Youth Ministry Blog Network

HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 169

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:58:30 PST

Weekend Teaching Series: The Book (church-wide campaign, week 2 of 6)
Sermon in a Sentence: Why the Bible was written.

Service Length: 75 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend my goal was to share about why the Bible was written – we talked about how it was written to equip and transform us as an instruction manual, love letter and to show us God’s love. It was once again a different style message – more about the Bible than anything else. Hannah Rich shared her testimony about how God changed her life through the Scripture as well.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This weekend we played a hilarious new game we called App Showdown: the app this week was Temple Run and we had 2 iPhones go head to head on the big screen. It was super fun – one student managed to have a run of close to 10K right out the gate. It was epic – super fun and easy – it will become a regular game we play in the future – just change to whatever the hot app is at that time (Fruit Ninja, Tiny Wings, etc). We also played the classic Jesus Pwn3d you video near the opening of the service, too!

Music Playlist: Rise and Sing, Words That You Say, Learn to Love, Your Love is Enough, Burning One

Up next: The Book: 40 Days in the Word (week 3 of 6)

The Husband & Wife YM Life

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:23:51 PST

Before we ever even started dating we were both in youth ministry. John was a teacher and volunteer. Leneita was considered the “full time, paid” youth pastor. We will never forget the day that the Lord “knit” our visions together and walked us into ministry with “unchurched” kids. From that day forward we never did ministry “separately.” That journey “together” began about 15 years ago.

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These years have brought a variety of challenges in ministry, life and marriage. Along the way we have added children to the mix. Yet, with each passing moment we have both been “in the trenches” youth workers, who happen to be joined at the soul and the hip. Hurdles have included everything from planning programming for youth to personal financial burdens. Expectations of how a Christian couple in ministry should “look” were thrust upon us by many others. And each expectation looked slightly different. At first, it was exhausting to try and be who everyone else thought we should be. Somewhere along the way we realized the only way we could find peace as a couple was to be who God wanted us to be as a couple. That has made all the difference.

**DISCOUNTED REGISTRATIONS are still AVAILABLE**

It has been said often that the best way to learn and grow in our Christian walk is to mentor and teach. There are two sides to this, what we “do” and who we “are” as a couple. We are excited to attend SYMC conference, because we believe that as we share what God has taught us about being married in ministry we will also learn from the experiences of others. In addition we can not wait to lead the “urban ministry” connect group together. We know that we will be able to give the perspective of both life and ministry. The idea that our marriage will be stronger after SYMC fills us with great anticipation, and if God chooses to use us to encourage a couple that is about to embark on this journey for the first time, then we will see why God has stretched us through our trials over the last decade and a half. To Him be the glory.

John & Leneita Fix
Urban Youth Workers
UrbanYouthImpact.com
BlueSkyGreenSky.com
leneitafix@gmail.com

GUEST POST: Mirror

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:02:44 PST

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Ok. Stop and go look before reading. Really look at yourself.

(humming Jeopardy tune)

Ok. Good. You’re back and ready to continue. So, what did you see? Are you being truthful to yourself? I can speak personally that I see a guy who is about to have another birthday, who feels much younger inside than his outward appearance shows, needs to lose some weight, could use a haircut, one eyes seems slightly closed more than the other, looks tired and worn down from chasing a toddler around and investing in the lives of students…you get the drift. What do you see?

Let me ask another question. What do you want to see? I used to want to see a pretty good looking guy with 0-2% body fat who wore the latest fashion and everyone wanted to know. Not anymore! As a side note my flesh still wants that, but I really want to see with my spiritual eyes.

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord–who is the Spirit–makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Would that not be the coolest thing in the world? To have the veil removed that blocks our vision and spiritually see and reflect the glory of the Lord? How would we live then? I guarantee that we would live with the utmost confident in Christ and I pray that we would remember it’s Him we see, not ourselves.

To do that I believe there are a few things we must adjust in our thinking.

1. Does Jesus know you?
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

If you do not know Jesus, this would be your first step. How can any of us reflect Christ if we have no relationship with Him? You’re right! We can’t. So our first step is to realize we are a sinner, we need help, that you believe Jesus literally died on a cross for your sins and rose again 3 days later to conquer the sting of death, and make the decision to follow Him from this moment forward. (see John 3:16 also)

2. We need to stop believing we are worthless.
Galatians 2:20 says, My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We are here for a specific purpose. Yes, there is a reason YOU are living right this very second at this very year. God wants to use your for something amazing and it’s only when you are willing that you can move into your true calling. Notice I didn’t say when you are ready. Willing. Willing to climb mountains, jump rivers, swim oceans, walk through fire, jump on crushed glass…make sense? In other words when you are willing to do whatever He tells you to do. It’s not you who live, but Christ who lives in you. So you are NOT worthless since He now lives in you!

3. We need to be ready to do anything, even die.
This life is short compared to eternity and there is only one decision you’ll ever make that effects your eternity. Would you die to tell others about Jesus? In other words, would you be willing to literally sacrifice everything you have for someone else to come to a relationship with Him?

On the flip side, if you don’t know Jesus, would you die to your old self to start a new life with Christ?

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. (Philippians 1:21)

The simple solution is that we do anything God ask of us and let Him determine the outcome.

4. Mistaken for Jesus
Can you see God reflecting in your life? Is the fruit of the Spirit evident in your life as Galatians 5 talks of?

I can say that I’m failing miserably at reflecting Christ, but I want to desperately be mistaken for Jesus. Yes, mistaken for Jesus. I want Him to radiate through everything I do, everything I touch, and everyone I meet.

Now go look in the mirror again and pray to God to make Him evident in your life. Pray that people see Him in your life and His Spirit reflecting back when others see you. Let’s be mistaken for Jesus and not just when we are alone and looking in the mirror.

Nick Fry blogs at http://morethanscars.comand serves as the youth pastor at Crosspoint Community Church in Huntington, WV.

Exactly Dodgeball

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:44:31 PST

Posted by Scott Rubin

I love reading Josh Griffin’s blog, called “More than Dodgeball”. And I understand the title … that youth ministry is more than activities-without-purpose. But last weekend, our middle school ministry paused our regular rhythm during the weekend service, and we put on The SuperBowl of Dodgeball. Which was a smashing success!

In fact, we thought it might be our last chance for doing this, because the space we meet in is about to undergo a significant change, which could make this hard to repeat. But now we’re saying, “HOW can we make sure this happens again someday?!”… because it was that good.

A few factors that made it work:::
1- It interrupted the regular flow of our weekends … and provided something completely different. Do your students pretty much know what to expect when they walk in the doors? I’d claim that sometimes that’s a good thing; providing some stability can be helpful. But at other times, it’s great for middle schoolers to look around & say “This is CRAZY… I can’t believe we’re doing this!”

2- It was a fabulous chance to invite a friend… especially a friend who’d probably decline an invite to “church”. We told our regular students that we weren’t putting on a dodgeball tourney for “us”… but we were “hosting” a dodgeball tournament for all their friends! And close to half of our students were able to bring someone along with them. I realize that there’s no guarantee how many of them will return… but [...] Continue Reading "Exactly Dodgeball"

GUEST POST: Beneath the Surface

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:08 PST

Recently, I compiled a series of blog posts that have gotten my blog a lot of traffic. There’s an iPhone game, Snappers, that causes more frustration than child-proof packaging. So, I scoured Google, Yahoo Answers, and my game experience, and compiled a list of walk-throughs for the various levels. As I was laying it out, I also carefully key-worded it and SEO’d the mess out of each blog post. Now, when you Google for Snappers levels, more often than not, this website will be one of the top 3 results.

Thanks to these 5 blog posts, check out my web traffic.

Pretty crazy, right? Those are unique visitors (by IP address) per day at my website. I uploaded the first of the walk-throughs on January 21. Between then and the time of this blog post’s beginnings, I’ve had 37,796 individual people come to this site.

This kind of traffic landed me as one of the world’s most visited wordpress.com blog pages.

According to wordpress.com’s Blogs of the Day, I’m a high-influencing blogger. This page varies in it’s order, but here’s the rank (the site lists the top 100) the time of this writing…

Yep…that’s right. austinjwalker.wordpress.com right now is the #28 blog in the world (out of blogs using wordpress.com not .org or any other platform). Let’s put this in a little bit of perspective, just to help out. Scott Bourne hosts (or at least used to) a widely followed podcast called Photofocus, in which he answers emails on photography. Scott has over 166k twitter followers, one of the best blogs on wordpress.com with posts featured in the worlds top blog posts of the day on a regular basis, and a wealth of knowledge in his field I will never be able to touch. Here is where is blog was at…

I say all of this not to brag, but to set up this observation. It would be natural to think that kind of traffic would increase influence, traction, and authority. Twitter followers may jump, commenters may arise out of thin air, and the beginnings of a solid network may emerge. But here’s another interesting stat for you…

Painfully revealing. I’d love to hide these numbers. I’d love to pretend the stats aren’t real. The fact of the matter is, in the last 7 days, the unique readers of my true “content” (including my home page, about, and contact forms) are but .007758% of the traffic. .007758% is nothing.

So why am I writing about this, how does this apply to anyone reading this (the .00000005% of my future blog traffickers)? Here’s how it hits student ministry. What do your numbers truly reflect? When you’re talking with other student pastors, deacons, your pastor, or anyone you’re wanting to be looked up to by, how do your numbers come across? Does your ministry attract a LOT of people? If so, that’s awesome, and if done right, there’s a LOT of positives that can come out of that. But looking beneath the surface, is there any depth? Are you discipling students to pursue Christ and lean into His call on their life, or are you just satisfied to count their head at youth and let them chow down on pizza and warheads?

Are you making use of the numbers God has given you, or are you doing everything you can to gain accolades, with no meat beneath the surface? Is there substance to accompany all the hype?

Austin Walker is the Student Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Cabot, AR and blogs right here.

Download HSM’s Student Leadership Application

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:43:47 PST

We just started up a Student Leadership program (I had killed it a while back because it was unhealthy – more on that another time). The application is pretty exhaustive, meant to be a thinning process right out of the gate. They are due this weekend, I’m excited to see the response from the students. Download HSM’s Student Leadership Packet (PDF)!

The everlasting God . . . neither faints nor is weary —Isaiah 40:28

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:27:27 PST

Exhaustion means that our vital energies are completely worn out and spent. Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but of service. Whether or not you experience exhaustion will depend on where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing with which to feed them (John 21:17). The process of being made broken bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other people’s souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you completely— to the very last drop. But be careful to replenish your supply, or you will quickly be utterly exhausted. Until others learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply, until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and sheep, as well as for Him.

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Have you delivered yourself over to exhaustion because of the way you have been serving God? If so, then renew and rekindle your desires and affections. Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies. You have no right to complain, “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. “All my springs are in you” (Psalm 87:7).

- Oswald Chambers (My Utmost For His Highest: 02.09.12)

GUEST POST: Remind People You Are Real

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:54:15 PST

Meeting with my one of my volunteers recently we talked about her small group, how it was going, how she was engaging with them and she confessed that she felt she was just not a good small group leader. I was astonished; she is a gifted, Jesus-loving, hard-working leader who has been one of our core team members for years. I needed to know why she was feeling this way and for how long… and I quickly discovered that one of the biggest reasons for feeling this way was me.

After years of listening to my sermons, retreats, and anecdotal accounts of my life she felt that; for lack of a better word, she was boring. That was hard to hear, that because of the person that I put myself out to be and all the stories that have I shared from the front she would feel that her life could not measure up and therefore her small group girls could never be satisfied with her. The reality is that I am a pretty boring guy – after all I am a frequent attender of estate auctions, I re-purpose antiques in my garage, sell things I make online, and golf. All of these things are pretty dull to the average teenager. But have I painted a misleading portrait of who I am and what I do, and have made myself out to be a caricature of an actual person? Am I even real to them?

This is a struggle that most pastors (especially youth pastors) have. We end up sharing lots of the crazy stories that have happened to us, including the ones many of us go out of our way to make happen because they might make great illustrations. (One time I drove 5 minutes past my exit of the freeway following a pick up truck full of loaves of bread because I was hoping some would fly out and hit my car – and sure enough three loaves did.) But I really enjoy spending time with students, especially my small group, one-on-one because if anything they get to see that I am a pretty normal guy. The ones that don’t know the real me look at my twitter and Facebook, and it’s one event or conference after another, one more “adventure” that I am on. This highlight reel is not in any way, shape, or form an accurate portrait of my life.

Then what do we do? I would suggest that you do what I try and do and remind people that you are normal, that you watch TV with your wife and cats, that you sometimes clean your garage on Friday nights, I don’t read my Bible all day either and that that’s okay. Remind your leaders that students desire for them to be real, not a superhero leader whose life is not attainable; to be a leader who is authentic, who struggles with things, who loves Jesus, and shows the ins and outs of their relationship with Him. Remind them that their story is God’s story working itself out through them and therefore is valuable and meaningful. Take every opportunity to be real with them and remember to do life with your team as well as your students.

Geoff Stewart is the Pastor of Jr & Sr High School for Journey Student Ministries at Peace Portal Alliance Church and regularly contributes GUEST POSTS to MTDB. Be sure to check out his Twitter stream for awesome ministry goodness. Want to get in on the fun and write up a guest post yourself? See how right here.

Keys To Longevity #6: LEAD DIFFERENTLY!

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:52:53 PST

Posted By Kurt Johnston

I apologize for the distance between my last post and this one…been a bit crazy.

A sixth contributing factor to my longevity is to simply choose to lead differently. Here are a few ways I have tried (I don’t always get it right) to lead over the years:

Here’s a new idea: SERVANT LEADERSHIP! I‘m shocked at how many Christian leaders preach and teach about servant leadership, yet fail to actually practice the concept. Here’s my hunch: Everybody starts as a servant leader because we have to in order to gain the trust and respect of our fellow leaders, to earn the trust of people we lead and, frankly, because we are low man on the totem pole….servant leadership isn’t an option early in a ministry career. But as we move up the ranks, gain influence and responsibility, it becomes very easy to slip into a leadership mindset that is just about everything except servant oriented (dare I say “Jesus oriented”?).

Don’t ask others to do something you’re not willing to do (everybody says this, but few mean it) Again, I hear it all the time, but don’t see it in action. I think most leaders used to do the stuff they now ask others to do, but many are simply unwilling to re-engage at that level. Obviously, you can’t always do the stuff you used to do, but a healthy leader gets his/her hands dirty…a lot!

Empower, Empower, Empower Leadership gets [...] Continue Reading "Keys To Longevity #6: LEAD DIFFERENTLY!"

New on the HSM Team – Travis Prouty

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:33:07 PST

Excited to announce that Travis Prouty has joined the High School Team at Saddleback Church. He’s a great volunteer-turned-staff who is going to be a great minister. Travis has been working on Saddleback’s facilities team for close to 8 years, so knows servanthood and has a big heart for students. Pumped about working alongside this guy!

Salary Survey Sneak Peek!

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:17:56 PST

Enjoy the sneak peek of the next issue of Group Magazine! This issue includes the exclusive Salary Survey, interview with Rachel Cruze of DaveRamsey.com, and the NEW Digital version of Group Magazine! (Oh and something called the youth worker lifestyle magazine is coming soon!)

Learn More at GroupMagazine.com

Want to Subscribe to Group Magazine?

Want to get Group Magazine for your Volunteers?

Free Worship Backgrounds for Student Ministry

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:38:13 PST

Mallory from Worship-Backgrounds has given MoreThanDodgeball.com readers an exclusive worship background download from their site. They’ve got TONS of free ones (most are solid for youth ministry) and make them available for free simply in exchange for you giving them your information by signing up. You in?

Go check it out and be sure to download the MTDB exclusive background and many more here!

GUEST POST: Game of Shadows

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:05:09 PST

What is it about youth ministry that makes it seem like it’s always a game of shadows for so many of us? I just went out to finally see Sherlock Holmes 2 with two of the guys from our middle school ministry. After begging my wife to go with me since it came out, I finally gave up and took initiative on my own. As a side note, in case my wife reads this, it’s not her fault she never took me up on it as my invitations were always unplanned and spontaneous, and that doesn’t really work with an eight month old child. All this, however, is simply semantics. The movie was as good as I had hoped it to be, but as I drove home after dropping off the two guys it hit me: I’m pretty sure I’ve been involved in a game of shadows in my youth ministry this past year.

I’ve really discovered a lot over the past few months. One of the biggest discoveries came recently when it hit me that I’ve been sucked into the most common traps of youth ministry this side of the Mississippi. It started without even a warning. I simply looked around at all the programs, exciting events, and cool activities going on within our church and thought, “Wow, that’s what positive ministry looks like”.

I began brainstorming, and watched as ideas poured forth from my head onto my white board. Each one looked more brilliant then the last. As I did this, I convinced myself that my motivation was right. I thought, “These shiny new programs and events are what will help create the opportunities for relationships and sharing Christ.

Truth is, all I really did was fill up my plate-as well as the plates of those who VOLUNTEERED to minister along side of me. At the end of the year I found my self chasing hard towards an impressive looking ministry. The problem was I would leave at the end of these events wondering, “is this really the way it’s supposed to be?”. Sure, there were tons of students, lots of growth, and loads of fun, but for what purpose?

I look back and wish for the opportunity to do less, but mean more! I am determined to change things around. This game of shadows will confuse me no more. I am resolved to have a ministry driven by purpose. Not just any purpose, but the ONE purpose to which I am called. A Mathew 28 purpose.

Here’s the point: it’s so easy to get trapped by the pace of ministry, the lure of a dynamic program, and constant increase of numbers. It’s good to have a paced ministry, but be sure that the pace is one that ministers not only to students but also your family and yourself. It’s great to have a dynamic program, but understand, it’s not about you, your job, or your own personal success. It’s about making Christ’s name famous.

Lastly, let’s talk numbers. We hear this stuff all the time, and I realize that, but had it not grabbed me so easily I wouldn’t talk about it.

The reality is, Christ will draw people to himself, and He doesn’t need our help. He has invited us into his work, and wants us to be a part of it, but it’s His show. Listen to this carefully, numbers are a sign of positive Christ centered ministry, but not the sign. The power of the Gospel will draw students to it so don’t be so enthralled with numerical growth that it becomes the driving factor for your decision making as a leader. Let the Gospel of Christ lead, and be thankful for the way in which He uses you! Don’t be distracted by the youth ministry game of shadows.

Eric Upton is the Middle School Pastor at Bridgeway Christian Church and you can follow him on Twitter or roll over to his Tumblr here if you dare.

How to Do Student Baptisms

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:31:29 PST

My friend AC was just licensed as a minister and asked me to walk him through our baptism process since it is his 1st baptism this weekend. Going to be great! Here’s what I sent him:

Fill out a baptism card
Before every baptism service we have cards that students fill out with their basic information, as well as a few questions about their faith and spiritual life. Parent permission is required to be baptized in our high school ministry.

Explain what baptism is
Baptism is a symbol of what God has already done in our hearts. He has made us a new creature, He has washed away our sins. This is only possible through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism doesn’t save you, it is normal water and actually nice and warm on a cold night like this – the water is a picture of the cross (the water and the person form a cross), the death (when the person is put under the water) and the resurrection (when the person is brought back up) of Jesus Christ. Today you are identifying yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ and taking this first step of obedience.

Ask everyone to participate
The baptism isn’t just about one person – it is also a time to celebrate and commit to walking alongside them in community as well. We have several traditions in HSM, one being that we all cheer (and join with the rejoicing in Heaven) when someone comes up out of the water. We also take a moment to pray for the person being baptized as well.

Pictures/videos
Pause for a quick picture break!

Ask the individual questions/testimony
At this point, I like to ask the person being baptized a few questions about the faith and testimony. For sure they need to be able to articulate the basics of their love for Jesus.

The actual words/process of baptism
Well, (name) based on your testimony, it is my privilege to baptize you on the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Buried with Him in baptism (put them under the water), raised to walk (bring them up) in newness of life. [everyone cheers!] I like to hug the person being baptized, and then splash a few other people gathered around. Ha!

Invite others to be baptized
As I wrap things up I like the tradition of inviting others to be baptized – it rarely happens right there, but we have baptisms on the first weekend of every month and want to make it a practice to make that known.

Got any questions? Leave it in the comments and I’ll do a FAQ follow-up post!

Grammy’s & Tourette’s!

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:30:02 PST

Jamie Grace earns Grammy nod, battles Tourette’s

JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
Published: Yesterday

In this Jan. 17, 2012 photo, contemporary Christian recording artist Jamie Grace poses for a portrait in East Point, Ga. Grace’s song “Hold Me,” featuring TobyMac, is nominated for a Grammy Award for best contemporary Christian music song. (AP Photo/Greg Foster)

ATLANTA (AP) – When Jamie Grace performs music, all of the uncontrollable facial twitches and involuntary body movements called tics become an afterthought.

**Meet Jamie Grace at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference**

Tourette’s syndrome has plagued the 20-year-old singer for nearly half of her life. But she hasn’t allowed the incurable neurological condition to completely weaken her faith. Grace says she wants to use her first trip to the Grammys as another platform to share her inspirational story of resolve to motivate others.

“I’m not the only person who has something in their life they can’t control,” said Grace, sitting inside her dorm room where the walls are lined with Johnny Cash posters while the record player plays the country legend’s song “I Walk the Line.”

“It’s all about taking control over what I can control and that’s saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got Tourette’s, but I can also play guitar, I can also sing and write songs about it,’” she said. “Hopefully I can encourage other kids who are going through crazy stuff too.”

Grace’s song “Hold Me,” featuring TobyMac, is nominated for best contemporary Christian music song. She wrote the guitar-driven ballad at a time when she felt lonely in her dorm room at Point University – a small Christian college in suburban Atlanta.

“I saw that there was depth there,” said TobyMac, a Grammy-winning Christian rocker who signed Grace to his label Gotee Records in 2010 after he discovered her through YouTube. He took notice of her when he learned that she posted a three-minute medley on the online website that included 12 of his songs.

TobyMac saw potential in Grace’s airy vocals, her ability to play several instruments and her savvy songwriting. Her constant message of hope and perseverance in songs drove him to introduce himself to her through Twitter.

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“She really did intrigue me because she’s writing songs that are meaningful,” he said. “Her songs have light to them and sound like they can be around for a long time. Her songs have heart to them, unlike most songs that have a hooky track or melody. She has a beautiful story to tell through her music.”

It has been a tumultuous road for Grace, who was diagnosed with Tourette’s at the age of 11. When she took medication to combat the repetitive symptoms, she said the medicine caused her to lose her hair and made her feel emotionally inattentive like a “zombie.”

At the time, Grace – known by family and friends as a bubbly character – lost her motivation to sing and thought boys would never find her attractive. She remembered asking God why she had to struggle to walk on her own, couldn’t hold a fork to eat food, or had to wear biker gloves to protect her scared knuckles because she would unconsciously punch things as a result of her Tourette’s.

Mona Harper, the mother and manager of Grace who also homeschooled her, said her daughter would be sick four times a week from the medication.

“She lost her unction to go out in front of people and sing,” said Harper, who is a co-pastor with Grace’s father at Kingdom City Center in suburban Atlanta. “Things regressed for her but she showed a lot of resilience, and wasn’t dismantled by the things that were happening to her. The beauty of it for me is to see her bounce back and not break down.”

Grace’s breakthrough from her somber state came after she heard a testimony by Christian singer Tammy Trent, and her grandfather bought her a drum set when she was 14. She went on to learn how to play the piano, guitar, banjo and the ukulele.

For Grace, music became a stress reliever from her Tourette’s. She realized that her recurring twitch did not happen as often the more she beat her drums, strummed her guitar or sang a melody.

“It’s almost like I’m in another world,” she said. “Everything goes silent and it’s so amazing. … I learned how to manage it through music. I can still follow my dreams and I know that God hasn’t forgotten about me. I just had to pray about it.”

**DISCOUNTED REGISTRATIONS are still AVAILABLE**

Grace said she had to lean on her faith more since she stopped taking her medication about four years ago. She has learned how to cope with her condition and hasn’t allowed it to have a stronghold over her life.

“If I didn’t have Tourette’s, I don’t think I would be as strong as I am now,” said Grace, who has her own nonprofit mentoring program called GraceTalk. “I wouldn’t have the strength of resilience to speak with the 14-year-old girl who doesn’t feel beautiful.”

In the spring, Grace will graduate with a degree in child and youth development. Along with continuing her musical career, she wants to help families with children who have Tourette’s and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

TobyMac feels strongly about the longevity of Grace’s music career. With her being a young black singer who has an infatuation with country music, can sing R&B and gospel, and can play the acoustic guitar, he expects her to make more appearances at music’s top showcase in the future.

“She’s full of surprises and has all of these different facets,” he said. “She can really make a mark. For her to earn a Grammy (nomination) this early in her career, I think it’s an amazing sign of things to come for her.”

___

Follow Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/mrlandrum31

song of songs series now released!

I missed “The Most Watched TV Show” in US History

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:45:35 PST

I’m writing this late on Sunday night… or maybe it’s early Sunday morning.
The Super Bowl is over now, and I have no idea who won. I wasn’t at a party, and didn’t see any of the new commercials that everyone will be talking about. Nope, I wasn’t on a spiritual fast-from-media … I was on an airplane crossing the ocean.

I actually love Super Bowl Parties. Not only for the party itself – but also because I can be “in the know” about what got served up on TV. It’s a good conversation starter with students, too.

But here’s another advantage of workong with middle schoolers! They won’t care that I missed the game – even the ones who were glued to the screen the whole time. In fact, some of them may be glad I didn’t see it! Because it gives THEM an opportunity to “fill me in” on what I missed.

I find that junior highers love to give me their perspective on anything I don’t know about. Especially since I’m always teaching them things – they love the chance to “teach me back”. So don’t worry if you haven’t read the Hunger Games, or heard Selena’s most recent song…Or seen the funniest Super Bowl commercials. Just ask a student to give you their expert opinion. It’ll make them feel valued, it’ll remind them that you care — and it’ll save you time by knowing which commercials to look up on YouTube and which ones to skip. Continue Reading "I missed “The Most Watched TV Show” in US History"

Frog or Duck? Crowd Game

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:20:46 PST

Got a few questions about a recent game we did called Frog or Duck? It was a simple and fun game we did as part of the opening of our youth services a few weeks back (read the full Weekend in Review here). Parker just posted the graphics/sound/video if you want to try to game out in your ministry, too!

Girls that don’t give up!

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:24:40 PST

I love this video!! The story behind it is that the New York Giants coach watched it and later showed it to his team to teach them determination and commitment!

That spirit of commitment is in every girl…our job is to help them discover what in life is worth fighting for and to never give up!!

POLL: Paid or Unpaid Internships

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:52:16 PST

Last week it was interesting to see that close to 65% of student ministries now offer (or will offer soon) some sort of ministry internship. Quick follow-up to that one suggested in the comments – are your internships paid or unpaid? Vote now!

#4 Top Twelve Ideas for a GREAT YM Year

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

#4 – Let Ephesians 4:29 be the measuring stick for our posts, tweets, emails, etc.

I’m up early. The reason? I was really disturbed by the number of negative comments made by people in ministry about yesterday’s half-time show. I am hurt and discouraged.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve never been a purchaser of Madonna’s CDs. But the comments about her age, relevancy, past-her-prime…were hurtful. To whom, you may wonder?

To the Youth Watching With Us: If the same negative comments on Facebook and Twitter were made out loud to the students gathered around us watching the half-time show, then our students will think its OK to be mean because “well, she’s not one of us.”

To Madonna: She and so many others are watching us for the love we show. They know our motto is “Love Jesus – Love each other.” I don’t think yesterday was collectively our best example of that.

To Me: I am the same age as Madonna. The many comments about her age from ministry people made me wonder: Are you also saying I’m too old, too? Am I irrelevant? Have I crossed an unseen finished youth ministry line where my gifts are no longer valid, needed, necessary? Let me know because I’ll learn to knit or start playing Bingo if that’s the case.

Don’t worry; I know I’m among the chief of sinners in having a quick tongue. I’m examining myself, too. One thing I do know: no one is built up when we criticize and post with negativity.

Is this post negative? I hope you won’t see it this way; I thought about it all night and decided that I wanted you to know. I am posting with love. Really truly.

Stephanie

PS-And thanks to all of you who followed our mothers’ motto: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Youth Ministry Strategy is Important

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:19:00 PST

Being in youth ministry for fifteen years now I have seen a lot of different youth group styles, philosophies, and I can tell you that haphazard is not a good style or philosophy. Having a strategy for your youth group needs to be a value, but not an idol. Strategy is important; it provides clear understanding of objectives and parameters around how they will be achieved.

It’s not the be all end all – but if done right, it will go a long way to creating a smoother process for yourself and your leaders. Here’s why:

Strategy breeds consistency: Having a standardized skeleton of how things are done is really disarming for students and leaders. When the program changes week in and week out and we stand at the front and encourage them to bring a friend, what are they bringing them to? When you have objectives and a somewhat strategic program, leaders know what to expect and students know what they are bringing their friends to. This simply requires that we commit to following through with whatever we decide will be our approach.

Strategy requires rationale: When we use a strategic approach, it requires that we have a reason for every element of the program and that if asked we can explain it to a parent or student. An example might be playing a secular song when the students are coming in as a means of disarming visitors who might be walking into a church for the first time. Why do we have worship? If didn’t have it, why not? Why do we play very few games? I am not sure its wise to have many elements of a youth night that have no reason or purpose.

Strategy is dynamic: It is vitally important that we be attentive to what God is doing in the midst of all of this. If students are encountering God in worship, it might be time to cut back the intro to increase the worship time. Maybe your group is not ready for a thirty-minute talk. Keep tabs on things and adjust as necessary.

Strategy is important … but not the most important thing. Doing good ministry, being attentive the needs of your students’ spiritual growth is key. Having a strategy is most helpful in taking the high level vision to an attainable and implementable set of actions for your leaders to work with.

LIVE Curriculum for Student Leadership

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:13:02 PST

Our student leadership is just getting off the ground again right now (you can download our application later this week if you want to adapt it for your ministry) and we’re looking at curriculum to take our students through. Up first we’re going to do a book study of Doug Fields’ Help! I’m a Student Leader book, then we’re probably going to adapt LIVE’s Leadership lessons. We already use the LIVE Curriculum in our Life Groups, seems like a great fit. Here’s a bit of the company line if you want to check it out, too:

We’ve partnered with our good friends at LeaderTreks to help your students and adults discover indispensable biblical principles that are relevant both to daily life and to youth ministry. LeaderTreks has built a solid reputation as a national ministry committed to helping congregations pursue the goal of consistent leadership development within youth ministries.

As For Me and My [Crazy] House by Brian Berry

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:56:21 PST

Beyond excited to get my hands on Brian Berry’s first book - As For Me and My [Crazy] House. Looks so perfect for youth workers with growing families. As a father of 4, I can relate. Can I get an amen?

Serving in Christian ministry should be a life-building, life-giving, life-inspiring experience for leaders, spouses, and families. So why isn’t that always the case? In this book, youth pastor Brian Berry pours out his thoughts on why it’s so tough to build a healthy life, a healthy marriage, and a healthy family in the midst of ministry craziness. He focuses on the three best gifts you as a youth worker can bestow:

The best gift you can give your marriage is a healthy self

The best gift you can give your family is a healthy marriage

The best gift you can give your community and ministry is a healthy family

GUEST POST: Training Day

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 10:16:49 PST

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!

What It Is All About?

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:29:34 PST

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**

I really get pumped pup and renewed when I am with people (friends really) who are alongside me in the youth ministry trenches and they get me.
I really enjoy extra learning and time developing my youth ministry mind and faith in God
I spend a lot of time in my student ministry creating and fostering a safe place mentality, a place where any student can come to and feel safe to be at, and I want that for each youth worker who comes to the simply youth ministry conference. Each person who walks the halls or browses the book store or sits in the main session and needs a renewal.

**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

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