The rise and decline of Coming Together: a Christian youth leadership movement in Boston, 1989-1999

Craig W McMullen

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The rise and decline of Coming Together: a Christian youth leadership movement in Boston, 1989-1999

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MLA citation style (9th ed.)

Craig W McMullen. The Rise and Decline of Coming Together: a Christian Youth Leadership Movement In Boston, 1989-1999. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/119dc28e-ee11-4d9a-b64e-2031e9060f6f.

APA citation style (7th ed.)

C. W. Mcmullen. The rise and decline of Coming Together: a Christian youth leadership movement in Boston, 1989-1999. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/119dc28e-ee11-4d9a-b64e-2031e9060f6f

Chicago citation style (CMOS 17, author-date)

Craig W McMullen. The Rise and Decline of Coming Together: a Christian Youth Leadership Movement In Boston, 1989-1999. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. https://rim.ir.atla.com/concern/etds/119dc28e-ee11-4d9a-b64e-2031e9060f6f.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

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Craig W McMullen

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Abstract

This work is a study focused on the ten year life cycle of the Coming Together: A Christian Youth Leadership Movement in Boston, 1989-1999, (C2). It is concerned with the question of what were the elements that brought about this youth revival and what caused its decline. Then with this information, and given the current state of youth ministry in Boston, what would it take for another city wide youth ministry to happen again? A primary premise of the work is a historic review using a systems thinking approach. Systems analysis provided a view of the interrelated elements of an otherwise complex setting between Modernity and Postmodernity, Urban and Suburban youth, Traditional Boston Churches and the Coming Together Youth led movement. Secondly, this study discusses the various models of congregational life cycles to tell the story in eight stages of the rise and decline of the C2 movement. The primary research project of this work was using the Hexagon technique for developing systems analysis of particular environments. Using this method, this study was able to determine the five principles of the C2. The five principles of Coming Together are: 1. C2 is a movement responding to the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit in youth. 2. C2 is a Christian Youth led movement. 3. C2 utilizes a team approach in sharing, of leadership, vision and resources. 4. C2 seeks to build and celebrate Christ-centered, interracial relationships among urban and suburban youth groups. 5. C2 seeks to provide a supportive network of adult youth leaders. This study then analyzed these principles through the grid of systems thinking and developed a causal loop diagram for further analysis. In this diagram it was discovered how the C2 was a system of reinforcing elements that once placed in motion would become productive. This analysis also demonstrated that the reinforcing aspect for the C2 system could become counter-productive if any change occurred in one of the principles. Next this study analyzed the current state of youth ministry in Boston, what has to happen to bring forth a city-wide youth ministry through systems analysis Hexagon project with current youth ministers in Boston. Through the development of another causal loop diagram of this question, the leverage points for effecting change in the current system of youth work in Boston was determined. This study proposes that the five principles of C2 could still be an effective leverage to bring about city-wide ministry. Although the form of this youth ministry would be different base upon a new generation of youth in a changing context. It was also suggested that these principles are transferable to other settings, although the programmatic outcomes would be different according to the environment. The final outcome of the life cycle study of C2 is found that out of the death of the movement came to the resurrection of a multiplication of new and vibrant youth programs. A key learning from C2 study is best summarized by the words of Jesus when he said, 'I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds,' (John 12:24).

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