CHAD SWANZY

GOT QUESTIONS? SECULAR MUSIC.

2010-03-11T15:18:00.003-06:00

I'm a new Youth Pastor straight our of college, the church I got hired at is somewhat traditional, the parents are old school, many don't even come to church but some are hard core old school. What are your thoughts on secular music during a game?

I don't know your community well but regardless of what they are like the best thing you can do for yourself is to bring your youth leaders in on your intentions and why you feel it will add to the program. Make sure your reason is clear. Ask them if they object, have any questions, or if they are even opposed. You can do this as a group of leaders or in one on one meetings. They have been there longer than you and their collective voice can help you in some instances like this. Parents if upset will always go to other parents, your youth leaders they have buy in with, or your boss. When they do it should not take your pastor by surprise and your youth leaders need to be able to represent you on your position to them.

We use secular music not just with the games but even in our worship sets. My filter for selection is based on language and provacitive suggestion. If a song contains one of them then we don't use it. For us we can instantly create energy with fast paced music. We can also convey a topic's distress or feel with a song they know. It helps us break down walls.

Express your filter.
Express your intent.
Bring key people on board.

Here is a list of recent songs we've used in games.

Be Somebody
Brick By Boring Brick
Don't You (Forget About Me)
Down
Evacuate The Dancefloor
Fireflies
Hey Ya!
I Would Die 4 U
I'm So Sick
It's Not Unusual
Love Story
Major Tom
Meet Me Halfway
No One
Party In the U.S.A.
The Safety Dance
Viva La Vida
You Found Me

TO ASK ME A QUESTION CLICK HERE.

EVERY TUESDAY

2010-03-11T13:34:00.001-06:00

RUNDOWN

7:00 PM Students show up and leaders engage students in conversation.
7:15 PM Food is served and students continue with laughter and conversations.
7:45 PM Someone starts yelling... "5 Minutes!"
7:50 PM Students move into the main room for worship. Lyrics are typed on handouts.
8:00 PM Students worship and pray.
8:30 PM Students break into small groups throughout the house for Bible study.
9:30 PM Groups close and are dismissed.
9:59 PM The last student leaves.

GOT QUESTIONS? POURING MY HEART OUT.

2010-03-11T11:52:00.003-06:00

Sir, some are very indifferent and some care about others. It does upset me, the lack of spiritual immaturity, do you have a list of steps to start turning it around. I feel like I am doing a bad job. I pour my heart out to them and they don't get it?

First, God is not surprised nor did it catch him off guard that you are shepherding the students he has given you. So often we think that the condition of those around us are a direct reflection of our leadership but when we take things to an extreme it's very much the opposite of Matthew 11:30.

"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

If everything in your student ministry was perfect would you take the credit for it? No, you would give God the glory. It would be ridiculous to assume it had to do with your prolific speaking ability, incredible team management skills, or your relevant frame of mind. It would be prideful for you to talk like that.

This is harder to absorb than to apply but it's the same way when you feel insufficient as a leader. In other words you are saying, "God, I don't like the circumstances around me or how things are with the program. This is not how I would have had things be." It's like we're expecting God to say, "You're right. You're a total failure at this. I can't work with you." Does that sound like your Lord God talking to you?

That's us talking for God believing that everything that happens is dependent on us. I am so familiar with this because I have to fight it in my own life all of the time.

The life of a teenager is a roller coaster on steroids. You have to trust God completely and have a frame of mind that understands the reality that he is in control. You are more like a pioneer than a developer. You are exploring new territory with them in their life and acting as a guide. You cannot make them do what they don't want to do. This is why the work of the Holy Spirit is so important. This is also the reason why relational ministry is the highest impacting style of ministry that you can endeavour to do. It is also the hardest style.

Some practical tips.
1. Do not think that every student in your group should want to grow. This is not plausible. Some are in process, some are committed, and some are unaware.
2. Never think about what you don't have. Think about what you do have. If you rministry has maybe only 2-3 students who are teachable, hungry, and faithful you grab those kids and help them be light to the others.
3. Don't leave the others behind. If 30% of the group is moving toward Jesus you can cultivate that but if the other 70% are not you still have a responsibility to love them where they are at and help them take that next step no matter how small.
4. Have you clearly defined the steps?
Example: Some of you in this room have crossed that line toward God. You came for awhile asking questions and thinking but now you are totally on board and have made what Christ did on the cross count for you. If you've done that your next step is to identify yourself with Christ in this community. So you've got to let one of us know so that we can get you plugged in.
*** Make that step easy.***
I will be in the back tonight to talk to anyone who has questions or who wants to talk about that line. If you don;t have time tonight you can email me.
5. Think about their next step.
Example: Savanah, I'm so proud of you. You're going to continue to have questions and things that will stretch you like this step did. You need to come to Julie's house on Tuesday night. Carol, Diane, Cody, and Christina go as well. All we do is have talks over dinner about our day, stuff we like, and faith. I'm gonna call you on Tuesday after school? Do you need a ride?
6. Environments. This is pretty much all we do in student ministry. We create environments for people to take that next step. Here's the deal aout environments.. you can't do several things in the same environment. Don't try to reach the non-believer and at the same time feed the believer. You're not going to do both at the same time very well. Creating seperate environments for this will help you with energy and expectations.
7. They are getting it. God is not a liar and he promised that his Word will not return void. It's extremely powerful. Seriously.

Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

I got a couple of books below that I'm reccomending to you.

TO ASK ME A QUESTION CLICK HERE.

GOT QUESTIONS? NUMERICAL GROWTH.

2010-03-10T23:46:00.003-06:00

God Bless you for answering questions. My youth group is not growing numerically, I have about 10 kids, I work 2 full time jobs so I can't be at schools? My kids are growing spiritually, should i be disappointed that I don't have more kids?

You should not be disappointed in the growth of the group numerically. Take a deep breath and think through the students you have. Where are they at in their faith? If you feel they are growing, what are the elements you are gauging their growth by? As much as you want them to reach out to their friends and influences you also want them to equally love God and love others.

At the purest form of numeric growth there is the basics. The basics are that Christ died for our sins and is risen. The Great Commandment is God's way of telling us that there is a mission and we get to be used in it. Are your students excited about that? Where are the gauges or evidence that this permeates their thoughts, words, and actions? How are they loving each other and pushing each other toward Jesus and how are they loving the lost and being a light that pushes back darkness?

If they are on mission in their spiritual growth and looking for where Jesus is working it may not mean that their friends will darken the door but it will probably mean that you will meet them and that your kids will speak of them when you ask.

Eventually you will want growing influence for the kids you lead and the kids they are trying to reach within your program. If your students begin to act indifferent or are not concerned with other people outside of the group, act exclusive, or become a clique then this is when you need to be upset. Indifferece is unacceptable and quite honestly a sign of spiritual immaturity.

TO ASK ME A QUESTION CLICK HERE.

GOT QUESTIONS? GOING SOMEWHERE NEW.

2010-03-10T16:40:00.005-06:00

I've recently been hired to be the Student Ministries Dir. I know full well that I'll be bringing my 'baggage' w/ me in a new context. What should I do/not do in my 1st few months? What are some mistakes that I can avoid? Best steps to take upon arrival?

Great question! I will do my best to answer it.

First step... create your filter for the baggage. You refer to baggage and we all have it. It's going to be hard for you to completely dismiss previous scars. Depending on the depth of your baggage though you may need to talk to someone outside of where you came from and where you are going. It can't be your spouse or family alone. Someone you trust and someone you know who is not going to tell you what you want to hear. They should also be someone who can be the go to each week for the first year of your tenure at your new church. That might sound overwhelming but you know how hard it is in ministry and pain usually comes in slow building layers that if left unchecked will demand to be unleashed and usually at the surprise of everyone around you. With the baggage outlet you hopefully will be able to give the new people in your life credit that the others took from you or that you took from yourself. It is not their fault nor have they been where you came from so those two points should speak loud and clearly to you as you buld relationships with them. When things surface from them that look a lot like where you came from and the pain you went through arises you will be able to have someone to bounce it off of until you feel more secure. Always consider yourself the source of your own fears in the way you receive people or new environments.

Second step...strip it down to the basics. Before you arrive you need to write down the top five things that matter the most with you in student ministry. It can be form, function, substance, or vision. When the list is finished you have to pick only three. These are the only three things you're going to try to accomplish, birth, or change in the first two years. Three is plenty. This is also the only three things you will talk about. Examples: relational ministry, big events, trainning. Now, don't act on them until you've spent your first six months worth of energy in step three.

Step three... listen to what they say and what they don't say. Bring your team together and let them know that you're only interested in knowing them as individuals in the beginning but that as a group there will be hanging out and coming together around what's already happening in student ministry. You want to meet with each person seperately at least 3 times within that first six months depending on how big the team is. If you can meet more great but have balance and give everyone equal distribution of your time and energy. What are you doing over a cup of coffee? Listening. Listen to what they say when they talk about their family, Christ, the church. ministry. Everyone is going to have a ton of ideas and some will be more excited than others to hear what you have to say but you don't know them and they really don't know you. When they answer a question you need to extract as much as you can out of them when it comes to passion and what they wish they could do. Pay paticular attention to people who talk about the three things you wrote on your list and to the people who didn't. You're not keeping score but instead identifying potential people to lead thru or cultivate more. Somewhere between 4-6 months you can start to make changes. Think also about the teams you want to have in the program and who is in the room that can lead them. You're going to find out these things as you talk to them.

*** Also, if people leave right before or right after you get there don't take it personal. A lot of times people use a change in leadership to go ahead and act on something they have already been thinking that they will do. Nobody if they come in listening and building community should deserve the blame if people bolt.

Here are some questions.
What made you want to get involved in youth ministry?
What do you do? - This is probably the single most identifying question. Listen to this answer because it will be answered with emotional attachment and sense of worth or value to the team.
What do you wish you could do?
Who are some students you connect with?
What kind of student do you not connect well with?
Get them also to talk aout their family?
This is a question you need to ask as well... Tell me how you first started your journey toward God?
What do you think is the most important thing we do as a youth group?
Use these phrases... tell me more, explain that. (Get in their head.)

Hey... if I didn't answer your question well let me know and tell me how I can help you more. Great question but I'm running out of blog.

TO ASK ME A QUESTION CLICK HERE.

THIS IS ANDY

2010-03-10T12:30:00.001-06:00

I came to Gateway two years ago this April. It has been quite a ride. At Flamingo Road Church I served as the Global Student Ministries Director overseeing the main campus of about 470 students and 60 leaders as well as organizing and equiping volunteers for student ministry for the other four campuses including the Lima, Peru campus. I learned alot from great people at FRC. I think of them often.

In fifteen years of student ministry I have seen a lot of different kinds of leaders and students. I can say great things about many of them because there have been alot of great people that have helped with youth where God has put me.

With Andy there are two things that I want to say.

When I came here he was the full time student pastor who also was a full time student at UT. Of all the people that could have led an assault against change and my presence he would have been the one who could have strategically done the worst. If he was ever tempted to leverage his voice against things it would have been arduous to overcome. Instead, he trusted God and sometimes, even in the face of opposition, paved the way for understanding and acceptance. I came with a tremendous amount of intensity for the Uprising and a high degree of impatience for talking about change but not doing it. Unknowingly I created a lot of tension that took me months to figure out and redeem. Andy never flinched when those who came with concerns arose. Andy was not the only one who loved well here but, among them all, there are not many people who could have absorbed letting go of their position and support so strongly the one who filled their spot. He was able to do so because the man is brimming over the top with Jesus.

The last thing is that I have never ever in my entire life nor in my entire career seen anyone that even comes close to having the instantansous connectivity to students relationally that he has. Ever. Andy has this insane ability to extract from students their pain, weaknesses, and temptations so that he can push them toward Jesus and heal their pain. When students are done talking to Andy they feel look like and act like they just got done walking out of their favorite concert or roller coaster ride. It's clinic on Tuesday night in our high school house churches as well as a clinic on Wednesday night when he speaks. He loves his brothers in Christ well, loves his lady relentlessly, serves the hard to serve in Younglife, and dies daily to self.

Andy wrote the lines you see below. He also spun the talk intro featured at the last during a series we did on social justice.

Be a shaker, stage a sit-in
join a march and make a speech

Raid a brothel, mentor children
visit prison, write a story

Dig a well, be a father
smuggle bibles, coach a team

Paint a mural, love an orphan
be a mother, stage a coup

For Christ's sake, throw a brick
light a fire, tip a car
In a crooked world of people
He made His kids to be like stars
So when all your friends are eating
discussing just how dark things are
Don't just speak of revolution
inside coffee shops and bars

Yes,
raise a glass,
make a toast,
cast a vision,

But please,
throw a brick,
love a neighbor,
get on mission.

GOT QUESTIONS? RESTRICTIONS ON CAMP?

2010-03-10T10:57:00.002-06:00

When taking kids to camps or conferences, do you allow anyone to go or do you put a cap on who you take. Any restrictions like they have to come so often or at least come to a class or service?

I have no restrictions. Camp is always a missional endeavour for us. Our retreats go deeper but even there we have no restrictions. I only put restrictions on a missions trip. We always have students who come to camp and have never been to our program before. This always amazes me. As long as they agree with the rules they are good to go.

On this note I do have one rule and that is that I never give a student a full ride. Ever. I can find work for a student or help them earn money. If they have worked hard we will pay the rest for what they owe but we have an application for scholarship and a cap on what we can distribute.

When they go for free and then whip out the wad of cash at Burger King on the way while sporting their brand new pair of kicks you always get this uneasy feeling.

Every year though I have that one kid who does deserve help and wants to work to get it. Usually that kid also doesn't want to ask for help. Hope this helps. Keep 'em coming.

Ask me anything

PONG POLO

2010-03-10T07:15:00.000-06:00

How many times does this happen? You're hanging out with students and keeping them entertained when all of a sudden because of sheer boredom you start to mess around and invent a game. This past Sunday before we started our Deepen Service a group of about 10 of us invented some Pong Polo.

Everyone gets a ping pong paddle. A garbage can is placed at either end of the rooms length. Two teams on teh court. Players bounce the ping pong ball on the paddle advancing it to their goal. They can pass it to another player or take awicked shot at the can. It also requires good scooping technique for when the ball is on the ground as well as some degree of checking players. We will be playing live this Sunday night, 03/14/10 at 6pm CST. Here is our Facebook Fan Page that I started yesterday. I will be building connection with the students who play and making it sweet. Yes I made the logo. Yes, I'm looking for corporate sponsorship.

What is a game that you made up with your students that ended up being most triumphant?

THEINTERSECTION.TV INTERVIEW

2010-03-09T14:57:00.001-06:00

I'm on a website called theintersection.tv. This is an interview for a segment called Zeigeist where we talk about culture, mediocrity, and salsa. It's a little of everything.

THEINTERSECTION.TV

By the way if you have any questions about student ministry or leading students formspring is a great way to submit your questions. I also appreciate your comments.

MEET THE STAFF INTERVIEWS

2010-03-08T21:03:00.000-06:00

The video from above was one of many staff interviews that our internet campus pastor, Vince did for Gateway. It was fun to sit in the hot seat with Vince. Enjoy the video above.

Youth Hacks Podcast, Episode 28

2010-03-08T12:59:00.003-06:00

So last week I got a chance to be on youthhacks.com. Josh and Joel broke me in as I had never been interviewed on a podcast. This is one of those things where you listen to yourself and realize... do I sound like that all the time?

Enjoy.

Youth Hacks Podcast, Episode 28

Posted using ShareThis

INWARDLY FOCUSED OUTWARDLY BLIND

2010-03-06T12:11:00.000-06:00

There are a few things that are not sitting well with me today.

1. People seek approval and sometimes confuse making their leaders happy as being on mission. They will pour all their energy into an event or project because it is attached to a high profile figure. That leader can transition their energy into any opportunity. The person seeking approval doesn't care what the leader says is worth their energy and will do whatever they say even if it is something that they are mindlessly engaging in. Given time there is no way that anybody could sustain that kind of blind committment and not have one single instance of doubt or question. Which leads me to the problem; people are tempted to let someone else wrestle with their destiny and direction and never give so much as one thought to the reality that God may have something else completely planned for them. What am I asking those I lead to do? Am I selling them short of what God is calling them to?

2. We baby people way too much in ministry. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. Jesus said in the beginning of his ministry, "come and follow me." At the end he would say, "Come and die." The pursuit of a Christ like life is a battlefield of dying to self, sacrifice for the King, and trials that lead to your next step. What do we do in the church? We beg and push people to places where they are not doing life to rub shoulders once a quarter with a group of people they will not have to face, love, or invest in the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. We think this will help them to live a servant life within the three mile radius of their home if they are not already doing so and it will not. Not this generation and not for our people. Are we that afraid to change the conversation on Sunday morning? It's a pseudo "sending out" that without knowing how to be on mission everyday where they do life only succeeds in pacifiying conviction by offering a cheap and distant second to the life they could lead.

SNUGGIE VIDEO MADE BY 1 OF MY STUDENTS

2010-03-06T08:11:00.000-06:00

This is pretty funny. Feed readers may need to visit the blog.

DITCH THE DRESS FOR YOUNGLIVES PROMO

2010-03-06T07:37:00.003-06:00

We threw this video around on Facebook after Cat and her committee finished putting up the dresses for her fundraiser today. 456 dresses.

456 DRESSES for Ditch the Dress

2010-03-05T21:44:00.001-06:00

Younglives Fundraiser

formspring.me

2010-03-05T12:17:00.002-06:00

what's the last song you were listening to?

No One, Alicia Keys.... this was also the last song I danced to with my lady

Ask me anything

Andy Baxter on the mic.

2010-03-03T20:22:00.001-06:00

week 2 Jesus O.o

WHOOT! FOR THE WIFE!

2010-03-03T16:45:00.000-06:00

I've blogged a few times about my wife jumping on board with the mission of Younglives. She has been building her committee and team now for about five months. Their first fundraiser is happening this weekend. It's called Ditch the Dress. Basically college students and young women have been ditching their prom dress and donating it to Younglives in Northwest Austin. Cat has about 275 dresses and so this weekend they will be selling them to the public for $25 to $50. They're awesome dresses and the money goes to Younglives.

Fashionably Austin got a hold of the event information and will be coming this Saturday to do a report on her event. We're pretty excited about this. Check out Fashionably Austin's blog. Join the Ditch the Dress Facebook Fan Page and spread the word about the event. You can share the event page on Facebook and RSVP as well. Please post it to your profile.

MARCH MADNESS SERIES

2010-03-02T17:27:00.001-06:00

I wanted to share with you our series in March. We are going to create some energy and capitalize on some tournament themes you might see with the NCAA tournament.

Week 1 - Win or Go Home - Every year teams know that their next game could be their last and they got to go all out. We take a look at the story of Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendego.

Week 2 - The Cinderella Story - Every year some team you that has no business being on the court makes it to the tourney and then up the rounds. Their rise is a total surprise and that's why we love it. We look at the life of Esther.

Week 3 - The Underdog - Inprobable odds never matter to the team that has no hope or chance of slaying the #1 seed but every year somebody takes them down. You guessed it... Daivd and Goliath.

Note: We don't have a graphic yet so the pic above just made sense for the post. Enjoy.

HYPE

2010-03-02T15:44:00.000-06:00

Getting students excited about an event or talk seems to be one of the regular staples of work that we get to do in student ministry. It can be very rewarding to create and see God move as students attend and experience life change but it can also create stress and pain for our team or even ourselves.

Here are some thing to keep in mind as we create noise for an event or talk.

1. Ask questions. Why am I doing this event? Who is it for? What is my goal? How are we going to get there? When will we know we've arrived? How will it come together? There are all kinds of questions to ask but as you build and plan for your event the more you will need questions to shape your thinking. The more you are thinking the more secure you will become in what you are doing.

2. Clear communication. Once you move from questions to initiatives you must communicate those initiatives to your team. If you don't you will end up with ambiguity and people do whatever is right in their own eyes. Sometimes what they do is good but there are times when it can be disastrous. You must remove all doubt thru communication. This is personally an area that I'm always growing in.

3. Plan B. What will you do if it rains? Supplies don't show up? The price changes? etc. You better have an alternate plan.

4. Realize your limitations. All you can do is create the environment. You can't make students take spiritual steps. That is God's work. Pray for that work and make sure your leaders are helping to remove walls and barriers relationally.

5. Build thru teams. If you do everything... sometimes they will let you. Your team is there to help you but make sure you help them with clear boundaries, empowerment, encouragement, and vision for them to repeat the same thing among those they lead with as well.

6. Analyze. Where did it go right? Where did it go wrong? How could it have been better? What can we learn from the experience.

7. Walk away. Don't kill yourself afterwards with feelings of failure or misplaced glory. If it tanked and you did your very best to prepare then you have to practice what you preach and trust God. If it succeeds you don't absorb what belongs to God in praise or your team in celebration.

Special Events for Youth Groups

formspring.me

2010-03-02T10:36:00.001-06:00

What importance to teaching the Bible, verse by verse or developing your students Biblicaly as opposed to Just topics in your ministry? Struggling with that here in Albuquerque, New MexicoToddGenesis Fellowship

Our ministry is broken down into two environments. We have house churches that meet on Tuesday nights. They are student led and each house has anywhere from 20-25 students. We teach straight from the Bible in that venue going verse by verse thru a chapter.

Our second environment is on Wednesday night and it is seeker situated. We speak on hot topics as they are resolved by Biblical truth. We try to get the best of both worlds for our students realizing that not every student is ready to absorb the next step.

Ask me anything

THE THOUSANDTH POST

2010-02-26T10:08:00.002-06:00

I was planning on making a big deal out of this but in the end this is pretty much all I have time for. Thanks for reading my blog and for all of my faithful followers it means a lot to me that you stop here to journey with me in leading students. I hope everything has been helpful in giving you encouragement to reach wonderful, awesome, and beautiful kids.

O.o

2010-02-25T09:55:00.001-06:00

We're doing a series on the person of Christ and looking at the awkward or double take things about Jesus that makes him set apart from ourselves and everyone else for that matter.

Week 1 - Jesus had compassion on the crowd.

Week 2 - Jesus ignored social barriers.

Week 3 - Jesus told the truth.

CANYON VISTA WYLDLIFE

2010-02-22T19:50:00.002-06:00

This is Taylor Woodward. He leads the CVWyldlife team. Reach out and support your local younglife ministry.

FACEBOOK AD CAMPAIGN FOR WHITEOUT

2010-02-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

I posted earlier our lead video for WHITEOUT that we are using on facebook to push kids to register for the event. I also posted the teaser for crud war. Today i'm adding below the teaser for the band that is playing and our theme night for the 80's roller skating party. Enjoy. I also wrote a note on Facebook for kids to share with their friends, and setup an event page. Our luck with the event page is that only 2/3 of our eventual participants respond. The other 1/3 are verbal or show up the day of. You know how that is. Just thought you would like to see that as well. I will also change my profile pic to the lead graphic or another graphic. Our leaders follow suit. We try not to spam the kids or be invasive. Oh and the kids register here.