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Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Pulled In Different Directions

Run the youth ministry- Check
Run Student Leadership- Check
Plan a missions trip- Check
Create Website Videos- Check
Write some new Curriculum- Check

If you are like me at all, you will take any chance you get to serve for leading. We all hear about saying ‘no’ when the time comes but will we actually do it. The problem isn’t saying no when I am maxed out. I recognize that being pushed to capacity is a problem and will burn you out at the office and at home. But what if you can juggle another thing and do a good job with it?

Recently, I was asked by my lead pastor to join our discipleship team. Then my worship pastor asked if I would come up with some theological videos for our website. Our denomination president asked if I would step up and do some speaking. To all of these things I said yes.

Then I was I was challenged by my supervisor to think about where I am investing my time in ministry. I was getting pulled in a lot of directions. The problem wasn’t doing a good job; I have the ability to do all of these things; it was whether or not these things will benefit my ministry.

I had to pause, I wasn’t at maximum capacity. I have some room for some stuff on my plate in this season, but is the new stuff feeding the need I am trying to fulfill. Some of those new things are and some aren’t. So currently I am working on a list of requirements that things that a new request has to meet.

They are:

Is this request God honoring?
Will this be a benefit or detriment to my family?
Does this fulfill my mission/ministry purpose
Do I believe in this cause/purpose/initiative?
Do I have the time/resources to give?

While this list is working, I am still looking to add it. What are some of the things you require before taking on something new?

Kyle Corbin has been serving youth as a volunteer or pastor for over 10 years. He is currently the youth pastor at the Bridge Church in North Vancouver B.C. You can follow his blog at: kylecorbin.blogspot.com or Twitter: @CorbinKyle

Add Comment April 20, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Being a Barnabas

Who or what inspired you to enter youth ministry?

For me I was inspired by a great pastor who invested time in me. I became quick friends with his son, but in addition to being my friends father, he took plenty of time to teach me about life, ministry and integrity. He is one of the 3 men I most admire in the world.

When we look to Barnabas in the Bible we see a great encourager who brings Saul into the fellowship of Apostles. Think about the fact that without Barnabas we might have missed out on some of the impact of Paul on the world.

If you look at the survey results coming out right now, it is obvious less and less people are interested in working in ministry. Can you blame them? I know I don’t see a lot of pastors who live inspiring lives that make you strive to be like them. And that is where I come in. Just the other day I was talking to a missionary and my lead pastor and they asked me what I thought about this issue, and I began to ask if it was because Sr. leaders aren’t all that inspiring to be like. Sure there are some who are excellent, I think of someone like Francis Chan and go ‘Wow I wish I could live like that’.

So I began to ask myself if I am living in a way that would inspire my students and those around me to want to aspire to ministry. The sad fact is the answer to that question is probably no. I am a good role model, and I believe most of my students look up to me. But I don’t know if I am doing more than inspiring a Christian lifestyle.

While our primary role is to encourage people towards faith, we do have a role to bring up future church leaders. What ways are you leading others towards entering ministry?

Kyle Corbin has been serving youth as a volunteer or pastor for over 10 years. He is currently the youth pastor at the Bridge Church in North Vancouver B.C. You can follow his blog at: kylecorbin.blogspot.com or Twitter: @CorbinKyle

2 View Comments April 14, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Created in His Own Image

“So God created human beings in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) God has made each of us beautiful even with our imperfections. Imperfections enhance our beauty when they are embraced. Seeing the beauty in your imperfections comes by seeing you as God sees you.

It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
I have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13).
I have been washed in the blood and all of my sins have been forgiven (Ephesians 1:7).
I have been made right with God through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit; I do not belong to myself (1 Corinthians 6:19).
I am raised up with Christ and seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).
I receive the free gift of righteousness and reign as a king in life through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17).
I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
I have the peace of God which transcend all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
He who lives in me is greater and mightier than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
I have been chosen by God. I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4).
I have stripped of my old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. I put on my new nature and am renewed as I learn to know my creator and become like Him (Colossians 3:9-10).
I receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God and the eyes of my heart are flooded with light so that I can know and understand the hope to which He has called me (Ephesians 1:17-18).

This only briefly touches on the many wonderful words God speaks about you. Speak these words, believe them, and you will live them. There is power in agreeing with what God says about you.

Ashley Fordinal is the Children’s Church volunteer at Family Life Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.

Add Comment April 13, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Lifelong Learning: Opens you to Growth

When you are faced with struggles in your ministry, are you motivated and encouraged to find a solution? Does the struggle you are facing renew your creativity and drive you to make a greater impact than before? Then you are engaging yourself in lifelong learning and opening yourself to growth; to being the best you, you can be!

Open to growth:

Eagerness to respond to God’s guidance- He is guiding each of us. Are you listening?
Network with others in the same line of ministry- We are all in this together. We are meant to learn from each other. Through the downfalls and victories, share them!
Accountability- Who are you accountable to? Share with someone you trust your deepest concerns, your weaknesses and strengths, and let them hold you accountable. Let them help you up when you fall down and celebrate with you when you are up.
Attend conferences/training courses- They enrich you and your ministry. You will leave refreshed, with new ideas, and creativity to bring into your ministry.
Reading- You can do this on blogs like morethandodgeball.com, in books, magazines, the Bible. Reading enriches the mind and helps you gain helpful insight.
Experiment- Step out! Don’t be afraid to try new things. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a way to growth.
Keep your focus on Jesus- If it is not in line with God’s word, it does not deserve your focus. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

Apply these daily long after your ministry days begin and you will see growth not only in areas of your ministry but in your personal life, your career, your spiritual life and the list goes on. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6).

Ashley Fordinal is the Children’s Church volunteer at Family Life Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.

1 View Comments April 7, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts Non-negotiable Aspect of Leadership: Leaders Follow God’s Vision

Leadership continues to be one of the hot topics in the church today. Now more than ever before we are seeing books, seminars and coaching sessions revolving around leadership. My hope of writing this series of blog posts isn’t to bring anything new to the table; rather I want to share with you what in my opinion are four non-negotiable aspects of Christian leadership.

This past Christmas I went to a huge mall to buy a small gift and stocking stuffers for my wife. The problem was that I had already purchased everything I knew I wanted to get for her and now I was just getting extras. I ended up walking around the mall for a good two hours only to purchase more items than I had planned to and spent more money than I wanted. The problem wasn’t that I wasn’t being thoughtful; I had just fulfilled my earlier vision and hadn’t come around to have a new vision for the stocking stuffers I wanted to buy.

In order to get things do things properly as a leader we need to have vision and understand our mission. While I had a mission at the mall I didn’t have a vision and one without the other is incomplete. When Christian leaders are directing people where God would have them go, they need to understand what God’s vision is and how to articulate this. Jesus gives us an example of how we should interact with mission and vision of the Father. Jesus continually explains to his disciples and others his mission and the vision that he has been given. When Jesus was in Nazareth toward the beginning of his ministry he explained to the members of the synagogue that he had come to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah by reading from Isaiah (Luke 4: 16-21). Jesus not only understood why he came he also understood his role, He knew he had come to preach and share the Gospel (Mark 1:38). By explaining His relationship with the vision God had given the Israelites, Jesus gave himself credibility while also trying helping others to understand their roles in the grand picture. This leads to the understanding of another key skill that Christian leaders should possess. If a leader can take scripture and the revelation of God in their own life and put them together it would inspire greater credibility and confidence in who they are and where they are leading.

What ways are you gaining credibility and helping others understand vision and mission?
Does your current vision for where you are going include some backing with Scripture?

Kyle Corbin has been serving youth as a volunteer or pastor for over 10 years. He is currently the youth pastor at the Bridge Church in North Vancouver B.C. You can follow his blog at: kylecorbin.blogspot.com or Twitter: @CorbinKyle

Add Comment April 7, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts Non-negotiable Aspect of Leadership: Leaders are Sacrificial Givers

Leadership continues to be of the hot topics in the church today. Now more than ever before we are seeing books, seminars and coaching sessions revolving around leadership. My hope of writing this series of blog posts isn’t to bring anything new to the table; rather I want to share with you what in my opinion are four non-negotiable aspects of Christian leadership. Have you ever had to give so much it hurt? Did you give your time, your money, and your left kidney?

My most memorable sacrifice during ministry was to break down the barrier with a kid at camp. We had a student with some mobility issues who just refused to open up. They were angry about their disabilities and would not hear about anything that anyone had to say. Our camp had a huge zip-line that students would love to ride. I noticed that this student with the disabilities really wanted to go on the zip-line. After a long period of “encouraging” the student to actually do it despite their fear, I strapped the student to my back and carried them up a 50 foot tower and then set them up on a zip-line. The sacrifice wasn’t much but by giving up my break and carrying that student’s weight, I was able to help break down their defenses and they went on to engage in a lot of spiritual conversations with their counselor.

I’m sure it won’t take much convincing but Christian leaders need to lead by giving sacrificially. Obviously our greatest example is Christ himself. Two of the greatest examples from Jesus’ life are when we got down on his knees and washed his disciples dirty feet. Then he asked us to follow him when He said, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13: 13-17) Clearly, if Christ tells us that if we should follow him by making a simple sacrifice such as humbling ourselves, we need to do so. The second example is the obvious example of his death. While we may never be called to lay down our own lives as leaders, we can expect to have to make sacrifices regularly for the cause we are directing people towards. Jesus makes it clear that we will need to deny ourselves daily. (Luke 9:23)

I think that if someone really wants to be an excellent leader they need to be willing to sacrifice for their cause.

Do you have any great stories of sacrificing for the people you lead?

Kyle Corbin has been serving youth as a volunteer or pastor for over 10 years. He is currently the youth pastor at the Bridge Church in North Vancouver B.C. You can follow his blog at: kylecorbin.blogspot.com or Twitter: @CorbinKyle

3 View Comments March 31, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Establishing a Healthy CORE

theCORE – essential values for new ministers

Session 1 – Establishing a healthy CORE.
I remember talking to a athletic trainer several years ago and one of the things he said was, “You have to establish your core before you can bulk up.” As young pastors we have grand visions of the future… big ministries… big churches… 1000s of people falling on their faces in repentance! But the reality of it all is there is no way we will ever experience these hopes until we establish a good core.

What do you believe are 4 essential CORE values for any young minister?
How do you think these 4 CORE values can shape your future ministry?

(C) Called… Not Convinced. When God called you into ministry he didn’t commit you to the funny farm. Although we might think at times, “God what are you doing!?” His call on your life is not a burden. Never treat it as such. What an honor.

Have you heard Gods call for ministry on your life? What was that like? How does a call defer from having to be convinced? Why does this matter?

There is a strong difference being called by God and being convinced. Being convinced is rooted in selfish motives. Whether we are convinced by the glitz and glamour of the rockstar minister or if one of your friend/ family members said you would be a great minister… either way someone convinced you. We need to be confident in His calling upon our lives because without this calling we would never be able to sustain this life long journey.

(O) Open to whatever. Develop a heart of surrender to the Call. Stay humble, stay on your knees. Your heart reflects your actions. Whatever God has is good… Perfect… And no the grass is never greener on the other side of the fence.

When was the last time you honestly heard Gods voice in your life? How have your responded in obedience to Him?

I believe authentic ministry happens when we are prompted by the Lord. When we stand before the Lord in our private lives in complete surrender, what it birthed in those moments lead to authentic ministry. What would happen if we began to worship with surrender? Preached from a heart of surrender? Left room for the Holy Spirit to prompt us and lead us.

To develop an attitude of surrender can only be known and established in time. Our faithfulness in the Word and prayer is where we honestly hear God’s voice. There is power and clarity when we are on our knees.

(R) Relationships are your job. Your life revolves around the people you are shepherding. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way, people are looking for their pastor to care. No matter what your gifts are, relationships matter. We’ll talk more later about how to deal with hurting people. We are in the business of relationships and connecting with people.
Share one good example of how relationships matter in ministry and one bad example.

***There is a trap here that must be addressed. We must be wise in having close friendships with the opposite sex. Have clear boundaries with the opposite sex is a must. Your integrity and character matter way too much for one incident to ruin what you have worked hard to protect. Establish strong, non-offensive boundaries with the women in your ministry/ team.

What are some practical boundaries you can set with the opposite sex in your ministry?

(E) Experience the joy of serving in the overflow. When we establish a good rhythm of getting in the Word, The Lord fills our cups. If there ever comes a time in your life when you have lost the time to intentionally read the Word for yourself… Do yourself and the people you shepherd a huge favor and take a vacation. Burn out pastors lead unhealthy churches.

Why is it so beneficial in your ministry to serve out of the overflow? How can you stay fresh in ministry?

Creating healthy spiritual rhythms in your life to allow the Spirit to fill. Get up early. Use cancelled appointments to read. Is there are time in your week for intentional Bible study? Not sermon prep… but intentional study. It’s during these times when the Lord reveals His heart for you… not your ministry. When we are satisfied in Him, He is most glorified in us… and the people in our ministries see it. (Quote from John Piper)

What are some spiritual rhythms in your life that keep you fresh?

Have you heard the phrase “leaders are readers?” Reading is one of the best things I’ve done in my ministry. The times when I’m in a good book, are the times when my mind is free to dream and allow the Lord to speak. Read books that have nothing to do with ministry. Read books that lead you toward Godliness. Read books that bring new perspectives to ministry. The point is to read. Different authors. Unique titles. Read about a hobby. Find a way in your week to simple sit and read.

What’s the latest book you’ve read? What truth or insight did you gain from it?

Over the years, I’ve missed these moments and my ministry has suffered because of it. It’s not fun to lead when your heart is dry. On the other hand, serving out of the overflow leads to fulfillment and joy. Who doesn’t want to experience that!? We all need to do our very best to fill the tank. It takes hard work, planning and discipline to allow the “filling” to happen.

Which one of these 4 CORE essentials resonated with you? Why?
How have your noticed some of these core values played out in your ministry context?

Action steps: we don’t progress in life until we take action steps. Thinking is one thing, doing is another.

spend some time this week seeking The Lord about your call to ministry.
look at your week, when can you honestly carve out intention time to get in the Word? Not to prepare a Bible study, but for your own personal health.
Find a good book to read. Goal: 4 books this year.
Brainstorm a healthy Spiritual rhythm for this year… a good vacation, weekly moments of intentional Bible Study and daily prayer moments.

Steve Spence is the Student Ministry Pastor at New Vision in Tennessee. He has created more than 10 great youth ministry resources and you can find him on Twitter right here!

Add Comment March 30, 2013

Josh GriffinMore Posts Lifelong Learners: Instilling a Love of Learning

In your ministry, you have influence. You can use this influence to shape the way each student views learning about Jesus; His love, creation and His expectations of us. You can create engaged and active learners who are eager to learn more. Instilling the love of learning in those you minister to can be done by engaging your students through their creativity and simply by loving them!

Engaging your students through their creativity

Look for ways to be a blessing – Take a stuffed teddy bear to someone who isn’t feeling well, bring a copy of last week’s sermon to someone who missed church, smile when you pass someone by, buy someone a Bible. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple is powerful.
Build things together – Houses for the homeless, a set for a ministry video, build a new podium for your senior pastor. When you build things together, you are learning about teamwork and about caring for other’s through skills you may or may not have had before.

If you are not so creative, delegate tasks to the students who are, they would love to put their talents to work! Someone great at designing t-shirts, have them design some for a fund raiser. Someone great with woodwork, have them design a set for a play geared toward teaching other’s about Jesus. Someone great with the camera? Have them take some pictures for a new ministry photo album. Short on ideas? Ask the creative ones, they will have many ideas on how they can use their talents to serve the ministry.

Simply love them!

This means showing grace in what may seem to be the worst situation. Things happen. They are here today, done with tomorrow. Loving others should be our focus. Remain at peace through the storm and let God handle the details.
Listen – Sometime we are so busy teaching and talking, we forget to listen. Take some time out to hear what they’ve got to say.
Be transparent – Be real with them. You have struggles just like them.
Spend time with them with no expectations – Let time spent with them flow whether it be into conversation or into a crazy fun game night!
Be involved in what they enjoy – When you enjoy being around someone, you’ll make the time to be involved in what they enjoy. It could be you showing up at their soccer game, going to the mall with a group of students or going to the arcade. Spend time in their world.

When you engage your students through their creativity and simply love them, they are actively learning about Jesus; His love, creation and His expectations of us. They will leave your ministry with the tools needed to equip others with the love of lifelong learning as well. Which is so important because this is how we grow in spirit and in stature, we’ve got to be actively engaged and eager to learn more for all of our lives.

Ashley Fordinal is the Children’s Church volunteer at Family Life Church in Sulphur Springs, TX.