volunteer training | More Than Dodgeball

Josh GriffinMore Posts Texting Gossip Illustration

This is the first week of HSM’s small groups all together at church! In recent years we’ve taken a few weeks before we split up into homes and walk students and leaders through the first few nights together. It gives us a chance to be relational with all of our leaders and to pour into and train them while we’re getting their groups off the ground.

So tonight I was walking all of our Life Group students through HSM’s small group commitment and covenant sheet. Earlier today I had a risky idea tied to it that I wasn’t sure would work … but it did! I wanted to illustrate the speed and the reach of gossip – and how it has no place in our small groups because of its destructive power. I sent a text message to a few students and leaders, and asked anyone if they got the message to forward it to a few other people who were in the room as well.

Did people look at their phones during the rest of the message? Occasionally, yes. But it was worth it. At the end of the challenge (which included a strong word to uphold confidentiality and fight the temptation to gossip) I asked how many of them got the message. A huge percentage of the group had already gotten the text! It had spread quietly and like wildfire through the room – I had no idea if the social networks of friends would extend to the whole room, but it sure did.

All it said was: “this is how fast and how far gossip spreads. “

I hope it was a meaningful moment for everyone and a fresh take on the old game of “telephone” in the past.

JG

1 View Comments October 12, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts SYMC 2012 Digital Conference Brochure

Open publication – Free publishing

Super excited to play a part in the Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2012. Hope you’ll join us – here’s a digital version of the new SYMC2012 brochure that just was mailed out. So excited – see you in March!

JG

1 View Comments September 12, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts POLL: Background Checks for Volunteers

We’re heading into fall … which means a ton of new volunteers are going to be needed to help with your youth ministry. What a great time! Now … this is a must in today’s culture – have all of them been background checked? This is a non-negotiable for us – vote in today’s poll where your ministry fits in!

JG

UPDATE: The gang over at Simply Youth Ministry told me that SYMTools has a great solution for the youth ministry that doesn’t have background checks yet. Be sure to check out their TEAM online volunteer software – might just be perfect fit!

7 View Comments September 5, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: Thinking Like a Parent at Summer Camp

I love hanging out at camp and want these students to feel like this is a special place where they are free from expectations, peer pressure, or distractions (Xbox or cell phones). But while I want them to feel free to do a lot of fun and amazing things, I think a couple of times the volunteers and myself need to stand up and say no. Here are three that happened at middle school camp that I have shared with my volunteers:

Don’t Cut Girls Hair
Since we keep different cabins for the boys and girls, after 9PM I have little control over what happens in their cabin. So I received a surprise when the girls came up and each had a new haircut. At the time I chalked it up to crazy girl time that I did not understand, but when the parents saw it after we got home, I received an ear full. Apparently one of the girl’s felt pressured to do it and hated the results. At that point, it did not matter that she rededicated her life or really made some amazing connections.

Make Sure They Eat
It was not reported to us that one girl was anorexic, but at the beginning of camp she was not eating much of her meals. After sitting down with her and having he promise to eat, it did not become a problem the rest of the year. It really was not a big deal until her parents talked with us after camp. Apparently, our encouragement and non-judgmental attitudes completely removed her doubt of self-worth. Those few days back, she ate more at family meals without putting up a fight than she had in years.

Support The Parents
A lot of junk comes out at camp, in cabin time and one-on-one’s. Some of the time, those conversations lead to how much they do not feel loved by their parents or that they wish thy were around more. This is not the time to give false hope, but we want to support an uphold the family. Reminding them of good memories, love even in busyness, and sharing in what could be after camp is a perfect way to honor the parents.

Jeremy Smith is a 26-year old youth pastor at the Air Force Academy chapel, working for Club Beyond, and attending Denver Seminary for his Master”s of Arts in Counseling Ministries. He has been involved in Youth for Christ for eight years — check out his blog at Seventy8Productions.

3 View Comments August 28, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Final Batch of Summer Camp Rules Posters

Here’s the final few funny-but-serious rules for Summer Camp. You can view the first one here and a few others here to see the complete yet. Anything for youth ministry, right?

JG

4 View Comments July 11, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts More Summer Camp Rules Posters

We decided to do a fun-but-real take on our Summer Camp rules this year (here’s the original post) and thought you might enjoy a couple more of the posters we’ve made up for camp.

JG

1 View Comments July 6, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Fun Take on High School Summer Camp Rules

We’re doing a fun take on HSM Summer Camp’s rules – instead of the stuffy normal bullet list of things to not do, we did a quick photo shoot and summarized the rules. Hopefully still clear and not to diminish their enforcement, but given a little more creatively. Fun, right? I’ll post all 8 as we get a little closer to camp so I don’t spoil them for students.

JG

4 View Comments June 22, 2011

Josh GriffinMore Posts Free Evangelism Training this Tuesday

Don’t know you’ve heard about Dare 2 Share’s interactive webinar training this Tuesday (May 17th) with Greg Stier. It is designed for youth leaders who are nervous about evangelism and looks super. Check out Evangephobia for more details and to sign up!

Evangelism. For many, this word conjures up images of a street-corner preacher or a madman using a bullhorn and thumping people on the head with a Bible. But are those the only options? Join Greg Stier, President of Dare 2 Share Ministries for a lively, interactive webcast about sharing our faith and its role in youth ministry. You and other youth leaders will explore some of the most common fears surrounding evangelism, learn how it can help accelerate spiritual growth in your teenagers, and discover simple steps you can take to make it fit within your current youth ministry.

JG