Learned from Twitter: week ending June 20, 2009

An interesting week for Twitter. Here are a few of the things I learned this week..

1. crowderband (DavidCrowder*Band) let us all know that the new album is close to being done.
"Church Music is getting mastered in new york today!"

2. RickSkip (Rick Lawrence) shared some thoughts from Kurt Johnston about job descriptions. How could this change your leadership team?
"Riveted by Kurt Johnston's insight at our GROUP Leadership Summit—use “job boxes” instead of job descriptions. Leaders need room to develop."

3. MarkMatlock (Mark Matlock) wanted people to know about a great opportunity for life planning. Check it out.
"For those asking about Life Planning. Dan Webster has a grant that allows reduced pricing, but it is limited. http://tinyurl.com/nr9xov"

4. justinross (Justin Ross) shared an article about why Twitter rescheduled its already scheduled maintenance.
"Twitter reschedules planned maintenance to allow Iran protests to continue. http://bit.ly/gfF6K"

5. AdamLehman (Adam Lehman) shared one of the joys of youth ministry. "Hanging" out with teens, suffering for the sake of ministry. :)
"Some students were bored and now I'm sitting in the church office with 2 xbox360s, 2 TVs, and 5 dudes playing halo."

6. gavoweb (Gavin Richardson) shared a link to an article about what it might look like if Tiger Woods happened to twitter from the US Open. Pretty funny.
"if Tiger Woods twittered the #usopen http://twurl.nl/g7qrir (hilarious, except they go oldest to newest top to bottom, not quite right)"


What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Photo Friday: Blue Glow Sticks

We all need a little light in our life. Thought you might like this picture of two blue glow sticks.

Trivia Wednesday #126: The Dark Knight

answer #125 - Jaws, 1975 (What movie is considered the first summer blockbuster?)

question #126 - What number is "The Dark Knight" on the all-time domestic gross list?

Is It Worth the Effort?

Recently, I posted an article on the YouthMinBlog during the week of "Ways to connect with students after they graduate." What follows is that article, entitled "Is It Worth the Effort?" I'd love to hear your thoughts on this...

They have been involved with your youth ministry for four years or more, but now they are leaving. Every year at this time it happens, and every year it becomes more difficult. These are not just high school students you barely know. These are students you have poured your life into. You have stayed up late talking about life, both serious and silly. You have indulged your taste buds by eating unhealthy food together. You have cried for them and with them. You have spent hours talking to God specifically about them. You have even taught a specific lesson or two geared directly at them. And now, they are on the verge of being young adults.

This transition for teenagers is never the same. Some students will never leave. Some students will go off to college and essentially never return. You might worry more about a few students after they go off to college than you did while they were in high school. For a few other students, your only thought is anticipation to see just how far they excel. But regardless of what you think the future will hold for these students, you want to stay connected to them.

I want to spend the rest of this article talking about some reasons to stay connected and discussing a few methods of connection.

Reasons to stay connected:
1. Positive influence
As a youth worker, we all know students who do not have any other positive influence in their life besides us. Their family life is rough and they struggle to make good friends. These students might need your influence more than any other. You have the chance to continue being a positive part of their life. They need regular reminders of God’s love for them, which you can offer.

2. Continue discipleship
Discipleship does not end when a student walks across a stage and receives a diploma. Your role as mentor might take on a different form, but it should not disappear. This student is about to enter a brand new world and their beliefs and core values will be put to the test. They need you (as their mentor) to be there helping them struggle, grow, and become more like Christ.

3. Stay informed
Another reason to stay connected to students after graduation is simply to stay informed about their life. You have just spent at least four years hearing about their relationships, grades, teachers, friends, family, hobbies and thoughts on culture. When they go away to college, this all stops. In order to hear about their decisions, future plans, or just about anything else you will need to stay connected to them at some level.

Methods of connecting:
1. Letters, notes
College students love to get mail, so write a letter and send it to them. You will not be able to write letters to every student (unless you do not want to get anything else done). But for a few students, this might be the more effective method of staying connected.

2. Email
Email is a great tool for connecting with college students. They check their email several times during the day and are usually quick to respond. And you can do a “copy and paste” to send the same email to several students within a few minutes. I recommend sending each email to an individual and not a bulk group of students. These messages do not have to be long, in fact just asking a few direct questions can help you stay connected.

3. IM
Some students use instant messaging to stay in touch. While you are in the office, turn on your IM and talk to students a few times throughout the day.

4. Facebook
Set aside a few minutes each week to write a message or write on someone’s wall. Unless the conversation involves information that does not need to be shared outside of your conversation, I recommend using the wall to talk. Writing on a person’s wall allows you to not only connect with that person, but also to be seen by anyone visiting their profile.

5. Phone calls
Calling a college student can be a lot like calling a high school student, which means this method does not have to take long either. This method is a little more personal and allows you to receive instant feedback or provide instantaneous encouragement.

6. Lunches
Take the students to lunch when they are in town. Ask them questions. Share moments from your life. Encourage them to remain faithful.

7. Talking
What I mean by “talking” is to simply talk with the student when you see them. When a student is home from college and at church on Sunday, make sure to step over and spend a few minutes talking. See how things are going, discuss the changes college brings, and make sure you mention how nice it is to see them.

Schedule regular times to “check in.” Add it to your schedule or you’ll probably notice that it does not happen, because we all know only a small percentage of students will ever initiate contact with us. Once you are able to connect with students post-high school, you will notice the relationship changes and matures - it might even deepen. Your time and energy will pay off as you watch your students become young adults.

A little Father's Day history

In case you need some information for this week's newsletter or just want some fun facts to use this week. Here are three little bits of history about how Father's Day came to be what it is today.


In 1916, US President Woodrow Wilson approved the idea of observing an annual Father's Day.

In1924, President Calvin Coolidge made Father's Day a national event.

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Book Review: Jungle Jack's The Wackiest, Wildest, and Weirdest Animals in the World

I love animals and I love learning new information about them. Jungle Jack's Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World as a bunch of both. Packed with 30 different animals, this book is sure to introduce you to one you do not know about or know very little about.

The book is separated into three sections: wacky, wild, and weird. Each animal has multiple pictures, the reason they are in this category and some random facts about it. And throughout the book, there are tidbits of information or funny stories from Jack Hanna's interaction with the particular animal.

As a teacher/youth minister this is a great resource to use when talking about creation or uniqueness. It is also great as a coffee table book for your room. I left it out in one of the classrooms and students would just pick it up and start looking at it. They wanted to read about the wacky, wild and weird animals. In fact, each person who reads the book will walk away with a favorite animal.

The book also comes with a DVD of a bloopers episode from Jack Hanna's Into the Wild television show. It was a typical blooper episode, thus I will probably only watch it once. (Which is okay, because it is a pain to get the DVD out of the sleeve in the book) My boys were not too thrilled with the episode, either.

If you are looking for some great animal information and some even better animal photography - then this is the book for you.

At $20, I feel its a little on the expensive side. If you can find a copy cheaper, definitely pick it up.

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

Learned from Twitter: week ending June 13, 2009

With VBS this week, I did not get to see as much Twitter goodness as some weeks. But there were still some great stuff that came across my twitterstream. Here are a few of the things I learned this week.

1. kentshaffer (Kent Shaffer) sent a link to a blog post about a family photo getting used to promote a foreign product. Could this happen to you and me?

"Your social network picture may end up advertising some foreign brand - http://bit.ly/KAiGi"

2. pattigibbons (Patti Gibbons) had a not-so-pleasant experience at a choir concert. As youth workers, haven't we all been to at least one concert/program like this?

"The lady behind me is singing along w the choir. Bonus - her kid is kicking my seat!"

3. ypadam (Adam Reed) shared his excitement about Vacation Bible School. Its always a joy to see the kids excited afterward - its like a mini version of summer camp.

"VBS celebration service was great and so was the ice cream! the kiddos are worn out and heading to bed"

What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Photo Friday: Playground Slide

A shot looking up a playground slide.

Customer Service: The Extra Mile

Small town life has its advantages!

Recently I had to get the oil changed in both of our vehicles. This would normally take two separate visits to the mechanic and require a good portion of the day - if not the entire day. I do not like spending my day waiting at the mechanic or driving back and forth.

But I have to say, this particular occasion was one of the best interactions with a mechanic ever.

I called the same mechanic we've been using for all of our mechanic needs; oil changes, tune-ups, repairs. We really like him and he has always treated us well. I called late in the morning, hoping to take one of the cars around lunch and then get the other one done before he closed. When he called back I was outside starting to work on cutting the grass. (and here is where the customer service goes beyond good...)

My wife comes outside and says the mechanic is going to drive over to the house and pick up one car. Then change the oil and drive it back to pick up the other car. Then he'll change its oil and drive it back and take his truck back to the shop. That is above and beyond customer service, right there.

I cut the grass and never had to take a car to the mechanic, yet both of them got the oil changes they needed. Again, he came through with good prices, quality work and great customer service. This is why we keep going back to him whenever we need some work done on our cars. He went the extra mile (literally, because its less than a mile from our house to the shop) to get our business and take care of us as customers.

When was the last time you (or your youth ministry) went the extra mile to serve the students/parents/other ministries in the church? What would it take for you to go the extra mile? What kind of impact would it make?

June Trivia: Summer movie blockbusters

During the month of June, all of the trivia questions will be about summer movie blockbusters. Random facts about some of the biggest summer movies of all time. The first question is already up - do you know the answer?

As always, I hope you can use this information to help you in your ministry. Use it during classes, lunch, ball games, newsletters or whatever.

Trivia Wednesday #125: First Summer Movie Blockbuster

answer #124 - Neck ties, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, are the number one gift for Father’s Day. (What is the most popular gift to give on Father's Day?)

question #125 - What movie is considered the first summer blockbuster?

VBS: Unspoken thoughts

Summer is VBS season for churches. If you are a youth minister or children's minister, you understand this yearly tradition all too well. In honor of this long-time ministry tradition, I thought I'd share some unspoken thoughts going through the ministers or directors mind. This is what they are really thinking. :)


Pre-VBS - full of excitement. "I can't wait for VBS to get here, this year is going to be better than last year."

Week before VBS - still excited. "I can't wait for VBS to get here, I'm getting tired of planning and waiting."

VBS day 1 - full of excitement. "I'm so excited VBS is finally starting."

VBS day 2 - excited. "I am happy the kids really seem to be enjoying everthing."

VBS day 3 - happy. "We're halfway through, I don't want this week to end."

VBS day 4 - getting tired. "I can't believe more kids show up each night."

VBS day 5 - running on empty. "Just have to make it through one more day."

VBS closing program - very tired. "I am so glad this is the last thing to do."

Post-VBS - completely exhausted. "I will never do that again."

a few months later and here is how the conversation goes....
Minister, "Do you want to direct VBS again next year?"
Director, "Sure, I'd love to."

Learned from Twitter: week ending June 6, 2009

Like most weeks, there was a lot to learn from Twitter this week. Here is just a sample of the goodness I took away...


1. uthministerman (Jasper Rains) reminded us of the importance of rest.

"And God said, "Let there be Sunday Naps," and there were Sunday Naps and they were good."

2. MarkMatlock (Mark Matlock) thinks if you use personal illustrations in your messages, make sure they are true - all the time. Don't use someone else's or make one up just to prove a point. A reminder to any of us who communicate. Be authentic.

"a pastor saying "true story" after an illustration implies some are not true. It's like a magician saying "i have an ordinary deck of cards""

3. crowderband (Davide Crowder*Band) is going to be on tour, pick up your tickets.

"be the first to get your fall crowder tour tickets, available NOW @ http://www.sixstepstickets...."

4. YMTV (Dennis Poulette) offers this link to a few tips for youth workers. If you are in youth ministry or know someone who is, you need to take a look at this list.

"Reading 45 tips for youth workers - http://bit.ly/94O7N"

5. DougFields (Doug Fields) offers a link to a video he thinks you all need to watch.

"Somehow this video seems fake, but I know the editor & it's real--real AMAZING. Guys will love it: http://tinyurl.com/nqf89r"

6. rainnwilson (Rainn Wilson) linked to an interesting discussion on SoulPancake about explaining God in less than 10 words.

"What God IS or ISN'T in 10 Words or less. http://tinyurl.com/qdyqph"

And then he followed it up with this retweet:

"Nice! RT @giannajessen Faithful, Savior of a girl who limps, comic, mysterious, Lord."

7. 3DGomers (Third Day Gomers) let us know about a photo contest over on the forums. Follow the link to find out more info - some really cool prizes for the winners (if you are a Third Day fan, which you should be, btw)

"Photography Contest - Win art prints by @JasonMitchener! Grand prize: Third Day Retro Pack! All can enter! More here: http://www.Gomers.net"

What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Photo Friday: 2

In case you need a number "2"

to quote someone else: group like Jesus' (Mark Yaconelli)

"If you have a group of twelve kids who don't understand your illustrations and one of them wants to kill you, you have a youth group just like Jesus."

A Mark Yaconelli quote, taken from Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries.

How many times have you looked at your group of students and thought, "even Jesus couldn't get through to these kids?"

Often we forget that the disciples did not understand Jesus' messages, and He was the best teacher ever. Next time you get frustrated at the group of students you work with, be reminded that Jesus' group was just as frustrating. And look how they changed the world!!

RefTagger: a great Bible tool for your blog

Recently I ran across RefTagger when I was searching some information on www.carm.org. As soon as I saw it in action, I knew it was a feature I wanted to add to my blog.

What is RefTagger, you ask? Here is what the website says:

RefTagger is an amazing, free new web tool that instantly makes all the Bible references on your site come alive! Bare references turn into hyperlinks to the full text of the passage at Bible.Logos.com, making it easy for your readers to access the text of Scripture with just a click. Even better, RefTagger brings the text right to your readers by generating a tooltip window that pops up instantly when they hover over the reference. You can also have RefTagger add an icon that is hyperlinked to the passage in Libronix—ideal if many of your readers use Logos. So if your website says, “One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28,” RefTagger will instantly turn it into this: “One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28.”

RefTagger takes citing Bible references to a whole new level. All you need to do is copy the customizable code that we provide for you below and paste it into your website’s template file(s), and it will instantly be applied to your entire site—all past and future content! It doesn’t matter how big or small your site is. RefTagger does it all instantly—saving you hours of time linking verses manually! Because RefTagger uses JavaScript, it doesn’t actually change the code on the content of your site’s pages. If you decide to remove RefTagger from your site, it’s as simple as deleting the code from your template file(s).

If you ever reference Bible passages on your blog (and you probably should every once and awhile) this little plug-in is a great addition to your blog. It will be a welcome improvement for your visitors who will not always have each passage memorized.

Trivia Wednesday #124: Most popular Father's Day gift

answer #123 - The first local Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, of Spokane, Washington, started the tradition of Father's Day in the honor of her dad, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran. (When was the first Father's Day celebrated?)

question #124 - What is the most popular gift to give on Father's Day?

Book Review: Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark DeVries

Sustainable Youth Ministry is more than just another book on youth ministry, it is a set of blueprints that will help any youth ministry last longer and grow stronger. DeVries has combined his years of youth ministry experience with his years of youth ministry consulting to offer insight and wisdom about the state of many youth ministries.

Part of the problem facing youth ministry today is the fact that there are youth ministers who do not put much thought into their ministry. They have little to no idea of what direction the youth ministry is going or if it is lining up with the rest of the congregation. These ministries are simply not sustainable. By following a few simple pieces of advice offered in this book, these same ministries could easily become sustainable. In fact, every youth ministry across the country can be sustainable, and sustainable is not dependent on a particular youth minister, either.

One important lesson from the book comes from chapter nine. DeVries talks about the necessity of balcony time within a youth ministry. A youth minister needs to take time to step back and overlook the ministry. Balcony time is the time you use to make sure the important things get done. Beyond balcony time, some of the other topics discussed include: building structure, search teams, emotionally healthy youth workers, church politics, and obstacles.

If you plan on being in youth ministry for a long time. If you desire to see your youth ministry continue to be strong well after you leave. Or if you care at all about youth ministry. You need to read, discuss and wrestle with this book. It is simply the best book I have read so far this year!

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

Learned from Twitter: week ending May 30, 2009

Another fun week on Twitter. Here are a few things I gleaned while learning what people were doing in 140 characters or less.

1. mclanea (Adam McLane) shared a link to a pretty cool new tool for youth workers. If you haven't seen this iPhone app yet, you need to check it out. (Tough Topics discussion starters right on your iPhone or iPod Touch for only $1.99)
"Is happy about this: http://eepurl.com/bqWz Feels good to finally see a project hit shelves... long time coming."

2. saraeden (Sara Eden) was kind enough to help another minister celebrate his anniversary.
"kid-sitting for a few hours so a ministry colleague can take his wife out for their anniversary."

3. outsideallday (Andy Brazelton) is looking for some jr. high specific content for something at Group Magazine. If you have anything you can share, let me know and I'll get you the contact info.
"Need jr high-specific games, Bible studies, devotions. Also partnering with parents and building volunteer team. [let me know & I'll connect you]"

4. bgray (Ben Gray) unveiled his new design business. Earlier this week, I said that you should consider Ben when you had a design need, well this is how you do it.
"Shadeofgray Design is open for business. Tell your friends. http://shadeofgraydesign.com/"

5. billdawgcbc (Bill Nance) loves middle school lunch. But when its chicken nuggets, how can you not.
"Middle school lunch yay for chicken nugget day!"


What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Photo Friday: Spiderweb

An up close look at a spider web. Just look at how amazing that is.

Trivia Wednesday #123: First Father's Day

answer #122 - A mother giraffe often gives birth while standing, so the newborn's first experience outside the womb is a 6-foot drop. (A mother giraffe gives birth standing up or laying down?)

question #123 - When was the first Father's Day celebrated?

Thoughts from an ex-youth minister

I've been in ministry long enough to have seen my fair share of ministers leave the vocational ministry. I've heard some really bad horror stories of what congregational leaders have done to "force" ministers from their jobs. I've seen some ministers not only leave the vocation of ministry, but the church as well. This is not one of those cases.

I have known Ben (via the internet only - unfortunately I have never gotten to meet him in person, yet) for a few years. Though I do not know him enough to do well on a "how well do you know Ben?" trivia contest, I have been able to know him through his blog posts. And the post he wrote recently about his exit from vocational ministry is honest, open, and heartfelt. Ben did not leave because of some negative leadership or moral issue - he left because he no longer feels God has called him into full-time ministry.

Ben's post is entitled "Contemplations of an ex-minister" Here are two excerpts:

All things considered, I left ministry five years ago. Up until a few weeks ago I was still employed by a church full of lovely people but my heart was not in it. My heart was in front-end web design and I knew it … and I subsequently ignored my heart. Why? Why would someone ignore what they loved and grind out several years doing something they genuinely disliked?

That is a great question. How many youth ministers are just going through the motions or refusing to take a "step of faith" because they fear not having a steady income?

When I say, “I used to be a minister” I mean that I used to be paid a full time salary to be a minister. Ministry proper, of course, is something we all do all the time.

So true!


If you haven't already, take the time to read the entire post and leave Ben a comment. And if you need some web design work done - you might consider having Ben help you out.

As for me, I am glad Ben is following his heart (calling from God?) and pursuing what he is passionate about. I look forward to hearing where this leads and to seeing his work all over the internet. Maybe, I'll also get to meet him in person one day, just maybe.

Youth Ministry Budgeting: 5 Things a budget cannot buy

There are many things youth ministries buy with the money in their budgets: curriculum, food, convention costs, hotel rooms, food, prizes, books, etc.... (yes, I am aware that I typed "food" twice) As a youth minister, I try to determine the needs for the year as I try to figure out what budget we'll need. But there are always unexpected expenses that come up throughout the year for which you cannot budget. Beyond these unexpected expenses, there are other parts of youth ministry which you cannot budget for either - well, really they are things that no budget can buy.


5 Things a Youth Minister Can't Buy with a Budget...

1. High quality volunteers
2. Respect from parents
3. Relationships with students
4. Those "aha" moments where things start clicking
5. Eternal change


What else would you add to this list?

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?

Photo Friday: baby birds

a few baby birds just hatched in a nest near our front door.

Youth Ministry Budgeting: Spending Your Extra Money (addendum #2)

(Now that the youth ministry has become a much better steward of its resources, you might have found that you have spent less money than you budgeted. This post, addendum #2 to the youth ministry budgeting series, is about helping you figure out what to do with your extra.)


How to use your saved money:
After you have spent your budget wisely, what do you do with the money you save?

A. Hold onto it for next year.
B. Splurge on unnecessary items to make sure the ending balance is $0.
C. Divide it up among the youth coaches.
D. Use it to support another ministry organization.

I hope you answered D.


One thing to do with any saved money is to support another mission. You could use the money to sponsor a child through Compassion or World Vision. You could give the money to a local food bank, shelter or community center. You might even know of another congregation or ministry in your area who could use the money for their ministry. I think the best thing you can do with your extra money is to help support another ministry. God does not want us to be good stewards of our resources to just be frivolous with the money we saved.


Here is a list of possible missions to support:
- World Vision
- Compassion International
- International Justice Mission
- Kiva
- Habitat for Humanity
- Team Expansion
- Pioneer Bible Translators
- Ronald McDonald Houses
- Local ministries (food bank, shelters, Pregnancy Care centers)
- YWAM
- Christian College
- Your congregation's missions committee


Chris Szulwach is sharing the left over money from his ministry. He says "all of our $ that we have left at the end of a year goes into sponsoring Compassion children & or Kiva.org loans."

What is your ministry doing with its extra?

Trivia Wednesday #122: Giraffe babies

answer #121 - Over 100 million (In her lifetime, a female oyster may produce how many young?)

question #122 - A mother giraffe gives birth standing up or laying down?

to quote someone else: a youth worker's comfort zone (Mark Devries)

"Without a coach, a youth ministry is reduced to the size of the leader's comfort zone. We all need people who are honest enough to help us move from making excuses to making progress."

taken from Sustainable Youth Ministry by Mark Devries

How many youth ministries go without a coach? Is your ministry reduced to the size of your comfort zone?

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)

Learned from Twitter: week ending May 16, 2009

Here are some of the things I learned from my friends on Twitter this week...


1. AdamLehman (Adam Lehman) shared a link to a post from his fiance, about marrying a youth pastor.
"quest blog post by my fiance, @alliepal : "i'm about to marry a youth pastor" http://tinyurl.com/or7ddc #stumin"

2. SITM (Stuck In the Middle) is gearing up for the next year of tour. If you work with middle school students and have not checked out this ministry, you need to right now.
"Stuck's jr. high event tour 2009-2010 dates are up http://twurl.nl/u62pi2 - coming to KS, MO, CA, FL, OH and the Pac NW. Check it out!"

3. ymgeek (Youth Ministry Geek) let us know about some free fonts. And who can't always use a new font for the newsletter?
"Free Fonts anyone? 15 Fresh High-Quality Free Fonts - http://is.gd/yRDB (via @smashingmag)"

4. WorshipRising (Kevin Richardson) shared some great news and an answer to prayer.
"As of June 1st I will be the full-time worship/arts pastor at The Journey Church in San Francisco... more details to follow soon."

5. YouthMinBlog (YouthMinBlog) wants to know if you would like to help get the word out by adding a badge to your blog.
"Would you be able to put a YMB badge on your blog? http://youthminblog.com/bad..."

6. foecuspastor (Clay Conry) clued us in on the twittering habits of one particular astronaut. (I'd hate to see the roaming charges on that call)
"Twitter continues to amaze! @astro_mike is in space right now and has promised to tweet from orbit! Social Media FTW!"

7. mattcleaver (Matt cleaver) was the first to inform me that tatango doesn't offer free text messaging anymore.
"bummed that tatango isn't doing free group text messages anymore. Any other free options out there anymore? #ym"

8. sandyhughes (Sandy Hughes) mentioned that the astronauts got to listen to a little Third Day as their alarm clock music - not a bad idea.
"they just played "God of Wonders" by third day for the astronauts wake up song this morning."


What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Photo Friday: Ice melts

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?

Trivia Wednesday #121: oyster offspring

answer #120 - True (True of False Many of the sweaters worn by Mr. Rogers on the popular television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, were actually knitted by his real mother.)

question #121 - In her lifetime, a female oyster may produce how many young?

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)

A few posts worth reading: May 11, 2009

Here are a few posts I think you should read. Go ahead and click the links...


1. Jeremy (over on Youth Ministry Geek) shares this link to finding the best fast food places during your road trips this summer.

2. Dennis shares 4 great tips on how to adapt lessons for your youth group as part of an ongoing discussion about using "freebie" lessons in youth ministry.

3. There is a great series of posts on evaluating success in youth ministry over at the YouthMinBlog. Posts like this one. Go check them out and join the conversation.

4. Here are some tips on Spring Cleaning - by Relevant Magazine


What have you been reading that you think needs to be shared?

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...

Photo Friday: Baked Potato

Decided to go a little different route this week. Enjoy the picture of a really good Mexican Baked Potato (it was very tasty).

Finding the right youth ministry job

This past Friday, May 1, 2009, I was the "guest" on the weekly YM Talk hosted by Tim Schmoyer and Life in Student Ministry. The topic of discussion was "tips on finding the right youth ministry job."

If you are looking for a new youth ministry job, take a listen. If you know someone who is looking, point them this direction. Or maybe you just need to listen because at some point in the future you might have to look for a new youth ministry position. Whatever the reason, I'd love to hear your comments about the discussion.

Also, if you have any questions about finding a new youth ministry job that you would like to ask me - send me an email (address is on the right side of the blog) or leave a comment on this post.

Head over here to listen to the discussion or get it on itunes and listen to it later.


Plus, I'd like to add one thing to the discussion that we did not get to talk about during our time. I have found that during the question and answer time, there is a good chance that the questions have to do with "fixing" a problem from the previous ministry.

For the congregation, they will ask the candidate questions about issues they felt were lacking in the last youth minister. Questions about "spending time with students" - if that is something they last youth minister didn't do enough according to them.

For the candidate, they will ask questions about issues the last congregation or leadership didn't do well. It could be questions about accountability or evaluations, if that is something that seemed to be lacking.

Keep this in mind as you are asking and answering questions. It will help you get a better feel for where the congregation/youth ministry is at and it will help you see what "baggage" you might be bringing with you into your new ministry.

Trivia Wednesday #120: Mr. Rogers' sweaters

answer #119 - July 1, 1941. It was for Bulova clocks and preceded a Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies baseball game. The ad was a simple picture of a clock and a map of the United States, and proclaimed, "America runs on Bulova time." (When did the first TV commercial air?)

question #120 - True of False Many of the sweaters worn by Mr. Rogers on the popular television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, were actually knitted by his real mother.

May Trivia

During the month of May (and part of June) the trivia for Trivia Wednesday will be in line with the 2 major holidays during these two months. All of the questions will be about mothers and fathers.


As always, I hope these questions will be beneficial to your ministry. Use them during lessons, when you are eating lunch with a student, in your newsletters or on your website.

6 Saddest Verses in the Bible

There are verses of Scripture that bring hope to you every time you read them. But, at the same time, there are other verses that bring sadness for one reason or another. Below are six verses that I think are among the saddest verses in all of Scripture.


6 Saddest Verses in the Bible:

1. John 6.66
"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."

2. Judges 16.20
"But he (Samson) did not know that the LORD had left him."

3. John 12.43
"for they loved praise from men more than praise from God."

4. 1 Samuel 15.10-11 & 1 Samuel 16.14
"Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night."

5. 1 Samuel 16.14
"Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him."

6. Mark 14.21
"The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."


Which verses did I miss? What verses would you add to the list? Why?

Book Review: The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

Principles of the Path is the newest book by Andy Stanley. Stanley writes this book from the perspective of a minister who has seen many people go down very different paths in their life. Some people end up at the destination they desire, while others end up in a place they never wanted to be. The purpose of this book is to help the reader avoid the unwanted destination by paying attention to the path they are taking in all areas of their life. We all reach destinations, and with a little bit of intentional behavior, you can reach the destination you want.

Every chapter includes an example from Scripture to reinforce the point and help the reader understand the principle of the path a little clearer. Besides the practical advice and examples, both good and bad, there is a study at the back of the book. This guide will help you process through the information individually or help you take a group of people through the book. In order for the book to be helpful, you have to allow yourself to be open and honest about where your current paths are leading you.

If you have liked Andy Stanley's other books or enjoy listening to him speak, you will like this book.

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

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?

Photo Friday: diapers

Guess which diaper came from the hospital and which one came from the store? They are both pretty much the exact same diaper, its just that one has the "character" on it and the other does not.

I always thought it was strange that diapers can licensed characters on them. Do babies even care what picture, if any, is on the front of their diaper? Why does marketing have to start so early?

Did Facebook kill the blog meme?

While talking with my wife recently about all those Facebook quizzes, I thought, "Did Facebook kill the blog meme?"

Not sure what a meme is...Go here to learn what a meme is. You can even go here and get a daily meme.


Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not sad to see them go.

There was a time where blog memes were being posted about every other week. It was becoming really annoying to have to filter through the multiple blog memes to get to actual blog content. But then I stopped seeing them. Maybe it was because the authors of blogs I read stopped participating or got bored with answering so many pointless questions. But I think the blog memes are still around, but now they are undercover as a "Facebook quiz."

With Facebook, you can share

• "25 random things about me"
  
• "Which ________ are you"
  
• "Your top 5 ________"

and the list could go on and on...

And let's be honest (well, I'll be honest with you), I am really sick of having to filter through all of this useless Facebook stuff to get to actual pictures, notes, or updates.

But, I'd rather see it on Facebook than on a person's blog. Let's leave room in the blogs for what they are intended to be and leave the spilling of useless personal information for your Facebook page.

ps. I'm just glad there have been no "twitter memes" going around. :)

Trivia Wednesday #119: first TV commercial

answer #118 - Wrigley's gum. (What was the first product to have a barcode on its packaging?)

question #119 - When did the first TV commercial air?



Use these trivia questions to start a conversation with a student, begin a lesson, use in a newsletter or email. I hope they can be beneficial within your youth ministry.

Youth Ministry Budgeting: Tips for Saving Money (5b of 5)

(This is part 2 of the final post in a 5 part series on youth ministry budgeting. You can see the earlier posts here: 1 - stewardship. 2 - categories part a and part b. 3 - process. 4 - to buy or not to buy. 5 - tips on saving money part 1)

No youth ministry is immune to the economic hardship facing our country. And in order to be better stewards of our resources (and possibly stay afloat), we all need to learn to save a few bucks. Here is part 2 of my thoughts on how to save money. To see the first 5 tips, go here.


6. Involve more adults
Instead of doing things like ordering pizza or catering all of your meals, think about asking people to help cook and serve the food. It doesn't have to be food, it can be decorating for a special event, setting up, manning the tables.

This tip was shared by Sara Eden , so I'll just let her share some thoughts about it.

"The other thing we've done is moved away from the church providing dinner at youth group each week. Now what we do is ask people to sign up to provide dinner. The really cool thing is that it's giving people who don't feel led toward the traditional 'youth ministry volunteer' role an opportunity to serve the ministry and get to know the students (and allow the students to get to know them). The people who cook for us are invited/encouraged to stay and eat dinner with us and then students help with clean up. It's another step toward healthy inter-generational relations. God took something that was done as an economic measure and turned it into another awesome opportunity for ministry. He's so good like that!"

7. Donations
We all need items for the youth ministry: chairs, couches, lighting, sound equipment, electronics, transportation. Instead of going out and buying them, ask people to donate them. (Now, when you do this be prepared to get people's junk. So either you need to be very specific, simply say "no thanks," or just throw it away later.)

This is something a friend of mine, Bill Nance, said he has been able to do in his ministry, which has helped since he doesn't have a big budget and really needs to stretch it.

8. Think "in house."
When you are planning an event, the two biggest costs are always the speaker and the band. Next time you are planning an event, think about using someone from within your ministry to do the speaking or worship (concert). If that will not work, try to find someone local to cut down on travel costs.

9. Use Open Source software
Instead of paying full price for your software - you might want to look into some of the open source alternatives. Most of them are just as good as the expensive versions, and they are free.

More information about open source software will be in another post.

10. Stop spending money
This sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But there are more than a few youth ministries that simply refuse to stop buying stuff. You do not need that new Wii or flat screen TV. You may not really need new carpet right now, it could wait a year or two longer.

The best way to save money in your youth ministry is to simply spend your money wisely. Think twice before making purchases. Hold off on major purchases as long as you can.


Six more ideas on stretching your budget.

Youth Ministry Budgeting: Tips for Saving Money (5a of 5)

(This is part 1 of the final post in a 5 part series on youth ministry budgeting. You can see the earlier posts here: 1 - stewardship. 2 - categories part a and part b. 3 - process. 4 - to buy or not to buy.)


Everybody needs to save some money, including youth ministries. So what does it take? How can you save a few dollars here and a few dollars there? In this post, I want to share a few tips on how your youth ministry can save money. As you will see, a few dollars saved on a regular basis will add up to big savings over time.

I do not think I need to spend a lot of time convincing anyone that they need to save money. Well, I hope I do not need to. Youth ministries across the country are struggling just like any other organization, company or individual. People are making less; therefore, they are giving less to the church. When the overall church offering is down, each ministry has to reduce its expenses in order to help stay in the "black."

Here are a few areas to look at next time you are thinking about saving some cash.

Ways to save money:

1. Salaries
Allow me to start with the least popular thing I am going to write. The first place to look for ways to save money is in the salaries. Are you really being a good steward of your congregation's resources with your salary? Can you afford to live on less?

Let me share an example of what I mean. I know a congregation that was running a couple hundred people a few years ago. Now they are averaging maybe 80 each week. Yet, there are 3 staff members: sr. minister, associate minister, and secretary. I think the secretary is full-time, but I am not sure. I do not know what the associate minister is paid, but I know the sr. minister is being paid more than someone in this size of a congregation should be paid. The congregation is struggling to meet salary each week, and they are sending emails each week asking for more money to meet those salaries. Are those ministers being good stewards? In my opinion, no. Think about the impact the minister would have if he offered to take a paycut to help the congregation from having to close its doors.

2. text messaging
It seems as though every teen has a cell phone with text messaging. So, it makes sense that the youth staff would need the ability to text teens. But what option do you use? Here are a few choices:

MinistryTxt
This option starts at $5/mo.
(thanks Len Evans for the info)

Tatango
starts at free
has option to send text from computer or cell phone

SimplyTxt
starts at $10/mo.

I have not used any of these services, but many of my youth ministry friends have and talk very highly of each service.

3. Curriculum/Lesson Material
Many of the major publishing companies offer some great resources in this category. And if you want to just get everything in one bundle, this might be the way to go. You can check out Group, Standard, teamce to name a few (well, three to be exact).

But if you really want to save money (and not spend any, either), here are a few other suggestions.

*Online "Freebies"
There are a bunch of great freebies available on the internet. Check out this top 5 list, for examples. In fact, there are so many great freebies that a youth minister could simply use freebies and not do any work. I THINK THIS IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO - so be careful not to become dependent on using freebie lessons!

*curriculum swap with local churches
Take your old curriculum and find another congregation in the area that will be willing to swap their old stuff for your old stuff. You will each get new curriculum, plus you won't have to find a place to leave and forget about store your old stuff.

*reuse older stuff
Or you can just reuse the older stuff with a new group within your congregation.

*Rotate material
Take your material and rotate through the years. For example, use a 4 year scope/sequence for the high school and rotate through material every 4 years. If you have a 7/8 grade class; rotate every 2 years. Using this rotation model will help you save money and will help you be intentional about what you are teaching the students.

4. Prizes/Giveaways
Students like getting stuff and we like giving it away. But it can get expensive to have prizes on a regular basis. How do you save money on prizes? By taking one of these steps...

*Buy from thrift stores, garage sales or on clearance.
You cannot afford to have really cool (read, expensive) prizes every week. So do not try. Just get some fun, old or silly stuff to use and have a big box to keep it in. Then let the students grab one prize from the box.

*Ask for donations
For those bigger events, you might want a better prize to offer. In those cases, ask companies and individuals to donate prizes (or money to go toward buying prizes) for you to give away. This gets the community involved with the group, saves you money and promotes your group at the same time.

5. Buy online
All youth ministers have things to buy: books, supplies, classroom material, water guns, whoopee cushions. Why not look into buying those items online. A few onlines places to try - ebay, half.com, amazon, craigslist.

In part 2 of "Tips for saving money" we will look at 5 more ways that your youth ministry can save a few dollars.

Learned from Twitter: 2 weeks ending April 25, 2009

Here is what I have learned from Twitter over the past 2 weeks...

1. shawnmichael (Shawn Michael Shoup) reminds us that youth ministry doesn't stop when a student "gets saved." There must be discipleship and teaching.
"8 salvations so far this Easter wknd w/ a brand new discipleship life group starting Tuesday 2 help them start on their spiritual journey!!"

2. pastorbuhro (Bradley Buhro) shares a great moment in youth ministry. Is this the new "window flyer" form of advertising for your ministry?
"We tweet our sermon notes to teens every Tuesday. A couple of my teens went to the Verizon store & set the sample phones to recieve them."

3. YS_Scoop (Youth Specialties) offers a few free tools for your youth ministry. You need to check them out.
"3 Free Productivity Tools for YM. Guest post from @joeldiaz & @joshcook83. http://eepurl.com/Wt7"

4. CoffeeWithChris (Chris Szulwach) offers some advice to another youth worker, that I think we all can use. You might want to check out this game site.
"@saraeden just was you are looking for game sites? Is that right? I'll add http://www.ylplaybook.com/ to the mix for ya!"

5. AdamLehman (Adam Lehman) is interested in starting a ym teaching pool. You might want to check it out.
"anyone want to form a youth ministry teaching pool? http://twurl.nl/iivzk2 #stumin"

6. snavenel (Len Evans) shares a link to a free book with some great insight. Take the time to check out the book and see if it can benefit your ministry.
"Youth Ministry Tribe-Free book- Paul Turner's "The Cure For The Common Youth Ministry" @ http://thediscipleproject.net Great insight & FREE"

7. Drpoulette (Dennis Poulette) relaxed, something youth ministers need to do often. Might I recommend a hammock.
"Relaxing in the hammock swing on the back porch. It's beautiful out tonight in Mexico city. Q"


What did you learn from Twitter this week?

Photo Friday: TMNT - Michaelangelo

Thought I was back in the 80's enjoying my childhood again when I walked down the toy aisle recently. I saw this old-school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles packaging. This is the exact same packaging & product that I remember getting when I was a boy. (I might even still have my original Michaelangelo in my parent's attic.)

Who was your favorite turtle?

Miss California comments on same sex marriage

As I was checking my email I saw an article from Sunday night's Miss USA Pageant. The headline is "Hilton, Miss California take sides on 'Today'"

(note to those who may not want to see a young woman in a 2 piece swimsuit - the picture that goes with the article, at the time of this writing, is of Carrie Prejean - Miss California - during the swimsuit part of the competition.)

Here is the clip:



This is an interesting article, though brief, about a part of the Miss USA competition on Sunday night. Read the article to get the story.

I think that this is the type of behavior we want our students to convey. We want students who are not afraid to stand up for what they believe, even if it might cause them trouble.


One paragraph I found particularly interesting was this one:

Hilton, who also appeared on the "Today" show Tuesday, said his question was relevant and that Prejean should have "left her politics and her religion out because Miss USA represents all Americans."

She needed to leave "her religion" out of the pageant...but it was okay for Perez to bring his own personal beliefs into the pageant, as a judge. Does that sound contradictory to anyone else?

I am glad to hear that Prejean was willing to voice her beliefs in front of a national audience. I hope all the students in our youth ministries would be willing to do the same thing - and I hope they each get an opportunity to stand up and voice their beliefs for others to hear.

My favorite line of the whole article was this last quote from Prejean:

"It's not about being politically correct," she said. "For me, it's about being biblically correct."

(added video on 4.22.09)

Trivia Wednesday #118: First Barcode

answer #117 - Every six seconds

question #118 - What was the first product to have a barcode on its packaging?

Photo Friday: Red Tree Top

Trivia Wednesday #117: Blinking

answer #116 - 300 million

question #117 - You blink approximately how often?

Church Signs: money related

Recently, I have seen a couple church signs that are financially oriented. I thought I would share them with you.

"The IRS can't tax treasures stored in heaven."

"Tithe if you love Jesus, anyone can honk."

Do you have any favorite money-related church signs?