Cheap Books from Simply Youth Ministry

Simply Youth Ministry is having a warehouse moving sale - and that means you can get some great books for really cheap.

Go here for the whole list, and to order your books.

It looks like they are going quickly, so hurry over and see what is left!

Trivia Wednesday #147: Turkey Dinner on the Moon

answer #146 - Abraham Lincoln (Who was the first President to make Thanksgiving a national holiday?)

question #147 - Who was the first astronaut to eat a turkey dinner on the moon?


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This weekly trivia is provided for use within your youth ministry. You can use this random trivia in many ways: use it to start a conversation with a student, add it to your introduction for your lesson or message, include it in your next newsletter or email, or just randomly insert it into your daily conversations. No matter how you decide to use it, I hope this trivia knowledge can be beneficial within your youth ministry.

If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to see used for the trivia questions, just leave a comment and let me know.

Trivia Wednesday #146: Thanksgiving

answer #145 - $24.17, according to the 2008 spending analysis by the National Retail Federation. (How much money does the average consumer spend on a Halloween costume?)

question #146 - Who was the first President to make Thanksgiving a national holiday?



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This weekly trivia is provided for use within your youth ministry. You can use this random trivia in many ways: use it to start a conversation with a student, add it to your introduction for your lesson or message, include it in your next newsletter or email, or just randomly insert it into your daily conversations. No matter how you decide to use it, I hope this trivia knowledge can be beneficial within your youth ministry.

If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to see used for the trivia questions, just leave a comment and let me know.

NYWC 09: Friday & Saturday

The convention is definitely underway.

A lot of great content being shared from speakers, teachers and fellow youth workers. This communication of ideas is what makes youth workers so great - we are not afraid to share what we know and learn from others who have been where we want to go.

This attitude is what makes Open Space a great addition to the National Youth Workers Convention.

Open Space was a great experience. For me, I stayed with a group who were talking about working in a small church. We talked about finances, reaching the community, ministering to students, staying relevant, connecting students to the older generation and a little more. It was a great collaboration of those struggling and those who have found success. We shared ideas, thought outloud and listened. It was a great use of my time.

For anyone going Atlanta in a few weeks - GO TO THE OPEN SPACE SATURDAY.

Check out the YS Blog for more thoughts on the Big Rooms.

Photo Friday: Frozen Bananas & A Mutated Strawberry

Bananas just do not look right after you freeze them.


As a Halloween bonus: here is a picture of a mutated strawberry. Okay, really its just a very odd shaped strawberry that looks like it should sprout a mouth and start talking.



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These weekly pictures are provided as an available resource for use within your youth ministry. These pictures can be used for background slides, event promotion, or anywhere else you need a good photograph. What I ask is that you do not use them for anything in which you make a profit and attribute me as the photographer. I would also love to hear how you are using them (pictures of your final product would be great, too) within your youth ministry.

NYWC 09: Thursday

First full day of the convention for me (as a volunteer).

Today was a good day. Store is set up and ready to go. I got to hang out with some old friends and a few new ones. Since we (the store volunteers) are so good, we got done early today - so we got to check out a early bird seminar. I sat in on the Real World Parents seminar, taught by Mark Matlock. I got to sit next to and talk with Patti Gibbons. Nice to actually meet her in person.

Then I got to hang out with some old college buddies (Bill being one of those guys) - a great "get away" for me. We went to LaRosa's (I highly recommend it for anyone visiting Cincy) and got some ice cream at Graeter's. I think it is good to get together and talk and laugh. Especially for me right now.

A rather good start to the convention and it has not officially started yet :)

On another note:
I am a big book reader, so I intentionally left all of my books (except my Bible) at home. I want to use my free time to either read my Bible, pray, talk with other youth workers or interact with someone.

I believe this weekend is going to be one of the best ones in a long time and that has nothing to do with what is going on with YS, but on the fact that God is bigger than anything that is going on with YS, you, the economy or your congregation. Come expecting God to be God and you won't be let down.

Trivia Wednesday #145: Money Spent on Halloween Costume

answer #144 - Tootsie Rolls. (What was the first wrapped candy in America?)

question #145 - How much money does the average consumer spend on a Halloween costume?


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This weekly trivia is provided for use within your youth ministry. You can use this random trivia in many ways: use it to start a conversation with a student, add it to your introduction for your lesson or message, include it in your next newsletter or email, or just randomly insert it into your daily conversations. No matter how you decide to use it, I hope this trivia knowledge can be beneficial within your youth ministry.

If you have any suggestions on topics you would like to see used for the trivia questions, just leave a comment and let me know.

Relational Communication

(This article was originally posted on YW Journal, you can read & comment on it here on this blog or over at YW Journal)

When was the last time you had a significant conversation with a student? I'm not talking about the "I want to give my life to Christ for the first time" kind of conversation. I'm talking about the conversation where you hear about a recent fight with a parent. Or the conversation that details a student's struggle to control anger and the desire to get a handle on it. Maybe it is centered around the difficulty of being a Christian example at school.

Having any type of conversation that goes beyond a surface-level can be difficult for many adults. Let's just be honest, teenagers can be very moody and hard to understand, which makes talking with them intimidating to many adults. To make the situation even worse, most adults are so intimidated that the paid youth worker has to carry the responsibility of talking with 100% of the teenagers who come through the church doors, plus a few extra from the community. But there is a better way.

It's not just for paid staff
Paid youth workers are not the only people qualified to have significant conversations with teenagers, in fact any adult can do it. But these significant conversations do not happen by accident, it will take effort and a better understanding of teenagers. First of all, students do not withhold talking to someone just because the person is not a youth worker. In fact, there are many students who are less willing to talk about certain issues with a youth worker than anyone else.

Being on both sides of the youth worker role, paid full-time and volunteer, has given me a new insight into one of the keys to effectively communicating with teenagers. The key is not in asking just the right questions. Nor is the key found in the location of the conversation (ie. better conversation is not had while drinking coffee at the local coffee shop). The key to effective communication with teenagers is having a relationship with them.

A listening ear
This truth became vividly clear to me one day while I was subbing in the local high school. At the time I was not in a full-time youth minister position, but I had been in the area for a few years and knew most of the students in the school. Most of the students knew who I was and they knew one of the reasons I was subbing was because I genuinely care for teenagers. During this particular day, I had three significant conversations with students - the kind of "ministry conversations" every youth worker longs to have with students.

I did not plan to have these conversations, in fact I almost missed one because I was reluctant to stop what I was doing to talk to the student. (I'm so glad I stopped and listened) Since I did not plan these conversations, what made them happen? The only connection between all three conversations was my ongoing relationship with the student. I had known them for years and they knew I truly cared for them and desired the best for their life. My relationship with the student was the key to unlocking significant conversation and that day I was reminded of how much students will share when they know you care.

Build relationships
So, how does an adult who cares about teenagers take advantage of this relational aspect to significant conversations? For starters, if you sit down with a student and its the first time you start thinking about having a significant conversation with them, then its already too late. This relational communication will take foresight and planning on your part. The first step happens when you begin to intentionally focus on building a relationship with the student. Now, this is not a form of manipulation used to get the student to talk to you - if you are not genuinely concerned with the student's life, then they will know and they will not talk to you anyway. You cannot be fake with a student!

Actually if you are involved with youth ministry in any fashion, the desire to build a relationship with a teenager will come naturally. The first step is to take an interest in the student's life; learn about hobbies, family structure, interests, and what they are gifted in. You cannot have an ongoing relationship if you do not know about their life and you will also struggle to carry a conversation if all you can ask is, "How was school this week?" Asking questions about specific aspects of a student's life is important, but do not be afraid to stop and listen to what is on their heart.

The relational key
Being given the opportunity to have significant conversations with students does not involve a mysterious formula or collection of the right "buzz words." The biggest, and strongest, key is simply caring enough about a student to have a relationship with them. Not a relationship based on what the student can do for you or the ministry you are involved with, but a relationship based on one adult showing God's love to one student. If you have that strong relationship and listen to a student, then every once in a while you will find yourself on the listening end of a significant conversation. A conversation that just might change the future of one special teenager.

It does not matter if you are a full-time youth worker, part-time youth worker, a volunteer, a bus driver, or an "extra" adult - if you have a relationship with a student, then they will willingly talk and share with you. Most students do not talk to an adult based on the title that goes along with their name. They talk to an adult based on the relationship formed over the years. Knowing this truth and not utilizing it will lead to dozens (hundreds?) of missed opportunities to speak into a teenager's life.

NYWC '09: The Variations

This week's NYWC in Cincinnati will be the 9th convention I've attended. And as I think back to the past 8, I realize just how much each convention is unique.

I went to my first NYWC while I was a student at Cincinnati Christian University. (This year will mark my third time going to Cincinnati.) At this point, I had no idea what the next 10 years would hold, but I was encouraged and challenged to minister to students. I gained insight from the classes and enjoyed hanging out with a friend from school. Oh, and I first experienced hearing Mike Yaconelli speak. His ministry was such a blessing to me those first few years.

Shortly after starting my first full-time ministry, I attended convention in FL. Somehow I had managed to become overwhelmed with youth ministry within the first few months. (something about me being naive to what would really happen...) I attended this convention with my wife and a few other couples from college. It was a breath of fresh air in my youth ministry lungs. I still remember a few of the talks (first time I ever heard Rob Bell), seminars and resources I picked up during this week. A great way to encourage my first year in ministry.

The next convention I went to as a volunteer. This is the year I truly learned that YS is not about "business" as much as it is about ministry and people. I experienced the convention in a whole new way: behind the scenes. This new perspective allowed me to experience the people behind YS. (And it is these people that make YS what it is!!) I also learned to juggle, thanks to Glenn. Sadly, the biggest memory from this convention actually happened a few days afterward. This was the last convention Mike Yaconelli was ever at, as he was killed in a car accident a few days later.

How would the convention ever be the same? Simple answer - it wouldn't.

The next year was tough. It was strange to be at a NYWC and not see/hear Yac in the halls and on the stage. But Yac's absence did not mean the convention was not encouraging and uplifting. YS is so much more than just one person, even if that person is the co-founder/president. The convention was not the same, but God showed Himself in a mighty way - at least to me.

Always Something New
I've been to convention in various stages of ministry. Like I said, I started going while I was still in college. I attended as a full-time minister. And I've attended while I was out of ministry. And each year I've learned a ton and benefited more than I thought I would. Each year I leave the convention blessed and grateful that I went.

Going into this year's convention, I was already planning for it to be different. When I signed up to volunteer a few months ago, I was really looking forward to some of the new changes - like the Open Space Saturday, and the modified "Big Room." Plus, I always look forward to hearing God and talking with others who are passionate about students. But I was not looking forward to a few other changes, mainly the absence of some of my YS friends. Over the past year (like in previous years) some of my friends are no longer working for YS. I miss not seeing my friends when I go to a convention like NYWC.

On top of this, last week, a new change was added. Marko is no longer president of YS and at this point, the future is unsure. This change will be one seen by more people (unlike some of the other friends I will miss seeing), as Marko was the face of YS and a constant stage presence during the conventions. Even though I, nor you, do not know details about the situation I am confident that God is in control and that the convention will still be a place of rest, encouragement, challenge and safety.

Changes are inevitable - as I have found out attending the NYWC's over the years. But change is not always bad.

I am a different person this year than I was last.
YS is a different company this year than it was last.
You are a different person this year than you were last.
But God is still the same this year as He was last - and that is what we put our trust in, isn't it?

See you in Cincy!

Photo Friday: Mini Cantaloupe

A close up of some mini cantaloupe. Aren't they cute?


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These weekly pictures are provided as an available resource for use within your youth ministry. These pictures can be used for background slides, event promotion, or anywhere else you need a good photograph. What I ask is that you do not use them for anything in which you make a profit and attribute me as the photographer. I would also love to hear how you are using them (pictures of your final product would be great, too) within your youth ministry.