My friend Jason pointed me to a website I can’t get enough of right now. When I’m looking for inspiration for a set design or stage theme – this is where I look. Some are incredible, some will inspire you to create something fantastic for your youth ministry, some are good lessons on what not to do.

JG

Now I think all reading is good development – you could even read the Hunger Games and it could help your ministry and stretch your mind. But I think we have to be careful not to chase after the trendy books (Christian and secular alike) when the best stuff we should be reading sits idle on the shelf or gathers digital dust at the bottom of our Kindle.

I appreciate the larger conversation that takes place in Christianity when someone stirs the pot with a book that all of us our reading – but my encouragement to you today is to make sure you crack open that book that will really help you.

So what should you be reading? My first thought was to push you toward a few books that I would consider must-reads, even classics in youth ministry. But instead of doing that … I think you already know your next book.

So put down that latest-and-greatest book from whoever the hot author is right now and pick up the title you should be reading. An incredible you is waiting at the end of the book!

JG

Weekend Teaching Series: Worship (1-off)
Sermon in a Sentence: The power and purpose of music.

Service Length: 78 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend our Student Ministries Worship Leader Taffy took over the services in HSM and created a fantastic weekend talking about the purpose of worship, the power of music and the trigger and emotion of what we listen to. It was a FANTASTIC weekend that carried incredible power with students understanding and participating in worship music.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This weekend was typical for this time of the year – we’re typically down in the Spring but this weekend had great energy. We had a hilarious boy band parody video to kick it off, and a fun “Don’t Forget the Lyrics” type element in the middle of the message. Lots of students involved, a great student band, lots of weekend leaders, lots of fun.

Music Playlist: Divine and Holy, Grace, The Stand, We Shine

Favorite Moment: I love Taffy – he’s the best pastor at Saddeback and this weekend was the culmination of years of hard work caring for, pastoring, training and discipling students. SO proud of him!

Up next: XXXChurch (series premiere, week 1 of 2)

Greetings from London! I am here with my wife attending Holy Trinity Brompton (Home of Alpha) Leadership Conference all week as leaders from all over the world gather to hear from some of the brightest minds in the Church, Business, Culture and Commerce leadership. Some of the notables include Tony Blair, Judah Smith, Christine Caine, Rick Warren, Nicky Gumbel, Matt Costley and many others. I thought I would share with you some great content from each day and save you the plane ride! PS I took this photo at Royal Albert Hall which is an incredible venue.

Main Session 1 Nicky Gumbel

Nicky’s opening of the conference was a great reminder of what leaders are and what great leaders are not as well. He discussed four traits of a leader.

1 – Leadership is not about being served, it’s about serving:  Jesus was the model of this, washing his disciples feet and as leaders we need to be the same. Above no task and constantly looking for ways to serve those we lead. A servant leader is easily respected and leads from humility. The word servant is found in the NT nearly 500 times and Jesus says Love as I have loved and we need to lead like Jesus did.

2 – Leadership is not about position it’s about being an example:  You do not need a position to lead, the examples of Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa were given as people who were leaders with out a defined or respected position from which to lead. Their influence, and leadership was drawn from a heart to serve and lead by example. Each of us no matter whether paid, unpaid, low or high on the church totem pole have the opportunity to lead by being an example. A title does not make the leader, the leader makes the title.

3- Leadership is not about rivalry its about Unity - Referring the metaphor of one body many parts, Nicky suggests that we need other denominations more than we need more of our own. By asserting that the body needs different parts doing different things, as opposed to twenty hands. People resonated most with the what he said about our reaction to hurt in other churches. His example was a person who stubs their toe, and he asserted that they likely wouldn’t stomp on their injured foot with the other and make it worse, so why do we do that to each other? Why do we not experience each others pain and suffering, instead we take jabs at other churches sometimes when they fall down.

4- Leadership is about the one – The core of leadership is that the only number that matters is one. Ones become two becomes three and it grows from there. Jesus always took time for the one, he had a massive vision to love one another so that others believe.  True vision starts with a desire to reach one person.

I will continue to post as I collect my notes and I just had my mind blown by Rick Warren and will post that soon too. Up next Judah Smith and Tony Blair

-GS  Twitter 

A video we made for this past weekend’s service on the power of music and why we worship. You’re welcome.

JG

Mark Oestreicher has a new book out this week – and you can get it for a limited time for free! Just click on the banner above and it is yours. Here’s a little bit from the product description:

Theologically and anecdotally, we can uncover plenty of encouraging signs in the realm of youth ministry, according to Oestreicher, whose youth ministry experience includes time as an in-the-trenches youth worker and as a publisher of youth ministry books and resources. A Beautiful Mess features insights on the issues and opportunities facing youth workers, including the trend toward longevity in ministry, the power of smaller churches, the work of the Holy Spirit, the rewards of authentic relational ministry, the need for integration instead of isolation, and the centrality of faith and humility.

JG

_•     You’re frustrated when parents don’t give the nudge or shove you think would help their child participate

_•     You smile and nod as parents give yet another excuse as to why their child won’t be attending a retreat or activity

_•     You walk away dejected when you hear a few parents question or demean the youth group, with little to no resistance from usually supportive parent

That’s frustrating and, likely, undeserving. Or is it? True, the gossip that flitters from family to family is never OK, nor are the thoughtless and often demeaning remarks about the youth program or your perceived work ethic. But sometimes parents have a right to be leery of offering their full support. Have we as youth workers created an environment that parents can support?

There is no perfect youth group. There is no perfect program. There is no perfect youth ministry model. In fact, there are no perfect youth workers. But in my nearly twenty-five years in ministry (the majority with students) and fourteen years as a parent, I have not found parents looking for perfection. Some do present themselves that way, but once you crack their cold, professional exterior, you’ll find broken people who love their kids and are desperate for help. Parents aren’t looking for perfection, but they are looking for three things:

Safety
Before you tune out and shout, “The gospel isn’t safe!” be sure you understand what kind of safety parents desire. Parents will support your mission trip to third-world countries and inner-city neighborhoods. They will get behind you challenging their teen to live holy lives in an unholy world. Heck, if it were legal, they might even participate in their own round of Chubby Bunny. Ultimately, parents want to know that we have a clue. They want to know when they leave their child under our supervision, that we will care for their child’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It means we take time to think through how we welcome students, how we discipline them, how we split up teams or groups. Parents want us to care for their kids like they would. And that’s reasonable.

Clarity
Some parents understand ministry philosophy and strategy, and they’ll have opinions whether or not they agree with yours. But most–even the opinionated ones–just want to know that you’ve thought through why you’re doing what you’re doing. Parents have a right to expect their church youth group to be different from the school’s social clubs. They want their kids to yell and scream and have fun, but they also want their kids to be challenged spiritually. They’ll want their kids to have a heart for children around the world, but they also want them to stop bullying their brothers and sisters. Parents want us to put effort into praying for and planning the ministry calendar. And that’s reasonable.

Communication
As a parent, I’m frustrated when my school gives me information about an upcoming event, only to change it at the last minute. It’s also aggravating to not find out about an event until an hour before. Granted, sometimes a school or teacher has no control over last-minute changes, and often I don’t find out about events because my children have failed to communicate with me. The issue isn’t whether or not that happens; it’s whether or not that is a pattern. Youth workers need to make clear communication with parents a priority. Whether you haven’t done that in the past because you’re intimidated by parents or because you’ve never thought about it, now is the time to improve. Our technological age provides numerous ways to communicate. And while you don’t have to use each and every mode, focus on one or two and do them well. Parents want to know what’s going on in our youth groups. And that’s reasonable.

Sometimes a parent’s frustration can be ignored, and other times it can sound an alarm. Are we as youth workers providing a ministry context that is safe, has a plan, and clearly communicates what’s happening? If so, that’s a healthy start.

To be continued next weekend …

Think About It
1.     Why does your youth group exist? What are its goals?

2.     How often do you communicate with families, as a group and as individuals?

3.     Do you have a youth ministry strategy that makes sense? Even if it’s not where you want it to be, are you beginning to lay a solid foundation?

Gregg Farah is the Student Ministry Pastor at Shelter Rock Church on Long Island, NY. He’s excited to be back in student ministry after his 7-year journey as a church planter in New York City. Prior to his church planting days, Gregg served as youth pastor for 9 years in the suburbs of Seattle, WA and Orange County, CA. Be sure to visit his blog for much more, including a way to help finance his new line of books he is writing!

Money in ministry creates a lot of tension and that’s because it’s something that’s personal.  While you would love to include everyone in your programs, events, and trips, but, is that possible?  Maybe; however, without money you would be more limited with what you could do.

A solution most youth ministers use for tight budgets is fundraising; however, all we do with fundraising is waste our time and barely cover our financial needs.  Instead of raising funds, you need to be raising givers.  But you are in need of something more immediate, because changing the culture of giving is something that requires time and commitment from your entire church, especially leadership.  If that’s you, then try these alternatives:

1. Have Them Raise Their Own Funds: I know I just said that fundraisers are a waste of time, so hear me out.  Instead of coordinating an event to raise funds for the teens, encourage your students to write letters, make phone calls or set up a page on Facebook asking people to fund their cause, their trip.  It’s about sharing the burden and teaching them about thinking outside the box when it comes to raising funds.
2. Be Frugal In Planning:  It’s easy to get comfortable with vendors (i.e. bus companies) when you plan the same events year after year.  However, if you want the best deal, it’s important to shop around.  You don’t have to swap out vendors, especially if you’ve built a relationship with them; however, you want to get the best deal.  The more frugal you can be with your planning the more you can bring down the overall costs for your event or trip.
3. Budget In Expenses:  Instead of putting the burden on the teenagers, put it on the church budget.  Maybe not the most attractive option; however, one that will instantly bring down costs for the students.  This might mean cutting the costs of other things you do, but it’s all about deciding what is most important.
4. Make Others Aware: One way to make your trips, programs and events affordable is by sharing the burden with your team, parents and members of the church.  Your church is filled with people who have connections and resources that are going to alleviate the burden of expenses.  When you start the planning process, ask your team, “Do we know anyone out there who could help us with X?”

In the end the best you can do is create a culture of giving.  A church that tithes, is a church that wants to invests in it’s future.  Plus, a church that gives is one that’s honoring God and as Malachi 3:10 says – Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not.  Use money wisely, and see how God will bless your ministry.

How do you take away the obstacle of money from your ministry?

Chris Wesley is the Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, MD. You can read more great youth ministry articles and thoughts on his exceptional blog Marathon Youth Ministry.

Announce it far and wide.
People need to hear it from you—so make sure when you go public you make the reach as far as possible. Not to add to the drama but to make sure that people hear it from an official channel instead of through the prayer chain, errr….grapevine. If you talk about it in church on Sunday, by Monday morning it should be on Facebook and the church Web site just so it stops confusion and slows down rumors.

Keep the transition short but sweet.
Once you know, and your leadership knows, shorter is usually better. Although we love to romanticize the idea of the handoff and peaceful transition of power, an abbreviated timeline is usually the best route. Once you announce things you’ll be perceived as “halfway in” and a lame duck, so a graceful exit is preferred. By the way, has anybody ever actually seen a “lame duck”? Just wonderin’.

Maintain unity.
We aren’t suggesting you hide the truth, but we are begging you to protect the fragile unity of God’s church. Don’t dare to think your exit is a time to grandstand for change and call for resignations. Leave in the spirit of unity and you’ll never regret it. Not everybody deserves or needs to know the “whole story.”

Really leave.
You’ve made the transition plan public, quick, and abundantly clear—now stick to it! Resist the urge to babysit the students. Fight the arrogant belief that no one will care about them when you’re gone—God loves them far more than you do and will watch over his children. Besides, you always said you were working yourself out of a job, so here’s your chance to see how you did. Don’t meddle; it isn’t your place anymore. Resist the urge to ask friends and former students how the “new guy/girl” is doing. Don’t let yourself become critical of changes he or she begins to make in your absence.

Pray for the church.
The church will go on without you. In fact, it may even thrive once you’re gone. Oftentimes staff transition allows the leadership of the church to be more focused in their vision and retool any errant plans to accomplish that vision. And while it may hurt when something you built from the ground up gets unceremoniously axed, pray that God will further his Kingdom while your Empire crumbles. Besides, if you really leave like we suggested above you won’t know they changed things!

This post was written by Josh Griffin and Kurt Johnston and originally appeared as part of Simply Youth Ministry Today free newsletter. Subscribe to SYM Today right here.

Build relationships with your youth pastor and youth workers. This is so valuable to the parent/youth ministry partnership, yet is so often overlooked. Do yourself and your family a favor and make the effort to build relationships with the youth ministry adults who work closely with your kids. Building relationships with these youth workers creates common ground, understanding, and trust. Building relationships fosters empathy, caring, love, and concern. We are better together, and even more so when we see each other as friends.

Help your youth ministry team help you. The more vulnerable and open you become to those who work most closely with your kids, the more understanding they will have into your family, and the better prepared they can become to help guide your kids, and to provide you with the support and encouragement you need. Scary? Perhaps. Valuable? Absolutely.

Engage with your youth ministry. Do you know what your youth ministry is trying to accomplish in the lives of kids? Do you know what programs are being offered, and what goals they are trying to achieve? The more you engage, the more you’ll know and understand, and the greater the sense of partnership you will feel.

Attend regular youth ministry parent meetings. Ask questions. Read ministry newsletters, emails, and texts. Stay in touch. When those seasons of life arise where you aren’t able to keep up on everything, and when you finally get your head above water, give your youth pastor or youth worker a call and ask for an update.

Volunteer in your youth ministry. Maybe you are a good fit for being a youth leader, or maybe not. If so, and if your kids are agreeable, volunteer! But even if serving on the front lines with kids isn’t your gift or passion, there are still many ways you can help your church’s youth ministry become stronger, healthier, and more sustainable. Prepare food, provide transportation, help with administration and communication, or offer to be a sounding board for new ideas and programs. In providing support to the youth ministry, you will be helping your own teenager.

JG