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Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 146

Weekend Teaching Series: 11 vs. the World (week 2 of 3)
Sermon in a Sentence: The disciples took the message of Jesus Christ to the world – their mission is our mission, too.
Service Length: 69 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend we continued looking at the disciples – this time we continued through their mission work and eventual martyrdom. We started by recapping last week and moving into where each of them historically traveled to spread the Gospel. On the screen we had an animated map that showed the approximate path of each disciple. In the end it looked like spaghetti on their outline, so I encouraged them to think about the surrender and dedication more than anything else. One man, Jesus Christ, truly changed the world, and his 11 messengers (and eventually hundreds, thousands and millions of people later) spread it like wildfire. The end of the talk I went after “giving their all” and talked quickly through the martyrdom of the disciples/apostles and how it is a powerful evidence of a) their dedication and b) the validity of the resurrection. Heavy stuff for a typical weekend, but really, really an epic series. Loving this one.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We played a game of “Who Wants to Be a Fraction of a Millionaire: Summer Edition” with silly pool prizes for contestants who got the questions correct on stage. The game was fun, and helped tame the summertime energy in the room. Student band, student greeters, and students on cameras/lights/sound/control room.

Music Playlist: Waiting on the World to Change, We Shine, I Need You More, To the Ends of the Earth

Favorite Moment: My favorite moment this weekend was replacing the map of the world showing where the disciples went with a Google map of our area. For me it was the punch of the talk – the disciples’ mission is our mission, now go a spread the Good News.

Up Next: 11 vs. the World (series finale, week 3 of 3)

Add Comment July 13, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts 4 Reasons Why Summer Camp is Amazing

Just got this email from my boss here at Saddleback, Kurt Johnston:

Hey incredible HSM team!

Just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you as you head off to camp on Monday. As the parent of two campers, I am so very thankful for the time, effort and prayers that have gone into this camp!

I’m sure Josh has already given you plenty of “Pep Talks” concerning camp, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to share a few brief thoughts with you:

- Lives get changed at camp! For some students, this will be the week they meet Jesus for the first time. For others, it will be the week the decide to take him seriously. For some it will be the week they feel called into a life of ministry. God will use this week at camp….the silly games, the chapels, the cabin talks….all of it to impact HSM students in a significant way.

- Leaders are what make the magic happen! Pour into the incredible men and women who are giving up vacation and family time to be counselors. Look for ways to encourage them, to lighten their load, and to spur them on. If not for them, camp couldn’t happen.

- Camp is for the camper! This is a phrase the junior high team has heard me say over and over and over again. It’s just a simple reminder that camp isn’t about you, your comfort, your preferences, your “rights” etc. Everything about camp is for the camper. Look for ways to serve our students in unique ways. Look for opportunities to sacrifice something for the benefit of a camper. Look for a chance to do something that makes a student say, “wow…I can’t believe a leader just did that for me”.

- You are a leader….so lead well. As wonderful as camp is (for all the reasons listed above, and more), it is also an opportunity for poor leadership, unwise decisions, bickering, and recklessness to bubble up. Lead well this weekend so you set the best stage possible for the Holy Spirit to show up in the lives of our students.

I am praying for you….see ya on Monday morning!

KJ

Just the encouragement we needed! In the home stretch now … summer camp here we come!

JG

Add Comment July 8, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 145

Weekend Teaching Series: 11 vs. the World (series premiere, week 1 of 3)
Sermon in a Sentence: The disciples were ordinary with varied personalities but called by God to bring the Good News to the world.
Service Length: 71 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend we kicked off a new series about the disciples called 11 vs. the World. It was a short prep week because of our annual staff retreat, but I had the idea of using the GLO Bible app on the iPad to help teach the lesson from a very visual and historical perspective, as well as turn the corner for application and practical challenges for this week. It was a big departure, but I think it worked well. I opened up talking about great teams, and talked about the unlikely team that Jesus put together to spread the Good News to the World. We spent a little time on each of the disciples individually, and ended with the Great Commission as Jesus was setting them up to go on without Him.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This weekend (to help celebrate the 4th of July) we played “Know Your America” with Uncle Hayward (one of our summer interns) and had some fun USA trivia for an iTunes card. Even on a down holiday weekend we had good student involvement.

Music Playlist: The Time Has Come, Forever Reign, Burning Ones, Tell the World

Favorite Moment:Using the GLO Bible iPad app this week to teach was really fun – and aside from it crashing once and me having to furiously rebuild a presentation, it was absolutely incredible. First, because I love technology and the geek inside of me loved it, and second because it is fun to present the Bible in a new way to High School students. Cool stuff, I’ll try to share more on that later this week.

Up Next: 11 vs. the World (week 2 of 3)

1 View Comments July 5, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Series Arc for 11 vs. The World

We’re starting a new series in HSM this coming weekend – I’m teaching both weeks of it to help get to know the freshman and since I’ll be gone a lot this summer (Summer Camp, vacation, mission trip to Costa Rica, preview trip to St. Kitts, time off) so I want to make sure I teach up front I can. Here’s the idea behind the 2 weeks of 11 vs. The World:

11 vs. The World
The series idea came from the USA Women’s World Cup team tagline. I loved it, and when I heard of it I immediately thought about the disciples and how they fought against impossible odds to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the known world. Boom, a series was born.

Week 1 – What Was Your Name Again?
Who were the 12 disciples? We’ll go through each of them by name and look at how God used a motley crew of ordinary people to do something extraordinary. How God is calling each of us to be the light of the world.

Week 2 – Against All Odds
How was it possible that 11 people could change the world? The message of Christ spread to the corners of the known world in an extremely short amount of time – find out how persecution unlocked the passion of the disciples to spread the message of Christ. Find out your place in God’s story as a modern-day disciple and be challenged to continue this epic calling.

JG

6 View Comments June 30, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Cover Songs to Open Youth Group

From time to time we open our services with a cover song – a song from the radio or in our culture that has a fun element to kick things off. This won’t work in every context, but thought you might like to see what one of them looks like in action. Here’s one of our seniors, Kyle Smith, performing Muse’s Feeling Good at the start of Senior Weekend a couple weeks ago.

JG

Add Comment June 29, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts A Team That Retreats Together … Advances Together

One of my favorite traditions we do as a Student Ministries Team here at Saddleback is that we take an annual retreat together. This week I’ve been enjoying a much-needed week away with the team. I needed it for my own soul and refreshment, but our team needs it as well. Here’s why:

We eat/laugh/play together
I laughed last night more than I have in a long time. I laugh a lot, most people even think of me as an easy laugh, but last night was particularly fun. In the “head down” rushing pace of youth ministry sometimes we forget to laugh. Getting away on a retreat let’s you put your guard down. Conversations over meals are the best, and time in the pool or on the tennis courts is super fun.

We share stories together
Last night we had a youth ministry art show – everyone on the team was given a small canvas and asked to create something about youth ministry. It was incredible to see the heart come out and some really unique perspectives on the each others stories and the story of youth ministry.

We make memories together
The more memories, the strong the bond. Staff retreat gives us a chance for spontaneous memories to form and new inside jokes to be created. It helps fill trust reservoirs.

We head home to do battle with the enemy together
The team that retreats together … advances together. Most of the team heads back tomorrow to immediately dive into the final throes of HSM Summer Camp prep. We’ll jump right into an extremely busy season, but filled and ready to fight again for another year.

JG

6 View Comments June 28, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 144

Weekend Teaching Series: Promotion Weekend (1-off)
Sermon in a Sentence: What I wish I knew in High School.
Service Length: 75 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend the message was taught by all of the HSM Staff. Each of us got on stage and did a short introduction of ourselves and what we did on the team, then taught a single point about what we wish we knew in High School. Subjects ranged from identity, friends, evengelism, purity, the importance of Scripture, etc. It flowed surprisingly well having different personalities on stage – made me happy that our team is so diverse in every way. God uses a ton of different people to come together to minister to all types of students. Awesome.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: The weekend had a strong element of fun and lots of student involvment. We had a fun bit up front called “The Freshman Olympics” and played a couple of fun games up front with the incoming 9th graders versus the seniors. We also had a great video-that-turned-into-a-live-performance rap that helped promote summer camp. Lots of students involved greeting, hosting the game, singing and band. Even had a freshman lead one of the songs. Go Brad!

Music Playlist: Summer Camp is Going Down (opener), Rise and Sing, You’ll Come, Holy Holy Holy

Favorite Moment: I love that we can go from a hilarious opener to a powerful worship song at the end with lots of great content inbetween. For sure the highlight has to go to seeing all of the potential of these incredible freshman entering youth group. Pumped.

Up Next: 11 vs. the World (series premiere, week 1 of 2)

Add Comment June 28, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Baptism Weekend Series Video

Simple little video made by one of our students for Baptism Weekend a few weeks back. Feel free to use it if it would be helpful in your ministry, too.

JG

Add Comment June 21, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Awesome Baptism Pics from This Weekend

I know I’m going a little baptism crazy here on the blog … but I loved these images of the weekend in particular. A little story for one of them: the second picture was posted on Facebook by the student, with the caption, “first breath of a new lfe 6-11-11.” Made it all worth it.

JG

Add Comment June 16, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Funny HSM Summer Camp Flowchart Promo Card

This might be one of the funniest/best promo cards we’ve done in HSM. Love it … steal the idea for your summer camp if you want, I’m sure Parker would be OK with it.

JG