More Than Dodgeball | Youth Ministry Blog by Josh Griffin

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POSTS: Reaching, Not Keeping

In the past month two students have left our youth ministry.

One moved with his family to Texas. The other was a foreign exchange student who went back home to South Africa. We’ve known both were leaving for quite a while, but that didn’t make it any easier. In the final weeks for both guys we paid special attention to them. We wanted to make sure they knew they were loved and that we had communicated the most important truths about Jesus to them. We went out of our way to make them feel special, which was great and really made an impact with them.

But the thing is, was it really that unique that they were not coming back to youth group? The truth is, every student is leaving the group. Whether its after their first visit or when they graduate, no one stays in youth group forever. Those that try to end up getting kicked out! The goal for us as leaders should be to make every student feel just as loved as the guys we knew were leaving. There’s no way to know if a student will ever return, so why not try to make every encounter with them special?

A very wise man once taught me that the goal of a youth pastor is “reaching, not keeping.” We have to make sure that every student that we encounter feels loved, knows they’re special and is exposed to the Gospel. We have to focus on reaching them, not making sure they come back next week. Of course we would love for them return and we have a plan in place if they do, but we can’t control that. All we can control is how we interact with them while they’re there.

If you’re a pastor, leader, or just attend a church, please remember to make every encounter a special one. Communicate love and genuine care for the person. You don’t know if they’re coming back, so be sure you know you shared Jesus with them when they were there.

Stuart Owens is the youth director at his childhood church, Tallahassee Heights UMC. He is married to the love of his life, Taylor. He is also an unashamed Seminole fanatic.

Add Comment December 28, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Little Things Make the Biggest Difference

We get caught up in society’s view that bigger is better. From restaurants with huge over-sized portions, to big monster trucks, we think that unless we get something in gigantic portions we are missing out on something. The opposite is true when it comes to praise and letting students know you care, really care about them. You became a youth ministry worker/volunteer because you have a heart for students. When you take the time to let a student know he did good, even if you don’t know that student very well, you just built a bridge to him. He’s going to remember you. It just needs to be a few words, a pat on the back, or a quick hug.

The unfortunate fact is that today more than ever we are dealing with students from broken or single parent homes. The positive attention you give that student could be the only positive feedback he received from an adult all week. (Matt: I’ve had students tell me that the only hug he ever gets is when he comes to church. It breaks my heart to know that because I came from a family that hugged all the time. It also warms my heart to know that the hug I just gave a student made a difference in his day.)

Doing the smallest things can make the most difference. (Steven: A few weeks ago our student band and choir led worship in the “big church” for all of our adult services, and between working and attending, I was there for four out of our five weekend services. After the second time seeing them on stage, I made it a point to go up to one of the junior highers I know who had a vocal solo, give him a high five, and tell him how great he was. As soon as the words came out of my mouth, I saw him light up.) All it took was a simple fifteen-second interaction to make that kid’s night.

(Matt: We have the guys in our small group lead the lesson each week. After our small group, I make sure that I text them or send them a message on Facebook telling them what a great job they did.) If a student reveals a hurt or prayer request they have, don’t miss that opportunity to let them know you care, and that you are available for them.

To piggy back on the text idea, if you don’t have some kind of texting plan for your cell phone, get one right now. Texting is one of the most effective “small things” you can do for your students, and you can do it throughout the week. It takes five seconds to send out a text to someone, and chances are they’ll love getting a text from their leader. (Steven: I also make it a point to text kids a few times a week if I know they’re going through a hard time. It might not fix their situation, but it gives them a sense of encouragement and love from someone they look up to.) That action that took you five seconds may have just turned that kid’s day completely around.

Just because something doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a small thing for a student, but think about the small things people do for you that make a huge difference. (Matt: For example, if I’m having a bad day, sometimes all it takes is a few simple words of encouragement or caring to help me shake off the bad.) (Steven: Something that will absolutely make my day is someone telling me I did a good job. When I hear that, I know that I did something well, and it encourages me to want to do more.) We got into the youth ministry game to make a difference in students’ lives. You don’t have have to buy a kid a Ferrari, you just have to show them you care.

Matt Reynolds and Steven Orel are volunteer youth workers at Saddleback Church. They approach youth ministry from two different generations and perspectives. Look for lots more from them in the future — for now you can follow them on Twitter (http://twitter.com/gentogenym) and check out their previous blog posts (http://www.volunteeryouthministry.com/category/generation-to-generation).

1 View Comments December 27, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Summer Camp Planning

If you are like me you may be asking the question “Why are you talking about summer camp in the middle of winter?” That is a great question and something that I want to answer. I am about chest deep in winter camp right now and our students are leaving in less than a month for High School Winter Camp. We have been working on winter camp for the last six months and most everything is set in motion. The planning is pretty much complete. The leaders who will attend are set (almost). The conversations with our speaker and the direction he will go have already happened.

This means that I need to start thinking about, and preparing for, summer camp.

I’m not suggesting that you focus all your attention onto summer camp right now. I am hoping that you close Facebook so that your brain can start thinking ahead to summer camp. Now for us, summer camp is the biggest event we do outside of our regular Wednesday night program. Summer camp is a place where we see huge life change happen and I want to make sure we are ready!

This year we had our location slotted, reserved our spots and booked buses about ten months prior to our departure date. Now this is not my natural bend in life. What I am saying is that I naturally have the tendency to not be extremely planned ahead. I have trained myself to think ahead for situations that require intense planning and require others to be involved.

Here are just a few things you may want to think about as summer is approaching:

1) Know the location
Do you already know the location you are heading to? (You may want to avoid Las Vegas, where I live, cause its really hot!) This is going to be your first priority in planning the camp. Find the location you want your students to attend. Learn about the camp:

Add Comment December 27, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: The 5 Hardest Things You May Have to Do in Youth Ministry

As I prepare to make somewhat of a transition in my ministry and in my life, It’s been hitting me hard that at some point in the next few weeks or months, I’m going to have to say Good bye to my students. It’s tough because I know there are many different kind’s of Goodbye’s in Youth Ministry, mainly Goodbye have fun in college or Goodbye I’m leaving.

But today it hit me that there are a lot of tough things that Youth Pastor’s have to do as part of their job that no class in seminary can ever prepare you for.

I thought I’d make a list of the 5 Hardest things to do, mainly to pass along to some of my friends graduating this May to go into the wild with. Luckily, I have only had to deal with a few of these things, if you have done them all then I simply say thank you for loving kids.

1. Do the funeral of a Student in your Ministry

2. Help hurting students as their Parent’s go through a Divorce

3. Be with a student as they explain to their parents they are pregnant

4. Say Goodbye to a Ministry you are leaving

5. Explain to your Youth why you got Fired without causing further damage to the Church

Ben Read is the Pastor to Students and Director of Family Ministries at West Gate Baptist Church in Trenton, IL. He and his wife Sarah have no children, just a black lab named Max. Check out his blog, Small Town Student Ministry, right here.

Add Comment December 26, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts Book Review: What Would Google Do?

Just finished up What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis. It was a really interesting read – helping unpack the Google way of doing business and transferring those game-changing principles to your world. I enjoyed it a lot, the first two thirds more than the ending act I have to admit. In the main section of the book Jeff teaches us how to be more Googly, sharing principles of how to build business through relationships, how (and why we must) hear and respond to our customers and tons of other great insights about the new work ethic and new speed of business: instantaneous. The illustrations are fantastic and deepen his points throughout. Then he changes pace and begins to apply its own principles to various industries – some were a total hit and interesting, some not much honestly. Of course, I was wishing he had done a chapter on churches or non-profits than I would be singing a different song. All in all a very helpful book that I enjoyed reading and translating internally to youth ministry and the church. B+

JG

2 View Comments December 25, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts Merry Christmas!

From everyone here at MoreThanDodgeball.com … wait a minute, it is just me here … either way, here’s hoping you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!

Blessings,
JG

(love the iPad/iPod/iPhone music video from North Point)

1 View Comments December 25, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts Book Review: 10 Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing

I found out while I was reading 10 Stupid Things That Keep Churches From Growing that the author Geoff Surrat, was coming on staff at Saddleback the next week. If what he’s written is any indication of who we’re getting, I’m super excited. Taking a swift turn from his thought-leading Multi-site church books, Geoff takes on the common mistakes church leaders make in an effort to serve the church. Right out of the gate, he had me with his “the pastor has to do everything” trap – and I fondly recalling taking on everything and in the end everything suffering. Lots of great stories, mistakes and failures punctuate the points on how to be effective in ministry. I could have lived without the cartoons and layout, but the book is solid nonetheless. Welcome aboard, Geoff, we need you more than you know!

JG

Add Comment December 25, 2010

Josh GriffinMore Posts Saddleback School of Leadership Survey

Saddleback was recently given some amazing property a few miles from the main campus. In dreaming about what to do with it, Pastor Rick came up with the Saddleback School of Leadership. If all goes as planned, it’ll open this Fall.

Right now they’re identifying people who have a heart for church planting and are working to develop the core programs. If you want to give input input to what should be included, take this 10-minute survey. Cool!

JG