Introduction

What is Ambassador Club?

Since its inception, the Seventh-day Adventist Youth Ministry Department has served the youth through three levels; namely, Adventurer Club for 6 - 9 years old; Pathfinder Club for 10 - 15 years old; and Senior Youth/Young Adults for 16 - 31+ years old.

However, divisions noted that the young people who complete the Pathfinder requirements are left without a program that meets their needs. They do not want to leave the pathfinder club, but at the same time they do not feel old enough to associate themselves with the Senior Youth/Young Adults. In the absence of an established program/level for this group several Divisions have been running their own programs, such as Companion in Europe, Medical Brigade in the Inter-America and South American divisions, etc., to fill this vacuum.

At the 2001 World Youth Leadership Convention a very important action was taken, charging the General Conference Youth Department to develop materials for a New Level to meet the need of the youth, ages 16-21, in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Today you are holding in your hands the outcome of this action.

Please note that the Ambassador Club is not intended to replace the AYS, but instead, will strengthen the current Senior Youth/Young Adult Ministry of our Church. This new level will provide a structured and organized way for 16-21 years olds to become actively involved in their church, both locally and globally.

Great appreciation goes to World Divisions that have contributed to the material in this manual.

The official levels of Youth Ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church are:

JUNIOR YOUTH MINISTRY SENIOR YOUTH/ YOUNG ADULTMINISTRY

Adventurer Club 6 – 9 years old Ambassador Club 16 – 21+ years old

Pathfinder Club 10 – 15 years old Senior Youth/Young Adults 22 – 31+ years old

AC T I V I T I E S

PHI LOSOPHY OF SOC I A L E D U CAT ION

Christian young people have every reason to be the happiest persons in the world. Jesus said, “I come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). A life lengthened by proper health habits but boring is not an abundant life. We are not just to be happy because life is good, life is fair, and life is long. None of those phrases are accurate for anyone—a Christian or a non-Christian. But, James tells us we can and should be happy in any and all circumstances. Paul understood that as well which is why he could sing while in prison and beaten. This all may sound a bit morbid as an introduction to this section, but there is a reason. Today’s society places a major emphasis on having fun—at almost any cost.

Entertainment is the way to happiness, so says the media. Jeff Jacoby, a columnist for a major newspaper was evaluating this concept once and wrote the following about today’s view of fun and happiness. “It is not that movies and TV shows are laced with dung, but that they cannot help being laced with dung. So much TV and movie fare is morally corrosive because those industries by their nature are at odds with traditional moral teachings…(they) contradict the fundamental messages of the Judeo-Christian tradition.” He then goes on to point out many of the contradictions and concludes with this observation: “One last contradiction: TV and the movies are obsessed with fun. In the Jewish and Christian traditions, the focus is on happiness.” In the movies, “when the dazzle is over, when the excitement has passed, what’s left? Very few people… want to be buried under a stone that says ‘Here lies… he had a lot of fun.’ Fun is not what life is about. Yet it is overwhelmingly what the media culture demands. The difference between fun and happiness is like the difference between sex and love. One is easy but quickly ended; the other takes work but can last forever. One appeals to the senses; the other nourishes the soul.” It’s not hard to see the contrast of Christian fun and those amusements that, sought merely for the sake of pleasure, tend to be carried to excess, weakening our physical, mental, and spiritual powers. Satan is constantly endeavoring to unsettle youth by creating new attractions and fascinating amusements that destroy the usefulness of young people and separate them from God.

Recreation that may cause us to lay aside religious convictions temporarily is disastrous. Although recreation invites us to take off from the complex rat race of modern technologically driven living, it never should encourage us to be off-duty Christians; religion cannot be a postscript for everyday living.

Having said all this, we do have some positive guidance: “It is the privilege and duty of Christians to seek to refresh their spirits and invigorate their physical and mental powers to the glory of God.” MYP 364. Notice it is our DUTY to have and participate in recreation.

GAME S

Games fall into several categories. The poorest of these are those games of chance that encourage gambling, dissipation, and cheating. Those that encourage stimulation of the brain, learning in all its facets from Bible to nature to general knowledge are more acceptable. Those that also encourage exercise and social interaction besides learning are even better.

S PORT S

While we may choose to involve ourselves in spectator sports to a greater or lesser degree, sports that are promoted by us as an organization should be more along the lines of participatory events. In spectator events, emotions tend to run high, adrenalin flows in excess and there’s nowhere for it all to go except in yelling and name calling. Commercial interests tend to exploit and make larger than life of so-called “star” players. These then enter a world of hero worship that is not healthy for a young Christian’s involvement. While commercialized sports and other such areas of competition exist in various public sporting leagues and should be avoided, a position against participating in sports in a recreational way should not be taken. After Ellen White enjoyed observing her grandchildren playing baseball one afternoon, someone questioned her about it. Her response was “I do not condemn the simple exercise of playing ball; but even this in its simplicity, may be overdone.” AH 499.

Temperance is the key to all social activities and recreation. Young people are sometimes confused by Ellen White’s statements that apparently condemn bicycle riding and tennis. Immediately they are tempted to condemn her writings—especially when these are used inappropriately by some well-meaning adults. The reasons behind these statements are extremely useful for us still today and they must be understood. Both these activities were written about for specific situations. In the case of bicycle riding, great sums of money were being spent for racing bicycles—to the tune of several months’ family wages, with the avowed purpose of engaging in races with towns-people. Basic family needs of food and clothing were being set aside in the effort. The whole thing was being carried to extremes. A similar situation occurred with tennis. Students were missing classes at school in order to play “just one more game”; competition against the community was organized that developed an unwholesome spirit which needed to be curbed. These are all reasons that could or should cancel many types of activities, not just bicycles or tennis. It was Tozer who put it very clearly: “Whatever keeps me from the Bible is my enemy, however harmless it may appear to be.”—Best of Tozer, page 108

MU S I C

Music is one of those subjects that do not seem to have any people that are opinionless. Most everyone seems to have very clear feeling of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable music. Most everyone seems to feel that whatever type of music they prefer is the best type that there is and any other type is either too old-fashioned or too far over the cliff. There is a line of thought that teaches that music is actually neutral in the over-all panorama of the Great Controversy. After all musical notes are just that—musical notes—they say or do nothing in and of themselves. While that is very accurate, it is also very deceptive. It is analogous to saying that letters are also just that—letters on a keyboard—they say or do nothing in and of themselves. BUT, the way letters are used to construct words is another story—so also the way musical notes are used to construct music is also another story. As Satan will use words to write that which will lead people away from God, so he will use music to do the same. Just as there is every genre of writing and speaking, so there is every genre of music: comical, dramatic, intense, inspirational, depressive, eloquent, folksy, uplifting, degrading, poetic, grating, all these terms and many more may be applied to both written/spoken language and musical language. In fact most composers will refer to their efforts as language. They can by skillful use of music evoke any line of thoughts they wish, any body reactions they wish—psychological and body chemistry studies confirm this. Music is not neutral. It is an integral part of the Great Controversy and is used by both sides in the battle for our souls. Every one has their own tastes in music, and that is quite acceptable—there are many forms of music to choose from for this. But a Christian should never be so narrow as to confine himself to only one type of music nor be so unfocused as to permit any form of musical production or sound volume to be used as an excuse to glorify God. He has been particular of what is offered to Him as worship since the beginning of mankind’s history as evidenced in the sad story of Cain and Abel. God is the source and author of a wide range of musical types. He likes variety just as is shown by his creation. But he is not the author or originator of that which evokes hypnotic effects, anarchy, dissonance, discord, and destruction of hearing—those are the thorns and weeds introduced into the fields. In our clubs and in our meetings we will want to focus on that music which will draw us to God without sending mixed messages of confusion. Of the wide range available to us we will want to select that which is near a “middle of the road” type that will elicit least controversy and division and yet resonate in the inner chords of the soul of every youth.

D I S C I P L E SHI P

There are numerous words that seem to be key words in youth ministry. Mentoring and discipleship are perhaps two of the most important. Youth Ministry does not involve just doing that which youth enjoy doing. Mentoring signifies the actions leaders must take, do take whether they recognize it or not in their leadership roles. Discipleship is the response to good mentoring. It is taking Christ’s narrow path we as leaders have pointed out for them. Youth Ministry is not a fun and games lifestyle alone (even though there is often fun and games involved). If the youth do not find the small gate and take the narrow path Christ speaks about, then all of our planning sessions and nice programs and all of our time, energy, and resources spent are meaningless. They become like the drums and cymbals alone—a lot of noise, a lot of emotion, but no melody and no harmony—no valid music.

WOR SHI P / D E VOT ION A L

A key component of every Christian’s life is found in their concepts and practice of worship to God and personal devotional time. Because mankind’s relationship to God is of such importance and these two aspects of life are so vital to that relationship, it would be difficult to even call a person a Christian who does not involve himself in these in some kind of systematic consciously planned pattern.

Worship

Often worship is seen as something that I must receive a benefit from or it isn’t of any value. We forget that worship is that which we give to God, it is not for ourselves. It is our outward expression of thanksgiving, of what our relationship with God means to us. Thus it is best done in a combined fashion of that which comes from the heart with that which God asks of us. We have in the Bible a very clear expression of this in the very first chapters of Genesis where God specifies the worship He expects. Abel worshiped according to God’s request, Cain chose to worship according to his own desires—using that which he

felt was of merit. Today is no different. For many today, worship is offering that which we choose to offer based on what we like or want with little or no consideration of what it is that God asks of us and therefore our worship can be just as offensive as Cain’s was. There are several components of worship; each must be carefully and prayerfully examined within our hearts in order to provide that which truly will be worship. The music used, the prayers offered, the words spoken, the actions involved; all are to be to the glory of God. There can be no mixing in of the profane under the guise of culture, times, personal preference or any other excuse.

Personal Devotions

This is the time for personal struggles and needs to be met. This the time when which most builds my strength, satisfies my innermost soul, is to happen. Timeframes are of no essence here, the Apostle says “I die daily”—that is the only reference we have for time. Devotions need to take place daily; other than that, they may last a few minutes or hours depending on the struggles at hand. They may consist of short readings one day and long tearful arguments another day. They may begin early in the morning by conversations with God before we even get out of bed and they may wrap up a day as we fall asleep in His trust. Any music, words read or words spoken, any actions; all are focused on that which will bring me closer to God within the frameworks of my culture, my times, my personal preferences—God is feeding me, giving me the strength and enthusiasm to face each day with and for Him. A hurried lifestyle is no excuse to limit personal devotions. It was Martin Luther who probably best understood this: he is quoted as saying something like “I have so much to do today; I must spend an extra hour on my knees to prepare for it.”

CAMP I N G A N D N AT U R E

Camping and other related outdoor adventure is a highlight in the programming of most youth groups. There are some clear guidelines recognized by all who venture into this world of discovery that must be an integral part of our teaching and behavior.

Pastor Robert Tyson, one of our early youth directors, who was also a true mentor, taught that if we are to be leaders of youth, we must become outdoors persons first. He meant that we not only must become skilled in the art of camping and high adventure, we must also develop a strong appreciation for and ethic towards nature—those small fractions of wilderness yet remaining for our enjoyment and protection. True outdoorsmen are not the “Rambo-type” that strap on a long knife and plow into the wilds, cutting, destroying, and imposing their presence on the environment. True outdoorsmen blend in; become a part

of this environment—they learn to “walk softly”. They follow fanatically the axiom: “Kill nothing but time, leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures.” They familiarize themselves with every living thing and appreciate each and every species for what it is—a representation of the creative acts of God, another piece of the grand puzzle picturing the Great Controversy, each with lessons waiting to be learned as one deepens their powers of exploration and understanding. Nature should not cringe at our arrival, it should barely sense our presence and hardly notice our departure. One of the goals of every

club activity in the outdoors should be to leave the site in better, cleaner, more natural condition than when they arrived.

“He alone who recognizes in nature his Father’s handiwork,…learns from the things of nature their deepest lessons, and receives their highest ministry.” Ed 119-120. A web site called www.thru-hiker.com provides many great ideas for ultra light equipment that one can make and save money, from great sleeping bags to backpacks and simple stoves, everything an adventurer needs, cheap and ultra light.