Team

Team. Many thoughts and images come to mind when I think of "team" and also many questions.

• what are the key ingredients of a team?
• how big or small should a team be?
• what personalities/experiences/spiritual gifts are required for that team?

Watch this video and think of all the elements of team that you see. This video is of a barn being built by the Amish from the foundation to completion. It is a 10 hour job time-lapsed in to a 3:30min video.

Here is what I see:

1. they have the right resources for the project.
2. they have the right materials to accomplish the project. Foresight: someone organized the materials and the workers to be there for that day
3. they even take a meal break showing there are other people working behind the scenes to assist the build team. The team is much bigger than shown.
4. they picked the right day to accomplish this project.
5. they finished the project. 

Share what others things you saw about team from this video in the comments. 

Many Hands Make Light Work: Amazing what can be accomplished in a 10 hour day.everyone knows what they are to do on this project. 

@JeffSmyth

Parent Ministry Resources

One of the most forgotten elements of youth ministry is the focus on parents as it was the focus of last week's post, parent ministry.

Connecting church and home is a very difficult and daunting task for youth workers.

If you are like me, you need a parent ministry plan that will set you on the right course. Other youth workers can design their own plan based and use various resources for support.

Need a Parent Ministry Plan
ParentMinistry.net
This is a great service that allows your kids ministry through youth ministry keep the same branding, messaging and resourcing. Cost: $25 per month.
What you get:

• one video, two emails, and 10 tweets/texts that you customize and send out to the parents in your youth ministry each month.
• give parents resources on a right of passage each year from grade 6 through grade 12.
• parenting toolbox that gives you the resources to build an effective parent ministry.
• event kits on creating impactful parenting events.
• community resources that connects you to other youth workers ministering to parents.

Need Resources for your Parent Ministry Plan
SimplyYouthMinistry.com
Youth Cartel.com
Group.com

Knowing my weakness in parent ministry I would set aside $25 per month from the youth ministry budget and recruit a communication team to run this for me.

What is your parent ministry plan and what resources do you currently use?

Building The Temple (1 Chronicles 22)

Have a quick look at 1 Chronicles 22 through 2 Chronicles 5.

David had a dream. He was crazy passionate about building a temple for God. To say that he was 'driven by this dream' is an understatement. 

If you thumb through 1 Chronicles 22, you'll see that David not only stockpiled his own resources, but he collected from his leaders and then went to the people. In the end, the pile of materials was mind bending. About 8,100,000 lbs of gold; 76,750,000 lbs of silver; 1,350,000 lbs of bronze; 8,000,000 lbs of iron. Putting this into today's economy, 8 million lbs of gold (at 16oz per pound) x 16 ounces x $1000/ounce = over $129 billion in gold alone.

               

      HOW PASSIONATE WAS DAVID ABOUT THIS CAUSE?

Flip over to chapter 28:9,10,11,12,14,15,19.  David knows he's not the one God is using to build the temple. We have a brilliant description of his hand-off to Solomon. What is involved in this??

• David clearly (painstakingly) communicates his vision
• David puts the expectations way high
• David preps by stockpiling resources
• David communicates his vision again
• Detailed instructions so Solomon could carry it out meticulously - has the plans for the cups and candle holders.... And it is all written out!
• 2Chronicles5:13b,14.   Cloud filled the temple - so thick that the priests couldn't do their work.

So, here's my challenge for you...

 

What if we approached our youth ministry with the zeal, vigor, intentionality, resources, people, communication, vision, and passion that David approached the building of the temple? We sing about dancing like David (naked... cool) but David exhibited 130 billion times more passion for the building of the temple!!!  What if we sang: "build the temple like David built the temple"....   

Here's my point...

 

Zip over to 1 Corinthians 6:19. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you.

David stopped at nothing to build a dwelling place for God on earth. He insanely prepared ahead of time, he collected the best of the best resources, he poured out his highest passion, he drove this with clear intentionality, crazy attention to detail,  months, maybe years of dreaming and communicating with great detail to those that would be overseeing and doing the work... he focused on setting them up for success. This would be the BEST. This was going to be the most spectacular thing ever built.

 

How is my passion for building the New Testament temple? The New testament dwelling place for God on earth ? How is your passion for the cause? This cause makes the popular causes in our world look bland and colourless. David's intentionality in planning and preparation, his attention to detail and his crazy passion to this puts us into perspective.

Build the temple. The most spectacular thing ever built.

  dave

Dave Brotherton was a youth pastor from 1984-2006 and now teaches youth ministry at Ambrose University College in Calgary. Dave is also the National Youth Guy for the Alliance churches in Canada, the director of Legacy Youth Conference, and a junior high volunteer in his church. Dave is married to Lisa and they share 2 of the greatest kids in the world. Fishing, camping, and cheering on the Leafs are some of his favorite things. 
twitter: @oldbrotherdave

Stress Point: Thriving Through Your Twenties in a Decade of Drama

Every so often, we will welcome a ‘friend of Ellen’ to offer one of their own picks! Today my friend and colleague, Paola, offers up her thoughts on “Stress Point” by Sarah Martin!

Paola says...

Being a 20-something female, I’ve noticed a gap in the Canadian Christian marketplace surrounding available resources for young adults. There are so many great resources out there for teens and ladies, but there isn’t much out there for young adults. In response to this gap, Sarah Francis Martin has come out with Stress Point. In the Stress Point study, Sarah discusses ten “stress points” for the 20-something woman and encourages both an internal dialogue through journaling exercises and group discussion by providing thought-provoking questions.

Sarah’s blog also acts as a place for online dialogue and mentoring between her readers. Her online summer Bible study, run through her blog, is a unique opportunity for young women to work through Stress Point together while Sarah guides the discussion and answers their questions. I really feel that it is a great space for young women, like myself, to come together, learn and encourage each other.

Note: We are featuring an interactive blog series of Q & A’s with Sarah on our website, and you could win one of five copies of Stress Point. Be sure to check it out!

About the resource...

Stress Point

Sarah Francis Martin

Paperback • Thomas Nelson • 9781418550790

Want to ditch the drama and thrive through your twenties?

Body image. Friendships. Career. Money. Dating. All these issues and more serve as points of stress for the 20-something woman, and combined they can make for a decade of drama in a girl's life. Sarah Francis Martin is the slightly older girlfriend who’s been there, done that, and got the not-so-cute t-shirt. Through this interactive Bible study, Sarah helps young adult women address each stress point by encouraging them to wait on the Lord, worship Him, and make Him the focus of their lives.

In Stress Point you will:

• Find interactive chapters covering ten stress points for the 20-something woman
• Dig through Scripture to apply truth to each stress point
• Engage with real, raw, and relevant stories from girlfriends just like you
• Journal through each chapter to engage with God in a meaningful way
• Interact with Sarah through her video blogs for each chapter
• Connect with your girlfriends in a Stress Point Survival Group; leader guide included

Sarah Francis Martin has a passion to encourage and relate to women in their twenties, and is honored to do so through She Seeks, the 20-something ministry of Proverbs 31. Her relevant and conversational style will lead young adult readers to live out the Kingship of Christ in everyday life in order to find godly success, purpose, and well-being. Obsessed with pink lip gloss and all things artsy-crafty, Sarah lives with her husband and son in North Carolina. Her ministry, LIVE IT OUT!, is a space for 20-somethings to connect with one another and grow closer to Jesus.

An excerpt...

 See below for more resources:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCJa8NahTLI&feature=related

http://liveitoutblog.com/

http://liveitoutblog.com/stress-point-online-summer-bible-study/

http://liveitoutblog.com/ministry-information/

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Ellen Graf-Martin now lives in the heart of Ontario’s Mennonite country with her husband Dan, where she continues to work in publishing and ministry.Learn more about her work at www.grafmartin.com

please help brett ullman

I was a fan of Brett Ullman before i was friend with him. but for years now, i’ve been both.

I remember hearing about Brett and what he was doing the topics he was speaking about, I was finally introduced to him at a Swiss Chalet (kind of fitting) while he was eating with his family. I made a quick observation that as I was talking with him I was looking at him eye to eye, while he was sitting and I was standing, I quickly realized that he was one tall fella. After making some arrangements I organized to have Brett come and speak to the youth and parents of our church. I remember watching him navigate many sensitive issues with provocative thought and integrity, I was convinced that he was in this thing for the long haul. Since that Swiss Chalet introduction I have come to respect Brett and the ministry he leads.

But somewhere along the line, Brett became a good friend of mine. Brett’s family and mine started to hang out at various times throughout the year and we eventually became part of a family care group together. Brett and I would meet for a sub or Swiss Chalet meal and talk life, family life and all facets of ministry strategies. I even worked for a bit of time with him in his ministry, and my time with Brett has shaped me in deep ways.

Brett and I have spent time together more than what seems normal, and have sparred or found common ground on more ministry and theological subjects than i can remember.

And i still love his speaking and resource ministry.

It shocked me when i found out recently that Brett — who, in the last handful of years, finished Arrow and a Masters degree — had just been diagnosed with anxiety depression, and was heading into a season of pause.

And, as you might expect, this puts his family into a bit of jeopardy, since most of his income is tied to speaking.

Brett was set to speak at his highest recorded number of dates this year plus have some additional resources produced. And if he can get these things out, he might be able to weather this. While a Brett Ullman resource is filled with great insights and helps for youth workers, students and parents, the live experience of his talk is what really sets him apart.

Brett Ullman needs our help. this isn’t just a guy trying to get fans to help fund something. This is a guy — a family, really — trying to find a way forward. even if you’ve never heard of Brett Ullman before, i’d encourage you to help purchase one of Brett's many resources through his store. The worst that could happen is that you get some resources you don’t really care about, but help a family who have given to youth workers for so many years bridge a difficult gap. And the best that could happen is that you’ll do that and love the resources.

CLICK HERE for the Brett Ullman store.

and, watch these little videos: