Next Gen Ministry circa 3200 BC (new ministry blog post)

When it all comes down to it, we have a pretty straight forward job as youth pastors and leaders.  All of the programs, systems, toys, distractions, trips, and events will pass by.  I promise, they all fade given enough time.  Anybody remember the Newsboys inflatable concert domes with the motocross guys?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

But here, in Psalm 78, we find the basic part of what we are about.  Check it out:

1 My people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will teach you lessons from the past—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done. 

Really, that's it.  We teach what we have been taught.  All so that the next generation will meet and love Jesus for themselves.  Then they will pass it on.  You and I only have so much time on this planet to get this done.  No, really, our time is kind of quick here.  Think about how quickly your college years are going/went by.  It goes fast.

Use the tools God has given you.  But don't confuse your iPhone apps for ministry.  They aren't.  Which gets your love, time, and attention?  Where are you investing yourself?  What does your calendar and wallet point to as priorities?


Let's not hide what we know from our children, instead, let's pass our stories on to the next generation.  It's not a new idea, but it's crucial.

Questions?

We all have questions and students have some of the toughest questions. It is important that we lead them through these tough questions. Please watch the video below and be challenged to confront the tough questions that are stretching students within your ministry.

THiNK

Hey Everyone,

I have been doing video production and editing for a little while now. I have found the THiNKMediaTV YouTube channel very helpful.

They interview many people who are doing video production in churches and give them a chance to share pointers. They give many resources that are helpful to pastors or leaders who are looking for some ideas about video production. I actually just watched their interview with two of the production guys at Mars Hill in Seattle and it was an awesome interview.

Here is their intro video:

Then there is THiNK International which is another channel by the same guy and his friend that interview youth pastors and pastors. Here is there intro video.

I figured these would be helpful for those of you looking for good content (interviews with pastors and ministry leaders) and also those looking for tips on video production. Enjoy!

Broken, Beat Down, Exhausted, But Open Handed

Yesterday was one of the hardest days I've had for a long time.  It started badly, with a hundred little problems at the house, from a flooding basement to stress with our kids, a headache that wouldn't leave, realizing I had messed up on our ministry calendar that I had just mass printed, and a bunch of other junk like that.  All of that was in the first hour I was awake.

But then, once I got done with being drenched in the torrential downpours we were having (it was so bad I had to change raincoats, because my first waterproof coat got soaked!), I finally made it to work.  Then things got even tougher.  A ministry situation came up that completely caught me off guard.  After a couple of decades of ministry, I kind of think I've seen pretty much some version of all I'm going to see.  This one was a new one.  I won't go into details, but it completely caught me off guard and left me reeling for several hours. 

I was beat up physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  I honestly found myself wanting to go to bed at one in the afternoon.  No, really, I'm not just saying that.  I was spent halfway through the day.  But it wasn't a normal day, it was going to be one of those "extended into the night" times of ministry.  I was in trouble.

Have you been there?  Beat up, spit out, and pushed down by everything around you?  It completely stinks. 

Here is what I have learned on handling those days.  The first thing I did was asked some other people to pray with and for me.  I have a church staff around me, so I pulled in a couple of guys, gave them the minimum details, and asked them to pray.  They did.  They also gave me some great resources.  I texted some core friends and asked for prayer.  Not all of my close friends, just some.  I simply didn't have time to text everyone.  I prayed.  Desperate, angry, confused, hurt prayers poured out of me.  It wasn't a picture perfect, me on my knees by the window, hands clasped kind of thing.  It was more like my head down on my desk, begging God for help.  I am not a natural prayer warrior.  I'm a doer.  BUT, I have learned that I can't make it in those times until I pray.

Secondly, I remembered that it is not my problem to fix.  It's God situation.  I'm not in charge, or responsible.  I am one tool that He is using on that day, in a tool box full and overflowing.  God never lacks in resources.  I am just one.  When I remind myself that I am not the savior, or the answer, it brings the anxiety and blood pressure back down.  It also encourages me to pray more, which is what I need to be doing.

Third, I took action with what I could.  I didn't set around and stew on things.  After begging God for wisdom, and getting really centered on the fact that He is in charge, I did what action steps I could.  I made calls, rounded up help, etc.

Then I prayed some more.

Listen, you got into ministry because you want to help people know God and love Him more.  That is beautiful.  But hear me on this, you are NOT anyone's savior.  You're not.  Period.  Don't let that thought run amok in your head and heart.  God is God, you're not.  The job's taken.  When things crash hard, don't grab them tightly.  Open your hands and heart to God, and prayerfully, faithfully, play your part.  But only that.

When I finished my last meeting and finally headed home, the situation had opened up more, and things were not looking better.  But my heart was light, and I actually had joy.  Not because the situation was better.  It's not.  But because God had answered multiple prayers, and as I obeyed and listened, He gave me the gift of joy in spite of my circumstances.  I went home knowing He is in control, and He loves everyone in the situation.

What are you facing that is overwhelming?  How will you respond today?

When things are 'off' - PERSEVERANCE

We've started the conversation of the reality of having seasons of ministry that are 'off'.
The question is, if you are in that season, what do you do?
When I am in the midst of one of those times these 5 "P's" are the things that I check myself on. The first was PERSONAL. The second was PRAYER. The third was PREPARATION. The fourth was PACE
The fifth is this ...
PERSEVERANCE

All throughout Scripture we are told to persevere
To keep running
To not quit
That is true for (maybe even more so in certain ways) for those in ministry
Sometimes, you can check everything else and it can all be in place
And yet still you struggle
Still it's hard
Still things are just off
Then what?
You
Just
Keep
Going
Don't stop
Don't give up
Believe that no matter what God IS at work
Both in you and through you

In fact, I'm convinced that some of you today
Right now
Are wanting to stop
To give up
To just be done
Don't
The God who called you to the ministry
Is the same God who will sustain you through this time
Cling to Him and just keep going

The "I Think I'm Going to Puke" Moment of Disicpleship With Students

Your hand reaches over the top, desperately trying to find a hold.  To the right, to the left, and then finally you find a sliver of an edge that you can grab.  Holding onto that fraction of an inch, you pull and push and get just enough of your body up over the ledge that your weight isn't on your exhausted legs anymore.  That's when it hits you, laying there on your stomach, your feet dangling out in space, trying to catch your breath; you've made it!  All of that work, all of that stress, the uncertainty of it all finally comes together as you top out on the climb.  Deep down, no matter how many times you may or may not have done this before, you know somethings changed inside of you.  As cliche as it sounds, you know that you won't ever be exactly the same as you were before.  There is a new piece to who you are. 

No matter how many times I've went rock climbing, topping out always produces the same feelings in me.   When you get to the top of the rock face and hoist yourself up and over, it's just such excitement, pride, relief, hope, and honest joy.  If you've never done it, I know it sounds hokey and made up, but it's not.  It's an amazing experience.

As I've taken students climbing over the years, I've learned to recognize when a student decides they are going to finish the climb or not.  There is a place, usually around 50-60% of the way up the rock face, that you can tell if they are going to give in to the fear, exhaustion, and uncertainty and come down, or if they are going to push through all of it and make it all the way up.  I'm not sure how to describe it, but there is this point where all of the encouragement from below, all of the instruction before they started, all of the thoughts they had going into it fade, and they simply decide this is something worth doing.  This is something worth finishing.  They will pay the price and see this through.  It becomes THEIR climb, THEIR challenge to finish.  So they do.

In our discussion on the five levels of spiritual growth on the pyramid, the fifth one is the level of Leaders Producing New Leaders.  It's the idea of a student who has moved through the relationships, evangelism, beginning discipleship, and advanced discipleship and then decides to pour all of that into someone else.  It's the last level for students on the chart, so it's the smallest, with the fewest students, and it's almost impossible to program and create.  We can set up relational events (level 1) where students get to know each other.  We can build the gospel (level 2) into times so students hear it clearly.  We can provide clearly regimented Bible training and skills classes (level 3).  We can even create service opportunities  (level 4) for kids.  But this level is a bit different.  For this one to really work, a student has to make that decision.  They have followed Jesus up this rock face, but now they have to decide for themselves if they are going to move forward to the last level or not.  Many don't.  Some do.  It's between them and Him much more than with us as their youth leaders. 

For students who do, it means they turn around to their peers and begin looking for people to build relationships  (level 1) with, and prayerfully considering who they can walk through the five levels with.  It's the very essence of discipleship.  That's why we make it the goal of the process.  We want to make disciples who make disciples.  It's Biblical (Matthew 28:19,20 among many other verses) and it resolves this issue of how many students we "lose" at graduation.

But it's largely beyond our control.  We program towards it, and model it.  It is up to our students, in that period of stress and uncertainty, to decide if they will keep climbing or not.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on all of this.  Please contact me or post a comment below.

How much can you bench?

How much can you bench?

Walk into any weight room where any guy is working out, and that's the question that you'll hear.
Middle school
High school
College
Young adults
Old guys pretending to be young guys
The question is the same ... how much can you bench?
Did you ever fall into that trap?
Thinking that somehow if you had a big number that you could bench, that made you the man.
In my high school if you could get into the 300 club, then you had arrived.
Here's the thing though, when you look at most men, would you say that they are in shape?
Sure, they can bench press a small house ...
... but they have chicken legs because they never work on them
... walking up stairs winds them and cause them to look for the elevator
... other muscles are overlooked and neglected because of all the time spent on that one area

You do realize, that as youth pastors, we still fall into this same trap
You meet another youth pastor for the first time
You get together with a group of youth pastors
You get in Monday morning and are meeting with your senior pastor
And, almost without fail, what is the question?
How much can you bench? = How many students have you got coming?

Because somehow if you have a large number of students, that is the measure of success
The reality is that you can have a ton of students showing up for your stuff; and yet experience no life change.
You can be packing a place out, and still be failing in your call

The goal isn't a big youth group
The measure of success isn't a big youth group
Your identity is not found in a big youth group

The goal is that students would love and serve Jesus
The measure of success is obedience
Your identity is found in Him

So, take a deep breath
Stop buying the lie
And focus in on leading your group to become all that God has called it to be

How Being a Gym Rat Makes You Holy - Advanced Discipleship in Youth Ministry

In the past couple of years, I've become one of those guys who goes to the gym multiple times a week.  I hit my late 30's, was out of shape, and didn't like it.  But it took a doc telling me I had to go if I didn't want to come in and see him all the time to get me motivated.  I don't go to be studly (I'm a 40 year old dad, after all).  I don't go because I love it.  I go because it's what I need to do to be healthy, and live life in a way that works.

What's funny is that before I went regularly, I would talk about being healthy and in shape.  I was active at a basic level, ate okay, and thought I was alright.  I wasn't.  It began to show.  So, I learned how to go on a regular basis, and over time, it's made a huge difference in a ton of places in my life.

When we talk about discipleship with students, there are some similarities for us to understand as leaders.  If a person is going to grow spiritually, the beginning pieces of discipleship are necessary.  We talked about those in the discussion on level 3.  (You can read it here.)  Bible study, prayer, and other disciplines have to be there.  But they are not enough, they aren't the end.  We have to go farther if we want to continue to grow and live like we are designed to.

Helping students engage in acts of service, finding out what it means to sacrifice, to forgive, to love, and to do these things in the way Christ teaches us to, that is what we call Advanced Discipleship on our pyramid.  It's Level 4.  We intentionally create opportunities for students to serve weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annually in different areas, in different ways.  We mentor students and help them learn to forgive those who don't ask for forgiveness, to serve those who may not be expecting to be served, to love those who may believe they are beyond being loved.  When we help students do these things intentionally, we help them move from talking about being in shape spiritually to putting some training to it.  Much like working out on a consistent basis, it begins to shape them when they take it on as part of their lifestyle.  It also prepares them for life after high school, to live out their faith and continue growing when all of the camps, retreats, and lock-ins are done.

It takes planning on our part.  Remember, by the very design of the pyramid, you will have less students at this level than any of the previous three.  You might be talking about small numbers by the time you get to level four.  Don't try to pull all of your students here.  Also, your programming should reflect this pyramid as well.  If you are doing all service projects, and doing them with the goal of having every student serving as an act of advanced discipleship, you're missing the point. 

It's interesting that today, students from all levels are interested in service.  We have found that service projects can actually be effective at any level on the pyramid.  We use them to involve new students, we use them as evangelism TO the students serving, and on up the chain as well.  So, we need to be very direct in why we are setting up a service project.  What is our goal, and who are we trying to reach with it?  How will we know if it succeeds or not?

Level four is tough because it often takes a bit of work and resources to do well, and often reaches less students.  It is crucial though, as we try to help students become disciples.

I'd love to hear what you are doing for advanced discipleship with your students.