More Than Dodgeball | Youth Ministry Blog by Josh Griffin

Colton HarkerMore Posts Eliminating Cliques

We have been hearing a lot about cliques and other problems with student leaders. In the past, we talked about how our goal is never to try to eliminate the perception of cliques. Merely attacking the perception of cliques can be an impossible goal because, unfortunately, there will always be the few that will still voice their unhappiness. And chasing after an impossible goal can be incredibly discouraging.

What the goal should be is for your students to be doing everything they can to be loving other students and to be as inclusive as possible. This goal wasn’t new to our student leadership team, but we noticed that the student leaders were no longer doing their best to love other students. So we decided to talk about what it means to be a student leader. Instead of talking about the actions we can take, we talked about the characteristics of a student leader. That student leader is one that can’t help but to love and serve people. After compiling a list of the characteristics, we had a time where we could intentionally pray for those things to be true of them.

We are stoked about this exercise because it will, hopefully, not just combat cliques, but several other problems we have been seeing in our student leaders (setting an example on social media being a BIG one… probably a subject that deserves its own blog post!).

Here is the list our student leaders put together:

What are you doing to motivate your students into being more inclusive in your ministry?

Colton [Email||Twitter]

Add Comment May 10, 2013

Geoff StewartMore Posts 4 Must Ask Questions When Meeting A Student

I love our youth nights, I love the buzz, the noise of the crowd, the Worship, the community, the teaching, well basically all of it. The experience of the gathered Church to me is rich, in tradition and off the charts in value. But as mush as I love the bigger stage, I have an equal passion for the relational one on one connection with students and have fought hard to maintain a level of relational connectedness to young people even in the midst of a demanding role in the wider church. When I am going to meet with a student for a coffee, a coke or just going for a walk there are a few questions that are guaranteed to be a part of the conversation.

1 – What is something that you are excited about?

This is a great ice-breaker question, its disarming question and allows a student to talk about something they have an easy time talking about, themselves! This is also a strategic question because it gives me some event or opportunity that I can follow up with. If they are excited about their drivers test, a concert or a hot date, I now have intentional opening for a follow up conversation. Remembering these events and following up shows a student they are valued.

2 – How are things going in your small group?

Our ministry has small groups on the same night as our youth gather, which means that 100% of our students are in small groups. As a leader there are certain areas of the culture that I can shape, but within the small groups exists its own community and culture and its important to know what is happening. Any chance you have to get a the straight goods on the pulse of ministry, you should take it because the growth and discipleship is happening in the small group more so than the large gather. Also finding out about a problem or challenge allows me I can’t help that leader navigate the scenario that I otherwise might not have known was a concern.

3- How is your heart?

I am so sold out to asking this question because it allows the transition into asking students how their relationship with God is, where they are experiencing Him or not. Asking a student about their heart allows the conversation to address where they feel encouraged and where they feel discourage and takes the conversation to a level of honestly faster than “so how are you Really doing?”. Our leaders have been starting to latch onto the question and some of the students now have heard it enough that they jokingly ask me the same question. Its a great part of the changing culture of our ministry where we are trying to go deeper in our relationships with God and each other.

4 – How can I pray for you?

This question is a must ask for obvious reasons, but any meaningful conversation with student that doesn’t include this question is a missed opportunity for me. Students need to know that we are here to journey beside them, to intercede on their behalf and intend to follow up with those things they are in need of prayer for. Praying for our students one on one, in the large group and privately is a core part of what we do.

These are just four of the many questions that we ask our students when we meet with them, are there questions that are on your must ask list?

-Geoff @geoffcstewart

Add Comment May 9, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts The 53 Hour Film Festival

A youth pastor in our area (from Foothill Family Church less than a mile away) came up with a GREAT idea to host a 53-Hour Film festival to help raise funds for a mission project of their church. This is some epic stuff! Totally want to steal this idea … but think maybe we’ll just promote it, too. Love it – hit up their website for more!

53 Hour Film Festival is a film project based in Orange County, California. Open to high school and college students throughout the county, teams will have 53 hours to write, film, edit, and submit a 4-7 minute short film. Submissions will then be graded by a panel of judges, and the top films will be viewed on the big screen at a movie theater in Orange County.

JG

Add Comment May 9, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts This is Water

Really enjoyed this video about default settings, the rat race and the mundane parts of life.

JG

Add Comment May 8, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts Music Review: David Crowder Band – All This For A King: The Essential Collection

The David Crowder*Band delivered their final album more than a year ago – has it been that long already? They had 6 albums in total with like 12 kajillion songs sold. They’ve played every youth conference I know and are a staple in practically every youth room across the country. I’ve had the privilege of working a few events with Crowder and speaking at his Fantastical Conference in Austin a few years back, too. So fun!

Their latest album is the celebration of the past and a glimpse of the future. Crowder is going on a club tour this Spring and his first solo project is due this fall. Until then, we’ve got the All This For a King: The Essential Collection hitting iTunes the end of this month.

Let’s get the basics out of the way first – the album has all of the big hits you would expect. Even then I did find a new gem here and there I must have missed along the way. But the real wins come later in the album, with great remixes and an entirely new song from Crowder. Here’s some quick hits on the highlights for me:

SMS (Shine) – Big-time fans will be disappointing in me (sorry), but I’m not sure how I missed this song when it originally came out! Great message. Powerful.

Shine Your light so I can see You
Pull me up, I need to be near You
Hold me, I need to feel loved
Can You overcome this heart that’s overcome?

Shadows (Family Force 5 Phenomenon Remix) – Fun remix of a DC*B classic. Hold your own dance party with it right now. Got some fun dubstep in it that will please the ears. The perfect track for this year’s summer camp highlight video.

After All (Holy) (Capital Kings Remix) – One of the band’s biggest hits – it was fun to see it completely remixed and still retaining the cheerful fun of the original. Absolutely loved this song!

This I Know – the only completely new track on the album and it is pure gold. Fun, folksy and completely singable. The good news is that the solo project expected from Crowder this fall is in good hands. It is different from the classic DC*B but he already feels comfortable and This I Know became my favorite track after listening through the whole album a couple times.

All in all it remains the best collection of music from one of my favorite Christian bands of all time, a great set of remixes celebrating familiar tunes and a fun sneak peak at the Crowder of the future – and that’s a future I’m now very excited about. Click here to check out (or preorder) David Crowder Band’s All This for a King: The Essentials Collection today!

JG

Add Comment May 8, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts When It Rains Trouble … It Pours Trouble

Honestly, our ministry is going through a little bit of a crisis right now.

On the surface you wouldn’t see much out of the ordinary – youth group is fun and energetic, small groups are plugging along toward the end of the school year and the last big event had strong attendance and quite a few new faces. My boss seems happy, we may actually come in on budget this year and generally things are OK.

But under the surface, we’re dealing with some serious issues. God is choosing to bring us not 1, not 2 … but 6 big things to the surface right now. Some serious stuff we’ve got to process. Some stuff we haven’t dealt with before. Some difficult conversations that need to be had. Some stuff it is mandatory it be reported. The ugly side of real-life ministry is here in full force this week.

And you know what? God is faithful. God is changing lives. God is giving us wisdom. God is guiding. God is healing. God is providing. God is giving confidence. God is pruning. God is.

It seems like when it rains trouble … a flash flood of tough stuff isn’t far behind. If you are wading in some deep waters or think you may be in over your head, remember that God is there through it all. I know I could use the reminder right now, too.

That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

JG

4 View Comments May 8, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts Tips for Running Great Youth Ministry Games

Kurt had a great post yesterday about some basic speaking tips and helps for youth workers running games. Thought there was some good stuff here, head there for the full piece:

LEAVE THEM WANTING MORE: A short lesson is almost always better than a long one! Nobody ever complained that the lesson was too short. Plus, a short lesson leaves your junior highers actually wanting to hear more. Short games are almost always better than long ones, too. Playing their favorite game too often ends up making it a game they are tired of and no longer get excited to play.

THE PAYOFF NEEDS TO EQUAL THE SET UP: The longer it takes to tell a story in your lesson, the better the “punchline” or application needs to be. When you start by saying, “I’ve got the most hilarious story in the world to share….” it better be a pretty stinkin’ hilarious story. If you say, “Today’s lesson could be the most important one I’ve ever taught….” it better be really important! A game that takes 10 minutes to explain and 35 seconds to play is a fail….the payoff didn’t equal the set-up. When you send out a text claiming, “tonight in JH ministry we will play a game of epic proportions…” only to have the game be a rousing game of musical chairs, you lose.

JG

Add Comment May 7, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts Top 3 Youth Ministry Apps

Got a smartphone? Chances are you’re working at integrating some great apps into your youth ministry world. We do the same thing—and while Angry Birds Star Wars and Temple Run 2 take up a little too much of our time if we’re honest, there are some incredible apps for youth ministry.

This week Josh is up first and Kurt will offer up his 3 favorites tomorrow. Add your favorite apps in the comments!

TOP 3 APPS for youth ministry

1. Evernote (FREE) 
Evernote is a productivity app that syncs important documents in the cloud and on all your devices. It is incredibly robust and keeps everything from brainstorm notes, pictures you take, and even voice memos and delivers them to all of your devices. It’s a great place to work on talks, share documents, and even manage to-do lists. An incredible app for your phone, Web site, and computer—and the price is right.

2. HeyTell (FREE)
Communicate with your friends like a walkie-talkie. The best part is you can make a group and send a quick voice memo to all your volunteers at once. The interface is simple, one touch, and responsive. Even if someone isn’t a phone person, this is a perfect compromise.

3. Icebreaker Questions ($.99)
The only one on the list that costs actual money – but well worth it. Suggest it to your small-group leaders so they have a starting point for conversations and figure out how to talk to teenagers. The questions are fun and make it easier to get past that awkward pause while waiting for everyone else to arrive to group.

Other incredible apps that didn’t quite make the cut:

Haze ($.99) – check the weather to make sure the summer event isn’t going to be rained out.

Starbucks (FREE) – consolidate all of your Starbucks cards into one place and earn stars toward free drinks. Maybe even have a “church card” and “personal card” both on the same account.

YouVersion (FREE) – the best Bible app out there. The daily reading plans with reminders and notifications are super to keep you on track, too.

Pandora (FREE) – want to have a great playlist for before and after services? Download this app, turn on the TobyMac station, plug it into your sound system, and you’re set. Easy – there is an occasional commercial, so you might want to drop the $36/year to go ad-free, too. You might never buy another CD again!

What are the other best youth ministry apps out there you’d add to the list?

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.