Hey Insiders! From now until March 5th, we’re doing “Steal-a-Deal” where you get 2x (yes, that’s double) reward points on EVERYTHING at SimplyYouthMinistry.com! These bonus rewards are so good that it’s almost like stealing from Jake…who, by the way, actually was recently robbed when someone broke into his car, yikes! For your viewing pleasure (or [...]![]()
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Steal-a-Deal! 2x Rewards Points!
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SoundHound Meet Spotify (The Perfect Storm)
ARRRGGGG!!!! What is that song!?!?!?! How many times have you heard a song and could not recall the artist or title? Or you hear a new songs and love it but the artist and song title are never shared? Apps like SoundHound and Shazam are the remedy (both have free and pay-for versions). These two apps [...]![]()
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Top #SYMC News!
1. The official 2014 SYMC app for your phone and tablet is now available for download! Go to your favorite app store and search “Simply Youth Ministry Conference.” Download the FREE app and get started using all of its awesome features like scoping out dining options by price, see what’s happening now, get connected with [...]![]()
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Four Things Kids Hate About Your Teaching
I have been teaching/speaking for a couple decades now, and I am still growing. While I have not figured out how to give a perfect talk week after week, I do have a list of misses to avoid when teaching. Here are 4 areas that might seem obvious but aren’t. We might get caught in [...]![]()
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Building Authentic Relationships In A Fake Relationship World
Building Authentic Relationships In A Fake Relationship World, is the title of the second workshop I get to teach at SYMC. Last night as I was leaving youth group one of my “Senior” guys was laughing about “SnapChat” pictures he likes to send people. I told him some facts about SnapChat he never knew (like [...]![]()
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Students Might Not Be As Flakey As You Think
College students can sometimes get a bad rap for being flakey. Although I understand how leaders can have this perception, I’ve actually written about how this is often not the case when we look a little deeper into their search for identity and belonging (for more on that, see the following two books: Worlds Apart or College Ministry 101). But, [...]![]()
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4 Reminders To Leaders Serving At Youth Group!!!
This weekend I became aware of a few things that makes our youth group night/weekend great. I also can say pretty confidently that valuing these three things change the game at youth group. Now, these three things can pretty much be talked about in any context, but I want to address them in the context [...]![]()
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TODAY ONLY: $4.00 for Best Sex Ever series by Doug Fields!
TODAY ONLY! BEST SEX EVER! by Doug Fields How to Have Great Sex! Students are bombarded daily with messages about sex, about their own sexuality, and little of it borders on Truth. Rather than try and stifle their natural curiosity with a simple “Wait until marriage,” this series digs in deep to reframe sex in [...]![]()
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#YMNation, We Need Your Vote!
Hey Simply Insiders! As many of you know, Jake Rasmussen, our SYM sales guy with the mostest, loves him some bright pants. They are so fantastic that they have a personality of their own (@jakeorangepants anyone?!). Because #YMNation is a democratic group of youth workers, we want to keep the responsibility of all [...]![]()
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Do you do Lent?
Lent is an odd thing. For some, it’s their chance to be noticeably religious for 40 days. For others, it’s a dare to do something zany for that time. How many people have heard another person say, “I’m giving up Mountain Dew for Lent!” Others write it off as something only a certain group of [...]![]()
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Where Do We Go From Here
This past week has been filled with headlines and blog posts about homosexuality, from laws being passed and vetoed, to students in our ministry and families coming out. Some important posts on these stories were written by friends of mine. Their thoughts and perspectives are worth your time checking out: Tony Myles – Your Mind [...]![]()
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LEGO Movie Bloopers
The LEGO Movie. I imagine that by now many of you have either seen it or know of kids who have. Every once in a while you find a new way to enjoy something like this yet again. Here’s is a fun “blooper” video that captures the spirit of the film quite well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTP9U0oDDKg P.S. [...]![]()
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New documentary: Teenage
Ever consider the importance of the past when it comes to how you serve students in the present and future? Just heard about this new documentary called “Teenage” – check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5sOEJokqvA According to press on it, it’s “an inventively stylized documentary that blends archival footage with painstakingly recreated scenes which are so well [...]![]()
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Pope-sized Sound Bytes… and a Confession
The Pope. And… here we go. (ahem) Not that long ago, I raised a question in another post regarding the implications of the Pope being named Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” It’s a topic I’m interested in not only as a Protestant pastor, but also as a former Catholic. I once had a lot [...]![]()
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What’s the Best Tablet?
I have heard the Microsoft Surface is pretty sweet. And there are some great things about an Android tablet depending on the quality and speed of the unit you buy (stay away from the $45 units you see at the grocery store). The BlackBerry tablets are…actually, the BlackBerry tablet was released, and I have not heard [...]![]()
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Random Randomness: SYMC Edition
In two short days I’ll be heading to Simply Youth Ministry Conference (SYMC), which I believe to be the VERY best gathering of youth workers on the planet. Or to say it another way, it’s a gathering of the very best youth workers on the planet! So today I offer some SYMC randomness. Concerning Workshops: I [...]![]()
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If You Think It’s Black & White, You’re Wrong
There is a new book out that I can’t wait to read. I’ll get to that in a minute. I have written no less than 1/2 dozen posts here on the LGBTQ conversation. There is a world of complexities when dealing with this issue – and they are NOT all black and white. One of [...]![]()
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NEW RELEASE: Ministering to Gay Teenagers
NEW RELEASE! MINISTERING TO GAY TEENAGERS by Shawn Harrison Practical Help for Youth Workers and Families Ministering to Gay Teenagers is filled with wisdom and practical advice, for leaders and parents, on how to respond when a student comes out and how to help the teenager’s family through that journey, too. READ CHAPTER 1 . . [...]![]()
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5 Pinterest Boards You Should Follow
I am not on Pinterest much, but I do click over there when I need a little inspiration for a project, experience, or sermon series graphic. Check out these 5 Pinterest boards and add some of your favorites in the comments below. Simply Youth Ministry Sermon graphics Youth Room Ideas Youth Ministry Games Stage Design [...]![]()
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Introducing: Resource Center Micro-Trainings at #SYMC
Introducing Micro-trainings, happening in the Resource Center on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at #SYMC 2014! Don’t miss out on these times below! There are 2 options for every 30-minute time slot. Here’s the breakdown of the times, and then find the descriptions of each micro-training underneath: FRIDAY 4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. - Fundraising [...]![]()
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More Pages to Explore .....
