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Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 77

Weekend Teaching Series: Why I Need Christmas (Week 1 of 2)

Sermon in a Sentence: I need Christmas because I am broken and I need fixing; but it’s been done for me by Jesus coming to earth and dying for my sins.
Service Length: 80 minutes
Bible: Romans 3:23, Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:6-8

Understandable Message: This weekend the action steps for students were to know the cost of our lives and then change our lives accordingly. In the middle of the busyness of the season, we encouraged students to take a moment to look at their current life state and remember the real reasons that they NEED Christmas. Jake Rutenbar filled in for me this weekend, I was enjoying some time off with the family.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students made up the band and ran all of the lights, cameras, sound board and control room. Adult volunteers were around to greet and love on students. Student leaders also jumped into to fill some of the gaps for a weekend where a few staff members were away.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: Everything was centered on Christmas – the stage was decorated, all the slides and backgrounds were Christmas themed, and we showed a couple of funny Christmas videos. We also played “Who Wants to Be a Fifty-onaire” with Christmas trivia.

Music Playlist: We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Solution, Safe, Tear Down the Walls

Favorite Moment: Robby Boyd, playing host of the game, handed his personal cell phone to a student to “phone an elf” as one of the lifelines. In the middle of the fake phone call, the student handed the phone back and told Robby he had a text message from a friend. It threw Robby off for a bit but he recovered by replying to the text while the student took too long to answer the next question.

Up Next: Why I Need Christmas Week 2

(this report was written by our two killer HSM interns Rebekah and Haley – love them so much!)

Add Comment December 8, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 76

Weekend Teaching Series: This is My Story (1-off)
Sermon in a Sentence: Student stories that demonstrate the power of God, changed lives and the hope we have in Him.
Service Length: 59 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend was all about stories – we asked students to share their stories in a unique mix of formats. A couple of them were on video (check them out here and here), others were live, one was done with a song and displayed silently on screen. The message was clear – our stories have value, and Jesus gives us hope. The challenge at the end of the service encouraged students to share their story with someone (like a small group leader) who would care for them.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: This weekend an adult never took the stage – and I loved it! We had good volunteer involvement in the crowd and greeting, but this weekend was run completely by students. A student owned the program, coordinated testimonies, orchestrated all of the moving pieces and pulled it off. A great team of students jumped in to serve – the band, lights, camera, sound, skit, testimonies, editing, dress rehersal, graphics and more – it was all done by them. Super cool – and a nice break for the adults the weekend after Thanksgiving, too.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: The environment was welcoming and positive, though we didn’t have too many typical fun elements. We did had a fun preview trailer for the “Grelf” Christmas video series we’re doing, and the hosts of the weekend set things up with announcements as well. We also brought back the LifeHouse skit – it seemed to fit so well with the stories we were telling. We kind of jumped pretty much straight into the content for the sake of time/feel/direction.

Music Playlist: What I’ve Done (Linkin Park cover), Overcome, This is My Story, Desert Song

Favorite Moment: Lots of great moments, the favorite for me was at the Sunday 11:15am service – Mariah, one of the students who shared her story, celebrated her 1-year birthday of being clean today. We surprised her (and the crowd) with cake for everyone to join in and celebrate with her. So cool – I’m beyond proud of ALL of the students that shared this weekend. Wow.

Up Next: Christmas Series (week 1 of 3)

Add Comment November 29, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 75

Weekend Teaching Series: Do Something (series finale, week 3 of 3)
Sermon in a Sentence: People all over the world are hungry – let’s do something about them in Jesus’ name.
Service Length: 61 minutes

Understandable Message: This weekend the message was all about action – there wasn’t a ton of talk needed! For the previous two weeks we’ve been doing something – packing shoeboxes for kids to have a Christmas and hear about Jesus, signing up for ministries, bringing in hundreds of canned goods and clothing items to give to the needy. And this week, we put out the most impossible goal: to pack 100,000 meals in one weekend. We would be packing food for our Saddleback food pantry, local foodbanks in the community, and food items to be taken on mission trips to Mexico, even Africa. The message this week was in the activity – my heart was that the experential elements of this weekend would create a memory that would last a long time in students’ minds.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: This weekend was the culmination about 5 weeks of meetings, logistics and empowerment. Honestly, the whole project kept growing and growing until we had more than 30 pallets of bulk food ready to be packaged for families. It was an incredible concert of moving parts and personalities, we learned a TON and despite a few minor hiccups and blowups the whole thing really came together. Student leaders stepped up, our adult team was unreal, and as always, my teammates on our HS team were super.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This was work this weekend! But we had some fun by doing the “big church” welcome live from down in The Refinery. It was a total blast, and helped the whole church see what we were up to. We had a great background playlist going as well, so lots of great music (Party in the U.S.A. was the most popular, by far, right or wrong) filled the gym as everyone pitched in to package meals.

Music Playlist: iPod playlist

Favorite Moment: The whole event was run by one of our killer 2-year HSM interns, making that by far my favorite moment. Becka took this thing to a whole nother level and things really came together, she is a great minister with a huge heart. Other highlights: amazing students staying late, student leaders being at many/all services, an exhausted late night Denny’s run, seeing everyone work so hard, watching pallet after pallet being loaded up on the trucks.

Up Next: STORIES (1-off)

1 View Comments November 23, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 74

Weekend Teaching Series: Do Something: A series about social and spiritual action (week 2 of 3)
Sermon in a Sentence: You can “do something” in many different ways – personally, locally and globally.
Service Length: 81 minutes
Bible: Acts 1:8

Understandable Message: This week’s message was again very short — it was almost more of a verse challenge – so we could focus on action right there in the service. I talked about how Jesus’ last words to continue His mission on earth until he returns in Jerusalem, Judea and the uttermost parts of the earth. We divided up each service into 3 groups and sent them to 3 areas in The Refinery – they stayed in the theater to take some personal action [walk], headed to the gym to sign up for local opportunities [drive], and spent 15 minutes in the classrooms to hear speakers talk about global opportunities and action [fly]. Anyhow, we also updated everyone on our goals for the series (clothing drive, food drive, offering, etc) and we make some good progress, too!

Volunteer/Student Involvement: This was the first week of our rotation of schools that rally students to serve by greeting, handing out programs, clean-up, setup, etc. We had a TON to do for a weekend like this, so the extra help was HUGE. So proud of them! The band, camera, lights, sound and control room were also handled by students, and our adult volunteers really had the opportunity to engage with students with the extra help on tasks.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We had some great music, and a very welcoming environment, and used Poll Everywhere to ask students to text in what they been doing since the series is called “do something” – seeing the responses fly on the screen during the opening song was really cool. This video called “He > You” was a neat element, too.

Music Playlist: Use Somebody, Life of Love, Solution

Favorite Moment: Seeing all of the student leadership kids in action was great! I really liked the global action room where the students could hear from James, a Kenyan-born young man who sees the opportunity/need for helping spiritually and socially. And tons of students signed up for local serve opportunities … so while it was crazy with all of the people-moving, there were lots of favorite moments, I guess.

Up Next: Do Something (series finale, week 3 of 3)

Add Comment November 16, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 73

Weekend Teaching Series: Do Something series kickoff (week 1 of 3)
Sermon in a Sentence: Biblical leadership requires serving.
Service Length: 70 minutes
Bible: Matthew 9

Understandable Message: This week’s message was super short – one of my goals for the series is a little less talk and a lot more action. Hmmm … that would make a good song. Anyhow, I shared the vision for the series and our goals for November as HSM’s Do Something Month.

The series donation/action goals:

500 canned goods

400 pieces of clothing

500 boxes of cereal

$6,000 dollars to cover shipping/projects

110 small group service projects

100,000 meals packed

HSM Hunger Day – November 18th

This week, we partnered with Operation Christmas Child to pack 500 shoeboxes with Christmas gifts so kids around the world could hear about Jesus. Our small groups have been collecting a large amount of what we put in the boxes, creating some great synergy between the weekend and the next step in our disciipleship process: Here’s what they collected for the event:

237 bars of soap
295 washclothes
270,380 crayons and pens
216 notebooks
71 tubes of toothpaste
253 toothbrushes
3,999 pieces of candy

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students made up the band and ran lights, camera, sound and the control room. Volunteers met for prayer before the service then positioned themselves as greeters and helped everyone feel welcome. We also had students and volunteers placed around the room to make sure the shoebox-packing went smoothly and to answer any questions that came up.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We had lots of fun this weekend – but it was different from the games and videos we might usually do. Because we let everyone build a shoebox during the service, there was some great buzz and people had a chance to talk and hang out for most of the service. The atmosphere was both moving as we set up the weekend, and relaxed when everyone got a box and started to work on it. So much fun! We also started a “create a custom” series T-shirt contest, and gave everyone an envelope as they left with 30+ challenges to take action this week (see the list here).

Music Playlist: New Born (Muse cover), Solution, Tears of the Saints

Favorite Moment: We opened a few of the shoeboxes and read some of the letters inside. Some were absolutely priceless, the students totally got this project and the heart behind it.

Up Next: Do Something (week 2 of 3)

Add Comment November 9, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 72

Weekend Teaching Series: none, between series
Sermon in a Sentence: Biblical leadership requires serving.
Service Length: 77 minutes
Bible: John 13

Understandable Message: This weekend Jason Petty (HSM discipleship pastor) taught the passage about Jesus washing the disciples feet. He asked a strong question: What do you do when you’re the most powerful person in the room? He talked about Jesus’ serving as a model for us to serve, and how so many use their influence for their own gain. He also announced the start of Student Leadership this year, too.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students made up the band and ran lights, camera, sound and the control room. We had a volunteer help run one of the games on Sunday morning, and other volunteers positioned themselves as greeters and helped everyone feel welcome.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We had a costume contest on Saturday night that had some good energy (Sunday not so much) – the kids dressed as John and Kate + 8 did very well, I might add. We also played a “throw it on the ground game” called Smashing Pumpkins where we tossed the PumpkinFest decorations toward targets and watched them splatter. Fun shooting a live bit outside of the High School room, too.

Music Playlist: Everything, You’ll Come, Center

Favorite Moment: This weekend was the last weekend for HSM team member Zack Barker. He’s a great music/worship leader and is asking God what is next for him. He’s praying about leading music and letting God lead. Great dude, happy for him heading toward where God is leading, but very sad to see him go.

Up Next: A new 3-week series called “Do Something” starts next weekend!

Add Comment November 2, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 71

Weekend Teaching Series: Happy Series Finale (week 6 of 6)
Sermon in a Sentence: True happiness comes from following God’s ways, despite persecution and the challenges that are in the journey ahead.
Service Length: 80 minutes
Bible: Matthew 5:10-13

Understandable Message: This weekend we focused on the last of The Beatitudes – that Jesus calls us to be perscuted for His name’s sake. It was a challenging message, because I was afraid the talk would end on a downer note, and as always we try to think about non-believing students in the audience as well. The message focused on standing alone, and responding correctly to persecution.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students made up the band, created one of the videos, did announcements, and ran all of the lights, camera, sound and control room. We’ve been blessed with great volunteers as well, and our new prayer and connect right before eah service is helping bond the team together and maximize their involvement in the services.

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We played a great new game called Ninjas4Christ.com, a hilarious game of breaking boards and spinning the Wheel of Destiny. Very clever stuff – and the website is a hilarious if you haven’t checked it out. We had a couple of videos, too, including the best of the HAPPY Public Service Announcements, too.

Music Playlist: Sing Sing Sing, Hosanna, Fix You, Overcome

Favorite Moment: Matt Reynolds, part of the security team in the Refinery on the weekends, shared his amazing story through his teenage years and his heart for students today.It was about how after losing his parent – drugs, and alcohol claimed his group of friends. The 5 friends became 4 … then 3 … then 2 … then he was alone. Powerful message of hope and a challenge to follow God’s ways.

Up Next: 1-off (TBA)

Add Comment October 25, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 70

Weekend Teaching Series: Happy: Week 5
Sermon in a Sentence: True happiness results from a heart that is pure.
Service Length: 71 minutes
Bible: Matthew 5:8 (NCV)

Understandable Message: This week I began the home stretch of our 6-week series by focusing on one of the Beatitudes – Happy are the pure in heart. I focused on how the heart is the center of our character and any impurity, even small, ruins it all. I started with handing out a batch of cookies to the audience, but telling them not to eat it until I let them know the final “secret” ingredient. When I revealed what it was, students were able to realize that even a little “yuck” ruins the entire cookie. So that’s where I took the talk – God wants our whole heart, anything less and we miss the point.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: The band was made up of students who doubled as greeters, students also did lights, camera, sound, videos, editing and more. The skit from last week on forgiveness made it to the big leagues, too – we had a student band, choir and drama all in big church this weekend (would it be wrong for me to count them in my totals? Ha!). Awesome! Adult volunteer involvement was high as well, with volunteers running the game and greeting students, too!

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We had the music video for “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” during the countdown, and enjoyed a couple rounds of Will it Blend? (rubber bouncy balls and glow sticks). We had another PSA video, as well as a PumpkinFest promo video that both landed, too. Very fun service – grab the complete program sheet here!

Music Playlist: Glory to God, You’ll Come, It is Well, You Hold Me Now

Favorite Moment: Music this week was a high point for me – really what I needed for sure. But the highlight of the weekend had to be when a student named Alec shared his story, and his whole small group took the stage behind him. Alec’s small group leader “Doc” introduced him, it was really powerful hearing him share about his life being turned around and life change. After the service Doc and I had the prvilege of baptizing Alec, surrounded by his dudes. Epic moment for sure.

Up Next: Happy — Series Finale (week 6 of 6)

Add Comment October 18, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 69

Weekend Teaching Series: Happy: Week 4
Sermon Title: Forgive … but don’t Forget
Sermon in a Sentence: The road to happiness is paved with forgiveness.
Service Length: 77 minutes
Bible: Matthew 5:9 (NCV)

Understandable Message: This weekend Doug Fields hit it out of the park with a powerful talk on peacemaking through forgiveness. He had a tons of stories, illustrations and played a perfect clip from Billy Madison. Doug taught Saturday night because of a Sunday commitment, so when the projector bulb burned out just before the talk started … well, chaos. Incredible message!

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students really went the extra mile this weekend. In addition to camera, lights, sound, band control room and greeting, students performed an awesome dramatic reading at the end of the service (video of it soon, called I’m Broken). Another student shared her testimony on forgiveness, and another helped me co-host the Family Feud game. Amazing weekend of serving!

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We played one round of Family Feud answering the question – what makes you happy? The top 7 answers were on the board, and we got the answers by sending out a Simply Text earlier in the week and compiling the results. So fun! When I was at McDonald’s this week, I noticed the McNugget box said “4 McNuggets: an Excellent Source of Happiness” so we “tested out the idea” and gave everyone a McNugget to eat as well. Total chaos, total blast. We also played our 4th PSA and a sweet video about God’s forgiveness, too.

Music Playlist: Your Name High, Happy Day, Tear Down the Walls

Favorite Moment: I loved it all! One of my favorite weekends ever …

Up Next: Happy — Week 5

UPDATE: Forgot to let you grab the program sheet if you’re interested.

Add Comment October 13, 2009

Josh GriffinMore Posts HSM Weekend in Review: Volume 68

Weekend Teaching Series: Happy: Week 3
Sermon Title: It’s A Choice
Sermon in a Sentence: The road to happiness is paved with a passionate love for God and others.
Service Length: 75 minutes
Bible: Matthew 5:6-7 (NCV)

Understandable Message: This week Doug Fields covered the verses from The Beautitudes – happiness comes loving God and others. He contrasted the world’s way (seeking power, praise and pleasure) against God’s design (love God and love others). Fields explained righteousness using Paul’s words from Philippians 3:7-9 (I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ). Fields is the king of illustrations. He used cardboard cutouts (one of himself and one of Jack Bauer) and a white sheet symbolizing God to illustrate his own journey toward God and how even a guy like Jack Bauer needs to make the same journey. It was fun, simple, clear, and easy to understand. At the end of the message, Doug gave the students three choices. They could be apathetic and tune out, indifferent and turn away or merciful and take action.

Volunteer/Student Involvement: Students ran lights, camera, sound, control room, band, greeting, stage design, and cleanup. Volunteers helped greet and sat with students. Lots of students involved this weekend, I love it!

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We played a game of Comedy Sports. Two teams of 3 students representing two of our area schools competed in 3 games like on the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway. I liked this game because there was great crowd interaction. Download the program sheet for this weekend here.

Music Playlist: Be Okay (cover), Yours Forever, Desert Song, Overcome, Take It All

Favorite Moment: In the 6:30 service, we had one of those moments youth workers play in their minds over and over for years to come and wish we could go back and fix. The cardboard cutout of Jack Bauer was pretty flimsy so it didn’t stand up on its own. It fell and landed inappropriately on the cutout of Doug. We lost the crowd to laughter and disbelief for a while. I wasn’t sure we would get them back. The favorite moment could also be the worst moment. I guess it’s my favorite because I’m glad it didn’t happen to me.

Up Next: Happy – Week 4

(I was on vacation this weekend, so this report was written by Dennis Beckner, long-time HSM volunteer and youth ministry volunteer blogger extraordinaire)