RETHINKING YOUTH MINISTRY

COMMUNITY BUILDER: Prayer of St. Francis

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Engage your teens' creative gifts in this prayerful activity.

Divide your youth into small groups of perhaps 3 or 4. Give each group one line or portion of the prayer of St. Francis below. Challenge them to create a graphic representation of their line of the prayer using a sheet of poster board and a variety of art materials. Want to make it even more interesting? Give each group different materials to work with: paint for one group, magazines and glue for another, perhaps crayons and markers for another. When finished, have each group share their creation and have the group work together to somehow display the entire "illuminated" prayer somewhere in your youth space or in an area of the church where others can view and meditate on the prayer.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Youth Ministry & Bigotry

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:15:00 +0000

I've tweeted several posts today that demonstrate some of the bigotry inherent within the Church which is finding its way into our youth ministry efforts. It seems to be the running theme of the day as I came across this post at the "Samwise the Brave" blog about Christian artist Derek Webb's soon-to-be-released album. Apparently the song in the video above, "What Matters More" has caused quite a bit of controversy. You can see why when you read the lyrics below (which seem to be, in part, inspired by a Tony Campolo remark. See below). If we had more Christian music like this, I might listen to it more often:

You say you always treat people like you like to be

I guess you love being hated for your sexuality

You love when people put words in your mouth

‘Bout what you believe, make you sound like a freak

‘Cause if you really believe what you say you believe

You wouldn’t be so damn reckless with the words you speak

Wouldn’t silently conceal when the liars speak

Denyin’ all the dyin’ of the remedy

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?

Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?
If I can tell what’s in your heart by what comes out of your mouth

Then it sure looks to me like being straight is all it’s about

It looks like being hated for all the wrong things

Like chasin’ the wind while the pendulum swings
‘Cause we can talk and debate until we’re blue in the face

About the language and tradition that he’s comin’ to save

Meanwhile we sit just like we don’t give a shit

About 50,000 people who are dyin’ today

Tell me, brother, what matters more to you?

Tell me, sister, what matters more to you?

For more on the controversy between the songwriter and his label and what is happening with the album (they are releasing a censored and an "authorized" version), check here. So, what do you think?

Update: Don't miss this post about the above song with tons of responses, all debating the use of the word "shit" in the lyrics. I had to laugh, as it perfectly illustrates the point of the song: We Christians sit around debating and arguing the most pointless things while children are dying of hunger, the enviroment is being destroyed, and our own wars continue to kill the innocent. Where is the priority when it comes to what we teach our youth?

Update #2: Some friendly atheists have joined this discussion over Tony Campolo, cussing, and Christianity.

-Brian

CREATIVE WORSHIP: Upside Down Jesus

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Sometimes the only way to get a different perspective on Jesus is to force ourselves to see him a new way.

How often do we miss experiencing God or Christ in our midst because we can’t see past the routine of everyday life and our preconceived ideas? In this activity, youth are challenged to meditate on an image of Christ and attempt to recreate their own version of that image as a line drawing. The catch? They look at the image upside down and draw it upside down.

Rather than trying simply to reproduce the entire image “as is,” turning it upside down challenges the artist to focus on the various shapes and lines that make up the picture. Perhaps surprisingly, even those who claim they have no skill at drawing can create quite vivid images when they free themselves to focus only on line, shape, and shadow rather than the entire image. (This activity is based on an exercise in the book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.)

Gather together a collection of images of Jesus (I just did a Google search and printed out paintings and drawings as well as photos of various actors portraying Jesus). Invite youth to choose one of the pictures that speaks to them in some way. Challenge them to turn it upside down and, using it as a guide, attempt to recreate on another sheet of paper the lines and shapes of the image just as they see them. Tell them to resist the temptation to try to turn the picture “right side up” in their brains as they draw. Just focus on the lines and shapes that they see. Doing so allows our brains to see things in a new way. When finished, invite the teens to look at their images right side up and reflect on the experience.

Discuss:

What was it like to try to draw the image upside down?
Why might we be stuck in seeing Jesus in only certain ways?
What still surprises you about the life, ministry, and work of Jesus?
In what ways do you think Jesus' own ministry was an "upside down" way of seeing the world and others?
What might you do in the coming week to see Jesus in a new and challenging ways?

Food, Inc.

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:24:00 +0000

I suspect Food, Inc. is a film that all youth ministers need to see and discuss with their youth ministry groups this summer. We can give a lot of lip service to appreciating God's creation and protecting the environment and yet the meals on our dinner tables are the product of all sorts of practices that harm the earth, promote horrific mistreatment of animals, and encourage us to eat food that is ruining our health. No time like the summer, when everyone is out in the fresh air and the natural world, to invite our youth to reflect on how the simple act of eating at a fast food restaurant may be disrespecting all we claim in the Genesis creation stories.

--Brian

7 WAYS TO GUARANTEE A LOUSY CHURCH CAMP

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:37:00 +0000

I'm off to church camp in a few days and, as my staff and I put the finishing touches on our planning for the week, I thought I'd pass on a few nuggets of wisdom for any of my fellow church camp leaders who are interested in doing things that will guarantee your youth have a lousy time:

1) Play games the first day that force physical interaction. Nothing will ensure that your shy teens and introverts have a terrible start to camp like making them participate in icebreakers and community builders the first day that force them to do things like getting tied into a human knot with a bunch of strangers or build a human pyramid. (Those "repeat everyone's name in order" games are pretty intimidating, too. Interaction is important, of course, but don't force it and don't introduce too much too fast!).

2) Do skits/pranks where someone is the butt of the joke. Don't you just love those camp skits where some unsuspecting teen gets a bucket of water dumped on his head (or down his pants) or a whipped cream pie pushed in her face? Don't you just love those pranks where the new kid gets his clothes thrown on the roof of the cabin and shampoo in her sleeping bag? (Well, many people don't. Even if the "victim" laughs and plays along, s/he may quietly resent being ridiculed for everyone else's amusement. I could write a book about the problem with camp pranks, but let's move on...)

3) Sing songs to which only alumni campers know the words. How much fun is it going to camps where there are those clever gimmick songs ("Star-Trekkin!") that only the teens who have been coming to that camp for 3 years know the words! Enjoy the hilarity as everyone else has to awkwardly stand around and just listen or else prove they are "one of the group" by anxiously memorizing the words by the end of the week! (This approach only serves to alienate new members of the camp community and sends a loud message: "You don't belong...yet.") Which leads us to #4...

4)Perpetuate inside jokes and "remember when" stories from camps past. Nothing is funnier than the counselors reminding everyone about "that wacky thing Phil did in the girl's cabin last year" or "the talent show skit that got Cindy into trouble with the staff," even though none of the younger campers have any idea what everyone is laughing at! (Again, this a great way to send the message "We of the inner circle have a history together. You gotta earn your way into the inner circle here by putting in your time.")

5) Encourage talent show acts that promote stereotypes and prejudices. What's a talent show without ethnic stereotypes (the napping Mexican in a sombrero, the "swami" with his head wrapped in a towel speaking gibberish). Is there some unwritten law that there must be camp talent show acts where guys dress in drag? (Ever stop to consider that for some teens, cross-dressing may be a reality in the life of a parent, relative, or friend...or may even be part of their developing gender identity?). And that leads us to #6...

6) Make a big deal about "purpling!" You know how it goes: boys are "blue" and girls are "pink" and if they get too close (e.g. amorous hugging, kissing, girls in the boys cabin and vice versa) they make "purple!" Talking about this a lot, particularly making a joke out of it, helps sends a silent message that we all know that everyone at camp is really fixated on hooking up and finding a date for the Friday night dance. (Not only does this sort of thing alienate the youth who are not sexually mature, it also sends confusing and often alienating signals to youth at camp who are not heterosexual or who are not certain of their sexual identity yet. Do you announce rules against "no double blues," "no double pinks," etc.?)

7) Program every minute of the week. Youth live over-programmed lives. Why shouldn't camp be the same way? (Maybe because one of the ways to make camp unique and special is to provide space for youth to be quiet, to hang out, to just "be" for awhile without any more stimuli than the feel of the breeze and the sounds of bees buzzing.)

Want to add any others? For more ideas on ways to create a lousy camp (and how to avoid one) check out this great post (and the comments section).

--Brian

CREATIVE WORSHIP: Choose-a-Song

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:22:00 +0000

Devoree, a long-time youth ministry colleague of mine, recently shared a cool idea for inviting teens to explore the intersection between their music and their prayer life. Devoree write:

We tried something new with the youth. For a time of sharing joys and concerns within the worship setting we gathered the youth in a circle and asked them to think about their week. We then asked them to reflect on their highs and lows and share a song that reflected those feelings. The response was good. Some said lyrics, some mentioned a mood, some said the style [of the song] represented how they were feeling that week. One had more than one song fitting the bill. The others responded to the sharer with nods and recognition. It was a good reflective piece allowing another way to communicate. In general music is important to youth. Even if you don't listen to the same music, it is sometimes easier to understand a feeling when expressed in terms of beat, style, poetry etc.

Dev suggests that you could extend this idea by inviting youth to think about music in terms of their faith and how the music and lyrics resonate with their understanding of the sacred. Another extension of this activity could involve inviting just one youth a week to bring in a song to play for the group -- a song that connects with their faith, their understanding of God, their doubts and fears, their joys. Spend time listening to the song together and reflecting on its content as a group, looking for God in each person's weekly gift of music.

PLANNING YOUR MISSION TRIP #2: Free Journal

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:50:00 +0000

NOTE: This is an update to a previous version of this post.

Each time I take youth on a mission trip, I provide them a journal as a resource for connecting their volunteer experiences with the gospel, as well as offering them space to do some reflection and jot down memories and significant happenings during the experience. Here you will find a Word version of the simple journal I produced last year, drawing on a variety of resources, which you can download (it can be edited, but the format may not come out quite right on your end). Daily scripture texts and questions are provided to help your whole group keep the focus on the true spirit of mission. If you'd prefer a pdf version of the journal (which cannot be edited, though it would be easy to add extra pages to personalize the document for you group) you can download it here.

You will find the first entry in this mission trip series here: Fundraising

--Brian

Blog Scavenger Hunt Winner!

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:32:00 +0000

Congrats to Brandi M. for winning this month's Youth Ministry Blog Scavenger Hunt contest. She will be getting a copy of Marking Milestones And Making Mem ories For Youth. Thanks to all who entered and don't miss next month's scavenger hunt. For the record, here are the answer to this month's questions:

1) Chad Swanzy recently detailed some of his youth ministry's plans for the summer. In it he mentions a creative summer program idea: "The premise with this event is that 48 hours before a scheduled T-Minus a map, items to bring, and challenge to meet will be posted on the site and facebook. Students will have less than 48 hours to be ready, prepared, and present at the event." What is the name of this special summer program which goes in the blank above?

2) Dan, author of the Emerging Youth's blog, describes in his personal description that his goal is to rethink the way youth ministry has been done and attempt to bring not just the message of Jesus but Jesus himself to the next generation of youth. What goes in that blank?

3) Each Monday Iowa youth minister Jake Bouma writes a not-to-be-missed post about interesting links he's found, what he's reading, what music he's listening to, updates on his ministry, and other cool stuff. What does he title these Monday posts? The Monday Brief.

4) At Marv Nelson's See Through blog, he recently has been writing about one particular individual's view of the Church. Who is it? Jesus.
(And you can see more of Marv's reflections on youth ministry at his new blog Emerging Youth Pastor.)

5) In one of Matt Cleaver's favorite posts, he argues that in the next 50 years youth minsters will need to become what? A Theologian.

On Youth Ministry & Open-Ended Questions

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:52:00 +0000

Do you already have life, faith, God and the world figured out or do you hope to learn more in years to come?

Ever wondered if you might have some of this faith stuff wrong? That what you believe today you may not believe in the future? I recently came across a post by a young youth minister who certainly has a great deal of certitude about what he believes. I wondered if I ever had that much certitude, especially when it came to faith.

I started working in youth ministry in my early twenties and even though I was already a "progressive" Christian way back then (though we called ourselves "liberal" in those days), I suppose that there were many issues of faith of which I was certain that I was certain. Ministering to youth afforded me the opportunity to pass on those great inviolate truths to the teens I served. Looking back, I'm not so sure that was such a good idea. If I've learned anything over the last two decades, it's that I still have a heck of a lot to learn and the things of which I'm absolutely certain, especially in the area of faith, would barely fill up a tiny communion cup. This I know: God is love, God loves all, and the Jesus of scripture lived out this ethic the best he could (and was killed for trying). Beyond that, I'm open to discussion...with conservatives, liberals, non-believers, and others alike.

So, I'm not so comfortable anymore with passing on "the answers" to teens. I'm much more wary about giving them certitude. I've changed my mind too often and learned enough to know that I've learned so little. My eyes have been opened to too many things to think I know it all now. The scriptures have opened up thoughts to me in my middle age that I would never have been open to hearing in my youth. The Spirit has moved in ways I could never have predicted and God has shown up in places and people I would have never have expected. So I'm content to help youth live with the questions, to wrestle with their doubts and learn to value the frustration of trusting, but not necessarily knowing, what this Christian faith is really all about.

--Brian

YOUTH MINISTRY BLOG SCAVENGER HUNT

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:22:00 +0000

Our monthly Youth Ministry Blog Scavenger Hunt invites you to visit some of our favorite youth blogs listed below in search of answers to our scavenger hunt questions.

After finding the answers (and, we hope, spending a little time checking out the various blogs), email us your answers. Everyone submitting 5 correct answers will then be entered into a random drawing for the following resource:

Marking Milestones And Making Mem ories For Youth: Looking Back…looking Forward (Hardcover)by Jason Schultz. This book uses a slick yearbook-style format to share tons of great ideas for creating rituals, traditions and memories in your youth ministry. It includes ideas in such categories as retreats, intergenerational activities, tearjerkers, service and outreach, fundraisers, and milestones.

OK. Here is your scavenger hunt list for May. When you have your answers ready, email us. Deadline is midnight Monday, June 1. Happy Hunting!

1) Chad Swanzy recently detailed some of his youth ministry's plans for the summer. In it he mentions a creative summer program idea: "The premise with this event is that 48 hours before a scheduled _______a map, items to bring, and challenge to meet will be posted on the site and facebook. Students will have less than 48 hours to be ready, prepared, and present at the event." What is the name of this special summer program which goes in the blank above?

2) Dan, author of the Emerging Youth's blog, describes in his personal description that his goal is to rethink the way youth ministry has been done and attempt to bring not just the message of Jesus but _________ to the next generation of youth. What goes in that blank?

4) At Marv Nelson's See Through blog, he recently has been writing about one particular individual's view of the Church. Who is it? (Update: You can see more of Marv's reflections on youth ministry at his new blog Emerging Youth Pastor.)

5) In one of Matt Cleaver's favorite posts, he argues that in the next 50 years youth minsters will need to become what?

Video: Small Town Youth Pastor

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:22:00 +0000

One of our favorite youth minstry blogger colleagues, Jeremy Zach, is featured in the lastest Youth Specialities video podcast. Congrats Jeremy! Scan ahead to the second part of the video where Jeremy talks about the ups and downs, struggles and blessings of ministering to a small youth ministry. He challenges the assumption that "bigger is better" and offers encouragement to pastors who might be able to count the number of youth in their church on two hands (or even one!).

COMMUNITY BUILDER: Group Draw!

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:45:00 +0000

Here is a community building activity that can be used both to promote teamwork and to introduce your meeting's discussion or study topic.

In this challenge, your teens will be asked to work together to draw one picture. Depending on the size of your ministry, you might do this activity as one big group or as several small groups. Come up with a simple or complex image or design on paper. If this activity is a lead-in to a discussion or Bible study, consider connecting the image to your topic. Divide your group into three teams, each with a specific task:

Visionaries: This is the only team that actually gets to see copies of the design or drawing you have created. The catch is that they are not allowed to speak. Their task is to help the other teams figure out what the design is. They may nonverbally answer questions put to them but they are not allowed to draw the image in the air or use gestures that show the design directly.

Prophets: This is the only team that is allowed to talk. They are not allowed to see the picture, but may ask as many questions as they like from the "visionaries" to help discover what is drawn on the paper.

Artists: This group works together to recreate the design on a flipchart or chalkboard that everyone else can see. They may not speak or in any way communicate with the other two teams, other than through listening. They stand with their backs to the other two teams.

The activity ends when the visionaries determine that the artists have accurately recreated the design. Debrief by asking the group to share their thoughts on the activity. Encourage them to reflect upon both the challenges and successes of their effort to work together as one community.

CREATIVE WORSHIP: Carrying Burdens

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:58:00 +0000

Place an assortment of rocks in a sturdy bag (the heavier the rocks the better). Invite your group to sit in a circle. Pass the bag around the circle, inviting each person to hold it, feel its weight, and think about what it would be like to carry this bag around with you all the time. Truth is, lugging around a heavy bag of rocks is much like the way we all carry around burdens and worries every day, often not sharing them with others who might help us bear the load.

Pass the bag around the circle a second time. For this go around, invite each person to take one rock out of the bag and share one personal burden, worry, or prayer concern with the group. After each person shares, have them place their rock in the center of the group, creating a makeshift altar. Before going on to next person say "God in your love..." and have the whole group respond "Hear our prayer." Conclude by sharing that, in the Hebrew scriptures, an altar of rocks is often created to mark a place where God has been experienced (see Gen: 28:1-17). When we take time to listen to one another and be part of each other's joys and concerns, we are experiencing God's presence in community. Invite the group to keep the altar intact somewhere in your youth space as a reminder to share and help carry each other's burdens.

You may even want to extend this activity by using the rocks to create a permanent prayer station in your youth room. Place small craft rocks and permanent markers around the altar and invite youth to approach the altar at any time, write a prayer concern on a rock, and add it to the pile. Groups members can then visit the prayer station regularly to see the concerns of their youth group friends.

DISCUSSION STARTER: Who Would Jesus Torture?

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:48:00 +0000

In 2004, many Christians poured into movie theaters to watch a film that focused almost entirely on a interpretive retelling of the torture of Jesus at the hands of the Roman government. Flash forward to 2009 and surveys seem to suggest that a majority of American Christians think the use of torture by their own government is acceptable practice. How are we called as followers of Jesus to respond to the issue of state-sponsored torture, particularly when done at the hands of our own government? How do we engage our youth in discussion around this important moral issue?

OPENING UP: Set the tone for this discussion by gathering some images (via the internet or news magazines) related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 9-11 attacks, and the Abu Ghraib prison. Display the images around the room, on the floor, or pass them out among the youth. Invite youth to share what words come to mind as they look at the various images.

Many youth will be familiar with the popular TV show “24.” In the last several years, “24” has become part of the torture debate. Its lead character, Jack Bauer, employs the use of torture in almost every episode in order to coerce a confession or needed information from terrorists. Show a clip like the one above from “24” and invite responses: How would you describe Jack Bauer’s character? What do you think of his actions in this scene? Would you view his actions differently if you had more of the context for his motivations? Why do you think that torture is often included as part of the plot in current TV shows and films (e.g. the “Hostel” and “Saw” movie franchises)?

REFLECTING: Share with the group the recent findings of a Pew Research survey which asked people of faith: “Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can often be justified, sometimes be justified, rarely be justified, or never be justified?” Results show that the more often Americans attend worship, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists. According to the survey, over half (54%) of those who attend worship services weekly reported that the torture of suspected terrorists was “often” or “sometimes” justified. Interestingly, the findings were different for those who seldom or never go to worship with only 42% of those individuals feeling torture was often or sometimes justified. Which group in the survey was most likely to believe torture is justified? White evangelical protestants. See here for a graphical depiction of the survey results to share with your group.

Invite youth to respond to the findings of this survey. Ask them to stand and position themselves on an imaginary line across the room, designating different points along the line as “often” “sometimes” “rarely” or “never.” Pose the question from the survey and invite each person to place themselves somewhere on the continuum. Follow up by seeing if they might change their position on the continuum by asking: “Would your answer differ depending on the identity of the person being tortured? Where would you be standing if the person to be tortured was a terrorist/ woman/ child/ a personal friend/ family member?” Other possible questions for reflection: What, if anything, surprises you about the findings of the survey? What might be the reason for the results the researchers gathered? Do you think there is a correct response on this issue for Christians? What might it be, in your opinion?

DIGGING IN: Explore some biblical texts related to this topic:

Genesis1:27 depicts all peoples as made in the image of God. What does this mean to you? If we abuse, torture, or denigrate another person, what effect, if any, do you think this has on God? Do you believe all people are made in the image of God? If not, who are the exceptions? If so, what does that say about how we are to treat others?

Luke 6:27-36 and Matthew 5: 44-45 speak of loving one’s enemies and doing good even to those who hurt us. Some argue that this only applies to personal relationships, not to countries. What do you think? What might these passages have to say to us about how we treat enemies during times of war? How do you see these passages providing any guidance to Christians on the possible use of torture?

John 11: 49-50 depicts the Jewish high priest Caiaphas declaring that it is better for one man to die than to destroy a whole nation. One argument for the justification of torture is that it may stop a "ticking time bomb" in which one piece of information might be able to stop the imminent death of thousands. What do you think? Can you justify the torture of one if it saves the lives of many? What conditions would you place on such a justification? Would it be okay to be 50% certain the person was guilty or would you want 100% certainty before allowing torture or would none of this matter to you?

Mark 15:15-37 describes the abuse, torture, and execution of Jesus at the hands of the Romans. Jesus was seen as an insurgent by the Roman empire, a political enemy of the state. He was legally tortured and executed by a recognized government. For Christians who follow a man who was tortured by a lawful government for presumed crimes against the state, what should be our response when our own government uses what they term "enhanced interrogation techniques" against suspected enemies? How do you imagine Jesus himself responding to the torturing of another person? How do you understand the idea of peace that Jesus speaks of in the gospels? How do you react to the argument that sometimes that peace is only possible through violence? As a Christian, what is your response to the issue of torture?

For more useful resources, see here.

Additional information: How do we define torture: This is the definition from the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1984:

For the purposes of this Convention, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions. The U.N. Convention said that “no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.”

--Brian

Rethinking Church Camp 2009

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:12:00 +0000

It's that time of year again when many a youth ministry turns its creative energy toward church camp.

I'll have to admit to doing a lot of rethinking, along with my co-blogger Jacob, over the past couple of years about just what church camp is all about. Why do we send teens to camp? What do we want to them to get from the experience? How is it different or the same from our regular youth ministry activities? Some of that out loud thinking can be seen in the helpful posts below:

Is the old model of church camp too program-driven?

Why fix what isn't broke?

How about a contemplative retreat approach to camp?

Make a labyrinth at camp? Why not?

Can your campers handle a "night of silence?"

Why not focus camp around spiritual practices?

Youth-created prayer stations at camp? Yes!

And don't missing this post from last year with a host of great camp ideas that were entered into our summer camp contest.

--Brian

COMMUNITY BUILDER: Group Pull-Up!

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Try this challenging but fun community builder to help your group learn to work together, listen to others, and celebrate what can be accomplished when they support one another.

Begin with two teens sitting on the floor, facing one another, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and toes touching. Instruct them to reach out their arms and grasp each other's wrists. Now holding on tightly, they are to stand up together. This really only works if they keep their feet touching and firmly planted and both lean back as they slowly stand. If done correctly, they stand together at the exact same time in one smooth move.

Now, add a third person to the mix, challenging them to use a similar approach to get all three to stand up together. The only real requirement is that they must all three stay connected together by their hands or wrists. Continue to repeat, adding more and more participants to the circle. As the group grows bigger, the teens will have to rethink who grabs who's wrists in order to have enough momentum to stand. I have had a group of about 20-25 who were able to do this all at once, but it takes teamwork and communication. One suggestion: The bigger the group, the more necessary it is for the teens to figure out that it won't work for two people next to each other to hold hands/wrists. To have enough tinsel strength, they will have to reach across the circle to hold hands/wrists with two different people. Those who are waiting to be added to the circle can take part in offering suggestions for solving the problem. Observe how well (or not!) the group communicates and allows different ideas to be shared. Debrief afterward about the need in community to listen to and support one another.

Senior Recognition Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob) — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Each spring, as we prepare for graduation, we host Senior Recognition Sunday. For the church I serve, this is a rite of passage. The morning begins with each senior invited to come before the congregation and share their future plans. Next, following worship, we have a lunch for the seniors, their families, and a special guest for each senior. The highlight of the lunch is when we go around the room and the parent, or guest, of each senior tells a special story about the graduate that connects them, in some way, with the church or an important event in their life. Some of the stories are serious, some sad, and some humorous. But, overall, it is a reminder that our stories are designed to intersect with the stories of the Bible.

One of the goals of Senior Recognition Sunday is to help our seniors recognize that as they graduate, they are not graduating from their faith. They are now preparing to enter a new transition in their lives where they carry their faith with them.

How about you? How do you affirm upcoming graduates in your ministry?

--Jacob

Quote of the Day: Tony Campolo

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Several bloggers I follow have been or will be doing the 30 Hour Famine (an excellent experiential opportunity for youth). Any time the issue of responding to world hunger comes up, I'm reminded of my favorite evangelical, Tony Campolo, and this priceless quote:

“I have three things I’d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don’t give a shit. What’s worse is that you’re more upset with the fact that I said shit than the fact that 30,000 kids died last night.”

And for a further understanding of why I, a progessive Christian, would love to sit down and chat with Tony, see the video below.

--Brian

Great Youth Ministry Ideas: Surprise Your Volunteers

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Joel at The Mayward Blog has posted a simple but creative way to show appreciation for your youth ministry volunteers: give them the night off...by having them show up for youth group:

Last night, I surprised our volunteer junior high staff by giving them the night off. At the beginning of the evening, I called all the staff up on stage and the students gave them a hearty round of applause. They were sent off with Gus the Intern to the Cheesecake Factory for some dessert and fellowship, all expenses paid.

10 Ideas for Rethinking Sunday School

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:02:00 +0000

Almost a year ago we began a reconsidering the traditional approaches to Sunday morning Christian education with youth. Some in the youth ministry blogosphere have recently called for the end of Sunday school as we know it. While it might seem easiest to simply jettison Sunday morning classes for youth (after all, what teen wants to get up early on Sunday morning?), I'm not ready yet to give up one of the few weekly hours we have with our teens. So rather than just telling our youth to sleep in, I'd suggest rethinking the current model.

Most churches are likely still using a variation of the Sunday school model developed in the late 1700's in England. At that time, church schools grew up as a way to educate the poor in the basics of reading and writing. They also served to provide underprivileged children, who worked the other six days of the week, a place to go on Sundays where they could be supervised and get a basic education while receiving religious instruction. They were, literally, schools. And we've held onto that concept right up to today, with children still sitting around tables, still doing fill-in-the-blank worksheets and still memorizing scripture verses.

In short, many churches have failed to adapt to the changes in culture over the past century. It's time to rethink the purpose of religious education for youth. If our primary goal is not to simply pour dogma into their heads but rather to be companions with them on their journey of faith, "Sunday school" might look quite different. A few suggestions:

1) Get rid of the curriculum - Our task is to mentor teens -- not to teach lessons. Youth go to school five days a week and don't need one more day of school on Sunday. So let's stop focusing on getting through the prescribed lesson plans and focus instead on the individuals. Throw away the workbooks and worksheets. Allow the "curriculum" to grow organically from current issues and themes that are important to your particular students. Tie biblical study to newspaper articles, current movies, tv shows, stories or problems your teens are facing in their daily lives. Generate a list of moral/ethical/what if questions and get your youth talking. Out of these discussions can grow all sorts of clues as to what they need the most in the way of theological guidance.

2) Create a relaxed setting - No more sitting around tables or in rows of chairs facing a speaker/teacher. Use your youth room or any space with comfortable seating arranged in a circle. I'm not advocating the notion of a youth room crammed with distractions like video games and loud music. Rather, what youth need is a comfortable space where they feel free to share and talk.

3) Get out of the building - Why does Christian education have to take place in the church? Why not make use of a nearby coffee or donut shop, a park or the church lawn?

4) Turn your teens into teachers - Some youth, who will never set foot in a Sunday school class, will more than happily teach younger children. Partner interested youth with adult mentors and allow them to help with your children's classes. They will likely learn more as teachers than they ever did as students.

5) Make it intergenerational - Youth ministry is moving away from a teen-centered model to a church-centered model. It's time we stop isolating teens so much from the wider church fellowship. Look for ways to connect your youth with the adults and vice versa. Working from an idea of Jacob's and connecting it to another interesting idea from this blog, we've spent this past school year inviting various adults from the church to come to the youth class and be interviewed about their faith. The teens came up with five basic questions about God, Jesus, scripture, and the Church and invited each interviewee to talk for about 20 minutes. At the end of the time, the guest leaves and we spend the rest of the hour debriefing what they shared. Not only have our youth been exposed to a variety of understandings of faith, but they've had a chance to deepen their relationships with many adults in the church. We need to continue to look for ways, such as this, to bring our adults and youth together for education. How about semi-regular Sunday morning forums for all ages, focused on social justice/cultural/theological topics of interest to adults and teens?

6) Offer a variety of experiences - Familiar with the workshop rotation model of Christian education? Typically used with children, this approach invites the learner to focus on a single biblical text for several weeks in a row, each time experiencing the story in a different way such as drama, cooking, mission projects, movies, science, writing, art, and so on. There is no reason this same approach would not work with teens, allowing you to tap into their different intelligences and learning styles. One side benefit of this model is that it works best the more adults you involve as leaders of different workshops. Tap the artists, the musicians, the scientists, and the chefs in your congregation to come work with the youth.

7) Partner with Parents - I imagine that many of us who have trouble getting teens to come to Sunday school are also dealing with parents who don't come to Sunday school. Why not provide an opportunity for the two groups to come together? Offer a short term "family group" and see what happens. Get youth and parents sharing about their faith, their values, and their views of the needs of the world. Work your way toward a family retreat weekend. Take turns having parents and youth help you lead the discussion and study. (And don't worry too much if your youth say "We don't want our parents in our class!" After all, our call is to offer youth what they need -- not necessarily what they want.)

8) Practice spiritual disciplines - Just like anything else, spiritual disciplines take practice. Consider offering opportunities each week for youth to experience prayer stations, or to try lectio divina, or simply to observe the Sabbath through rest (I have one student who would love to spend Sunday school time each week just laying on a couch in the youth room napping or reading a book!). The excellent site Way To Live provides a host of resources for introducing youth to a variety of spiritual practices.

9) Team up with other churches - My church reaches a critical mass in Sunday school by partnering with the Presbyterian church across the street. Make the ecumenical move and see if there are other neighborhood churches who would like to join you in developing a cooperative Sunday morning program.

10) Create short-term experiences - Keep youth interested by regularly reforming the Sunday morning experience. You might spend time in the fall focused on planning and carrying out mission projects. In Advent, turn the group into a drama team and prepare a series of skits to augment the worship services. In the winter, transform into a film series and tie your discussion to movies selected by the youth. When spring rolls around, study other faiths and denominations and arranging visits to other churches and places of worship. Int the summer, morph into a photography club, inviting youth to create a group photo show based on "images of God" that they find in the neighborhood around the church or throughout your city.

Bonus Idea: Still can't get youth to come to church on Sunday morning no matter how creative your approach. Well, who says Sunday school has to happen on Sunday morning. Let your teens sleep in! Gather after worship for lunch and study, or the hour before or after your regular evening youth meeting. For those youth willing to make the commitment, the extra time and attention from their youth leaders and friends will be a plus.

Of course, this is just a sampling of creative approaches to Sunday morning Christian education for teens. To know what is right for your youth and your church, gather together a small group of those who can help you rethink what you are doing and why. Once you have a clear sense of what you want to offer teens and what you help to accomplish, begin brainstorming how to get there.

--Brian

SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST WINNER

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Congrats to the randomly-selected winner of our first youth ministry blog scavenger hunt: Kristin, minister to youth for a Baptist church in Virgina. She will receive two free resources: Worship Feast: 50 Complete Multisensory Services for Youth and Worship Feast DVD: Prayer Stations. Thanks to all those who entered and for your encouraging words. Several of you mentioned that the scavenger hunt turned your attention to some great new blogs. More scavenger hunts to come in the near future so if you have a youth ministry blog you'd like us to possibly feature, let us know.

Great Youth Ministry Ideas: "The Amazing Face"

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:54:00 +0000

Youth minister Jason has posted a great outline at his blog of a project he's been developing for awhile called "The Amazing Face." Focused on the helping young people raise their awareness about homelessness, this event uses the format of the reality tv show "Amazing Race," sending teams out into the city to experience first-hand what it is like to live on next to nothing, while also finding out about all the ministries and organizations that serve the homeless. He lays out how he organized the event and provides descriptions of what happened to his youth as they worked their way through the challenge:

They had not even crossed the street when they found themselves waiting at the corner next to a man pushing a cart with all of his belongings. Literally one block later they were passing guys in ties and women in fancy dresses going to eat at the elite restaurants downtown. Lesson number four about homelessness became the fact that we shop and dine right next door to those who are going without and we should pray that God gives us eyes to see those in need.

You can read the entire post here and then consider whether you might be inspired to develop a similar challenge in your town or city.

Rethinking Youth Ministry on Twitter

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:18:00 +0000

You may have noticed that Rethinking Youth has made the jump to Twitter. Though apparently we are supposed to be using it to update you regularly on what cereal we are having for breakfast or how bored we are at work, we actually only post links to useful, interesting, or thoughtful youth ministry blogs, articles, and websites. Check out our latest updates a little further down on the left side of this page and then start following us on Twitter to keep up on all the links we share.

CREATIVE WORSHIP: Teens on the Road 2 Emmaus

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:41:00 +0000

Preparing to preach on the "Road to Emmaus" story this week, I've invited a bunch of folk to share with me any experiences they may have had of the risen Christ. For the cover of the bulletin, I asked our communications minister Ron to create the image for me that you see below: a painting of Christ and the disciples walking together on the road to Emmaus but with the disciples cut out. The challenge of the image is to project yourself into the experience. To consider where/how/when you have been surprised to find the risen Christ in your midst. What if you posed this same challenge to your youth? That is exactly what Jason at the Livefish blog did when he asked his group one night to share "where they had encountered God in a place they least expected."

In a time of worship at a youth gathering, share the Emmaus story from scripture (Luke 24:13-39). Next, provide a copy of the image below to all in the group. Ask them for their response to the image in light of what they've just heard. Encourage them to project themselves into the image -- to see themselves perhaps as the unnamed disciple walking with Jesus. Ask: What might keep you from recognizing Jesus even when he's right next to you? What might have to happen for you to open your eyes to Christ's presence?

As an act of offering, invite youth to share experiences of times they were surprised to find God/Christ in their very midst (I just had a student share with me an experience of meeting Christ in an encounter at a frat party when he saw a campus ministry friend of his drunk and throwing up! No telling how your teens might respond to this challenge so expected the unexpected.)

It's interesting to note that scholars have been unable to show historical evidence that a town called "Emmaus" ever existed. John Dominic Crossan, reflecting on this, suggests that Emmaus never happened--rather, it always happens. It happens over and over, not just to those in the past, but to those of us in the here-and-now whenever we open ourselves to noticing Christ in the world around us and in our willingness to "be Christ" in our welcoming of others.

--Brian

Reminder: Youth Ministry Blog Scavenger Hunt Ends Soon

brianskirk@yahoo.com (Brian) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:30:00 +0000

The entries continue to come in to our first Youth Ministry Blog Scavenger Hunt. You have until midnight Sunday April 26 to email us the answerd to the five questions and to be entered for our youth ministry resources give-away. And if your blog was not highlighted in this hunt, don't despair. There are more scavenger hunts to come. Good luck!