Growing a plant...or anything

This has constantly been on my mind lately...

The issue of how to make things grow? And of course i'm not at all talking about plants. Although the metaphor does imply the complications (or simplicity) of the matter.

Well i have been thinking about the drastic situation that has been thrown on my lap. Of regrouping what once was a growing youth ministry. Well i dont at all mean that the Youth Ministry was failing, or not growing. No not at all. The youth ministry was called to an abrupt end, too soon from what i think.

But yes, that is the situation, whether i like it or not.

Well the thought about what to do, things about planning, forming a team, programs, activities and all that have been on my mind ever since.

I have had some sleepless nights to name a few. But it is not all that bad. Although i do feel a tad upset about the whole scenario. A little frustration here and there.

What should we do? How do we start? Are there proper methods to follow?

Sure all the answers to these questions will help a great deal but, there are some fundamentals that i think we should think about.

-to build community, some sort of community aura.
-to build a come as you are culture, where one feels accepted and can be authentic.
-a place where there is an openness to hard questions
-a place where we learn about faith-Jesus-the bible
-a place we can call our own.

I may be right or these are just some things that i want my mind to absorb at the moment. In a nutshell, i just want the youth ministry to be church, to be a community.