Already Gone: I knew this book was a bit contraversial (that's partially why I picked it). ;o) But whether we agree or not, I believe it's going to provoke some examination of our thinking, and some great discussions. I'm always a fan of learning something new and allowing it to challenge what I believe. It will either reveal areas of weakness, or it will affirm that I'm on the right track.
I knew that the European church was in trouble, but I didn't realize the degree. I've heard these statistics before, but they always alarm me. Especially those that address the people who grew up in church and walk away. Where is the disconnect happening?? That's what I'm really interested to learn - I look forward to seeing what they came up with.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
AYM Goal Setting - Kristie
March 31, 2010; Goal setting - not something I do well! However, with Pastor Annette’s help, I feel I have a goal set for this first quarter.
My goal is to have a higher quality of devotional/study time.
Action steps:
1. Set aside a specific time for my devotional/study time. Mornings are not good for me so I have set the alarm on my phone for a time in the evening, so that even if I have fallen asleep in my recliner it will wake me up and I can go study. After 2.5 -3 months prayerfully this will be one of my good habits.
2. Engage more on Sunday mornings. Sometimes with the fill in the blank style of notes, I find myself not listening to the message as close as I should be. So I am going to buy a notebook and start writing my own notes like I used to.
3. Find an accountability partner, to follow up with me to see if I have done my part to achieve my personal study time.
4. Maybe try to do some topical bible studies instead of just ‘reading’.
My goal is to have a higher quality of devotional/study time.
Action steps:
1. Set aside a specific time for my devotional/study time. Mornings are not good for me so I have set the alarm on my phone for a time in the evening, so that even if I have fallen asleep in my recliner it will wake me up and I can go study. After 2.5 -3 months prayerfully this will be one of my good habits.
2. Engage more on Sunday mornings. Sometimes with the fill in the blank style of notes, I find myself not listening to the message as close as I should be. So I am going to buy a notebook and start writing my own notes like I used to.
3. Find an accountability partner, to follow up with me to see if I have done my part to achieve my personal study time.
4. Maybe try to do some topical bible studies instead of just ‘reading’.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Josh's PDYM Review
Sorry I am one of the few stragglers to post my review. I joined the process late and didn’t get a book until late, then had to give it back early. So, here is what I have to say about what it did read:
I really don’t like to read, so getting my read anything BESIDES GUITAR STUFF is difficult. I thought that it was an easy read in the fact it flowed well from one topic to another. I liked how he separated items out into tools and other stories. Those are the types of things I seem to remember. There were 10 tools, I don’t remember them off the top of my head and I don’t have a book to help this review along either. For the most part I thought the ideas were practical.
A few items I remember from the beginning of the book were talking about a mission statement. It seemed that he focused a lot about that and made several references to it later. It makes sense why he would put such a huge emphasis on this idea. If one does not have proper focus you will ALWAYS be off the mark. Sometimes you may come close due to random luck but that isn’t what we are here for. We are here to be lead by God and the Holy Spirit. That really stuck for me as I am a very structured person in general and I think over the last several months I have lost some needed focus. I wonder why I feel so distant from God at times and all I have to do is look at the basics (for the most part); how much time am I spending in the word and prayer. For me, it seems that it isn’t the time in prayer but the quality of prayer that tends to lack at times.
I know I am supposed to list 3 things but I really am having a brain block. I feel that maintaining proper focus will make a huge difference in my walk with Christ. I know we are supposed to but it’s easy to lose focus at times, especially when things get so busy.
After reading some of the other posts Miss Turner spoke of not comparing ourselves to others. I think this is a huge thing I have struggled with throughout my life. Mark also talked on this quite a bit one of the nights he spoke. I actively have to rebuke thoughts about comparing myself to others or the take hold and weeks later find myself getting more a more frustrated. I am a good analyzer, so, I feel it is easy for me to both look at the positive and negative aspects of things in a situation and on a personal level. This is what I was trained to do for the last 6.5 years in school and the last year on the job. That skill can either be great or be a big hindrance if not kept in control. The hard thing is when I see the great qualities in other and wonder why I can’t do that myself. In the end, I know I have the keep this in check to, not only to walk in accordance with what Christ wants for me but also to allow God to impact as many people as possible through me.
Peace Out!
I really don’t like to read, so getting my read anything BESIDES GUITAR STUFF is difficult. I thought that it was an easy read in the fact it flowed well from one topic to another. I liked how he separated items out into tools and other stories. Those are the types of things I seem to remember. There were 10 tools, I don’t remember them off the top of my head and I don’t have a book to help this review along either. For the most part I thought the ideas were practical.
A few items I remember from the beginning of the book were talking about a mission statement. It seemed that he focused a lot about that and made several references to it later. It makes sense why he would put such a huge emphasis on this idea. If one does not have proper focus you will ALWAYS be off the mark. Sometimes you may come close due to random luck but that isn’t what we are here for. We are here to be lead by God and the Holy Spirit. That really stuck for me as I am a very structured person in general and I think over the last several months I have lost some needed focus. I wonder why I feel so distant from God at times and all I have to do is look at the basics (for the most part); how much time am I spending in the word and prayer. For me, it seems that it isn’t the time in prayer but the quality of prayer that tends to lack at times.
I know I am supposed to list 3 things but I really am having a brain block. I feel that maintaining proper focus will make a huge difference in my walk with Christ. I know we are supposed to but it’s easy to lose focus at times, especially when things get so busy.
After reading some of the other posts Miss Turner spoke of not comparing ourselves to others. I think this is a huge thing I have struggled with throughout my life. Mark also talked on this quite a bit one of the nights he spoke. I actively have to rebuke thoughts about comparing myself to others or the take hold and weeks later find myself getting more a more frustrated. I am a good analyzer, so, I feel it is easy for me to both look at the positive and negative aspects of things in a situation and on a personal level. This is what I was trained to do for the last 6.5 years in school and the last year on the job. That skill can either be great or be a big hindrance if not kept in control. The hard thing is when I see the great qualities in other and wonder why I can’t do that myself. In the end, I know I have the keep this in check to, not only to walk in accordance with what Christ wants for me but also to allow God to impact as many people as possible through me.
Peace Out!
Steve's PDYM Book Review
My perspective on this book is a little different because I originally read it when I was servant leader for Ardent. So the impact from the book is a little different for me. I believe the book The Purpose Driven Youth Ministry was a Godsend for me. I had just stepped into the role as servant leader for our youth ministry when I found this book just laying there in our former youth pastor’s office. Our full time youth pastor had moved on to other endeavors in his life and I felt I could offer the leadership our ministry needed at that time. But there was a problem, I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t go to Bible college and didn’t have any type of ministry training. I went to a state school and graduated with a Criminal Justice degree and most of my experience had been working with criminal kids. Basically, I had the heart to minister to students, but no practical training.
So, as you can see I needed a little help. This book gave me structure and direction and it really gave me a starting point. Most people who have been living in evangelical bubble has heard the words "purpose driven" and understand what this phrase is based off of. It is based off the five fold purpose found in Matthew. What I found the most helpful about the five purposes is it gave me a foundation. It gave me a way to measure if I was fulfilling those purpose. It was kind of like a gauge for me. As I progressed in the ministry I could back and look at the book to see if I was following the purposes. It helped me come up with a purpose statement so I could convey the vision for the youth ministry to my youth sponsors and students. Most of all it helped lay a foundation from the beginning.
It gave direction on how to develop leaders and how to ministry to different type of students. It also gave practical advice on how to organize my time. It also gave ways on how to cast vision for the youth ministry. I could go on and on with all the tips, instructions, how to’s and ways of doing ministry that the book offered, but I would end up writing a book. This book, other than the Bible, is a youth ministry training guide. If you are entering youth ministry or have been doing it for years, it is must read. It will really help with purpose and direction.
So, as you can see I needed a little help. This book gave me structure and direction and it really gave me a starting point. Most people who have been living in evangelical bubble has heard the words "purpose driven" and understand what this phrase is based off of. It is based off the five fold purpose found in Matthew. What I found the most helpful about the five purposes is it gave me a foundation. It gave me a way to measure if I was fulfilling those purpose. It was kind of like a gauge for me. As I progressed in the ministry I could back and look at the book to see if I was following the purposes. It helped me come up with a purpose statement so I could convey the vision for the youth ministry to my youth sponsors and students. Most of all it helped lay a foundation from the beginning.
It gave direction on how to develop leaders and how to ministry to different type of students. It also gave practical advice on how to organize my time. It also gave ways on how to cast vision for the youth ministry. I could go on and on with all the tips, instructions, how to’s and ways of doing ministry that the book offered, but I would end up writing a book. This book, other than the Bible, is a youth ministry training guide. If you are entering youth ministry or have been doing it for years, it is must read. It will really help with purpose and direction.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Annette's 3 Month Goal (& Example for you)
Goal for March 31st: Plan out my own leadership development for 2010.
Action Steps:
P.P.S. When you write a new post, add LABELS to it. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see them. Make your name the first one - then choose from those that are already there (don't add new labels). This makes it easy to find specific posts later when we have our conferences.
Action Steps:
- Request transcript from Trinity. DONE (2/25/10)
- Apply to take correspondence courses to pursue my state ministerial credentials.
- Select 6-8 books to read this year and order them. (selected not ordered, need $$)
- Talk to Pastor about accountability in my own leadership development.
P.P.S. When you write a new post, add LABELS to it. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see them. Make your name the first one - then choose from those that are already there (don't add new labels). This makes it easy to find specific posts later when we have our conferences.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Final Review - PDYM
Well the book is finished. What a GREAT youth ministry tool. I so appreciated his down-to-earth perspective. And even though there are tools that he mentions that are beyond our resources, he's also very careful to mention that you can do without it.
I was relieved while reading the section on leaders. That's pretty much a mirror of how I've viewed team building in ministry. It's nice to be affirmed by someone with a successful and fruitful ministry. :o) I liked the 10 step process he mentions. We basically do most of those things! I think I may refine our process a little bit for future leaders. And I like that he says current leaders and students should help invite new leaders!!
I have to admit I skimmed the Peseverance chapter. Confession... It wasn't anything new, but again it was very well articulated! I've read a lot on this topic this year with Signet. The discipline info was awesome. Very practical and scripturally based. I know that I will refer back to this book often. I would also highly recommend it to anyone in youth ministry.
I was relieved while reading the section on leaders. That's pretty much a mirror of how I've viewed team building in ministry. It's nice to be affirmed by someone with a successful and fruitful ministry. :o) I liked the 10 step process he mentions. We basically do most of those things! I think I may refine our process a little bit for future leaders. And I like that he says current leaders and students should help invite new leaders!!
I have to admit I skimmed the Peseverance chapter. Confession... It wasn't anything new, but again it was very well articulated! I've read a lot on this topic this year with Signet. The discipline info was awesome. Very practical and scripturally based. I know that I will refer back to this book often. I would also highly recommend it to anyone in youth ministry.
Wrapping Up PDYM
Okay leaders! We were scheduled to have finished this book by the end of December. :o) So that means I need to see a blog entry from all the guys on the book. Please give me a basic "book review". Include 3 things that stood out to you as principles that you will personally try to implement and why. Ladies, if you would like to, you could give one final book review - just give your overall feeling about the book or about the last couple of reading segments.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Pastor Annette - AYM Signet 2010
Well I kind of warned you all that this day was coming. haha 1 Corinthians 9 says...
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
To me, this verse speaks of being INTENTIONAL in our spiritual growth! We can't just sit back and hope it happens. We must PURSUE Jesus Christ and His work in our lives! My desire for each of you, as we work together in youth ministry, is that we don't just run aimlessly. That we're not just showing up on Wednesday nights and "beating the air" - just following what's on the schedule. My desire is that we are seeking supernatural intervention in every service! That we follow God's leading in how to minister to the students we've been entrusted with...and what we need to do in order to bring other students to Christ. We all know that doesn't happen by accident!
Let me ask you a couple of questions. (I'm asking myself these very questions.)
So in January, we are going to begin our very own AYM Signet group. It will last one year. I am going to open it to the adult volunteers that help with AYM, but it will be voluntary for them. I'm thinking about opening it to student leaders as well (also voluntary), but I haven't decided yet. (Let me know what you think about that idea.) For sponsors, it is required. Here are some of the details:
At the end of Haggai, the Lord speaks directly to Zerubbable and says “I will make you my signet ring.” I believe he says this for three reasons.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
To me, this verse speaks of being INTENTIONAL in our spiritual growth! We can't just sit back and hope it happens. We must PURSUE Jesus Christ and His work in our lives! My desire for each of you, as we work together in youth ministry, is that we don't just run aimlessly. That we're not just showing up on Wednesday nights and "beating the air" - just following what's on the schedule. My desire is that we are seeking supernatural intervention in every service! That we follow God's leading in how to minister to the students we've been entrusted with...and what we need to do in order to bring other students to Christ. We all know that doesn't happen by accident!
- What are you doing right now to grow in your knowledge of God's Word - to STUDY it?
- How much quality time are you devoting to intercession and soaking in God's presence?
- Can you look back at the last 6 months and identify areas of your life in which you made specific effort to grow?
So in January, we are going to begin our very own AYM Signet group. It will last one year. I am going to open it to the adult volunteers that help with AYM, but it will be voluntary for them. I'm thinking about opening it to student leaders as well (also voluntary), but I haven't decided yet. (Let me know what you think about that idea.) For sponsors, it is required. Here are some of the details:
- The purpose of this leadership development group is to grow as Christian leaders and increase our level of influence in the areas we lead.
- We will read 2 books during the year together. I'm working on selecting those books right now and I will develop a reading schedule.
- You will be asked to blog about the reading once a month. For those who are not "computer savvy", you can email your thoughts to me (or call me, or keep a journal of notes and give it to me) and I will post them on the blog for you. Just because I get wordy in my blogs, you are not required to have a certain number of words or anything. :o) I am just asking for at least a couple of thoughtful sentences about what you read...why it was significant to you, if you think it will change your spiritual life in any way, if you disagreed with anything you read, etc. The purpose for blogging is two-fold: accountability and to stretch one another! Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
- You will be asked to set a 3 month goal (obviously 4 times a year). The goal should be focused on your own personal growth and your growth in leadership. I will give some examples when the time comes. The goal should be measurable and provide action steps for how you will work on it.
- We will have a Signet conference every 3 months. I have not decided the best way to do this yet. We could possibly do a conference call, and those who are in Yankton could just meet me at my office. I'm open to suggestions there too. At the conference, we will discuss the book in more detail, we will talk about how we're living the values of Hunger, Humility, and Excellence, and we will give an update on our goals.
At the end of Haggai, the Lord speaks directly to Zerubbable and says “I will make you my signet ring.” I believe he says this for three reasons.
- A Mark of Envelopment: Having the signet ring meant you knew who you worked for. You belonged to the king and represented him when he was not visible. Lest we forget that we are representatives of the Most High, we are enveloped in His purpose for our life and ministry.
- A Method of Encouragement: To know you are the “signature of God” is encouraging. Many leaders today simply need encouragement. Participants of Signet may be challenged and stretched, but we are here to encourage each other in leadership development.
- A Means of Empowerment: Having the “signet ring” meant power or authority. Signet should provide a sense of empowerment that says to each leader “I can do this.” As we grow together we should become more confident of leadership abilities that we are developing. (Thanks Pastor Mark.)
Monday, September 21, 2009
September reading
It's so cool that this section was focused on parent involvement...since we're having Parents Night in a couple weeks! I definitely think being a parent of a teenager helps my perspective. Maybe you didn't think about it this way, but the reason I try to have Bible Studies and EP end at 5:00 or shortly thereafter, is because the evening is FAMILY TIME. We don't want to compete with that. I'm also aware of bogging our calendar down with events because of the pressure I feel in my own house.
Here are some of the other ideas that I'm definitely going to mention at Parents Night:
Here are some of the other ideas that I'm definitely going to mention at Parents Night:
- We already have this mentality...but I strongly agree that parents are NOT the competition for time. I got a huge kick out of his statement about his boot camp mentality. "Give me your kids in junior high...I'll have them converted, baptized, educated, sancitified, dry-cleaned and ready for pick up at 18." HAHAHAHA Although I think there are some parents who would take us up on that kind of offer!! :o)
- Our role in students' spiritual development is helpful, but parents is CRUCIAL! I definitely want to remind them of that. But that we ARE here to help in any way we can.
- He did mention those that come from unchurched families - we definitely have a greater role then. For those students, I don't mind competing for their time a little bit. I will never disrespect a parent's wishes, but I wouldn't feel bad trying to convince the student to get deeply involved in every possible program we offer. Their life depends on knowing Christ!
- We are not here to teach them how to parent. We offer support, reinforcement of values, and advice if asked.
- I am going to ask parents a few questions. What are their fears? How do they view our role? What are their highest priorities when it comes to time available? Are there topics that they would like to see addressed in AYM?
- I do communicate regularly with parents. I'm still finding the best way to do this. I could schedule a quarterly parents email. So far, I've just been sending them on an "as needed" basis. I'd love to hear some feedback about that. Quarterly would probably be better. We could do some of the student features that we've talked about in the past. ???
- He mentioned offering family resources. I have a limited library, but I've seen it used already! I'd like to build this for the future.
- As you know, we're definitely inviting parents to volunteer at various levels of youth ministry. I think this is going to be a great addition!
- In 1GR, we have very short weekly assignments. It's either a "DO", "ASK", or "WRITE". The ASK involves a specific question that they must ask someone else. Usually it's a parent - and it involves some kind of spiritual matter. So that creates a great opportunity for discussion! (The DO is a challenge to go do something related to the topic we're covering, and the WRITE is to write a journal entry about something specific.)
Monday, August 24, 2009
PDYM - August reading - Kristie
Well I am finally ‘caught up’ with my PDYM reading - thanks to the revised reading schedule. :-) It seems like in my reading the last few weeks it has covered a wide range and is somewhat overwhelming. So I will just touch on a few of the ‘highlights’ that hit home with me.
Doug Fields wrote “Nurturing students means faithfully helping them grow in their relationship with God.” I love this statement! This is why I am involved in youth ministry; to help these teens so they are not out floundering in the world. But yet I couldn’t really put into words what nurture meant so I went to dictionary.com and this is what it said: 1. to feed and protect; 2. to support and encourage during a time of training and development; and 3. to bring up, train, educate. The first definition was ‘eye opening’ to me; we need to feed and protect these teens, and to do this adequately we have to be healthy Christians. These teens are in a critical training/development time in their lives. Soon they will be thrust out into the real world of jobs, college, etc, and be expected to have it figured out so they can survive their christian walk on their own.
Of all my reading the last few weeks this chapter on small groups is what seemed to be the most influential on me. I like what Doug wrote about small groups: ‘that in small groups we share our lives with one another.’ I have started thinking differently about our life groups (alias small group); it is not a time for other adult leaders to lead but it needs to be an opportunity for us to nurture the teens and share life with them - theirs and ours - and learn how to do it God’s way together. As Doug said a group of nurtured students in an environment of love will experience a depth of ministry never reached by someone being up front and running the show. I think for myself when leading a ‘small group’ it was just that; I was leading instead of letting it be a group involvement. Those quiet times, those unasked questions, and even the questions which we have been unable to answer are all vital to the teenagers growth; even though it may be an uncomfortable time for the ‘leader’. I also think that through life groups as we develop them more will be able to tweak them to target a certain group, whether it is a core group, a committed group, or a congregation group.
I also liked the chapter on committed students and the H.A.B.I.T.S. The take home journals and studies. Somehow we need to get these young adults to start digging into God’s word and petitioning Him through prayer in their own prayer closets.
I feel like I have somewhat rambled but I have to admit that is the way some of it is in my head; seems like I have read through so many good ideas and statements that I can’t blog about it all. So I wanted to get some of this on paper now, as I review what I have read and as we begin to put it in practice I know that it will become even more clearer. Again it comes down to health not numbers. Because when we are healthy (individually as well as a youth ministry) then the growth in numbers will come. We have to first be faithful with the ones we have been given to feed and protect.
Doug Fields wrote “Nurturing students means faithfully helping them grow in their relationship with God.” I love this statement! This is why I am involved in youth ministry; to help these teens so they are not out floundering in the world. But yet I couldn’t really put into words what nurture meant so I went to dictionary.com and this is what it said: 1. to feed and protect; 2. to support and encourage during a time of training and development; and 3. to bring up, train, educate. The first definition was ‘eye opening’ to me; we need to feed and protect these teens, and to do this adequately we have to be healthy Christians. These teens are in a critical training/development time in their lives. Soon they will be thrust out into the real world of jobs, college, etc, and be expected to have it figured out so they can survive their christian walk on their own.
Of all my reading the last few weeks this chapter on small groups is what seemed to be the most influential on me. I like what Doug wrote about small groups: ‘that in small groups we share our lives with one another.’ I have started thinking differently about our life groups (alias small group); it is not a time for other adult leaders to lead but it needs to be an opportunity for us to nurture the teens and share life with them - theirs and ours - and learn how to do it God’s way together. As Doug said a group of nurtured students in an environment of love will experience a depth of ministry never reached by someone being up front and running the show. I think for myself when leading a ‘small group’ it was just that; I was leading instead of letting it be a group involvement. Those quiet times, those unasked questions, and even the questions which we have been unable to answer are all vital to the teenagers growth; even though it may be an uncomfortable time for the ‘leader’. I also think that through life groups as we develop them more will be able to tweak them to target a certain group, whether it is a core group, a committed group, or a congregation group.
I also liked the chapter on committed students and the H.A.B.I.T.S. The take home journals and studies. Somehow we need to get these young adults to start digging into God’s word and petitioning Him through prayer in their own prayer closets.
I feel like I have somewhat rambled but I have to admit that is the way some of it is in my head; seems like I have read through so many good ideas and statements that I can’t blog about it all. So I wanted to get some of this on paper now, as I review what I have read and as we begin to put it in practice I know that it will become even more clearer. Again it comes down to health not numbers. Because when we are healthy (individually as well as a youth ministry) then the growth in numbers will come. We have to first be faithful with the ones we have been given to feed and protect.
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