Table Of ContentUNDERSTANDING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF NOVICE
YOUTH MINISTERS IN THE EVANGELICAL
PROTESTANT TRADITION
by
Ronald G. Marrs
APPROVED:
_ _
Chairperson, Doctoral Committee Date
_ _
Member, Doctoral Committee Date
_ _
Member, Doctoral Committee Date
UNDERSTANDING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF NOVICE
YOUTH MINISTERS IN THE EVANGELICAL
PROTESTANT TRADITION
A Dissertation
Presented to
The Faculty of the Talbot School of Theology
Biola University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies
by
Ronald G. Marrs
March 17, 2012
Copyright © 2012 by Ronald G. Marrs
ABSTRACT
UNDERSTANDING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF NOVICE
YOUTH MINISTERS IN THE EVANGELICAL
PROTESTANT TRADITION
Ronald G. Marrs
The experiences of novice youth ministers are varied. One important problem
concerning novice youth ministers is the lack of research about the impact of the novice
youth minister’s experience on longevity and attrition in youth ministry. The goal of this
exploratory study was to examine the lived experience of novice youth ministers in the
evangelical Protestant tradition. This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological
research method to discover the perspectives of people during their novice youth minister
experience as well as the perspectives of the ministers who supervised them during that
experience.
One primary data source was used for the study: a .75- to 1.00-hour interview
with former novice youth ministers and their supervising ministers (separate interviews).
Following the collection and analysis of the data, a focus group was conducted to review
the research findings in order to contribute to the determination of the validity and
reliability of the findings.
The findings of this study were presented using 8 categorical themes. The 8
categorical themes explored were (a) calling; (b) difficulties adjusting to church politics,
conflicts, and other relational struggles; (c) relationship of the youth ministers with their
supervisors; (d) mentoring; (e) spouse’s experience; (f) selection process; (g) preparation;
and (h) differences in perspective between the youth minister and the supervising
minister.
The stories of novice youth ministers told in this study reveal the need for great
care and consideration to be given by the church to this group of people who seek to live
out the gospel in the context of youth ministry. The hope is that these findings will help
novice youth ministers thrive and remain in youth ministry and that supervising ministers
and youth ministry educators will contribute to this endeavor.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
List of Tables .................................................................................................................... vii
Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................... viii
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROBLEM ................................................................... 1
Description of the Problem ................................................................................. 2
Background and Importance of the Study .......................................................... 3
Statement of the Research Question ................................................................... 12
Definition of Terms............................................................................................. 13
Population and Sample ....................................................................................... 16
Assumptions of the Study ................................................................................... 16
Delimitations of the Study .................................................................................. 17
Summary of the Introduction to the Problem ..................................................... 18
2. REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE ............................................................... 20
Career Development Theories ............................................................................ 21
Critical Domains from the Study of Career Development Theory ..................... 40
Youth Minister Attrition and Longevity ............................................................. 75
The Transition of Novice Teachers into the Field of Education......................... 95
Summary of the Review of the Literature........................................................... 102
iii
3. CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW INTEGRATION......................................................... 105
A Theology of Calling ........................................................................................ 106
New Testament Survey of Ministry Leadership Roles ....................................... 116
Paul and Timothy: A Case Study in Mentoring.................................................. 127
Summary of the Christian Worldview Integration.............................................. 131
4. RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROCEDURES ........................................................... 134
Statement of the Research Question ................................................................... 134
Research Design.................................................................................................. 135
Operational Definitions....................................................................................... 138
Sample Selection Procedures.............................................................................. 141
Data Collection Procedures................................................................................. 148
Researcher Reflection Procedures ...................................................................... 154
Pilot Study........................................................................................................... 159
Informed Consent................................................................................................ 159
Data Analysis Procedures ................................................................................... 160
Summary of the Research and Design Procedures ............................................. 163
5. RESULTS ................................................................................................................... 165
Study Participants ............................................................................................... 166
Organizing Theme 1: Calling.............................................................................. 180
Organizing Theme 2: Difficulties Adjusting to Church Politics, Conflicts, and
Other Relational Struggles............................................................................ 186
Organizing Theme 3: Relationship of the Youth Ministers
with their Supervisors ................................................................................... 202
iv
Organizing Theme 4: Mentoring ........................................................................ 208
Organizing Theme 5: Spouse’s Experience........................................................ 217
Organizing Theme 6: Selection Process ............................................................. 227
Organizing Theme 7: Preparation....................................................................... 235
Organizing Theme 8: Differences in Perspective Between Youth Minister and
Supervising Minister. 239
Summary of the Results ...................................................................................... 244
6. CONCLUSIONS......................................................................................................... 252
Findings in Relation to the Research Questions ................................................. 253
Findings in Relation to the Differences in Perspective Between Youth Ministers
and Supervising Ministers (Organizing Theme 8)........................................ 271
Implications......................................................................................................... 273
Limitations .......................................................................................................... 277
Recommendations for Further Research............................................................. 278
Concluding Remarks........................................................................................... 280
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 282
APPENDIXES
A. Email Letter to Prospective Participants.............................................................. 289
B. Online Survey to Collect Sample Possibilities..................................................... 292
C. Informed Consent Form ....................................................................................... 296
D. Questions for Youth Minister Interview .............................................................. 298
E. Questions for Supervising Minister Interview ..................................................... 301
F. Focus Group Questions......................................................................................... 304
v
G. Transcript Assessor’s Questions .......................................................................... 307
vi
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE
2.1. Dobrow’s Construct for “Having a Calling” (2006)...................................................53
2.2. Number of Years in Youth Ministry for Sample of Youth Ministers (Strommen,
Jones, & Rahn, 2001).............................................................................................88
2.3. Outcome Framework for Studying Youth Minister Mobility, by
Destination .10
2.4. Mapping the Reasons for Leaving a Church with Reasons Teachers Give
for Moving .101
4.1. Number of Participants Thriving and Not Thriving in Four Vocational Outcome
Categories .147
4.2. Connection of Interview Questions with Constructs from the Literature
Review .152
5.1. Number of Participants Thriving and Not Thriving in Four Vocational Outcome
Categories .169
5.2. Participant Characteristics: Age when Novice Youth Ministry Began, Duration of
Novice Youth Ministry, Thriving State, Vocational Outcome ............................170
5.3. A Comparison of Tenure Rates in Youth Minister Attrition and Longevity
Studies.173
5.4. Supervising Minister’s Role and Relationship to the Novice Youth Minister .........175
5.5. Organizing Themes and Theoretical Constructs which Emerged from
Data Analysis .179
6.1. The Application of Novice Teacher Retention Knowledge for Novice Youth
Ministers ..............................................................................................................262
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