REVIVE US SERIES: Our World Is Changing Empower Your Students To Be Brave.

Our world is changing.  Due to the shooting on Parliament Hill and the Hit and run a few days ago Canada has changed. How are you doing? Are you at peace or feeling anxious about it all? How are your student’s dealing with it?  More importantly how are their friends and classmates processing this?

Jesus followers who have gone through tough times such as a death in the family, depression, miscarriage, or job loss you will overhear them at some point say out of bewilderment and a heart full of gratitude for their faith, “I don’t know how people get through it without Jesus.”

Again I ask, how are your student’s friends and families doing right now who don’t know that Jesus is Emmanuel?

Don’t shy away from messages on current events.

Your Junior Highs need to know that Jesus knew that things were going to get crazy. He knew that the terrorists were coming and so He a plan that involves them.

The Role of the Gospel.

Your students are a light in their school on their teams in their homes. They have a hope in Jesus, they need not be afraid because of Matthew 28:16-20

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1. Teach Your Students to Pray in Jesus’ Name

All authority in heaven and on the earth has been given to me.

Because Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross AND he rose again, nothing is bigger or stronger than Jesus. All authority has been given to him. Jesus calls you and your students friends. The perk here is all that He learns He passes it on to His friends…us.

“You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-17

Your students can tap into Jesus and He will guide them and direct them even through the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit). When they pray for protection in Jesus’ name it will be done. They too can walk in the power of Christ. They do not need to be afraid. Youth worker YOU DON’T NEED TO BE AFRAID but pray about everything. Demonstrate to your students that they can be comforted in Jesus Name by praying over them as one with authority. Let them hear and experience the difference. I’ve watched people move from anxiousness to a being at peace and assured after I prayed believing that what I prayed would come to pass as I prayed in Jesus’ Name. That’s called the prayer of faith.  but I haven’t always prayed that way.

I was at my friend’s doctor’s appointment when she found out that she had cancer. As soon as we got into the car, she cried.

I was speechless. I cried too. Then I prayed for her. I seriously didn’t know what to pray so it came out as The Prayer of Hope. I hope that she doesn’t die, I hope that God will heal her, I hope that my prayers work!

After I prayed the deep seated fear in her and even in myself was still there! Why? Because it was the prayer of Hope.  We went to our church to meet with our pastor.  As we arrived, the anxiety was still there. My pastor came in through the doors and he said, “Tammy, you shall live and not die. With long life will He satisfy you.” There was a shift in the room. I believed him. He then began to pray but he didn’t pray the prayer of hope, he prayed the prayer of FAITH as mentioned in James 5. He spoke as one with authority. LoL like Jesus! I believed. My friend’s countenance changed and fear fled and their was clarity of mind. My pastor knew he had authority in Jesus’ Name to make a difference and a difference was made!

Youth Worker, do you believe that there is power in Jesus name when you pray? If not, get your face into the gospel books. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke or John with the eyes of your heart it starts with you knowing who Jesus is and the significance of you having a relationship with Him and what all that entails along the prayer of faith.

2. Empower Your Students To Be Bold Because Jesus is with them.

Jesus knew days like today would happen, when there would be so much uncertainty in our world. He knew we’d have trouble, but he said, “…take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

It does seem like the end is really near, but I smile comes to my face when Jesus whispers in my ear, “[Alison,] surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He’s with me to the very end.

It is for this very reason we must go and make disciples, baptizing them, teaching them. We can be brave. Train and equip your students to pray with their friends. How to really pray, the prayer of faith and the power of Jesus’ Name. And to share this truth, this good news of Jesus with Canadians that are angry, anxious, and sleepless that they too can enjoy the peace that only Jesus can bring.

Youth Speaker & Founder of the Young Woman of Power (YWOP), Alison hosts conferences and develops programs that are designed to build the confidence of youth such as the YWOP PivotFWD workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System and the citywide Young Women of Power Conference. She considers herself to be a pastor to those who don’t want one or don’t know they need one. For more info or to book Alison as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca 

THE SERIES REVIVE US : Time to Implement

This past summer I was away speaking at a number of different teen camps and it has been an incredible experience. I have been learning so much as I began implementing and applying what God has been showing me through this Revive Us Series. For those of you who are new to Canadian Youth Workers, I started a new series just before the summer as a result of the startling responses from a grade 12 class project at a Christian School where they had to create their own church. Holy Spirit convicted me and opened the eyes of us ministry leaders that were in involved with that project. Our students know how to do church but they lack the heart of Christ which is the motivation for why we do what we do.

We have a crisis on our hands. There is a model of youth ministry that is producing church doers instead disciples as mentioned in Matthew 28. These church doers will not be able to withstand the global pressures and pop culture of this age or carry the torch after we are gone.

Revive Us is not about what we need to do to fix the students…No, we are the problem. Our students are a reflection of us. Youth Worker this Fall do not go back to doing youth ministry. Re-examine yourself. This year 'Consecrate yourself for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things amongst you.' Joshua 3:5

How?

1. Be Bold, Strong and Courageous. If He is for you, don't worry about who is against you. Think Big, Act Big, Be Bold. This is bigger than think Big Youth Ministry. When was the last time you prayed the prayer of faith and stuck around believing that God would heal that person right then and there? Yeah, that takes courageous.

2. Preach Jesus. The Gospel Message of God's Love Through Jesus is what makes darkness flee and students free.

3. Take Time To Hear What God Is Saying In The Morning. Are you still in love? Were you ever in love with Jesus or has your relationship with him been more out of gratitude, a Sinner to a Saviour relationship. Yes, that is the relationship Jesus died for but that is not all that He rose again and lives for. Do you love him? Love compels one to listen and seek to understand.

These factors are at the core of what we need within us to go make disciples who will remain standing through all uncertainties. We cannot reproduce what we do not have. It is time. Revive Us O Lord. 

* The purpose of this blog series is not to tear down the students projects for they worked hard on them.  This problem is not a reflection of a school or isolated to the specific city or an age demographic. The views and concerns addressed in this blog are bigger than our youth, I believe it is a reflection of how Christians young and old view the church and what we've sacraficed to make Jesus look cool. 

The Founder of the Young Woman of Power (YWOP), Alison develops programs that are designed to build girls confidence such as the YWOP PivotFWD workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System and a citywide Conference. Alison’s heart for young women is to see the statistics of violence against women decrease and to see females become counter culture/culturally dangerous by growing in true confidence. For more info or to book Alison as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca 

REVIVE US REFLECT: What'chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?

Have you been in a discussion or an argument with someone and these words came out of your mouth, “That’s not what I said!” Frustration is usually not far behind those words. It’s a brutal feeling when someone takes what you said out of context or interprets what they heard through their own filter on life. It’s exasperating when you believe you explained something so eloquently and you were careful and intentional with your words, only to have the hearer translate it into something like, ‘You hate me!’ Or ‘You don’t think I’m good enough.’ 
“Aaagh, that’s not what I said!” have you been in that place as well? What about when people make negative assumptions about you, and they don’t even know you or have a relationship with you.

“Your prophets have said so many foolish things, false to the core. They did not save you from exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false pictures, filling you with false hope. Lamentations 2:14

 As I listen to this passage on my audio bible, I become very aware of how frustrating that must be. Time and time again throughout Jeremiah and Lamentations, God is warning Judah and Israel of what is to come, calling them to repent, or do as he says, and someone from some other place is speaking to the king or the influencers in the community declaring, “God said…” and it was the opposite of what God was communicating. I visualize God with His mouth open screaming, “I didn’t say that!!”

                           Tired of you tellin' the story your way

It's causin' confusion

You think it's okay…

Make Me Wanna Scream.

Michael Jackson - Scream

I took a moment to look inward and I urge you to do the same; Have you ever put words together or prepared messages or themes or spoken to individuals quoting God, but that was not what He wanted to say?

Camp season has begun. Some of you like me will be speaking at camps. Are you speaking what God wants you to speak?  Maybe you are camp chaplain, or the camp director and will be leading devotions for the counselors. Are you speaking what God wants you to speak? There will be junior counselors and senior counselors made up of volunteers, students and camp interns who will have opportunity to speak to campers one on one or in their cabins. Are they speaking what God wants them to say?

You can only speak what He is saying, if you have a relationship with Him and you take time to hear what He is saying. God told Jeremiah exactly what to say, and then he spoke it.

I had already written most of today’s blog earlier, but once I got down on my knees and asked for clarity, Holy Spirit shared with me what He actually wanted said and it was different from what I originally had. As I listened, I gently heard Him speak to my heart saying, “They are telling students what I have to say when they have no relationship with me.”

I Didn't Say That.

Youth worker. Is this you? Have you been caught up in the duties of life but have not personally heard from God for yourself in a long time? STOP! Stop speaking. START. Start listening. Holy Spirit cares about you. He’s got your youth, He’ll take care of your family, He wants you! You’ve been so far away from Him and you know it in your heart. You’ve got this whole itinerary this summer that you set up. He wants you to stop going, slow down and sit for a while. God cares about you too much to lose you. He can help you get back on track, but it starts with Him. Please it’s time for self-care. As a fellow youth worker, we all are a team. And when one is down and out of the game we feel it. I watched Costa Rica and Greece play in the world cup. One player on Costa Rica received a red card and was out of the game. These teams went into overtime and Costa Rica was exhausted. The goalie was hurt in so many places, yet they couldn’t sub him out because they used all of their substitutes. I felt for them. Look if you need to sit on the bench for a while to rest up so you’ve got legs again, then please do it because we want to keep you in the game! When you get a red card, the team is down a person, but when you have a sub, someone else comes out in your place. Do you need a break?  God will provide a substitution for you. I know you can’t see who it will be, but someone will come. Take a break and spend time with Him. 

If you are working with a team this summer, and you see that a student or counselor doesn’t have a relationship with God, please pastor them and have them take a time out for self-care which starts with God. Be watching for them so that there are no young counselors or parents that are creating confusion speaking a message that is contrary to the one God is giving.

Stop talking. Start Listening. Let Him speak to you. Allow time to resurrect your relationship with Him. Students need to hear what God is saying to them. As ministers of His word, we need to be clear so that our hearers can walk in clarity.

I’m praying for you. To whom this concerns.

Youth Speaker & Founder of the Young Woman of Power (YWOP), Alison hosts conferences and develops programs that are designed to build the confidence of youth such as the YWOP PivotFWD workshop which she delivers in Calgary’s Youth Judicial System and the citywide Young Women of Power Conference. She considers herself to be a pastor to those who don’t want one or don’t know they need one. For more info or to book Alison as a speaker visit www.ywop.ca