Teaching Tips: #1 Silence is Okay

Teaching Tip #1 - Silence is Okay
 
 
I was fresh out of Bible college, in my first youth ministry, sitting on a couch teaching high school students. I had spent hours preparing this lesson, studying the Bible, and crafting great questions to get the students talking. As I sat there going through my lesson notes, there was only one thing wrong: no one was answering. I was beginning to wonder what I had done wrong. Maybe my questions were too difficult or unclear. Maybe the students didn’t like me. As I thought through my concerns, all I could hear from them was silence. So I just kept moving. I answered the questions myself or just moved on to the next one. And when it was all over, I left feeling like I just wasted an hour of their life.

Have you ever had that same feeling?

What I have learned since then is that it was not necessarily my questions that were at fault, it was the way I was teaching. I was not allowing the students time to process the questions and formulate an answer. I assumed that silence meant they were either not interested or clueless. The silence scared me as a teacher. This fear of silence was a manifestation of my lack of confidence. Maybe you have the same fear of silence, too. If you do, let me share with you some things I have learned over the years.

Silence can mean a few things:
1. There is a fear of being wrong.
Sometimes, the students are silent after a question because they do not want to get the question wrong. School is a place with right and wrong answers and this mentality carries over into the youth ministry. As the teacher, one of your goals is to create a safe environment, where the students trust that their thoughts are valuable.

2. There answer is too personal to share with the group.
There are some questions we ask that go straight to the heart of a student. These are questions that spark life application and change. These are the questions that really affect the students. These are also the questions that need not always be answered verbally. Are you expecting a student to tell everyone else in class something that might be too personal?

3. The students do not have an answer.
Remember that time you were at a seminar and the speaker asked a question and you could not think of an answer. It happens to our students, too. Every student does not enter the room having spent the last week preparing to discuss the topic of the day. Some students enter the room with a dozen other things on their mind, all of which are competing for their attention. These mental distractions can make it difficult to quickly come up with answer, so try to remember not to rush them.

4. They are processing the question.
After you ask a question, especially an open-ended question, you need to give the students a chance to process. As the teacher, you have had days to think about the questions. The students, on the other hand, have only had seconds. You cannot expect a student to immediately answer. So stop expecting it and allow them time to think.

How to handle silence:
1. Give the students time.
After you ask a question, allow the students a few minutes to formulate their answers. One of the worst things you can do is to continually talk while you wait. You might need to offer suggestions and helps, but do not immediately start with them.

2. Pick students to answer.
If you have some questions to ask that are based off of a Scripture you will be reading, let a few students know that you will be asking them a question after the Scripture is read. This “warning” should encourage them to pay more attention to what is being read.

3. Start with questions everyone needs to answer.
This is especially helpful one of the first times the group is together, but it will help anytime. At the beginning of class, ask a couple questions that need to be answered by everyone. Do not make them too difficult or too narrow. You want the students to start thinking and to feel more comfortable talking in the group.

Do you have any other suggestions for handling silence?

Looking Back: What if there was no Easter?

The other day, I was reminded of a post from 3 years ago entitled: What if there was no Easter? As I looked over it again, I thought I would repost (slightly edited) it today. What do you think life would be like if there was no Easter? Do you think about what it was like before Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection?

---

For the junior high class, we wanted to go about the Easter lesson from a different POV. In preparation, I did some extra study on the Law and what life would be like under it. I, for one, am very glad we can celebrate Easter.

Throughout the class (about every 10 minutes) have the students do something routine. They will do the same thing every time. The goal is to let them gain a better understanding of what the annual sacrifices were like. They will do the same thing over and over and over and will not be able to not do it next time. Do not make it too difficult or time consuming, or you won't have time to do the rest of the study.

We are going to be asking and answering these questions:

What if Jesus had never died on the cross?
What if Jesus had never rose from the grave?
What if we were still under the Law?
What if we choose to live under the Law instead of under Grace?

The hope is that by looking at Easter from this POV, the students will better understand the importance and magnitude of what Jesus did for us.

We'll be looking at Gal. 2&3, Heb. 9, and some various OT passages on the Law

Every Youth Worker Needs: Less Sarcasm

(Youth ministry is not an easy ministry. And in this series, Every Youth Worker Needs:..., I want to highlight a variety of things that might make your ministry a little easier. This ongoing series will include ministry tips, book suggestions, technology helps, and many other nuggets of advice.)

If you would have known me in high school and college, you would have a hard time believing I wrote the title of this post. Allow me to explain to you, in one sentence, what I mean. I used to be extremely sarcastic. It was simply "who I was" and how I interacted with others. In fact, it was so extreme that I lost a college roommate because he thought I was too sarcastic. We had many (probably at least one a week) conversations over my use of sarcasm and his belief that I used it a little too much. I defended myself back then and despite trying to refrain around him, I did little to change my sarcastic attitude.

Then there came this point where I actually regretted who I had become. For many years, the one word that described me was "sarcastic" and sadly, this followed me into my first ministry. It was years into my ministry before I realized just how my sarcasm was negatively affecting the students and the ministry. As easy as it was for me to be sarcastic - it was pretty second nature for me - I knew I needed to put a stop to it. I don't remember if I ever sat down with my youth ministry team, the students or the families and told them that I was going to be less sarcastic. I don't think it was as important to tell people as it was to actually change my words and attitude. And as I changed into a less sarcastic person, I could see visible changes happening within the group.

As I changed, I saw a vanishing of the distance (caused by my sarcasm) between myself and some of the people I was trying to minister to. I wonder what "could have been" during the first two years had I learned sooner. From my experience, I have seen four negatives to using sarcasm in your youth ministry.

4 negatives to using sarcasm in youth ministry.

1. Students do not know when they can trust you.
Okay, so that might be a strong, and over-the-top statement that is not true all the time, but I think its still worth thinking about. When a student asks a question or makes a statement, are they worried about what you will say in return? The more you use sarcasm in your responses, the less students want to open their mouth and say anything. Students need to know they can trust your response to their thoughts and emotions (the stuff they say and do expresses these two) and that your response will be positive or at least neutral, not damaging.

2. Someone (usually a student) gets their feelings hurt.
Sarcasm is known for being "biting." In my experience, any time it is used it results in hurt feelings. Its not the person using sarcasm that is hurt, nor those who hear it, but the person to whom it is directed toward. As a youth worker, more often than not, we tend to direct sarcasm at a student. And when this student laughs we think we have accomplished the exact opposite of hurt. In reality, we are only fooling ourselves. No student walks away from a sarcastic remark without feeling some level of pain, especially if they respect the person who said it.

3. It neither lifts up or encourages.
Youth ministry needs to be a safe place for students to be. When sarcasm is acceptable and prevalent within a youth ministry, it seizes to be a safe place. Throughout the Bible we are told to encourage each other and lift each other up. Sarcasm hinders us from showing the love of God to those who need it.

4. Simply put, it is cheap humor.
There is no way around this one. If you are looking for a cheap laugh, say something sarcastic. But is this what our youth ministries need? I don't think so. If you want to be funny, put more effort into it. And remember, you do not need to get a laugh every time you talk to someone. Your ministry is about connecting students with a loving God - not making jokes or getting students to think you are funny.


There are still occasions where sarcasm flows from my lips, but it is much fewer and far between. Not to mention, it is very rarely around a student. Yet, the very fact that I still have moments of sarcastic behavior means I need to be intentional about taming my tongue (see James 3:1-12, especially v. 10). I encourage you to take sarcasm out of your talks, out of your conversations with students, and allow your words to be an encouragement to those students you are ministering to.


(Every Youth Worker Needs: A Blog Series About Things You Need in Youth Ministry)

Adding Creativity to Your Ministry

An article I wrote for a series on "Creativity in Ministry" is up on YS's new site - which you need to check out if you haven't already. I would love to hear what you think about the article. How have you been able to add creativity to your ministry? What tips would you offer?




Is it okay to admit that I have had "creative youth ministry" envy in the past? I hope so, because I think I just admitted it. If you have been involved with a non-megachurch size youth ministry, then I bet you know what I am talking about. You can grow envious when you see all of the creative elements being produced by bigger ministries: message graphics, logos, websites, drama, music, curriculum and videos. It can be enough to cause a youth minister to grow discontent with what his ministry is doing.



Being part of a creative youth ministry is what most new youth workers desire. Creative youth ministries (and congregations in general) are glamorized by magazines, websites, conventions and the youth ministry world. Being creative is the goal, or at least that is how it is portrayed when the pedestal of "ministry success" is placed under these ministries. And since having the most creative youth ministry garners the attention, the young youth worker seeks after the magic chalice of creativity. What usually happens is that youth worker cannot match the megachurch, so he copies or borrows the megachurches material.



Borrowing from another ministry to make your ministry look better is not the answer. This habit can lead to simply being one step behind and never fully reaching your ministry's potential. To help the young youth worker reach a higher level of creativity, I would like to offer two pieces of advice.



Read Adding Creativity to Your Ministry in its entirety on YS's site.

Prayer helps - to help you focus

Prayer is pretty important to a Christian. It is the avenue through which a Christian can talk directly with God (the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe) and share true emotions with the one person who had to power to really change things.

Because prayer is so important, it can be overwhelming. Students struggle to pray. Adults struggle to pray. Youth workers struggle to teach teenagers ways to pray or encourage them to start, even just for a few minutes.

Below you will find 3 prayer helps. The first 2 are methods that can be used to help a student (or anyone for that matter) focus their prayer time. The 3rd help is about focusing your prayers, but learning to focus more on other people and less on yourself when you pray.


P.I.N.C.a.P.
Praise - praise God for Who He is
Intercession - praying for other people
Needs - pray specifically for needs you know about
Confession - confessing your sins
and
Protection - asking God for protection for those who need it


A.C.T.S.
Adoration - praising God for Who He is
Confession - confessing your sins
Thanksgiving - telling God "thank you" for His blessings
Supplication - asking for "stuff" on behalf of yourself and others


me & we vs. You & them
How do you pray? Do you spend your prayer time focused on yourself and those close to you? Or is your prayer time focused more on God and others?


What ideas/helps have you used in the past? What would you suggest and add to this list?

2 Small Group Series Released - Elijah & Trusting God

I'm pretty excited about these 2 small groups. They are the first "stand-alone" small groups/lesson/curriculum material that I've written that's been published in any form other than being printed from my computer. Plus, I love the fact that they have great looking covers (its a shame they are only downloadable).

If you have used these lessons, I would love to hear what you thought.


I wrote a 4 week series on Elijah and its now available for download from Simply Youth Ministry. Follow this link: Elijah Small Group Series to get more information and to download.

Lessons include:

• Week 1 - He Was Confident in God (1 Kings 18:16-39)
• Week 2 - He Battled Fear (1 Kings 19:1-8)
• Week 3 - He Battled Loneliness (1 Kings 19:9-14)
• Week 4 - He Was a Lifelong Servant (2 Kings 2:1-11)

I also wrote a 3 week series on Trusting God and its also now available for download from Simply Youth Ministry. Follow this link: Trusting God Small Group Series to get more information and to download.

Lessons include:

• Week 1: With Your Past (1 John 4:10)
• Week 2: In the Present (Ephesians 4:22-24)
• Week 3: With Your Future (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)

Book Review: Speaking to Teenagers by Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins

Speaking in front of children is scary, even though they are fairly forgiving. Speaking in front of adults is nerve-racking, especially if most of them are older than you. But, speaking in front of teenagers is worse. It is like swimming with sharks, while you are covered with blood and have pieces of meat attached to your feet. At least that is how some people feel about the idea of speaking to teens. But thanks to Doug Fields and Duffy Robbins (and their book "Speaking to Teenagers: How to think about, create, and deliver effective messages") you do not have to feel this way any longer.

Fields and Robbins combine their many years of experience with a large collection of research to provide a valuable resource to any adult wanting to communicate effectively with teens. This book is filled with humor, graphs, pictures of bridges, insight, real-life experience, and tips. Though the book flows from start to finish, it is possible to find the chapter dealing with an area of speaking where you need help and find the assistance you need to improve.

The first section covers the thinking part of the message preparation. This includes some great information on what needs to go into an effective message (like how to build the bridge from you to the students you want to reach). Although this step in message preparation might seem optional - Fields and Robbins build a convincing argument to its importance. The second section focuses on how to create a message that STICKs. Here you'll learn the importance of Study, Thinking, Illustrating, Constructing, and Keeping focused. Finally, the last three chapters discuss how to deliver an effective message (everything from your vocal pitch and hand gestures to the set-up of the room in which you will be speaking).

This book is a must-read for anyone who speaks to teens. You will do yourself, and the students to whom you speak, a huge favor by reading and implementing the wisdom found in these pages.


My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

Learned from Twitter: week ending August 22, 2009

Gained a few more twitter gems this week. Just had to share these ones with you. Enjoy.


1. snavenel (Len Evans) shared a great link that churches need to look at.

We Love Our Youth Worker http://www.weloveouryouthwo... 7 promises churches make to ensure they properly care for their youth worker

2. pattigibbons (Patti Gibbons) will bring a smile to your face (if you're a youth worker) with this quote from VBS.

Comment from VBS ldr after lesson on sin: "What's not fun about a room full of pre-K & K kids and a pooping snake?"

3. giveawaylist (Big List of Giveaways) posted a giveaway that could be very useful (if you won) for some great foll0w-up material for your ministry.

New giveaway listed - check it out! : 250 5X7" Custom Greeting Cards http://bit.ly/10c0VW

4. snavenel (Len Evans) suggests all youth workers (especially those who teach) read this free e-book.

Josh Hunt is giving way a free e-book Good Questions Have Groups Talking http://www.joshhunt.com/goo... great tool 4 Youth & SS teachers!

5. FlowerInTheRain (Janelle Painter) offers a great piece of advice. Read and take to heart.

Slow down. From what we know, Jesus never said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you. I need to be in Jerusalem by sundown." Pace your life.

6. AdamLehman (Adam Lehman) shared a great moment from his ministry - a "thank you" from a student. These are the things that keep a youth worker going for months.

Got my first "thank-you-for-what-youre-doing" text from a student: "Thanks for getting people together to play xbox. It was lots of fun."

What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Learned from Twitter: Week ending June 27, 2009

This is the first full week of summer and for the youth worker that means not being in the office. That was noticed this week on Twitter, as many days were low on the tweeting by friends. I can only hope this means a lot of ministry was done with teenagers. Anyway, here are a few things I learned this week...

1. jenhowver (Jen Howver) shared an article on conducting surveys.

"an ingenious way to conduct a survey (& probably get a good grade on your research project!): http://bit.ly/xtxfV"

2. ellerytheband (Ellery) has been sharing thoughts on what is going on in the studio. A new album is coming. If you do not know Ellery, check out their music - its good.

"Several times through "Christopher," and a new idea w/ each try. Finally have an arrangement we're living with; feels good."

3. MarkMatlock (Mark Matlock) passed along an article on teens and sex. If you work with teenagers, you'll want to check out this article.

"Teens Just as Likely to Have Sex, But Less Likely to Use Contraception Than They Were A Few Years Ago http://tinyurl.com/m5mp8o"

4. outsideallday (Andy Brazelton) announced a brand new small group curriculum from Simply Youth Ministry. The Live curriculum is a downloadable 4 year curriculum that is easily customizable to fit your group. (I am honored to have been able to contribute a few of the lessons for this curriculum and hope they challenge students to live for God)

"Drum roll please...after several years in development, check out our brand new 4 year small group curriculum plan. http://budurl.com/bwaf"

5. FlowerInTheRain (Janelle Painter) passed along some sad truth about Apple and the iTunes App store. They are now allowing porn in their apps, which means I am disappointed in Apple.

"RT @kcampos: Porn is now allowed on the iTunes App Store, because 3.0 has age restriction ability. http://is.gd/1daEV // such a shame Apple"

What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Learned from Twitter: week ending May 23, 2009

This week, my Twitter feed brought some laughs and great youth ministry reminders. Here are a few of the highlights...


1. MatthewMcNutt (Matthew McNutt) shared a great moment in mass text messaging. A reminder to the rest of us to always set your cell phone to silent or turn it off while in church.
"Blasted a text message out to 90+ people today with SimplyTXT. The problem? Middle of the worship service. Phones buzzing everywhere! FAIL."

2. youthministry (YouthMinistry.com) reminded us that middle schoolers are awesome. Or they just have a lot of energy (one of the two).
"the jr highers I work with would be all over this. Mt Dew Nite http://budurl.com/ymdew Thanks Chad Shiffer for sharing!"

3. YMTV (Youth Ministry TV) inspired me with this quote. (Stick around Twitter during any given conference and you'll see a bunch of these quotes show up in your Twitter feed)
"[generic leadership comment that is really smart and I want to implement] - [conference speaker] (via @stephenwebb)"

4. justayouthguy (Jon McIver) knows that youth ministers do not need rule sheets when we play games. We either know the game or we just make the rules up as we go - that is the way youth workers operate. :)
"Watching a teacher explain Red Rover to a group of 4th graders. She keeps looking at a rule sheet. A rule sheet? Really?"

5. rockinyp (Tim Schmoyer) thinks there is a different way to grow a youth group than cool events.
"Seriously? This is how you grow a youth group, with cool events and marketing? http://bit.ly/ca7s1 I like my way better http://bit.ly/16UKmM"



What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Book Review: Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions by James A. Beverley

As a youth minister, I have used a variety of resources to gather information on different religions. I just found the one book I will go to first, Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions. With over 700 pages, this reference book will cover just about any religious group you will encounter. Nineteen main religious groups are covered, with hundreds more discussed under these main categories.

The breadth of its coverage is not what sets this book apart from other guides to religion. What gives it the edge is the extra material placed throughout the pages. Many sections conclude with a glossary of terms - a huge help when trying to understand the basics of other religions. Also included throughout the book are time lines mapping out significant events in the history of the religious group or religious leader. Each section ends with a brief summary of the religious group; including, the founder, the headquarters, main website, other sites dealing with the group, and recommended reading.

The ability to find information quickly, easily and understandably make Nelson's Illustrated Guide to Religions a must have for anyone in the church. If you find yourself teaching a class on religions or are involved in a conversation with someone about a particular religion, there is one other part of the book you will want to read - "A Christian response to...." You will be glad you have this book on your shelf.

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

Youth Ministry Budgeting: Open Source Alternatives (addendum #1)

As an addendum to the youth ministry budgeting series, I want to look at some open source alternatives to many of the products a youth ministry needs on a regular basis. Before we get to the list, I think we need to start with a brief summary of the benefits of using open source software.

Benefits of using Open Source software:
The biggest benefit of using open source software is the money you save by not buying licensed software. In some cases you will be saving hundreds of dollars per computer that will run the software. Even getting a license to load the software on multiple computers will not be as cheap as getting the software for free. (but that's obvious, right?)

I have found that some open source software is easier to use than its licensed counterpart. In part, this has to do with not having as robust a selection of options. In other cases, its just a simple fact that the layout and tools are easier to find and manipulate.

Another benefit for some of the software is the ability to modify content on the internet without being tied to a specific computer. This means you do not have to be on your youth ministry computer to update your message for Sunday. If the software is internet-based, you can work on either a Mac or a PC, or both. Along with this feature, comes the ability to have multiple collaborators working on a project at the same time. You can add information to a document and any other collaborator will save the changes next time she opens the document. This cuts down on emailing updates and forgetting which file is the most recent edition.



Open Source (FREE!) Alternatives:
Here are a few places to start your search.

Word Processing:
Open Office
Google Docs - while not open source, it is a great free alternative

Presentation Software:
Impress (in Open Office)
Presentation (in Google Docs) - some limitations when using offline

Photo Editing:
Gimp - The best alternative to photoshop I have found.
(you will want to check out some of the available plug-ins , too)

Video Editing:
Kaltura - online video editing

Financial Software:
Buddi


You will also want to check out Open Source Living - a great site for finding more open source software.


Saving money by using open source software frees your ministry to use the money in other ways. There are some great ways to use this "extra" money that will make a bigger impact that just buying software. This topic will be my next addendum post for the youth ministry budgeting series.




What open source software would you add to this list? What open source software does every youth worker need to know about?

Book Review: Storylines by Andy Croft and Mike Pilavachi

Have you ever read a verse in the New Testament and noticed a reference to a verse in the Old Testament? Did this cause you to wonder how the two passages are connected to each other? If you answered yes to these questions, you need to read Storylines. With this book, Croft and Pilavachi have set to help Christian better understand the themes that run throughout the Bible.

Storylines helps connect six themes by taking an in depth look at how they are connected in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Another aspect of the book that I really like is the first chapter, "The Bible in 20 Pages," where Croft and Pilavachi guide the reader through a brief look at the entire Bible. As you read about the six threads: Jesus, covenant, presence, Kingdom, salvation and worship, be reminded that the Bible was not put together by accident. God has been very intentional throughout history in his dealings with man and understanding how events are connected will help you see how your own life is connected to these very themes.

Reading Storylines is like taking a Bible college class on the Bible without having to actually go to class. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of how the books in the Bible are connected to each other.


My advice (rating) – buy more than one and give out copies (5 out of 5)

Learned from Twitter: week ending May 9, 2009

Didn't get to see as much of the Twitter stream this week, but I still managed to catch some good nuggets of wisdom and truth.

Here are some of the things I learned this week from Twitter:

1. riddlegroup (Mark Riddle) reminded us of one very simple part of leadership that we must be mindful about.
"dreaming with people brings life, dreaming for people is deadly."

2. saraeden (Sara Eden Williams) shared a prayer request that reminds us of the importance of what we do with students.
"Just hearing of an incident at a high school in the area: Senior committed suicide in the school bathroom this morning. Please pray for all."

3. dbeckner (Dennis Beckner) shared about his night teaching and reminded us that it doesn't have to go "perfectly" in order to be effective. God shows up despite our fumbles.
"Crazy night of teaching. Everything went wrong, but message still got through. I'll put that in the win column."

4. YS_Scoop (Youth Specialties) provided a link to the video from this week's conference call with Marko about the National Youth Workers Convention.
"Did you miss today's conference call? Watch the recorded video right now! http://nywc.com/live"

5. youthministry (Youth Ministry) offered a link to a free Mother's Day lesson (if you still need one - which none of you reading this would, right?)
"Still wondering what to teach about Mother's day? Here's a great freebie lesson for you: http://budurl.com/ymmd"

6. briandurr (Brian Durr) had a run-in with the campus security this week thanks to some school policy changes. All he wanted to do was eat lunch with his students.
"Wow- One of the local high schools changed their security procedures. I was escorted off campus for trying to eat lunch w/ my students."


What did you learn from Twitter this week?

New Contributor for the YouthMinBlog

Today is my official start to contributing to the YouthMinBlog "project/endeavor"

I'm excited to be a part of a great group of youth workers who are contributing to this ongoing conversation.

My first article is called "Microwave Ministry?" and its on the topic of how to evaluate the success of your youth ministry. Take a look at the article, as well as the rest of the site (there are a bunch of great articles waiting to be read). I would love to hear your thoughts...

Learned from Twitter: week ending May 2, 2009

This week in Twitter was full of insight, laughs, free stuff and lots of discussion. Here are a few things I learned from Twitter this past week.


1. BtotheEtotheN (Ben Boles) added something to my "wow, really?" file.
"The Catholic priest officiating the wedding opened the service with, pray for this couple to your god whom ever that may be."

2. kentshaffer (Kent Shaffer) shared this story, which is sure to make you feel a little less smart than you did this morning.
"One student gets perfect scores on the ACT, SAT, & PSAT - http://bit.ly/40vQq"

3. justayouthguy (Jon McIver) shared a great interaction he had with a student.
"Just asked Middle School girl 'why do you have a water balloon in your purse?'"

4. YouthMinBlog (Youth Ministry Blog) provided a code to get a free video download from Bluefish TV.
"Use the code BFP3 to get a free video download from http://BlueFishTV.com"

5. theofficenbc (The Office) provided a link to a new ringtone that Office fans will want to get. Might I suggest not putting this as your sr. minister's ringtone - that might get you into some trouble. :)
"You asked for it, you got it! Get the Dwight "Idiot" ringtone that Jim made in "Broke" @ http://www.nbc.com/The_Offi..."

6. 6drews (Mike Andrews) brought up a great thought for all youth ministers to consider.
"weighing the risk/reward of changing culturally based thinking in the church vs. behavior modification in order to avoid controversy"

7. AdamLehman (Adam Lehman) mentioned a church that saved money by trying to be good stewards of their resources. [Personally, I think its sad that this type of church is different enough to be considered newsworthy. We are all called to be good stewards.]
"a church saves $268,000 by going green. http://tr.im/jVdN"

8. williamhartz (William Hartz) shared some wisdom/insight he learned at his small group.
"Anyone who holds to the theory that girls don't poop... Tonight's conversation at small group has amply disproven it. #awkward"

9. kentshaffer (Kent Shaffer) provided another article link, this one tells us that most people who use Twitter quit way too early.
"60% of Twitter Users Quit Within the First Month - http://bit.ly/oIwCO"

10. drumdog00 (Justin Van Rheenen) shared a link to a free download from Thousand Foot Krutch.
"RT @chuffybass5: You can download new TFK free at www.welcometothemasquerade.com and if you're a TFK fan like me, you'll love it!!!"

11. YS_Scoop (Youth Specialties) has a really cool offer going right now.
"Help us purge our offices! You get great YS stuff and help mentor kids. http://tinyurl.com/realityc... Spread the word!"


What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Book Review: Faith and Pop Culture by Christianity Today Study Series

Christianity Today has put together a series of studies designed to be used in a small group setting. I got a chance to look at Faith and Pop Culture, one of eight books in the series. Each book uses various Christianity Today articles to use as springboards to start the discussions. In Faith and Pop Culture, the reader is challenged to answer the question, "Can we find Jesus in popular entertainment?" (back cover) The goal for this study is to "wrestle with the positive, negative, and neutral aspects of entertainment and the place it should have in the life of a Christian." (p. 9)

Each of the eight lessons have the same basic format, which helps as you are working through each one. One thing I like about the "open up" section is there are 2 options to choose from. One option might work better for your group, or it might just help you think of another way to introduce the topic for your small group. The eight lessons are diverse and cover a large range of topics. But I see one topic missing from the list: music. One other thing you might notice as you go through the study is a bias in the question writing. I understand every author has a bias when they write, so I'm not trying to be picky. I think it is important to note that some of the questions are leading toward a "right" answer.

Overall, I would say this is a good resource to use to help you talk about the use of pop culture within your small group setting.

My advice (rating) – borrow from a friend (3 out of 5)

Learned from Twitter: week ending March 28, 2009

This week, I learned a few things on Twitter that I wanted to share with you.


1. gavoweb (Gavin Richardson) shared a link to a free video.
"the folks at 'the work of the people' are giving away this cool video as free download. http://is.gd/oMdT i really like their work"

2. arpierson (Allen Pierson) challenged anyone to try this science experiment. I haven't tried it yet, but plan on doing it.
"I cracked open an egg into boiling water out of sheer curiosity and it was pretty much the coolest thing ever. You should try it sometime."

3. WorshipRising (Kevin Richardson) wanted to introduce everyone involved with worship ministry to Dan Wilt. Go ahead, check him out.
"Seriously, worship pastors, if you aren't aware of Dan Wilt, you should be. Start here (.pdf article): http://tinyurl.com/cvw84v"

4. UstreamTV (Ustream) shared a link to the tour for Mercy Me and Hawk Nelson. Check it out.
"The Road Show, with @MercyMe @HawkNelson, and others, streaming their whole tour! http://bit.ly/n6vjP"


What did you learn on Twitter this week?

Youth Ministry Budgeting: To Buy or Not to Buy - Spend Wisely (4 of 5)

(This is part 4 of a 5 part series on youth ministry budgeting. See part 1 - stewardship, part 2 - categories, part 1 & part 2, and part 3 - the process for more budgeting information.)

Now that you've got your budget together and know what categories have what money, you need to start thinking about spending that money. I'm not talking about going out and spending all of your budget by February or March. I'm talking about putting thought into what you are buying and not buying. You have to use your budget wisely or you'll just be wasting money.

What does it mean for your youth ministry to spend its budget wisely? In some youth ministries, it means not buying curriculum or not attending more than one youth conference a year. Other ministers might only attend a youth ministry training conference every other year to save money. You might decide that you only need two inflatables at your carnival or that hiring an entire circus to entertain the kids is a little too much. Or you can quit buying donuts and milk each week for the Sunday School class.

Deciding how to spend wisely means you have to think about your purchases. Every time you want to purchase something think twice about buying it. Even youth ministries can make impulsive purchases. I have made those purchases before. I see something and think, "we could really use that for _____." If its not too much, I will go ahead and buy it and use it a few times. Then it will sit in the corner of my office collecting dust for months. Did I really need to buy it for the ministry? No, we probably would have been just fine without it.

I learned to stop and rethink my desire to purchase. Now if I see something that seems useful for the ministry, I will talk to another youth coach about it first. If I'm out with my wife, I'll ask her opinion. Taking a little extra time to rethink whether the item is really needed has saved me from purchasing a lot of unneeded items. On the other hand, there have been occasions when I buy an item using my personal money knowing that it will occasionally be used for the ministry. If you make these "donations" to the youth ministry make sure you are not making an impulsive decision.

When it comes to more expensive purchases, I never buy anything without doing a couple things first. First, I get approval from the rest of the youth team. Second, I spend time researching the product, and similar products, to find the best option for our ministry. Additionally, during this time, I am watching for deals or sales that can save the ministry money. Finally, once I have a better idea of what my options are, then I will make the purchase. I feel it is necessary to take the extra time in order to make the best decision (and use the ministry's money wisely).

Some categories to consider adjusting:

1. Teaching Material
There are advantages to buying curriculum written by someone else. You will save time by not researching and writing the lesson yourself. The lesson material is written by someone who is more knowledgeable about the topic than you are. It usually comes with classroom helps and handouts.

There are disadvantages to buying curriculum, too. The author of the material does not know your class structure, the students or your teaching style. After reading over it (which you need to do a few times before teaching), you might find areas of disagreement or parts you do not want to use within your class. The more curriculum bought by some youth workers equals that much less studying and learning.

One of the biggest continuous expenses that any youth ministry will incur is teaching material. Not only do companies offer the teacher material, but you can also buy student booklets. If you use books for small groups, then you have to buy each student a book so they can read it. Sara Williams told me she has gone back to writing the curriculum for their small groups, because the ministry had to cut costs. I'm sure she is not the only youth minister who has made this transition lately. When its time to reorder your lesson material for next quarter, think twice about just ordering like you always have. Maybe the youth ministry needs to spend its money in a different area for now.

2. Prizes and giveaways
Prizes can be fun. Prizes can get students to show up. Prizes can be expensive. It seems that if you try to "impress" the students by having cool prizes, you are going to have to spend more and more money each year to keep up. The question each youth ministry needs to ask itself is this, "Is it worth the cost?"

3. Electronics
Youth ministers love electronics. The televisions, projectors, digital cameras, video cameras, sound boards, mp3 players and video game systems all seem to be standard for most youth ministries. These "toys" can carry a pretty good price tag; one that does not need to be paid.

4. Events
Putting on an event can be costly. Before you put on your next event, you will want to consider the costs vs. the benefits.



In case you still are not sure how to spend the youth ministry money wisely, watch this clip from Saturday Night Live. It offers one final piece of advice.




(next week, we will look at ways to save money)

Reflections on: 999 posts (or Post #1000: a retrospective)

This is my 1000th post, and it took me a long time (compared to some bloggers I know) to get to this point. It has taken me a little less than 4 years to get here (May 26, 2005 was the first post). It took me more than 2 years to get to post #500 (Sept. 10, 2007). If you want to see some highlights from the first 499 posts, you will want to check out #500.

A lot has changed since that post; family changes, ministry changes, and changes to this blog. I know that 1000 is just a number, but it feels strange to have posted that many things to this blog. I know some of them were silly, some were time sensitive, some still make me laugh or cry and some should probably have never seen the light of day. But its all part of the journey and I am glad others have joined me as I reflect on what it means to be a youth minister, father, husband, and Christian.

Some of the most visited posts:
1. some quick thoughts on football's overhead camera - almost 1 1/2 years old and still gets a good flow of traffic
2. warning labels on the Sesame Street DVDs - I still want to get these DVDs
3. discovery of part of Nehemiah's wall - check the story out if you haven't already
4. skit of Lifehouse's song, Everything - is there anyone who hasn't seen this yet?
5. Christian alternatives to Facebook - A LOT of people looking for some alternative
6. lessons to learn from teenagers enjoyment of fast food - I still wonder why fast food is so popular
7. 5 qualities I want in a President - applies to other areas of leadership, too
8. youth pastors in a negative light - some thoughts on youth ministry integrity
9. my tweetdeck review - it is a great app. to use with Twitter


Posts you might find useful/informative:
1. 2 customer feedback situations and your ministry
2. a few thoughts on starting a youth worker network - I might finish this series sometime :)
3. a quote by Stalin & evangelism - used this quote the other day with middle schoolers
4. a restickable glue stick - every youth worker needs one of these
5. open source living - a collection of open source software
6. how to make an invisible bookshelf - a cool addition to your office or youth room
7. leaving a ministry - thoughts on leaving a ministry
8. 25 White Elephant Gift ideas - can you ever have enough ideas?
9. 5 ways to use the Super Bowl in your ministry - it is the biggest TV event of the year, after all


My personal favorites:
1. SNL skit on money management - its so simple, yet a majority of Americans can't do it
2. a 3 year old & money - thoughts on something that happened with my son at the store
3. 3 reasons to read a blog - not many other reasons to read a blog, in my opinion
4. signs of a good youth ministry blog - what does it take for a youth ministry blog to be useful? (a follow-up series of evaluating several blogs will be coming in the next few months)
5. 10 ways to appreciate youth workers - we can all use a little appreciation, can't we?
6. a lesson on trust - my son taught me an important lesson on trust

Going back through some of these posts reminds me what ministry is about - following God where He leads you. It can be a lot of fun and it can be a lot of heartache. In the end, I would not trade any of it. God leads where He wants you to go and He puts you in situations that you need to be in.

May the next 1000 posts encourage, entertain, teach, challenge and cause you to think (as they do the same for me).