simplyinsider.com

?I Am a Loser? Contest

How would you like to loose a few pounds? Well we are having a “I Am a Loser” contest to help jump start some healthy living. Join the men of the podcast (Doug, Josh, and Matt) as they embark on 12 week challenge to loose a few pounds. Here are the rules:

1. Weigh-in on Friday, December 4, 2009 (Or, if you?re not going to the SYM Conference, you can weigh in anywhere from December 4-7)
2. Send two photos of (1) scale weight and (2) ?before? photo of yourself
3. Contest will run 12 weeks, ending on Friday February 26th (first night of Simply Youth Ministry Conference for those attending. For those not attending, contest ends 12 weeks after weigh-in date)
4. The winners will be the ones with the greatest percentage of weight lost at the end of 12 weeks.
5. Prizes to be announced soon (to those entering contest)
6. Weight loss coaching available from Matthew McNutt (current youth pastor and former Biggest Loser contestant who lost 170 pounds?see www.matthewmcnutt.com )
7. Send both photos (with weigh in date) to Iamaloser@simplyinsider.com.

You need to hurry because you need to weigh-in by Dec 7, and the prizes will be great.

If you’d like to watch the podcast episode about the rules, watch HERE.

Please join us!

simplykurt.com

The Biggest Hindrance To Change May Be You!

The team I lead is in the early stages of somesignificant change, and I’m learning something interesting about myself along the way: Even though I am the one who has initiated this, Imay also be the one holding it back the most!

Here is my initial list of “why leaders who want to implement change sometimes struggle to do so”. Some of these I have seen in myself, and others came to mind while I was chewing on the subject. I would love to hear your additional thoughts.

- Very few people “bleed” the ministry like the leader does, so he/she usually has more history with the status quo and has probably invested the most into it. In short, it’s often very hard for the leader to actually make the changes he/she knows need to be made.

- If the changes don’t go well, everybody else gets to hide behind the leader and say, “It was his idea!”. The leader has no place to hide.

- The leader has to defend/sell/propose the changes to those higher up the food chain…which isn’t always an easy sell. Many leaders don’t have the political pull, the trust of sr. leadership, the “fight” etc. to go to bat on behalf of the changes they want to implement.

- Oftentimes, a leader will point to roadblocks (tradition, budget, resources, climate of the church etc.) as an excuse to not make the change. While all of these things must factor into change, they can easily become the reason changeis never implemented.

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youthministrygeek.com

Word Fun with Wordle

While I was skimming the latest issue of Group Magazine, I found a great blurb by Lyle Huddlestun about a website called Wordle.net. When you create your wordle, you can either input a bunch of text, input the url of your blog or your del.icio.us username and it generates one of these interesting images(The above image was generated by auto-scanning this blog). The size is based on the word’s frequency, and the colors, word orientation, and font are set by you. If you don’t like the first shot, just have it re-layout until you see one you like! And, if you like it all, but want to delete one misspelled or embarrassing word, just click on it and remove it.

What’s even better, you don’t have to sign up to make them. It’s totally free! From volunteer encouragement to cool covers for the material you are writing/borrowing, this tool is worth taking a look at.

btw… I have been a bit silent lately as we just had our second child (Hannah-Claire0 and are finally getting adjusted to the chaos and lack of sleep. (Pics)

simplyurbanministry.com

Soul Food! If you love yourself, feed yourself!!!

collegeministrythoughts.com

Adult Volunteers

A little survey, brainstorm, networking, get ideas from one another deal here. Working in college age ministry requires us to have volunteers. Much of what we do can be – and should be – led by college age people themselves. But, as you’re likely aware, I’m very big on having older believers invest in college age people. Thus, we need people.

I have done a variety of things to equip and train these leaders. My question for you is, are there any resources (books, articles, websites, etc.) you’ve given your adult volunteers to help them be more effective in their ministry to college age people? If you list some, make sure to briefly comment about how it’s helped them.

marriedtoayouthpastor.com

God runs through it!