Challenge accepted. Every once in a while I like looking at what’s trending on Twitter and seeing how I can… um… “add” to the conversation. Last night, I noticed that “#TeenChoiceShouldHave” was trending. Apparently, it was the endeavor of a new account (likely not official) set up to promo the site. Maybe it’s years of youth […]![]()
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#TeenChoiceShouldHave
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P.A.S.T.E. And Church Staff
Okay, personally, I was over the whole acronym thing about 15 years ago. That said, for the first time in that time frame I have come up with one that I think works well. How’s that for internal contradiction? Anyway, I came up with this a little while ago and has served as somewhat of […]![]()
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Question of the Day (Video Style)
Using video during your talks is often a helpful and added piece to your message. Students listen well to what is on the screen (usually). Bringing your own students into the video ramps up the attention and interaction level even more. As students are walking in before your weekly meeting have them answer one question […]![]()
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Girl Meets World: Yikes
It seemed… familiar. If you watched even the first five minutes of the new TV show “Girl Meets World,” you might have felt like you were watching something you’ve seen before. Not because it was this generation’s reversal of “Boy Meets World” – the show that brought us the great angst of “Cory” and “Topanga.” […]![]()
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Happy Social Media Day!
Finally, a holiday that Hallmark did not create. Starting in 2010 by Mashable, a massive tech blog, Social Media Day is a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. Read more about #SMD at Mashable.![]()
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A Fun Summer Camp Promo Rap Video
This year we are headed to summer camp at Grand Canyon University in Arizona. It is the biggest camp we’ve ever had. And here’s a fun video I got to create with two of my students (one is on camera and the other is behind the camera). Also, one of our student ministry pastors Matt Hall. Check […]![]()
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Sermon Series Ideas
It is time for me to start planning our 2014-2015 calendar; events, sermon series ideas, retreats, etc. I have posted a list of my favorite resources that help in the area of sermon series ideas and graphic design elements but these three pages never made the list. Not because they are not great, but because I just discovered […]![]()
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The Trouble With Assumptions
A couple of days ago, while on a two-hour car drive, my wife, Rachel, and I decided to take the conversation somewhere we haven’t ever…or at least in a very long time. We decided to simply list a few spiritual, theological, political and world view topics and see where we both currently landed on each. […]![]()
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Are You Still Working On Your Sermon?
There is no shortage of parodies surrounding the movie “Frozen.” You’ve likely seen your share. I apologize for sharing another one. The leadership team at this church came together to create their own, all related to a pastor who is working on his sermon and won’t come out of his study. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScxTsuRMMS0 Cheesy? Sure. Unnecessary? […]![]()
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Lessons from the Garbage Man
The other day I had an interesting interaction with my garbage man. In the process of a move, we had a large amount of trash that needed to be picked up. It began when the next-door neighbor complained that he had missed one of her trash cans. He apologized, asked her where it was, and […]![]()
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College Ministry Is Like Being A Foster Parent
Today I made a statement I’ve never made before. I said, “College Ministry is sort of like being a foster parent.” I believe that to be true for a few reasons, perhaps the most obvious reason being college-age people are in many ways “orphaned” by the Church structures we typically live under. But there is another […]![]()
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What Makes or Breaks a Serving Experience
What have you learned makes a serving experience or camp a great one? Doug Franklin over at Leadertreks has some great thoughts on how most of this is up to the posture of adult leaders. Here are ten of his observations: Going is not enough: “…we don’t just want them to go, we want them to grow.” Be […]![]()
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3 Practices For a Pastor’s Vacation
We all need vacation, regardless of profession. Having an extended mental and physical break is critical to sustaining our work ethic. But I’ve found that pastor’s don’t do this well. In fact, I am the first to admit that I have not embraced vacation the way I should have - but have made some drastic changes over […]![]()
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Critics…Don’t Let The Pendulum Hit You In The Head!
A leadership principal I’ve adhered to for years, and tried to help others recognize is that “The pendulum almost always swings back”. In organizations and in culture things change, futures are predicted, proclamations made, trends noticed etc. Oftentimes this results in a sudden pendulum swing toward the “new way”. Folks who want to make sure […]![]()
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Emotions After The Trip
One part of my job I love most is being the coordinator for summer missions groups who come to serve our ministry. It’s awesome to help a group of students see what “inner city” ministry and service looks like in Florida. Inevitably as the week starts to wind down, the emotions start to flare. […]![]()
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Space to Vent – No Strings Attached
Some songs just can’t be overused. What is it about Gungor’s tune “Beautiful Things” that keeps us coming back for more? Is it the wild blend of the minor chords and major notes that overlap yet remain separate? Is it the hope of something broken becoming unbroken? Is it the biblical undertones of how we […]![]()
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Metaphors: Making Your Messages Stick, Part 2
Last week, I talked about using metaphors to make your messages stick. Now, here is a list of metaphors you could use. It may be an idea starter for you for a message or happen to fit with something you are already speaking on. Rock/Stone – This has all sorts of possibilities. You could use […]![]()
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Where Are Your Students Headed?
Ok, so I am a zealot. I admit it. I need every activity I do with students to have a purpose or a point. No one has ever accused me of being the silly youth leader, especially not the youth. Oh, I have drunk the raw eggs and thrown everyone’s shoes in the […]![]()
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The Moment Everything Changes (At least for me, anyway)
fullThe countdown clock has been ticking for a while, and it’s set for Monday morning. That’s when everything changes. On Monday, I board the plane with a few other folks and we head off to Manila to launch Saddleback’s first global youth ministry. The picture above is of our final video conference with their team; […]![]()
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Freebies, Fast Food and Youth Ministry
Today… is a fast food freebie day. 7-11 annually passes out free Slurpees today. (By the way, a Slurpee trumps an Icee anyday) Chick-Fil-A is handing out free food/meals if you dress up like a cow. Sounds like the perfect day to go hang out with students. Your students have a favorite place, right? The place […]![]()
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More Pages to Explore .....
