Apostolic Youth Ministry

Sermon/Lesson Idea: FlashForward

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:00:00 +0000

The following powerful thought is from Jeanne Mayo's Youth Leader's Coach newsletter (3/29/10) . . .

The hit series "FlashForward" poses the questions, "If you knew what your future held, what would you do? Even if you could only get a glimpse of it, would you look forward to what was coming...or would you try to stop it?"

The old cliché, "I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future" is only partially accurate. Yes, without a doubt, the Lord holds the future, but the choices found in our daily routines play a significant role in determining what our future will look like as well. Simple choices determine whether our future is bright or whether it will find us waking up one day lying in a bed we never thought we would make for ourselves.

Visit Youth Leader's Coach website . . . they have a variety of youth ministry resources for sale, and several downloadable freebies . . .

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Free Multimedia - Graphics for Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000

The folks over at Graphics4Worship not only offer great products, but they have some useful free media also . . . Visit their website today!

Free Fundraising eBook

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Group Workcamps Foundation is offering a free Fundraising eBook that might provide some fresh fundraising ideas or at least spark some creativity. Check it out; use what you can and chunk the rest. Click on the link above to download your free copy.

Valentine Trivia Game from SYM

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:30:00 +0000

The guys over at Simply Youth Ministry share this free trivia game just in time for Valentine's Day. Download and have fun with it.

Children's Ministry Workshop @ Faith Tabernacle

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Know someone looking for a Children's Ministry Workshop to jump start their ministry year? Then encourage them to check out . . . Children's Ministry Workshop website. The folks at Faith Tabernacle in LaMarque, TX host an annual Children's Ministry Workshop during the first quarter of each year. Their 2010 workshop is Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13.

The weekend event features four-hour workshops on Friday and a variety of workshops and general sessions on Saturday. Check out their website to learn more about this great opportunity for children's ministry staff to be challenged, motivated, encouraged and inspired.

Seven Rules for Youth Ministers

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 03:00:00 +0000

The folks over at Christian Law Association offer a list of seven rules that every youth minister should follow. Their list of Seven Rules for Youth Ministers are . . .

Maintain an honorable loyalty to your pastor.
Guard your own moral purity.
Follow ministry counseling rules.
Screen ministry volunteers.
Avoid high-risk youth activities.
Obtain permission/release forms for each youth activity.
Report suspected child abuse.

For additional comments and insights on each of their Seven Rules for Youth Ministers, visit Christian Law Association's website and read part one and part two of their two part article.

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New Study Links ‘Degrading’ Lyrics to Teen Sex

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:00:00 +0000

Randy Dotinga, a reporter for HealthDay News, reports on a new study that suggests some kind of link between "degrading" songs and teenage sexual activity. To read his article about the study’s findings, visit 'Degrading' Lyrics Linked to Teen Sex.

Related articles . . .
1) Exposure to Degrading Versus Nondegrading Music Lyrics and Sexual Behavior Among Youth
2) You Mean... the Lyrics DO Affect Me?

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Youth Specialties Podcasts

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Need a weekly dose of inspiration, encouragement, or new ideas? Youth Specialties, the premier provider of youth ministry resources, offers youth workers a free weekly podcast that offers all of this and more. Youth Specialties’ podcast also feature insights and interviews from leading youth ministry veterans, authors, and speakers. Using iTunes, subscribe to the “Youth Specialties” podcast for a lot that can help you in your ministry to youth.

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WordAbility: Books of the Bible Word Scramble #6

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Here's the last in our "Books of the Bible Word Scramble" series of PowerPoint crowdbreakers/games . . .

WordAbility: Books of the Bible Word Scramble #6

The "Books of the Bible Word Scramble" series consists of six different PowerPoint games that cover the books of the Bible. Each game in the series focuses on a selected number of books of the Bible. The series covers all the books of the Bible. If you are enjoying this series of PowerPoint games, we'd love to hear from you. Please post your comments below.

Clicking on the link above will take you to Apostolic Minister's Resources where you will find download instructions. You must log in (registration is free) to download this youth ministry resource.

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Bible Explorer: Pure & Simple (and free)

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Are you ready to become more productive in preparing your sermons or bible lessons? Then, perhaps it is time to try Bible Explorer, the fastest and easiest free bible study software.
Bible Explorer is PC-compatible, and offers you an enormous opportunity to expand your library to exactly match your needs. Many free Bibles and Bible reference works are immediately available once you install Bible Explorer. Also, Bible Explorer’s library is compatible with its sister product, WORDsearch, which offers a more powerful engine and advanced features. Visit Bible Explorer’s homepage today to discover a no-cost pure and simple way of studying the Bible.

Game Show Buzzer

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Need a computerized game show buzzer? If so . . . check out Keri Kaba’s free download at YouthMinistry.Com . . . Game Show Buzzer

Book Excerpt: When Church Kids Go Bad

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Here’s an excerpt from "When Church Kids Go Bad" by Les Christie that appeared in Youth Specialties’ Parent Newsletter #50 (1/21/09). The excerpt shares four ideas that help reinforce approaching discipline in a positive manner. Here’s the excerpt . . .

FOUR DISCIPLINE DON'TS

I've spent most of this chapter offering a variety of ideas about what you can do to respond effectively to everyday discipline challenges. But before we close, let's look at a few important "don'ts" of discipline:

DON'T EXPECT YOU'LL ALWAYS BE POPULAR

When youth leaders complain they can't control their young people, I frequently ask, "Do they do what you ask them to do?" The answer is often, "Yeah, they do it--but I don't like the way they do it. It's their attitude, you see." When I pursue the issue, I find that many leaders think teens should not only be compliant, but also should be delighted over the opportunity to comply.

But teenagers are usually not happy about being corrected--that's a lesson we all learn eventually. One ministry I worked with had a rule that no smoking was allowed during our week at camp. One year, a counselor saw a kid lighting up during free time. Since this kid had never camped with us before, the counselor went to the young person, explained the rule, and asked the camper to put out the cigarette. The camper complied, but the counselor was upset the student didn't look thrilled at being told he wouldn't be allowed to smoke all week. Rather than getting bent out of shape, the counselor probably should have been appreciative that the camper complied with his wishes. Agreeing not to smoke for the week may have been very difficult for this kid--especially since he didn't share the counselor's opinion on the value of cigarette smoking (or lack of it).

Don't expect your students will like every single thing you ask them to do. Simply because you want a young person to stop a certain behavior does not mean she'll no longer have that desire. Don't hassle a kid who complies just because she doesn't seem happy about it. I'm not saying you should accept backtalk or nastiness, but don't declare war just because the kid has an expression on her face that says, "This is a dumb rule." Don't even try to convince her immediately that it is a good rule. You can explain your reasoning at a later time when the person is ready to talk.

DON'T EMBARRASS TEENAGERS PUBLICLY

If you've spent hours preparing a lesson, the last thing you want is a disruption in the group. It can be tempting to say something in response that might embarrass the troublemaker, and make him or her feel humiliated. But before you do so, consider the consequences.

Teenagers are incredibly self-conscious. Your remark may stop the troublemaking behavior, but the resulting embarrassment could cost you a group member. And that one embarrassed teenager will probably tell five or six friends what you did--and you may lose them, too. Most outbursts are designed to get your attention. You reward troublemakers when you stop everything to focus on them.

DON'T RESORT TO DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM OR NAME-CALLING

A pinch of constructive criticism is part of the recipe for any good youth group. Unfortunately, many youth leaders shovel the criticism out by the truckload--and that can do more harm than good.

Here are some helpful hints on using criticism constructively. First of all, critique the behavior, not the person. Criticizing someone lowers that person's self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. Separate the behavior from the person.

Remember that it takes eight positive comments to make up for a single negative one--and that includes those critical comments we intend to be constructive. Be sensitive to the individual. Share your insights with a young person at a time when he's not surrounded by his peers, when both of you are not rushed, and after you've taken time to gain his respect.

Maybe a young person has a problem with hygiene and you know other kids are avoiding him because of his body odor. This problem needs to be pointed out to the young person, but it must be done very gently--not with a condemning attitude, but with a spirit of love and support. If you are going to point out a problem or concern, make sure you also offer practical solutions; otherwise your criticism can merely destroy the person you want to help.

No matter what happens, never resort to name-calling. All teenagers have certain imperfections about which they are overly sensitive. The world takes notice of them to tease and ridicule. If a teenager is small, he's called "shorty," "squirt," "shrimp," or "runt." If he's tall and thin, he's "beanpole" or "stick." If he's overweight, it might be "fatso" or "blimp." If he's weak or uncoordinated, he might be "wimp" or "geek." Teenagers suffer deeply from such nicknames, even when they feign indifference.

In general it's best for adult leaders to avoid teasing their young people, even in jest. Insults cut deeper and last longer when they come from an adult youth leader. We can learn to communicate without sarcasm and ridicule. There is no place for biting comments in conversations between adult leaders and young people. Sarcasm evokes hatred and provokes counterattacks.

Criticism of personality and character gives a young person negative feelings about herself. A young person who is made to feel stupid accepts such evaluation as fact. She may give up intellectual pursuits to escape ridicule. Since competition means failure, her safety depends on not trying.

DON'T THREATEN WHAT YOU CANNOT OR WILL NOT DO

Have you ever gotten so frustrated--after trying every method imaginable to quiet your group--that you yelled out a threat so idiotic your kids knew you would never follow through on it? Something similar to, "If you kids don't shut up, I'll never allow you to go on another church activity as long as you live!" They may stop the noise for a second, until they realize you'd never do such a thing. Empty threats don't help at all. In fact, such false statements just let kids know they have you!

The freshmen who enter our youth group each September are often a bit intimidated because they are the youngest ones in the group. One skit we do each year breaks the ice and helps those young people get a glimpse of one aspect of our discipline methods. As the young people come into the room on a particular week, I start trying to quiet them down--but I don't try very hard. Eventually, I pretend I'm getting mad and finally yell out, "If you kids don't shut up, I'm going to rip your arms off!"

Well, it always gets deadly silent--except for one eleventh-grader in the front row who continues to talk loudly. I walk directly to that student (who's still talking) and repeat, "I told you--if you don't shut up, I'm going to rip your arms off." At this point you could hear a pin drop in the room. Every eye is on me and this one young person (who is still the only one talking). I reach over and grab him by the arm...

What the new freshmen don't know is that I got together with this eleventh-grader before the meeting and fixed him up so he has a mannequin's arm up his sleeve. After I grab the arm, I yank it right out of his sleeve. The freshmen kids in the back are screaming, "He did it! He really did it!" The kids quickly realize we were kidding--and everybody has a good laugh. But then I explain that if we say we're going to do something in this youth group, they can bet we will follow through on it.

* * * * * * * *

Les Christie has spent more than forty years in youth ministry, including more than twenty years in the same church. An energetic speaker, Les also chairs the youth ministry department at William Jessup University. He's the author of more than a dozen books and lives in California with his wife, Gretchen, where he no longer has to discipline his two grown sons, Brent and David.

* * * * * * * *

WHEN CHURCH KIDS GO BAD – In this practical book, youth ministry veteran Les Christie will help you take a positive approach to discipline when it becomes necessary. "When Church Kids Go Bad" will:
• Reveal the reasons behind problem behavior and show you how to take a positive approach to discipline
• Teach you how to use rules and consequences effectively
• Help you evaluate your strengths and weaknesses in discipline situations (and improve your areas of weakness)
• Give you dozens of specific, practical, helpful ideas you can use immediately with your students

Click on the title to learn more about When Church Kids Go Bad

Free Countdowns? Tell Me More!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Looking for a source offering free video countdowns? Then . . . look no further than FreeCountdowns.net where they serve up a regular supply of fresh, hot countdowns. Their countdowns are suitable for use in presentations, church, youth ministry, children's ministry, etc.

The countdowns from FreeCountdowns.net are easy to download, and formatted for both the Mac and PC. They encode the free countdowns in MPEG-1 and MPEG-4 formats making them compatible with most of today’s presentation software.

Visit FreeCountdowns.net often as new countdowns are always being added.

Acting Game: A Fun Mix of Sound Effects and Improv Acting

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:30:00 +0000

Try the Acting Game at your next youth function. I'm sure it will be a hit and generate barrels of laughter. To pull it off, you need a small group of volunteers, some sound effects, and a scenario.

You can play the Acting Game several ways, however, the first time around consider playing a simple version by . . .

Choose two males and two females; create two male/female teams.
Establish a scenario such as a teen coming in past curfew from a date and being grilled by a parent.
Using the example above, you might have one pair be a Mother/Son team and the other pair be a Father/Daughter team.
Instruct them that they are to act out the scenario and must integrate the sound effects into their story line as you play them.
Either character is free to use the sound effects to their advantage; however, the parent should always attempt to keep the skit focused on the initial scenario setup.
The objective is to interweave the sound effects with the scenario to create a humorous improvised skit.
Play sound effects every 10-15 seconds or as often as needed to keep the story moving along.
Every couple sound effects have the teams swap off and continue their story line where they had left off.
Irrelevant sound effects can add additional humor; especially, if you have selected some quick minded and creative thinking teens.
The length of the Acting Game varies based on the creativeness of your participants and the number of sound effects you have chosen to use.
It’s better to stop the skit early if it is not going well rather than let it run until you have exhausted your sound effects.

I have used the Acting Game in both youth events and marriage retreats with great success. The most memorable was with two husband/wife teams where the husband was late for supper and he was trying to justify his being late. A herd of pigs, thieves running from police, ambulance sirens, a thunderstorm, and a host of other sound effects had the wives and husbands spinning quite a yarn for the audience. From the initial “Honey, I’m home.” opening to the closing sound effect, it was sidesplitting laughter.

Try taking the Acting Game high tech with Black Cat Systems’ SoundBytes, a computerized cart rack that places digital sound effects at your fingertips. Pair a laptop, external speakers, and the Lite version (free) for up to 75 digital recordings that are ready to play at the click of a mouse!

Pastor Harrelson's Perspective on Planned Preaching & Teaching

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Pastor Philip Harrelson from Dothan, AL has written an excellent blog series that is beneficial to all who work with youth. The multi-part series, Planned Preaching ????!!!!!, explores his journey into expository preaching/teaching. Pastor Harrelson shares his personal perspective about the discoveries and the challenges he experienced along the way. The Planned Preaching????!!!!! blog series will be a blessing to all who take the time to read each post. Check out his blog series . . .

He follows the Planned Preaching blog series with a couple of blogs entries discussing the impact expository preaching has had on him . . .

Long Range Teaching Plan: What Should It Cover?

WordAbility: Books of the Bible Word Scramble #5

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

The "WordAbility" series of PowerPoint crowdbreakers/games continues with. . .

WordAbility: Books of the Bible Word Scramble #5

Clicking on the link above will take you to Apostolic Minister's Resources where you can find download instructions. You must log in (registration is free) to download this youth ministry resource.

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Free Worship Backgrounds

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Surf on over to freeworshipbackgrounds.com and grab some free multimedia graphics. Simply create your free account and began downloading their free background still images. The backgrounds are suitable for use in PowerPoint, MediaShout, etc.

eBook: "The Sin of Lying" by B E Echols

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Rev B E Echols was one of our pioneer Pentecostal ministers, and his family has released the text of his book, The Sin of Lying, to the public domain. Pastor Jay Jones and the Pentecostals of Kentwood (Michigan) are making this excellent resource available as an eBook.

Download your electronic copy of The Sin of Lying today and use it as a reference in preparing a lesson series on the topic of lying. A hardcopy version may still be available through the Pentecostal Publishing House.

Current State of Ethical Behavior Among American High School Students

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 04:00:00 +0000

The Josephson Institute surveyed about 30,000 students from 100 randomly selected high schools to learn about their ethical behavior. David Crary, an Associated Press National Writer, reports on the results of the survey in his article, "Students lie, cheat, steal, but say they're good." Check out Mr Crary's article to learn more about the current state of ethical behavior among American high school.

Youth Leaders Cafe: A Free Youth Ministry Training Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Youth Leaders Cafe is a quarterly one-day conference sponsored by Positive Action for Christ. These free conferences are open to "anyone interested in learning how to more effectively 'proclaim His excellencies' (2 Peter 2:9) to the next generation."

Visit the Youth Leaders Cafe website to learn more about this free youth ministry training opportunity. Also, video and audio files from previous conferences can be downloaded by visiting their "media" page.

Long Range Teaching Plan: What Should It Cover?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

I know this is a perfect world scenario, but I am interested in hearing your perspective on the following . . .

You've been asked to put together a long range teaching plan for your high school student ministry. Your student ministry meets weekly, and the plan is to cover their entire high school career (four years/approx 200 meetings). Each weekly meeting must contain some form of Christian education.

What Biblical instruction do you think high school students should receive during these critical four years of their life? What critical passages, doctrines, stories, topics, themes, etc should be covered in the life of the average high schooler? Which topics, etc should be taught more than once, how often, etc?

Share your thoughts and ideas about a long range teaching plan for high school student ministries in the comment section below. Thanks!

WordAbility: Books of the Bible Word Scramble #4

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:00:00 +0000

Check out the fourth in the "word scramble" series of PowerPoint crowbreakers based on selected books of the Bible . . .

WordAbility: Books of the Bible Word Scramble #4

More free PowerPoint games can be found at the link below . . .

Scientists & Inventors Trivia

Are You Smarter Than a Sunday School 5th Grader? -- A Fun and Educational Bible Quiz

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:00:00 +0000

The Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association has a fun and educational "Are You Smarter Than a Sunday School 5th Grader ?" Bible quiz posted on their website. Written by Rodney Pry, the Bible quiz contains 85 non-doctrinal questions centered around general Bible knowledge.

Their website grants permission to print and use the "Are You Smarter Than a Sunday School 5th Grader ?" Bible quiz for your personal, Church, or Sunday school use. Consider printing the quiz and using it for a crowdbreaker or the basis for a youth service designed to challenge your youth to increase their knowledge of God's Word.

Creative Lesson Opener: Run-on Bible Passage

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 03:00:00 +0000

Looking for a creative way to introduce your lesson text? Consider printing your passage with no spaces on a handout. Have your students correctly divide the words as a lesson opener. After a minute or two, encourage them to check their Bible for accuracy. Consider reading the passage aloud as a group as you launch into your lesson.

Free Video Loops from Motion Loops

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Gibson) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:00 +0000

Wanna build or expand your video loop library? If so, then check out Motion Loops and sign up for their weekly newsletter. Each weekly newsletter contains a link to download their free video loop of the week along with special offers, online tutorials, etc. To sign up for this Austin, TX based company’s weekly newsletter, simply provide your email address at the top lefthand side of their homepage. Enjoy!