This video is of a 13 year old girl being introduced to an LP record for the first time, and it’s a reminder that youth ministry is really cross-cultural.
We must work hard each day to figure out how to be relevant to their culture, so the gospel isn’t something we put on an LP and expect them to listen to on their iPods.
What’s innovative today will be old in no time.
(Via: Kottke)
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Saturday we had our first Youth Ministry Forum at the Seminary. It was a first for many things.
I think it was the first time the format was used for a youth ministry event (at least at our Seminary). We tried to make it very interactive and participatory.
We also transmitted live on the Internet (using Ustream), including the members of the chat in the discussion. We had about as many people participating via the internet as we had in the auditorium.
There were people from Juarez, Oaxaca, Monterrey and all over Mexico watching what was happening. I never heard if there was anyone from any other countries watching the forum. But overall, it was a good discussion.
Here are some pictures we took of the event.
I just read a great article over on the Fuller Youth Institute blog called “The Science of Storytelling and Listening“.
In the article, Jon Huckins lays out a pretty compelling case for using Storytelling as one of many methods of teaching in youth ministry. He says,
“As youth workers who are passionate about inviting our students into the Story of God, it is important that we follow in the footsteps of our Rabbi, Jesus. Jesus was the master storyteller, and true to Rabbinic tradition, one-third of his teaching was done through the art of storytelling. Similar to Jesus’ parables, modern day storytelling is a method that might provoke more questions than answers. The story becomes a conversation starter, not a conversation finisher. This isn’t always true, of course. As youth listen and engage in the story, they can process some of the answers because the story meets every teenager in a different spot of their faith experience.”
This is a pretty important idea for those of us who are involved in teaching or preaching. It’s worth reading the article, and I might have to pick up his book, “Teaching Through the Art of Storytelling: Creating Fictional Stories that Illuminate the Message of Jesus” (affiliate link).
I had been reading the book along with the rest of the Youth Ministry International trainers all over the world, so it was pretty easy to write the review for him.
Last Saturday we celebrated the 4th graduation of youth ministry students at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. Juan Roman Jacinto graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in youth ministry. He also received a YMI certification, meaning that he has proven that he can put into practice what he has learned in the classroom. Juan will be opening a diploma in youth ministry extension on the coast of Oaxaca starting in August.
We also graduated our first 3 graduates with a diploma in youth ministry. These three have taken 9 youth ministry courses on Saturday mornings and completed the coursework necessary to receive a certificate, or diploma in youth ministry. They are all very active in their local church youth ministries and in the lives of young people throughout the week. This program was started two years ago to satisfy the needs of those who cannot attend Seminary classes full time but need youth ministry training.
The graduation at the Seminary was a great time for our family. We enjoyed being able to participate in the entire thing, now that we live directly on campus. The boys were able to play with their friends and we stayed for the banquet. We are very proud of all the graduates from the Seminary (there were 6 overall bachelor’s degree students). Many of them have taken youth ministry classes as electives and have become our friends. We will be sad to see them go, but we know that God has great things in store for them in their ministries.
