simplyinsider.com

Episode 121: It?s Like Golf

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Doug, Matt and Jana sit around the table again this week. The top topic of conversation is the “I Am a Loser” contest. But they do get around to answering your questions. They talk about protecting your spouse from church politics, a young senior pastor looking for a new youth pastor, cell phones in youth group, and dealing with adults that are a bad example to teenagers.

simplykurt.com

Small Group Questions

Our junior high ministry has lots of strengths, and more than its fair share of weaknesses! One of the things we seem to do best is get kids connected in a small group with about 10 peers and an adult leader or two. We have a fairly defined purpose/goal for our small groups, but I often wonder if a “narrow focus” for our small group ministry as a whole is the right way to go, or if we would be wiser to loosen up a bit and let individual small groups take on their own feel and personality….in essence becoming a custom-made small group for the kids in that particular group.

CURRENTLY: Our small groups all meet on Tuesday or Wednesday night, they are expected to choose curriculum from a pre-approved “menu”, We create the calendar of meetings and events for them, they are all same grade/gender with no mixing of other “tribes”, they all meet for the primary purpose of “fellowship” with a strong dose of “discipleship”.

BUT WHAT IT: We loosened it up? what if groups could form however they want and meet whenever they want for whatever purpose they want? What if we trained and empowered our leaders to decide what the spiritual pace of their group is and pick their own curriculum…or have no curriculum at all! I know things would get a bit squishy, hard to define, hard to measure and hard to control…but things would also get very interesting in a hurry.

We have probably all heard [...]

youthministrygeek.com

How To: iPhone Band

Here’s an update to the post about the iPhone Band. Josh posted an update listing out the apps used (all links open iTunes):

Guitars: (Electric and Bass) Pocket Guitar (.99)

Piano #1: Virtuoso Piano Lite (Free) or Virtuoso Piano

Piano #2: Pianist (3.99)

Drums: DigiDrummer Lite (Free) or Digidrummer (1.99)

A few other things to keep in mind:

1. If your students are using an iPhone have them put it on Airplane mode, so they can still get to apps without having to receive phone calls.
2. Also turn off all notifications in the settings app on itouches.
3. If you do the bit with the phone call, make surethe one person getting the phone call has their phone set to receive calls. Also,the person calling has to be in another room because the sound system will echo through the phone and the main house.

This should give you everything you need to do your iPhone band.

simplyurbanministry.com

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

collegeministrythoughts.com

Success.

People define success in a lot of different ways. And in ministry, how we define success ultimately drives what we do. For me, today, I saw success. It was sweet. Real sweet. I’ve waited almost two years to see it, but it was well worth it.

I met with a college age guy today who I have grown to love. Two years ago he was, well, sort of a wreck. He had very little, if any, discipline. He didn’t work, played all the time and was doing little more than floating through life. No direction, very little godly passion.

Today was different.

I’ve seen a young man grow up. He has taken steps over the last two years that I have seen. And recently, it seems like leaps. This guy is connected to our church, to older believers that he’s grown to love and trust. They, along with me, have walked alongside him slowly and lovingly speaking truth into his life. And God has used it. Today his spiritual growth and godly thought processes are now encouraging those around him. His growth is evident and nobody questions it.

I write this blog as an encouragement to you. Two years ago nobody would’ve guessed that this guy would be leading by example the way he is. The coolest thing is he doesn’t even realize it…he’s just growing one day at a time, one step. Success.

So, you know that person you’re meeting with that doesn’t seem to get it and you might even be questioning whether or not it’s worth your time? Yeah. Hold on. Pay the price of time. People like them are often the biggest blessings in ministry. Continue to pray, be patient and faithful. You might be surprised what happens two years from now…

marriedtoayouthpastor.com

God runs through it!