I found this in my inbox this week (click on the graphic below)

Thank you, Olive Garden… from pastors who strategically set up meetings in your restaurants “for a limited time.”

Imagine standing in your back yard watering the grass.  It’s a pretty good plot of land.  There is a vegetable garden with some tomatoes in the corner, a couple of flowering bushes and soft,  and a lush green expanse.   It’s not much, but it’s yours.  Then something catches your eye.  Over the fence into your neighbor’s yard, you see something fabulous.  How did he get his grass SO green?  All of a sudden you notice the weeds, patches of brown, and is that piece just flat out missing grass all together.  It becomes clear that while you thought you had a great yard,  this guy has been cultivating a golf course worthy landscape.  First you are mildly discontented, then jealous, now you are flat out coveting the grass next door.

We have all had the proverbial “grass is greener” mentality at one time or another.   We are happy with our little corner of the ministry world until…  It might be a deacon’s meeting gone wrong, unsupportive leadership, pressures of life,  or perhaps you just see the church down the street has it much better.  Whatever it is the seed of discontent begins to grow.  There is a saying that grass grows where it is watered.   There is another saying I like equally as much;

“The grass is greener over the septic tank.”     

As you contemplate the better yard next door here are some things to think about:

Wandering Eyes

What is causing this wandering eye?  Why are you so dissatisfied?  Take the time to seek the Lord and HIS desire for you.   Is this an irreconcilable ministry discretion or sin in your heart?  Will a circumstantial change really make a difference?

All Grass Has Brown Splotches

I once heard someone say,  “My church was wonderful and Godly, then all the people showed up.”   You may believe, like I once did that you just need a “different lawn,” with a new set of  “weeds.”  Recognize, every single place you go will have issues.  There is no “perfect” ministry scenario.

Driven, Called, Leaving, Leading

A friend of mine once told me, “God calls us to sucky places on purpose. Just because this didn’t turn out the way everyone expected doesn’t mean God didn’t do it for a reason.”  Are you feeling driven to find another place or is the Lord calling your name to walk with Him in a new place?  There are times to go, but sometimes He asks us to stay.   There are times when the choice of leaving is not in our hands.  However, when it is, I believe the Lord wants it to be more about his leading us to journey with him more than about what is left behind.

Think about the Israelites for a second.  Sitting in Egypt all they could do was imagine freedom.  What they did not contemplate was how hard the voyage to the Promised Land would be. The Lord wanted them to focus on where he was taking them however,  due to their “grass is greener mentality “ nothing was good enough. As you look around start by watering where you are planted, and keep seeking the Lord.

How do you deal with the dangers of green grass?

On the heels of my Christian Pick-Up Lines post on Tuesday, here are some fun thoughts on how to tell someone you’re not interested:

You’ve probably seen or heard a few of your own. After all, there’s only so much you can say when a person says, “You must be a Christian. I’ve ‘Adonai’ on you all night.”

Feel free to share some of your best “moves” to counter a “move” below.

What’s up SYM Insiders?! So we had to take a second to send a shout out to our friends from Duck Dynasty. Watch some of their most redneck, funny moments from season one below:

We love them not only because of their endearing quirks and escapades from hilarious episodes of the show, but because Willie Robertson, the Duck Commander, used to be a youth pastor himself. So if you did not know it already, he is one of you guys! Our very own Rick Lawrence had an awesome chat with him that will be featured in the up and coming September kick-off issue of Group Magazine! Can’t wait till September to hear more?? Here is a golden nugget from the conversation to contemplate today:

When asked about how he balances the business, family and stardom, Willie told Rick about how crucial it was and is for him to train up people around him that can join in the work. He does not try to do it all himself, because he can’t. Willie talked about “giving away his ministry” as a youth leader. This meant giving his students the opportunity to lead- whether it be small groups or games, he tried to equip them to run many important aspects of their group. As Willie has evolved into a Duck Commander and celebrity, he has translated the delegation of leadership into those realms. This takes risk, trust and determination, but the affects of investing and creating leaders are invaluable as it allows individuals and those around them to thrive.

Take that snip it and apply it to your ministry! We really don’t want you to miss out on this rare look into a side of Willie and the boys that you don’t always get to see on the show. Subscribe now to make sure you get this issue in hand with the full interview when it comes out in September! Click the image below:

Huge thanks to Willie and his crew for their time with us and their heart for youth leaders. Be sure to give him some Twitter love: @Williebosshog

Hope your Thursday is rockin’!

-Amber

Let’s be honest: It’s hard to find a student who wants to step up.

I’m not talking about teenagers who want a position of power. Many do, and often for the wrong reasons. I’m talking about getting students to do something that is authentic and needed, yet incredibly awkward.

Let’s use prayer as an example. You may have delivered the greatest message about Jesus teenagers will ever hear. Your youth group may be experiencing a phenomenal moment on your missions trip. Your local school’s most outspoken atheists may have just all given their lives to Jesus Christ.

Yet you know that the moment you ask, “So does anyone want to pray?” there will be an awkward pause… and one after that… and one after that. Heads will droop down. Every student will become a mannequin. They even will stop texting.

Let me say that again: They even will stop texting.

Maybe Bill Hybels said it best in his book Too Busy Not To Pray with the opening line “Prayer is an unnatural activity.” From the moment we’re born, we’re bent toward self-interest and independence. Perhaps that’s the key factor, or it could be once we’re exposed to the idea of prayer we aren’t quite sure what to do with it:

• “Should I give God my wish list, like a heavenly Santa Claus?”

• “What if I pray for something and it doesn’t happen? Does that mean I did it wrong, or      that God doesn’t exist? I’m not sure I like either option. Maybe I just won’t pray.”

Again, I’m singling out prayer merely as an example. What I’m really talking about is getting students to step up in their faith.

A mentor once counseled me to not say someone’s “no” for them. It’s easy to not ask someone to do something you assume they’ll say no to. It’s why a majority of Christians don’t share Christ with others, presuming they’ll just be written off.
Sometimes we actually prod a negative answer in other people, though. When we ask if anyone “wants” to pray—or serve or lead—we’re setting people up to unconsciously say, “No, I don’t want to.”

What if you changed just one word?

• “Is anyone willing to pray?”
• “Is anyone willing to serve?”
• “Is anyone willing to lead?”

It’s amazing how that one word is a game-changer. When I hear the word “willing” I have to do a gut check on where I really am at in wanting to honor God. Even if for only a nano-second, I find myself staring at the cross of Christ versus my own wants.

Could it really be that simple? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you for loving students!

I know when you see this type of topic it’s more about being a great follower of other people like the head Pastor’s vision or leadership in general, which I think is great, but I also believe that at the core of a great leader is a great follower of Christ.  I’m always reminded by the Apostle Paul who followed Christ to his grave that the better I follow Christ, the better I lead.  If you read about Paul’s life you will see that his goal was to follow Christ with everything. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Pursue being a follower of Jesus and the impact of your life and leadership will out last you and carry over into eternity.

So in order for me to lead well I must pursue a greater lifestyle of following Jesus. There are definitely more, but here are a five ways we as leaders continue to allow Christ to lead in us and through us.

1. I seek God – Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. My focus should be on knowing him and not on what I can get from him. The more I know him the better I’m able to follow him. I’m a better leader when I spend time with God.
2. I allow Christ to search and change my heart - In order to fully follow Christ there must be a continual cleansing and changing of the heart. The bible says in (Jeremiah 17:9) the heart is desperately deceitful and wicked. David knew that and wrote Psalm 139:23-24 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. I hear people say “just follow your heart” or “the heart wants what the heart wants”, but God says it’s deceitful and wicked. Sometimes we make decisions apart from God’s word being led by our hearts and we end up doing harm to ourselves and to those we are suppose to be leading. So allow Christ to search and change your heart so that you’re leading by the word of God and not on the impulses of your heart. Allow God to replace your corrupted heart for one that beats for his guidance. I’m a better leader when I understand the importance of following God’s word above all else, even the heart.
3. I allow the teachings of Christ to lead me - Psalms 25:5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.  Followers of Christ are called to care deeply about exemplifying the teachings of Christ in their own life first. The more I learn and understand the teachings of Christ the better I’m able to apply them to my life on a daily bases, and also allow what I learn to lead and guide my decision making. I become a better leader when I allow Christ to lead me.
4. I allow Christ who lives in me to lead through me – Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. The life of a follower of Christ is a person who continually allows Christ to lead. God wants to do amazing things through each of us, but we must allow him to work through us and that will take us dying to our plans and allowing his plans for our lives to live. I become a better leader when I allow Christ to lead through me.
5. I allow his wisdom to lead me - Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

We become better leaders when we devote our lives to being great followers of Jesus Christ. What would you add to this list?

hope it helps

ac

I don’t like to admit it but there are a lot of ministry “things” at which I’m not very good….Correction; there are a lot of ministry things at which I just flat out STINK! And sadly, just because I stink at certain aspects of ministry doesn’t mean they somehow go away. Wouldn’t it be cool if God said, “Hey you, since you are horrible at X, I’ll just keep X away from you and the ministry you lead.” I don’t know about you, but if He did that for me there would be more stuff taken away from my ministry than left in it!

Because I stink at lots of ministry stuff, I’ve had to develop a three-pronged approach over the years:

1) Be okay being below average at some things.  I’ve simply had to “settle” on the reality that there are some things I’m never gonna be good at, and lower the expectations I put on myself to perform at a top level in those areas.

2) Selectively learn some new skills.  And while I’m learning to be okay with just being okay at some things, I’ve also picked a few key areas at which I stink that I think are worth learning to be good at. I can’t learn to be good at all the stuff at which I stink, but in my case I was SO BAD in a few key areas that I simply had to learn the skills necessary.

3) Surround myself with smarter, more talented people. I’m completely okay not being the smartest or most talented person in the room in most cases…especially when the topic or task involves an area at which I stink and I’m not willing to learn to get better at it. Giving these areas of ministry away to others frees me up and allows people to use their gifts to make our ministry better; a win-win!

Guess what? You stink, too!  In fact, you stink really bad at some stuff that is vital to the success of your youth ministry. And for some of you, it’s hard to admit.  So I’ll get the ball rolling in the hopes that some of you may be willing to share your “stink” in the comments section. Who knows, somebody who’s really good at it may be able to help you out.

MINISTRY STUFF AT WHICH KURT JOHNSTON STINKS (Note: This is just a partial list; actual list is much longer)

- Remembering names.

- Reading and sticking to a budget.

- Keeping track of registration forms or checks handed to me by a parent.

- Not using sarcasm to make a passive-aggresive point.  But if I may brag for just a moment…. I’m REALLY good at using sarcasm to make a passive-aggresive point.

- “Turning the corner spiritually” with students in one-on-one conversations.

- Returning emails, texts and phone calls in a timely manner.

Let’s get the comments going….share a tip for me….share something you stink at….share a tip for somebody else!

  Devotional by Jason Ostrander

If we read through all of the different accounts of Jesus’ life as he was recruiting his disciples, we’ll find that there wasn’t any magic potion in the process except for two little words that he used over and over again: “follow me.” As a result of that clear and simple calling, Jesus worked in and through the lives of his disciples. It was an extraordinary calling that carried on from the first time they met Jesus straight on through to their work with the first-century church.

Even though the call of Jesus is simple and often repeated, it can be difficult for us to stay committed to it.

Take, for example, the highly provocative Matthew 16 passage where Jesus says the following to Peter, “Get behind me Satan!” I call this provocative because even in my most passionate moments, I couldn’t imagine saying this to someone. The face value of this statement seems harsh, but when you explore it a little more, Jesus is helping to remind Peter of his original calling.

“Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him.” Matthew 16:22

Probably not the best idea to rebuke Jesus, but in Peter’s defense he didn’t want Jesus to go anywhere. He loved him, and if he could do anything to stop him from being killed, he would. Yet in spite of Peter’s courageous move, Jesus pulled no punches in reminding Peter that “leading Jesus” was exactly the same thing that Satan had in mind while he was tempting him in Matthew 4.

Jesus is not a follower. He doesn’t want to be consulted or attended to…he wants to lead. Jesus’ interaction with Peter is a healthy reminder for our lives and our ministries that we must work hard to stay true to our clear and simple calling.

“Follow me.” –Jesus

- Post by Jason Ostrander

You can’t be good at everything. You don’t need to be good at everything. And lots of stuff you are really good at or hoping to become good at don’t really matter too much at the end of the day.  So what if we narrowed it down to only THREE things youth workers do need to be good at; what might be the top three universal skills of a youth worker?  NOTE: I purposely left “spiritual” things such as prayer life, integrity etc. off the list because (whether true or not) I’m gonna assume we’ve got that stuff dialed in.

My List:

* The ability to be a fantastic active listener.  Just being a good listener isn’t enough, but being a fantastic active listener means you are listening, responding with guiding questions, probing here and there and picking up on themes that you might want to dig into deeper at another time.

* Patience. Patience makes almost everything better! Being patient with the annoying students, the struggling students, the cocky students, the “church” students, parents, elders, volunteers, yourself and the whole “process” of youth ministry and discipleship may be the most underrated but important skill/mindset you can have.

* A strong work ethic. This next statement won’t win me many fans, but here it goes: Lots of youth workers are lazy. To be specific, lots of full-time youth workers are lazy. We have somehow confused reading blogs, downloading sweet apps and checking the Instagrams of our students as hard work. Don’t get me wrong, times have changed and how we work is in a state of flux, but (and here’s the money tip…) many of the people we work for such as senior pastors, elders, parents etc. don’t yet “get it” and still expect us to be willing to do the nitty-gritty grunt work every now and again. When we complain that we haven’t had a day off in almost an entire week, or insist on taking an extra day off after the grueling scavenger hunt we led for our small group they have a hard time feeling our pain.  Here’s a tough question: If an elder followed you around for a week, would he feel compelled to recommend you for a raise or that you be replaced with a part-time college student?

What skills would be at the top of your list?

As summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is quickly approaching, I like to think about how the events or programs I oversee can be better. I also like to brainstorm new ones. My goal is to learn from my failures with summer events, so I don’t repeat them in the fall. Through failure I’ve grown to love the planning process a lot more. Here are 7 questions I ask myself based off of events/programs that I didn’t think all the way through.

1. What’s the purpose of the event/program? – Knowing the purpose of the event I’m planning helps me gauge my target audience. Not every student will want to come to a worship event or discipleship event. Knowing the purpose allows me to go all out on promotion that is specifically created with the purpose of the event in mind.  My goal is to reach those I’ve identified as my potential taget.
2. Will students want to come? –  I have to be careful that I don’t plan something based on my own preference but I plan something that will be great and fun for students. I’ve pulled core students in on the planning just to get their perspective on an event or program.
3. Is there opportunity for building relationships? – I think of this question in terms of student to student or leader to student. Of course there will be both going on but being intentional about which one best fits the event takes the event to the next level.  A lot of times I push students to our events so they can get connected, so I have to think about that during the planning process.
4. Is there follow-up or next steps needed? – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed the opportunity to challenge students to take the next step or follow-up with them because I didn’t think it through beforehand. I’ve been thinking about helping students follow-up with friends that they bring to events. This is definitely a question you want to ask yourself.
5. Should it cost and is it the right amount? - I’m always thinking is there a way not to charge. Sometimes it’s doable, like the park day we do where we provide lunch, but this is not always the case. Some events or programs have no budget and students have to pay, which is ok, as long as it’s the right price point which has been thought through. Parents will definitely appreciate this step.
6. Where can we cut cost? – Again I’m thinking about budget and parents. Budget money is coming from people who believe in the God given mission of the church. I definitely want to care about where their money is going. So where can we save money is the question.
7. How can we help students invite their friends? – Students are connected non-stop with their friends through social media and text. We’ve had great success using these mediums to help them invite their friends.  The goal is to be as creative as you can be.  If you’re not that creative get some of your students to help you.  They will love it and you will have potentially started a new ministry.

Now, I know there are more than just seven questions, so what else can we think about in the planning process to make it the best event/program ever?  Would love to hear your thoughts!!!

hope it helps

ac

Christian hipsters.

How can you not love them? They make your church feel relevant.

(Whether it is or not.)

Ever eavesdrop on them?

I have. They’ve actually never said any of what I’m about to write. I’ve found them to be quite awesome, intelligent people. I feel cool just for knowing them, especially since I buy my clothes at Old Navy and Wal-Mart.

Then again… I know there’s a stereotype out there for a reason. Don’t we all imagine their world has hip lingo that goes something like this?

• “Dear God, bless this food I’m about to upload pictures of to Instagram.”
• “Why yes, that is a coffee stain on my Bible.”
• (texts pastor during sermon) “I like where you’re going. Only you should totally quick add this ancient Russian poem into your talk right now…”
• “Time to pick out my skinny jeans for the day. White or orange?”
• “Skinny jeans are sort of like the denim version of unleavened bread.”
• “Give me a moment. I’m trying to pray about the right profanity to use here.”
• “I used to play the guitar in our worship band. Now I play the rhythm egg.”
• “This past weekend I went on a spiritual hike into the woods with my sketch book, an avocado and God…”
• “I was thinking for the church potluck I’d bring a ceramic pitcher from Pier One full of scalding hot water and some organic fair-trade coffee from Mustard Seed served in a Mr.T lunchbox. Then for the adults…”
• “I’m sensing God wants me to do a 40-day fast from facial hair, but He didn’t say anything about my neck hair. So I think I’m just going to grow that out by itself… you know, like Job did.”
• “No, I don’t keep a prayer journal. And I gave up on phone apps last year. Now I use post-it notes.”
• “I’m not into labeling my faith. If you really twisted my arm on it, I’d just say ‘Ouch.’ Then I’d pray for you.”
• “Why, no… it’s not a sash meant for the cross. It’s my scarf.”
• “My church just upgraded its podcast technology. Now you can download our sermons on vinyl.”
• “You can’t begin to fully appreciate the original language of the Bible until you read it in German.”
• ‘My ‘group’ this past week was awesome. We rocked out a spontaneous ‘Lord’s Supper’ together with Greek Yogurt and bacon bits.”
• “You’ll really like my church. The sermons are so ‘Blue Man Group’ and the worship is an acoustic ‘Insane Clown Posse.’”
• “I usually park in the furthest spot in the parking lot. That way I ‘love my neighbor’ and get some good cardio out of it.”
• “Are your communion wafers vegetarian?”

Believe it or not, someone actually called me once and asked me that last question.

Like I said, though – I love Christian hipsters and their heart for God. They have a valid place in the Body of Christ. Perhaps it’s just that they (like any Christian subculture) have a stereotype we enjoy.

What else have you heard (or imagined) the Christian Hipster nation is musing about?

Share your thoughts. Link it to them. They’ll get a kick out of it.

Without changing the content of what I’ve shared, let me add this – what’s your thought on when it is appropriate vs inappropriate to laugh at our own subcultures? Maybe there is a better way to do it than humor. Then again, I’m the guy who bought the book “Stuff Christians Like” as a Christmas gift for my church staff.

Perhaps there are some topics we need to laugh at in order to have a conversation about them. We’re all a bit absurd, whether we’re drawing lines on how we shouldn’t draw lines, or peeling off labels that only create more labels. I’ve seen enough videos and posts about the stereotypes I fall into – some absolutely appropriate, and others “not so much.” How can we point out what it means to be subjective without being subjective? Thanks for your thoughts!

In spite of the fact that I am athletically challenged, have never really known exactly what to cheer for as my children have played soccer, basketball, or baseball and don’t even really like or follow ANY sports of any kind, somehow all my son has ever wanted to do is play football.  We placated him with the “flag” version for several years,  however,  he  just wanted to play the “real” game.  This year as he enters 7th grade we gave in.  It has been an eyeopening experience for all of us.  It is teaching him discipline and responsibility in new and creative ways.  However, for the first time EVER sports will infringe on church and church activities (including youth group.)  It is interesting because in the world of us youth pastors this is what we always complain about.  How could parents/students choose sports (or band, debate, drama) over what’s important?

Here are some thoughts from the “other side:”

Unpacking  Faith

As far as he or we can figure out He is the ONLY Believer on His team. Daily in practice he is navigating listening to both coaches and players cuss and deciding if this is a good choice for him. This is only one example of ways he is forced to think about what living in the world and among the world, but not getting sucked into it really means. We have had discussions on ways he might talk about Christ with others. In short he can’t relegate his faith to certain nights of the week when he is “supposed” to be thinking about it.

Life Lessons

It has amazed me the solid life lessons football is teaching him.  He is learning the power of being truly needed on a team. This summer he has missed out on some “vacation” for the sake of the commitment he made. If he does not learn to follow directions and allow himself to be guided and “coached,” there are consequences.  As an incredibly regular and awkward JH kid he needs affirmation in addition to his parents.  It matters when Coach D tells him his strength is his greatest asset.  (Of course it didn’t hurt that he picked a kid up and pushed him back 30 yards in practice the other day.)  It isn’t “better” but he wasn’t learning  all of this in this way in youth group- a great one,  with an awesome youth pastor.  (No not me, silly, he goes to another one too.)

Programming?

My son is crushed he is going to miss youth group on Thursdays for the sake of football.  He likes the structure of small groups and deep Bible study, his youth pastor and his friends. This year he is testing if “football is worth it” going forward. For awhile he may attend another youth group as well, because it meets on a night when there is no practice.  It made me wonder what is it that we “youth people” are really angry about when parents tell us, “I’m sorry it’s (blank) season, my kid won’t be coming.”  Is it we miss their child?  Is it we are worried about the student slipping away from the Lord?  OR  Are we mad that our “program” wasn’t more appealing?  Should we perhaps find ways to reach the sports kids at their interest point?

Parent’s Hate The Pull Too

Now I know there are some families out there who move heaven and earth to make sure sports take precedence in their kid’s lives.  HOWEVER,  I think more parents are like us.  They see their child enjoys something, and might even be good at it, and they want to let them be a part of it. Each of my children are allowed to pick ONE activity besides church stuff per season.  Still I have three kids in MS so if they all pick something different- that is three directions at best.  Sometimes we are just tired, we are trying really hard, and that is why we ask you to just make this “one exception for my kid” to come to “whatever.”

There is a difference between kids who are apathetic and flippant about church and youth programming and those who are not.  This is in spite of sports or other activities.  We don’t expect adults to ONLY be involved in church why do we put that pressure on our students? Unfortunately we live in a secular culture that sets schedules in spite of our “religious affiliations.” My son likes football, his Dad and I care his relationship with Jesus doesn’t suffer. We will get him to youth group, and attend early services on Sunday as we have to deal with afternoon games.  I am hoping that somehow we can find support in this decision to allow him to play. After all he really wants to be the next “Ray Lewis,” whatever that means.

How are you helping your “sports” families this Fall navigate church and “other?”

I find myself sharing a large file with someone at least once a month. These range from videos, to backups, to photos…If it is legal to share I have probably shared it.  Here are 3 easy to use (and FREE) file sharing and transferring service that can help take the headache out of sending large files.

• My goto is DropBox! If you do not have a DropBox account you should grab one now…HERE. It is like having your files everywhere you go…well 2GB of files. If you are a smartphone or tablet user this is a HUGE WIN for data storage and access.  With the DropBox app installed on my PC or Mac I have all my files in folders, those folders are also available to me anywhere I go in the cloud, and I gain access to all that cloud storage on my mobiles devices without taking up any space on those devices.  With DropBox I can share a file as a link or a literal folder with a friend.
• WeTransfer has a clean look and no confusing logins, add ons, or requirements for those you are sending files to. You do not need to create an account or download and install any apps. WeTransfer allows me to share files up to 2GB via email or web link. The only downside I see is that the link dies after 2 weeks, so no long term file storage with WeTransfer. But if you are not looking for long term storage, this is a great FREE service!  Key word here…Simple!
• Soshareit, powered by BitTorrent, allows me to share files up to 1TB (YES 1 TERABYTE). Due to bandwidth and 2GB file size restrictions, huge files are hard to share…enter Soshareit.  Like WeTransfer you do not need a membership but you do need to install a browser plugin. Share your files via email, web link, facebook, or twitter.

Have you been using a different file sharing service? Share which one and why in the comments below.

I have been using the LIVE Curriculum for the past 4 years…I love it and so do my volunteers. It is not just a great tech resource, it is a great youth ministry resource. Last year I added LIVE Junior High to our youth ministry scope and sequence and it was a HUGE WIN!

• Low prep for leaders
• Consistent format
• Easily personalizable
• Print unlimited hard copies for your team
• Emailable to those leaders who want to personalize and print or to teach from their tablet
• Parent letter for each lesson updating them on what their studnet’s small group went through
• Price tag is super low! Less than $3.50 a lesson
• DONE FOR THE YEAR…DONE FOREVER!!! (Well, you may want to tweek from year to year but ultimately if you know the lessons you want to use you can use the same scope and sequence from year to year)

With LIVE Curriculum I have shorter prep time each week and can better focus on students and leaders…and leaders have margin to invest more in their group.

Are you using LIVE Curriculum?  Is so, what is your favorite thing about it?

Hey Simply Insiders!

Like what you read here on the blog from our awesome contributors? We do too!

Well, we wanted you to know that they write more than just helpful tidbits on More Than Dodgeball. Authors including Kurt Johnston, Jeffrey Wallace, Katie Sutton, Stephanie Caro, Cuck Bomar, and Leneita Fix also have created incredible books and resources on relevant topics for your youth ministry.

From now until midnight on Friday, August 16, some of their best stuff will be on sale for 25% off their regular price! These are great savings on unique, quality resources on a wide range of topics from 99 Thoughts for Smaller Church Youth Workers by Stephanie Caro to Urban Ministry from Start to Finish by Jeffrey Wallace.

After you stock up on the sale, I encourage you to also check out or new Blogger Marketplace. Here you will find each blogger with some of their titles featured below their name, like the example below:

So check it out! Explore the Blogger Marketplace and tell all your friends about the 25% off Blogger Sale going on until Friday!

You guys are the best youth workers on the planet. We love you!

-Amber

Today, Scott Rubin (that’s his picture above), the Junior High Pastor at Willow Creek and one of the best all around guys on the planet, is dropping by with a guest post. Do me a favor and say a few nice things in the comments so he’ll do more of this!  Several years ago we wrote a little book together that I actually thought was fantastic, apparently nobody else did which is why you can go to Amazon and get your own copy for as little as $0.01 yep, one penny. At that price you may as well stretch your junior high budget and buy two or three.

From Scott:

The School Year is kicking off, the NFL & College football seasons are getting ready to kick off… and the new ministry year is about to kick off, too, right?   (I’ll be honest – ministry “kickoffs” are a little confusing to me, because I’m pretty sure there’s no “off-season” in ministry!)

Even still, at least in the U.S., as Fall approaches, it’s a great time to re-launch our ministries.   I’m super-excited about our middle-school-ministry-kickoff this Saturday night – and this gathering is special because it’s just our volunteers… no students!   Here are a few simple elements that we use to help re-envision & re-engage volunteers for a great school year of ministry together!

1- Just have a gathering!   If your adult leadership is just 2 or 3 people, you can do this around a table at Denny’s.  If you have more leaders, you’ll obviously need a bit more room.   But the key is to get leaders together!  If your summer season has a different rhythm than the school year, this is a chance to help volunteers recalibrate to how your ministry will look different.  In the ministry I lead, our “regular” volunteers are less involved during the summer months… so having a kickoff like this reminds them that things are about to ramp up, and their weekend schedule is about to get busier!

2- Have something to say!   This is important whether you have an exciting new vision about how this ministry year will look different, or if you simply want to remind volunteers why their engagement with students is so crucial.  As my senior pastor likes to say “Vision Leaks” … so it’s up to us to help volunteers remember why they do what they do.  There are a whole lot of other things begging for people’s time; make sure that they have a clear picture of how God can truly use them to impact the life of a student!

3- Have a blast!  One of the reasons that volunteers stay engaged in ministry is when they really enjoy being together.   Plan something that will help them laugh, joke, smile, and anticipate a year of fun together!

Okay, first off – how did I not know the show “Amish Mafia” existed?

I ask because I stumbled onto it through a random web link. I later did some research and learned that the show  isn’t as accurate as it presents itself to be. A great article from Lancaster Online gives testimony to how the main personas and storylines of the show are more “between 1 and 10 percent truth.”

Still, after watching these clips, I found something “familiar” about it.

Maybe you can help me out here. I’m not Dutch, I don’t live in Pennsylvania and I’m a big fan of electricity.

So from this preview alone, what am I identifying with?

Are there any implications or comparisons for what does and doesn’t happen in youth group circles… and the role some youth workers take on?

For example, I feel there is this subculture within youth groups where some kids want to go wild but create the sense they’re staying true to their faith. Then within that subculture there’s another subculture who encourages it (i.e. the Amish mafia), and yet another subculture (i.e. parents/church legalists) who are quick to pounce.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

Some phrases or words or topics are commonly used in the Church:

• “We need to grow spiritually“
• “We want to make sure everyone is being discipled…”
• “We need to train people in evangelism“
• “Spiritual disciplines are important for every Christian”

But using these phrases often doesn’t mean people actually understand what we’re talking about.  People might be able to use the terms in the right context and in the right ways, but if asked to define these things most would have a hard time doing so.  Well, I’ve realized more than ever we have to make sure these types of things are defined clearly and simply.  If not, all we do is train people in Christianese – a language we use that nobody really understands.

So, I thought I would do is provide the definitions I use in our church.  You might already have your own definitions that are concise and effective.  If that’s you, then maybe mine can just be something you compare/contrast yours with.  If you don’t have these defined concisely, I would recommend doing so immediately.  Leadership requires us to be clear.

The first word or phrase I will define in this series is: spiritual growth.

This phrase is tossed around a lot, but nobody really knows what we mean.  So I have defined it.  It may not be a perfect definitions, but I believe we can say we have grown spiritually

if the time it takes us to read scripture and embrace it is less than it used to be. 

This definition does a number of things other than just providing a definition:

1.  It leans on Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 that says the goal of our teaching people about him and his ways is obedience.  We cannot feel like we’ve grown spiritually simply because we can regurgitate scripture.  Reading the bible makes us Christian as much as reading People Magazine makes us a celebrity.
2. Implies that we need to be growing in our understanding of scripture.
3. It insinuates actions need to be taken after reading.

How do you feel about that definition?  See any holes in it?  Any other benefits you see it having?  If you have defined it for yourself and ministry, please share it so we can all learn.

Kurt and I deviate from our usual structure (the good, bad and #smh) and we give you our TOP four tips on speaking to students.  We know that for some speaking my come easy, and for others speaking can be a challenge.  So for some we hope these tips confirm and strengthen what you already know, and for others we hope these tips encourage and give you more confidence in the work God has called you to do.

What’s your number one teaching tip you would share?

hope it helps

kurt & ac

Picture courtesty of Brothers’ Pizza

Focus on “The Show”

Avoid Authentic Relationships

Make Assumptions

Lower the Bar

What are some ways we might ENGAGE youth and get them involved? What are YOU doing?

I would love to hear!