsewhere. There is also a medical team available 24 hrs, and they should be made aware of any prior medical conditions.

What about Child Protection?
TeenStreet is a child-safe event. We constantly work to have clear and relevant policies for child protection. All adults at TeenStreet are required to sign and follow the TeenStreet policies regarding their interaction with Teens. We work hard to not only give orientation to all adults but to make sure they understand, own and follow these policies For more detailed information about our child protection policies, feel free to contact us.

TeenStreet is both for Teens and for Youth Leaders who will act as Coaches for their group.

Teenagers

Teens are at the heart of TeenStreet. We exist to work with the Church to motivate and equip Christian teens to have a real friendship with Jesus so that they reflect Him daily in their world. Attendees should be aged between 13 and 17 (for most of the TeenStreets), love Jesus and be ready to be challenged. Youth Groups are often a mixture ranging from committed Christians to non-believers, and this can make it difficult to decide who comes to TeenStreet. If you know that someone is not a Christian, but they are regular attendees, they seek a friendship with Jesus and you believe that TeenStreet may help them, please talk to us. We want to find the best fit for their needs.

Coaches (Group Leaders)

Teenagers need a caring adult as a friend, example, authority figure and challenge giver. The Coach is responsible for the teens in each NET group which consists of up to 6 Teenagers and 1 adult leader (Coach) of the same sex.

Coaches are responsible for leading the NET times, meeting with their team in free time, keeping their teens accountable, spending personal time with each teen and being their friend. Mentoring, coaching and caring are key aspects of this.

Each Coach will meet with their M&M Couple each day, participate in training and will have access to many other resources.

Coaches must be over 21, love Jesus and be ready for an INTENSE adventure. We really need and appreciate a wide range of ages. Contrary to what most ‘older’ people believe, this generation of teens desire to connect with people that have some experience in life. This is often missing in normal life, as they don’t have positive adult role models. People between 18-21 may come as an Assistant Coach if you feel they are ready for the challenge.

Coaches are a vital part of TeenStreet’s purpose. TeenStreet aims to build up churches to provide a positive community for teens to be part of throughout the year and this is done through the youth leaders. TeenStreet provides a unique opportunity for youth leaders to really interact with their Christian youth to build friendships and develop a trusting relationship as well as recieving both training and mentoring along the way.

We aim to train youth leaders on how to deal with some of the issues their young people may come to them for advice on. We want the interaction between teens and their leaders to continue after the event, as part of our TeenStreet 365 vision.

SERVING BEHIND THE SCENES

M&M (Ministry & Management) Couple

There will be one M&M couple (not necessary married couple) for every seven coaches. Their role is to minister to, manage and support the Coaches under their care. They meet daily with their Coaches. M&M couples will also be available to supervise or counsel the Coaches and Teenagers who are in their teams. If a teenager need to go away for example to a hospital, it will normally be the M&M leader that follow them so that the coach can stay with their group.

What does it take to be an M&M?
* A man and a woman (don't need to be married) who can work together with the seven Coaches in their group
* Interested in mentoring and assisting the Coaches
* Committed to stay in touch with Coaches through the year
* Mature adults who are a good judge of character and situations
* Able to balance care and boundaries and help the coaches to do the same
* At least some experience in counselling and/or pastoral care
* Have been Christians for a longer time, not new believers
* People who love Teenagers


The Service Team

TeenStreet as an event will not happen without the generous and sacrificial support of the ‘Service Team'. This team is made up of all those who help behind the scenes. This is different at different TeenStreets depending on the local site set up etc. It may include cooking, cleaning, running workshops, doing AV or security, setting up tents, organising sports, driving, shopping, working with graphics or communication, setting up the kitchen, helping in the admin office, organising teams in the months beforehand.... the list goes on.
Some teens have come away from a week at TeenStreet, and been most impacted by the lady sacrificing her time to clean up after them!

Prayer & Counselling Team

Without these teams, TeenStreet cannot have the same valuable impact. The prayer team is praying for TeenStreet as a whole, and for Jesus to work in individuals lives. During the day, members of this team will be available to talk and pray with anyone attending TeenStreet. Because TeenStreet is such an intense time of exploration & discovery, many issues come up that need experience and expertise to work through.

The Counselling team will be available to help leaders and teens through these issues and to ensure that TeenStreet is a positive and lasting experience. Members of these teams will make a commitment to serve under the leaders assigned to them and to act according to our guidelines. They need to have a balanced understanding of the use of Biblical truth, psychology and experience in a holistic approach adapted into each individual situation. They also need experience and understanding in how to counsel teenagers (as different from adult counselling)

OUR VALUES EXPLAINED

The TeenStreet event focuses on three connected values in order to fulfil our purpose statement: Focus on Impact, Relationships, and Empowerment.

So many youth ministries focus only on excitement and programming.  At TeenStreet, we want to make a lasting impact in the lives of teenagers. This means helping teens to understand and come to their own decisions rather than telling them what they must do. Small groups and personal study are a vital part of helping teens to learn and apply the teaching to their own lives. At the same time the small groups build trust between adults and teens, enabling adults to play an important role in helping their teens develop their relationship with Christ.

We want teens to learn that there are no stupid questions - only stupid answers!

We want teens to have a real relationship with God and healthy relationships with other people.

We aim to love God and love each other at TeenStreet and we want to provide opportunities for teens to develop their friendship with Jesus, their relationship with other teens and their relationships with trusted adults.

There are so many other youth camps available. Why should we attend TeenStreet?

The main difference we believe is our focus on the above values. Secondly the focus on personal time with God and living in small groups in the middle of a bigger event. That also includes the high value we put on available adults with different backgrounds, competence and life experiences. Unlike many other camps, most TeenStreets are International events, with teens, young people and leaders from several nationalities. TeenStreet provides a place for the teens to connect with other Christian young people from around the world.

The TeenStreet model has also been proven effective at:

* Challenging young people to find and grow their own relationship with Jesus
* Training and Resourcing Youth Leaders in practical ways
* Breaking down barriers between cultures, denominations & generations
* Building into the existing local churches

Is there evidence of lasting results?

There is an emphasis during the week on what God is doing throughout the world, and how the teens can be a part of it. People have come back years after attending TeenStreet, stating that decisions they made at TeenStreet have impacted them forever. People have gone on to missions, full-time ministry or even simply standing out as the only Christian in their circle of friends.
But don't just take our word for it!

In 2007 and 2008 (few weeks and again about 6 months after the event) a survey was carried out to discover how much of a lasting impact TeenStreet was having. We wanted to know what decisions were being made by the teens, and whether or not they kept those decisions through the following year. Here are some of the results:

* 85% of teens surveyed said that they would definitely return to TeenStreet.
* 2 out of 3 teens said that their motivation for attending TeenStreet was to grow closer to God. Of these teens, many went on to say that they did draw closer to Jesus during the event.
* Nearly 1 in 4 teens who were surveyed said that before coming to TeenStreet they had once made a commitment to Jesus, but that they found the commitment difficult to live out.
* The number one decision made by teens at TS in 2007 was to pray and read their Bible.
* When teens were asked to state the elements at TeenStreet that really impacted them long term, the most important parts where the personal times with God. Second most important was the time in the small group and the third most important was coaches and other caring adults. But then of course there were a lot of other important elements and a lot of things that were fun, challenging, interesting and simply great!

We want to raise up a generation of people who trust God to use them now, not only in some remote future. We want teenagers to be able to serve God in many different ways, using their own gifting and passions. This is about doing things together for God and a hurting world! We do not aim solely to entertain, but to find ways in which to reflect Jesus daily, at TeenStreet and throughout the year.

Teenstreet Purpose Statement:

"To work with the church to motivate and equip Christian Teens to have a real friendship with Jesus so that they reflect Him daily in their world"

“...WORK WITH THE CHURCH”

We are committed to working with churches and youth groups. There is no point in creating a one week ‘retreat’ for teens without giving them a positive community to be part of throughout the year.  We believe that any size of church or youth group can apply values and principles from TS 365 and grow a significantly different approach to youth ministry. We have seen this working in groups of 5 as well as in groups of 50 or more.

This is possibly one of the main differences between TeenStreet and other youth events in that the aim of TeenStreet is not just for teens but also for their leaders, equipping them to serve their teens well after the event has finished.

“...MOTIVATE AND EQUIP”

At TeenStreet we are not interested in talking at the teens, telling them what to believe. Rather we attempt to talk with them, helping them to make decisions based on convictions they have truly reached themselves. We have learned that this generation needs to ‘experience’ something to regard it as truth. Standing at the front and telling people what they should believe is really not effective. The programme is still an important part of TeenStreet, but the people up front connect with the Teens by explaining the message through stories and interaction.

So our program is not focussed on the plenary sessions every day, though they play an important role. Even more important is the time spent in various small group contexts throughout each day and maybe most of all the personal time spent with God or in silence during Schhh time.We would almost be wasting our time motivating if we are not also equipping! To reflect Jesus the teens don’t need to be equipped with a Theological degree... but they do need practical and real ways to go back into their world ready. Through programmes and workshops we help them to understand and use the gifts they have been given.

“...CHRISTIAN TEENS”

We often get asked whether Non-Christian or Nominal Christian teens can come along. We are really focused on building up Christians. Trying to please everybody can water-down TeenStreet’s effectiveness. Having said that, if there is someone that is not quite sure about Christianity but they are regular attendees at your youth group, they seek a friendship with Jesus and you believe that TeenStreet would benefit them, we are willing to handle each person individually, talking with their leaders, and seeking to find the most appropriate group for them to join.

“...REAL FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS”

Many young people leave the church when they leave school. We believe that one of the key reasons for this is that they do not have a faith of their own. In fact many young people have been carrying someone else’s relationship with Jesus. They have been told that ‘this’ is how to live and ‘that’ is what Christ means to you. We seek to create an environment and communicate with the teens in such a way to help them develop their own faith, and their own friendship with Jesus. Instead of knowing a lot ABOUT Jesus we want them to just KNOW Him

“...REFLECT HIM DAILY IN THEIR WORLD”

We desire to see teens reflecting Jesus in their world. This process begins at TeenStreet through workshops, discussions and prayer. We then continue with programs like the TeenStreet Outreach and the HELP! Project. (Germany)

The TeenStreet Outreach is a major highlight of our week together and helps us to share the love of God in the city.  Each NET group will have the opportunity to choose from six creative ideas - things that can easily be done back at home with a youth group or church friends.

The HELP! Project allows teens to choose from different activities every day so that they can raise money to help needy people. HELP! aims to raise funds for this year's special project using a range of fun activities, and to give teens creative ideas about how they can continue with Help! back at home

Most of all we want to help teens and their leaders to bring back a life style that reflects Jesus wherever they are