Pretty Sweet Illustration

This is a pretty sweet illustration. I'm guessing it has been used somewhere else, but I don't care. I like it and I like Josh cause he's cool. At least as a blogger. Haven't really met him before, but I suppose that doesn't matter. Check this out:

Leaky Trust Bank from HSM on Vimeo.

Playing Favorites

In the two years that I have worked with the Senior High at my church, I think I have heard this phrase used more times than I can count in my head (My short term memory isn't very good, but you can make all the intelligence jokes you like as long as it makes you laugh). The reality is, in the size of ministry that I am currently working, there is no humanly way that I can connect with every single student that comes through the doors. Now, Jesus, He might be able to pull that off. I, however, contrary to popular belief, am not Jesus.

Favorites. If there is a prominent leader in any group of humans, it seems that someone will come away thinking that someone is playing favorites. I hate the thought that any student would think that I don't value them, but the reality is that I cannot completely control their perspective and interpretation of my actions. But, maybe there are some things that we can do to change that tone?

Here are some of my thoughts:

• Regularly Broaden Your Scope
• I've noticed that if you can find ways to send messages or simply say "Hey" to students when they least expected it, you can speak volumes to their interpretation of your interpretation of them. A little can go a long way.
• Find Ways to Involve Others
• In my office, I have a list of students from each grade that have ever walked through the doors. One thing that I have been good at is contacting the same students for different opportunities in our ministry as they come up. So, to remedy that, I have been trying to find other students who are involved that may not be on my mental list. It is amazing what can happen when you tap the shoulder of someone who has just been waiting for your call.
• Meet with the Dissenters
• If we are honest with ourselves, we have to know that there are some in our ranks that are not completely on board with what we are doing. They typically will keep to themselves and not participate. If they do rise up, it usually is as a group. Engage in those conversations. Press into the conflict and show that person(s) value. The reality is, the conversation can go a long way to a person who wants to be heard.

Just some things that I have been learning as we have progressed through the year. I hope to find these things implemented for next year as we look to change up and mix up the faces that we regularly see on our stage and on the platform of influence in our ministry.

Communicating Expectations

Expectations. Rules. Guidelines.

We all have them and no matter what we are trying to accomplish, they must be communicated. However, the way that we communicate them is one of those HUGE little things that if not taken into account and done well, can help to distract, disillusion, and divide the groups we work with as youth workers. And sometimes, they simply are not heard because of how we tried to communicate them.

Critical to communicating expectations is being CRYSTAL CLEAR the FIRST TIME. If you can't accurately communicate clearly the expectations of a given task or event, we have not done our homework and probably need to simplify it. The clearer we make expectations, the easier we make it for students and parents to be able to meet and support those expectations.

Equally important to clearly communicating expectations is the WORDS that we use to EXPRESS those guidelines. Students today are inundated with rules established in response to actions, expectations established to meet standards, and generally, poorly communicated rationale for those fences. Because of that, we really get one shot at fitting into the bandwidth available in their minds.

Positive communication is critical to this process. So, if we are talking about a trip that a student commits to, communicate everything related to that trip in a way that would enhance their experience. "If you want to be prepared the best for your trip, you should probably take this thing very seriously." The key to this is leaving it at that and continually reinforcing the reality that each student has the ability to make or break their own personal experience.

Finally, underlying this entire discussion is the understanding that NOBODY LIKES A SINKING SHIP. A phrase I first heard from Tony Morgan and Tim Stevens in reference to how to promote volunteer positions applies just as much to this discussion. Most expectations that students encounter are established in reaction to a previous negative experience. The Church of Jesus Christ should understand rules differently, and therefore, communicate them differently. In Exodus 20:2, God makes it extremely clear why He was handing down the Ten Commandments and it was not because He wanted to restrict His people. He wanted them to have the best possible and most life-giving experience possible while they lived on this earth. What if our expectations did the same thing in our ministries and our events?

Check this Out: Claim Your Campus

Jeff Eckart visited us a few months ago for Fanning the Flame and introduced us, for the first time, to Claim Your Campus. I love Jeff's heart and his passion for seeing people praying in every school around the country. The cool thing is that he has developed a process and the resources that someone would need to begin something like this on a campus anywhere.

If you're a student and you want to see your school reached for the glory of God, I don't know where else you would start but with prayer. Check out this website and see how you can get involved! I think it would be pretty cool to see this and Jeff's mugg around our ministry a lot this year.

I'M SO PUMPED ABOUT PROM!!!!

So, many proms have taken place and parents and pastors alike all across the country get just a little nervous and minds race every time their phones ring. Tonight, two of our local schools are hosting their proms. But, forget all of that. I'm pumped!

Tonight, boys have the opportunity to be men. Girls have the opportunity to be women. It's a very obvious moment in a student's life to grow up a bit. To grow up a lot and make responsible, wise decisions. Decisions that we know that they can make. Decisions that they know they should make.

Reality is this: We aren't going to stop Prom, or everything that is going to take place at and around Prom from happening necessarily. We aren't going to stop all the students from making their decisions. So, I look at the situation and I have decided to get pumped about the potential this evening poses.

So, BOYS- Step up and be Men.
GIRLS- Step up and be Women.

I think tonight has the potential to be an awesome night. I hope you have a ton of fun and we get to celebrate soon!

Nobody Likes a Sinking Ship

Been doing some reading lately, talking with youth development folks, and discussing the idea of recruiting with a few folks and have come to the conclusion that "Nobody likes a Sinking Ship." A thought I was first introduced to by Tony Morgan and Tim Stevens in Simply Strategic Volunteers, I'm exploring ways that we can create vernacular and environments that portray a thriving and positive environment for both students and volunteers.

There are many ways to do this, but primary to creating positive environments, built for both excellence in experience and programming, is the way in which we communicate. The words that we use, the way we portray a certain event or process, speaks volumes to the way that people interpret the organization or ministry. It is truly your front door for both recruiting of students and volunteers. We can't expect someone to think that we have a fun and safe place to be if they constantly hear something contrary to that idea.

The reality is that this begins well before the creation of the materials designed to help recruit people. It begins at the development of each promotional piece. It begins at the creation of each email that goes to all our leaders. It becomes obvious at the launch of each night of programming. And each of these pieces sets a tone for the way in which people interpret the goal of the ministry or program.

So, how do people interpret your organization?

I know that over the last month this has become a primary discussion in my thoughts as we begin to enter a time of activating our fellowship and inviting them to be a part of the story that God is writing in Nappanee. And we can help someone feel welcome to join that story or that battle if we continue to consider how to provide positive reinforcement and intrinsic desire to help produce an excellent environment for students and all ministries, in general. It is not the end game, but this thought process certainly helps me think through how to best communicate to those who need to be plugged into a given ministry.

So, how are you doing?

Great Post from a Great Writer

Saw a fantastic post this week on Josh Griffin's blog talking about the times that you want to quit. I have been in a couple of the situations that Josh listed, but the one that rang true for me was:

After the best event of your youth ministry career
When you are disconnected from the church, you are in danger. Have you ever come back from a mission trip on a high that no one else was on? Have you ever walked inside the church riding a high after the biggest overnighter in the history of your church only to be greeted be an angry parent or vindictive trustee? Maybe you’ve just given a project your all, and you saw God do something amazing, and you’re immediately called to lead something else and you were just hoping for a break. A key moment of vulnerability is when you are on top of the world.

You can check the rest of the post out by heading over to Josh's blog. MorethanDodgeball is a fantastic site for resources and connecting with other youth workers. 

What I really want to say...

Sometimes there are people who say things in a much better, much more concise way. This is one of those times. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS & PARENTS, this one is for you.


What You Need to Know About Life After Youth Group from Fuller Youth Institute on Vimeo.

The Black Hole in the Ministry of the Church pt. 2

As I begin to discuss some of my observations of this area of the church, one thing that must remain clear and true throughout this entire discussion is the command from God for pastors to "prepare the saints for ministry." My entire goal of seeing this transition done well is because it is my passion to see people find their fit in the larger Body of the Church. We all have a ministry that God has shaped and formed us for and it is my opinion that we are best supported and most effective when we see that happening inside the context of the church.

You want to serve the poor? Join the Church, cause government is not going to support you to the end. You want to see people live in peace? Join the Church, cause all the remedies of the world cannot change the status and desire of the heart of man. The Church is God's chosen instrument to show His glory in all the earth. The question is how do we best equip those for the ministry they have been designed for?

There seems to be a reality that post-high school people are very much still in their formative years. Truth be told, I'm currently 24 and I would still consider myself to being "formed." It is because of this formation that we tend to find these years being stressful, daunting, difficult, continually changing and, in today's world, constantly seeking truths and realities in the world. What is so trying to me is that there are many who attempt to go through this period of time outside the bounds of a consistent fellowship of brothers and sisters in Christ. We have been duped into believing that no one will actually support us in our dreams, that conflict is the evidence of a lack of support, and that in the end, we really cannot trust anyone. We have been convinced that our way is the best way for us and that remains true for every other person on the planet.


So, my question is, is this separation from the church, a result of bad programming, bad practical theology in youth ministry, or is the message of Jesus and His steadfastness being lost somewhere in the shuffle? Have we become so programmed that we have missed the reality of deeper connection and complete attention on Jesus? Where does the change need to happen? Where's the missed point? Last 10%: Who owns this one? Is it time to change the program or is it time for the person of faith to own their faith and their role in the Body?

I tend to think it is a both/and, and I begin to wonder about the ways that we have tried to bridge the gap in the past.

The Black Hole in the Ministry of the Church pt. 1

Among many other things, lately my thoughts and dreams have been centered around the transition from High School into the larger body of the Church. This predominately comes from the black hole that seems to exist when students leave their youth groups and the laser focused structure of the youth group model and try to find a spot in the larger body of the church. There is a disconnect between hanging out with friends and worshipping together in a very age-specific culture that does not compute with students when they leave for college or the young adult years and cannot find something that is similar. The reality is that there are many variables here and many things affecting this time in a person's life.

Central to my thoughts are how to remedy the situation. Typically, when there is a shortfall in the church, we create a new program, a new worship service, a new way to try and do church on "their level." We make the messages "more relevant" to that specific age group, we make the worship more "age-appropriate," and we try and make it seem as if there is always something for them to catch that is specific to everyone in the room. But, if this was the remedy that was most effective, wouldn't we be seeing College and Young Adult programs highly attended? Wouldn't movements like Passion be seen in the local church? Wouldn't we see passionate worship in these programs? Wouldn't we see major transformation in these programs?

I'm not here to bash on current programs, emit my skepticism in a condescending forum, or suggest that I am the only holder of the best and most effective program. However, I am most definitely convinced that something needs to change and people's spiritual lives lay in the balance. The reality is true: more and more students leave their youth groups and either turn away and abandon, or seriously neglect their connection to the Body when they leave youth group, yet continue to pursue answers and truth in their lives without the guidance and fellowship of a body of believers.

And so begins this thought process.
What are your thoughts?
What is your church doing right now?
What are some of the reasons that you haven't found yourself plugged into a church?
For what reasons do you wish that you could get more involved?