YOUTH MINISTRY LINK

Recreation Express - Game planing software for your computer

2008-11-26T21:52:00.000-08:00

The process of planning recreation comes naturally for some and not so much for others like me. Staring at all those books can just be mind-numbing. I want to tell you about a cd-rom resource called Recreation Express . It brings together good old games books and planning software for your computer. Here is how it works.

Simply select: Age Group, Length of Time for Activities, Level of Activity, Indoor or Outdoor, Size of Group, Formation.

Recreation Express searches the database of activities, and displays choices of games with directions and a supply list that meets your needs.

This software, with over 100 games, is a must for: Recreation Leaders; PE Teachers; Boy / Girl Scout Leaders; Youth Workers; Activities Director; camp counselor; Sunday School Teacher; Human Resources Manager; Family Reunion Leader; and countless others!

Recreation Express was created by Beth Gunn and Lee Cross. You can learn more about this product by following the link below.

http://recreationexpress.com

Twitter as a Spiritual Discipline

2008-06-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

I'd like to recommend a blog posting by Aaron Marshall called "Twitter as a Spiritual Discipline." Aaron is a kindred spirit here in Louisville that pays attention to technology and ministry. In his article he's explaining why he believes that Twitter or Twitter.com can be used as a Spiritual Discipline. Please watch this video for a little background on twitter.

Here is a link to the article I'm referring to. http://churchsmo.com/2008/06/01/twitter-as-a-spiritual-discipline/

"Generation C"

2008-04-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

I recently found an excellent online publication called Trend Watching http://www.trendwatching.com/. They are an independent and opinionated consumer trends firm, relying on a global network of 8,000 spotters, working hard to deliver inspiration and pangs of anxiety to business professionals in 120+ countries worldwide. They publish a free monthly trend report for marketers, CEOs, researchers, and anyone else interested in the future of business and consumerism, to dream up new goods, services and experiences for (or even better, with) their customers.

I strongly believe this type of information can be a great tool for youth ministry as well. This months Trend Report features an article called "Generation C". Here is a short excerpt...

No, this is not about a new niche generation of youngsters born between March 12, 1988 and April 24, 1993; the C stands for CONTENT, and anyone with even a tiny amount of creative talent can (and probably will) be part of this not-so-exclusive trend.

So what is it all about? The GENERATION C phenomenon captures the an avalanche of consumer generated 'content' that is building on the Web, adding tera-peta bytes of new text, images, audio and video on an ongoing basis.

To read the rest of this story please visit http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/GENERATION_C.htm. For the most recent Trend report please visit http://www.trendwatching.com/briefing/.

Truth About Online Sex Predators by MobLogic.tv

2008-03-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

We get questions from parents all the time about the scary internet and all those sex predators. This is a great story done by MobLogic.tv that helps seperate myths from realities.

Youth Ministry Gadget of the Future?

2007-11-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

Leader - Ok, it's time to get on the van and head home. Do we have everyone?
Youth - No, jenny's missing!
Leader - Well, where is she?
Youth - I think she's still in the bathroom.
Leader - What bathroom?
Youth - The one we passed on the way to the parking lot.

Does that sounds familiar to you? Do you ever wish that you could just track the kids with GPS. Here is a company thats made just that possible. On the record I would never do this. At least I don't think I would.

RFID Chips in School Uniforms Track Students

A Vision of Students Today

2007-11-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is a short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

New Health and Environment Resource for Youth Leaders

2007-10-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

The choices we make for our families and the way we care for God’s Earth are intricately related to human health and the health of all creation. Today, pollutants and toxic chemicals contaminate our water, our land, our personal care products, and our children’s toys. Many studies have found links between these contaminants and health conditions ranging from asthma to cancer, especially in vulnerable populations such as children, women, communities of color, and low-income communities.

Download a copy of the new environmental health resource from the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program, Mindful Living: Human Health, Pollution, and Toxics, to learn how to maintain the sanctity of our bodily temples and ensure that health of God’s good Earth. This resource is full of ideas for parents and youth leaders to learn more and to find youth and adult study ideas, sermon starters, worship materials, and more! Learn more about the NCC environmental health initiative or download a copy of Mindful Living at www.nccecojustice.org/mindful_living.html.

Chloe Schwabe
Assistant Director of Environmental Health
National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs
110 Maryland Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002
cschwabe@ncccusa.org
202-481-6932
www.nccecojustice.org

A New Generation Reinvents Philanthropy - WSJ.com

2007-08-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

Social networking sites like myspace.com get a pretty bad rap. Stories about children and youth being targeted by predators are constantly in the headlines. It's nice to read a story about some of the good that social networks can provide. It's taken years for most nonprofits to even begin to tap into the benefits of marketing online. Many just don't have the resources it takes to do it right. It's become a lot easier thanks to sites like Facebook.com and Change.org which offer free ways to promote and interpret your cause. They also have created new avenues for fund raising.
A New Generation Reinvents Philanthropy - WSJ.com

Senior wins fight to stay on team, attend a religious convention

2007-06-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this story with those of you that are constantly competing with summer sports training camps or other school related summer activities. This is the story of a girl who wanted to go to a Youth Conference that overlapped with volleyball training. She was threatened with not being allowed on the team her senior year and her family wouldn't hear of it. They fought back! It's great to hear stories of families who still see the church as a priority over sports and other school options. Check it out at http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706140476

Resources to use with your young people in response to the shootings at Virginia Tech

2007-04-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends in Youth Ministry,
The Office of Youth Ministry has created some resources to use with your young people in response to the shootings at Virginia Tech. You can find them at http://www.pcusa.org/youthministry/

1. 60-70 minute lesson plan for a youth group or youth gathering "Through a Mirror Dimly".

2. d365.org Online Devotions for youth and youth leaders. Special writings on April 17, 18 and 19 responding to the shootings at VA Tech.
3. Liturgy of Discernment and Prayer For a Youth Group
Contemplative movement for youth groups using scripture and prayer to explore the acts of violence happening in our world (and this past week).

For any questions please contact The Office of Youth Ministry through http://www.pcusa.org/youthministry/.

Peace, Andrew

Presbyterian Volunteer Village Youth Program

2007-04-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has received numerous requests for youth to be involved in the Gulf Coast hurricane response. We are pleased to announce that a special program has been designed especially for youth (ages 16-18) to participate in the Presbyterian Volunteer Village experience and the Gulf Coast recovery effort with the Orange Grove Presbyterian Volunteer Village. Information is as follows:

Location: Orange Grove

Dates: Each team will spend one week, arriving on Sunday by 4:00 p.m. and leaving on Saturday.

June 17-23
June 24-30
July 1-7

Age minimum: 16

Adult/youth ratio: 1 adult per 5 youth

Activities: Work in the community may include rebuilding or cleaning, such as cleaning up a park or painting homes. There may also be opportunities to assist local churches with Vacation Bible School or other activities — being a witness in the community and helping the church grow.

For more information please visit http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/gulfcoast/youthinvillage022707.htm

The Youth Worker Summit: An Ecumenical Leadership Training Event

2006-03-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

In the fall of 2006 hundreds of youth workers will gather for the first ever Youth Worker Summit being sponsored by the National Council of Churches and the members of the Ecumenical Youth Staff Committee. This event is being held November 12-15, 2006 at The Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World Resorts. The worship leaders will be Mark Yaconelli and Jay Beech. The theme is We do not loose heart, 2nd Corinthians 4:16. Hold these dates and bookmark this site because more information is coming quickly.
http://youthworkersummit.com/

A MySpace Cheat Sheet for Parents

2006-02-28T11:47:00.000-08:00

Wired News:
We've all heard parents ask about myspace.com. Most wonder if they should be worried or if they should restrict their child from using it. Most of the fears come from a total unfamiliarity with internet period. I found this great myspace cheat sheet for parents. The data from this cheat sheet was collected through an interview with UC Berkeley researcher Danah Boyd, who studied teens' ways during a two-year ethnographic study of the MySpace phenomenon. Boyd speaks on her findings in a recent lecture she gave. Here is a link to the article and a link to Danah Boyds lecture.
MySpace.com Cheat Sheet
Danah Boyd Lecture on MySpace.com

MissionFish - Support your favorite causes through trading on eBay, The World's Online Marketplace

2006-02-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

MissionFish - Support your favorite causes through trading on eBay, The World's Online Marketplace
Fundraising is an ongoing conversation in Youth Ministry. Especially for middle to smaller size churches that don't have large budgets for retreats and mission trips. Spaghetti dinners and raking leaves can get the job done but were always looking for something new. That's where Mission Fish comes in. You can fundraise on eBay through MissionFish!
Here are just a few ways your organization can benefit...
Community selling - let eBay sellers donate proceeds from items they sell to your organization! Learn how it works.

Direct selling - turn just about any good or service into funding for your mission by selling on eBay! The eBay Giving Works ribbon will help your items stand out! Learn how it works.

Special events - put your special event auction online, and find more buyers than can fit into a ballroom! Learn how by joining us for an Event Planning conference call.

Zipit Wireless Instant Messenger

2006-02-26T18:33:00.000-08:00

Zipit Wireless Instant Messenger
For those of you that have parents wondering how to monitor their children's Instant Messenger use check out this new device. It's called the Zipit Wireless Instant Messenger. This device connects to home wireless networks or any free hotspot and uses all popular IM programs, such as AOL, Yahoo and MSN. You can talk in multiple, concurrent conversations. I see this device only being used when parents are around. Possibly in a kitchen or living room area. This takes the secrecy of conversations on the hidden hope computer out into the open. I would highly recommend this gadget for those parents that are nervous about the conversations their kids are having online.

D365

2006-02-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

The d365 devotional series is produced by Passport, Inc. and The Samuel
Project. The series is written especially for students and seeks to
provide reflections on themes that impact our faith journey. We hope that
in the midst of busy or boring days, d365 will create a quiet space in
your life for contemplation and prayer. New devotions will be published
daily ÃÂ 365 days a year. On the weekends, space will be created for
visitors to share prayers and reflections with other readers. Coming Soon!

24-7 Prayer, Prayer Across The Nations...

2005-05-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was using StumbleUpon which is a program that helps you surf the web. It is a free tool which lets you literally stumble upon random web sites. Well this evening I found this website called 24-7 Prayer. 24-7prayer started by accident in September 1999, with a bunch of young people in England who got the crazy idea of trying to pray non-stop for a month. As they say God turned up and they couldn't stop till Christmas! From there the prayer meeting has spread into many nations, denominations and age-groups. Hundreds of non-stop prayer meetings now link up here on the web to form a unique chain of prayer. This web site reminds me of the power of prayer. It also reminds me of the prayers being lifted throughout the world every single moment of every single day.

N-Spire, Youth Ministry Database Software

2005-05-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was checking out a friend of mines brand new palm pilot. I was curious when I saw a link to some program called N-Spire. I asked him about it and he told me it was this youth ministry database program that he had been using at the church. After returning home I did some research on my own. I contacted the company and requested a demo version to check out. I was immediately very impressed. This is a little bit of how the company explains itself. N·Spire is a database written by experienced programmers with the assistance of seasoned ministers. The basic concept behind the development of N·Spire is to provide a tool to enhance relationships. When ministers cultivate better relationships between themselves and their congregation, and better relationships between individuals, visitors, and volunteers, their ministries can begin to address the higher purpose they have been charged with.

I've been very impressed over the years to see how they have evolved and upgraded their software to meet new needs. If you have a chance check them out at N-Spire Software

Highway Video makes media and ministry collide

2005-05-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

I was introduced to the Highway video series through a friend of mine who uses them with his church. These are great for prompting dialog with participants. From what we know about learning styles we need as many teaching tools as possible. Visual ministry tools like these are vital to reaching all of your young people. Check out Highway Video

Text messaging at upoc.com

2005-05-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Text messaging has been around for a while. Over the last year or so its become much more accessible now that it comes with almost all cell phones. Its become so popular that schools and businesses have created rules against using them. We all have kids during youth group or on retreats pulling them out and connecting with friends or even parents. I believe the church can use this technology for ministry. Upoc.com Lets you send text messages to all your youth group kids and start mobile groups, so you can send one message that everyone gets. You can start a group for your junior highs and another for your senior highs -- as many as you need to stay connected with your young people. Some suggestions for how you might use this service are...Prayer Requests, Upcoming Events, Announcement and also just taking the time to ask your young people how they are. This is a great way to extend your presence in the lives of your young people throughout the week. Check it out at http://www.upoc.com

MethodX (the way of Christ)

2005-05-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

MethodX is an amazing web site of Upper Room Ministries®, an interdenominational, global Christian ministry. Methodx was the first of its kind in my opinion. It is the first ministry related web site that is more than just words. It provides a online community of faith for Young Adults. Its interactive and very well done. I would strongly recommend sharing this site with your young adults. Check it out at MethodX

We must use the web to stay connected with youth

2005-05-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

This is not just a discussion about web pages anymore. Hundreds of thousands of churches decided in the late nineties that in order to stay connected with their young people they needed to have a web site. Most churches didn't really approach that project with any sort of plan or objective. Well, maybe there was an objective, to simply just have a web site. I recall overhearing conversations in youth ministry circles about what unique things they were doing to stay connected with young people. So many of them would list having a web site as one of those. I was always curious as to what the big deal was. What makes your web site so cool or cutting edge?

Here we are 5 years later, most churches still have that same web site with bad clip art and lots of words. What good is that space doing? Are we really taking full advantage of the web as a ministry tool?

I'm not starting this blog to point fingers at who is right and wrong, or who is cutting edge and who is cutting nothing. I'm starting this blog to begin a real conversation about the possibilities. The possibilities of where the web can take us in ministry.

I'd like to offer Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church's Youth Ministry website as an example of where we can go. Check it out when you have a chance.