I’ve been on Twitter for years now – my friend Tony turned me back onto it when it was first breaking onto the scene. I didn’t understand it at first, but love how you can quickly send out a burst of information to your followers.

Would love you to follow me on Twitter – click here to do it right now - but most importantly wondered what types of Tweets you like to see? Thought this poll question would be interesting today – vote up to 2x!

JG

Here’s what we’ve learned serving with families over the past 20 years.

Aim for health—not balance.
Speakers for years have said that you have to keep a balance in your ministry and your family, and to be honest…it just isn’t possible. You can strive for balance and keep the values front and center, but at the end of the day there will always be a tension in these areas. This competition for attention should just remind us to keep working hard as a pastor and as a spouse and parent.

The crazy world of church work really doesn’t allow a traditionally “balanced” lifestyle. BUT that doesn’t mean you can’t aim for a healthy marriage and family in the midst of the crazy. We’ve discovered that balance is elusive, but health doesn’t have to be.

Embrace seasons of ministry.
In youth ministry there are busy times and super-busy times. Typically we understand the “busy season” of ministry mentality and ask our families to endure them for the sake of the church. But rarely do we ask the same of the church and ask it to endure a season of focused ministry and attention on our families. This is SO much easier to type than communicate to a supervisor or church board—but it is better than the alternative of burnout or marital failure. Practically, it means take every vacation day you’ve got. Rest on your day of rest. Don’t be out every night of the week and certainly don’t count summer camp as vacation time.

Invest in your marriage.

Don’t just take a family vacation; make sure you plan a getaway with just your spouse as well. At some point you will make more significant investment in your marriage—when it is failing is when most people choose to jump in. Why not do some preventative work now and jump on a marriage retreat or hit up a conference to help you navigate this incredible-but-challenging life you are called to.

Over communicate to your spouse.
Another way to help keep balance in your marriage and ministry life is to communicate well about what is happening in the ministry. Don’t blindside your spouse. Talk through upcoming weeks that are rough or a particularly challenging month. Make it clear when and where the family vacation is going to happen.

Let your kids become insiders.
If you’ve got kids, let them run the place. Don’t let them run wild but give them some perks being a PK—access to the soda machine, unrestricted time on the youth room’s Xbox, or whatever can be given to them to make them feel special instead of like a nuisance to the church.

What advice would you give youth workers who are balancing youth ministry, marriage and kids?

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.

I know a lot of youth workers right now who are going through a season of needing encouragement. For some it is because of the season; going into summer you are tired; for others its situational. No matter what the reason you deserve some encouragement.

I just want to encourage all my fellow youth workers volunteer or paid: You are doing good work. You are doing what God has called you to do. You are making a difference in the lives of students even when you feel like you are getting no where. You are gifted no matter what your critics say, your God created you to be just the way you are. What you are doing is worthwhile.

Now for some of you, that isn’t enough. For others that is a good reminder. But I hope no matter who you are you know those things are true.

I also want to share a strategy I learned from someone else to get through discouraging times.

Create a folder in your email that has encouragement emails. Every time someone sends you an email that has some kind of encouragement put it in this folder. Then when you go through tough times you can look in that folder and be reminded of good things.

While it may not fix anything, it certainly helps to be reminded by the voices in your ministry and in your life that you have value and so does what you are doing.

What are some of your strategies for times of discouragement?

Kyle Corbin has been serving youth as a volunteer or pastor for over 10 years. He is currently the youth pastor at the Bridge Church in North Vancouver B.C. You can follow his blog at: kylecorbin.blogspot.com or Twitter: @CorbinKyle

There are people in this world who are hurting. There are people who have no one. These people get overlooked and forgotten everyday by many. It is time to look outside of your picture perfect world. Step up and be the difference this world aches for! You have been blessed so that you can bless others.

Get this! Even when everything is going well, we still need God. Psalm 36:9 “He is the giver of life.” Without Him, we would simply not be. He knows what is best for us and He wants to lead us and guide us through life. He is with you through darkness and in light. He IS our light. We find comfort in Him, peace and joy. There is nothing we can do without Him, He is our source of life. Let’s not forget that!

When everything on the surface is going well, it is easy to believe our spirit is well. We experience a stunt in growth and begin to coast as we give into that belief. Truth is, “God continues His work in you until the day of Christ.”   (Philippians 1:6)  There is no limit to how far we can grow! When God shows you an area He’d like you to grow in, don’t shake it off and believe everything is great how it is and become content. Take on His challenge because He wants to take you further than you’ve ever dreamed of going!

As we learn to remember others as well as God and continue to grow when everything is going well, we are learning to change the world. We are setting ourselves apart and allowing God to shine through us and into the world. Let’s light up this world!

Ashley Fordinal is the Children’s Church volunteer at Family Life Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.

We’re taking our just-graduated seniors with the HSM Summer Camp this year (2nd year we’ve done it) and Parker made this little video to play at youth group and help get the word out online. Fun!

JG

In youth ministry, we are constantly trying to balance working in one season and planning the next. We are always looking forward… and we kind of have to if we want to stay on top of things. But often our pursuit of the future can lead to us to an unhealthy place where we lack the ability to be present. As I unpacked this in my head I came to the conclusion that there are two different ways we need to be present, in the “big picture” and everyday life:

Big Picture: Sometimes I will focus way too much on something that happened in the past or something I want to happen in my future. That could be me holding on to a grudge and just not letting something go. I can get stuck thinking “what would life be like if this would have happened.” Or maybe it is focusing too much on my goals and ambitions. I sometimes am always looking forward and don’t take a ton of time to slow down and see what is happening in the present. Whether it is focusing too much on the past or future, it is important to be present enough to see what God is doing in our lives. To see what He wants for us to learn and do in this season of life.

Everyday Life: Focusing too much on the future doesn’t always mean life goals and dreams, it can be focusing too much on what needs to happen next in your day. While we may be physically present and an event or project, we are mentally preparing for our next meeting, weekend service, etc. Or we can physically be with our family and friends, but mentally, still thinking about our ministry. Our lack of everyday presence can have some big consequences including loss of ministry opportunities and even just being refreshed by the people God has put in your life. Pay attention to what God is doing in the moment.

Now there is a series of books that can be written about being present. There are so many different ways to be present, meaning so many ways that we can be challenging ourselves. In what ways do you need to be more present?

It’s easy to have that attitude because it’s fueled by jealousy and insecurity.  What you need to do is go from looking at networking as a comparison game to one where you can help each other in the journey.  Networking is a powerful tool because it will:

• Help you grow as a leader
• Remind you that you are not alone
• Give you support in new ways

To get the most out of networking make sure you:

• Don’t Always Have An Agenda: Sometimes you just need to hang out and do life with fellow youth ministers.  That means ordering some pizza, grabbing some coffee and sharing life.  Talk about your families, your hobbies and allow them to get to know you as a person outside the job.  The more you can grow relationally the better it will be for you to serve one another.

• Go Deeper: While you might not become good friends with everyone in your network, find ways that you can go deeper.  This will allow you to grow stronger as a disciple and knock down any jealousy you have of the other guy.  To go deeper set aside time to pray and lookout for resources that will help you grow as leaders as well as disciples of Christ.

• Grow The Group: If you already have a group of youth ministers that meets together, look at growing it.   Growing the group encourages growth because of new insights and ideas.  That means always being on the look out for the new guy.  Maybe it’s traveling to other networks or interdenominationally.

A strong network of youth ministers is key not only for you but the entire community.  When different churches work together the community will have the support it needs during events and tragedies.  Knock down the walls, reach out and grow together.

How do you network with other youth ministers?

Chris Wesley (@chrisrwesley)

Fun video our seniors made for their last weekend in HSM. These boys have an odd sense of humor.

JG

Set up clear boundaries.
Just because you’re not married doesn’t mean you should work like the devil. Satan has never been a strong example to follow and there’s no doubt if he can’t get our hearts, he’ll make us busy—even busy doing the Lord’s work. Making sure you have space for a life outside of the church is wise and will help you keep a healthy balance as you march one step at a time toward longevity. Don’t allow yourself to be run ragged just because you don’t have a family expecting you home for dinner each night.

Take advantage of the single life.

Not intending to say the opposite of what we just said above…but take advantage of some of the freedoms the single life brings, and invest relationally with students. Grab dinners with families; enjoy an extra night out at a sporting event or visiting a small group. Don’t be afraid to keep clear boundaries, but also use this season strategically, too.

Go back to school.
One of the ways you can maximize your time as a single youth worker is to go back to school while you continue serving. While it might not sound appealing, think about how much better it is than with a spouse and four kids at home on top of your 45+ hour a week job. For many youth workers, if they don’t go back to school in this window of their lives, they’ll never go back at all.
Never leave room for speculation.

Being single in ministry increases the attention to your relationships, and unfortunately perception can become reality as you minister to teens. Make sure you always are keenly aware of your perception. Make sure you never counsel students of the opposite sex alone. Make sure you are above reproach since you may be under increased scrutiny.

Look for love outside of the church, too.

Too often we hear about single youth workers getting set up by everyone and their mother (literally!). Everyone knows the great guy for the single youth worker or the perfect woman who will complete you as a youth pastor. Forget it! While you just might find Mr. Right within the church walls, make sure you have a healthy life outside the church in case God has them there, too.

What advice would you give single youth workers?

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.

One last day on the 40-40-40 Sale at Simply Youth Ministry this week. Tons of resources, 40% off and it ends really soon. What do I recommend? Glad you asked!

• 99 Thoughts for Small Group Leaders – only $2.99 right now!
• The Way I’m Wired – normally $39.99 – right now $23.99
• The Landing (Celebrate Recovery for Students) is half price – $99.99
• As For Me and My Crazy House – book by Brian Berry on raising kids in ministry is 40% off
• The Disconnect is a great resource on working with a senior pastor

JG

In my 13 years of working with High School students I have experienced the incredible blessing of watching my small group graduate twice, and one of them I had from grade 7-12. There is something about that bond, the relationships, the trust and discipleship that happens when you are with a group for that long.

This year I am having to say goodbye to my Senior guys group, but I wanted to share a short story about one of our leaders. Her name is Morgan and she is without embellishment one of the most gifted and talented small group leaders I have ever seen. Anywhere. She has led her girls from grade 7 – graduation and spent the last 6 years pouring herself into them. I have never seen a leader who involved her students into more elements of her life while maintaining a strong mentoring role. Never afraid to hold her girls accountable and call them out, and never shy with encouragement and prayer, she has walked side by side with these girls right through the finish line.

I am not sure that these girls fully understand the magnitude and significance of the last 6 years of being led by Morgan, but I pray one day they will understand. Understand the thousands of dollars she spent on them on coffees, meals, treats and gifts. The more than 1200 hours of her life that Morgan gave to them with NO expectation of anything in return. The countless hours she spent praying for them, calling, texting and pursuing them. The life of a volunteer youth worker is not easy, its often thankless but there are nights like this one that somehow make all the tough stuff go away.

On the last night of youth group, Morgan snuck out with her girls to one of the KidsMin classrooms, they promptly took their seats on the floor and Morgan read them Dr Seuss’ “Oh The Places You’ll Go”. They listened intently, and I hope that one day they reflect on that night. The culmination of a years of sacrifice and love coming together in a beautiful moment. The girls are heading off to University, some close, many far away but they will all share the common bond of spending these six years growing together.

I hope they understand how special this time has been

I hope they one day can fathom the work that God has done through their leader

I hope that Morgan can recognize how these girls lives are better because she served them

I sit here at my desk on the verge of tears because it is this picture that sums up the purpose of why we do what we do. A selfless adult leader who invests their life to teach young people about Jesus, to love them and and walk beside them as they transition from colouring to college and through all of it exuding grace and compassion.

Every year we have to say goodbye, and do so knowing they right behind them is another remarkable group of students destined to change the world for Christ.

As Natalie who captured this moment on instagram put it, “These are beautiful days we are living in” as leaders I pray that we can slow down enough to see that and that we can do our best to help our students embrace and experience what God has for them now.

“Oh The Places You’ll Go”

-geoff @geoffcstewart

I’m up at E3 in Los Angeles today checking out the new Xbox One and all sorts of videogame goodness at the biggest convention like it in the world. So basically I’m geeking out all day – made me think this week’s poll question might be a good one: which system is right for you? Vote now!

JG

Fun video created during our Crazytown series doing a parody of Taylor Swift’s Never Ever Getting Back Together.

JG

The guys over at Simply Youth Ministry are running a HUGE sale on over 400 resources but it only lasts 40 hours! Go now!

JG

We promote up our freshman in just another week (school ends SUPER late here in California) and so we said goodbye to our seniors this past weekend. The seniors ran the service and did a great job and we ended with a really great moment bringing up all of the Class of 2013 and our volutneers, parents and team on stage to pray over them. Such a great sendoff to these amazing students.

1) We do this to honor our seniors. It is a big deal for these students to make it to the end, to be faithful, and continue the posture of learning.

2) We do this to model to the underclassmen. THIS is what it looks like to finish strong. This is what it looks like to serve Jesus, lead and be an example to the ones that come up behind.

Such a great moment!

JG