| Married with Children in Ministry |
From YouthMinistry.com on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 @ 6:02 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Yesterday we talked about the single life in ministry, so it seems fair we would share some insights with the married segment of youth workers, too. We both fall into this category ourselves—Kurt with one kid left in the house and Josh in the throes of four in elementary school. Talk about a crazy house!
Here's what we've learned serving with families over the past 20 years.
Aim for health—not balance.
?Speakers for years have said that you have to keep a balance in your ministry and your family, and to be honest…it just isn't possible. You can strive for balance and keep the values front and center, but at the end of the day there will always be a tension in these areas. This competition for attention should just remind us to keep working hard as a pastor and as a spouse and parent.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Simply Youth Ministry Annual 40/40/40 Sale is HERE!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The crazy world of church work really doesn't allow a traditionally "balanced" lifestyle. BUT that doesn't mean you can't aim for a healthy marriage and family in the midst of the crazy. We've discovered that balance is elusive, but health doesn't have to be.
Embrace seasons of ministry.
?In youth ministry there are busy times and super-busy times. Typically we understand the "busy season" of ministry mentality and ask our families to endure them for the sake of the church. But rarely do we ask the same of the church and ask it to endure a season of focused ministry and attention on our families. This is SO much easier to type than communicate to a supervisor or church board—but it is better than the alternative of burnout or marital failure. Practically, it means take every vacation day you've got. Rest on your day of rest. Don't be out every night of the week and certainly don't count summer camp as vacation time.read more |
| Summer Youth Ministry Resource Giveaway! Comment, Tweet, or 'Like' to Win! |
From YouthWorkTalk.com on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 @ 5:00 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Our friends at Simply Youth Ministry have given us a bunch of incredible new youth ministry resources to give away over the summer. Today we begin the summer resource giveaway. Keep checking back in the coming weeks for additional SWEET resources! You can be entered up to three times to win: Comment on this post [...]You just finished reading Summer Youth Ministry Resource Giveaway! Comment, Tweet, or 'Like' to Win! ! |
| How do you choose students to mentor? |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 @ 2:27 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Mentoring is a powerful tool in youth ministry. The intensive, personal guidance of one of more students can have a lasting impact on their lives and the lives of those around them. Ideally, every student in your youth ministry has a youth leader for a mentor but in practice, that's not always possible. When you [...]You just finished reading How do you choose students to mentor?! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| Single in Youth Ministry |
From YouthMinistry.com on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 @ 6:02 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
It seems like much of what's written to help youth workers only addresses those who are married: balancing life with kids, making time for your spouse, and the like. All good and important stuff, but a little alienating to the incredible youth workers who are doing ministry as a single person. Today we've got some insight for youth workers who are single and serving.
Set up clear boundaries.
?Just because you're not married doesn't mean you should work like the devil. Satan has never been a strong example to follow and there's no doubt if he can't get our hearts, he'll make us busy—even busy doing the Lord's work. Making sure you have space for a life outside of the church is wise and will help you keep a healthy balance as you march one step at a time toward longevity. Don't allow yourself to be run ragged just because you don't have a family expecting you home for dinner each night.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
40 Hours. 40 Free Backgrounds. 40% Off (Or More) from Simply Youth Ministry.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Take advantage of the single life.?
Not intending to say the opposite of what we just said above…but take advantage of some of the freedoms the single life brings, and invest relationally with students. Grab dinners with families; enjoy an extra night out at a sporting event or visiting a small group. Don't be afraid to keep clear boundaries, but also use this season strategically, too.
Go back to school.
?One of the ways you can maximize your time as a single youth worker is to go back to school while you continue serving. While it might not sound appealing, think about how much better it is than with a spouse and four kids at home on top of your 45+ hour a week job. For many youth workers, if they don't go back to school in this window of their lives, they'll never go back at all.read more |
| 40 Hours – 40% Off – 40 Free Backgrounds… 40 40 40 |
From YouthWorkTalk.com on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 @ 5:01 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Here's a great deal for you all! Check out the sale going on at Simply Youth Ministry right now. PLUS, get free backgrounds too! Check-in tomorrow as we GIVE AWAY a bunch of FREE resources. You only need to comment, tweet, or share to enter to win! You just finished reading 40 Hours - 40% [...]You just finished reading 40 Hours - 40% Off - 40 Free Backgrounds... 40 40 40! |
| Double Book Review: Visit the Sick & Impacting the Next Generation |
From Building Leaders of Tomorrow on Monday, June 10, 2013 @ 8:03 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Book: Visit the Sick, by Brian Croft. The Good. I may surprise you with this statement, but I have never underlined more in a book than this little book. I'm serious. I learned so much about the ministry of visiting the sick. Maybe it is because this does not come naturally to me. Maybe you [...] |
| The biggest mistake you can make in your new youth ministry |
From Youth Leaders Academy on Monday, June 10, 2013 @ 2:16 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
So you managed to get a new youth ministry position, congrats! That is no small victory in this economic climate. I can imagine you're all fired up, filled to the brim with thousands of ideas on how to make this new youth ministry you just got hired for better and bigger. But can I just [...]You just finished reading The biggest mistake you can make in your new youth ministry! Have you subscribed to our free biweekly newsletter yet? |
| We Are the Martians Now |
From Rethinking Youth Ministry on Saturday, June 8, 2013 @ 2:03 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Ray Bradbury once wrote a book entitled The Martian Chronicles. In it he tells the story of an Earth about to be ravaged by a nuclear war. One small family, in an effort to escape the impending holocaust, leave the planet in a small family-sized rocket for a new home on Mars. The parents, not wanting to worry their young son and daughter, tell the children they are simply going on a family picnic to Mars. If they are lucky, the father tells them, they might even see some Martians!"But Father, "says the little boy, "There aren't any Martians left. They all died off a long time ago." "Not all the Martians," says the father. "Not the kind we're looking for."As the day goes on, the family ends up picnicking beside a pond and the children anxiously ask again when they might see the Martians. The father tells them "They're in the pond. Go and see for yourselves." The children look down into the water but are confused. "There's nothing here. Why, we just see ourselves. We just see our own reflections.""That's right," says the mother. "You see...we're the Martians now. Whatever we are...that's what Martians will be."When we work with youth in the Church, part of our challenge is to grow in their understanding of what it means to claim the identity "Christian." We can make up all the definitions in the world, quote scripture and reference church history, but when it comes right down to it, whatever WE are, that's what Christians will be. When we let others know we are Christians, they will define "Christian" at least in part by watching the things we do and say. Youth who take on the identity of "Christian" for themselves need to know the responsibility that comes with affirming that publicly. My "go to" scripture passage when trying to give teens some sense of what it means to me to follow Jesus is Luke 4: 16-21 in which Jesus clearly lays out what he understands his mission to be, grounded in the scripture of his own tradition. Why not challenge your youth to name their own "go to" scripture for what they understand the mission of Christianity to be and then invite them to see what it would be like to live that verse daily as if they were wearing an "I am Christian" sticker for all to see? |
| Man in the Water |
From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Friday, June 7, 2013 @ 10:22 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Just used this true story as a sermon illustration this past Sunday.http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO |
| What Kids Think Happens in a Pastor's Meeting |
From Building Leaders of Tomorrow on Friday, June 7, 2013 @ 6:01 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
|
| Putting the "Go" in Gospel |
From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Thursday, June 6, 2013 @ 7:04 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
When Jesus told his disciples to "Go and make disciples of all nations" he was giving his group of young disciples a directive. He was propelling them on the ultimate mission of making disciples everywhere they went. The stories of how they carried this command out is the stuff of legends.
What's interesting is that, in the Koine Greek (the language which the New Testament was written in), the word "go" is a participle. Instead of "go and make disciples" it could read, "as you are going, make disciples."
Think about how that little change in the reading of this big mandate influences the way we view mobilizing our teens for mission.
As your teens are going from class to class they can make disciples.
As they are involved in band practices, drama rehearsals and sports scrimmages they can make disciples.
As they are going to their Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and engaging countless friends via text messaging they can (and should) make and multiply disciples.
Too many times those of us in student ministry use the word "go" only when it comes to sending teenagers on a short-term mission trip to a foreign country. But each of our teens are called to be on a daily "long-term" mission trip to everyone within their sphere of influence.
Another interesting insight into the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19 revolves around his command to reach "all nations." This can be interpreted as "all people groups." And, what's great about a growing culture of diversity in the typical public school, is that the average teen can carry out much of this command right in his/her own school cafeteria.
This is not to say that we should stop taking our teens on short-term mission trips. But we need to enable our teens to see their daily lives, their everyday interactions and their ongoing conversations as all part of a truly epic mission expedition.
Help your teens go and make disciples everyday and in every way. Use your weekly meeting as a time to inspire, equip and unpack the mission trip from the previous week. As your teens get into this rhythm I guarantee that your Bible study time together will be richer, your prayer time will become more passionate and your worship songs will echo louder throughout the church building.
This all starts to happen when your teens learn to put the "go" in gospel. Why? Because it get your teens jacked up in ways that no game or activity ever could. They join the ultimate cause on the ultimate quest to rescue the lost at any cost...every single day.
By the way, an easy way to equip your teens to go and share the gospel is by getting them to download the free Dare 2 Share app and bringing them out to a Dare 2 Share conference near you!
Enjoy your short-term mission trip this summer and then use it as a springboard into a long-term mission trip next school year! |
| Those Numbers Represent Individuals |
From YouthMinistry.com on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 @ 1:15 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Over the years of being a paid professional within the church—as a youth pastor, senior pastor, and church planter—the number one question that I would always dread getting would be the infamous: "How many people are you running?"
This week when Kurt & Josh began posting about numbers and the comparison game, my skin started to crawl. I was so fearful to see how you, the youth ministry nation, would respond. My fears were quickly
squashed when I started seeing the responses! They were incredibly healthy. It was uber comforting to see that you, like me, believe that numbers are not the primary way to judge spiritual health or ministry success.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Still using old-school spreadsheets to track attendance? It's time to upgrade.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
But, I also completely understand that numbers are a very important metric that we must pay attention to. I would venture to say that some reading this, including myself at one time, hated reporting on numbers because I was fearful that others would try to justify my pay or position based upon them.
But gang, I know we would all stack hands and say in a unified voice that "every person matters to Jesus so why don't we try to keep track of them?" The whole point of taking attendance and tracking who is it what event is not so it can be some stat at our church council meeting. Rather, it's a tool to help us understand who is in the room—or better yet, who is missing from the room.read more |
| Back with Black |
From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 @ 9:31 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Zane Black is my buddy and he'll be back again this year, both at the Dare 2 Share "Reverse" Tour and Lead THE Cause University. We have traveled together across the nation for seven years now, mobilizing teens to share the good news of Jesus. For those of you who don't know his story check out this short video. |
| The Youth Ministry Comparison Game |
From YouthMinistry.com on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 @ 6:02 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Have you ever said or thought any of these? (That's rhetorical; we know the answer.)
I could do great ministry if I had those resources, too.
I'm in the shadow of the megachurch in my city.
I hate ___________________ (insert name of camp, speaker, parachurch ministry, etc here).
That youth pastor's wife is so much more supportive than mine!
I'm just not as good a speaker as he/she is.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Download "I Want To Be More Like" By The Skit Guys For More Tips
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I wish I could find a husband like that who gets youth ministry.
I wish I had better ideas, like her.
Did you see their youth room? Even Jesus would think it was a little over-the-top.
She's a youth pastor rock star; I'm not even qualified to be a roadie on her tour.
Our friend Doug Fields burned this phrase into our noggins: "When you compare, you lose." Right now you're nodding your head in agreement because you've felt the pain of the comparison game.
Here are some responses for when you find yourself playing this little game:read more |
| Six Reflections From My Trip Back To England |
From YouthWorkTalk.com on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 @ 5:00 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Yesterday, I returned from a twelve day trip back to England to visit my family and friends. We took the whole family to see my mom who is failing in health with stage 5 Alzheimer's. (Maybe I will blog about this trip another time...) To be honest, I did not think too much about ministry [...]You just finished reading Six Reflections From My Trip Back To England! |
| News Archive:
Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Next
>>
|
|
