Spiritual Practice of the Week: starting and ending right

It’s the new year for Youth Ministry.  Happy New Year!  As we begin this year of meeting together I offer these two prayers, a simple way to begin and end the youth group meeting.  Begin by being around in a circle and offer the opening prayer.  Follow this with a checkin where you go around the circle giving each person space to share who their week was, how their lfe is going, perhaps sharing the best thing and worst thing about their week.  End the meeting in the same way, sit in a circle, light a candle, offer a blessing and a prayer.  Stillness.  

My question for you as you begin this new year:  “What are you offering the youth who walk in through the door of your youth room that is unlike anything they can get from the world out there?”

Prayer for the beginning a Youth Group Meeting: 

God who is our beginning, Jesus who is our friend, you are the place we all come from, the one we are made like; we are gathered together to celebrate life. Gathered today are (list the names of all gathered), children of God. We are people seeking community, your light among us, good in the world, and ways to connect with each other and the mysterious presence of you in our lives. Be with us tonight as we gathering in faith. Amen.

Prayer for the ending a Youth group Meeting

God who is our end:  We give thanks for this place, these people, this time, this chance to live and serve together.  Thank you for the light that is you within us.  Grant us strength for the week to come.  Peace be with you all until we meet again. Amen.

© This prayer practice and all of those on the Sunday Morning Blog Post can be found in:  "Go Deep: Spiritual Practices for Youth Ministry" Wood Lake Publishing
Doris is the Youth Director for the United Church of Canada in BC. 

The Case for Growth

Do your students know what to expect this year? Surprise them. Let them know that they matter and the message of truth matters by improving your ability as a communicator. Below are 10 reasons why it’s important to develop your ability as a speaker.

The Case for Growth in Public Speaking

1. It shows when you’re not prepared. You can tell when someone put work into something, or when they are delivering a message on the fly. What do you model for your students? Inspire excellence.

2. You default to poor language, idiosyncrasies, cheap shock thrillers to keep people engaged. Ie. Language (swears), Sexual or relationships innuendo’s (Bow Chicka Wow Wow) or you get sidetracked because something flew past the window and you publically blame it on your A.D.D. Let’s be honest you don’t know where you’re going next.

3. The Word of God is POWERFUL! It is sharper than a double edged sword. When you swing your sword is there impact? Does the darkness take a huge hit while the kingdom of God advances? Is your sword sharp or dull? (Heb 4:12)

4. The Word of God is RELEVANT and not BORING!!! It’s active and alive (Heb 4:12), does your message reflect that?

5. Students are hungry for truth, hungry for help and hungry for hope. When they sit at your table do they leave empty? Feed them. (John 21:17)

6. A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down. – Mary Poppins The most direct approach in dealing with sin isn’t always the best approach. There are other tools and literary devices that can help people see their sin and turn from their ways. Ie. Nathan used a short allegory for David (2 Sam 12)

7. To reach a larger audience. Students invite friends when they are certain their friends will have a good time and can get the help they are looking for. (Which leads to the next reason. )

8. *Consistency. You’ll know what you’re doing and why it works which will help you use your limited time more efficiently. You will also have more ON days than OFF days. Students will then gain the confidence to invite others.

9. Learn how to communicate your thoughts. The lessons you learn along with the profound concepts you are reading in books are brilliant and valuable. However, if you can’t express yourself how will that information benefit your group?

10. Public Speaking can help you become more efficient in outreach. It enables you to communicate to strangers better especially people you are not use to connecting with, ie. Parents, teachers, and different classes of people. You develop a sensitivity for what you’re listeners are hearing which is valuable in communicating to people in a crisis situation and ESL families (Less insert foot in mouth syndrome).

I know there is so much that you are doing as a youth worker, but please take time out for growth and development in this area. Consider it a gift to yourself in making the most of your efforts to see what you’ve been praying to see take place in your students. Whether it’s joining a toastmasters club in your area www.toastmasters.org or picking up Public Speaking for dummies, or even reading these Tips I’m giving you on this blog. You may only have one opportunity with a student as you never know what tomorrow holds. My prayer is that they would know how wide, how high, how deep the love of Jesus is while on your shift. Make that moment count.

* Consistency is the reason why I joined a public speaking club called toastmasters. I was so frustrated with my inconsistency and now I am now a lifelong learner after realizing that you never arrive as a speaker.

A member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS) Alison has dedicated her time to developing her gift of Public Speaking so that her listeners would believe the truth that she shares and to raise up other strong youth communicator’s in Canada. She has been speaking full time for four years and is currently enrolled in Youth Speakers University.

Speaking Tips are from Alison’s Public Speaking Enhancement Workshop for any inquires message her today. http://www.inspiringteengreatness.com

Time to Leave

"How do you know when it's the right time to step out (leave) the local youth ministry you're involved in?"

That is one of the top five questions I get asked on a regular basis from paid youth workers. After I probe with a few questions of my own regarding the youth workers life holistically (physical, emotional, spiritual, social and intellectual), this gives me a clearer picture.

1. So why don't you just resign? Once I ask this question I'm always surprised by the answer, even though the answer never changes youth worker from youth worker. And that answer is, "I can't leave the kids!" This answer comes in many forms but the context is always about the kids. Or the other answer is one that usually not verbalized, "I don't have any other job/income prospects and this is a pay cheque regardless of how bad my situation may be." Both of these answers show a complete lack of faith and trust in the God that you have been teaching your kids about.
2. What are those trusted people around you saying? One youth worker poured his heart out to me about his ministry struggles and we went through #1 and once we arrived here he explained that he was getting mixed messages from those he had been seeking advice from. Sometimes those around us can give us solid advice but you need to know that those people you are asking advice from are walking closely with God and that they recognize God's voice when he speaks. Those are the people you need to get advice from. Another time I asked a youth worker if he was married and what their spouse was saying about his situation? They told me that their spouse had been attending another church for 3 months. 
3. What is God saying? Now I realize that this should be #1 but as you are processing the above question God usually gets replaced by our survival instincts. This is not a bad thing as long as God doesn't stay there. When I have been in similar situations I have never heard God clearly say "GO!" or "STAY!" Because the noise of the situation has become too loud. For me it has always come down to peace. Do I have the peace from God to leave? This may take a few hours or a few days. But if you remove the noise from #1 and #2 and focus your heart, mind soul and strength on God and ask for God's peace on a specific direction, he will answer you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight

People are hired for the strengths and fired for their weaknesses. - Charles Price, The Peoples Church

People either move on or they are moved on. - Marv Penner, Youth Specialties Canada

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

Teen Austin Gutwein teaches us how to live to give

 

Ellen says...

We absolutely love Austin around the office, and really enjoyed his first motivational book Take Your Best Shot. For such a young person, he has been able to accomplish so much- yet is able to remain so humble. He truly has a heart for serving others, and has put this passion into action. He is now sharing his wisdom in his second book, Live to Give. It is an eye-opening, inspirational read for both adults and young people alike which proves that just one person can make a huge difference.

About the resource...

Live to Give

Austin Gutwein

Paperback • Thomas Nelson •  9781400319930

Want to do something for God but don’t know what? Want to help others but don’t know who? Want to know what it is you’re really good at doing? Your gifts may feel small and insignificant. But God can use them to work a miracle! 

 Inspired by the biblical story of the feeding of the 5,000, Live to Give delivers a message of hope that we all have something to give. Written in the down-to-earth, candid voice of the gifted young man who as a kid founded a relief ministry that has saved and improved countless lives in Africa, Live to Give is the message that every teen needs to hear: You are more special than you know, and you can do big things. 

Jesus proved that no gift is too small when He used five loaves and two fish to feed a crowd of thousands. And if no gift is too small, too ordinary, or too random, there is no limit to what the youth of today can accomplish! 

A teenage philanthropist who has built a high school, two medical clinics, and a dormitory in Africa—all before the age of 16—Austin Gutwein shares how to take what may seem like the simplest of talents, gifts, and interests and use them for something Jesus can use to move mountains.

 For a Live to Give excerpt, click the link below

http://issuu.com/tnelson/docs/livetogive_chs1_9_12/1

More Resources...

• https://www.facebook.com/austingutwein/app_440674389289687

• https://hoopsofhope.org/app-live-to-give/download/Live-To-Give-Free-Chapters.pdf

• http://video.foxnews.com/v/1773939338001/

 

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

Keys to Effective Christian Leadership

Last week our Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry offered YouthLeader – a week-long program designed by the Center for Ministry Development. The purpose of YouthLeader is to empower young people for Christian leadership in Church and the wider community.

I have been blessed to serve as a trainer for YouthLeader for the past 4 years, and it’s always special when I get to train youth and adult leaders in my home archdiocese. I’m looking forward to helping many of the 57 youth and adult participants implement the skills they learned into their church and school communities.

Each of the 9 learning sessions were centered around a “key”. I will be expanding on a few of these keys throughout the next few weeks but I thought it would be valuable for all readers of this blog to see them as a whole.

Key 1: Effective Leaders and Principle-Centered

Key 2: Effective Leaders are Proactive

Key 3: Effective Leaders Listen and Communicate

Key 4: Christian Leaders are Called to Follow Jesus’ Example

Key 5:  Effective Leaders Help Groups to Work Together

Key 6: Youth are Called to Use Their Gifts

Key 7: Effective Leaders Think Win/Win

Key 8: Effective Leaders Plan to Meet the Needs of Others

Key 9: Effective Leaders Know and Live Their Mission in Life

Clayton Imoo is husband to Gail and father to sons Sean Isaiah and Jacob Isaac and daughter Kayla Marie.  He has served as the Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver for the past ten years, helping parishes develop their own youth and young adult ministries.  When not doing ministry, Clay enjoys spending time with his family, playing music, playing sports, playing naptime, and writing blogs on topics such as family, faith, and the Vancouver Canucks.  Learn more about him at http://www.claytonimoo.com or follow him @claytonimoo

Start Something - Delivering Happiness

Last week I talked about a few books that heavily influenced my thinking lately around starting new ventures.  With the fall quickly approaching and the mad rush of starting the new school year off right I am going to highly recommend you go and read Delivering Happiness.  It is a great book which details some quirky things that Zappos has done to keep their organization a fun profitable place to work.  Now as a youth minister you aren't concerned(or shouldn't be) about traditional profits, but you should be concerned about how the kids in your group are profiting spiritual and that they are having fun.

One thing Zappos has done really well has created a list of principles that guide all their decisions.  This is their list:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

My challenge to you this week is to start putting down some ideas on some guiding principles that you could work on applying to everything you do as a youth group.  Take the list to your youth one week and get their input.  This process can be really telling about what you prioritize and can serve a long time benefit for your group.  Even if you fail to get something concrete on paper, I guarantee you'll learn a lot about your motives which help you in the long run.

Going Slow with Dr. Low

How's Your Umbrella?

I was chatting with a friend this week about creating more harmony, balance and abundance in our life and the image of an umbrella came up.  My friend and I playfully explored this analogy and pictured the many parts of an umbrella and what they represented as holding up the canopy of our lives.  We talked about the stretchers and how we need many of them to hold up the canopy.  Not only do we need many of them but they need to be in equal balance and equal strength otherwise the canopy will collapse and we are no longer protected from the rain.

My friend and I mused about the many stretchers we have ranging from disciplines to hobbies to friends and other things that hold up our canopy.  We then identified the runner and top spring as the center pieces that actually hold everything up - for me that would be my faith and belief system.  We also talked about the need for our canopy to be flexible because the wind and rain often change direction so we need to be able to angle our umbrellas differently otherwise they do not serve their purpose and even, if angled wrong, can be torn open by the wind, broken and blown away.

Of course umbrellas are completely useless, no matter how full and balanced, if there's nothing to hold onto - the handle and shaft.  For me this is God the Father.  While I may choose to create my umbrella with certain components it is ultimately God who connects me to all of it.  God is at the center holding it all together and giving the whole thing purpose and shape.

What does your umbrella look like and how is your umbrella doing?  Are the stretchers strong, balanced and holding up a beautiful canopy over your life?  Is that canopy serving its purpose or it is ripping, tearing or blowing away in the wrong direction?  And how connected are you to the One who holds it altogether?  Something to think about...