Josh GriffinMore PostsFree eBook from LeaderTreks for Mission Trip Parents
All programs and trips have short comings in youth ministry and one of them for student mission trips is that parents are not involved. Mission trips are better when parents work hand and hand with youth workers. In Helping Parents Connect, Doug Franklin outlines how parents can be involved in their students’ mission trips before, during, and after the trip. This tool is designed to get you involved from the beginning and to help parents grow with your kids through this experience.
JG
Josh GriffinMore PostsHSM Rwanda Prayer Guide 2013If all goes well, by the time you read this I’ll be on my way to Rwanda with about 15 students and some incredible leaders. On the blog this week we’ll have all sorts of guest posts and guest editor-in-chief Geoff Stewart will be posting regularly as well. If you would, please take a second and pray for health, strength, and safe travel for our students. Excited!
Day ONE & TWO: Travel to Kigali, Rwanda
Pray for a smooth airport check-in. Pray for safe travel to Rwanda. Pray for rest and the preparation of our hearts for ministry. Pray that all goes smoothly with the logistics of travelling with a group our size.
Day THREE: Genocide Memorial and travel to our main ministry site
Pray that our students would be excited on their first full day of ministry, loving the people whom they are serving. Pray that the team has a heart of compassion and understanding as we learn about Rwanda’s history today at the memorial. Pray for safe travels to this rural city.
Day FOUR & FIVE: Church and meeting with pastors. PEACE activities
Pray for the people of Rwanda, that their hearts would be open to the Word of God as it is preached today in churches. Pray for great conversations as we meet with the pastors of local churches. Pray that we would be able to accomplish much with them in preparation for the week of ministry ahead. Pray for your student today.
Day SIX – NINE: PEACE activities with Churches
Pray for endurance for long days of ministry. Pray that our team connects with the Rwandan community, making them feel loved and cared for. Pray for friendships to be built among Rwandan and Saddleback students. Pray that the team continues to shine the light of Christ even if we are exhausted.
Day TEN: Travel back to Kigali
Pray for safe travels and rest as we return to Kigali. Pray for your students as they begin to process and debrief the trip. Pray that, as we conclude our time in Rwanda, we would be able to reflect on what God has taught us and encourage one another with stories of God’s work.
Day ELEVEN & TWELVE: Pray for safe travel back to America.
Pray that we adjust well spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Pray that God would continue to work in our hearts after we return. Pray that we would continue to remember and reflect on our journey in Rwanda. Pray for protection from sickness and fatigue.
Follow us on Twitter or Instagram for updates: @hsmrwanda
Josh GriffinMore PostsWanted: Your Voice on MoreThanDodgeball.comI’m leaving in 24 hours for Rwanda with 14 of our incredible students (one of them being my 11-year old son) on a mission trip for 11 days. While I’m gone, my good friend Geoff Stewart is going to take a spin as the editor-in-chief of the site. What does that mean?
First up, you’re going to get great content from him. He’s a solid youth worker from the Great North and has been writing for the site for more than a year now – click here to read all of his posts. He’s got some solid content lined up I’m excited you’ll get to read. He’s invited a few of his local friends to contribute alongside him, too.
And second, now is the time to get your voice on More Than Dodgeball! Just send Geoff your potential guest posts at morethandodgeball@gmail.com and he’ll look them over and post the best over the next week and a half. Guest posts that are quickly accepted are <500 words, original and youth ministry focused!
I’ll try to post updates to Twitter and Instagram while I’m literally on the other side of the world. See you soon!
JG
Josh GriffinMore PostsPrepare. Go. Live On Sale for $29.99 (instead of $199!)
I was just checking out the Simply Youth Ministry website and ran across this closeout deal on a mission trip resource from LeaderTreks that looks super promising called Prepare Go Live. Of course, I’m a sucker for a good deal, too! Anyhow, might be something you would be interested in, too!
JG
Josh GriffinMore PostsRealistic Integration of Youth Ministry and the ChurchAll this talk about working to integrate our students into church before they have to make a huge leap from youth group to the adult services is helpful. But what isn’t helpful is the voices who simply want you to drop everything you’re currently doing (and is working) and go with some new plan.
Sometimes you have to get rid of something and start over completely—but we’re not convinced this is one of those times. So here are a few suggestions to help you take baby steps toward the integration of youth ministry and the church.
Serve together…mostly
An easy way to get some quick inter-generational ministry happening in your church is to combine some of your serve projects immediately. Consider cancelling the majority of your youth group service projects and join those in place for the church at large. Imagine the conversations that will take place as people serve food, rake leaves, or paint together. Chances are the older people in your congregation will be just as surprised as your teenagers at how fun it was to serve side-by-side!
Worship together…occasionally
Most youth groups have their own worship service or Sunday School happening at the same time the rest of the church is gathered for worship. What if you completely cancelled your youth stuff once a month so the teenagers could attend church with their parents? Sure, some might choose to stay home that weekend, but it’s a fairly simple way to make a statement that says, “25% of the time, our church worships together…and we need the teenagers to be part of the action!”
Mission trips…maybe
One of the big steps we’re considering is to integrate mission trips. Offering a Spring Break trip? What it everyone got involved? Is there a big church-wide trip to South America or Africa? Get behind it and take some students! Each church has their own missions agenda/format, but this is something worthy of consideration.
Overnighters…never
Hey, there are some things adults are happy are totally separate from them. Keep overnighters this way…but be thankful for the adults who do show up, give up sleep, and care for your students.
Where else is there opportunity for easy integration between your youth ministry and the church?
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.
Josh GriffinMore PostsFantastic Mission Trip Mistakes You Need to AvoidMission trips are the best! Unless they end up being the worst. We have made more than our fair share of mistakes over the years. Here’s a little list of fantastic mission trip mistakes you need to avoid…that we didn’t:
• Drinking the water. Never drink the water.
• Getting to the ticket counter about to leave for a trip to Africa and having a student whose passport was about to expire so the ticket lady wouldn’t let him on the plan. He joined us 24 hours later after literally walking his passport renewal through the renewal office.
• My (Josh) wife accidentally knocked a sink off the wall while shaving her leg. Cut herself so deeply she needed stitches.
• Did I (Josh) mention my wife was a nurse and stitched it up herself?
• When the host Pastor says, “You MIGHT preach tomorrow”, actually believing it is only a possibility! “might preach” means “will preach”.
• Leaving a student behind at a truck stop.
• Allowing a student who I (Josh) knew shouldn’t be on the trip on the trip. And had to send them home early. Saw it coming, but didn’t have the guts to disciple/coach him beforehand.
• Offering to split the money with everyone who shows up to the fundraiser. Next time, say, “to everyone who shows up AND WORKS at the fundraiser.”
• The water. Seriously, don’t.
• Wait, we’re out of money already? It is day 2!
• Driving the church bus (Kurt) down a highly crowded one way street in Tijuana, Mexico.
• Getting pulled over by local police for driving the church bus down a highly crowded one way street in Tijuana, Mexico
• Handing out a schedule of activities to the students. This only causes mass confusion when (not if) the schedule changes!
What’s the worst mistake you’ve made on a mission trip?
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.
Josh GriffinMore Posts15,000 Comments Giveaway: Mission Trips from Start to Finish
Congrats to Shawn Shoup on winning FLIPPED in Day 1′s giveaway and congrats to Tony B on wining a copy of LABELS from Simply Youth Ministry on Day 2. Want to get in on the winner? Leave a comment on this post and you could win Mission Trips from Start to Finish. Thanks for helping MTDB have over 15,000 comments!
JG
PS: There’s still time to get 15% off most all of Simply Youth Ministry resources using promo code: THEBIG15
Josh GriffinMore PostsSYM 1-Day Deal: Prepare. Go. Live
Last week was so much fun Simply Youth Ministry is bringing it back!
Today from now until 7pmEastern time you can get the 3-part mission trip kit Prepare Go Live for 80% off! Here’s a clip from the product description:
Few things will bring the gospel to life for your students like heading out onto the mission field. Spending a day, weekend, or longer in service to God, for his love, and with people in need brings the calling of Christ vividly into focus. With this easy to implement 3-part missions trip curriculum, you’ll get everything you need to get your students ready (Prepare), devotions for the trip (Go), and follow-up materials (Live) to make their experience part of an ongoing, godly lifestyle. And what good would we be if we didn’t include helpful stuff for leaders to make the whole trip more fun for everyone? No good at all, so we’ve given you plenty.
JG
Josh Griffin has been in youth ministry for 16+ years in a small church and a big church. He currently serves as the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA. [read more]
Geoff Stewart serves the Jr / Sr High School Pastor at Peace Portal Alliance Church in Surrey B.C.
Chris Wesley serves as the Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland.
Colton Harker serves with Josh at Saddleback Church. He is currently in his second year in youth ministry.
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