How YM is like moving to Texas

Stephanie on July 29th, 2010

Sometimes the pleasure of having a blog is just dumping whatever is inside your head or the refuse of what’s currently “on fire” on your to-do list. A trip into the recesses of my mind is scary for those that know me especially before coffee and a daily ADD pill.

In the bathroom this morning, it occurred to me that working students and their parents is a lot like moving from FL to TX…which I’m doing August 16th. How you say? Let me tell you:

1) Some things just don’t fit in a box: I have two large pictures that don’t fit into anything. They’re going to have to ride in the car with me, right behind the front seat. Same with students. The ones that don’t fit have to stay even closer to you.

2) Get rid of the junk before the trip: Before anything gets packed, its either been dusted, washed, fixed, or thrown away. Its a fresh start and I’m not dragging my junk with me. Good thought for any youth ministry trip or event: don’t take any emotional or relational junk. Clean it up before heading out.  

3) Don’t wait till the last minute and expect things to go well: I hired my mover back in April, started packing boxes a few at the same time and made reservations. Now I’ have more head room for the last minute craziness that will pop up. Works the same for youth events. Let [...]

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Did you buy it yet?

Stephanie on July 23rd, 2010

No? I told you to! Go to www.simplyyouthministry.com and get a download of “Meet the Prodigals.” ITS ONLY $9.95!!! How wrong could you go? Read the post before this one for the reaons why.

Here’s are a few promised programming ideas that work great for small (or large) groups:

1) Prayer Stations – the story is full of multi-sensory moments. Set up stations where your kids can touch, taste, smell, hear, see parts of the story. Ideas could include a carrying a heavy suitcase, hands prints from a mud pile, taste a party cake, something that smells REALLY bad…you get the idea. Prayer stations work really well for small size groups because it doesn’t matter how many kids participate. Its all about them one-on-one with God anyway.

2) Rings on the finger: After the son comes back home, the father gives him the family ring. Have a “Come to Jesus” time and make rings available as a memory-maker from the night. To top it off, use a father-figure dressed in costume to place the rings on each student’s finger.

3) Music choices: SO many good songs to fit this theme like Daughtry’s “Going Home” or “???” (What WAS the name of that song from Thursday night of Workcamp? Just can’t think of it now but I’ll get back with it.) And of course, there’s the drama so many youth groups are doing now, “Everything” by Lifehouse. Good stuff.

There’s 5 Sundays in August and 5 segments [...]

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Bored with the Prodigal Son?

Stephanie on July 18th, 2010

Want a GREAT 5 part series? Just so happens there are 5 Sundays in August, too.

When I heard the this year’s program theme for Group Workcamps was based on the Prodigal Son, I thought, “Boring! Snoozer! Done it a kazilion times!”

I was dead wrong. Go to Simplyyouthministry.com and get yourself a video series called, “Meet the Prodigals.” What a great series! Created with a “The Office” style, it is funny, interesting, serious, impactful – good stuff! Its brand new and was featured at Group Workcamps this summer as part of each night’s program time. I told someone at camp I’d pay $99 for the series; got home to find it was only $9.99 with discussion idea sheets to go along with it.

Five lessons based on different perspectives of the story: myself, friends, family, faith and forever. Go buy it and I’ll post some ideas for using it in a couple days. Best $10 bucks you’ll ever spend on great programming for your kids or worship or small group or whatever. Each segment is about 5-7  minutes long.

Right now I’m gonna go back to sleep. On a flight home from Workcamp and it was the best week in kids’ lives I’ve ever experienced…but not the most sleep ever. :)  

Stephanie
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Stephanie on July 15th, 2010

If your calendar thru May 2011 isn’t done, you’re already behind!

Hey, I’m on a trip myself; I know you’re on summer survival. You may even have your fall calendar “mostly” done in your head. Who are you kidding? What’s “mostly” mean?

So here’s some homework:
By August 1st, have all 2010 fall dates on the calendar in ink. All vol’s are recruited and all costs have been calculated BEFORE signups even start. 

By Promotion Sunday 2010-Fall Kick Off, you’ve got all your dates from Jan thru May penciled in, all details figured out and at least 50% of your vols lined up. Even better, you’ve got next summer’s trips set aside so parents can plan ahead.

Trust me. Make this happen and life will be much easier for all of us. 

S
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Need a mid-YM summer pick-me-up?

Stephanie on July 9th, 2010

A guest post from my friend, Joschua Windeler

Warren Buffet Has Got It Right

The dude is smart; clearly smart. He is beyond rich, and has made more money than I ever will in my life.  Coming from one of the most successful people in the history of this country, Yahoo® asked him, “what is your best advice?” His answer:  ”Unconditional love.”

“The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean you’re 90 percent of the way home.”

If that’s not a God-inspired statement, I don’t know what is. I’ve been in ministry for about 10 years now, and I’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t with teenagers. I know it’s easy to get discouraged because of poor choices teens make sometimes.

The single most important thing they need? Love. God showed me this simple truth Himself:  He never gives up on me, and so I must never give up on students.  I have received limitless grace from my father in heaven, and so I am obligated to pass that on to my teens at church.

John 13:34 – 34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

To read the article, follow this link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100708/bs_yblog_upshot/buffett-recounts-the-best-advice-hes-ever-received  

JW

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Seriously, just my ramblings

Stephanie on July 3rd, 2010

Hi, My Ministry Friends -

I’ve missed you! I’ve been away for awhile. (Sounds like what they say in Hollywood when someone goes into rehab.)

I guess it has been rehab: I suffered my first youth mission trip related injury. 30 years injury free. Fell helping rescue an old lady’s cat? Pulled a muscle carrying 2×4’s?  Stepped on a rusty nail wading through an abandoned back yard? 

Nothing so glamorous. Got stepped on while conducting camp Variety Show auditions. Took one for the Kingdom with that one, didn’t I? Subsequent knee surgery and 3 day hospital stay, phys rehab and – yes but if you laugh I’ll hunt you down like an dirty dog – a TEMPORARY cane.

Here’s what I learned: 

1) Nurses’ assistants are underpaid angels. Be nice to them.

3) Narcotics are not for me…oops forgot #2. See? 

4) Once someone else helps u to the bathroom, you lose all pride. Remember that feeling…its a godly trait.

5) If people offer to help, take them up on it! Helps you, helps them.

6) Thank God for a spouse who sets up a hair-washing station to wash your hair when you can’t shower.

7) Play quiet Christian music in ur hospital room and note the number of people who positively comment on it. “Better Than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant was def a conversation starter.

Finally, on this Independence Day: I am free to hang with kids, go on a trip again this summer, sleep in my own bed, be loved by my family, have good health [...]

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Help me write our next book…

Stephanie on June 20th, 2010

OK friends, here’s our next book project for small church youth ministries scheduled to come out in December. Itsdesigned to be a part of the SYM line of  “99 Thoughts” books (only a little bigger). The SYM team and I decided how much fun it would be to have my smaller church friends to add in ideas, etc.  

First things first, though: What are THE 5-10 topic buckets we should narrow this book down to?  Post your top 5-10 needs. Don’t be influenced by what anyone else has said.

This will be fun!

Stephanie

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Don’t bother w youth programming

Stephanie on June 15th, 2010
If ur not doing a youth mission project, don't bother doing anything else 
this summer with ur kids. Yes, that's how strongly I feel about it. 
We're all from small churches so no excuse there. None of us have a big budget; 
again no excuse. No time? Geez. Give up a move night or a softball game or two. 
U can make the time. 
Here's why: none of what we do makes sense without the impact serving gives our 
kids. Its where the rubber meets the road of our message. More Spirit internal 
work is done in one day of serving than a month's worth of ur messages. Imagine 
the impact if u strung several serving days together. 
Got no money? Find a close church that will let u crash in their fellowship hall 
and can line up work at their elderly members' homes. Buy and cook ur own food. Grab a great study from SYM and make it ur theme. I bet this 
will cost less than $50 each for a coupla days. 
Got some money? Try Week of Hope. They're at around $200 for a week, with it 
all done for u. Community service type stuff. www.weekofhope.com
Got a little more money? I've done them all and Group Workcamps is THE best! 
U and ur group just "plug in and play." Well, work. They're why I'm still serving 
with them for a few weeks  [...] 


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What to do w/ the kid u just can’t stand

Stephanie on June 11th, 2010

What about that one kid?

Come on, ur not fooling me. It’s happened to me, too. There’s always at least one. THAT kid. The one that drives u nuts. The one who whines, annoys, or destroys their way onto irritating ur last nerve.

I’ve had a few myself over the years. Boy #1 was SO needy. Boy #2 was SO annoyingly ADHD. Summer time made it worse because they were always at church and a part of every extended trip. I couldn’t escape them!

Ah, I think ur probably a step ahead of me. #1 had no mom. Dad had no clue. #2 had parents but they were drunk all the time. So of course these two wanted to be in a place that was safe and good.

What did I do? I stopped praying for God to change them. Yep, ’cause it wasn’t working.

I started praying for God to change me. I asked for a heart that would want to love these two. That made all the difference in the world.

So as ur living out ur youth summer, pack a different type of prayer into the carry-on of ur heart. Pray for a unique, focused love. God will not disappoint. After all, He’s the travel agent of this season. 

Stephanie
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More YM Summer Ideas

Stephanie on June 7th, 2010

(This is a guest post from my friend, Josh Windeler.  He is a youth pastor and member of the SYMConference Inside Track Team.    I.T. Team people: if you’re in a smaller church and want to post this summer, IM me on FB. I love hearing from different voices.     SC)

Ahhhh yes…Summer is here. With it comes the sweet smell of freshly cut grass, burgers on the grill and the smell of middle school boys who haven’t discovered deodorant yet.

If you’re like me, you’ve already mapped out everything what you plan to do with your youth group this summer.  Included is a variety of activities designed to maximize the enormous potential of your youth group. And, if you live in the real world, you know that plans can change. You’ve already had to adapt and overcome obstacles, significantly changing “the master plan.” So here you are at the start of summer, looking at the next few months, thinking “how do I keep these teens focused on Jesus Christ?”

While the typical summer activities include things like car washes and camping out in your backyard, they don’t really keep your kids living their lives daily for Christ. I have a couple of ideas that can make a permanent impact on your group:

1) Go to a summer camp (if possible).

2) Line up some local ministry events.

3) Get a to-do list from your senior pastor to help people around the church.

In other words: get out there [...]

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