Is Your Youth Ministry Ready to Grow?

One of the most important decisions any youth ministry needs to face is how to plan for growth. Let’s

be honest, It’s a nice problem to have, but you need to temper any excitement by making sure that you have well laid plans.

You might be a sole youth worker and you’re ready to make your first hires. Or you’re a solid, established youth ministry team thinking about adding a new on sight or off sight location. No matter your size or ambitions, here are a few tips to help you plan to expand.

Ensure God Wants You Grow
Expansion is not only a matter of growth, it’s also a matter of stamina, time, commitment. If you’ve got the fortitude – just like when you were starting out, you’ll be in for some long days – then you need to ensure that you and your youth ministry are ready to grow. It starts with you being honest before God. “It’s not about you. It’s about God!” - Rick Warren. Before you embark on a new journey, you need to know exactly what kind of shape you and your youth ministry is in. Essentially, you need to develop an entire ministry plan with full SWOT analysis in order to successfully chart your new path. That takes time, will, and, most importantly, a healthy balance sheet that is both spiritual and physical.

Be Prepared to Spend
We all know it’s true that you have to spend money to make money. But you have to spend your budget smartly. Consider consolidating your budget resources: spiritual gifts of your ministry team,volunteers, finances, recruitment, students, parents, and the church leadership team. That way you can track all of the resource categories that you can expect to surge as you start to walk this new journey.

A Few Good People
It can be the hardest and also the most rewarding part of ministry – hiring and managing your team. (Yes, you do hire volunteers) But the people who come on board with you are key to your success, especially as you grow. You will need to have processes and policies for dealing with mundane stuff such as vulnerable protection, volunteer role descriptions, expectations and benchmarks. You don’t want to spend your valuable time on these details, but they are very important to your people. Also, software solutions are easily accessible; Evernote, Google Drive, Google Calendar, are great places to start keeping your team organized.

Making Your Move
Do you need a bigger space, either for an office, lounge or gathering room? This may be the most formidable part of your expansion plan, and will entail a lot of site visits around your facility, negotiation with others staff/program leaders. Especially if you’re considering expanding to another part of your facility. Remember that you need to choose the best location based on the needs of your ministry, not just your wants. Off sight might even be something to consider. Creativity is your greatest asset in making your move. Surround yourself with 2-3 creative people and 2-3 people who have the spiritual gift of faith and see what happens. 

If your youth ministry is growing, it’s a sign that God is using you and those on your team – and feeling positive, even celebratory, is perfectly natural. But it’s also important to understand that growth is a disruptive force. A period of significant growth will impact every single aspect of youth ministry – which is why you need to adopt a strategic mindset. Ask youself, “Is my youth ministry ready to grow?” If so, the time to plan is now.

@jeffsmyth

coordinator of community initiatives - scarborough

youth unlimited (tyfc) 

Messy

I was sitting across the table having a one on one conversation with one of my students. He was stuck. He didn't know what to do and he had just told me another version of so many stories I've heard before. I knew I needed to say something as he looked at me with awkward glances.

During our conversation I was listening, taking mental notes, but most importantly I was asking Jesus to give me the words to say to this young man. I think I was begging with Jesus for the right words to say because my initial thought was to say, "suck it up buttercup."

As I took a deep breath about to impart my amazing words of wisdom to this young man he broke the silence by saying, "I'm sorry to bore you with this but I just don't know what to do." I quickly responded with the first word that came to my mind, "Wow!" I thought to myself, "did I say that out loud?" This young man had just poured his heart out to me for the past 15 minutes, asking for my advice and I started my response with 'Wow'. What was I thinking?

Yet, what I didn't realize was that one word would be the hinge that opened the door to our conversation. We continued our conversation for 90 minutes and it sparked other conversations down the road and our interactions went deeper then I could have ever imagined.

This conversation reminded me of some of things I love about youth ministry:
Shepherding students is messy: when I enter the lives of students I must allow them to enter my life. The pain, hurt discomfort and unsettling frustration that they have going on in their lives is when I share with them my stories of pain, hurt, discomfort and unsettling frustration. if teenagers rooms are messy, so are their lives. the one thing that I have to remind myself is that my life is also messy.

Process with students: life is full of things we like and don't like. when you and your students experience one of those things, process with them, but don't allow your emotions to dictate your response with your students. if something was challenging, process with them on how they can learn from it, wether you liked it or not. the big thing about processing with students is that it is a long journey. You cannot expect things to be wrapped up like a teaching session or telling them to read this passage or to just pray about it.

Resource your students: have follow-up resources on file and ready to help your students process through circumstances. if you don't have the answers, don't pretend you do. get resources from other youth workers or experts in specific fields. this is a really pretty way of delegating. you can say to your students, "you know I'm not really sure about that but I know someone who does. let me get you some information about that and after you've checked it out, let's talk some more." students understand it when adults tell them that they don't know something. what they don't understand is when adults claims they know everything. if you have resource file, keep adding to it. if you dot have one, start to put one together.

These are three things that I've found that help me as a youth worker. What would you add to this list?

Here are four resources to add to your resource list or to help you start your first one:

X3Watch: online accountability and integrity. FREE
CovenantEyes: online filter and accountability software.
Pam Stenzel: speaker and resources on biblical sex and sexuality
Dr. Karyn Gordon: canadian, family and relationship expert, her products are excellent.

@jeffsmyth

Catch

Today before walking to the bus I played catch with my 7yr. We had an extra few minutes before we had to leave so we were both talking about it being opening day across major league baseball today. The Smyth family are huge Toronto Blue Jays fans and after a disastrous 2013 season we are now on the verge of a new season which brings hope. Hope for a better season, better pitching, actually better everything over last year.

Once you choose hope, anything is possible!

So my five minutes before our walk to the bus brought up many memories for me. You see, I grew up without a father so actually playing catch with my son is very special for me. He is experiencing something that I was never able to experience. He is talking about hope with dad, he is making crazy throws and diving for catches and we are both laughing together because when you play catch with your dad, anything is possible.

Now in your own life, when you are alone and it is just you and God, do you have hope? When you are with your family at mealtime, doing homework or playing, do you have hope? As you prepare and plan for your youth ministry for today, this week, this month, this season, do you have hope? Anything is possible in any area of your life!

Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

-  1 Chronicles 29:15 

Jeff loves Jesus, his wife and family. He has been married for 12 years and he has one of the most energetic boys in the world. Jeff is also a life long fan of the Toronto Blue Jays & Montreal Canadiens. You can connect with Jeff online: Jeff Smyth Blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+

Creativity

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he

created them.” Genesis 1:27

The Creator and Master of the universe left his finger prints on you, his child. He made you to resemble him, putting qualities of himself - including creativity - in you. You might not be an artist or musician or designer or writer, but you are creative because you were made by a creative God who made you in his image.

Life Coaching

1. What is a creative dream you have but don’t think is possible?
2. Where, in your life and your ministry, does it excite you to be creative?
3. Where, in your life and ministry, is it challenging to be creative?

forget all the sentences that begin with “yes, but…” and journal for a few minutes about what that dream would look like if you risked pursuing it.

Prayer: God, who created the heaven and the earth and everything in them, thank you for making me in your image. Thank you for the privilege it is to be like you. Thank you for making me creative. Please put in my heart and mind the passion and wisdom and courage to pursue the creative dreams you have given me in life and in youth ministry. In Jesus’ name, amen.

YouthWorker, Who Are You?

In the recent January/February 2013 YOUTHWORKER Journal the title caught my eye and almost compelled me to read it right away.

Who Am I? How youth workers can help kids develop a healthy identity.

After reading a few of the articles and thoughts written through out the journal by well respected professional youth workers, I was struck by a thought that has me completely perplexed.

How can youth workers help kids develop a healthy identity when youth workers themselves don't even know their own identity in Christ?

I work with multiple youth workers from numerous denominations here in Toronto and the GTA (greater toronto area). One of the top issues I hear from youth workers is their sense of being lost. Lostness brings doubt and insecurity to anyone but when you are leading a youth ministry and this lostness sets in you start to question everything and you begin to doubt who you are or even worse, you forget who you are.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Do you feel lost? Has doubt or insecurity begun to consume your thoughts and the way you live? Maybe you need someone around you to remind you of who you are!

In the 1991 movie Hook, Peter, played by Robin Williams, has forgotten his true identity that he is really Peter Pan but all grown up.

Jeff Smyth is a youth worker who has been involved in both the local church and non-profit areas of Canada for more than 15 years. Jeff lives in Toronto with his wife Heather and son Nathan.
Jeff online: ThinkYouthMinistry.com, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+

More or Less

One of the biggest battles that every youth worker faces on a daily, weekly, monthly basis is: TIME MANAGEMENT!

Improve your time management in two easy steps:

1. ONE: one calendar & one to-do list. By consolidating everything you will have it in one place and you will see how much time you have or don't have to get things done. This means that you will condense your family calendar with your ministry calendar, your ministry to-do list with your home to-do list; home reno's, exercise, ministry, reading, RSS feeds, schooling, kids, spouse, meetings, research, email, visits, volunteering, etc... into ONE. This will give you a more realistic outlook on everything that you have to do and future events.
2. COMPARE: the most crucial step to your survival in youth ministry is you must compare your most recent job description with what you are honestly doing each week in the allotted hours required for your role. Take each section and each point and give that a specific amount of length of time that you are giving to each one each day and each week. This will require you to keep track of you hours but it will give you a healthy COMPARISON. You will also need to list all the additional things that are not listed on your job description that you are doing for you role, your blog, facebook group, v-blog, etc...

Jeff Smyth is a youth worker who has been involved in both the local church and non-profit areas of Canada. He works with DOXA Toronto, providing resources, training and coaching for local churches. Jeff lives in Toronto with his wife Heather and son Nathan. Jeff's blog ThinkYouthMinistry.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:

Equipped To Help Teens

Ellen says...
This is a valuable resource for any youth worker - professional or volunteer - as they minister to students and families. The comprehensive guide includes great conversation starters and extensive resource listings - excellent for equipping you to engage teens in their hurt and questions.


About the resource...

Quick Reference Guide to Counselling Teenagers
Chap Clark and Dr. Tim Clinton
Paperback • Baker Publishing Group • 9780801072352

Youth culture changes rapidly, so those in the position to counsel and advise teens often find themselves ill-informed and ill-prepared to deal with the issues that youth routinely encounter today. The Quick-Reference Guide to Counseling Teenagers provides answers. This guide for pastors, counselors, youth workers, and parents addresses 40 topics addressed including: culture and media influence sexuality stress drugs and alcohol parent-adolescent relationships

An excerpt... 

Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson observed that the “identity crisis” of adolescence is the most significant conflict a person faces throughout life. During these crucial years, young people have to answer the question, Who am I? For many, the question seems overwhelming. The pressures of peers, the new drives of emerging hormones, and the expanding opportunities to experiment with behaviors can combine to create a perfect storm of temptation and self-doubt. Some seek help from mature adults, and many find forgiveness and direction in life through Christ, but some teens try to cope by resorting to self-destructive behaviors.

In today’s world of adolescence, cutting, dusting, choking, and salvia don’t refer to cutting vegetables, cleaning your house, or choking on a burger. These terms refer to practices that are more serious—much more serious. Five years ago you wouldn’t have heard these words used with the meanings that are now common in youth culture vernacular. They reveal how desperate for healing many of our youth are. Cutting refers to cutting oneself in a desperate attempt to relieve internal pain and depression. Dust Off is an aerosol computer keyboard cleaner that contains compressed gas and can be used to get high. Choking oneself can cause a euphoric state. And salvia is a hallucinogenic herb that is banned in eight states and is more powerful than and considered to be the next marijuana. These new fads among teens are leading to many deaths.

Teens are crying out for connection and looking anywhere to find it. “Rave” parties—large-scale gatherings with fast, electronic music and free-form crowd dancing, often coupled with the use of illegal drugs—have taken the place of family night at home. Sexual morality is as broad and relative a term as ever, reckless relationships abound, and parents have never before been so uninvolved or unsure about what to do. Ministering to teens has never been more difficult.

More free resources:
Full excerpt of the book in pdf form

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

What is a Disciple?

If you make disciples, you will always get church, but if you make a church you will rarely get disciples.

What exactly are we trying to produce? What does a disciple look like? Your answers to these questions are crucial — they will determine the development strategy that you pursue.


Everyone is a disciple of something and/or someone.


1) A disciple is someone who does certain things.


2) A disciple is someone who understands certain things.


Recently I was sitting pool side for one of my 5 year olds swimming lessons where he is in a small class where the instructor is also teaching a younger instructor-in-training. As I glanced around at the other swimming classes I noticed that many of the classes, not all of them, but most of them, had in-training-instructors. They were helping the other kids in the classes by watching the instructor and then doing the same, action for action, word for word. They were being discipled and teaching at the same time. This happened over and over again through out the 30 minute class. At the end of the class the instructors then evaluated the trainee through verbal and written instructions.


A light bulb went off in my head as I was sitting there with my wife and leaned over to her and said, "When was the last time that you saw this in the church?" She turned and looked at me and said, "What !?! Swimming?" Realizing I had not said my thoughts out loud I then expressed my thoughts. She smiled and she then saw the same thing that I did.


Why does the local Recreational Centre understand and do discipleship for swimming instructors, yet the church cannot even follow the basic function of telling the stories of God to the next generation according to Psalms 78?

Putting Your "Plan B" Into Action

Ellen says...


Seeing the message of Plan B impact so many lives around me, I am convinced that this really affordable, high-quality DVD study is a proven winner. Pete Wilson is a great, fresh communicator. Highly recommended for older teens / young adult and youth leader studies!


About the resource...

Putting Plan B into Action
Pete Wilson
Trade Paper w/DVD • Thomas Nelson •9781418546076


What do you do with a shattered dream? Or an unmet expectation? How do you accept your Plan B when God doesn't show up the way you thought he would? With powerful real-life stories of disappointments and tragedy along with biblical stories and teaching, Pete Wilson leads study groups through the process of discovering the Plan B for your life, accepting your story, and embracing it as your reality. The Plan B DVD-based study offers you the chance to share with and embrace a community of believers as you begin a journey of real healing and change.

An excerpt... 

More free resources:
Putting Plan B Into Action with Pete Wilson - Session 1
Free Church Resources for Putting Plan B Into Action: A DVD-Based Study

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

You Lost Me

Ellen says...


Is the North American church overprotective, repressive, and shallow? "UnChristian" looked at outsiders and their perceptions of the church, and what we could do to respond to these very real concerns. With "You Lost Me", Kinnaman examines young insiders who have left disconnected from the church, giving them a voice and an opportunity for the church to respond in love.

About the resource...


You Lost Me by David Kinnaman
Paperback and Hardcover • Baker Publishing Group • 9780801013140

Millions of young Christians are disconnecting from church as they transition into adulthood. They're real people, not just statistics. And each one has a story to tell. The faith journeys of the next generation are a challenge to the established church, but they can also be a source of hope for the community of faith. Bestselling author of "UnChristian", David Kinnaman, with the help of contributors from across the Christian spectrum, offers ideas for pastors, youth leaders, parents, and educators to pass on a vibrant, lasting faith, and ideas for young adults to find themselves in wholehearted pursuit of Christ.



An excerpt... 

A generation of young Christians believes that the churches in which they were raised are not safe and hospitable places to express doubts. Many feel that they have been offered slick or half-baked answers to their thorny, honest questions, and they are rejecting the “talking heads” and “talking points” they see among the older generations. You Lost Me signals their judgment that the institutional church has failed them.

Whether or not that conclusion is fair, it is true that the Christian community does not well understand the new and not-so-new concerns, struggles, and mindsets of young dropouts, and I hope that You Lost Me will help to bridge this gap. Because of my age (thirty-seven) and my position as a researcher, I am often asked to explain young people to older generations and advocate for their concerns. I welcome the task because, whatever their shortcomings, I believe in the next generation. I think they are important, and not just because of the cliché “young people are the leaders of tomorrow.”

The story—the great struggle—of this emerging generation is learning how to live faithfully in a new context, to be in the world but not of the world. This phrase, “in but not of the world,” comes from Jesus’s prayer for his followers, recorded in John 17. For the next generation, the lines between right and wrong, between truth and error, between Christian influence and cultural accommodation are increasingly blurred. While these are certainly challenges for every generation, this cultural moment is at once a singular opportunity and a unique threat to the spiritual formation of tomorrow’s church. Many young adults are living out the tension of in-but-not-of  in ways that ought to be corrected or applauded, yet instead are often criticized or rejected.

In the vibrant and volatile story of the next generation, a new spiritual narrative is bubbling up. Through the lens of this project, I have come to understand and agree with some, though not all, of their grievances. Yes, we should be concerned about some of the attitudes and behaviors we encounter in the next generation of Christians, yet I also find reasons to hope in the best of what they have to offer. Apparently they are a generation prepared to be not merely hearers of doctrine but doers of faith; they want to put their faith into action, not just to talk. Yes, many young dropouts are stalled in their spiritual pursuits, yet a significant number of them are reinvigorating their faith with new ideas and new energy.

From this generation, so intent on reimagining faith and practice, I believe the established church can learn new patterns of faithfulness. You Lost Me seeks to explain the next generation’s cultural context and examine the question:

How can we follow Jesus—and help young people faithfully follow Jesus—in a dramatically changing culture?

Excerpt from You Lost Me by David Kinnaman. Copyright 2011, Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Used by permission.


DVD Resource coming Oct 2012

More free resources:
Video Interviews on New Day TV
Video Interviews on 100 Huntley St
Publisher's Page
Tables and Charts from the book

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

Are You Stuck?

Ellen says...

After going through Stuck with a small group of women, I can say wholeheartedly that I LOVE this study! This is the freshest curriculum for young adult women that I've ever seen - and it is quality material. Short, high-impact DVD sessions and achievable weekly 'homework', and a really affordable curriculum - this is a winner. From Ellen's Picks

About the resource...

Stuck by Jennie Allen
Bible Study, DVD Curriculum • Thomas Nelson • 9781418548735

We are often so stuck in invisible struggles in our hearts and minds, we barely have space for God. These deep struggles, these stuck places, are familiar to every one of us: brokenness, anger, discontentment, fear, and sadness. Stuck takes on these struggles within us so that we can encounter God. Because until we recognize that we are stuck and in need of God, we will miss what He has for us. Jennie Allen's fresh DVD-driven Bible studies are designed to draw women close to God and to each other. These shorter studies dig deep quickly, creating experiential conversations and allowing women to wrestle with Scripture in a deep and authentic way throughout the week.

Jennie Allen's Bible studies are designed to draw women close to God and to each other. These shorter studies dig deep quickly, creating experiential conversations and allowing women to wrestle with Scripture in a deep and authentic way throughout the week.

8 sessions on DVD + Study Guide, Leaders' Guide and "Conversation Cards" 

An excerpt... 

This study began for me out of a deep struggle—a stuck place. It would serve better to call it something a tad more dramatic . . . it was a war. The kind of war that happens inside of you, the kind that nobody sees. God versus me and all my junk. It wasn’t something I could even put words to at the time. In fact, those close to me were oblivious to the chaos ensuing behind my gathered exterior.

But it was real and raging, and even though I couldn’t describe it, I was keenly aware of its presence and was exhausted by it.

I was stuck.
I experienced a sense of bondage I could not name and did not know how to escape. The outside of my life was bright and shiny, but inside I was a mess: anxious, lonely, afraid, and looking for significance.

This study exists because I know I am not alone in this. The more I am let into the deep crevasses of people’s hearts, the more I am convinced that every one of us is fighting something. Yet we look out from our secret wars and see people who smile peacefully and seem to be all right—and we smile back at them.

I’m done smiling.
Many of us have known God for a long time—and honestly, we know a lot—but are we living what we believe? For some, this may be your first encounter with Him. Wherever you are, I ask and pray that you be honest. Pretense and pretending have never really been God’s thing. Not much tolerance for it. So my prayer is this study will be a safe place to explore God and your own heart. The state of our hearts and what we believe about God are the two most important things about us.

Excerpt from STUCK by Jennie Allen. Copyright ©2011 by Jennie Allen. Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson. Used with Permission.  All Rights Reserved

More free resources:
Author Website
Church Resources

Publisher Website
Official Study Website
Another Video

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

I Am Second

 Ellen says... 

"I Am Second" is the honest, raw, and often painful journey of broken people who have decided that life is not about them. This highly compelling collection of testimonies of those who have hit bottom and found God there would be excellent study material for older youth & young adults.

About the book...

A major league baseball player. A pastor. A reality TV star. A single mom. A multi-platinum rocker. What do these people have in common? They’ve all hit bottom. And none of them stayed there.
These are the stories of real people who reached the end of their strength, the end of their control, and found the most surprising truths. It taught them not to rely on self or substance but to lean on the only completely reliable source of love, hope, and freedom: the God who created them. 

Shocking in their honesty, inspiring in their courage, these testimonies are critical reminders that no one is too far from God to find him.

An excerpt...

…becoming Second isn’t the journey of perfected saints or of superhero believers. It is the honest, raw and often painful journey of broken people who have decided that life is not about them. It is not about what they want or about what they can do. Some have tried money, others pleasure, success, beauty, family, or religion. They all tried something to calm the ache in their soul, to find purpose, love, or happiness. But whatever they tried and whatever they were looking for, they only found it when they surrendered and said, “I am Second.”

Second is a simple concept. It summarizes all that Jesus taught, all that he lived, and all that he expects from those that claim his name. God is first and others are before ourselves. That is the motto and manifesto that “Seconds” live by.

It brings no guarantee to health or wealth and it makes to promise to take away troubles and trials. Some may describe the rewards of such a life as less tangible. But a smile on your face when the lights go out and a peace in your heart when the storm rages is much more real than any dollar bill or any quick pleasure.

In the following pages, you will see the full gambit of life. Falling in love and facing divorce, healing and sickness, rich and poor. But in every one of these stories, the lesson is the same. Second is the only way to find love, peace, joy, contentment, or whatever else you are looking for. It is the only way to find a life worth living. These are the stories of those that have found this to be true.

More of the book can be read online here for free  

Excerpt from I AM SECOND by Doug Bender and Dave Sterrett. Copyright ©2012 e3 Partners Ministry. Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson. Used with Permission.  All Rights Reserved

*curriculum coming Fall 2012


More free resources at the website: www.iamsecond.com

On Facebook

On Twitter

On YouTube
The Blog
 

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

Bullying in Youth Ministry

What do you teach from the bible about bullying?

If you don't have a plan, get one. Don't know where to start? Contact me, I'll help you. If you don't think it's worth teaching or even addressing in youth ministry, you should step out of your role in youth ministry and find another vocation?

Why do we only care about the spiritual lives of the kids in our youth groups and not their physical and emotional needs as well?

The Bully Project is in select theatre today.

MUST SEE movie for all youth workers.

Jeff Smyth is husband to Heather and father of one active boy Nathan. He has been involved youth ministry leadership for 15 years in both the local church and non-profit areas of Canada. He has been serving for the past 3 years as the coordinator of community initiatives with DOXAToronto.com the Scarborough are of Youth Unlimited (Toronto YFC). Learn more about him by visiting his blog ThinkYouthMinistry.com or follow him @jeffsmyth