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What your pastor REALLY thinks of your blackberry

April 17, 2009 in Culture, Technology, Youth Ministry with 0 Comments

I’ve noticed that more and more people are using cell phone technology in more places, and I’ve begun to deal with it in the classroom setting as well. It’s not uncommon for one of my students to check their cell phone for messages during class.

I’ll have to admit, sometimes it irritates me, although it doesn’t phase them. A recent survey says that baby boomers and Gen Y see the use of cell phones during meetings in different ways. I would have to agree.

Even 57 percent of Gen Y respondents think that it is “impolite” (compared to 67 percent of Baby Boomers). But the Gen Y workers surveyed can deal with it better. Only 49 percent find such behavior “distracting,” while 68 percent of Baby Boomers did. And so it goes, younger workers also tend to find such multi-tasking during meetings more productive (Gen Y: 35% versus Boomers: 20%) and efficient (Gen Y: 35%; Boomers: 17%). While Gen Xers find them to be the most unavoidable (29% versus 21% for Gen Y and 17% for Boomers).

When I whip out my iPhone during a meeting (or church service – which I’ve been known to do), I should probably consider who is with me in the meeting. If I’m with a group of my students, they won’t see it as distracting (49%) as my baby boomer friends do (68%)

So think twice the next time you’re in a meeting and you get buzzed by your phone. Will you take it out or not?

See the whole survey here: Survey Says Baby Boomers Think Playing With Your Blackberry During A Meeting Is Rude

(Image by: Marvin Kuo on flickr)

Young People and Stress

April 8, 2009 in features, Global Youth Ministry, Youth Ministry with 4 Comments

I’m reading Walt Mueller’s book Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture, and in it he talks about the fact that young people are stressed and hurried.

It is true that all over the world young people are looking for ways to relieve stress in their lives. I thought this article over at YPulse was interesting about how young people relieve stress. According to the article that YPulse references, “stress is the invisible global constant afflicting youth of all ages in all markets.”

5 Ways Young People Relieve Stress

  • Listening to Music – 65% of all young people on the planet listen to music to relieve stress. I wonder what they’re listening to.
  • Watching TV – 48% watch TV to relieve stress (but not the news…it stresses them out)
  • Talking to Friends – the use of technology has made this even more available as a stress reducer
  • Sleeping
  • Praying – young people who pray more are less stressed. Ypulse says, “Stressed youth on average pray 3.7 times per week. Relaxed youth pray 8.8 times a week.”

Check out the article on YPulse for the Top 12 Ways Young People Reduce Stress.

Bore No More!!

March 18, 2009 in features, Youth Ministry with 1 Comment

One of my biggest fears when I get up to speak in front of a group of young people, students at the Seminary, or even in “big church” is boring the drool out of people while I’m speaking. Seriously, I have nightmares about people sleeping while I’m teaching about the the book that has caused more life change than any other book in the history of the world.

Jim Rayburn, the founder of Young Life, is quoted as saying, “It is a sin to bore a kid with the gospel of Jesus Christ.” I agree. If God took the time to carefully reveal Himself to us, why do we bore people with this life-changing message?

I bet many youth workers and pastors are the same way. Nobody wants to be remembered as the boring teacher. Nobody wants half of the congregation to snooze through the sermon. None of my students would admit to wanting to bore people while they are teaching.

Well, the good news is that there are some principles that we can apply to our teaching to cut down the bore factor. Here they are.

Five Secrets to “Bore No More”:

  1. If you don’t know where they are, it doesn’t matter where you’re going. You must understand the level of understanding your students have of the topic. It makes no sense to teach about something that they have already learned (at the same level of teaching). Be sure to know as much about your audience as possible so you can teach new things or old things from a different perspective.
  2. You learn better the things that interest you. If you are 16 years old and have the option of learning how to drive a car or how to wash the dishes, you will probably choose to learn how to drive a car (unless someone can convince you of the connection between washing the dishes and finding a girlfriend). Find out what interests your students and teach it to them.
  3. Fulfilled needs leads to effective teaching. When we feel a need, we will go to various lengths to find the answer and fulfill the need. What are the needs your students have right now? Find those out and teach about them.
  4. Without stimulated activity, there is no learning. Teaching is not the act of transferring the teachers notes directly to the notebooks of the students without it ever passing through the brains of either one. It is an interaction with material. Teaching causes life change. You must figure out how to stimulate activity in the learner, or there will be no learning or teaching taking place.
  5. The teacher and the lesson are the same.Your life teaches your lessons and applies what you teach for good or bad. Live what you teach, or the time you spend preparing will be worthless.

What are your thoughts? What would you add? How can you apply these principles?

(image by Phoenixdailyphoto on flickr – if you’re reading in a reader, it’s worth clicking to check out the picture)

If you like this post, check out this book by Andy Stanley (the link is through my Amazon Associates Account): Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication. It’s got some great ideas for crafting and communicating messages.

10 Books for Youth Workers

March 9, 2009 in Technology, Youth Ministry with 0 Comments

Last week, Amazon released the Kindle App for the iPhone. I love the fact that I can download newer books online and read them on my iphone regardless of where I am.

Since I can’t go to the bookstore and pick up the latest books, having the ability to buy ebooks from Amazon is very appealing to me.

Here are ten books that I’d love to read on my iPhone. All these books would be great for youth workers. Which books from the Kindle Store would you recommend?

  1. When Church Kids Go Bad
  2. Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture
  3. Youth Ministry Survival Guide: How to Thrive and Last for the Long Haul
  4. 101 Ideas for Making Disciples in Your Youth Group
  5. The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer
  6. Getting Fired for the Glory of God: Collected Words of Mike Yaconelli for Youth Workers
  7. Youth Ministry 3.0
  8. The Pirate’s Dilemma: How Youth Culture Is Reinventing Capitalism
  9. Comparative Youth Culture
  10. Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication

I’m looking forward to reading some of these on my iphone. What do you think of the new Kindle app?

Check out my post on using my iphone to improve my spiritual life.

Big Picture and Small Picture

March 4, 2009 in features, resources, Youth Ministry with 1 Comment

Last week in our Youth Ministry class we talked mostly about how to create lesson plans. We talked about putting in details like goals, indicators, transition statements, and other things.

Today, in the continuation of that topic, we started talking about the big picture of how to create a teaching plan for youth ministry. It’s not enough to know the details…we have to know where we are going with each of those lessons.

So, we started off the class with this powerpoint game called What is it?. I created it to use in either an English or Spanish setting, so it’s bilingual. The first image is a super close up of an object. The participants have to guess what it is. After ten images, the answers are given. There’s even a bonus in case of a tie.

Feel free to use the free “What is it?” powerpoint game for your ministry. My students did fairly well. I don’t think it’s too difficult or too easy. Have fun with it, and let me know if you use it.

Oh…and while you’re at it, maybe you’re looking for a free Easter Powerpoint game. I created a trivia game about Peeps (the candy) a while ago. Click here for the link to the free Peeps Powerpoint game.

Youth Ministry in Mexico

January 29, 2009 in Center for YM, Global Youth Ministry, Youth Ministry with 0 Comments

We did a survey of the Seminary students (and a current survey is up at our Spanish youth worker site) about the problems that the young people in their churches are going through.

I’m not sure what to make of this information. I just thought it was interesting to see the answers. It’s not a very scientific survey, but it helps me know what the Seminary students (not the YM students) are dealing with in their churches.

Also, the responses that are coming into the forum on our Spanish youth ministry site are a little different than those that the Seminary students gave. I’ll post those responses later.

Here’s how it went:

What problems exist today in the youth of your church?

They gave more than one answer on a sheet, so the percentages are per seminary student, not per total answers.

30 surveys given – 59 answers

  • Rebellion – 21 (70%)
  • Dating Problems – 14 (47%)
  • Sexuality – 8 (27%)
  • Alcoholism – 5 (17%)
  • Apathy – 4 (13%)
  • Drug Addiction – 1 (.03%)
  • They go with whatever teaching – 1 (.03%)
  • Commitment to discipleship – 1 (.03%)
  • Self-esteem – 1 (.03%)
  • Loneliness – 1 (.03%)
  • Youth leadership – 1 (.03%)
  • Nothing – 1 (.03%)

What are you doing about it?

  • Talking with them and their parents, counseling, Involving the family, Talking to them personally
  • I haven’t done anything yet, I don’t know, It’s not being dealt with, Nothing
  • Studies, Sermons, Learning activities, Organizing conferences, Teaching doctrine classes
  • Camps and activities to talk about the problems they have
  • Trying to involve them in the work of the church, Programs to involve them
  • Individual Discipleship
  • Evangelism
  • Gaining their trust so that I can later counsel them and their parents, Building relationships, Spending time with them and their parents
  • Praying for them

(Photo by Hfabulous on flickr)

How to be a Global Youth Worker

January 21, 2009 in features, Global Youth Ministry, Missions, YMI, Youth Ministry with 0 Comments

Series: Global Youth Ministry – This post is part of a series on Global Youth Ministry. Be sure to check out part 1 – Why Global Youth Ministry is Important, Part 2 – What’s a Global Youth Worker?, and Part 3 – Benefits of Being a Global Youth Worker.

Youth pastors have tons of things to do. Sometimes, when you look at your calendar, you think, “How could I possibly fit one more thing in here?” I remember that feeling. I just had it this morning.

But it doesn’t take much to be a global youth worker. Here are some practical things you can do to think globally as far as youth ministry is concerned.

  1. Pray specifically for missions. (Check out five times to pray for us and a great way to remember the world’s youth)
  2. Participate personally in missions (more than just with your group) – YMI is always looking for people who are interested in teaching courses in one of our seminary programs. You can contact us for more information.
  3. Teach your students about missions.
  4. Read biographies of missionaries and use them as examples in your teaching.
  5. Keep up to date with current missionaries by reading their blogs. (Check out missionary-blogs.com for a list of missionary bloggers.
  6. Take short term mission trips with your group. (Interested in coming to Mexico? Contact us.)
  7. Learn about other cultures and expressions of Christianity.
  8. Develop relationships with international missionaries and youth workers.
  9. Give to missions – books, money, resources, etc.
  10. Minister to international students in your area.
  11. Donate your time and talents to missions. There are a lot of things you can do to help the cause of Christ overseas. Get on board with what you’re good at.

If you’re interested in training youth workers internationally, please contact me or leave a comment. Youth Ministry International is constantly looking for international trainers, and I’d love to talk to you more about the opportunities there are all over the world.

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