Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Youth Ministry Lite #14

Welcome back guys! Our first resource is found at www.daveramsey.com under the section "Kids, Teens, and Money". Teens today do not understand about money management and you have the perfect opportunity to teach them! The curriculum is titled "Generation Change" and for $169.00 you can get 1 Leader's Kit and 8 Student Kits which come with t-shirts (Single student kits are $19.95). Dave Ramsey is the best teacher of how to gain financial peace for adults and students alike. With teens believing you can live off of a plastic card there is much need for financial guidance. For the most part they are totally clueless. Teaching them now before they are on their own could potentially save them from making life altering mistakes. Make sure you hold a discussion and allow the teens to ask questions and make comments so you can know where they stand and what you need to address.
Our second resource is one to share with your teens and possibly have a fundraiser to purchase the t-shirts ($18.99) which I believe are a great resource themselves. At www.askmemystory.org, teens can join a community of their peers and be equipped and encouraged to share their faith. The t-shirts proudly proclaim the websites name which will have your teens friends asking them about their story.
For our talk sparker this week I would like to think about how your ministry is making an impact for Christ with the teen gay community. First of all, have you taught a lesson on homosexuality, how to witness to homosexual teens, and so forth? Is your youth ministry a safe haven where no off color comments about being gay are made? Would an openly gay teen feel welcomed and loved? I want to leave you thinking about that and how you could improve this aspect of your ministry. We will finish talking on this subject in next week's column. Have a blessed week and remember, every teen deserves hope!
If you are interested in receiving my monthly Youth Ministry newsletter, The Ministry Minute, please email theministryminute@yahoo.com and I will send you a free first issue so you can decide if your interested. It has a variety of columns, including this column, as well as stats on teens, humor, and much more.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Interested In Having Me Speak?

I have quite an amazing testimony of my journey to Christ. I accepted Christ at the age of 27 and prior my life was full of drinking, pain pill addiction, immoral relationships, and just an overall sinful lifestyle. I was at the end of my rope, had relapsed with my addiction and was just coming out of a deep depression which was so bad that I just wanted to die. I had no job and was living with my mom and her abusive husband. We had just kicked him out and were filing charges due to his actions. He had not allowed my mom to work so we sat in an unfamiliar town, the closest family 5-6 hours away, and had no idea how we were going to survive. It wasn't until we called a local church seeking groceries that I saw the love of Christ. The Pastor brought us 2 sacks of food and extended an invitation to attend services the next evening.

We attended faithfully for several months and on the last evening of revival, I heard Christ tell me that this was my last chance, I either chose Him that night at that moment or He was done with me. Over the past three years God has completely transformed my life. I have found purpose and success, the latter took awhile as we struggled to get on our feet. But for the first time in my life I was truly happy. My circumstances no longer determined my future. My mother and I actually accepted Christ at the same time, not something many Christians can say! God has lead me to work with teens and I seek to share my testimony, along with the wisdom God has given me, with them.
While my calling is Youth Ministry, I enjoy speaking to all age groups.
Please contact me and lets talk to determine whether I am the speaker you are looking for. Have a blessed day!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Youth Ministry Lite #13

Welcome Back Youth Ministry Addicts! Our first resource is a great website that should be on every Youth Leaders list, www.youthspecialties.com. This website has numerous free resources such as articles, podcasts, newsletters, tips, and even resources taken from a variety of well known films. The site also offers books for your students and leaders, as well as curriculum's from different publishers. If you are interested in finding an event to take your group to, this is the place to go.
Our next resource is the must read book, "The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success" by Andy Andrews. This book brings to light seven personal decisions everyone can implement into our lives to reach our potential.
The main character, David Ponder, is facing very tough times, just as many Americans are today. David travels through time meeting some of the most amazing people who have ever lived. Each one sharing a principle that is necessary for a successful life. I will not tell you anymore because the suspense is part of what makes this book great.
Andy has even written a youth edition, which follows the same basic storyline, just different characters and events. This is a must read for your entire team as well as a great idea to have your youth group read and discuss together. Set aside seven weeks, each week discussing the next decision. Be creative and come up with lessons that will help teens relate the decisions to their daily lives. Visit Andy's website, www.andyandrews.com, to order this and other books. I highly recommend purchasing the journal to accompany the adult version as it will help you to study each of the decisions and implement them into your life.
For our talk sparker I want to discuss Attention with Intention. It's a bit of a tongue twister but think about what both words mean for a minute. Have you ever had a student or two who were class clowns and couldn't seem to get serious when you were teaching? Or maybe you have a student that just doesn't understand how important it is for them to pay attention to what you are teaching. Maybe you haven't had a teen like this thus far, if that's the case then you will have one soon! It's just something we as Youth Leaders will deal with from time to time. So what I pose today is this lesson idea, Attention with Intention.
Your group meets for one main reason.....God. We do not meet to play games or chat with friends. While all that is absolutely fine, as we want to create a fun and loving environment, when it comes time to teach the lesson, your teens full attention should be on you and what you are saying. Not only should they be hanging on your every word, but they should have every intention of using what they are learning in their daily life. Make sure that you get the teens involved in the discussion.