I cannot stress enough....the pulpit is not the ultimate goal. Don't aim for a spot as a speaker, but be an influencer. Even if you are leading a ministry with 20 or more volunteers and 300+ kids, you have not arrived. Nor have I.
Where are you going in your youth ministry?
Do your volunteers, students, parents, or senior pastor know?
If this overwhelms you, then let's start from the beginning.
Pray, cast vision, recruit volunteers, invest into families, and preach the simple gospel.
The unique calling God has for you and I will become apparent the closer we draw to Him.
Let's get to work.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Monday, June 22, 2015
3 steps on how to grow your youth ministry!
There are a ton of resources (that are amazing btw) on how to grow your youth ministry or hit that number goal you have for this year. I think we need to ask ourselves "What do I mean by grow?"
Is it numerical or in quality of discipleship?
Either way, here are three steps to grow.
1. Pray - pray for growth in both areas, pray for God to lead you, pray for the students and their families, pray every FREAKING day.
2. Invest - invest your time into the students you have without worrying about the more. We all know that God gives the increase, but are we even watering our current crop? Invest with phone calls or showing up to their games, or mailing (yeah, snail mail that sucker) them a postcard just to connect.
3. Display - show your youth ministry leaders how to be faithful to God and students by teaching them. Allow them to take the reins on stuff you don't want to let go. Allow students that are far from our perfection, to serve in areas that we normally would give to the holier kids or volunteers. Display a trust in God (yes, you will be let down and will see some horrible results from some of these opportunities) and a trust in those that God has entrusted you with.
How do you grow your youth ministry? Ever pay a kid to show up to youth night? You would not be the first. Anything for the attendance recor....I mean the gospel.
Is it numerical or in quality of discipleship?
Either way, here are three steps to grow.
1. Pray - pray for growth in both areas, pray for God to lead you, pray for the students and their families, pray every FREAKING day.
2. Invest - invest your time into the students you have without worrying about the more. We all know that God gives the increase, but are we even watering our current crop? Invest with phone calls or showing up to their games, or mailing (yeah, snail mail that sucker) them a postcard just to connect.
3. Display - show your youth ministry leaders how to be faithful to God and students by teaching them. Allow them to take the reins on stuff you don't want to let go. Allow students that are far from our perfection, to serve in areas that we normally would give to the holier kids or volunteers. Display a trust in God (yes, you will be let down and will see some horrible results from some of these opportunities) and a trust in those that God has entrusted you with.
How do you grow your youth ministry? Ever pay a kid to show up to youth night? You would not be the first. Anything for the attendance recor....I mean the gospel.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Time To Strip
I am a fan of Gnarls Barkley. I mean, who isn't, right?
Recently, I heard a take on their song "Crazy" that I can only describe as simply brilliant.
Tremendously simple and it may be my favorite cover. After watching the original and then the stripped down version, I was reminded how taking some ideas or habits I have in my life could improve if I simplified them.
I have really wanted to pray with and read to my kids at night but they are in different bedrooms. One of them wants me to read until she falls asleep and another wants to just see pictures and drink chocolate milk. We are talking about 2 hours a night and trying to fit this in just is not practical.
Time to strip.
I can do this all together. Pile in one bed, pray and read together. With chocolate milk in hand, of course.
I am also trying to strip down how I connect with others, how I work, and even how I pray. I don't see simplifying as just gaining time but becoming a more effective parent, friend, and spouse. A better me.
What is something amazing in your life that you can strip down to make it epic?
Recently, I heard a take on their song "Crazy" that I can only describe as simply brilliant.
Tremendously simple and it may be my favorite cover. After watching the original and then the stripped down version, I was reminded how taking some ideas or habits I have in my life could improve if I simplified them.
I have really wanted to pray with and read to my kids at night but they are in different bedrooms. One of them wants me to read until she falls asleep and another wants to just see pictures and drink chocolate milk. We are talking about 2 hours a night and trying to fit this in just is not practical.
Time to strip.
I can do this all together. Pile in one bed, pray and read together. With chocolate milk in hand, of course.
I am also trying to strip down how I connect with others, how I work, and even how I pray. I don't see simplifying as just gaining time but becoming a more effective parent, friend, and spouse. A better me.
What is something amazing in your life that you can strip down to make it epic?
Friday, January 16, 2015
Words are awesome!
Everyone has words they make up or use incorrectly so they might as well be made up. Some words are so awesome, they need to make a comeback in normal conversation.
My favorites up to date:
Crapulous - the original description of how you feel the day after drinking too much aka hangover
Brayday - the day before you get paid which means you are broke for the next 24 hours, for example,"No, I can't go out to eat because today is brayday, but definitely tomorrow."
Groak - to stare longingly at someone while they are eating, in hopes that they will give you some of their food.
Sanction - to approve or boycott (what the heck, right? I love words that contradict themselves.)
It is amazing words can captivate, hurt, heal, and set free. Are the words I am using more powerful than I realize? Inconceivable!!
The question Jesus lays before us is if the problem is our words or our heart. Matthew 15:18 claims that whatever words come from our lips, started in our hearts.
Either way, this is a statement we can all sanction.
My favorites up to date:
Crapulous - the original description of how you feel the day after drinking too much aka hangover
Brayday - the day before you get paid which means you are broke for the next 24 hours, for example,"No, I can't go out to eat because today is brayday, but definitely tomorrow."
Groak - to stare longingly at someone while they are eating, in hopes that they will give you some of their food.
Sanction - to approve or boycott (what the heck, right? I love words that contradict themselves.)
It is amazing words can captivate, hurt, heal, and set free. Are the words I am using more powerful than I realize? Inconceivable!!
The question Jesus lays before us is if the problem is our words or our heart. Matthew 15:18 claims that whatever words come from our lips, started in our hearts.
Either way, this is a statement we can all sanction.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Painting and sharing my faith....two of my least favorite things
I do not like painting in any way. Not even fingerpainting.
Unfortunately, I don't have a few thousand dollars to pay a professional to paint our home or furniture. While we have not started on the walls, I figured that we could get a head start on some headboards. Quite a small task considering they were already sanded down.
First coat of Valspar on two headboards went quickly and uneventful. The second coat I was holding the small paint can and brushing the top, when all of the sudden, I just dropped the paint can. I was almost done!! There was paint everywhere. A real mess.
I immediately thought of how much I hated painting and sharing my faith. For the same exact reasons. Painting and sharing my faith are both sticky, time consuming, and you can always see where I messed up.
When we share our faith, we are not just saying this is what I believe, but rather, I hope you will believe this too. It is uncomfortable for all involved and it seems like I am saying I have all the answers. I don't. All I have is my experience with God, my interpretation of what God says, and paint all over me. I wouldn't believe me either.
But just like painting, I must do it. Not because I am commanded to, but because I believe everyone should be able to connect with God. The number one reason people don't share their faith is because they don't think about it. I don't think about painting until I realize I need to paint.
It is time to paint, even if it creates a huge mess, it never turns out right, and you look dumb doing it. God can take our mess and make it meaningful. It can change lives. Our faith I mean, not Valspar.
Unfortunately, I don't have a few thousand dollars to pay a professional to paint our home or furniture. While we have not started on the walls, I figured that we could get a head start on some headboards. Quite a small task considering they were already sanded down.
First coat of Valspar on two headboards went quickly and uneventful. The second coat I was holding the small paint can and brushing the top, when all of the sudden, I just dropped the paint can. I was almost done!! There was paint everywhere. A real mess.
I immediately thought of how much I hated painting and sharing my faith. For the same exact reasons. Painting and sharing my faith are both sticky, time consuming, and you can always see where I messed up.
When we share our faith, we are not just saying this is what I believe, but rather, I hope you will believe this too. It is uncomfortable for all involved and it seems like I am saying I have all the answers. I don't. All I have is my experience with God, my interpretation of what God says, and paint all over me. I wouldn't believe me either.
But just like painting, I must do it. Not because I am commanded to, but because I believe everyone should be able to connect with God. The number one reason people don't share their faith is because they don't think about it. I don't think about painting until I realize I need to paint.
It is time to paint, even if it creates a huge mess, it never turns out right, and you look dumb doing it. God can take our mess and make it meaningful. It can change lives. Our faith I mean, not Valspar.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Rest ye merry gentlemen
As I head into 2015, I realize that I feel very unaccomplished. I am not the head of my company, leading a youth ministry, nor am I the prayer warrior I anticipated on being. I mean, I read "Circle Maker"... twice!
The fact is, there are NO shortcuts. I really don't desire to be head of the company I work at, I absolutely love doing any youth ministry, and communicating with God is not a duty but a privilege. I could just dive into these shortfalls, work on them day and night, and let them consume me; but I would rather just learn and live.
I want to make this year of REST. You have no idea how funny that is, since my wife and I are just a month or so away from having our 4th child in under 5 years. Rest doesn't seem likely, or even possible. I guess I should use the word TRUST instead. Or RELY. Either way, I am excited to accomplish more by trying to accomplish less, worry less, and rest more.
Here is to a restful year! By the way, read "Circle Maker" if you get a chance.
The fact is, there are NO shortcuts. I really don't desire to be head of the company I work at, I absolutely love doing any youth ministry, and communicating with God is not a duty but a privilege. I could just dive into these shortfalls, work on them day and night, and let them consume me; but I would rather just learn and live.
I want to make this year of REST. You have no idea how funny that is, since my wife and I are just a month or so away from having our 4th child in under 5 years. Rest doesn't seem likely, or even possible. I guess I should use the word TRUST instead. Or RELY. Either way, I am excited to accomplish more by trying to accomplish less, worry less, and rest more.
Here is to a restful year! By the way, read "Circle Maker" if you get a chance.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Embrace the Embarrassing
I have more embarrassing moments than I care to have, but I think we can all say that. Some people have blonde moments or brain farts, but I go for the epic embarrassment. I know you want to know a few examples, so here is just a taste from my blooper reel of life:
- As a teenager, my brakes weren't working on my car (if you can call it that) so I thought, "Hey, I bet putting it in park will stop it." And it did....forever. A very compassionate mailman (actually a mail lady) stopped and asked where I lived so she could give the bad news to my folks. This was before everyone had an iPhone attached to their hand.
- As a young adult, I drove into a cop car. With a cop in it. Yeah, I know. Who does that?!
- I traveled in a drama ministry after high school and was in charge of finances. We would go to gas stations to call and make contact with the churches we were serving and change clothes, brush teeth, etc. I made the call from the payphone and we left and went to the church. It was a great service and we had a great dinner. An overall fantastic night. The next day we needed to leave and I realized I left the wallet on top of the payphone! You know, the wallet with over 5000 dollars in it! It was never found and I never lived that down.
- I walked into my parents' house (this was when I was in my 20's) to get a tennis racket, but what I got could only be described as an X rated scene in which years of therapy could never help me unsee what I have seen. Now my parents joke and ask if I want to come over and borrow a tennis racket. My response is always a no, followed by gagging and nausea.
Why do I share these? I have to embrace the embarrassing. I sometimes have overwhelmingly high expectations of others and myself. This is just one way to bring me back to earth and off of the planet Pluto. I mean the moon Pluto. No, the planet. You know what I mean.
Perfection is where we mess up. That can't be our goal for ourselves or others. The fact is I struggle in life because I don't know how to be the best husband and father. Yet, I find myself expecting too much from my family and friends. Now when I begin expecting perfection, I embrace my embarrassment. It allows me to be human and loving. I can't wait to share these stories with my kids as they fall short of their own expectations.
Go ahead and embarrass yourselves, embrace it, and enjoy it! Doesn't that sound perfect?
- As a teenager, my brakes weren't working on my car (if you can call it that) so I thought, "Hey, I bet putting it in park will stop it." And it did....forever. A very compassionate mailman (actually a mail lady) stopped and asked where I lived so she could give the bad news to my folks. This was before everyone had an iPhone attached to their hand.
- As a young adult, I drove into a cop car. With a cop in it. Yeah, I know. Who does that?!
- I traveled in a drama ministry after high school and was in charge of finances. We would go to gas stations to call and make contact with the churches we were serving and change clothes, brush teeth, etc. I made the call from the payphone and we left and went to the church. It was a great service and we had a great dinner. An overall fantastic night. The next day we needed to leave and I realized I left the wallet on top of the payphone! You know, the wallet with over 5000 dollars in it! It was never found and I never lived that down.
- I walked into my parents' house (this was when I was in my 20's) to get a tennis racket, but what I got could only be described as an X rated scene in which years of therapy could never help me unsee what I have seen. Now my parents joke and ask if I want to come over and borrow a tennis racket. My response is always a no, followed by gagging and nausea.
Why do I share these? I have to embrace the embarrassing. I sometimes have overwhelmingly high expectations of others and myself. This is just one way to bring me back to earth and off of the planet Pluto. I mean the moon Pluto. No, the planet. You know what I mean.
Perfection is where we mess up. That can't be our goal for ourselves or others. The fact is I struggle in life because I don't know how to be the best husband and father. Yet, I find myself expecting too much from my family and friends. Now when I begin expecting perfection, I embrace my embarrassment. It allows me to be human and loving. I can't wait to share these stories with my kids as they fall short of their own expectations.
Go ahead and embarrass yourselves, embrace it, and enjoy it! Doesn't that sound perfect?
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