More Than Dodgeball | Youth Ministry Blog by Josh Griffin

Josh GriffinMore Posts Weigh In – Volume 6: Responding to Natural Disasters

From time to time I post a youth ministry question that I’ve received and leave it to you, the MTDB youth ministry community, to answer it. This is a timely one from a youth worker in Texas. We don’t do much about this issue in our youth group – but I pointed them to this post, hoping you would chime in with wisdom and best practices. Go!

QUESTION: I have a question for you. Today I have been watching all of the news about the earthquake in Japan. It is all over the news, radio, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter so i know that it will be on the minds of our young people. What are some ways that you would recommend using natural disasters and any huge disaster as a teaching moment for young people?

JG

4 View Comments March 14, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts The Many Roads to Youth Ministry

I get asked this question all of the time: I want to work with students – what is the right path to go into youth ministry? The answer is not quite as simple as it may seem. Here’s what I think:

There are many roads to youth ministry.

I’ve been fortunate to meet a whole bunch of amazing youth workers – and they come from an incredibly varied background. I know great youth workers that learned youth ministry in the trenches, I know great youth workers who learned a ton in seminary. I know some that have little to no education at all, and some with far more education than is even practically necessary.

Aundrea was a stay-at-home mom. Jacob was a farmer. Phil was a nurse. Nathan was a police officer. Jessica was planing on being an elementary school teacher. Tommy drove a Pepsi delivery truck. Aaron worked in a warehouse. Jeremiah was a magazine editor. Johnny went to seminary, and Chris isn’t even done with school yet. I went to Bible college myself … but graduated with a business degree.

There are many roads to youth ministry.

So which is the right path? Great question, and one I hope that God answers clearly and individually for you. Will you be more hirable if you have a degree? For sure. Is not liking school enough reason to skip it? Probably not. Can you get an education yourself by going to conferences or books? I think it would be helpful for sure.

So with this concept in mind, here are a few thoughts for you as you consider what your next step might look like:

Look at your role models or thought leaders in youth ministry. What was their path to youth ministry?
Make a list of the books you need to read to develop your weaknesses or increase your top end potential.
Make plans to visit a church or student ministry that is will be of significant value to your leadership development. Consider which training/conference would benefit you the most.
Consider picking up a class in the evening or in a block format to keep pushing yourself forward.
Pray and ask God for clarity about going to college, or back to school, or if grad school/seminary is for you.

Whatever road you take, blessings on your journey into youth ministry!

JG

1 View Comments March 14, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Steven’s Testimony About Identity

This weekend in HSM Steven shared his story about finding identity in Christ. Part of Tesoro High School’s You Own the Weekend services.

JG

Add Comment March 14, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 131

Weekend Teaching Series: You Own the Weekend: Tesoro HS (week 3 of 5)
Sermon in a Sentence: The world will try to steal our identity, but our true identity is in Jesus Christ.
Service Length: 74 minutes

Understandable Message: This week two students shared the message on identity – how God gives us a new identity in Jesus Christ and how the world is constantly trying to steal that identity away from us and claim us as one of their own. The message was taught by students who had a couple of really engaging elements to their talk. The first was the giant “T” on stage painted in school colors, actually transformed to a cross at the end of the message. They talked about how the point of their teaching was that our true identity was in Christ and the cross, not in what school you attend. It was a great moment in the service! The students also made a little takeaway, where you could put your thumbprint on a business card which had a verse on it and was to be a remidner that we are Christs, our identity is in Him.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: Tesoro opened with Hello, Goodbye (Glee Cast version) and students decorated the refinery with all sorts of pictures of Tesoro students. They did a great job of theming the student room, as well as creating shirts and having tons of greeters. They also had a little spoken word piece before and after the message – driving home the concept of identity in Christ. You Own the Weekend is all about students doing everything … and it seems like they did think of most everything. Super cool.

Music Playlist: Yours Forever, One Pure and Holy Passion Work in Us, Burning Ones, Yes You Have

Favorite Moment: The transformed Tesoro logo into a cross became part of the response time during the last couple of songs. Students were asked to come onstage and place their thumbprint on the cross as a symbol of their identity in Him. Everyone of us is unique (thumbprint) but also one in Christ as followers of Him. Great moment and teaching!

Up Next: You Own the Weekend: El Toro HS [week 4 of 5]

Add Comment March 14, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Tesoro’s Identity in Christ Series Video

Video from Tesoro’s You Own the Weekend services this weekend which focused on our identity in Christ.

JG

1 View Comments March 13, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Just Do One Thing, Youth Workers: Believe

Tonight we had 20 youth workers form Sweden visiting our high school services. We had a little time of questions and answers after the service was over and they asked me to kind of sum things up in a sentence or two. Here’s a version of what I told them, thought I would share it here, too!

Youth workers need to believe …

Believe that God is going to use them to do something great.
Believe that the Holy Spirit will guide when they feel incapable.
Believe that He is speaking whether youth group went awesome or not.
Believe in that “one student” who everyone else gave up on.
Believe in students as the church of today.
Believe in that so much you’ll give them some of the reins to the church now.
Believe in what God has called them to do as youth workers.
Believe that God prepared them for that big obstacle they are facing now.
Believe that the Gospel changes lives.
Believe that God can do the impossible.
Believe that He wants to use you in His kingdom for His glory.

Believe.

JG

Add Comment March 13, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: My First Big Conference — What SYMC 2011 Meant To Me

Its been a few days and I think I have caught up on most of the sleep I missed on the weekend at Simply Youth Ministry Conference and I can say with certainty that it was worth all the overtiredness. I have been a full time Youth Pastor for eighteen months now and SYMC 2011 was my first taste of a full on Youth Ministry conference. It was an incredible experience and I have returned home with a greater understanding of just how blessed we are to be called to Youth Ministry. My highlights of the conference could be summed up in these three words:

Inspired: From the worship times, to the general sessions, SYMC nourished my soul from start to finish. Doug Fields opening night sermon was so incredibly intricate and thoughtful I can’t stop telling people about it and worshiping with three thousand men and women sold out to the cause of Christ is an experience I will not soon forget. There were so many elements that amazed and encouraged me in my ministry and if I am honest, there were some elements that did not go ever as well I am sure they were planned, which for those of us in the trenches it’s encouraging that its doesn’t happen to just us.

Family: From the beginning of the weekend, Doug and everyone else talked about family, from the platform speakers, to worship bands, to the skit guys, the conference was about family. What was incredible is how that concept flowed out into the lobby where youth workers just connected with the selfless inclusiveness that only youth workers can. It happened in the packed restaurants, the sack chair lounges and the elevators where people engaged one another and shared a laugh when the elevator alarm would go off because it was overloaded. The excitement of a common experience of the conference and even more so of the common calling to build the Kingdom by doing Youth Ministry was incredible.

Equipped: Part of my draw to SYMC this year was that I was excited to have the opportunity to learn from some of the best YM minds in the world and I was not disappointed. I did an eight-hour deeper learning track on Theology and Youth Ministry and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and I am a better youth pastor for going. The options were endless and no matter where you were at educationally, emotionally or vocationally coming into the weekend, there was a session that was thoughtfully crafted for you. The intentionality of the breadth of learning opportunities was remarkably thorough.

As I sit back and think about the weekend, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with the blessing I experienced in being there, but also the immense task that I have to now undertake as I take what I have learned and practically apply it to our ministry. I am up for the challenge, feeling renewed and revitalized that I am not alone in this. If you have never been to a conference like this before I urge you to consider making it a priority to get to one next year, you will not regret it.

Geoff Stewart is the Pastor of Jr & Sr High School for Journey Student Ministries at Peace Portal Alliance Church and regularly contributes GUEST POSTS to MTDB. You can, too! See how right here.

1 View Comments March 12, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Simply Youth Ministry Podcast: Episode 154 (the SYMC Live Show)

Episode 154: Live from the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. Doug, Matt, Katie, and Josh and 400 of your podcast friends all together in one place.

JG