The Involvement Parabola

December 31st, 2006

By Brad Humphrey

Most endeavors have a point in which they have their maximum effectiveness. Most endeavors will also have a limited life span. The chart of such an endeavor is usually a parabolic curve. Financial advisors recognize this when they state that there is a “maximum earning period”. This means that in the middle age of life people will achieve there maximum capability of earning income. Athletics also works on a parabolic curve. In the early years they are training and developing skills. The middle years are the most effective years. As age takes over, athletic prowess declines. It is often times stated that the best years of baseball pitchers ability comes around the age of 27. This is the peak of the parabolic curve.

The life of a small group can also be illustrated on a parabolic curve. The serendipity small group training indicates that there is a birthing period, a growth period, a depth period and a time of release. This same model can be applied to the life span of a typical college student particularly regarding leadership involvement. However, general involvement will reach its peak during the same periods with non-leadership students.

There is a defined life span of a student’s career. The traditional life span is 4 years. However, we find many, if not most students, take longer to complete their education. The result is that in any student’s career at the university the overall period of effective leadership and ministry will increase [or decrease] depending on their particular length of education. For discussion purposes we will use the traditional four-year period. All students go through a period of birthing. It is a time they find their way around campus and decide to get involved in a particular organization. The next phase is that of training. They learn and get prepared to get involved. This is the time leadership is developed. It is here that they decide to be a leader in any particular organization.

The fall of the freshman year [FF] is the time of birth. It is a brief period in which contact and involvement is critical. It is a time to teach vision and incorporate them into the community. The second semester [FS] is a time of teaching for ministry. It is a preparation time so that maximum ministry can occur during their presence in school.

The middle years, sophomore and junior, are the times of ministry. These are the effective periods in which ministry must be enabled. The sophomore year is one in which learning occurs while one is in ministry. The junior year depth in personal ministry is developed. If a student is going to be on campus for 5 years then there will be two “junior years”.

We have observed that youth groups in the local church have a tendency to lose High School seniors. There are scores of reasons for this that will not be articulated. Campus ministry has a tendency to work in the same way as well. The life and involvement for a student is the same as the small group life cycle [mentioned above]. Therefore we see that there is a time of continual decrease in involvement and finally the release of that Senior from the ministry of that particular group.

Based upon the flow of the parabolic curve we can assign tasks to particular semesters in a student’s life.

The model of leadership must be developed with this “participation curve” in mind. It is critical that the organization take into account the curve so that proper training, calling and enabling can be developed. Giving leadership tasks too early will cause weak development in overall leadership blending. By blending we mean the ability to own the vision of the ministry and therefore work toward the corporate goals. If leadership is concentrated on “seniors” then their personal agenda will take over and the corporate agenda will not get accomplished.

Using this model, we may assign particular tasks for particular semesters. The following assignments can be made to particular semesters.

The Segments of the Parabola and Leadership Tasks:

Involvement Parabola