Josh Griffin | More Than Dodgeball

Josh GriffinMore Posts Find a Youth Pastor Job on MySpace

Did you know MySpace now has a job section now? If you’re looking for a youth pastor job, click here! There’s 215 listings as of this writing …

JG

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts Some of the Top Needs for Pastors

What are some of the greatest needs of pastors in America? Here’s some of the biggies I’m hearing today:

Difficulty in Time management: Keeping the plates spinning, lack of vacation, margin, balance. We need to rise up in mobilizing volunteers to help lead the church, to empower all people to become “pastors.” Key: the members are the ministers. Pastors have to schedule and keep a vacation time every year. We need to free up our pastors to find margin and balance. I wonder if you’re not following God’s “work-6-rest-1-model” you are living in sin. Busy ‘seasons’ are a mirage – life is busy, and it seems the church is busier.
Lack of Network Support: Burnout prevention, moral purity, encouragement. Pastors feel like they are alone. Frustration leads to failure. Is it possible to build a network of churches and pastors that encourages, supports, confronts, loves and empowers church workers to a) stay in ministry and b) stay faithful to their calling and standard?
Little Spiritual Development: Time with God. This seems like the most basic task of the pastor, but anyone in ministry knows there’s much to do before getting to God. This cannot be, we must be intimately connected with God on a regular basis. Turn off the phone, add an appointment for it in Outlook, block access to everyone but God.
Shallow Relationships: Marriage and friends. If anything is going to get short-changed, it’s the relationships. The pastor will be at everything the church does, but he will hardly know anyone. He or she will know everyone and know no one at the same time. This must change – the pastor has to have a strong marriage and strong relationships.
Lack of Skills: Budgeting, Team management, conflict resolution. In most churches the pastor must wear about two dozen hats. The pastor must have practical training on a regular basis – at a conference or formally in continuing education. Volunteers who are gifted in the areas of weakness must rise up and fill those places of need. The pastor should take a non-vacation conference week a year, including the weekend off.

JG

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts World Series of Pop Culture Team

So a couple of friends and I are planning on going up to LA next month and auditioning for the World Series of Pop Culture. Here’s the bottom line … Allison is a genius at girl movies and Friends, Treece is a genius on comic book, science fiction and just movies in general, and I’m the Star Wars geek. Honestly, I think I’m the weak link on the team. Either way, we’re going to give it a shot … and I’m always up for looking like a fool …

JG

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts Painful Worship

Model/actor Tony poses as his favorite worship leader

Random thought of the day: Is it just me, or do many worship leaders look like they are in pain when they are singing on stage? Either it’s that sensitive, quiet moment with eyes closed … or it’s hitting those high or emotional moments with the “pain face” on. Ouch – that looks like it hurts! Just thought I would ask.

JG

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts A Conversation About Tomorrow

Today I get to sit in on a meeting here on campus with 250 of leading American pastors.

Sounds exciting … I’m very under-qualified obviously, but that isn’t going to stop me from going … sitting on the wings of the auditorium looking and listening in. It’s part of Rick’s Conversation About Tomorrow that will discuss the future of our churches and their impact on our world in the next 5 years. Cool …

JG

leadership

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts Kung Fu Youth Pastor

This made me laugh this morning …

JG

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts Born Again Boxer

Just saw this on CitizenLink. Sure sounds like Stallone is a Christian, or at the very least really doing a lot of thinking about Jesus and faith. Check out this clip:

He first explained that he felt compelled to write the first film, and he believes that drive came from above. He said the character of Rocky was meant to reflect the characteristic nature of Jesus.

“It’s like he was being chosen, Jesus was over him, and he was going to be the fella that would live through the example of Christ,” Stallone said. “He’s very, very forgiving. There’s no bitterness in him. He always turns the other cheek. And it’s like his whole life was about service.”

But Stallone confessed, his own life didn’t follow the humble example of the boxer who made him a Hollywood star. “I was raised in a Catholic home, a Christian home, and I went to Catholic schools and I was taught the faith and went as far as I could with it,” he said. “Until one day, you know, I got out in the so-called real world and I was presented with temptation. I kinda like lost my way and made a lot of bad choices.”

No joke, said all the subscribers to People magazine. But, Stallone added, he’s been going through a change in his life. He’s realized that he was wrong to place his career and fame ahead of his family. “The more I go to church,” he said, “and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His Word and having Him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure is off me now.”

And, admitting that the analogy might be a little pedestrian, he made a correlation between physical and spiritual fitness. “You need to have the expertise and the guidance of someone else. You cannot train yourself,” he said. “I feel the same way about Christianity and about what the church is: The church is the gym of the soul.”

JG

Add Comment November 29, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts That New Pirate Show

John Mitchem sent me this link to CBS’ next big thing. Want to be a pirate on a Survivor-like show from Mark Burnett? I’ll remember you when I’m famous.

CBS’ PIRATES
Ahoy, Mateys! Want to be a pirate? Apply for the next big reality adventure show from CBS and executive producer Mark Burnett. Download the CBS’ PIRATES application form now.

JG

Add Comment November 28, 2006

Josh GriffinMore Posts Andy the Shipping Guru

You remember our little Thanksgiving contest on the show? Just posted this video up in the video iTunes feed from the SYM podcast … watch as Andy tries to ship 10 packages in 10 minutes from Simply Youth Ministry! Can he do it – or will 5 more people enjoy $100 in free youth ministry resources?

JG

Add Comment November 28, 2006