| Book Review: 20,000 days and counting |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Friday, April 19, 2013 @ 3:05 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
"A hundred years from now, what will you have left behind? What will your legacy be?" That is the central question in the book 20,000 Days and Counting, subtitled 'The crash course in mastering your life right now'. It's aptly titled, for a crash course it is. In 18 short chapters the author, Robert D. [...]You just finished reading Book Review: 20,000 days and counting! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| Would You Be Willing to Be Gay for a Day? |
From Rethinking Youth Ministry on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 1:46 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
What would it be like for you to experience a day from the perspective of a gay teen? Would you be willing to find out? If you are a gay pastor or youth leader, you already know what it's like. Everyone else: keep reading.This year the Day of Silence falls on Friday April 19. This is annual observance when students choose to remain silent in their schools for one day to show solidarity with LGBTQ teens who are silenced every day by being kept in the closet through intolerance and fear. I participated in this day in seminary years ago and it was a powerful experience that even included a worship service held completely in silence. Of course, the Day of Silence is not without its controversy, particularly for those who feel participating in the event might (God forbid!) send the message to gay teens that they are loved, accepted and affirmed. But wherever you place yourself within that debate, I think that blogger Kimberly Knight is really on to something when she suggests that straight persons try becoming "gay for a day": What do I mean by this? Well, this is a bit of a challenge for my straight friends. Those of you with boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or wives – for the next 24 hours, imagine that the one you love, the planet around which your heart is in orbit, is someone you can not openly acknowledge in any conversation – anywhere. When you are at work, do not talk about your boyfriend or husband. When you are at lunch, don't mention the Friday night date you are looking forward to. When you are grabbing that mid-morning coffee, don't talk about your weekend plans with the wife....So here it is, a challenge – be gay for a day. Really, really – I invite you to give this a try. For 24 hours beginning on the morning of Friday, April 19 live your every moment as if the people you love are just friends, roommates, strangers.... (Read the full post here.)Participating in what Kimberly is suggesting has nothing to do with whether or not you have problems with a person's sexual orientation. But it has everything to do with whether or not you believe that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Being willing to spend a day in the other person's shoes is a step away from treating LGBTQ teens as an "issue" and toward treating them as individual children of God. Of course, "being gay for a day" isn't going to let you really see what like is like living in the closet anymore than sleeping on your church parking lot for one night is going to teach your teens what it is like to be homeless. In fact, the power of both of those experiences is in helping the participant to become aware of how little they know of what life is like for the "other" and that so often we are willing to pontificate and share our absolutist opinions and beliefs about something we have no knowledge of first-hand (and in some cases never will). |
| Revelation Simplified. |
From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 11:30 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO |
| What a dead missionary can teach us about radical youth ministry |
From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 9:46 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Although Hudson Taylor was born in 1832 and died in 1905 he has a lot to teach us about youth ministry in this postmodern world. The principles he learned over the decades and eventually passed along to the young missionaries he recruited can help us reach the next generation today. But we must apply these timeless principles with the right mix of wisdom, gentleness and courage in our own youth ministry contexts.
Taylor became a Christian at the age of 18 and, by 21, became a full-blown missionary to China. Although he provided medical help to the Chinese as he shared the gospel with them he was (along with all the other English missionaries of his time) roundly rejected and ridiculed. Often called "Black devils" for their long, black overcoats the English missionaries were despised by many of the Chinese people.
As Hudson evaluated what other missionaries were doing he was severely disappointed and disillusioned. He realized that many of them were using their second language skills to help wealthy businessman transact lucrative deals instead of proclaiming the gospel. When many of these missionaries did actual ministry among the Chinese it was often with an air of English superiority. They spoke down to the Chinese "heathens" and then sipped some more tea as they huddled to console each other in their safe and comfortable "missionary training centers."
But Hudson was a different breed of Englishman than the prissy missionaries he was working alongside in China. Unlike them, he wasn't there to get rich but to get souls. He wasn't concerned with earthly comfort but with eternal salvation. His heart broke for the Chinese who knew nothing of Jesus, his death and the grace available for all who simply trust in Him.
So Hudson did something radical. He adopted Chinese dress, grew a long ponytail, dyed it black and shaved the rest of his head bald (like the Chinese men did!) Although other missionaries mocked him, he took radical action to reach the unreached Chinese. When he did the walls of Chinese apprehension fell and the gospel began to make an inroads into China in a serious way.
So what does all of this have to do with your youth ministry? What lessons can Hudson Taylor teach the average youth leader about youth ministry? There are at least 3 lessons he can teach those of us trying to reach the unreached people group called teenagers today:
1) Do whatever it takes to reach them!
Hudson Taylor was so focused on reaching the unreached Chinese that he was willing to forsake the benefits he had become accustomed to and live completely by faith. He endured sickness, bouts of depression, struggles with Chinese authorities, dangerous riots and searing criticism by fellow missionaries all so the gospel could spread.
In the same way youth leaders who are willing to engage their own trials for the sake of reaching teenagers will (eventually) see the blessing come. Their trials may come in the form of apathetic teenagers, lame youth rooms or youth ministry budgets that have been unfairly slashed. But whatever the trials these youth leaders, fueled by the same Spirit who empowered Hudson, will prevail. Lives will be changed, souls saved and communities transformed as a result of their "whatever it takes" attitude.
2) Raise up an army of young fanatics to help you reach even more teenagers.
Perhaps the most impacting part of Hudson Taylor's efforts didn't happen in China but England. He traveled back to his beloved home country several times to preach and recruit young men and women to join him in his missionary efforts. He poured into young people and taught them to live by faith and forsake everything else for the glory of God and advancement of His kingdom. Hudson said, "China is not to be won for Christ by quiet, ease-loving men and women … The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, [and] souls first and foremost in everything and at every time—even life itself must be secondary."
During his lifetime Hudson's efforts raised up an army of 800 young radicals who lived by faith, preached the clear message of God's grace and invaded every province of China with the good news of Jesus Christ. He was directly responsible for 18,000 Chinese disciples being made during his lifetime. Their efforts became the foundation for the explosive growth of the church in China today.
Youth leaders who learn to subjugate personal comfort for this compelling cause will get a taste of the power of this approach. And these same radical youth leaders must raise up radical teens within their youth groups who can be equipped and unleashed to reach others. These "10%ers" will do what it takes to reach the lost at any cost on their school campuses and in their communities.
3) Pray! Pray! Pray!
Hudson operated in utter dependence on God through prayer. He once said, "All God's giants have been weak men, who did great things for God because they believed that God would be with them." God uses weak youth leaders who become giants through prayer. When we realize that we can't but He can then we begin to experience the truly miraculous in our ministries.
Are you, like Hudson Taylor, operating in utter dependence on God through prayer in your youth ministry? Are you more dependent on that latest curriculum or resource to prepare your lessons than the Holy Spirit to convict and convince your teens? Are you laboring with God in prayer for the lost teens in your community? Are you getting your teens, especially your 10%ers, to agonize over the lost with you?
Let us learn from Hudson Taylor. Just as Hudson left the English niceties to adopt Chinese dress and customs, let us leave any lame youth ministry practices behind and embrace a radical, mission-driven approach to discipleship that calls teens to a higher cause, THE very Cause that Jesus left to his disciples. We may be mocked by some in the youth ministry community. We may be marginalized by some people, even in our own churches. But it's worth it if just one teenager passes from death to life.
May the Spirit that filled Hudson Taylor empower you to reach the unreachable in your community today! |
| A Right Approach to The Bible in Your Youth Ministry |
From youthministry360 on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 8:14 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.--2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)I love the imagery of this verse. I like the image of presenting ourselves and our work to God.It's humbling, and scary, and wonderful. I like the image of us as workers for the Lord, laboring for God. And I like the aim of this verse: that being a worker approved is tied to our right handling of Scripture.Are you a right handler of Scripture? Do you or your volunteers teach the Bible to teenagers in a way that's right in God's eyes? I guess the more important question would be how do we define what it means to handle Scripture the right way in our youth ministries?Here are a few broad thoughts:ACCURACYI listened during a devotion as an individual made a point about the freedom from legalism we have in Christ. Good topic, right? This individual quoted Paul's words from 1 Corinthians 6:12, "Everything is permissible for me." The only problem, of course, is that Paul was quoting a phrase commonly used by the non-believers in Corinth. Serious gaffe on the part of And Paul refutes this thought in the rest of the verse! It's not enough to know Scripture if we aren't able to correctly use it. You can't take Scripture out of context. When you do, you arm a teenager with information that is simply not the truth. And there is no telling how it will impact their actions.REVERENCEAre you making enough time to prepare for your Bible study lessons or talks? If you are consistently not allowing a proper amount of time to craft a message or study for a lesson, you're actually not giving the Bible the reverence it deserves. (I know . . . this is convicting to me, as well.) If we fully grasp how transformational God's Word is in the lives of our students, we will make (not find) the time to spend in preparing to teach it.FOCUSYour youth ministry should be Christ-centered and Gospel-focused. And the last time I checked, the Gospel is most fully cimmunicated through the Bible. Building on the foundation of the Bible sounds easy enough. Yet too often, we aren't strategic in our concept or our planning to be as effective at pulling this off as we could be. It's important to have fun. But your students get "fun" from many other sources. It's important to build relationships. But most of your students realize meaningful relationships from a variety of sources. For many of your students, the time they spend in your youth ministry may be the main time they get exposed to God's Word. The focus of your youth ministry should be for students to experience a deepening relationship with Christ built on a knowledge and application of Scripture.Paul calls Timothy to be a worker approved, one who handles the Word in the right way. If we do this, in Paul's words, we have "no need to be ashamed." What this implies is that we are misguided if we are not teaching the Bible correctly. But it also applies a certain assurance that if we are teaching our students Scripture in a way that is accurate, and leading them to apply its precepts in their lives, then we can be confident in our service of the Lord. |
| Ministry is More Than a Service Project |
From YouthWorkTalk.com on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 5:00 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
We've all been there! Our student ministry has gotten a little too inward focused. Our students are a little self-absorbed. We realize we although we are definitely not OF the world, we're also not IN it! Sometimes our first reaction is to schedule a service project. We call Habitat for Humanity or make a mad [...]You just finished reading Ministry is More Than a Service Project ! |
| Post Graduation Student Ministry: A Response |
From YouthMinistry.com on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 2:02 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
The longer I'm in youth ministry, the more I'm reminded that post-graduation ministry can be a scary place to think about. It's full of uncertainty and is out of our control. (But honestly, how much of high school ministry is within our control anyway?) These feelings of uncertainty and lack of control can leave some youth ministers to feel helpless.
And honestly, I'm okay with that.
When we feel helpless, we tend to trust in God more. When we feel helpless, we remember that we are not superheroes who can change the world with one powerful event.
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Help Your Grad's "Thrive" In College
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Helping students post graduation starts long before they're seniors. One reason youth ministers are scared for students after they graduate is because we're nervous that they won't be able to connect to a congregation. Sadly, sometimes we're afraid they won't be able to connect to the congregation outside of the youth group they're involved with now. One of the best things we can do in our youth ministry is to help students connect to the adults in the congregation. We need to help them integrate into the whole church, not just our one area.
When we can help students connect to the body of Christ, we're giving them the tools they need to connect to the body of Christ when they're in college. While they're in high school, one of our goals should be to purposefully connect them with caring adults and others who will be there whether you still are or not.read more |
| Reading and teaching the Bible as more than soundbites |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 1:13 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
This video shows why N.T. Wright is such an influential theologian at the moment. In just seven minutes he explains how you should read the Bible: as a whole, not as a collection of soundbites. His analogy of listening to only a past of a symphony instead of the whole thing is as brilliant as [...]You just finished reading Reading and teaching the Bible as more than soundbites! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| Youth Worker BOOST: Lonely |
From youthministry360 on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 @ 6:47 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
ym360 knows youth workers. We know what an incredibly rewarding, yet incredibly challenging job youth ministry can be. There are days when your spirits are sky-high, and there are days when you could use a bit of a "pick me up" from God's Word . . . That's why we're happy to offer Youth Worker Boost, one of the many valuable resources on the ym360 Blog. Boost is a short, weekly piece of encouragement designed to, well, "boost" your spirits and encourage you as you minister to students. We consider it yet another great opportunity to serve you and your ministry. Suscribe To The E-Boost and get them all delivered right in your inbox! "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."--Revelation 3:20Ministry can be a very lonely vocation, especially student ministry. The hurts and stresses of the work can't really be shared with church members and the concentration of time spent with teenagers isolates us from interactions with friends and peers.So how can a youth minister overcome loneliness?First, remember the Bible says that God desires a relationship with us. Remember not to do things to shut Him out of your life! If at first this sounds like an odd thing to say, think about this: Haven't you been so caught up in ministering that you forgot to have fellowship with God? Have you abandoned your devotion time for a few days? A few weeks? While it's never something we do intentionally, it does happen. We have to remember that our relationship with God is the number one consideration in our lives.Next, find a group of youth ministers and network with them. Get to know the people in your area who work with students and find time to talk with them. Finally, don't let your work get in the way of your family or friendships. Now, stop for a second . . . Don't just pass over that last point! How many times have you heard not to let your ministry come before your family? But how many times has it? It really is absolutely vital for your personal well-being and your spiritual health to keep things in the proper perspective. Your work as a youth minister may one day end, but your friends and especially your family will always be there.Loneliness sometimes creeps into the life of a youth worker. But it doesn't have to stick around. Our prayer for you: We pray that you will never know loneliness in your work as a youth minister. But if you do, our prayer is that you would turn to God and seek His comfort and companionship, trusting in His sufficiency to meet all of your needs. Look for a new Youth Worker Boost each week on the ym360 Blog.Last Week's BOOST: GenuineNext Week's BOOST: Where Is God? Get more BOOST articles HERE! |
| 5th Year Ministry: Post Graduation Student Ministry (Part 2) |
From YouthMinistry.com on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 @ 2:02 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Yesterday we looked at how your student ministry can really serve your graduated seniors by helping them find a church, equipping them, and checking in on their faith and life periodically. Today we're back with 3 more ways that youth groups minister to students in the "5th year."
Send a care package.?
There's something magical about notes and cards from home. Combine that with some of Sandra's famous brownies and it's like heaven on earth. Think of a creative package you can mail to your students—what if you created an assembly line at youth group next week and made up some really special gifts to send their way? It would be a great way for students to get in on extending their community beyond 12th grade, and also give them something to look forward to when they're done with high school, too!
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Send your Grads off with the Graduation Gift Set 2!
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Invite them back.?
This past weekend it was so fun to have some of our students back for their college spring break. A better youth worker would have planned a reception for former students to come back to, or even had a little reunion planned for them. How cool would it be to create a culture where students are celebrated when they return and look forward to reconnecting with the leaders who loved them beyond youth group? I want that kind of ministry!read more |
| Your greatest path of influence with teens |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Wednesday, April 17, 2013 @ 1:25 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
As youth workers, we are striving to make an impact on the life of teens. Ultimately, out goal is to make them into devoted followers of Jesus. But how do we get them there? Programs? Bible studies? Sermons? Discipleship? Small groups? I think these all have their place. But sometimes we focus so much on [...]You just finished reading Your greatest path of influence with teens! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| Trending: Thoughts, viewpoints, and ideas on the incidents in Boston |
From Youth Specialties on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 @ 4:59 PM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
We were all saddened by the events in Boston this week, our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.
Links:
Boston's Massacre, Media's Response, and a Telling Imbalance - Walt Mueller
The Ultimate Terrorist - Greg Steir
Friends Show Up! - (not directly related to Boston, but great thoughts on hurt and grieving) Doug Fields
Today (like everyday), We Pray For Our Enemies - John Huckins
Here's a great resource for helping students during a time of crisis:
The Youth Worker’s Guide to Helping Teenagers in Crisis
When youth work becomes crisis managers. Anyone who stays in youth ministry for a while will encounter significant crises. Family break-ups, substance abuse, sexual assault, eating disorders, cutting, suicide, gun violence. But without proper and immediate care, crises like these can cause years of emotional pain and spiritual scarring in students.
Learn More
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| Thoughts, viewpoints, and ideas on the incidents in Boston |
From Youth Specialties on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 @ 4:58 PM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
Links
Boston's Massacre, Media's Response, and a Telling Imbalance - Walt Mueller
The Ultimate Terrorist - Greg Steir
Friends Show Up! - Doug Fields
Today (like everyday), We Pray For Our Enemies - John Huckins
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| Real Beauty Sketches |
From Youth Specialties on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 @ 2:42 PM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
This was a great video showing a social experiment that contrasts how people see themselves vs how others see them. It's a great reminder for our students.
Learn more about the entire project:
Dove Real Beauty Sketches |
| Real Beauty Sketches |
From Youth Specialties on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 @ 2:42 PM PST
in the "Resources" Category.
This was a great video showing a social experiment that contrasts how people see themselves vs how others see them. It's a great reminder for our students.
Learn more about the entire project:
Dove Real Beauty Sketches |
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