A Special Invite from Doug Fields

Jeff on March 24th, 2010

Doug is a friend of our ministry and I wanted to share his note…

It’s not often I get the chance to announce something brand new that I believe youth workers will absolutely love.  I want to invite you to join us and participate in a ministry called 1 By Youth.  1 By Youth is a one-day service event designed specifically for your youth group and the local community (think “Extreme Makeover” that your kids accomplish).

On April 24 in Manassas, VA and May 1 in Indianapolis, a thousand or more teenagers will gather together and serve those communities–they’ll paint, tackle minor home repairs, landscape, clean schools, and completely transform an entire neighborhood.

In addition to serving the community with an extreme makeover, they’ll experience what it means to put their faith in action and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

The cost for 1 By Youth is only $29 per person which includes all the materials, lunch and an end-of-day celebration. All that’s needed is your leadership to get your youth group involved to serve others.

Learn about Manassas and Indianapolis – you’ll find out project information, the schedule and how to reserve your groups spot now!

Please consider having your group be a part of this new ministry. Our dream is to eventually see 1,000,000 teenagers working together to transform neighborhoods across the country. Make plans now to [...]

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Are we really helping?

Jeff on March 23rd, 2010

My friend Toby and I had the chance to lead a round-table discussion at Simply Youth Ministry Conference about the State of Youth Missions.  About 20 people came and we had a great discussion for about an hour and a half.  There were a lot of opinions expressed and people got the chance to express what they believe is working with youth mission trips and what really isn’t going that well.  I really enjoyed the entire conversation.

The most intriguing interaction that happened was with a couple guys that work with a youth ministry on a First Nations reservation  on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.  They were not only interested getting their youth group involved in serving but they also received American youth groups on mission trips each and every year… hundreds of kids each year.  They had a lot of important things to say about how they felt as people came to serve in their community.  Not everything they shared was positive.  Not everything they has to say was good…  They had a chance to express their frustration with people coming each and every year and no real change.  The community felt like American churches were coming to do what they wanted to do, maybe not what the community truly needed.  At the same time they saw the transformation that did happen in some people’s lives.  They expressed that it felt both good and bad.

I thanked the guys for [...]

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I hated short-term missions…

Jeff on March 11th, 2010

Please check out this great 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?

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Something from the fundraising seminar

Toby on March 1st, 2010

SYMC is a wrap. A couple people asked about our sample timeline for big event fundraising stuff. Here it is. My usually witty commentary, and simultaneous harassing of Andy, will have to wait for tonight. I am beat.

Sample Schedule:

Fall Event – Yard Clean up for church and others

Sports stadium venue (running concessions)

2 Christmas events (Parents Night Out, and a vendor-based Christmas bazaar)

January missions appeal to the congregation, including direct support letters

Valentines night out

Sports stadium venue

Pre-selling bags of mulch, and/or installing it

Spring Auction

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My pants are cold

Toby on March 1st, 2010

Andy Brazelton – nice guy with a violent streak. We’re yakking it up in the SYMC conference hotel, being all nicy nicy. Then he throws ice on my lap. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he did missions in a culture where that was considered a social greeting.

We launched 1byyouth at this conference, and the buzz is so unbelievable that we’re awestruck at the craving for this kind of thing in cities all across the country. And not just the huge cities. Everything from New York City to Lancaster, PA to Plymouth, WI and everywhere else.

So if you’re reading this (and I know that Andy is), then know that we’re working hard at coming to your town as soon as you’ll have us. Contact Tim ( tkurth@group.com) if you’d like to have one at your town.

And I ate my first vanilla tart today. It tasted like something I’d prefer not to eat again. Someone told me it’s made out of beans. Is that true? A dessert made from beans? Disgusting. Why not just serve a bowl full of lettuce flavored ice cream?

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SYMC Day Three

Jeff on February 28th, 2010

Great last full day at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference. We had many, many good conversations with youth leaders who want to get their kids serving.

It’s very refreshing to discuss service with people that already know & believe how important it is. It’s exhausting when you need to convince a person that youth missions are an important part of a student’s faith development. I love talking with a youth pastor who loves kids and loves seeing them serve others.

The last day is tomorrow. We get to do one more seminar. It’s basically Missions 101…all you need to know to plan your next mission trip.

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Tim’s in his kerchief, and I in my cap

Toby on February 28th, 2010

It’s after midnight, and I’m all tucked in at the Doubletree in Chicago at SYMC, along with Tim Kurth in the bed next to me. (As compared to ‘next to me in bed’ – which he is not. ) He has taken a break from wearing flannel for the night. You can all rest knowing that Tim “FlanMan” Kurth is off to a good night’s sleep.

Awesome day – tons of new and familiar faces. Great conversations, and lots of fun . Given away tons of shirts, foam planes, VW Workcamp minibuses, buttons, and other paraphernalia. I may have even spelled that word right.

My big takeaway from today, missions-wise is that mission trips are just tons of work. I mean – it’s good, valuable, life-changing work. But it’s work. Lots. And youth people aren’t the best at asking for help, so we internalize the stress and play the part of the hero – determined to succeed even if it nearly kills us.

So hey – just ask for help. From God, from people around you, friends, co-workers in ministry, organizations, experts, whatever…

It’s okay. It’s good. Good night.

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SYMC Day One

Jeff on February 27th, 2010

Wow, what a day! The first day and night of Simply Youth Ministry Conference was amazing.

We led a discussion on The State of Youth Missions. It was a great time discussing the amazingly good things that are youth mission trips. And we talked openly about where we still need to improve. Thanks to all who attended.

And then…

Doug Fields helped us launch 1 By Youth from the main stage at the opening General Session. What an honor to have Doug involved with this new ministry. He set the vision… 1 Million Serving! After the General Session, we hosted a Kick-Off meeting for anyone interested (we were “competing” against a screening of To Save A Life, a performance by The Skit Guys, denomination receptions, etc.) and over 100 people came to find out how to take this new idea to a movement. Awesome!

Check out www.1ByYouth.com and let me know what you think…

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Off to SYMC

Toby on February 23rd, 2010

Our building (the top-secret underground Group headquarters) is buzzing with people getting ready to take off for SYMC . We head out to Chicago in waves – the early contingent on Wednesday, then more on both Thursday and Friday. Maybe the bigger buzz is happening all around the country, as more than 2300 youth workers are getting ready to go to the Windy City. (OK – lots of youth workers haven’t even started packing yet – but we know they will – at least 30 minutes before they have to leave for the airport.

And if you’re in a hurry – don’t be like this guy.

Besides the fact that the conference is a blast, and that we’ll get to eat some great Chicago food, we are super-pumped in the Workcamps world. Three out of the four of on this blog, Jeff, Tim, and I are going. We’ll be doing a heart to heart discussion panel about the state of youth missions, two workshops on youth missions planning and fundraising, and having a lot of conversations with youth workers from all over the country and the world. That’s the kind of stuff that gets us excited.

One more thing we’re excited about is being launched at the conference. 1byYouth – a one-day service project that’s launching in Indianapolis, IN and Manassas, VA  in [...]

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Haiti…

Jeff on January 17th, 2010

My thoughts have been with everyone in Haiti for the last several days.  As many of yours have as well.  What a horrific tragedy.  The questions are already coming in to our office, “Are you going to have any trips to  Haiti?”  And that poses a dilemma for us.  We didn’t have any ministry partners in Haiti before the disaster.  And it doesn’t feel right to try and connect with people at this point who have way to much to do besides take calls from us…

So here’s what we are doing and I encourage you to do the same for now.  We are giving as individuals and as an organization to our friends at World Vision.  World Vision was on the ground from the beginning and is doing all that it can to bring aid.  We also have a relationship with Compassion International and I know that they have been involved from the beginning as well.  The people at World Vision and Compassion are amazing, passionate followers of Jesus that will be doing everything they can to bring healing and hope to Haiti.  Please consider supporting them during this incredible time of need.

There will be time to go and help in Haiti… and that time will last for years!   The ability to travel there and help will start very soon.  My suggestion to all of us would be to offer financial support to those [...]

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