7.01.2008
Around the Horn
I promise I have some original thoughts in me but for now, this is what I have. Figured better to put something up than nothing and hopefully get back in the groove of spewing thoughts on the blog.
1. Big congrats to Dale on the new ministry & Gman, too.
2. I'm super pumped about Real World Parents for a variety of reasons. Check it out and consider being one of their trainers. I was able to talk to Mark for a long time about it while at camp and it's going to be wonderful.
3. Bill has been re-thinking discipleship.
4. My friend Tim Adams has started a wonderful blog focused on Urban Ministry. Tim's son is really named Sam Adams.
5. Seth gives us a great list of free discipleship resources.
6. Bob reminds us to pray our calendar and to get everything done, we only have to do 2 things.
7. Ginger had a great article in the NNYM mag, "Reaching Out to Pregnant Teens."
8. Rudy is taking over the Urban Take column in Youth Worker Journal.
9. Got some love from The Marko in his upcoming book (Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto of Where We’ve Been, Where We Are & Where We Need to Go) in the Dedication and Acknowledgements section.
Lastly some humor from Ian:
I promise I have some original thoughts in me but for now, this is what I have. Figured better to put something up than nothing and hopefully get back in the groove of spewing thoughts on the blog.
1. Big congrats to Dale on the new ministry & Gman, too.
2. I'm super pumped about Real World Parents for a variety of reasons. Check it out and consider being one of their trainers. I was able to talk to Mark for a long time about it while at camp and it's going to be wonderful.
3. Bill has been re-thinking discipleship.
4. My friend Tim Adams has started a wonderful blog focused on Urban Ministry. Tim's son is really named Sam Adams.
5. Seth gives us a great list of free discipleship resources.
6. Bob reminds us to pray our calendar and to get everything done, we only have to do 2 things.
7. Ginger had a great article in the NNYM mag, "Reaching Out to Pregnant Teens."
8. Rudy is taking over the Urban Take column in Youth Worker Journal.
9. Got some love from The Marko in his upcoming book (Youth Ministry 3.0: A Manifesto of Where We’ve Been, Where We Are & Where We Need to Go) in the Dedication and Acknowledgements section.
Lastly some humor from Ian:
6.27.2008
Foundational Verses for Your Youth Ministry
If you had to list at least 5 but no more than 10 short passages or verses that were the biblical foundation for what your youth ministry was about, which ones would you choose and why?
If you want to leave a reply with a link to your blog and your answers, that'd be wonderful.
If you had to list at least 5 but no more than 10 short passages or verses that were the biblical foundation for what your youth ministry was about, which ones would you choose and why?
If you want to leave a reply with a link to your blog and your answers, that'd be wonderful.
6.17.2008
Camp Update
I'm at the PlanetWisdom Camp with seven of my Jr High guys and we're having a good time. One church drove 17 hrs from South Carolina to be here because they've loved it so much in the past.
Funniest moment so far was being called "Mr. Big Booty" by two girls I do not know from some other church.
While waiting outside last night for the main session we were so bored, I taught my guys how to play "Big Booty". This group had never seen the game before so I taught them too after they watched us play it a couple of times.
So I'm now "Mr. Big Booty". Not sure how to take that one. Need to make sure it just refers to the game and not my booty. Guess I need to get off my booty to make that happen.
I'm at the PlanetWisdom Camp with seven of my Jr High guys and we're having a good time. One church drove 17 hrs from South Carolina to be here because they've loved it so much in the past.
Funniest moment so far was being called "Mr. Big Booty" by two girls I do not know from some other church.
While waiting outside last night for the main session we were so bored, I taught my guys how to play "Big Booty". This group had never seen the game before so I taught them too after they watched us play it a couple of times.
So I'm now "Mr. Big Booty". Not sure how to take that one. Need to make sure it just refers to the game and not my booty. Guess I need to get off my booty to make that happen.
6.11.2008
Re-Marketing the Church
by John Koessler
The whole article is short and worth the read but here's the "Money Quote" in my opinion:
"For decades now we have been telling churches to think about the customer and to shape their services with the unchurched in view. As a result, countless congregations have struggled to rethink the way they do church. They have changed day and time when they meet, the content of the sermon has been popularized, and the style of music has been altered. All of this has been done in an effort to make unchurched Harry and unchurched Mary feel at home. Church members who feel uncomfortable with these changes have been told that they need to sacrifice their own tastes for the sake of the church's mission."
6.09.2008
ReThinking Youth MinistryThe latest interview on the Youth Ministry Inteviews blog is Steve Wright.
Steve is the author of reThink - Is Student Ministry Working? and you can hear an audio message from Steve on the topic of the book, here.
You owe it to yourself to visit Steve's blog and look through it.
I ordered the book and should finally start reading it this week.
Doug Jones reviewed it here and here.
6.05.2008
5.29.2008
A Little Encouragement Goes a Long Way
I have a prayer team that regularly prays for me and I try to send them regular updates on ministry and life so they can pray more specifically for things.
Here's a response I got with my last prayer letter:
I will pray for your request & I will Praise Him for sending you to Lubbock
A big smile appeared on my face as I read that short line filled with lots of love.
I hope people are praying for you and your ministry and I also hope we all remember to give encouragment to others because even a little encouragement can go a long way in someones heart.
I have a prayer team that regularly prays for me and I try to send them regular updates on ministry and life so they can pray more specifically for things.
Here's a response I got with my last prayer letter:
I will pray for your request & I will Praise Him for sending you to Lubbock
A big smile appeared on my face as I read that short line filled with lots of love.
I hope people are praying for you and your ministry and I also hope we all remember to give encouragment to others because even a little encouragement can go a long way in someones heart.
Finding Longevity in Youth Ministry
I had the privilege of writing an article for Brenda & WildFrontier earlier this month and here it is.
Finding Longevity in Youth Ministry
I put the Loooong in Longevity when writing it but I don't know which parts I would have taken out.
I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on my thoughts.
Thanks!
I had the privilege of writing an article for Brenda & WildFrontier earlier this month and here it is.
Finding Longevity in Youth Ministry
I put the Loooong in Longevity when writing it but I don't know which parts I would have taken out.
I would greatly appreciate any thoughts on my thoughts.
Thanks!
5.28.2008
Mission Trip Season is Around the Corner
I thought this might interest some of my youth ministry tribal mates.
Our daughter is going to Japan next week with the Lubbock Junior Ambassador program so we decided to look into travel insurance for her.
We found two companies that are about the same and be purchased a policy for her, just in case.
I just sent this out to the parents of our students who are going to Mexico City on our mission trip in July.
Thought you guys and gals might want to pass it on too.
Company #1
Company #2
Cost should be in the $10-$15 range for a week and probably 750K - 1M in coverage.
Because you read this far, here's some bonus mission trip humor: Kids Who Should Have Stayed Home.
I thought this might interest some of my youth ministry tribal mates.
Our daughter is going to Japan next week with the Lubbock Junior Ambassador program so we decided to look into travel insurance for her.
We found two companies that are about the same and be purchased a policy for her, just in case.
I just sent this out to the parents of our students who are going to Mexico City on our mission trip in July.
Thought you guys and gals might want to pass it on too.
Company #1
Company #2
Cost should be in the $10-$15 range for a week and probably 750K - 1M in coverage.
Because you read this far, here's some bonus mission trip humor: Kids Who Should Have Stayed Home.
Around the Horn1. Kara Powell is the latest to be interviewed on the Youth Ministry Interviews Blog.
2. Chap Clark started blogging.
3. Chuck Swindoll posts about Stepping Out In Faith. Thought of a few friends who are doing this now through a variety of circumstances.
4. $4 Gas it's here or it's coming. From a friend who lives in SD.
5. Jesus is not a CEO, despite what some pastors and church leaders may think.
6. Bob Hyatt aka Mr. PastorHacks oozes with joy over Evernote. (I have 18 invites left, if you want in on the beta version.)
7. All things Matt McGill can now be located at Hokma.com.
8. Peacemaker Ministries is now blogging but more importantly for my friends, (cyber-lurkers & cyber-stalkers included) they've finally produced The Peacemaker Student Edition: Handling Conflict without Fighting Back or Running Away.
Today's teens face conflicts at school, the workplace, at church, and at home. But instead of responding with anger or giving up on the relationships, they can be peacemakers! Writing to teens, parents, and youth workers, Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson show how applying biblical principles to contentious situations can bring about forgiveness and reconciliation. By distilling the biblical principles found in The Peacemaker into an accessible format--filled with stories and scenarios that teens can easily relate to--this much-needed resource is ideal for individual or group study (discussion questions are included for each chapter).
Chapter one is free on their site.
9. Baby Baptized at the Cathedral of Baseball: Fenway Park
HT2 Tim Ellsworth
