RETHINKING YOUTH MINISTRY

Advent & Christmas Ebooks for Youth Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 20:10:00 +0000

One of our favorite resources here at Rethinking Youth Ministry is our Advent/Christmas Ideas for Youth Ministry ebook and its sequel, cleverly titled "More Advent/Christmas Ideas for Youth Ministry!" The first book is full of ideas from our site, saving you the trouble of digging through our backlog of posts for ideas centered on the Advent and Christmas seasons. The follow-up ebook collects additional ideas from the site plus many new ideas only found in the book. Both are available to help you provide ways for your youth to engage Advent, Christmas and even Epiphany through Bible study, discussion, games, creative projects, prayer and more. The original ebook is available for purchase here. The sequel is available here.

Free Lent Ebook for Youth Ministry Still Available

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 18:26:00 +0000

If you are needing some fresh ideas for helping your youth engage the themes and stories of Lent, we invite you to download a free copy of our Lenten ebook which compiles many of the Lent-related ideas from this site into one handy resource. You can read it or download it for free right here.

Prayer Journey for the Youth Through the Church

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Thu, 14 Jul 2016 19:12:00 +0000

This guest post from Jay Campbell, Director of Youth Ministries at Fairfax UMC in Virginia, offers this adaptable plan for inviting your youth into a night of prayer by exploring the whole church, learning about what ministry is taking place in each space and offering prayer for God's work in those ministries.

I love offering students different ways of prayer and I love helping youth see what the church is and what it can be. Prayer Journey Through the Church is a night of prayer that gets youth to pray, learn about the life of the church, and to pray and imagine for what the church can be.

We gave each youth and adult leader a journal/guide for the night to direct them to various places in the church. One time we had prayer stations present at each spot they visited. Another time the prayer stations/guides were in their journal. As they walked from one space to the next, they were reading about what happens in the life of their local church in each space.

After taking a minute to consider what ministry is happening in and through the local church, they are given prayer points to spend a minute or two praying for the ministries that the particular space represents.

Both times I have done this the youth have shared how eye opening it was to learn what all was happening in the life of the church and it helped them see some of the spaces differently. It has also helped them see that the church can be more and to imagine new possibilities.

Here are some examples of the places we used:

Staff offices – Explore the offices and perhaps conference room. This is where the staff spends a lot of their time praying, planning, dreaming, and preparing for works of worship, spiritual formation, community building, active transformational mission in the world, counseling, visioning, handling all the administration and communication, developing resources for congregational spiritual growth, continuing to learn about theology and practices of ministry, and much more.

Prayer Points – pray that God would lead all churches throughout the world; pray for the staff of this church, that they would be led by the Spirit in all that they do; pray that God will raise and build up authentic church leaders who are humble, dedicated, passionate, willing to learn and servant hearted.

Christian Education Rooms (where adults, children and youth meet weekly)

This is the space where spiritual formation, education, community, and growth happen. (Share a little bit about what unique discipleship opportunities are available in your church in these spaces. Also consider any other groups that meet here such as: AA, ESL, etc…)

Prayer points – offer prayers for multiple generations to continue learning and growing in their faith through conversation and study. Pray for immigrants and people who may have struggled with addiction to find healing, community and their needs to be met and cared for by this congregation. Pray for who is not meeting in these spaces and how God can use us to connect to new people.

Library

Let’s be honest, not all church libraries are that great (if they even have one). But in theory they point to something powerful. The church has a responsibility to point people to resources that will nurture and equip them on their spiritual journey. A church library is a reminder of this and a call to provide meaningful resources whether books, devotionals, online resources, or also connections to groups and organizations where church members can live into their passions that God has cultivated within them.

Fellowship/Social Hall

The space where community and building friendships really seems to take place. People gather here to share food, hugs, laughter and life stories. It’s a central place many in the church gather.

Prayer points – pray for this to be a space where life is shared and community is strengthened. Pray for events to be offered that are meaningful and meet people’s needs that are in line with the mission of the church

Space where your committees meet

Share about what church committees meet here every month and why they are important.

Prayer Points – pray for the decisions that will be made here that effect the church will be guided and led by the Spirit. Pray that decision makers will be focused first on the kingdom of God.

Head Outside

Invite them to step outside of the church through one of the main doors. This reminds us that we do not gather for the sake of gathering, but we gather to be sent out into the world. The church should be at the forefront of alleviating poverty, helping victims of abuse and violence, work to eliminate unjust and oppressive social systems all on the name of God’s love and worship should remind us of this each time we prepare to step outside the doors of the church.

Prayer points – invite the youth to pray for various social issues that affect people all around the world (gun-violence, poverty, war, the environment, refugees). Invite them to pray for how the church can respond and how they can be apart of the movement of God in the world

The Outside Ramp

The ramp reminds us that a church strives to be a place that welcomes people of all abilities. The ramp serves as a reminder that the church is called to be an inclusive church that welcomes all people regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, economic status, physical or mental abilities, or any other barrier and wall that we put up.

Prayer Points – Pray for your church to be a leader in ending discrimination and that your church will work to eliminate racism, sexism, heterosexism and all other isms. Pray for the church to boldly welcome all people. Pray for those who have been hurt and outcast by the church. Pray for your church can be more inclusive and what work you can do to make inclusion a stronger reality.

The Sanctuary

The space for communal worship – we worship God through song, we hear teaching through the proclamation of our sacred scriptures, we join together with our church family and also in spirit with churches all over the world. We join together in congregational prayer to the world. We partake in the mystery of God’s grace through the sacraments. We give an offering to God as an expression of worship and devotion. People seek to find a healing word of comfort and hope from God, and also we listen for challenging, prophetic words where God calls us to change and work for change in the world.

Invite them to go the baptismal font and dip their finger in the water and make the sign of the cross on their forehead to remember their baptism. Invite the youth to spend time praying by kneeling at the altar, listening to the worship music overhead. For their prayer points invite them to pray for spirit-filled worship, for worship that will inspire and shape lives for holy living.

I usually have everyone end in the sanctuary and we end with a time of sharing communion together. After communion we share in a time of reflection to see how the experience was for them.

The night is a movement of prayer around the whole church. In some places I have worship music playing in the background, in other spaces I have instrumental music playing and then in some is just silence. I think each of these avenues adds a certain dynamic to the worshipful experience. Please adapt this to fit your context. These were powerful nights for us and I hope it will be for you too.

Written by Jay Alexander

Still Available: Free Youth Ministry Ideas for Lent Ebook

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 20:17:00 +0000

For those of you looking for creative ways to introduce and involve your youth around the themes, stories, and practices of the Lenten season, you will find some helpful ideas in our free ebook Creative Youth Ministry Ideas for Lent. This resource includes bible studies, discussion starters, prayer stations and other ideas. You can download it right now.

ADVENT/CHRISTMAS EBOOKS FOR YOUTH MINISTRY STILL AVAILABLE

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 16:29:00 +0000

Looking for some great ways to engage your youth around the themes of Advent and Christmas? Our most popular holiday resources are still available for quick purchase and download. Each contains some of the best Advent and Christmas-themed ideas from our site (bible studies, prayer stations, games, discussion starters) plus brand-new ideas not included on our blog. Check out the links below for more details:

Ebook: Creative Youth Ministry Ideas for Advent and Christmas

Ebook: More Creative Youth Ministry Ideas for Advent and Christmas

Check out a sample here.

Personal Labyrinths for Youth Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:52:00 +0000

I recently came across this image from from The Labyrinth Society Facebook page. Imagine creating these at a lock-in focused on contemplative prayer. Each student could make their own mini-labyrinths, personalizing it with different design or style. Send them home with some written suggestions on how to utilize their labyrinth as a daily prayer practice. Covenant as a group to walk your personal prayer labyrinths for a week or month, perhaps, and then share your experiences with each other.

Another option: After you have used these mini-labyrinths as a group for awhile, invite each youth to gift their labyrinth to a friend or an adult in your church with the invitation for them to walk and pray the labyrinth for a week or month and then pass on the labyrinth to yet another person. Suggested items needed for project: muslin, brushes, acrylic paint, pencils, sample labyrinth designs.

Youth Ministry Pin of the Day: Labyrinth Prayers

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000

Here's a great prayer idea if you don't have access to a full-sized labyrinth.

I have always found it meaningful to pray with a labyrinth. The insights you receive through the physical act of walking and praying as you traverse the path of a particular labyrinth can be quite surprising. I have found that youth are naturally drawn to labyrinths, perhaps because of their visually creative designs and because they offer an opportunity for active prayer. But you may not always have access to a large-scale labyrinth. I think this idea would be a great substitute, providing youth with printed copies of blank labyrinth designs and inviting them to "walk" the labyrinth by writing in their prayers as they move through the design. Challenge them to use different colors to represent different emotions, thoughts, insights. This activity would be best done in silence, perhaps with quiet music playing in the background.

Are You Beloved?

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 03:24:00 +0000

Invite your youth to claim their identity as beloved children of God with this simple activity.

I have to wonder that the world would be a better place if more people actually believed they were worthy to be called the beloved of God.

Teens particularly are constantly bombarded with explicit and implicit messages from peers, family, teachers, and consumer culture telling them they don't quite measure up. Yet, the gospel of Mark paints a portrait of a Jesus who claims his own belovedness in his baptism and then spends the rest of the book trying to help others claim their belovedness, too.

Spend some time with your youth discussing Mark's particular take on the baptism of Jesus. Invite your youth to consider what it would mean to truly believe we are loved by God and how trusting this might impact the way we live in the world. What would it mean to treat all other persons as if they were beloved of God, too. How could they live in such a way that would help others to claim their belovedness?

Conclude your time by giving each youth two name tag stickers like the one pictured here. Challenge them to wear their name tag in proudly in public -- at school or work or a trip to the mall, for example. Encourage them to be ready to share with others what the name tag is all about. They might even want to take a selfie while wearing the name tag and post it on social media. Additionally, encourage them to gift the other name tag to someone in their lives who really needs to know they are "beloved," whether this means giving them the name tag in person or dropping it in the mail.

Creating a Prayer Mosaic with Youth

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 17:27:00 +0000

Try this creative pray method for helping your youth create a vibrant visual expression of how prayer binds us together as a family of faith.

Sometimes youth come to that moment when you ask "Who has a prayer concern or joy to lift up?" and nothing comes to mind. Recently, I tried this activity in worship as a way to stimulate ideas for prayer perhaps beyond what might normally come to mind and to aid those who might have trouble focusing on a specific need or blessing.

Provide each participant with a colored paint chip (like they have at home improvement stores) or square of construction paper. Invite them into a time of prayerful meditation where the specific color of the square guides their thoughts. Perhaps a green square invites them to think about their gratefulness for the gifts of creation. A blue square might remind them of a friend struggling with depression. A yellow square calls to mind a family member who brings warmth into their lives. Encourage the youth to write or draw something on their square that represents their prayer.

As they are ready, participants come forward to a canvas or piece of foam board where they will adhere their square. You could simply give everyone a roll of tape to put on the back of the squares so they will stick to the canvas. In my case, we actually lined the entire canvas with double-stick tape so all people had to do was come forward and stick their square right on (without the annoying sound of someone pulling tape off a roll over and over).

As each participant places their square, a beautiful, colorful mosaic forms. Finish your time together by inviting youth to share, if they choose, what they prayed for and to discuss how the mosaic (both the finished product as an art piece and the process of creating it) symbolizes what happens when we pray together as one community of faith.

Guest Post: Imaging God

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Jay Campbell, Director of Youth/Young Adult Ministries at Clinton UMC in Clinton, NJ shares this idea for challenging youth to see the deep needs of the world through a contemplative experience exploring documentary photographs. For those of us who might think that teens can't handle silence or contemplation, Jay offers a window into just what can happen when you provide the right atmosphere:

We moved into the sanctuary with only a few dim lights on and instrumental music playing in the back ground that invited us into a holy space. Throughout the sanctuary we placed 20 pictures (last time they were chosen from Buzz Feed’s Most Powerful Pictures from 2012and 2013). We invited the students to take as much time as needed to explore the humanity in each picture and to write their response on the paper.

I was blown away by what the youth wrote. They wrestled with questions of theodicy, saw hope and perseverance, saw the call of the church to stand for those oppressed, wrestled with the reality of a broken and painful world, as well as seeing the hope and possibility of a new reality. The first time we did this our middle school students stayed in the sanctuary for almost an hour, after we finished, to continue praying and expressing their honest thoughts and emotions. When everyone was finished, we stayed in the sanctuary to have honest discussion about our reactions. I will admit that it has not always stirred up joyful responses, but we journey together to see the reality that many face everyday in this world and end with the hope of God’s reign coming and our call to be apart of its in-breaking here and now. The Spirit of God has worked powerfully in these spaces.

Some photos are heartbreaking, others inspiring. Each one stirs emotion and I challenged my youth to ask the questions: Knowing each photo represents a person, a story, a struggle (most often representing the reality of many people): Where is God in this picture? How is God at work? Where is God calling you and us to act and respond?

Jay has been in ministry for a little over 5 1/2 years serving in roles of youth ministry and internships that include the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society working on the issue of combating human trafficking. In May 2014, he will graduate from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC with his Masters of Divinity. He is currently serving as Director of Youth/Young Adult Ministries and Missional Witness at Clinton United Methodist Church in New Jersey. Jay loves to cheer on the Tennessee Volunteers, and proudly loves to watch professional wrestling (what is often called the fake kind) for his guilty pleasure.

Do you have an idea, resource, or story you'd like to share with our readers? Contact us!

A Rethinking Youth Ministry Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 14:03:00 +0000

Greetings. For those of you who frequent this site, it may be obvious that lately we are not updating the content quite as often. The primary reason for this change is that both Brian and Jacob are now serving as senior pastors and so have less time to focus on youth ministry directly. Of course, that does not mean that we have lost any of our passion for serving youth in the church or supporting those of you who are committed to youth ministry.

And we continue to work on new resources to help those of you in the trenches. In late November of last year, we released a new Advent/Christmas resource and Brian is currently working on a new creative Bible study resource which should be available this spring. In the meantime, we continue to keep this site "live" so that you can make use of the many ideas and resources posted here. We hope they are of help to anyone serving in youth ministry, but particularly to our colleagues in the mainline and progressive churches for whom useful youth ministry resources are often few and far between. Relatedly, if you would be interested in sharing an idea, resource review, Bible study, and so on with the readers of this site, please don't hesitate to contact us. We are committed to being a clearinghouse for quality ideas for youth ministry. And as you wait for us to share something new, don't forget to check out our "back catalog" in areas such as:

Bible study
Creative worship
Holiday/Liturgical Year ideas
YM ideas/resources
Prayer Stations
Church Camp
Mission

Best wishes.
Rethinking Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry Pin-of-the-Day: Christmas Tree Prayers

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 19:17:00 +0000

Here's a simple idea to use as a worship experience this Advent season with your youth or as part of your group's Christmas party fun.

Invite your youth to use their creativity and work together to fashion a Christmas tree of prayer. This idea, really developed for school children (why the most creative ideas often for kids?), simply uses an equilateral triangle.

Once you've made a template, trace the triangle shape on green card stock and cut out enough for each person to have one. Provide participants with a variety of art materials and scraps to decorate their piece of the tree however they like. In addition, ask them to write, draw, or in some other fashion include on their piece the names of persons and places in the world they would like to include in prayer. Finish by taping the triangles together (some pointing up, some down) to form a beautiful Christmas tree of prayer and hang it on the wall. Perhaps close the activity by inviting each person to share those they have included in prayer.

It's Here! New Advent/Christmas Ebook for Youth Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 06:57:00 +0000

Just in time for the Yuletide season, our newest ebook More Creative Youth Ministry Ideas for Advent and Christmas is now available.

This 50-page text (a sequel to our first Advent/Christmas ebook, still available here) is a collection of creative ideas to help you and your youth experience the seasons of Advent and Christmas (and Epiphany, too!). In addition to featuring a few of the ideas from this site, newly edited, this text includes mostly new material written especially for this resource. You'll find ideas for yuletide art projects, prayer stations, Bible study, church-wide events, social media experiments, Christmas-themed games, movie night ideas, and more. All for only $3.99. You can download a sample here.

PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE PURCHASE:

To get your copy of the ebook, click on the "Buy Now" button below. Once you make your purchase, don't close the final PayPal window. Look on the middle of the page for the link "return to brianskirk@yahoo.com." Click it and you'll be taken directly to a page where you can both view and download the ebook immediately. Download problems or questions? Just contact us at brianskirk@yahoo.com and we'll help.

Merry Christmas and thanks for your continued support of Rethinking Youth Ministry!

Have You Heard of the The Year of Two Thanksgivings?

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 18:40:00 +0000

For some of us, one Thanksgiving day with the crush of relatives and stuffing of our faces is enough. Imagine if there were two Thanksgivings. Well, one year there was!

To make a long story short (you can read the longer version here), in 1939 President Roosevelt was being pressured by some retailers to extend the Christmas shopping season in order to boost the economy. At the time, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday of November, and that year there were 5 Thursdays, making it particularly late in the month. So Roosevelt decided to move it back a week, from the 30th to the 24th in order to create a longer holiday shopping season (who knew that just some 70 years later the Christmas shopping season would extend back before Halloween! -- thank you K-mart!)

Despite the objections from some calendar manufactures (who had already printed 1940 calendars, now with the wrong Thanksgiving date) and food distributors (who would have to scramble to get holiday food to stores a week early) the date was changed -- at least on the national level. But almost half of the state governors (most of whom were Republicans -- Roosevelt was a Democrat) refused to observe the new date and declared Thanksgiving would remain on the 30th. So for that year, all across the country, families celebrated Thanksgiving on two different days.

Share this story with your youth. Invite their reactions. Ask: What do you think about the fact that they couldn't come to a mutual decision about when to give thanks? Does it surprise you that part of the debate was political? What would it be like to have two Thanksgiving days? What if every day was Thanksgiving? How would that change the way we observe the holiday? How could we show gratitude to God every day?

This last question is the most important. Why not invite your youth to get into groups of 2 or 3, give them pen and paper and 2 minutes to generate as many ideas they can for showing gratitude to God on a regular, ordinary day (at home, at school, with friends and family, in public). Have groups share and compare their ideas. Finally, compile the lists and send them out to your youth, challenging them to see how many acts of gratitude they can make part of their daily routines.

Video: Teens' Selfless Act of Compassion for Teammate

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 22:11:00 +0000

The middle school football players in this video do something that is pretty unheard of in our competition-driven culture -- they placed compassion and respect for the most vulnerable among them ahead of "winning the game."

I recently preached on the topic of "life after death." I suggested, using the story of the prodigal son, that for Jesus "life after death" was not primarily about the death that happens at the end of life but rather the death that occurs in the midst of life. It is the death that happens when we are cut off from community, when we have no "family," no identity -- when we are "dead" to others. New life happens when we are called by name, drawn back into community, given a family to belong to and come to know our true identity as beloved.

This video reminds me that part of our ministry to youth is to help them understand their role in Christ's mission to create life out of death -- to create community where all are welcome.

Scary Youth Bible Study: Fear!

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Halloween is the season when we seem to enjoy being afraid. But what does fear mean when applied to the life of faith? This Bible study takes at look at the theme of fear in the gospel of Mark.

Jesus Walks on Water

Goal: To help the youth continue to develop their ability to read biblical texts critically and creatively.

Text: Mark 6:47-52 (see also Matthew 14:22-33, John 6:16-21)

Objectives:

1) Youth will explore the story of Jesus walking on water as found in the gospel of Mark.

2) Youth will consider what the story might be saying when seen at face value.

3) Youth will discuss other interpretive approaches to the text.

4) Youth will share how this story might be meaningful for us today.

Background:

This section in Mark opens with Jesus encountering the people in “a deserted place.” Through what appears to be a miracle, food is provided for all those present, and Jesus teaches them. Then Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray. Sound familiar? To a first century audience, the echoes of the Exodus story in this passage from Mark would have been loud and clear. Like Moses, Jesus gathers the people in a deserted place, provides them food, and then goes to the mountain to pray. The metaphorical message is clear: Just as God was present in the life and ministry of Moses, so the power of God is present in this man Jesus.

But the parallels don’t end there. Next, Mark tells us that Jesus sends the Disciples out in a boat to sail to the other side of the sea. The Disciples find themselves battling high winds and it is Jesus who appears and calms the wind and the waters – not unlike Moses commanding the waters of the Red Sea to part for the Israelites.

Again, these literary parallels would not have been missed by a first century audience. Just as God commanded the waters and winds of chaos in creation, and just as God worked through Moses to part the waters of the sea, in the same way God’s power is now at work in Jesus. It is worth noting that for first century people, water was a common symbol of Chaos, destruction, of the powers and principalities that threatened to rule the world. And so God’s presence is often depicted in a calming of those waters of chaos – Job speaks of God as “the one who trampled the waves of the sea.” (Job 9:8)

So here we have the disciples, out on the water (for the second time, actually, in Mark’s gospel), straining against the winds and the waves. In fact, Mark suggests that they are so preoccupied with their struggle that Jesus intends to “pass them by.” In the midst of the chaos of the waters, they see Jesus coming toward them – not skating on the ice, not stepping on stones, not wading at the shore – for to describe the story that way would be to miss the whole point. Jesus, walking on water, is right there in the midst of the storm, in the thick of their struggle and troubles. He doesn’t call out to the disciples to meet him on shore where everything is nice and calm! He goes to meet them – in the very midst of their fear.

The Lesson:

1) Opening: Invite the youth to think about to when they were little children. Ask: What sorts of things were you afraid of when you were little? Are you still afraid of any of those things? What are you afraid of now? Share that today we are looking at another strange Bible story, this time from the gospel of Mark. Mark’s gospel has a lot to do with fear. In fact, the book ends with Jesus’ death, the male disciples running away in fear, and the women who discover the empty tomb also running off in fear, telling no one of what they saw. It might be interesting to see what Mark’s theme of “fear” and “Are you afraid to follow & trust Jesus?” plays out in today’s story.

2) The Story: Read together the text. Invite the youth to recount what this story is about, if we just go with the basic plot and take it as a report of an actual event. What does the story tell us? How does it portray Jesus? If just taken at face value, what is the point of this story?

Share some examples of how some have tried to explain how this story could have actually happened and invite responses from the class:

An oceanographer at Florida State University has presented a scientific rationalization for how Jesus may have walked on water. He determined that the temperatures in Israel in Jesus’ day were 10 degrees cooler than today. Given the right 3-day cold front, “spring ice” (as he calls it), might have formed on the sea of Galilee, making it possible for someone to appear to “walk on the water” when in fact they were simply gliding on the ice.

Another example: Some scholars have suggested that this story would make more sense in a different context – and that it was likely meant to be a post-resurrection story – a sort of “ghost story”—in which Jesus is floating on the water – and that later biblical editors, somewhat embarrassed by such ghost stories – instead inserted the story earlier in the narrative to appear to happen during Jesus’ life.

Still others try to explain away the story as a probable error in translation. Where it now says “walking on water,” they argue that the original translation was likely “walking by the water.”

Lastly, some of the class have likely have heard the old joke that Jesus just simply knew where the rocks were to step on!

What explanations might the student want to share?

Ultimately, if we assume there is more going on here than just a report of a historical event, none of these explanations matter much. Perhaps it is less important to ask of this story “Did it happen?” than it is to consider “What does it mean?”

3) Digging Deeper: Challenge the youth to look more closely at the story, considering if any historical, cultural, or literary context might help us make sense of it. One at a time, share the comments below (or print them out and and have students read them aloud one at a time) and ask the group how each fact might help us understand the story in a different way:

In the ancient world, water was seen as a symbol of chaos (think: violent storms, crashing waves, torrential floods) and in the Old Testament God is often depicted as being able to control that chaos. Given this, what might Mark be trying to say when he depicts Jesus as being able to walk on the water itself?

The gospel writers often used stories from the Old Testament and retold them as if they happened during Jesus’ life. Think of the story of Jesus controlling the water (and the story that comes right before this of Jesus feeding the 5000). Where do we see echoes of these stories in the Old Testament? Why might Mark want us to make connections between these stories?

The first people hearing this story were living during or right after a major war between the Jews and the Romans. These early followers of Jesus were being persecuted by both the Empire and their fellow Jews. They had much to fear. One of the major theme’s of Mark’s gospel is “fear.” Mark seems to be asking: “Are you afraid to follow the way that Jesus is going?” Why might the writer of Mark felt that creating this story would help his listeners think about that question?

Rather than having Jesus wave the disciples onto the safety of the shore, Mark has him go out to them in the midst of the wind, water, and chaos. What could this symbolize?

What could this story mean for us today? What fears might we have in following our faith today?

4) Responding: Invite the group to share their thoughts on what we might be challenged to do in our faith life that might initially seem scary (e.g. going on a mission trip, talking to a stranger about our faith). What challenges could they take in the coming week that might be a little scary but worth trying in order to live out the good news.

Close in prayer.

6 Simple Halloween Ideas for Youth Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 05:42:00 +0000

Whether or not you actually observe Halloween as part of your youth group program, you can still engage in some fellowship around seasonal activities connected to fall. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative thinking started:

1) Chalkboard Pumpkins - Here's a great alternative to the mess of carving pumpkins that you'll just have to throw away in a few days. Working outdoors, cover pumpkins with two coats of chalkboard spray paint. Allow 24 hours for them to fully dry. Next, divide your youth into small groups, provide them with some chalk, and challenge them 1) to answer pumpkin-related trivia, requiring them to write their answers on the pumpkins, 2) to draw on their pumpkin the best likeness they can of the face of one of your youth leaders, or 3) Have a pumpkin design contest.

2) Pumpkin Brooming - Provide participants with sturdy brooms and one pumpkin each. Enjoy the fun as they use the brooms to race the pumpkins from one end of the room to the other. For added challenge, set up an obstacle course for them to manuever through with their pumpkins.

3) Mummy Wrap - Divide into groups, have them each select an "it," and provide each group with several rolls of toilet tissue. Shout "Go!" and see which group can be first to completely wrap their "it" person in the toilet tissue. If you don't like the mummy reference, pretend you are reenacting the Lazarus story.

4) Night Bowling - Just drop some glow sticks into 12 water bottles (with the water still in them), screw the caps back on, set them up like bowling pins, grab a ball, wait until dark, and see who can be first to get a strike!

5) Hell House - Though I don't suggest you actually take your youth to one of those Christian hell houses, you can spark an interesting discussion by watching together the documentary "Hell House" and talking about the particular approach to evangelism it depicts. (Note: I happen to think the kind of hell houses displayed in the film are a terrible idea but it is a great documentary).

6) All Saints Prayer Stations - Halloween is really just a precursor to All Saints Day when we remember those of the faith who have gone before us. Consider inviting your youth to participate in an All Saints worship experience by adapting some of the prayer stations found here.

The Gospel According to Ashton Kutcher?

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 21:50:00 +0000

Well, maybe not the gospel, but his acceptance speech at the Teen Choice Awards might be a great discussion starter with your youth about what really matters in life.

What's Wrong with "Man of Steel?"

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 16:08:00 +0000

Thinking of using the new Superman film "Man of Steel?" as a discussion starter with your youth? You might want to consider the real message of the movie.

First things first: I love a good action movie. I still think "Speed" is one of the great films of all time, with its minimalist dialogue, hammy acting and non-stop action. I'll add to that list "Unstoppable" and "Source Code" as the kind of simple plot/simple characters/action-packed movies that I love. Hmm. I see a pattern here. All those films are about moving vehicles out of control. But I have to say that "Man of Steel" is a train wreck of a different sort.

And it's not primarily because it lacks the charm and wit of the Christopher Reeve "Superman" of the 70's -- which it does -- and it's not primarily because it is so needlessly loud and noisy -- which it is. No, what really bothers me about the film is that our hero, morally upright Superman, who always does what is right, chooses to solve the main conflict of the film (spoiler alert) by killing the villain.

In the history of Superman, it has been a steadfast rule that Superman does not kill. And in the few exceptions where he has, the writers have been careful to show Superman as remorseful and conflicted over taking a life. Not this Superman. He spends the last third of the movie in a fight with the villain, destroying most of the real estate of the city (and killing how many innocent bystanders in the process?) and then the best solution he can find to end the conflict is to summarily execute the bad guy.

What is really shocking about this is the fact that the film studio is intentionally marketing this movie to churches and youth groups, inviting them to compare Superman to Jesus, referring to Christ as "the original superhero" and providing sermon notes and discussion guides to show how the Superman story is really just a metaphor for the Jesus story. And many youth groups and Christian bloggers have apparently jumped on that promotional band wagon, perhaps believing that if Jesus himself were here today, he too would be pummeling others in the name of truth, justice and the American way.

Of course, there are all kinds of possible allusions between Jesus and the character of Superman, but have the filmmakers and the Christians using this film for educational purposes missed the glaring contradictions between Christ and Kal-el?

When did the church start forgetting that Jesus was a man of peace, adamantly opposed to violence against others? When did the Church forget that Jesus inspired a movement which was strictly pacifist for its first 500 years -- until it was co-opted and corrupted by the violent Constantinian empire? When did we forget that the Jesus of the gospel believed "standing your ground" meant giving complete fidelity to caring for those in need, not proclaiming one's right to commit violence? I have to believe if Jesus were here today he would cradle the Trayvon Martin's of the world in his arms while challenging the George Zimmerman's of this world to seek a path away from violence and toward peace.

How is it that we often have so many images and portrayals of Jesus in our churches that are such polar opposites and so different from the man we find in scripture? Is Jesus as "man of steel", using fists to solve the world's ills, really the spiritual guide we want to share with our youth?

(By the way, perhaps you want to use "Man of Steel" to argue against the film's and the studio's theological take. If so, the "How it Should Have Ended" video above might just come in handy!)

We Are the Martians Now

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Ray Bradbury once wrote a book entitled The Martian Chronicles. In it he tells the story of an Earth about to be ravaged by a nuclear war. One small family, in an effort to escape the impending holocaust, leave the planet in a small family-sized rocket for a new home on Mars. The parents, not wanting to worry their young son and daughter, tell the children they are simply going on a family picnic to Mars. If they are lucky, the father tells them, they might even see some Martians!

"But Father, "says the little boy, "There aren't any Martians left. They all died off a long time ago."

"Not all the Martians," says the father. "Not the kind we're looking for."

As the day goes on, the family ends up picnicking beside a pond and the children anxiously ask again when they might see the Martians. The father tells them "They're in the pond. Go and see for yourselves." The children look down into the water but are confused. "There's nothing here. Why, we just see ourselves. We just see our own reflections."

"That's right," says the mother. "You see...we're the Martians now. Whatever we are...that's what Martians will be."

When we work with youth in the Church, part of our challenge is to grow in their understanding of what it means to claim the identity "Christian." We can make up all the definitions in the world, quote scripture and reference church history, but when it comes right down to it, whatever WE are, that's what Christians will be. When we let others know we are Christians, they will define "Christian" at least in part by watching the things we do and say. Youth who take on the identity of "Christian" for themselves need to know the responsibility that comes with affirming that publicly.

My "go to" scripture passage when trying to give teens some sense of what it means to me to follow Jesus is Luke 4: 16-21 in which Jesus clearly lays out what he understands his mission to be, grounded in the scripture of his own tradition. Why not challenge your youth to name their own "go to" scripture for what they understand the mission of Christianity to be and then invite them to see what it would be like to live that verse daily as if they were wearing an "I am Christian" sticker for all to see?

Video: Powerful "To This Day" Anti-Bullying Project

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

From the poet: "My experiences with violence in schools still echo throughout my life but standing to face the problem has helped me in immeasurable ways. Schools and families are in desperate need of proper tools to confront this problem. This piece is a starting point." - Shane

Learn more here.

Youth Ministry Pin-of-the-Day: Affirmation Mugs

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:36:00 +0000

This idea gets passed around on Pinterest a lot, probably because it is so simple and so cool.

I think this project would make the perfect gift from your church or youth group to give to your graduating seniors. Just get some plain white mugs from the dollar store. Let everyone write an affirming message to the person on the mug with a sharpie (and, if doing a lot of these, be sure to write the person's name on the side or bottom of the mug). Then, you bake the mugs in the oven for thirty minutes at 350 degrees and "Pesto!" -- the writing is permanent and you have the perfect gift for your graduates to drink coffee, tea or cocoa from as they start the next step in their journey of life and faith.

Read more about this idea here and check out all my Pinterest pins on youth ministry, creative prayer, and more here.

YouTube Faith: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:13:00 +0000

This is part three of our series of resources developed to be used with a mixed group of youth and adults, discussing issues of faith through the lens of various videos discovered on YouTube. We are intentionally drawing from both religious and secular videos. Part one is here. Part two is here.

Week Three: What is the Meaning of Life?

Share:What is life all about? Is the answer different if you are a Christian? Has anyone figured it out? This week we look at how the world of YouTube has tried to address that question.

1. The Meaning of Life - Dan Is Not On Fire

Ask:

Do you relate to Dan’s experience of “permanent existential crisis”?
How important is this question of “meaning”? Dan treats it humorously – does that seem like the right approach?
Dan says that the answer is “do whatever you have to do to be happy”? What do you think about that? Dan says "There's way too much fun and joy in the world for anyone to waste their time or their life doing something that makes them unhappy." What would you say to him about this? Does your thinking on this change depending on what a person might say makes him or her "happy?"

Share: Dan seems to be having fun with the question of existence. But for others, this is a much more serious consideration – especially those who have a lot less time to figure it out. As you watch this next video, think about how your answer might change if you were forced to come to your conclusions against a ticking clock:

Soul Pancake: My Last Days – Meet Ann

Ask:

What is your initial reaction to Ann’s story? What emotions did it evoke?
How do you think the question of meaning changes when you know that your time is limited?
How do you think true struggle changes the way your approach that question?
Do you think her family has changed how they see what is important and meaningful? Share your thoughts on these quotes:
- Ann’s husband: “Life after death isn’t the issue. It’s living a life well up to that point.”
- Ann: “Most people live with blinders on and are so caught up in all the little things that distract you from what really matters. And all that stuff is kind of washed away and you get clean and see what really counts…and that’s the people that you love.”
Does this change your reaction to how Dan in video one looked at the same question? How are Dan and Ann’s thinking similar? Different?

Share: Many people are wrestling with this question of the meaning of existence. But, as Christians, should we have a particular (perhaps unique) way of considering it? Think about that as we view this next video from Brian Mosley, who leads Right Now Ministries, an organization focused on the Missional church.

What is a Trader?

Ask:

What’s your reaction to this definition of a “trader”? What do you think about the suggestion that you have to “trade in the American dream” for being a Christian?
Do you agree that the World mostly sees life’s meaning in “more, more, more and me, me, me”? In collecting possessions and wealth and status?
- What do you think Dan and Ann would feel about this as a measure of life’s meaning?
As Christians, do you think the question of meaning could be answered by deciding what our mission is? Share your thoughts on these quotes:
- “The mission you are on is what makes you a missionary”
- “What makes your heart break and your first clench?”
Do you think that its realistic that your job, your time in school, your entire day could be about your “mission” and what you see as “the meaning of life”? Share your thoughts on these ideas in the video:
- Live life “so your short time here can have an eternal impact”
- “Choose daily to help those in need, follow Jesus, hate injustice and act on it!”

Share: As we end this session, let’s close with this video that shows high school students in Texas coming together around a mission they found meaningful: standing up to bullying. To make this video, two students brought together their entire school to take a stand on bullying in the same district where just a year before 13-year-old Asher Brown committed suicide after being repeatedly bullied.

Cypress Ranch: Anti-Bullying Video

Allow the song to speak for itself. Close with no discussion or a short prayer.

Would You Be Willing to Be Gay for a Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:45:00 +0000

What would it be like for you to experience a day from the perspective of a gay teen? Would you be willing to find out? If you are a gay pastor or youth leader, you already know what it's like. Everyone else: keep reading.

This year the Day of Silence falls on Friday April 19. This is annual observance when students choose to remain silent in their schools for one day to show solidarity with LGBTQ teens who are silenced every day by being kept in the closet through intolerance and fear. I participated in this day in seminary years ago and it was a powerful experience that even included a worship service held completely in silence.

Of course, the Day of Silence is not without its controversy, particularly for those who feel participating in the event might (God forbid!) send the message to gay teens that they are loved, accepted and affirmed. But wherever you place yourself within that debate, I think that blogger Kimberly Knight is really on to something when she suggests that straight persons try becoming "gay for a day":

What do I mean by this? Well, this is a bit of a challenge for my straight friends. Those of you with boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or wives – for the next 24 hours, imagine that the one you love, the planet around which your heart is in orbit, is someone you can not openly acknowledge in any conversation – anywhere. When you are at work, do not talk about your boyfriend or husband. When you are at lunch, don’t mention the Friday night date you are looking forward to. When you are grabbing that mid-morning coffee, don’t talk about your weekend plans with the wife....So here it is, a challenge – be gay for a day. Really, really – I invite you to give this a try. For 24 hours beginning on the morning of Friday, April 19 live your every moment as if the people you love are just friends, roommates, strangers.... (Read the full post here.)

Participating in what Kimberly is suggesting has nothing to do with whether or not you have problems with a person's sexual orientation. But it has everything to do with whether or not you believe that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Being willing to spend a day in the other person's shoes is a step away from treating LGBTQ teens as an "issue" and toward treating them as individual children of God. Of course, "being gay for a day" isn't going to let you really see what like is like living in the closet anymore than sleeping on your church parking lot for one night is going to teach your teens what it is like to be homeless. In fact, the power of both of those experiences is in helping the participant to become aware of how little they know of what life is like for the "other" and that so often we are willing to pontificate and share our absolutist opinions and beliefs about something we have no knowledge of first-hand (and in some cases never will).

Update: You may be interested in this piece about a young blogger who dared to suggest that the Church's inflexibility on the welcoming of LGBTQ persons is causing young people to leave the Church in droves. In response, the church camp where she would had been employed this summer promptly fired her.

Youth Ministry Pin-of-the-Day: Hand Prayers

noreply@blogger.com (Kirk Spock) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:02:00 +0000

Here's a thoughtful idea for helping your teens pray for each other or to encourage your congregation to pray for your youth.

This latest find from Pinterest comes from the blog by Pastor Lisa. The idea itself is simple: have a person trace their hand and then pass that along to someone else. Each time the receiver places their own hand into the person's hand print, they stop and pray for them. I could see this as a great creative project with youth, encouraging them not only to trace their hands but also filling the hand print with words, images, drawings, symbols, and so on that relate to the things in their lives for which they need prayer. When everyone is finished, trade around the hand prints and each person takes one home, committing to regularly pray for the owner of the hand print. A related approach might be to collect the youth's hand prints and distribute them to your elders or other adults in the congregation who would be willing to regularly pray for the teen whose

hand print they receive. Pastor Lisa also suggests other approaches:

Praying for a sister congregation.

Praying for students away at college.

Praying for those who are imprisoned.

Praying for your local firefighters, police officers, or city officials.

Praying for a mission team while they are away.

Praying for those who are home bound or nursing homebound.

Praying for those who are in the midst of long treatments or recovering from surgery.

You can read the full post here and check out all my Pinterest pins on youth ministry, creative prayer, and more here.