DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
Page 1 of 20
Date:
August 24, 2011
To:
DETC Subject Specialist
From:
Jeremy R. Del Rio, Esq.
Subject:
New Course Introduction
Introduction to Urban Youth Ministry
CLASS GOAL
This eight-week course is designed for people who have received a call from God or are
exploring the call to Christian ministry and who may wish to explore the possibility of urban
youth ministry, either as a full-time calling or in conjunction with other forms of ministry. The
course directs the student outward to ministry beyond the local church as an extension of their
desire to equip young people with the skills and character necessary to achieve in life.
To that end, this course introduces students to the theory and practice of holistic youth
development in an increasingly interconnected, open-sourced, urban world. Students will be
equipped to develop asset-based, student-led, contextually relevant, culturally engaging,
transformational relationships with young people. Special emphasis will be placed on issues of
multiculturalism, urban poverty, and educational inequity.
Accordingly, the class will:
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Empower students to lead holistic youth development in their respective communities.
Introduce students to the ideas and principles of community youth development.
Create a framework for nurturing authentic student leadership.
Provide tools for asset-based youth development, accessing community resources, and
transformational mentoring.
Explore the cultural context and implications of the first generation to grow up online.
Explore the influence of Hip Hop on cities, pop culture, and youth development.
Explore the implications of digital media for youth development strategies.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Urban Youth Workers are a curious lot. Passionate about equipping young people to succeed
in life, many are willing to forgo financial security and stability for the sake of that call. Through
our affiliates and partner ministries and many of our current students and alumni, City Vision
College has found that they are also overwhelmingly:
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Young and poorly prepared, with little formal training in theology or leadership,
lacking skills in fund development, and with no roadmap for their ministry.
Under resourced, lacking funding for programs, and with little support from senior
leaders; they have few people to help them.
Underpaid, predominantly bi-vocational volunteers, frequently the last item on their
church or organization’s budget.
Leading alone, they do not know how to build teams or utilize volunteers effectively.
DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
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Temporary, with a high burnout rate; they often leave youth ministry in less than two
years.
Isolated, having no one to strategize or discuss problems with, and no network for
collaboration to produce real neighborhood change.
Yet the populations they serve are among our Nation’s most vulnerable. Each day in America:
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2 mothers die in childbirth.
5 children are killed by abuse or neglect.
5 children or teens commit suicide.
8 children or teens are killed by firearms.
32 children or teens die from accidents.
80 babies die before their first birthdays.
186 children are arrested for violent offenses.
368 children are arrested for drug offenses.
949 babies are born at low birth weight.
1,204 babies are born to teen mothers.
1,240 public school students are corporally punished.*
2,058 children are confirmed as abused or neglected.
2,163 babies are born without health insurance.
2,573 babies are born into poverty.
3,312 high school students drop out.*
4,133 children are arrested.
4,717 babies are born to unmarried mothers.
18,493 public school students are suspended.
*Based on calculations per school day (180 days of seven hours each).
Source: Children’s Defense Fund. http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-datapublications/each-day-in-america.html
The Introduction to Urban Youth Ministry course at City Vision College will begin to equip adult
leaders to serve these youth populations more effectively over the long term.
TARGET MARKET
The target audience for this program is Christian adult learners between the ages of 20 and 40
who are working in inner city church and para-church youth ministries, community-based
organizations, schools, youth centers, non-profit organizations and the marketplace.
LENGTH OF COURSE
This 8-week course is estimated to take the average student approximately 108 hours complete
(13.5 hours a week). Each of the eight weekly class sessions would take 12-15 hours to
complete. The fifth week of the course is the midterm week and the eighth week of the course is
the final exam week. The final exam is cumulative.
COST
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City Vision College UYM101
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The total cost of this course will be $????. This includes all tuition and fees plus the cost of
textbooks and digital media, which includes video presentations used in the course.
COURSE DEVELOPMENT
The City Vision College course development process is usually from six months to a year. All
courses are built around existing textbooks from publishers that have been proven effective in
their field.
Under the supervision of the Academic Dean, specialists are usually retained to lead the
development of each course. The development team includes experts in content (subject
matter), instructional methods, technology, and assessment of learning. Team members, along
with instructors, review the course content to verify the quality of the materials, appropriateness
of the objectives, evaluation items and correctness of each answer.
An outline of the course development team members and their qualifications are enclosed,
along with information on the proposed instructor, Rev. Jeremy Del Rio, Esq.
ENCLOSURES
Enclosed is the following information related to your review:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Profile of the Curriculum Development Team;
Summary of course outcomes/objectives and features of the text;
Outline of lesson titles;
Enrollment agreement (in catalog);
Mid-term and final examinations and answers;
Entire course (100% of all lessons) as the student will receive it, as available using the
online classroom;
7. The URL for the City Vision College Web site containing promotional information and the
virtual classroom is: http://www.cityvision.edu
8. Login for DETC course evaluation is:
Username: Evaluator
Password: DETC2011
9. Once logged in, choose the link entitled “YM101: Introduction to Urban Youth Ministry” to
enter the virtual classroom for this course.
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City Vision College UYM101
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CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TEAM
City Vision College contracted Rev. Jeremy R. Del Rio, Esq., to design and teach the
Introduction to Urban Youth Ministry course as an adjunct professor. Directly supervising him
throughout the design process were City Vision College Director Rev. Michael Liimatta and
TechMission Executive Director Andrew Sears.
Rev. Jeremy R. Del Rio, Esq., Lead Designer
BRIEF BIO
Rev. Jeremy Del Rio, Esq. co-founded and directs 20/20 Vision for Schools, a movement to
transform public education that launched in New York City in 2008, and connects, trains, and
mentors youth workers regionally through Urban Youth Workers Institute and locally as the chair
of the Coalition of Urban Youth Workers. He has consulted ministries and nonprofits since
2000; and directed Generation Xcel, a holistic youth center in Manhattan, from 1996-2006.
Jeremy was the founding, bi-vocational youth pastor at Abounding Grace Ministries (19942004), and also worked as a corporate attorney in New York. He has contributed to four recent
books, including Deep Justice in a Broken World (Zondervan/YS 2008) and The Justice Project
(Baker Books 2009), and his articles have appeared in Charisma, Willow, The Journal of
Student Ministries, Relevant, and elsewhere. Visit him online at www.JeremyDelRio.com.
CAREER PROFILE
 Visionary: Founded or co-founded five organizations and dozens of collaborative
initiatives.
 Strategist: Advised local and national agencies as a board member and/or consultant
on coalition building, urban affairs, community relations, new media, youth culture, and
community and youth development.
 Communicator: Delivered hundreds of speeches to audiences up to 90,000 people;
spokesperson for regional and national campaigns in print, radio, and television.
 Author: Published more than fifty articles, thousands of blogs, and parts of five books
related to youth, education, justice, leadership, and faith.
 Teacher: Adjunct professor, guest lecturer and conference trainer from New York to Los
Angeles.
PROFESSIONAL LICENSES
 Member, New York State Bar (2000)
 Licensed Minister, Abounding Grace Ministries (2001)
EDUCATION
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, New York, NY
Institute for Non-Profit Management, “Middle Management Program for Youth Service
Organizations,” May 2003
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, New York, NY
J.D., May 1999
DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
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Select Honors:
Root-Tilden-Kern Scholar | Nat’l Moot Court Award | Bender Public Service Prize
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE, New York, NY
B.A., magna cum laude with honors in History, minors in Economics and Political Science, May 1995
GPA:
3.89 (Cumulative), 3.93 (Major)
Select Honors:
Standard Bearer 1995 | Presidential Scholar | Phi Beta Kappa |
President's Service Award | Phi Alpha Theta | Truman Scholarship National Finalist
TEACHING AND TRAINING EXPERIENCE
Adjunct Professor, Fuller Youth Institute and Fuller Seminary. Pasadena, CA (since 2008)
 Teach two practicum courses via distance learning and one intensive on campus.
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Leadership and Management of Urban Youth Ministry (Intensive) introduces
foundational principles and skills related to: organizational structure; developing and
communicating vision; strategic planning; administration; fundraising and resource
development; program evaluation; and recruiting, training and nurturing volunteers,
interns, and staff.
Leadership and Management of Urban Youth Ministry (Practicum) provides a
supervised practicum experience connected with the student’s urban youth ministry
context that applies leadership and administration principles including organizational
structure, strategic planning, and leadership development to a specific urban
ministry.
Transformational Urban Youth Ministry (Practicum) provides a supervised
practicum experience that applies a transformational ministry perspective to specific
urban youth ministry issues such as the nature and needs of urban adolescents and
their families, multicultural ministry, and identifying and ministering to adolescents,
families and communities in trauma.
Adjunct Professor and Guest Lecturer, Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary, New
York, NY (since 2004)
 Taught Urban Community Development at ATS in 2005, which applied strategic
leadership principles to community development issues, including organizational
development, asset mapping, community organizing, communications, fund
development, and personnel recruitment and training.
 Guest lectured various undergraduate and graduate classes since 2004.
Northeast Regional Director, Curriculum Writer, Trainer, and National Advisory Board Member,
Urban Youth Workers Institute, Santa Ana, CA (since 2004)
 Manage UYWI’s Northeast regional presence and manage its national programs in New
York, including training through Reload events, mentoring through Learning Community
cohorts, coaching individual youth workers, and networking youth ministries for
collaborative initiatives since 2009.
 Featured workshop and general session speaker at the Urban Youth Workers Institute
national conference and the Reload national training tour in various cities including: San
DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
Page 6 of 20
Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Fresno, Pittsburgh, and New York
since 2004.
 Authored core curriculum for Reload including:
 Bagged Lunch and a Drop of Oil: Multiplying Re$ource$ for Urban Ministry
(2006)
 Mooks, Midriffs, Myspace and More: Engaging Plugged-in Youth (2007)
 20/20 Vision for Schools: Transforming Public Education within a Single
Generation of Students (2008)
 Descriptions and MP3s of those and other workshops are available online at
http://jeremydelrio.com.
City Coordinator, DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative, Grand Rapids, MI (2009-2011)
 Served as the New York City Coordinator for the 2010 New York City cohort for the
nation’s premier urban youth ministry leadership development program.
 Responsibilities included: recruiting 10-12 cohort members; managing the nomination,
application, interview, and selection process; coordinating supervisor and mentor
orientations; manage mentoring initiative; lead devotionals and facilitate regular cohort
dialogues; facilitate the cohort breakthrough planning process; foster collaboration within
and beyond the cohort members; and oversee graduation.
Speaker/Trainer (since 1987)
 Delivered hundreds of speeches and sermons to live audiences up to 90,000 people,
including keynoting and presenting workshops at national conferences, guest lecturing at
colleges and universities, and participating in various think tanks.
 Keynotes have included Youth Specialties’ National Youth Workers Convention, Willow
Creek Association’s Shift Student Ministries Conference, Urban Youth Workers Institute,
New York City Leadership Center’s Leadership Summit, and dozens more.
 Highlights include Greater New York Billy Graham Crusade and “Thanks to Heroes” at
the 9/11 Anniversary Tribute to Grace and Hope at Madison Square Garden.
 Conducted dozens of print, radio, and television interviews as a spokesman for various
campaigns.
PUBLICATIONS
Authored more than 50 articles since 2001 related to youth culture, education, justice, leadership
development, and faith; maintains “Away with Words” as a hybrid personal and professional weblog at
www.JeremyDelRio.com; and regularly contributes content for various websites. All published articles
are available online at http://jeremydelrio.com/blog/articles and have been syndicated regionally or
nationally in publications such as Charisma, Willow, Relevant, Relevant Leader, Sojourners,
UrbanFaith.com, Journal of Student Ministries, Pastors.com, Christian Post, Network, Tri-State Voice,
Youth Ministry Exchange, Charlotte Herald, Student Leadership Journal and numerous websites.
Jeremy has also contributed to the following books:
 Make Room for David: A Leader’s Guide to Holistic Youth Development (Away with Words
Publishing, Fall 2011)
 The Justice Project (Baker Books, 2009) (Authored one chapter)
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City Vision College UYM101
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 Deep Justice in a Broken World (Zondervan / Youth Specialties 2008) (Authored two chapters
on economic justice)
 The Playbook: A Campus Ministry Primer for Cities (Student Venture 2007) (Authored 80% of
the commentary throughout)
 Protest and Invest and other insights into Urban and Multiethnic Outreach (Urban Onramps
2006) (Authored study guide comments and questions)
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Co-founder and Executive Director, 20/20 Vision for Schools. New York, NY (2007-2010)
 As a consultant from 2007-2009, served as the lead strategist and architect of
comprehensive public education reform initiative that mobilizes and equips community
stakeholders to engage issues of educational inequity.
 Invited to direct the campaign beginning in January 2010.
 Conceived 20/20’s school engagement paradigm that leverages stakeholder influence to
mobilize community resources and volunteers to improve educational equities for all
public school students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status.
 Since 2008, convened more than 2,500 leaders representing 250 community
organizations, and initiated an adopt-a-school campaign that has resulted in 195 school
adoptions to date.
 Published dozens of articles and blogs related to education reform in local and national
publications.
 Designed Beta Initiative to evaluate and prove 20/20’s reform model for launch in 2011.
 Outcomes include: academic enrichment and correlated student achievement;
mentor/mentee matches; beautification projects; public art installations; approximately
5,000 volunteer hours served; and more.
Founder and President, Community Solutions Consulting Services. New York, NY (since
2000)
 Advise community organizations on holistic youth and community development, coalition
building, urban affairs, community relations, new media strategies, and youth culture.
 Services include strategic planning, program design, corporate formation, executive
coaching, leadership development, and justice advocacy.
 Sample projects include:
 Latino Pastoral Action Center, New York, NY (2007 – 2009)
Provided technical assistance, organizational development, and leadership coaching
to five New York City youth agencies as part of the federally funded Transforming
Youth Capacity Building Project.
 Christ Tabernacle, Glendale, NY (2008-2009)
Provided strategic planning, organizational development, and program design for the
formation of The Legacy Center Community Development Corporation as a new
501(c)(3) organization.
 World Vision US, Seattle, WA (2006 – 2007)
Facilitated “Justice for All” research initiative with partners Fuller Seminary and
Urban Youth Workers Institute, along with grassroots youth development agencies
nationwide.
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City Vision College UYM101
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 Additional clients have included: World Vision’s American Families Assistance Fund
(NYC); American Bible Society (NYC); Student Venture (NYC); Living Hope Community
Church (Los Angeles, CA); Greater NY Billy Graham Crusade (NYC); Christian Herald
Ministries (NYC); Metropolitan New York Baptist Association (NYC); New Hope CDC
(NYC); Jammin’ Against the Darkness (Issaquah, WA).
 Outcomes include: holistic youth and community development in dozens of low-income
communities; cultivated competencies and character in indigenous leaders; collaborative
local and national networks; expanded best practice knowledge base.
Co-founder and Executive Director, Community Solutions, Inc. New York, NY (1996-2006)
 Co-founded at age 21, with thirteen volunteers ages 14-22, a not-for-profit corporation
that cultivates character and competence in at-risk youth. Without start-up money,
space, equipment, or paid staff, developed Generation Xcel as CSI’s first initiative;
operated two youth centers in lower Manhattan; conducts leadership retreats upstate,
and organizes community service nationwide. Became first executive director after
seven years of volunteer service.
 Formulated action plans; developed strategy, organizational structure, and
budgets; recruited and cultivated board members, staff, donors, sponsors,
volunteers, and community partners.
 Renovated and opened the 88-STEP Theater in Manhattan’s East Village;
produced original theatrical presentations, variety shows, film projects, and
music.
 Supervised the launch of Chain Reaction as a national community service
initiative; since 2003, CR has mobilized 700 teens to volunteer over 15,000 hours
in New York, Maryland, Texas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Ohio,
Florida, and the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
 Overcame wrongful eviction attempt by public housing authority after youth
activism and advocacy persuaded then Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1998.
 Outcomes included: four generations of homegrown leaders; improved
graduation rates, academic performance, college admissions and completion; job
readiness and placements; more than 15,000 volunteer hours served.
Operations Director, Northeast Clergy Group. New York, NY (2001-2003)
 Helped establish the Ground Zero Clergy Task Force as a grassroots response
to 9/11 that provided coordinated clergy support, financial assistance, and
advocacy for families affected by the attacks; grew to include 250 regional
ministers and crossed denominational lines.
 Advocated for the creation of the Clergy Crisis Responders program at the
Mayor’s Office; designed and managed online resource database for 9/11 relief
providers; organized bilingual critical incidence and post traumatic stress training,
support groups, and more.
 Produced special events including the 9/11 Anniversary Tribute to Grace and
Hope (9/11/02) at Madison Square Garden, The United Prayer Vigil (9/16/01)
less than one mile from Ground Zero, and others.
Litigation Associate, Dewey Ballantine LLP, New York, NY (1999 – 2001)
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City Vision College UYM101
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 Negotiated an unprecedented offer from a leading New York law firm to work as
an attorney part-time following law school in order to fulfill public service
commitments.
 Practiced in the litigation section on various matters including patent
infringement, securities, and employment cases.
 Managed three pro bono clients and resigned in order to work full-time on 9/11
related relief efforts.
BOARDS & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
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Board Chair, 20/20 Vision for Schools. New York, NY (since 2011)
Board Member, New York Faith and Justice. New York, NY (since 2008)
Board Member, TechMission. Boston, MA (since 2010)
National Advisory Council, Urban Youth Workers Institute. Los Angeles, CA (since
2005)
National Ministry Council, National Network of Youth Ministries. San Diego, CA (since
2009)
Founding Board Member, Chair, Community Solutions Inc. New York, NY (1996 –
2007)
Founding Co-Chair, Coalition of Urban Youth Workers. New York, NY (2003 – 2007)
Exec and Youth Committee Co-Chair, Greater NY Billy Graham Crusade. New York,
NY (2004-2005)
Adjunct Professor, Alliance Theological Seminary. New York, NY (2005)
Founding Member, Elder, and Youth Pastor, Abounding Grace Ministries. New York,
NY (1992 – 2004)
National Advisory Council, Billy Graham Inst. for Emerging Evangelists. Asheville,
NC (2004-2005)
Board Member, Northeast Clergy Group, New York, NY (2001 – 2003)
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS AND HONORS
 “Legacy Award,” Concerts of Prayer Greater New York, September 2005
 “Surfacing Hispanic Leaders,” Prism magazine, September 2005
 Named one of “30 emerging voices that will lead the church in the next decade,”
Charisma, August 2005
 “Youth Worker of the Year,” Latino Pastoral Action Center, 2001
 “Citation of Merit,” Bronx Borough President, 2001
 “Union Square Award,” Fund for the City of New York, 2000
Michael Liimatta
[Feel free to change or insert additional biographical information]
Michael Liimatta has spent over thirty years in urban ministry and work with the homeless and
addicted. He has served as a pastor and educator as well as a ministry executive director, a
consultant and an addiction counselor.
DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
Page 10 of 20
Since January 2008, Michael has served as Director of City Vision College, Kansas City,
Missouri. The college is the online distance-learning program of TechMission, which is based in
Boston, MA.
Beginning 1990, Rev. Liimatta spent seventeen years as Director of Education for the
Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, a network of 300 rescue missions and other urban
ministries that help the homeless, addicts and alcoholics and the needy. As part of his duties
with AGRM, he oversaw the establishment of City Vision College in 1998 (first named "Rescue
College).
Before that he spent ten years as executive director of New Creation Center in Atlantic Mine,
MI, which he founded in 1979. His introduction to urban ministry was serving as a live-in
counselor with Midwest Challenge during his seminary years in Minneapolis, MN.
Professional Background
During his seminary years in Minneapolis, Michael worked with Midwest Challenge as a
counselor in their addiction rehabilitation program and helped to develop their prison and jail
outreach.
In 1979, he founded New Creation Ministries in Hancock, Michigan. During his tenure as
Executive Director of New Creation, its programs included an outreach to correctional
institutions, a professionally staffed outpatient counseling program, and a licensed Christcentered residential drug and alcohol treatment center that served primarily indigent men.
In his early years as Director of Education for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions,
Michael spent much time helping rescue missions to develop more effective recovery programs
for addicts and their families.
His major responsibility for the last ten years with the association was the development of
Rescue College. The program began as a cooperative degree program with Grace University in
Omaha, NE. Michael was responsible for overseeing the development of the curriculum and
recruiting a faculty of urban ministry professionals with a heart to mentor future leaders. He also
developed acourse management system for the delivery of the courses via the Internet.
Michael led the process of obtaining accreditation with the Distance Education and Training
Council. He is continuing with many of these same responsibilities as director of TechMission's
City Vision College.
Other duties while with the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions:
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Coordinator of the Alcoholics Victorious network of 12 step recovery support groups (no
longer an AGRM program).
Editor of the Short-term Urban Missions Directory (now a part of TechMission's
ChristianVolunteering.org)
Lecturing, writing, and consulting in the areas of addiction recovery for the homeless and
various issues related to the effective management of Christian nonprofit organizations.
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City Vision College UYM101
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Michael is a founding board member of Christians in Recovery, an online community for
believers in recovery from addictions and other life problems. He was also involved with a
number of other development projects for web sites and Internet strategies for several different
nonprofit organizations.
Michael also served on the original online education committee of ACCESS and designed the
Rescue College course, "Introduction to College Study on the Internet" which won of the 1998
ACCESS/Christianity Today Online Course of the Year Award.
Published Works
Because he has struggled with addiction himself and grew up in a dysfunctional alcoholic family,
he brings a unique perspective to the field of rescue mission counseling. Along with his
theological training, Michael has many hours of training in the principles of substance abuse
treatment. He has spent hundreds of hours in counseling with chemically dependent individuals
and their family members.
In 1993, AGRM has published a resource entitled A Guide to Effective Rescue Mission
Recovery Programs which consists of 12 recordings from his seminars for chaplains,
counselors, and program directors and a 250 page manual. While aimed at rescue missions,
this resource offers many helpful resources and useful principles that can be used to develop
and enhance residential recovery programs in any setting. A follow up to this resource entitled,
First Things First, was published in 2000.
Michael also wrote a column for 15 years for RESCUE magazine. Portions of both publications
and the many of the magazine articles are available online, including the recorded lectures, and
are used in various City Vision College courses.
Education
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Bachelor of Theology, Inter-Lutheran Theological Seminary, Minneapolis, MN (now in
Hancock, MI)
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Master of Arts in Organizational Administration, MidAmerica Nazarene University,
Olathe, KS.
Michael is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God.
Andrew Sears
[Feel free to change or insert additional biographical information]
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City Vision College UYM101
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Andrew has worked in community computer centers since 1997. He most recently served as the
co-founder and director of the PREP Community Computer Center, which serves approximately
600 students annually. He regularly gives talks at conferences on faith based organization and
the Digital Divide including CTCNet, Kingdomworks, the Christian Community Development
Association and the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions. He grew up in an inner-city
environment, and was the son of a Baptist preacher in a Black storefront church in Kansas City
(Andrew's testimony). He later received his MS in Technology and Policy and MS in Computer
Science at MIT. While at MIT, he co-founded the Internet and Telecoms Consortium, a research
group with an annual budget of over $1 million. He has also worked as summer staff at the City
Union Mission in Kansas City and at Cape Town City Mission Homes in South Africa. He and
his wife Heather live in Dorchester, MA and are active in their local church.
REVIEW COMMITTEE
The following subject area experts provided review and feedback of the course syllabus:
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Dr. Fernando Arzola, Academic Dean of Nyack College of Arts and Sciences, and
author of Toward a Prophetic Youth Ministry: Theory and Praxis in Urban Context
Dr. Larry Acosta, Founder and President of Urban Youth Workers Institute, Trustee of
Azusa Pacific University
Rev. Louis Carlo, Adjunct Professor of Urban Youth Ministry at Alliance Theological
Seminary and Associate Pastor of Abounding Grace Ministries
Eden Martinez, Youth Director of Abounding Grace Ministries
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City Vision College UYM101
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COURSE INFORMATION
Course UYM101: Introduction to Urban Youth Ministry
Professor: Rev. Jeremy R. Del Rio, Esq.
OUTLINE OF COURSE TITLES
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Lesson #1: Foundations of Community Youth Development
Lesson #2: Empowering Authentic (Student-Led) Student Leadership
Lesson #3: Holistic Strategies: Introducing 40 Developmental Assets
Lesson #4: Sustainable Supports: Cultivating Community Assets
Lesson #5: Beyond Service: Restoring Justice to Youth Development
Lesson #6: Developing Leaders on your Team: Mentoring Matters
Lesson #7: Cultural Remix: Engaging the Hip Hop Generation
Lesson #8: The Generation Changing the World
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of holistic youth development in an
increasingly interconnected, open-sourced, urban world. Students will be equipped to develop
asset-based, student-led, contextually relevant, culturally engaging, transformational
relationships with young people. Special emphasis will be placed on issues of multiculturalism,
urban poverty, and educational inequity.
OVERAL OUTCOMES
As a group, urban youth workers are too often under-resourced, over-extended, and untrained.
This recipe for burnout precipitates a leadership turnover rate of 18-months for many inner city
youth development agencies, further destabilizing the lives of many of our nation’s most at-risk
youth populations. Through this foundational course and the in-depth study of issues in and
approaches to urban youth ministry, City Vision College will:
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Equip individuals who are called to work with youth with the personal, spiritual, and
organizational disciplines needed to remain in leadership for the long term.
Provide knowledge, skills, and tools that foster healthy, supportive, and effective
organizations.
Develop and equip leaders and youth to lead both inside and outside the organization.
Empower shared vision with others who have a passion for youth, and foster
interdependence that determines, “What kinds of things can we do better together than
alone?”
SPECIFIED OUTCOMES
Students who complete this course will:
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Be empowered to lead holistic youth development in their respective communities.
Be introduced to the ideas and principles of community youth development.
Create a framework for nurturing authentic student leadership.
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City Vision College UYM101
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Receive tools for asset-based youth development, accessing community resources, and
transformational mentoring.
Explore the cultural context and implications of the first generation to grow up online.
Explore the influence of Hip Hop on cities, pop culture, and youth development.
Explore the implications of digital media for youth development strategies.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
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Twenge, Jean M. Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident,
Assertive, Entitled -- and More Miserable Than Ever Before. New York: Simon &
Schuster, 2006.
Arzola, Fred. Toward a Prophetic Youth Ministry: Theory and Praxis in Urban Context.
Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2008.
RECOMMENDED
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Devries, Mark. Sustainable Youth Ministry: Why Most Youth Ministry Doesn't Last and
What Your Church Can Do About It. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2008.
Powell, Kara, et al. Deep Justice in a Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others
and Right the Wrongs Around Them. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007.
Heflin, Houston. Youth Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Youth Ministry. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 2009.
Mahan, Brian J., Warren, Michael and White, David. Awakening Youth Discipleship.
Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2007.
Senter III, Mark H., ed. Wesley Black , Chap Clark, Malan Nel and Mark Senter. Four
Views of Youth Ministry and the Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001).
Smith, Efrem. Raising Up Young Heroes: Developing a Revolutionary Youth Ministry.
Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2004.
Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. New York: Little, Brown and
Company 2008.
DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
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UYM101 MIDTERM EXAM
TRUE/FALSE
(1 point each)
1. Community Youth Development strategies focus on prevention programs.
False
2. The primary goal of Community Youth Development is to improve academic and vocational
competence in young people.
False
3. Development requires engagement. It is fostered through relationships, influenced by
environments and triggered by participation.
True
4. A structural impediment to authentic student leadership in many youth agencies is students
who are empowered to determine what is best for youth.
False
5. Giving students, “a space, a voice, and some power,” means including them on decision
making teams, and trusting them with a vote in how resources are allocated.
True
6. Research shows that money appropriated for service programs goes primarily to poor people.
False
7. Building communities requires investing in capacity more than overcoming deficiency.
True
8. Developmental Assets represent the relationships, opportunities, and personal qualities that
young people need to avoid risks and to thrive.
True
9. External Developmental Assets are those that exist outside schools, churches, and other
youth and community agencies, and Internal Assets are found within these institutions.
False
10. Mobilizing a community’s assets means finding donors within a community to invest
financially in the programs of local community organizations.
False
11. Mapping a community’s assets does not require spatial mapping.
True
12. Jean Twenge argues that the primary generational difference between Baby Boomers and
Generation Me is that Boomers “discovered” self in their teens and adulthood while Generation
Me has never known a world that didn’t revolve around self-identity and expression.
True
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City Vision College UYM101
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13. Generation Me’s confident, tolerant, and open-minded approach to life results in a greater
degree of personal fulfillment and satisfaction than previous generations.
False
DEFINITIONS
Please define the following terms. (3 points each)
14. Community Youth Development
Answer Guide: Community youth development is a philosophy emphasizing the
potential synergy between youth and community development by situating the two
practices in a common framework. CYD leverages the natural instincts of young people
to desire to create change in their surrounding environments by developing partnerships
between youth-related organizations and community development agencies to create
meaningful opportunities for youth to serve their communities while developing their
personal abilities.
15. Asset Mapping
Answer Guide: Asset Mapping identifies the strengths and capacities of the citizens,
associations, and institutions of particular neighborhoods and communities. Derived
from the "asset-based" approach to community development advanced by Kretzmann
and McKnight, three levels of assets should be considered: 1) the "gifts, skills and
capacities" of the individuals living in the community; 2) "citizen associations" through
which local people come together to pursue common goals; and 3) the institutions
present in community, such as local government, hospitals, education, businesses, and
human service agencies.
16. Generation Me
Answer Guide: Generation Me is the term Dr. Jean Twenge uses to describe anyone
born in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s. This generation takes for granted that the self
comes first. Generation Me has never known a world that put duty before self, and
believes that the needs of the individual should come before anyone or anything else.
This is not the same thing as being selfish, and is captured, instead, by phrase like: "Be
yourself," "Believe in yourself," "You must love yourself before you can love someone
else."
17. Developmental Assets
Answer Guide: Developmental Assets are building blocks young people need to grow
and become caring, competent adults. The Search Institute has identified 40
Developmental Assets, 20 of which are External to a young person and 20 of which are
Internal. The Developmental Assets are cumulative in their effect, meaning that the more
assets that young people have, the more likely they are to engage in safe and healthy
behaviors and the less likely they are to engage in high-risk behaviors.
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City Vision College UYM101
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18. Prophetic Youth Ministry
Answer Guide: Prophetic Youth Ministry is the term Dr. Fernando Arzola uses to
describe urban youth ministry that is both Christ-centered and holistic in ministering to
the needs of urban youth. He contrasts the Christ-centered approach of prophetic youth
ministry with the “traditional” youth ministry’s focus on youth ministry programs; the
“liberal” youth ministry’s focus on the personal felt needs of youth; and the “activist”
youth ministry’s focus on the social concerns affecting youth. While all these issues are
important, Dr. Arzola argues that prophetic youth ministry begins with Christ, and then
reaches out to address other needs.
SHORT ESSAYS
Please answer the following questions in short essays of 150 - 200 words. (11 points
each)
19. In the article, “Why Servanthood is bad,” John McKnight argues that, ”Service systems
teach people that their value lies in their deficiencies.” What does he mean, and what alternative
does he propose?
20. Karen Pittman argues that “problem youth” who are engaged as “problem solvers” can
become effective community change agents. How does she suggest this be achieved? Do you
agree or disagree, and why? Use evidence derived throughout the semester to support your
conclusion.
DETC Memo
City Vision College UYM101
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UYM101 FINAL EXAM
TRUE/FALSE
(1 point each)
1. The “Joshua Paradox” refers to the paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional
will required by effective leaders and modeled by the Old Testament prophet Joshua when he
lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.
False
2. “Open source” refers to shared-access to community resources and infrastructure.
False
3. Over 50% of the world’s population is under the age of 30, and if Facebook were a country it
would be the third largest in the world.
True
4. Hollywood movie producers invented “Mooks and Midriffs” as a consumer marketing strategy.
False
5. Research suggests that short-term mentor matches are better than no mentoring at all.
False
6. Research shows that peer-mentoring programs are more detrimental than helpful.
False.
7. The average graduate of low-income urban school districts in the US reads at an eighth
grade level.
True
8. The separation of church and state disqualifies churches from adopting public schools for
service and advocacy.
False.
9. The parallel between Babel and the information age relates to common language,
interconnectivity, and technological innovation.
True
10. Hip Hop as a cultural phenomenon rejects postmodernity.
False
11. Postmodernity values rational thought, facts, and absolute truth over feelings and
experiential knowledge.
False
DEFINITIONS
Please define the following terms. (3 points each)
13. Mooks and Midriffs
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City Vision College UYM101
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Answer Guide: Mooks and midriffs are the male and female youth consumer
archetypes invented by MTV, and exported from MTV to other Viacom properties like
Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and others. This strategy is now the industry standard for
how consumer products and entertainment are marketed to youth. Mooks are crude,
loud, and obnoxious teen and young adult males perpetually stuck in adolescence
embodied by characters on MTV like the Jackass daredevils and Jersey Shore guidos.
Midriffs are prematurely adult girls who flaunt their sexuality even before they fully
understand it, and are embodied in the Rock of Love girls, and starlets like Lady Gage
and Beyonce.
14. Educational Inequity
Answer Guide: Educational Inequity refers to the disparity in educational outcomes
related to where children live and go to school. Often the disparity correlates to income
or racial factors that should otherwise not be relevant considerations for determining
access to quality education. As a result of educational inequity, the place of one’s
childhood determines the quality of one’s education.
15. 20/20 Vision for Schools
Answer Guide: 20/20 Vision for Schools is an engagement paradigm for thinking
through school and community partnerships around education reform. The paradigm can
be depicted as a matrix built upon three central components. The horizontal axis reflects
the institutional Adopt-a-School relationship between a local school and community
stakeholder organization. The vertical axis reflects Student Leadership Development at
the school. And Vocational Calling is the engine driving progress along both axes as the
stakeholder organization leverages its influence to mobilize volunteerism, service, and
advocacy among its constituency.
16. Post Modernism
Answer Guide: Post modernism reflects cultural values that question everything and
believes truth is relative. Emphasizes tolerance, and values relationships over
institutions and organizations. Experiential knowledge, emotional feelings and personal
story are more important than independent facts, problem solving, and head knowledge.
Rejects the rigidity and quest for absolute truth of modernism.
SHORT ESSAYS
Please answer the following questions in short essays of 150 - 200 words. (11 points
each)
17. How do the goals and values of community youth development relate to the cultural
expectations of Generation Me? How can you “embrace the mess” of Generation Me while also
empowering students to lead community change?
18. Propose a strategy for your ministry to overcome the Joshua Paradox when you transition
out of leadership in 3-5 years.
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City Vision College UYM101
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19. Assume that fatherlessness is rampant in your neighborhood and even within your
congregation or organization. Propose a strategy to mobilize and equip the constituency you
influence to embrace fatherless kids in meaningful ways.
LONG ESSAY
Please answer the following questions in 300-400 words. (22 points each)
20. The juvenile detention rate in Metropolis has doubled over the last decade, while its high
school graduation rates have plummeted by 30%. 65% of White and Asian student at Metropolis
High School are proficient in reading and math, but only 28% of Black and 26% of Latino
students are. 70% of the Metropolis High School graduates who go on to college need reading
or math remediation, and 48% require remediation in both subjects. As of the last available
statistics, only 18% of Metropolis High School alumni completed Bachelors degree programs
within five years of their high school graduation. 25% of Black and Latino men between the ages
of 16 and 24 are neither employed nor in school.
You are a community youth development specialist hired by Metropolis High School to lead an
effort to overcome these challenges. What are your top three goals over the next 2 years, and
why? How do you propose achieving those goals? What benchmarks will you use to measure
whether your strategies are succeeding? What community partnerships would you recommend
developing to achieve these goals, and how will you identify potential partners?
21. You are the part-time youth pastor at the traditional First Denominational Church in inner
city Metropolis. You have been approached by a college friend who was recently hired as the
youth development specialist at Metropolis High School about supporting the school’s efforts to
improve educational outcomes for chronically underperforming students. Your senior pastor
home schools his children, and the only time public schools have been mentioned from the
pulpit in your memory was to decry the school board’s decision to make condoms available at
Metropolis High School through the schools nurse’s office. Your friend at Metropolis High
School is not a Christian, but he values your leadership and believes congregations like yours
can become critical partners in restoring educational equities.
You have requested, and the pastor has approved, fifteen minutes at the next Elder Board
meeting to advocate for the church’s involvement in the school’s effort. While the pastor can be
philosophical at times, the Elder Broad has a well-deserved reputation for being ultra-pragmatic.
If your presentation has any hope of being approved it must include concrete action items, and
achievable success metrics, while also convincing traditional leaders that improving reading and
math proficiency and graduation rates somehow relate to the church’s mission to help people
escape hell. You decide to write your presentation so that you don’t forget anything important.