This is an excellent article for parents about Instagram:

Parents: A Word about Instagram by Sarah Brooks

One of the volunteers at my church who works with our middle and high school girls sent me an article by her friend Sarah Brooks about Instagram. It is a well-written, insightful piece highlighting the spiritual, psychological and social dynamics at work in the lives of teenagers.

Parents: A Word about Instagram by Sarah Brooks

Share the link with your parents and teenagers.

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Parent Resources Category

Do you pay taxes on the interns you hire for the summer or do you pay them as contract labor?

One year I spent nearly $700 in taxes for one summer intern.

The same amount we would pay an intern for two weeks of work is sent to the federal government simply because our interns are employees and not contract labor.

It is attractive to treat interns as contract labor, but it is unlikely that you can do so legally. Ignorance of the legal distinctions may be bliss, but that bliss will only last until you get an IRS audit.

The difference between an employee and an independent contractor is largely connected with control. If you have the level of control over an intern that I believe is necessary, then you cannot pay them a direct lump sum avoiding payroll and social security taxes.

I have pulled a few items from a checklist on Small Business Law that I believe apply to intern positions and qualify them as employees. However, you need to seek professional legal advice to determine what to render unto Caesar this summer:

Your Intern May Be An Employee Checklist

____ 1. Instructions- A worker who is required to comply with other persons’ instructions about when, where, and how he or she is to work is ordinarily an employee.

____ 2. Training- Training a worker by requiring an experienced employee to work with the worker, by corresponding with the worker, by requiring the worker to attend meetings, or by using other methods.

____ 3. Set Hours of Work- The establishment of set hours of work by the person or persons for whom the services are performed is a factor indicating control over an employee.

____ 4. Full Time Required- If the worker must devote substantially full time to the business of the person or persons for whom the services are performed, such person or persons have control over the amount of time the worker spends working and impliedly restrict the worker from doing other gainful work. An independent contractor, on the other hand, is free to work when and for whom he or she chooses.

____ 5. Doing Work on Employer’s Premises- If the work is performed on the premises of the person or persons for whom the services are performed, that factor suggests control over the worker, especially if the work could be done elsewhere.

____ 6. Oral or Written Reports- A requirement that the worker submit regular or written reports to the person or persons for whom the services are performed indicates a degree of control.

____ 7. Payment- Payment by the hour, week, or month generally points to an employer-employee relationship, provided that this method of payment is not just a convenient way of paying a lump sum agreed upon as the cost of a job. Payment made by the job or on a straight commission generally indicates that the worker is an independent contractor.

____ 8. Payment of Business and/or Traveling Expenses- If the person or persons for whom the services are performed ordinarily pay the worker’s business and/or traveling expenses, the worker is ordinarily an employee. An employer, to be able to control expenses, generally retains the right to regulate and direct the worker’s business activities.

____ 9. Furnishing of Tools and Materials- The fact that the person or persons for whom the services are performed furnish significant tools, materials, and other equipment tends to show the existence of an employer-employee relationship.

____ 10. Right to Discharge- The right to discharge a worker is a factor indicating that the worker is an employee and the person possessing the right is an employer. An employer exercises control through the threat of dismissal, which causes the worker to obey the employer’s instructions. An independent contractor, on the other hand, cannot be fired so long as the independent contractor produces a result that meets the contract specifications.

____ 11. Right to Terminate- If the worker has the right to end his or her relationship with the person for whom the services are performed at any time he or she wishes without incurring liability, that factor indicates an employer-employee relationship.

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Church Cell Phone Policy (Sample)

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My local police department is overwhelmed with predator cases involving minors. Predators are setting up dummy Facebook accounts, gaining access to hundreds of teens, luring them into chat rooms, scaring them into sharing videos and pictures and threatening them into silence.

Children are victimized while parents and guardians are only feet away, under the same roof.

Today is Internet Safety Day and Google has produced a number of videos for parents on their Tips from Parents at Google page. Here is the first video by Google Engineer, Vic Gundotra.

We partnered with our local police department to present an Internet Safety Class for all adults and here are some resources we distributed.

INTERNET SAFETY RESOURCES
Online Safety Tips (pdf)
Protecting Kids (pdf)
Tips to Prevent Sexting (pdf)
Social Networking Tips for Parents (pdf)
Social Networking Tips for Teens (pdf)

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Generation Text- How texting handicaps the social brain

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A résumé is a case for why you should have what you don’t have. If you want a youth ministry job you need a résumé that demonstrates why you should have it. If a church wants a particular kind of youth minister they need a résumé and job description that is attractive to that kind of person.

Advice for Youth Ministers

1. Don’t float your résumé unless you are looking for a job. Your résumé can help you find the job you want and lose the job you have. If you have a ministry job and some other church asks you to submit a résumé, tell them ‘no’.  If they are wanting to fill a position, they can send a job description and church résumé to you. They can evaluate your online material (church website, YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo) and talk to people in your congregation without putting your current job at risk.
2. Craft Online Content- Blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo are places to build your résumé. You can teach or preach to an empty room, record it and put it on your Vimeo channel. Recording and posting accessible material is good whether you are looking for a job or not.
3. Tell a Story with Your Résumé- The résumé should point toward the position you want. Do not clutter the story with a dozen superfluous part-time jobs and lists of responsibilities. DON’T WASTE TIME ON A LONG, THEOLOGICAL, PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT. Keep it down to 20 words or less. (i.e. Make disciples of students)
4. Be Honest- 44% of résumés contain lies. Honesty will make your résumé distinct.

Advice for Churches

1. Create a resume for your open position- In the job description specify your goals as opposed to a list of programs and tasks. List your values. Be aware of inconsistencies (i.e. Don’t ask for expert pedigree and leadership qualities if the position is going to be micromanaged). Include references from former position holders.
2. Do the Work- Headhunting is a sport. Go after the person you want instead of posting an open position and waiting for good people to come knocking at your door. If you want to hire someone who has a job, don’t ask them to risk their job so you can add a résumé to your stack. An internet search and a few phone calls can narrow down your top prospects.
3. Don’t Underestimate Recent Graduates- A well-trained ministry graduate may be a better option for your position than someone with 3+ years of experience. Experience can make a youth minister less teachable and more expensive.
4. Be Objective- Every church is “special”. Get feedback about your job description and congregation from outsiders. You may have a great position that people are turning down because of a bad website. Invite outside criticism of your job description especially from those who refuse to decline your invitations. I turned down a job many years ago because the preacher spent the whole interview weekend talking about himself. I received an excellent follow-up phone call from one of the search committee members allowing them to correct the problem for the next round of interviews. Few committees do this.

Churches, what advice would you give youth ministers who are looking?

Youth ministers, what advice would you give churches who are looking?

Related Links and Posts

No Sweat Interview

Simply Youth Ministry Jobs Listings

SimplyHired.com (Youth Ministry Jobs)

Youth Specialties Job Bank (thanks @natedame)

YouthPastor.com Job Search

Originally posted March 2012.

Each year when I interview Abilene Christian University students for our intern position I hear some version of that phrase from the one’s that attend the Beltway Park Baptist Church. While ten years ago I may have had 5% of the students I interviewed say that they attend Beltway, now I assume they attend Beltway unless otherwise specified.

The small town of Abilene is littered with Church of Christ options for the Church of Christ college crowd. And yet, they have been increasingly choosing to attend this particular Baptist church.  But why?

[Note to non-Church of Christ readers: Most Churches of Christ do not use instruments in their corporate worship gatherings. For the typical Church of Christ member, it does not matter if you have a contemporary band, antique piano, or a quarter of a million dollar pipe organ. We tend to have a binary view of worship styles and you all fit in the same category...instrumental. There are some who see instrumental worship as the silver bullet solution for a number of different problems.]

There are many factors that contribute to Beltway’s success in reaching the college crowd. The facility is modern, the preacher is relatively young, the leadership is Spirit-led, and “they have instruments” (Church of Christ phrase). But these are not the reasons that are overwhelming cited by the college students. “THE SERMONS ARE RELEVANT AND I LOVE MY SMALL GROUP”

The Devil is in the Details

Most churches have some kind of small group structure with a wide variety of formats. Everything from bowling teams to Bible classes to recovery groups have been referred to as small groups at one church or another. But at Beltway there are some notable distinctions in the way they do small groups that is engaging the transient college student.

1) There is a clear definition for all of their 150+ small groups

2) There is a structure for engaging new members in small groups

3) They offer training and support for small group leaders

4) They have dedicated staff support for small groups

I am sure many Churches of Christ will attempt to emulate the instrumental worship, casual dress code, or contemporary facility they see in churches that attract and retain the younger crowd. But I think it would be a shame to start with those things before listening to what college students are saying…

“THE SERMONS ARE RELEVANT AND I LOVE MY SMALL GROUP.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Than Brown has gone above and beyond in helping me rethink our small groups.

Mark Howell is the author of MarkHowellLive.com and has been a great resource through the Small Group Coaching Network.

How do you engage 5 adults in the faith development of every student in your youth ministry? For several years Kara Powell and Brad Griffin have been championing the 5 adults for every 1 student faith development ratio. The Church Sticking Together post they wrote unpacks a few strategies to incorporate the 5:1 idea into your youth ministry. On a recent trip to Dallas I came across one that we are doing this spring.

5:1 Mentor for a Day

One of the speakers at the 2012 D6 Conference said that when her daughter turned 11 years old she asked her daughter  to name 5 women in the church that she respected. The mom spoke with each of these women and scheduled a one day mentoring time. The mother asked each of these women to share with her daughter what they wish someone had told them when they were 12 years old. At the end of the year, on her daughter’s 12th birthday, all five women who served as a mentor for a day were invited to participate in a blessing ceremony for the daughter.

One of the mothers at our church who will be participating in the 5:1 mentoring said that her daughter’s response to the idea was, “That would be great, especially before I go to middle school.”

As a father of a preteen, I am looking forward to the next year as godly women help shape my daughter’s identity.

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Imagine a youth summer camp on Jesus. Not that creative? How about seeing Jesus as King? And now imagine Jesus as King with a medieval times backdrop.

BIG IDEA

We often think of Jesus as our Savior, and rightfully so. But often we avoid the “King” or “Lord” aspect to who He really is. What does it mean that Jesus is our King? What does it mean to live in His Kingdom? These are some of the questions we sought to answer. And since our campers didn’t have a clue as to what a real king is like, we had to find a way for them to understand.

Let’s start with the backbone. We had to decide how the theme played out over a week. What kind of king is Jesus? Jesus is Servant, Sacrifice, Conqueror, and King of Kings. But what is the call to action for these things for people who live in His Kingdom? If Jesus is Servant, His people should Follow the King. If Jesus is Sacrifice, His people should Trust in the King. If Jesus is Conqueror, His people should Hope in the King. If Jesus is King of Kings, His people should Worship the King. You can see how the week pulled together in the “Week in Focus” document.

There are several elements to how we put our summer camp together: Bible Class, Evening Speaker and Worship, Small Group discussions, etc. We took the different elements of the week’s theme and each day’s focus and broke it out into these elements. The Bible Classes took on Parables of Jesus that tied in with the day’s call to action. The small group discussions had quiet time reflection on these parables and the evening speaker content. Our speakers took on BIG events in Jesus’ ministry: the foot-washing (John 13), the Crucifixion (Matthew 27), the Resurrection (Matthew 28), and the Throne Room Worship (Revelation 4). Each of these tied the daily focus all together and gave campers their challenge.

Creative Elements- Downloads Below

Now for the easy (and FUN) part…IMAGINATION. This theme is a fun one to play with. We created a giant castle turret (pictured below, right) and a giant shield (below, left) using foam insulation sheets and large foam bricks. These were in the amphitheater where we have our group worship times and speakers.

We also purchased some flags from different websites listed below, and put them on poles on the road into camp and surrounding our dining hall. Inside the dining hall, we bought more elaborate flags to create a “Great Hall” feel – imagine Harry Potter, but with horses and knights. The imagination can run wild on this: horses and knights to greet as campers arrive on Sunday, a throne in the dining hall, Jesters, etc. The only limits are your own creativity and budget.

We took everything, even the schedule and the names of activities, and turned them into the Medieval Times. We had a daily King and Queen selected that made a “Daily Royal Decree.”

There was a Royal Table and Royal Court. Our menu changed – started Sunday night with a true Medieval Times dinner…no silverware!

What we found was that the campers grasped and connected with the messages because the theme and imagery gave them LIFE. I hope these are life-giving for you too.

Thematic Décor:

http://www.rameset.com/banners.htm
http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/c-347-banners-and-pennants.aspx
http://www.costumecraze.com/RNSC10.html
http://www.orientaltrading.com/api/search?Ntt=pastic+knight%27s+mug

Curriculum:

Evening Speaking Scripts
Small Group Discussions
Bible Class Curriculum

GUEST POST by Leland Sawyer, Youth Minister at the Belton Church of Christ, Belton TX

If 1 in 4 teens has admitted to  taking a prescription drug not prescribed to them (DrugFree.org) , we can assume that every one of your teens is either doing it or knows someone who is.

If you are a parent and your student has prescription drugs, you should clarify that Matthew 5:42, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” does not apply to prescription drugs.

Parents and youth ministers, no one expects one their students to die from this but it happens. Here is an article about Youth Overdose

Death may be the worst case scenario. But addiction, failure to develop healthy coping skills, and faith retardation are almost certain. It’s time to pull out the calendar and schedule a conversation.

Parents, when are you going to address this with your child or teen?

Youth ministers, when are you going to address this with your students?

I recommend presenting a heroic alternative:

1. Tell your child they have the opportunity to save someone’s life if they see or hear of prescription drug “sharing” going on.
2. Talk about how drug abuse avoids character development.
   
3. Remind them that Jesus never shared prescription drugs
   

If you have any strategies or resources, please share them in the comment section!

Related Posts:

• Parenting on the Blindside (current research and statistics in teen problem areas)
• Video Game Addiction
• Parenting and Pornography (post about parenting and pornography)

The Christmas Story by Patricia Pingry is for ages 3-6 years and is available in a board book. This brief children’s book is the simple, illustrated birth narrative with no more than a sentence or two for each page.

Humphrey’s First Christmas- This is a fictional story from the perspective of a camel that travels to see Jesus with the wise men. This book is recommended for children 4-8 years old. I don’t like to use fictional narratives that confuse the biblical story for young children. However, Humphrey shouldn’t be confusing for older children who know the original story. 

Room for a Little One- “This book is beautifully illustrated. The simple story has enough repetition for little ones to quickly start reading aloud with you.” Amz Review

This book is more of a fable that points toward the value of hospitality. It places Mary and Joseph in what appears to be an island hut with some animals, including a dog and a house cat.

Great Joy- The new edition has a different cover than the one pictured here, but I like this one better. This is a personal favorite that captures the essence of the angel proclamation of Jesus birth in a modern context.

Reading this book as a family would be a great tradition with children up into the early teens.

Guest Post by Aaron Helman

Now we’ve got something fun to talk about – youth ministry and the elusive day off. Believe me when I say that I am a passionate youth minister who loves my job AND that my day off is the best day of my week. At least one reason for this is that my day off provides the fuel that I need to make it through the next week of ministry, and that if I do my day off wrong, I will not be nearly as effective as a youth minister the following week.

All of that is to say that I think that taking a day off well is massively important, and the first piece of advice that I’ll share is that you need to be taking a full day away from work every single week. This is absolutely a Biblical commandment, and for us, that should be reason enough, but if you’re not convinced, consider this:

Behavioral scientists have discovered that willpower and work ethic are limited resources.

Put simply, that means that we are only capable of pushing ourselves so hard for so long until we break; until we just can’t go anymore. You will get more done in five days when you’re charged than you will in seven days uncharged. I know too many youth ministers who don’t take a real Sabbath but spend their workdays trolling Facebook and Twitter, playing games, and even napping. Your body knows that it needs time away from the grind, and if you don’t Sabbath well, then you’ll feel an insatiable need to make up that rest time when you should be working.

So your day off isn’t just vital to your physical and spiritual health. It’s vital to the health and success of your ministry. This is how I spend my day off, and there’s some ideas here for how you might spend yours.

1. Completely disengage from the office. This means that you don’t check email or voicemail. You certainly don’t concern yourself with what happened yesterday or tomorrow. If you use Facebook or Twitter to interact with students, then you’ll need to take a Sabbatical from both of those mediums once a week too.

2. Don’t read anything that pertains to your field. This is a part of disengaging. If you want to read The Hunger Games or anything by Bill Bryson, that’s fine. I appreciate your passion for youth ministry and your desire to keep learning, but the new Andy Stanley book can wait until another day. I promise.

3. Relax as intensely as you work. If you sit around watching reruns of Two and a Half Men on your day off, you’ll hate yourself. Go to the zoo. Make some iced tea and take a nap in a hammock. Take pictures at the beach or go to a minor league baseball game. Go see a movie. I can’t convince you that this will make you more effective as a youth worker, but try it for a month and tell me if you don’t get more done the rest of the week.

4. Make your day off feel different from a workday. This is the tough one. I spend quite a bit of time in front of a computer, so it doesn’t matter if I’m doing actual work or just screwing around on Sporcle. My body feels like it’s working. Make sure that your day off just feels different from a typical work day. Turn off your computer. Stay away from Taco Bell.

—

My day off is on Monday, and when I Sabbath well, I get twice as much done on Tuesday. To put it a different way, if I cheat and do work on Monday, I get less done during the week. I’ve verified this through time logs and project tracking, but you don’t need to do all that.

Just try these things for a month. You’ll enjoy your day off more, and I’m guessing you’ll notice a change in the rest of your week as well.

Are you good at taking a Sabbath? What needs to get better?

(Originally Posted on Smarter Youth Ministry)