Josh Griffin | More Than Dodgeball

Josh GriffinMore Posts Program, People, Placement and Promise

Enjoyed stumbling across this old blog post from Ron Merrell (he was our camp speaker this past summer) about the 4 P’s of Church Stickyness. Program, People, Placement and Promise. Here’s a clip of his thoughts on one of them – head there for the rest:

PEOPLE – Friendly. Welcoming. Diverse. Kind. Warm. Knowledgeable. Genuine. Sincere. Safe. Compassionate. Able to listen. Loving. Respectful. Gentle. Energetic. If these words described everyone in your church, you’d be the most magnetic place in town. And I’m not just thinking about your “greeters” or “staff.” I’m thinking about your congregation. As the Lord does His work in your people, you hope that it produces the qualities above and more! People. But what can you do to develop the second “P” of church, especially when there is a less-than-friendly vibe to your crowd?

This is a hard one, because as a staff person you can create several things to allow people to connect, get them integrated into relationships, feel welcomed initially, etc. But… there’s a difference between “having a church full of winsome, loving, genuine people who go out of their way to greet others” and creating a “greeting team.” The first is better, but WAY harder to create! Focus hard on this one. You can’t train, teach, emphasize, and value real, Christ-like community enough. People WILL tolerate a subpar Program if the People are amazing. But, over the long haul, People will NOT tolerate subpar relationships even if the Program rocks.

Is your church … your youth ministry … sticky?

JG

1 View Comments October 18, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 156

Weekend Teaching Series: Facebook Official (week 2 of 5)
Sermon in a Sentence: Want to have a great marriage – then start building the right foundation for it now.

Service Length: 78 minutes

Understandable Message: Doug Fields taught about the different paths students could take to end up at the same destination: marriage. He used interactive polls, great illustrations and Matthew 7 to help students that the path they are on today will help or hinder the relationship they have with their future spouse. Really challenging, forward-thinking stuff.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We played a hilarious new game called Facebook Hack. It was INCREDIBLE! We don’t do a ton of full-on games, so when they work this well, it is a big deal. So fun. It was homecoming week for our biggest high school we pull from, so attendance was a bit low but the energy was great. Lots of student greeters, student band, students running cameras, control room and sound.

Music Playlist: Lucky, Yours Forever, God Above All, None But Jesus, Forever Reign

Favorite Moment: Having my good friend Doug Fields speaking in HSM is always a highlight. Talking to a student after the service who trusted in Christ after the message was awesome, too. Good, good stuff.

Up next: Facebook Official (week 3 of 5)

4 View Comments October 18, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts New on iTunes: Lift Him Up — Cluster of Students

Cluster of Students (made up of our HSM students) just released a new single on iTunes written by one of our staff – it is called Lift Him Up and has really caught on in our ministry. Give it a preview and if you would think it work in your ministry please download it. And please grab the charts, etc over on Taffy’s Rice and Worship blog, too!

JG

2 View Comments October 17, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Caring for Your Volunteers

This month in the SYM Today we’re focusing largely on your volunteer team — and this week we’re tackling the topics of caring for and training your team of amazing leaders. Today, we want to talk about care. Here are a few practical ways you can add more personal care to your team:

Know them well
I (Josh) remember when a key leader at our church remembered all 4 of my kid’s names without missing a beat. It was a big deal! I stumble over my kid’s name sometimes, so it was totally impressive. It was a reminder to me that sometimes the little things send big “I care” messages. Set up recurring calendar alerts to trigger a reminder about a birthday or important date in their family history. Stalk them on Facebook — whatever it takes. Truly caring for the leaders on your team is one of your primary roles….and you can’t truly care for them unless you truly know them.

Surprise them
My (Josh) wife is shocked when I bring home flowers. My (Kurt) wife is shocked when I pick up my socks. Their delight and surprise is because for most people there are few things better than a “I was thinking of you” gesture. Write an unexpected note, or buy a small “thank you” gift for someone in your ministry, and see how they respond! We recently sent our volunteers fresh-baked cookies in the mail. We’ve shown up to their place of work to deliver ice cold drinks, and we’ve given them an unexpected weekend off…and paid for them to go on a date when they would normally be serving at church. Surprise!

Be there when things go bad
Life is full of good, bad and ugly things. Show up when life takes a rough turn or they get bad news. Caring for your teammates in need is one of our key responsibilities as leaders. You know this feeling all too well — there’s nothing worse than a leader who feels distant when you need them most. Be present. Send a card. Send flowers. Attend the funeral, even if you didn’t know their great-aunt Matilda. Give them time.

Be quick to coach, forgive and restore
One of the final aspects of caring for your leaders is showing them grace. Over time you’ll begin to master the nuances of caring for your team — when to drop the hammer, when to forgive, when to overlook and when to make a big deal out of something. Sometimes the best way to care for a leader is to show them grace by giving them a second chance.

For a whole book-full of ideas to help you care for your volunteers, Check out Full of It…ideas to fill youth ministry volunteers with encouragement by Kurt Johnston and Katie Edwards.
This post was written by Josh Griffin and Kurt Johnston and originally appeared as part of Simply Youth Ministry Today free newsletter. Subscribe to SYM Today right here.

Add Comment October 17, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Youth Worker Burnout

Youth workers, both full-time and part-time, paid and volunteers, first-year and veteran can face many of the same struggles of ministry, one of the most worrisome is burnout. Burnout is typically characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment. Consequences of burnout include impaired physical health, reduced job performance, negative communication with colleagues, declining professional commitment, reduced self-esteem, and poorer overall life satisfaction.

What burnout is NOT is being tired because of lack of sleep, getting frustrated at yourself or others because things did not go your way, or lack of self-control in confrontations (though all of these can feed into burnout). Youth workers face burnout through numerous avenues including inflexible work schedules, excessive control from your supervisor(s), conflict between personal and ministry needs, high expectations, and insufficient personal relationships or mentoring. In the end, we know that burnout results from the emotional demands of interacting with others and need to intentionally take time to tend to our own soul. Without a Holy Spirit within us and brothers and sisters in Christ surrounding us, we will never be able to fully meet the needs of those within the ministry we serve.

In the end, we know that burnout results from the emotional demands of interacting with others and need to intentionally take time to tend to our own soul.

In the next three days we will be looking at how to handle the stress that leads to burnout, what to do afterwards if we do suffer burnout, and how we can prevent putting ourselves in that situation. We will further address each of these this week, but here is a brief description of each of those topics:

Dealing With The Stress [read more]
Burnout begins with the demands and stress from work, home, personal goals, and sin, but ultimately it comes down to the excessive stressors. We need to know how to handle this stress by know what emotionally and physically wears you out, establish and keep strong boundaries from your work with your family and faith, and allow God to be the one who leads the ministry.

When The Flames Go Out [read more]
Burnout is our emotional and spiritual response to the excessive demands that we put on ourselves. We will look at three vital steps one must do in follow-up of burning out including taking time to stop and be with Jesus, identify what excessive stressors led to the burnout, and working with others in your organization and ministry to prevent those stressors from leading to another burnout.

Burnout Prevention [read more]
We need to take seriously the concept of burnout and take steps to prevent it. We will look at three different ways that Jesus tended to His soul from Mark 14:32-34 including the ability to recognize His troubled soul, He surrounded Himself with those He trusted, and He went to our heavenly Father in prayer.

Jeremy Smith is a 26-year old youth pastor at the Air Force Academy chapel, working for Club Beyond, and attending Denver Seminary for his Master”s of Arts in Counseling Ministries. He has been involved in Youth for Christ for eight years — check out his blog at Seventy8Productions.

Add Comment October 16, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: How NOT to Recruit Volunteers

In thirty years of youth ministry, I can honestly say I’ve tried every recruiting style possible. Take a look at these four fall-back recruiting approaches:

The “Cruise Director
‘Come join the youth team! Free trips, free food, hotels, fun and you’ll have a great time! No, you won’t have to chaperone at lock-ins!’”

The “Beggar
‘If you don’t join come on this trip, we’ll have to cancel it and lose our $2,000 deposit. We really, really, really need you! PLEASE???????’”

The “Lone Ranger
‘Hey, great having you on the team! Here’s your job description. Thanks for doing your part. You know? Let me do that for you…the kids are used to it being done a certain way. Oh, and I’ll do that, too. Why don’t you just watch for awhile?’”

The “Do-It-Yourselfer
Building a team? What’s that? Nobody wants to volunteer so I don’t even ask.’”
See yourself here? (I’m a combo of the Cruise Director and the Lone Ranger.)

Don’t do these!

Instead, I’ve learned a little something from Jesus’ example when he put a pretty awesome team of 12 together. I call it, “The Five I’s:

Invoke: Bring the Holy Spirit into the process anything. Go somewhere and pray.

Identify: Listen for who the Spirit lifts up. Identify those people He reveals would be an asset to the team. Don’t assume anyone will say “no.”

Invite: Talk to them one-on-one and ask them to pray for a week before saying “yes” or “no.”

Initiate: Let them come and check things out; give them a peek into what you’re asking them to do.

Inform: Hand them a volunteer packet so they can make a well-informed decision. Info would include a specific job description, volunteer guidelines, a ministry covenant, program purpose statement, 12 month youth ministry calendar and something fun, like a $5 card from Starbucks to enjoy a hot cuppa while reading and praying.

That’s how I do it, anyway. Hoep this helps!

Stephanie Caro is a youth ministry blogger at Small Church Youth Ministry and has written a book on the subject you might want to check out, too.

Add Comment October 15, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts The Youth Group Autograph Wall

This is an old school idea, but one I loved seeing making a return in our youth ministry. We’ve recently launched a VIP room where first-time visitors can come and hang out and meet a few friends and leaders as well as get a little snack or Coke. It has only been there a few weeks, and I just noticed they added an autograph wall – first-time students are encouraged to sign the wall to mark the moment.

Just love this simple and transferable idea – and how a student could come back in the future and remember where it all started. Fun!

JG

3 View Comments October 14, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts How to Build a Great Team

One of the earliest mistakes I (Josh) made in ministry was being a lone ranger. And while we specifically addressed that topics a few weeks back — we have received lots of questions about building a healthy team, specifically this question: “Where do I start?”. This week’s issues of SYM Today will help get you started on the exciting journey of building a great team. Here we go:

1. Start with Prayer
Before you begin the to tackle the huge risk of forming a team, ask God to show you the criteria you need to look for in potential leaders and the places in your ministry you need to build some leadership infrastructure.

2. Create a Hit List
If you could get anyone in your church on your leadership team — who would you go after? Which parent stands out as a great mentor and is raising their own kids well? Which young college age-student is showing incredible promise as someone who God’s hand of favor is on? Don’t walk around church lurking and mumbling as you write furiously on your clipboard! Just think through the best and the brightest and begin to pray specifically for them.

3. Make a Personal Ask
There’s nothing wrong with a blurb in the bulletin or an announcement from up front. But the reality is that the shotgun approach often brings a lot of collateral damage. You have to wade through a bunch of people to get to the one you really wanted. So while you are taking broad shots with bulletin announcements, use a laser beam approach and ask people directly, person to person. you might be surprised by the results…it is much tougher to say “no” to a direct ask than it is to say “no” to a bulletin insert.

4. Embrace Rejection
There’s nothing more discouraging than being rejected. And I (Kurt) would know since I had a lot of it from the ladies in college. But embrace the “no” as a sign of God’s involvement in this process — He is the one building the team and sifting through the members of your church for the volunteer(s) that is perfect for your ministry.

Want to build a great team of volunteers? This a great way to start! We’ll see you tomorrow with some thoughts about where to take them once they’ve said yes.

This post was written by Josh Griffin and Kurt Johnston and originally appeared as part of Simply Youth Ministry Today free newsletter. Subscribe to SYM Today right here.

1 View Comments October 13, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Texting Gossip Illustration

This is the first week of HSM’s small groups all together at church! In recent years we’ve taken a few weeks before we split up into homes and walk students and leaders through the first few nights together. It gives us a chance to be relational with all of our leaders and to pour into and train them while we’re getting their groups off the ground.

So tonight I was walking all of our Life Group students through HSM’s small group commitment and covenant sheet. Earlier today I had a risky idea tied to it that I wasn’t sure would work … but it did! I wanted to illustrate the speed and the reach of gossip – and how it has no place in our small groups because of its destructive power. I sent a text message to a few students and leaders, and asked anyone if they got the message to forward it to a few other people who were in the room as well.

Did people look at their phones during the rest of the message? Occasionally, yes. But it was worth it. At the end of the challenge (which included a strong word to uphold confidentiality and fight the temptation to gossip) I asked how many of them got the message. A huge percentage of the group had already gotten the text! It had spread quietly and like wildfire through the room – I had no idea if the social networks of friends would extend to the whole room, but it sure did.

All it said was: “this is how fast and how far gossip spreads. “

I hope it was a meaningful moment for everyone and a fresh take on the old game of “telephone” in the past.

JG

1 View Comments October 12, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Interview on Students Leaving Church After High School

I recently did an email interview with a college student who was writing a research paper about the departure of students from church once they graduate. Thought I would post my answers up here on the blog as well – would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, too!

1. What kind of doubts about the Bible and Christianity do you hear Christian young people express?

Can the Bible be trusted? If God is so loving, why is there so much evil in the world? Is Hell real? What about the inconsistencies in the Bible? Why does the Bible disagree so clearly with what we KNOW is true from science?

Students in our ministry have all sorts of doubts, and honestly, I’m so glad they are sharing them with us. I think a crisis of faith in high school where they are trained, card for, mentored, loved and further educated sets them up for much higher rates of personalizing their faith than those in less fortunate environments who aren’t allowed to express doubts until early in their college years when it is challenged very directly and their faith crumbles in a heap.

2. What non-biblical beliefs do you see Christian young people embracing?

Evolution is taught as scientific fact in our culture, so it is a common belief that theory is how our universe was created. I would also say there is a surge in a more inclusiveness to different faiths, not just within various Christian denominations, but even non-biblical faith systems. Just Google “I’m a Mormon” and you’ll see how great of a job the Mormons are doing of fitting in with Christians and see why Christian teens may be misled.

3. What social issues are young people struggling with?

Bullying is huge in the news and the bookstore these days – it is funny since it has been around forever but just now getting the attention it deserves. In addition to that the homosexual issue is now very much at the forefront of youth culture (see Born This Way and Glee as examples), along with depression, identity issues, self-esteem and suicide. We just finished up a teaching series called Secrets, and have over 400 anonymous cards returned with real issues that our students are struggling with. It was powerful stuff and will shape our teaching topics for the next 1-2 years I would imagine.

4. What do you think are the biggest reasons Christian young people question their faith?

I think it is natural to question your faith. If you test it, and it checks out, your faith is deepened. I may even go as far as suggesting that I think that faith should be questioned, and it is a normal part of believing in something without seeing it. For that matter, I’m not sure it can (or should be) helped. I say that as a youth pastor who knows that to be true, but also as a father that fears that statement because I so desperately want my children to know and walk with God. Look at Doubting Thomas as example A for doubting leading to devotion. Sad he gets such a bad rap – his doubt led him to a depth of faith that would lead him to literally change the world for Christ.

5. What do you think are the major reasons Christian young people reject their faith?

Unsatisfactory answers. Poor foundational teaching. And I also think that the rejection of a parent’s values/belief/ideals is a somewhat normal part of adolescent development as well – we have to remember that the teenager years are leading up to this big burst of freedom to live their own life free of their parents and their past – and the run with the newfound freedom. I have a feeling that teenagers and young adults have long been leaving the church (perhaps to return as a young parent) and it has only recently come to light.

6. What do you think would help Christian young people keep their faith after they leave home?

I think parents are the first and most important key. A Godly, consistent home that reinforces the truths of the Bible is critical. I think helping graduated students find a new church in their new college home and walk through that transition is huge. The importance of the right circle of friends cannot be overstated. And a relationship with someone from back home (a mentor, Life Group leader, etc) to help walk with them through this time of freedom, tempation and maturity. The book The Slow Fade might give you some more specific insight here.

7. What are you doing to prepare your youth to face future challenges to their beliefs?

Every year we do several practical series and give out tons of usable tools to help students grow on their own. Our goal is to make sure that students have a faith of their own and not just riding the Christian culture or the pressure to conform of their parents. We also do regular apologetics teaching series and offer several workshops on these subjects to help ground them in the faith. Life Groups are the opportunity for mentorship and modeling of faith by a trained, screened and loving leader.

8. Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Do you see a correlation between how little it costs to be a Christian in America and the loss of faith that is occurring in Christian young people?

Maybe so, I suppose? I would suggest it isn’t as easy at you might think to be a Christian (outside of the Christian private school/bible college/home bubble I grew up well within myself). In the real world I see my students having to stand up for their faith, be persecuted (mildly by Tertullian standards of course) and perhaps it costs them more than we think on the surface.