The Youth Trip Part 1

Promote - 

We promote events at youth group, through Parent newsletter and e-mails, web site.
Sign Up - 

We don't use sign up sheets. We use an event envelope for a few reasons:
a. there isn't the signing and then scratching out of names which then causes other students to do the same.
b. the registration fee is turned in with all the important data info.
c. I no longer am involved in the process other than knowing who is going, etc.
Prepare -

Arrange transportation.

Recruit drivers.

Line up youth leaders.  A ratio of 1 adult per 10 students is good, I like 1 to 6 or 7.

Arrange hotel/cabin/beach house.

Arrange meals/meal money.

Make a check list of what is needed for the trip.

Collect Medical Releases.

Assign another youth leader to collect prescription medicines and be the "nurse".

Track registrations/payments/medical releases on a spreadsheet.

Fuel up the vans.

Pack the first aid kit.

Get the groceries (if needed and recruit cooks well in advance if needed and let them plan the meals and grocery list on a budget)

Leave on time, even if you leave someone behind.

Return on time, don't make parents wait for a long time at the church.

I gotta pack!

Great Advice for Life

This morning I read Psalm 26, there are some great words of wisdom to be found here on living life.  These would be some great words of advice to instill into our students whether we are parents or youth leaders:

• Integrity must be a priority
  
• Trust God without wavering
  
• Be open before God
  
• Live a life of truth
  
• Don’t live life with the wrong crowd
  
• Don’t hang with those who pretend to follow God
  
• Avoid bad company
  
• Love to worship God
  
• Think about your redemption and God’s mercy
  

These are keys to an unshakable life.  No promise here that life won't be tough but how will you stand when the tough times come?

Parents - The books of Psalm and Proverbs are great books to read while your family has breakfast together in the morning before heading off to school.  If you don't take the time to spend with your teen before the day begins give it a 30 day test run, this may require you to get up 15 minutes earlier, and see if this makes a difference in your family's life.  Sure your teen may groan and grumble for a week or two but after time it will become part of their routine. Read to them, let them read, pray for them before you head to work and they head off to school.  If you drive them to school this is another great time to talk about what you read that morning.  

Winterfest

We are going.  Several years ago we started attending this event.  In the "early" years we had as few as 4 go with us.  Each year our group has grown.  This year will be our largest group yet.  We are stoked!  There are lots of great music artists and speakers at Winterfest.  I'm even more stoked about the team of adults I have going with me, there will be 7 adults going to keep an eye on the young 'uns.  In general I think a ratio of 10 students per adult is good, but I think 7 to one is even better.  

If you haven't heard of Winterfest you can check out their site.  We have met their groups that travel as far as Houston, Texas to attend.  There will be about 8000 of us rockin in the new year together.

Luke 2 

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 
 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

This verse has been rollin around my noggin now for a few weeks.  Why would the angels say, “on earth peace”?  

At the time the angels sang this to the shepherds there certainly was not peace in that region of the world.  Rome was an occupying force.  The government had been taken over and now the Jews had to submit to an invading government.  No peace to be found there.

Were the angels delivering a message to the shepherds that the messiah would bring peace to their lives?  Shepherds were on the bottom rung of the latter of society.  It is doubtful that they would live peaceful lives due to the birth of Christ.  We know that Jesus did not bring peace to Israel.  His teachings caused division and even shook up the religious leaders.  Jesus life ended in a very non-peaceful way, the cruelest way to be put to death, on the cross.

The arrival of Jesus Christ, God born in the flesh, was the arrival of peace.  Not a peace from strife in the world.  Not a peace from war.  Not a peace between men.  The peace the angel declared was peace coming as the sacrifice for our sins that makes peace between God and us possible (not automatic).   Jesus is the peace.  Peace on earth, Jesus on earth.

This Christmas I pray you know this Peace, the peace that Jesus brings.

This Sunday Night

Contagious Tonight

Tonight we met at the bowling alley.  Nothing says Christmas like a game or two of bowling.  We had a great time.  We had a whole bunch of students and our youth ministry team was out in full force they gave us a few more lanes than we had reserved.  Lots of bowling, hanging out, picture taking, time spent in the arcade.   The lesson tonight was on fellowship, it was a "hands on" lesson.  We had a few guests so it was a great way to introduce them to the youth group.  We then went to Taco Bell and came down on them like a plague swarm of flies.  The Taco Bell staff was a bit overwhelmed, but they did well.  I had a good 20 minutes or so in line to build relationships with students.   Always call and confirm with the fast food restaurant to remind them that you are coming with a big group.

Youth Ministry Is and Isn't

Youth Ministry Is:

• A team effort
• Parent ministry
• Fun
• Hard
• Heart breaking
• Joy filled
• Vital
• A blast
• A bummer
• Tiring
• Energizing
• Relationship building

Youth Ministry Is Not:

• Possible with a contract mentality
• A holding tank for future "pastors"
• The magical pill to grow your church
• Possible with one lone youth worker and no support
• Best when being micro-managed
• To be handled like a corporate office
• A baby sitting service
• A travel agency with an activities director
• All fun and games
• Possible while under  unrealistic expectations

Anything you can add to this post?

Communication

I try to overcommunicate.  Even when I overcommunicate I apparently don't always communicate.  Does this communication make sense?  

Here is the communication line for youth events at NHC:

1.  Announced weekly at youth group.

2.  Printed announcement on student's hand out

3.  Communicated in the monthly Parentline newsletter calendar

4.  Placed on the events page of our youth web site and church calendar

5.  Parents and YM team get a weekly e-mail with the info and links to the web page

6.  Depending on the event we make posters.

7.  Communicate on Facebook with our groups and events

8.  Special reminder e-mails 

99.9% of our communication is done online because the majority of parents have e-mail and web access.  This saves a small forest.  

How does your youth ministry communicate?

Leadership

Listening to Leadership Development: A Working Model with Steve Stroope.

Some great stuff on this Defining Moments audio training from the Willowcreek Association.

As I was listening I was reminded of my past church experience where there was a committee on committees that annually calls church members and recruits them to do their time.  A person may be called out of the blue, as the C.O.C. goes through the church phone book, and asked to serve on the children's team.  The member may have no passion or desire to work with kids but say, "yes" out of guilt.  Probably most people don't know how to say "no".  I have learned how to and am good at it.  The member agrees to serve and then more than likely gets zero training. The person then serves for three years because that is the term  of that committee position.  As Steve Stroope said, "We don't want anyone to get too much power."  Those poor people who are actually serving where God has shaped them have no hope of longevity in serving where they find joy and are passionate because they can only serve for 3 years.

I hear criticism from church folks at times.  They can be critical of a leadership approach where some great leadership skills and tips come from the corporate world or even from some of the "mega" churches.  Yet many churches model their leadership after the structure of our government.   Hmmmmm....which one works best?

I think Moses was given some great advice from his father-in-law to spread out the leadership, you can't do it all.  Many committees (at least the ones I have experienced personally both in the church and small town government) do nothing more than talk about getting something done.  Teams work together to accomplish the task.

The lesson I've learned today is never lead alone.   As a leader I should have someone working along side of me learning to lead.  Every leader of every team needs to have an assistant leader.  This is the process building up the leadership team in the church.  Leadership Development is vital to church health.  Many churches in America have no strategy for leadership development and as a result their growth is stunted because for one pastor to try to lead a whole church is not Biblical.  There are lots of great leadership models out there.  Find one that is working and customize and adapt it to work in your church setting.  Jesus led twelve and through that process those twelve became leaders.  We should be doing the same.

Big Day in the Neighborhood

Every day I drive past the spot where Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved and successfully pulled off the first flight.  The day was December 17, 1903.  So if you fly the friendly skies today take a moment and think about the imagination and creativity of these two brothers from Ohio. The next time you have an idea and someone says, "Impossible!", think of the Wright Bros.  So happy anniversary to these two bike makers.