As student minister?s one thing we have to always strive for is to be a perpetual student of our craft. We can never know too much about youth ministry. This is one thing that I defiantly do not have a problem with. No matter what I have done in my life I always threw myself into it full force. When I played drums in band in high school I studied, not only in school, but on my own. I listen to instructional by well known drummers at the time, I went to drum clinics, and dissected drums solos by popular drummers. When I joined the Army as a Military Police officer, I took baton instructor classes, correspondence courses, and unarmed self defense training. As youth ministers we must constantly be students of our own art. How do we do that? Here are some quick sources for training!
1: The Bible: I know I know, you?ve heard it a million times but that doesn?t make it any less true. The better your relationship with God the better off your ministry is.
2: Blogs: The cheapest form of training out there! Find a youth ministry mentor such as Josh Griffin at morethandodgeball.com, Doug Fields? Blog, Stephanie Caro?s blog, or even my own at lifeintheymfishbowl.com. Want find great ideas to try? Read a blog. Want training on ideas to help grow your youth group? Read a Blog. Also there are non blog websites out there that are great. One I love is youthministry.com. Great articles and great ideas.
3: Certificates: Many colleges offer online youth minister training for a small price. Plus you get a handy certificate to hang up on the wall. Another place to check out is youthsphere.tv. This site offers a great certificate and great training under the giants of youth ministry.
4: Group Magazine: Some of the best youth ministry ideas delivered to your door once every two months. Nuff said!
5: Other youth ministers: Your local youth minister?s network is a great source of training. You can pick up great life lessons while sitting down for a cup of coffee.
6: Youth Minister?s support networks: many denominations offer great youth minister support networks who can offer great advice and ideas.
7: Conferences: I?ve often heard conferences called the poor man?s seminary. That?s about the truth. With SYMC coming up you have the option of the large conference and it?s many options but also don?t over look the smaller local conferences that are out there, if money is an issue.
8: College: This option is not for everyone, but if you feel like God is calling you for a deeper commitment this is a great option. I?m currently enrolled online for a degree with a Student Ministry emphasis. There are many great colleges that offer Youth Ministry Masters degrees also many Seminaries that offer degrees with youth ministry minors.
9: Books: Some of the best training I?ve ever received was through two books, ?Purpose Driven Youth Ministry? and ?My First Two Years in Youth Ministry? both by Doug Fields. Books are the best way to glean ideas from well renowned youth ministers. Not just Doug but many giants of youth ministry have published books that are great training resources.
10: Last but not least: This one may strike you as odd?..your senior pastor. I know your thinking ?He did not just say I could get training from the old man/woman? Yep I went there! Some of our senior pastors were youth ministers once. They can be great resources for ideas and wonderful sounding blocks. I was thinking about revamping our ?Sunday School? class and asked our senior pastor what he thought. Low and behold we had the same idea and he had many small details that I hadn?t pondered.
If you look around there are many great resources out there for youth ministers to learn from. We really have no excuse to not stay on top of our game. You owe it to you church, your kids, and yourself to be the most well trained youth minister you can be.
Kevin Patterson is the youth pastor at Dawson Springs First Baptist Church in Dawson Spring, KY. Be sure to check out http://www.lifeintheymfishbowl.blogspot.com/ to regularly get in on his learnings, too!
I, Jon Batch, am apart of the SYMC team and have been helping with the conference for several reasons allow me to explain.
DISCOUNTED REGISTRATIONS are still AVAILABLE
DISCOUNTED REGISTRATIONS are still AVAILABLE
My prayer is that this conference helps you feel inspired, challenged, loved, equipped, supported and a part of the family. Then you can return to the trenches and help students and their families to Christ.
Jon Batch Director of Student Ministries Dearborn Hills UMC jbatch@dhumc.com twitter: @jonbatch
Posted by Kurt Johnston
This is the 5th in a little series about some of the things that have helped me last for almost 25 years. There is no silver bullet here, just a little insight about things that have seemed to make a difference in my journey as a youth worker.
BLEED IT, BUT DON’T BLEED TO DEATH!
Every now and then, a young youth worker will say something like this, “Youth ministry is my life!”. To which I always reply internally, and upon occasion even blurt out, “Really? That’s too bad.”
I think youth ministry, or any ministry endeavor for that matter, deserves some extra effort. Youth ministry isn’t for folks who are clock-watchers, who only want to do the minimum job requirements. I actually think it deserves to be led by men and women who aren’t afraid to “bleed” it a little bit. But we should NEVER bleed to death!
- When you consistently sacrifice your family for the sake of your youth ministry…you are bleeding to death. - When your friendships suffer because you spend too much time at youth ministry events…you are bleeding to death. - When you have no outside hobbies because you spend your free time with teenagers or planning events for teenagers…you are bleeding to death. - When you fail to take your day off, or you skimp on vacation time due to the demands of youth ministry…you are bleeding to death. - When you spend time in the word out of the need to [...]
You are right, there are far more dangerous jobs than youth ministry. I am extremely thankful that my husband does not stare down the barrel of a gun. I cannot imagine the kind of strength a wife would need for that. No matter what the job each one of us, including myself, has and will face great tragedies. Just in each day there are so many ups and downs. Our lives are sprinkled with many different feelings and emotions from happiness to thankfulness, to frustration to sorrow. My hope is that not one of us would deny ourselves the right to feel validated in each and every feeling that we have that gets mixed up inside of us. I hope that in some small way this blog may be a place for someone in ministry to feel heard, connected, and uplifted through a comment, a funny story, or a serious post. And what I love so much about this community of women is the honesty shared about their lives, and the tone that we all take loving God and our husbands seriously but don’t take ourselves too seriously.
I write this in no way with a defensive voice, but with so much concern that many pastor’s wives are told that their feelings are silly or not important. Whether from someone at church or their own inner dialogue. Our “perspective” should be to accept and embrace our feelings whatever they may be and then with God [...]
q Jeremiah 1:4 ?The Word of God came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.?
q God had a vision a plan for you. Do you have one for the assignment He has given you?
q Vision: The picture of God?s potential, purpose, and possibilities for your life.
q Show me a person without vision, and I will show you a person who is at a standstill in life.
q Proverbs 29:18 ?Where there is no vision the people perish.?
q Life Point: The key element to getting out of my present state is the vision that I have for myself.
q Jeremiah 29:11 ?For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,
Vision Truthsq True vision goes beyond what I can accomplish on my own.
q True vision adds value to others.
q True vision attracts vision.
q True vision must have God in it.
q Acts 2:17 ?And it shall come to pass in the last days says God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.?
5 Road Blocks to Vision FailureI’ve noticed something lately about the way the church and youth ministries tend to talk to girls. We (unfortunately at times I would include myself) communicate that the end game for a girl is getting the right kind of guy. Even though we don’t mean to it just happens. Books sold to teen girls about how to get the right kind of guy (a christian book nonetheless…and I haven’t read it but I am assuming the title is meant to mislead by promising to help girls snag a guy.) A youtube video for Christian girls on how to attract a godly guy. And than we are surprised and frustrated that all girls care about is boys. Oh the irony.
We need to change the end game.
The end game for every girl we encounter should be a radical life following after Jesus. That life may include an occupation in the public circles, a life of full time ministry, marriage, kids or all of the above.
When we begin to believe in a bigger or more radical end game for girls it changes how we communicate to them. We tell their stories better. And in my heart I believe we help girls move their attention from dating to bigger dreams…from drama to radical living. Don’t we all really want that for our girls?
What do you think? What are your thoughts about changing the end game?
Don’t sell Jesus short.
I spent the weekend with a church in a faith tradition I am fairly new to. They have a rich heritage of liturgical worship. But if one made the mistake of thinking this church’s denom is bereft of showing feelings of faith or the goodness of God, one would be wrong.
The YP of this church had a similar epiphany today. She has a deep love for Jesus but thought her diverse international students would be uncomfortable with referencing anyone but “God.” After all, they don’t declare an emotional faith and “Jesus” is just too intimate, right?
After she had a discussion with my ministry partner, Adam DeVries, she told her students she was going to unashamedly call Jesus by his name. How shocked and delighted she was when they were happy for her AND them. They cheered.
My point? Don’t sell Jesus short in your youth ministry. Kids KNOW when they come near you that there’s a good chance they’re going to hear about God. They’re even disappointed when they don’t.
Remember: Jesus is the name of the one to whom everyone will bow. It’s just a matter of when.
S
Please check out this article from my friend Eric Iverson. Good thoughts to consider whenever you’re taking your group on a mission trip.
Fuller Youth Institute – Youth Missions Article
What do you think? Is Eric right?
This is an article with the title “Why Most Mission Trips are a Waste of Time.”
I’ve met the author of this article, Noel Becchetti. I like him. I believe he’s passionate about mission trips. I know he’s planned, organized, and led youth mission trips. I also believe he’s genuinely trying to help. But I just don’t agree with the basic premise of the article.
I encounter this type of thinking all the time now. Mission trips are doing more harm than good. Why do we even do missions? Shouldn’t we just send money?
My problem with this type of thinking is that it completely discounts those attending a mission trip. It feels like the participants are simply ignored. But I can’t ignore them. The work that God does in the lives of youth that attend mission trips is life altering. It can change the course of eternity. The relationship a student can form with Jesus in the context of a mission trip simply cannot be cast aside.
I believe that a youth mission trip is Both/And. It is about who we are serving. Each of us that organize, plan and take kids on mission trips need to ensure that the service we “do” on any trip genuinely helps those in need. But you need to plan and organize the spiritual growth opportunities as well. When will you worship during the trip? How much time can you dedicate to devotional thoughts? Do you give opportunity to debrief/examine the events of a day in context of the work God is doing?
Are youth mission trips a waste of time? I’d say almost never. As long as you prepare just as much for your student’s growth in their relationship with Jesus as you prepare for the service.
We’re almost a month into the new year. This is the perfect time to start focusing on stuff that will be happening in your ministry this year. For many of us, that means starting all the preparations for a summer mission trip. By now you’ve selected the date and location of your trip. If you haven’t already, you’ll be finalizing the youth and adults that will be going on the trip. All of these those are important steps in the process. Once these are done, you can begin the pre-trip process.
Depending on your mission provider or if you are organizing your own trip, there should be pre-trip meetings that help to get everyone going on the trip get ready and be prepared for serving those in need. But… you still won’t know how everyone will come together. Will everyone “gel”? Will they learn to work together? Will something difficult or unforeseen derail the trip? Will your adults lead and be, well, adults? These are incredibly important questions. Questions that often can’t be answered until you’re on your trip.
But, what if you could get a glimpse of how these questions will be answered? What if you could know how your group will work together? What if you knew that your adults would lead? What if you could get a preview of how the team will come together?
Well… you can.
Get your group involved in a service experience before your trip. A one-day service event is a great time to help everyone in your group gain a little experience before your trip. Witnessing your group serve others, even for just 6 to 8 hours, will give you great insight into how the group is coming together. You’ll be able to get a great idea about areas you can help your group improve in before your trip. You’ll know some coaching you can give your adults so they are ready for the trip this summer.
Just one day of serving together and you’ll have a great preview of this summer. There’s still time to plan a day like this and add it to your pre-trip preparations.
Our good friend (and founder) Thom Schultz has an interesting take on one of the ongoing debates in youth missions – Are they really worth it?
What do you think? Did Thom get it right?
As a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, the Susquehanna River flooded to levels around 30 feet – destroying roads and bridges, inundating entire communities and washing away the first 2 floors of many homes. We’re partnering with the people of Bloomsburg, PA, one of the communities devastated by this flood, to bring help and hope to the people of that community.
For 4 consecutive Saturdays in October you have the opportunity to make a real difference. The dates are October 8, 15, 22, and 29. You can find more information here. We’re making this event a little different than most The Big Day of Serving. We want anyone and everyone 12 years old and older to come serve – not just your youth group. You can invite the men’s ministry, women’s ministry, adult small groups, Sunday school classes, pastoral staff, etc. to come with you to help. We’ll take everyone who can help.
Please consider bringing your youth group!
There is so much going on right now and for the last several years when it comes to finances. The crash, recession, budget crisis, unemployment – the list goes on. It has had an effect on everyone. Those of us who do missions certainly have been affected. For our ministry it’s been on multiple fronts.
We work with local partners in all the communities (domestic and international) where we serve. It’s core to our philosophy of ministry. We’re based in Colorado. How could we possibly know the needs in Racine, WI or Manassas, VA or Pucallpa, Peru? So we look for local “experts” who live, work and minister in those communities to help us organize the service. These partners also provide funding for the projects and ministry done when we are in that community. Nearly all of these partners are supported by donations, grants, government funds, foundations, etc. They’re struggling, just like everyone, to get funds.
The youth groups and church groups that attend our mission trips are another “funding” source for us. And as any of us that are part of a church know, there are budget issues for many, many churches. Attending a mission trip is a big deal. Costs a lot of money. Whether it’s to Haiti or Appalachia or just downtown. We hear story and story of groups struggling to raise the necessary funds to go on their trip.
In all of this, however, there is one interesting truth…
We get the money for things we believe in. We just do…
Our best local partners always come up with the necessary funds. Churches and youth group that really believe in, are committed to, and passionate about missions always make it on their trip. When we need to we find the money. When it comes to what we believe in. Money isn’t an issue. Our heart is in it.
We know this is true in so many other places. I’ll give a very personal example. I have a son who loves soccer. He’s only twelve but he plays on a local club team. For those of you who have kids who play clubs sports, you know what I’m about to say. It costs hundreds and hundreds of dollars to play. Fees, away games, uniforms, equipment, tournaments. You add it up and it’s real money. But I wouldn’t deny my son that opportunity. My heart is in it.
So…
How about your mission trip? Is “your” heart in it? When I write “your” I mean you, your group’s, the parents, your whole church? Are all of you “heart-connected” and passionate about what your doing and who you are serving?
In our experience – where your heart is, the money will follow.
What a great day on Saturday! Over 500 people served in the College Hill neighborhood. Here’s some highlights…
We started the day at Imagine Academy – a local school that generously allowed us the use of their building beginning Friday night.
This is what greeted 1 By Youth as they arrived.
Everyone gathered in the gym at Imagine Academy on Saturday morning. This is what almost 500 people waiting for an amazing day of service to start looks like…
Waiting for the Kick-Off Rally to begin...
It was really a great day of service. We cleaned empty lots, cleared sidewalks, painted buildings, improved parks – whatever we could to help the people of College Hill. One of the most meaningful projects was planting a landscape garden at the base of one of the original water towers in the neighborhood. This is the last picture I took as I was leaving College Hill at the end of the day.
Bringing beaty to one of the most important places in all of College Hill.
Thanks again to everyone who served. You made a real difference. The residents of College Hill are very appreciative and hope we come back next year. See you in 2012!
I just started reading Dave Livermore’s book “Cultural Intelligence” (well… ok, I just read the introduction so far) and I’ll post a review of the whole book here later. But in the introduction one of the footnotes directs you to an article about Bruce Wilkinson’s failed work in Swaziland about 6 or 7 years ago. So I went to the article and then found a commentary on the situation from a South African professor (wow, that sounds more involved that it really was). It was in that commentary that I found the following quote:
“In terms of the Great Commission, evangelistic work and discipleship must always take precedence over humanitarian aid and social welfare….”
I immediately felt uncomfortable. I read it again. Just to make sure I understood. And sure enough… I did. This statement means that if we’re not trying to save people’s souls or help them grow in their relationship with Jesus – we probably shouldn’t serve them. Really? Can that possibly be true? I don’t agree with that. I just don”t…
If we take this literally, we shouldn’t be lending aid or even going to help the people of Japan in this incredible time of need. Because if we can’t share the message of Jesus, why should we go. The needs in Sudan, Rwanda, the gulf after Katrina and Rita, southeast Asia after the tsunami. Because responding and serving in those situations, to those needs, aren’t nearly as important as making sure people in those areas hear that they need Jesus. Really?
What if we fed and clothed and cared for and built relationships with the people in those areas? And as part of that process we get to share why we’re there. Who it is that we serve. Who it is that drives and motivates us. That feels more natural. More caring.
Understand, I work for a ministry whose mission it is to see people grow in their relationship with Jesus. We fulfill that mission by organizing mission trips for youth groups. So I believe in evangelism and discipleship. I believe that people growing in their relationship with God is of utmost importance. But I also know that there are needs that need to be met. And we can meet them. Whether or not we ever get to share the message of Jesus with them.
And that is still Christians missions.
A great article posted last week on youthministry.com relates to yesterday’s post. Great thoughts from Katie Brazelton.
Do you agree?
Youth Missions Trip | Youth Mission Trips | Youth Missions Insider Our stories, helpful tips, tricks, dos and don\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'ts of mission trips.
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