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about an hour ago.
Serving in Christian ministry should be a life-building, life-giving, life-inspiring experience for leaders, spouses, and families. So why isn’t that always the case?
In this book, youth pastor Brian Berry pours out his thoughts on why it’s so tough to build a healthy life, a healthy marriage, and a healthy family in the midst of ministry craziness. He focuses on the three best gifts you as a youth worker can bestow:
A Message from author Brian Berry
Just reading this book won’t transform you into a youth worker with a healthy self, marriage, and family. But reading this book will guide you, challenge you, and inspire you as you ponder the stuff that we all wrestle with as followers of Jesus, the stuff we strive for as spouses, and the stuff we yearn for as parents.
Brian Berry serves as the generation ministries pastor at Journey Community Church near San Diego, California, where he works directly with high school ministry and oversees a staff that is responsible for infants through 20-somethings. Brian is also a frequent blogger, writes and teaches for youth workers, and speaks at various conferences, camps, and retreats for a variety of audiences. He and his wife Shannon have five kids.
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Posted by Scott Rubin
I wasn’t intending to write a blog post right now. But just had an interaction that made me want to jot some things down? (If you can see a parallel between middle schoolers and senior citizens, this post might make sense.)
I got in early this morning, needing to crank through some things before anyone else gets to the office. I flipped on my computer, and went to empty my overflowing trash can before attacking my day. Walking back to my office, I ran into a 70-year-old volunteer from our church who helps do cleaning stuff around here, early in the mornings. (In my opinion, jr. highers and senior citizens can both be a bit ?invisible? to people if they?re not careful!)
When I said ?how are you doing? to this guy (not realizing he was really going to tell me!), he proceeded to fill me in about the stroke he had last year, and how he?s recovering from it. I was aware that I really wanted to get to my office & dig into the stuff I need to get done today? but I tried to dial in with him? it only took 5 minutes. Honestly though, I was probably half-listening, and half thinking of my ?to-do? list for the day. He told me about how his left side was paralyzed last May, but now he?s doing better.
As I wished him a good day & started to leave, he said 5 words that made me pause:
Mission trips can be very heavy on logistics. Where you go. Where you stay. Who you serve. How you serve them. What you eat. How you get there. And many more details? Ugh. In the mountain of all that info, it?s easy to miss planning and preparing for what may be the most important thing that will happen on your mission trip.
Your students encountering Jesus in new and powerful ways.Let?s quickly make sure we agree on a few things (I?m sure we do, just double-checking):
OK, do we agree? If so, then?
To get started here?s several questions to ask to help shape the spiritual growthgoals you have in mind as part of your mission experience.
Where are my students and adults at spiritually?
- individually
- the group as a whole
How do the following issues impact your times of worship or spiritual [...]
It’s just days away! I spent a good amount of time today working on my upcoming workshop!
We’ll be examining the outside voices coming at young girls and how the church can counter those voices.
What are some messages that you think girls are hearing today? And what can the church do to help them?
Also- will you be at Simply Youth Ministry Conference? If so, let’s have coffee!!!
Help a girl out! I’m working on my third session of my Small Church Youth Ministry track at the upcoming Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Louisville the first weekend of March. Post your ideas in the comments here. My brain is fried and so its time for me to pick yours!
q Jeremiah 1:4 ?The Word of God came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.?
q God had a vision a plan for you. Do you have one for the assignment He has given you?
q Vision: The picture of God?s potential, purpose, and possibilities for your life.
q Show me a person without vision, and I will show you a person who is at a standstill in life.
q Proverbs 29:18 ?Where there is no vision the people perish.?
q Life Point: The key element to getting out of my present state is the vision that I have for myself.
q Jeremiah 29:11 ?For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope,
Vision Truthsq True vision goes beyond what I can accomplish on my own.
q True vision adds value to others.
q True vision attracts vision.
q True vision must have God in it.
q Acts 2:17 ?And it shall come to pass in the last days says God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams.?
5 Road Blocks to Vision Failure
I’ve got a feeling this poll will be a little polarizing. Do you listen to secular music? Would love to know your thoughts about the type of music a youth pastor can listen to and vote in this week’s poll!
JG
Josh- Thanks for putting the brackets around “secular”. While I’m one of the people who said “LOVE IT”, I would also like to clarify that I’m not the guy who listens to just anything on the radio. I’m not going to buy something just because it’s got a good beat. I tend to put some thought into what I listen to (or what movies/TV I watch). It’s all about critical thinking…and if it doesn’t contradict/offend my faith, isn’t spirtually detrimental, and isn’t something I would be able to enjoy with one of my teens (or my mom) in the room (eg. laden with profanity, sexuality, hedonism), than it’s all good. I think it’s important to teach our teens to be critical thinkers rather than simply outlawing something on the basis of it being “secular”. And while, I, like some of the other posters, wouldn’t touch Christian radio with a ten foot pole, I definitely also dig worship stuff that appeals to my musical taste.
More Than DodgeBall – Youth Ministry Blog by Josh Griffin – Saddleback Church's High School Youth Ministry (HSM) A blog about youth ministry and youth worker life from the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church.
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While there are secular and sacred lyrics, or at least lyrics with secular and sacred themes, is there such a things as “secular music” and “sacred music” beyond that? Is a Sousa march sacred or secular? How about Greensleeves? or Finlandia?