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Showing posts from August, 2007

Ministry Tips

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Ministry tip 67995 Don't follow a student home that cusses you out on church property ...it is better to just let it go .... Ministry tip 77632 .... no matter how many times you tell about your brother pee -ing on the electric fence ...middle schoolers still find it funny ... Do you have any?

Church Myth Debunked: It is all about relationships!

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I'm hearing alot of church lingo lately with the newest trend being that in order to grow your church it has to be based upon relationships. That relationship building and maintaining is what leads to presenting truth and transformation. I would urge caution. Relationships are the means, not the goal. The church isn't suppose to be about relationships - it is suppose to be about Jesus. A church that is centered on Jesus will have the relationships and enhance the transformation - not relationship centered to enhance Jesus. Jesus doesn't need enhancement. God does the transformation. So often we build relationships thinking we do the changing, but the Holy Spirit acts on our behalf. I've seen alot of churches base their theology and "Gimmicks" on relationships as the end rather than the means. It isn't about relationships ...it is all about Jesus. And sometimes I need to be reminded of that too!

What makes a Good Communicator?

Occasionally youthworkers are looking for qualities for a good speaker for their event, convention, camp, retreat etc. Here are some I'd consider: 1. Love God 2. Love students. 3. Ability to speak. (sometimes there are youth ministers who think they are the BEST speakers in the world but ummm and ahhh and this and like ok ....comes every other minute from their mouths) 4. Authenticity. 5. Interaction - both before they speak and after. I like it when the speaker for an event interacts during the events and students find out he or she is the speaker are awed that this person cared to spend time with them. 6. Know the Word and what talking about. 7. Humility. 8. Cost. (Some of the best speakers we had come to speak - came only to have their expenses reimbursed and that was it) 9. Networking - sometimes a good speaker has connections or knows someone or someone knows them. Good speakers don't brag on their abilities but others will. The ones we had do our Teen convention were frie

Top 10 Urban Legends in Youth Ministry

You know there are urban legends in Christianity such as O'Hare and the FCC or the Touched by An Angel or even the Health and Wealth Gospel. Here are some Urban Legends in Youth Ministry and in Church in general that I've come across. 10. The tenure of a youth worker is 18mths. This one has been making the rounds for some time. I wonder who this youth worker is and how many churches he is currently on. 9. Close relationships are the goal of ministry. (They aren't - they are a means, but not the end) (Thanks to Group Magazine for debunking this one. Group magazine Sept/ Oct 2006 Don't buy the lies article) 8. The 4% Warning. Love this one. Cites that "The percentage of young people who are Bible believing Christians is steadily decreasing, and right now has dropped to a rock bottom 4%" I've seen alot of this in different publications in Youth Ministry organizations - almost to scare you to have your kids to come to THEIR production. 7. The usage of the word