Hey Simply Insiders! What one word comes to mind when you think of middle school? From now until Monday, August 11, comment with that one word on this Facebook post on our Simply Youth Ministry page. This automatically puts you in the running to win a copy of Middle School: The Inside Story by Cynthia Tobias & Sue Acnua, […]![]()
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GIVEAWAY: Win “Middle School: The Inside Story”
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#Sadboss + Win $25 giftcard
Hey Simply Insiders, Our boss Tim has been a little bummed out lately. His most prized possession, his daily coffee mug of choice for 20 years, has broken. So now, he’s a #sadboss. And on a totally unrelated note, we want you to check out some sweet NEW youth ministry resources for $2 and under! Plus, enter […]![]()
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Marc Driscoll, and Talking about Disqualifying Behavior in Ministry
“Please step down from ministry for an extended time and seek help.” Have you ever heard something like this? Perhaps it was a situation involving a peer in ministry. Maybe you’ve had to do the hard work of sharing it with someone else. It just might be that someone has shared it with you. How […]![]()
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Fall: From A Parent’s Point of View
School starts today for us here in sunny Florida. Yes, you read that correctly TODAY!!! Someone asked me yesterday if I was “ready.” No. Are you kidding? I am not READY. I wanted to be, I really did but alas I am not. Here’s what the last couple of weeks have looked like for us […]![]()
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Introducing the BRAND NEW Simply Youth Group
Simply Insiders! We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest youth ministry program today. Meet Simply Youth Group! Simply Youth Group lives up to its name—it’s an easy-to-use resource that captures students’ attention while fueling a deeper commitment to Jesus. Based on a proven growth strategy called “inquiry-based learning,” Simply Youth Group engages teenagers […]![]()
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Robin Williams and a Youth Pastor’s Call
I am sad. Not because the stage lights have gone down on one man’s larger-than-life amazing talent. After all, the collective library of Robin Williams will live on for a long time. I am sad because a man we all knew was so distraught that earthly life no longer felt safe to him. Such sorrow […]![]()
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Everyday Parables: Musicless Music Video
This is simply brilliant. It’s called a musicless music video. It’s a parody video, of course, of the original “Dancing In The Streets” homage featuring Mick Jagger and David Bowie: I didn’t initially realize it was a parody, though. It felt like someone had leaked old school, behind-the-scenes footage of the two pop legends. The […]![]()
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“Decisions for Christ” – Good Metric?
So, I am speaking at a camp this week to a group of just over 1,000 high school students. It’s going well, and I always enjoy speaking here. Last night was “decision night” where the camp has it somewhat designated as the time where we invite people to make a “decision to follow Christ” for […]![]()
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The Birth of Simply Youth Group: Q & A with Rick Lawrence
Happy Thursday, Insiders! This week marked the launch of a brand new program called Simply Youth Group with weekly, ready-to-go videos and lessons for ministering to teenagers. Learn more about Simply Youth Group here. Since it’s brand new, I thought it would be fun to do a Q & A with one of the thought leaders […]![]()
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DIY Nerf® Power Darts!!!
I love taking everyday items and transforming them into ministry tools. My friend Joe showed me how to make a Nerf® Blow Dart gun out of half-inch diameter PVC pipe. Actually, there is not much work you have to do since a Nerf® Dart fits perfectly in the half-inch PVC pipe. Joe asked me to try it on him…he […]![]()
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A Completely Biased Review of Simply Youth Group
I have a bias regarding the content I’m about to share with you. The truth is that you do, too. My bias isn’t that I write for this blog, which in turn tracks back to Simply Youth Ministry and Group Publishing. It would lame for me to just tell you what I think I’m supposed to […]![]()
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What is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
The blogs I read and my Facebook feed have been blowing up with ALS awareness videos, better known as the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that controls voluntary muscle movement. The Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon involves dumping […]![]()
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Greg Stier, Shane Stacey, Rick Lawrence, you have been called out…
Yesterday, I posted about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Before the post went live, one of the student in my ministry challenged me to it via Instagram. Today, I challenge Greg Stier, Shane Stacey, Rick Lawrence…You have 24 hours to respond. Head out and poke, these three and let them know this video is here… […]![]()
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Too Much Relational Ministry?
I love the model of relational ministry. My push is to get the leadership team to stop clumping together in back walls. Youth ministry is not the place for adults to congregate and get caught up on each other’s lives. Get involved people! Yet, there is something that can happen from time to time where […]![]()
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Rick Lawrence Accepts ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!
Yesterday, Brandon Early challenged Rick Lawrence to the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. He accepts…and challenges Andy Brazelton, Bono, and Mark Burnett. Who else has participated in the challenge? What’s the favorite video you have seen? - Amber / @youthministry![]()
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Ice, Ice (Bucket) Baby: The Takeaway for Christians
For the record, I know this isn’t the first “ice bucket challenge” post on the internet. (Check out Brandon Early’s great coverage here and here, and Rick Lawrence getting drenched here) The spotlight all of it has provided for ALS has been outstanding. You can hear one man’s personal comments on it here (warning: some raw […]![]()
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Does Your Church Have A Social Media Policy?
I have often been asked that question paired with, “I just don’t know what I don’t know. How do I mine for issues that should be covered in guidelines for social media use by our staff?” It is hard to know what to add without having a 500 page document that covers everything. Justin Wise […]![]()
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6 VALUABLE LEARNINGS IN YOUTH MINISTRY
Being in youth ministry I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot. And I can honestly say out of all the things I’ve learned there are some learnings that I feel like I will never stop growing in. Now, when I started this list I easily thought this could be a 10,000 word post, but […]![]()
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My Locker Lock If I Was In High School
Check out the full KickStarter project here. ![]()
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3 Relational Shifts in Discipleship
Over time things always change…even things in the Church. Some people choose not to change, but others do. There is always a place for both sides of that fence in the Church, but I want to talk about 3 shifts necessary for “discipling” younger generations. These shifts are not earth shaking realizations, but they are […]![]()
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More Pages to Explore .....
