The Implementation of C.O.R.E. Teams in Youth Ministry for the Collaborative Objective to Raise up and Empower

by Jeremy Giordano Graves
June 1st, 2012
The purpose of this dissertation is to show how a CORE Team of individuals working together can bring about a holistic change to the face of youth ministry. I use the acronym CORE throughout this dissertation to refer to this proposed model of youth ministry: Collaborative Objective to Raise up and Empower. The CORE Team's main objective is to cultivate a continual influx of young people seizing the opportunity to use their gifts in ministry. The CORE Team model emphasizes the development of leaders and encourages emerging leaders to step into leadership roles within a youth ministry. A CORE Team that is vision-centric and operates within the realm of leadership
development can bring longevity to the ministry participants and offers sustainability to the ministry as a whole.

The ultimate goal of the CORE Team model is to see the vision sustained while releasing new leaders who have the ability to minister in their individual areas of giftedness or expertise. It is paramount to find ways to move away from person-centered leadership into a team-based approach centered on a set vision where each team member operates from his or her strengths. This vision-centric CORE Team model promotes sustainability in the long term and allows for leaders to flourish. Through case study research of three emerging youth movements, I examine the implementation of a CORE Team as the next step in their leadership development. The CORE Team model allows for the eventual smooth transition of leadership to the next generation.