Earlier this week, I gathered with YS Blog Authors, national ministry leaders, and other trusted youth ministry voices for a casual conversation about how they approach training for their volunteers. Check out the entire conversation below:

The panel included these brilliant folks:

• Rachel Dodd
• William Cumby
• Brian Aaby
• Keith Trollinger
• Stephen Hale
• Daniel Chapin
• Todd Jones
• Jim Hancock
• Jonny Radcliff
• Brandon Lynch
• Darin Weil
• Andrew May

Also, we are fortunate to have an incredible team of YS Blog Authors who have written about training volunteers from lots of different angles. Here are 12 of my favorites from the blog:

• 5 Tips for Training Volunteers When You’re Lacking in the Budget Department
• Volunteering Beyond Youth Group
• Creating Volunteer Expectations
• Create a Work and Life Balance for Volunteers
• What to Develop When You’re Developing Your Volunteers
• 7 Ideas That Will Help You Connect with Busy Volunteers
• Communicating with Youth Ministry Volunteers
• Dangerous Volunteers: Understanding Signs of Sexual Abuse in Youth Ministry
• How to Remove a Youth Leader
• 7 Deadly Sins of Student Ministry Volunteers
• YS Idea Lab: Five Tips for Training Your Own Volunteers

JACOB ECKEBERGER is the Content Manager at Youth Specialties, an itinerant worship leader, the spouse of a church planter, and a long time volunteer youth worker. You can find him blogging about social media and digital strategy ideas at JACOBECKEBERGER.COM.

The post Idea Swap: Volunteer Training appeared first on Youth Specialties.

My youngest child is leaving soon for a mission trip with her youth group.  In my morning walking/praying routine, I was thinking about her upcoming experience.  I prayed for a lot of things during my walk, but the one thing I did not pray for might be surprising the reader—

What didn’t I pray for?

Her Safety

As a former youth pastor, I have led trips and participated in local missions for decades.  In those years I tried to anticipate every possible scenario and account for them.  I made sure each student was properly supervised by a loving and patient adult.  I made sure every seatbelt was clicked before we departed.  I made sure everyone was properly immunized.  I made sure every power tool was safely used.  I made sure each work crew had liquid Benadryl on hand (long story but a good one). I made sure those with special diets had something to eat.  I made sure that everyone got proper rest.  This “list” was endless really (Read between the lines here parents and hug your youth pastor) but I did those things because that was the correct and prudent thing to do.

When Jesus sent the disciples out to do ministry he sent them with this admonition, “Be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).”

In essence, Jesus was saying, “Be smart. Be aware of your surroundings and the cultural norms of where you are in ministry.  But, don’t let your focus on your preparations and desire for safety close your hearts off to the needs of others and to what God might be doing in your heart as well (author paraphrase).”

As a youth pastor, I made every effort to properly care for other people’s children.  I wanted their bodies taken care of (wise), but on some level I wanted their little hearts to be well…broken (innocent).

That is not something you tend to drop into the recruiting materials for your trips.

Go with me here for a second.  My limited understanding of building muscle is that during a workout the muscle fibers actually tear.  The reason one rests a day or more between workouts is in order for each tear to heal so that you can tear it again and in the process build muscle.

When I encounter someone who is fit and obviously muscular I don’t assume they are genetically blessed, I assume they had to endure struggle and discomfort.

Our souls are not dissimilar.

The saints I have been blessed to encounter and deeply respect literally glow with personal piety.  But, when you listen to their stories you find commonalities—pain, struggle, suffering, doubt, but through it all a deep and abiding faith rooted in a dependent relationship with the living Jesus.

And so, as my youngest departs on her inner city mission trip, I pray for her to struggle.  I want her to have awkward encounters and conversations with the homeless. As she settles into her air mattress at night I want her to shed a tear for the child her age that came through the sandwich line.  I want her to stand toe to toe and eye to eye with someone who asks why this little girl from the suburbs cares about them.

I want her to know that faith demands something of us. 

Until our hearts hurt for others, we cannot advocate for them.  Until we struggle with our “blessed-ness,” we will not share.  Until we are exposed to overwhelming need, we cannot express a faith that blurts out in desperate prayer, “God, help.”

Bob Pierce (of Youth for Christ and World Vision) famously said, “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”

THAT is what I wanted for our students in the youth ministry and it is the prayer I pray for my youngest as she departs on her trip.

I want her to grow in her faith, so I can no longer pray a prayer to God to “keep her safe.” Instead, I pray that wherever she may find herself, that she encounters God there and her soul is found safely in Him.

TONY AKERS has been in ministry to youth and families in large and small churches for 25 years. He is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary and just entered his 12^th year serving as the Minister to Youth and Families at Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. Tony also serves as a youth ministry coach and writes fairly frequently at WWW.STUDENTMINISTRYSOLUTIONS.COM

This post was previously published by studentministrysolutions.com.

The post The Prayer I No Longer Pray appeared first on Youth Specialties.

How do you know if a youth leader is going to be the right fit for your youth ministry team?

I mean, it’s next to impossible to gauge if a person is going to fit from your first interview with them. How do you know if they will do well with your students? What if they jump in and realize that they don’t like it, feel out of place, or “aren’t called” to be a part of your ministry anymore? And how do you figure this out before allowing them to be on your team?

These are all important questions to have answered before a potential youth leader becomes a part of your team. The trick, however, is making sure you have answers to these questions before you have given that person a leadership role and a chance to change a student’s life. You certainly don’t want to give this kind of responsibility to a person who is not fit for ministry, isn’t ready for the commitment or just doesn’t fit on your team. So how do you learn about potential youth leaders before they become a leader on your team?

Here are a few things we are beginning to do in our youth ministry that help us get to know potential youth leaders before giving them a role on our team:

OBSERVATION

Potential youth leaders are encouraged to observe areas of ministry for an undetermined period of time before further steps. This gives us time to observe them interacting with students and to be able to get to know them better. This also gives them the opportunity to opt out if they feel that the time isn’t right or they wouldn’t be a good fit. If both of us decide that we want to proceed further, they are given a copy of our Youth Leader Expectations and a youth leader application.

APPLICATION 

All potential volunteers will fill out an application and turn it into me, the youth pastor. I, then, meet with the applicant to help their determine area of interest, current needs, expectations and when to begin.

EDUCATION

Four times a year we hold leadership meetings to train leaders and provide important information regarding youth ministry operations. First-time leaders are encouraged to attend a leader meeting before jumping into action, if possible. This will help them acclimate to the youth ministry environment.

MOBILIZATION

It’s go time! After the previous three steps have been completed and a background check has been passed, we are finally ready to let new youth leaders begin serving our youth ministry!

This is what we do in our youth ministry and have found it to be a wise process for plugging in a new youth leader. What are some other things that you have found to be helpful?

Frequently drinking specialty coffee or eating Doritos’ Locos tacos, Brant Cole is often mistaken for just another student. With his wife Christine, he has been in youth ministry since 2010. Gifted in relational connections and transformational preaching, Brant finds it to be one of the highest privileges to do ministry with and to students. To him, student ministry is extremely important because students are not just the church of tomorrow; they are the church of today. Brant has his M.A. in Pastoral Studies and Congregational Leadership from Moody Theological Seminary, and currently serves as Youth Pastor at WALLOON LAKE COMMUNITY CHURCH in Walloon Lake, Michigan. You can connect with Brant on FACEBOOK and learn more about his church’s youth ministry on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM.

The post 4 Steps to Plugging in a New Leader appeared first on Youth Specialties.

Youth workers have a terrible reputation. That statement should not come as a shock to you, most people don’t even think of a youth pastor as a real job. You may have fielded questions like, “So, what do you actually do?”, “What is your real job?”, “They actually pay you for this?” or “Are you working toward becoming a real pastor?” more times than you care to admit. It is true. A lot of people do not see youth ministry as a real job but it definitely is.

Many of the comments we get are simply because people are ignorant, but there are a few that carry some weight and youth workers as a whole have contributed to those stereotypes. That is where we need to step it up and change the way people view us. We can do this with our actions and the way we conduct our ministries.

First, let’s address the problem… Wrong motives!

Far too many youth workers get into youth ministry for the wrong reasons!

1. Youth ministry is just a stepping stone

Too many youth workers are only involved because they eventually want to work their way up to being a senior pastor, associate or executive. They see youth ministry as a stepping stone, an entry position if you will. The problem with this is that students’ lives are not stepping stones. If you want to be something other than a youth worker that is fine, and if God calls you out of youth ministry to something else, that is awesome. But when you are involved in youth ministry, do not view it as merely a stepping stone. Be passionate about students and doing ministry to them. Using youth ministry as a stepping stone is the wrong motive for being in youth ministry and is a major contributor to people thinking it is not a real job.

Youth ministry is not as a stepping stone because students' lives are not stepping stones.
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2. Well, I don’t know what else to do

Too many youth workers are only involved because they don’t know what else to do. They grew up in the church, started volunteering after high school, and somehow ended up getting paid. Part-time or full-time, they end up on staff because they didn’t know what else to do and they were there, so why not? They are not passionate about youth ministry but it’s paying the bills while they figure out what they really want to do with their lives. Obviously, they aren’t against serving God, and the job is getting done, kind of. If this is you, make the decision to either dive all the way in or get out. Youth ministries need someone who is passionate about students and doing the job well!

3. Laziness

Some may say they are passionate about students and ministry but too often their unwillingness to do the work required to make the ministry professional says something completely different. Maybe they got into youth ministry because they thought it was easy. Maybe they thought it was all fun and games. Or, maybe they knew it wasn’t easy but they are just unwilling to do the work needed to make the ministry thrive and their church isn’t willing to have a tough conversation with them. Way too many youth workers are just flat out lazy when it comes to doing what they need to. This motivation is completely wrong because youth ministry is not about you; youth ministry is about Jesus and students. We need to be passionate enough to facilitate an environment that makes that happen well.

The fix…

1. Commit to the long haul

If youth ministry isn’t your thing for the long haul, it probably shouldn’t be your place right now with that mindset. If you are done with youth ministry or feel God might be calling you elsewhere that is COMPLETELY FINE! But if that is the case, then go pursue what God has for you. Staying in youth ministry when you can’t mentally commit to the long haul is not going to help your students or help the stereotype of youth ministry not being a real job. Commit to making it your career and work hard to build yourself as a professional. When we are committed to youth ministry, we are more likely to do it well and continue to grow and learn.

2. Don’t just go through the motions, do it big!

Making a real job out of youth ministry happens when we decide to not just survive but to thrive. We must quit going through the motions of youth ministry, playing it safe, and doing what has been done for 50 years. Pour passion and excitement into your ministry and strive to do it BIG! I am not talking about size but rather the mentality that comes with being a go-getter. Don’t do things halfway, do them with all your energy and do them well! Also, note: this includes the things you don’t like doing, still do them well!

Too many people view youth workers as unprofessional, unqualified, and lazy. That is because too many youth workers are just that. We need to make a real job out of youth ministry because it is a real job! Work hard, have passion and do things well because not only do students desperately need it, but God has called us to.

TODD JONES has been in youth ministry for 10 years and has a passion for reaching lost students and training youth workers to do the same. He is the founder of STOKEDONYOUTHMINISTRY.COM, a speaker, author, and pastor. When Todd is not writing or speaking he enjoys surfing, baseball, and most importantly hanging out with his awesome wife and three beautiful daughters. You can connect with Todd at STOKEDONYOUTHMINISTRY.COM, THETODDJONES.COM, or on Twitter @THETODD_JONES, or Instagram @TODD_JONES.

This post was previously published by stokedonyouthministry.com.

The post Making A Real Job Of Youth Ministry appeared first on Youth Specialties.

My love of Doctor Who goes all the way back to my early years in school. The small video section of my school library contained a few PBS specials, a Bugs Bunny Cartoon in Spanish and a few random classic Doctor Who episodes that were thought to be educational. The idea of an alien who could travel anywhere in time and space, save the universe from baddies and took along an earthly companion to experience it all was exactly what a blossoming Denny needed for a hero.

It wasn’t really until the relaunch of the series in the early 2000s that I got truly embedded as a Whovian. Yes, I know that I am a late comer because I didn’t follow such and such a Doctors series. Yes, it’s cool to like the show now and maybe I am just on the bandwagon, but you know what I still love it. It is probably one of the few shows on television I watch during the week and binge-watch repeatedly on a rainy day. I think in the end I am drawn to if because of the vast universe, the great dialogue and some incredible acting and writing (Cue someone reading this somewhere and going off on a Steven Moffat rant or wanting to argue that Tennent was the only good new Doctor etc.).

So, to all you Whovian youth workers out there I want to ask you a question. Are you the Doctor or are you a companion?

The Messiah Complex in Youth Ministry

To put it in more youth worker relevant terms. Do you have a messiah complex? It’s easy to picture ourselves as the Doctor in youth work, isn’t it? We often act like an alien from another planet. Some would argue that a full-grown adult who spends most their time with teenagers eating Doritos may exist on another plane. More than that though we may like to picture ourselves as the hero of our own little stories.

An easy temptation of youth ministry is hero worship. With the younger years, you are a hero just because you belch the entire alphabet or because you run an awesome summer camp. With the older ones, it may be because you are an adult who listens or who understands what the kids are going through. As they grow older and become adults themselves, you are the role model they looked up to, the person they asked to officiate their wedding, baptize their first child or simply stay a part of their lives. None of these things are bad. In fact, if you can check all of these boxes you are probably pretty good at your job (Put belching the alphabet on your next resume!)

The real test though is what you do with all that attention. Is it about you? It would be so easy to think of ourselves as the main character in the story of our youth’s lives leading them on a great adventure where we will show them new worlds, battle a few monsters and look a bit silly doing it. I wear a bowtie now, bowties are cool (Matt Smith the 11^th Doctor).

Follow Me as I Follow Jesus

We are not the Doctor though, we are the companion. Paul possibly said it best in I Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.” Paul had an amazing life and the bulk of the New Testament follows either things he did or letters he wrote. If anyone had the opportunity to be hero worshiped it was Paul. That wasn’t what he did though. Instead, Paul took the very realistic approach to say follow me as I follow Jesus. He knew he would be looked up to, he knew people would want to follow him, and I am sure the temptation to be propped up as the messiah crossed his mind more than once. But he knew that if the faith of his followers ended at him it would only last as long as he did.

The whole movement would have lived and eventually died on Paul’s shoulders if he was the end of the line. Instead, he simply invited others on the same journey he was on. A companion making other companions on the journey.

A few years back I hear Francis Chan speak at the National Youth Workers Convention and he mentioned an idea about movements. His point was essentially that movements in Christianity happen when someone follows Jesus. The same movements die when people stop following their leader in following Jesus and simply look at the leader. We fail, we fall, we grow old or we can no longer belch the alphabet. In the end, we will let our followers down.

Companions to the Hero

As companions of the Hero of this story, why not let Him take the starring role instead of picturing ourselves in that place? There is nothing wrong with being a supporting role. There is an appropriate amount of attention and you get to stand in awe of someone truly amazing.

I remember an episode of Doctor Who where the whole world had been taken over by The Master (an arch enemy/friend) of the Doctor. Martha Jones (The Doctor’s Companion) had been sent on a mission to save the world. What did she do? She traveled the world and told everyone she could about the Doctor. She gave them all hope and a hero to look for. In the end, that was all the Doctor needed to save the day. I won’t spoil the rest of the show for you.

A person who tells everyone about their hero and invites them to put their hope in him. Does that sound like anyone to you? Isn’t that exactly what we as Christians are called to do? Isn’t that exactly what our world needs?

So, I encourage you next time you meet with your youth to ask yourself these questions: Who’s their hero? And, if it’s you, how do you pass them on to yours?

Denny Burda is the Senior Youth Minister at St. Paul’s Howell Hill in the United Kingdom. After over a decade in youth ministry in the States, Denny, his wife Merina and their cat Elliott followed God on their big adventure of a new life in a new culture.

The post Doctor Who? The issue of the messiah complex in youth ministry appeared first on Youth Specialties.

Like many of my fellow youth workers, I recently found myself watching the Netflix original series “13 Reasons Why.” More importantly, I found myself prayerfully wrestling over how to best address the notion that revenge suicide is somehow noble when presented in a program virtually devoid of any Christian influence that many of my teenagers have been watching and absorbing. After conversation with my pastoral staff and several caring adult volunteer youth leaders, I sent the letter below via email to our parents outlining why it’s imperative that we as youth workers speak Truth in the midst of the increasingly morally relativistic culture that we and our teenagers inhabit.

I really do believe that God’s fingerprints are all over every aspect of His Creation. As Romans 12:2 teaches us, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” (ESV).

What follows is an outline of my lesson on finding our identity in Christ from Ephesians 1:3-14. Please feel free to adjust the material to meet the needs of your group. I pray that God somehow uses this lesson to help a hurting teenager in your church while bringing glory and honor to His name above every name.

Letter to Parents

Hello Parents,

You have may have heard of the hit Netflix show “13 Reasons Why.” In the month it has been out, it has become the most watched show on Netflix, the most tweeted about show in the history of Twitter, and as of today has over 620,000 hashtag mentions on Instagram. It’s fair to say that the show is a pretty big deal is being widely watched by teenagers across America.

Based on the book with the same title, “13 Reasons Why” follows the story of Hannah Baker, a high school student who recently committed suicide and left cassette tapes for her classmates, detailing the reasons why they were responsible for her committing suicide. The course of the show covers foul language, drug use, alcohol usage, gossip, sexual activity, social media, as well as graphic portrayals of two instances of rape and one suicide.

After watching the show in its entirety myself, it has become clear to me that any student who sees this show will definitely wrestle with its impact. “13 Reasons Why” unintentionally romanticizes suicide as a righteous alternative to facing, processing and healing from the trauma that young people face in today’s world. It also teaches viewers that revenge suicide is a glamorous endeavor. The truth is that suicide ends a life and wreaks untold devastation on the family, friends and peers who are left to try and pick up the pieces.

Youth Group Discussion

Because of both the popularity of the show and the seriousness of the topics brought to light in this series, I will be leading a conversation on suicide and self-harm at youth group on Sunday May 28th. It is not my intention for “13 Reasons Why” to be the focus of youth group this evening. However, we cannot ignore the pervasiveness of this show or miss the opportunity to discuss such a sensitive issue from a Christian perspective. As parents, I fully trust your judgment when decided whether or not to allow your teenagers attend youth group on the 28^th.

If you have not yet asked your student about this show, I recommend doing so. It is important that students who may have seen this show have the support of parents, teachers and other adults after and even while watching this show. If your student has seen this show, I hope that by discussing this together, we can be a support to youth in our community. However, watching the show is not necessary to participate in the upcoming conversations. And for many youth, watching this show can cause more harm than good. In all our conversations, we will make certain that we are not recommending the show but rather helping to guide youth as they deal with critical issues. In fact, I would absolutely not allow a middle school student to watch this show and exercise caution with allowing high schoolers to view it.

But here’s tricky part. Like every human being, the second we tell our teenagers not to do something, they’ll want to do it. I suggest a healthy middle ground. Watch an episode or two with your spouse and then decide if you’ll allow your teens to watch it- I suggest with you. I, for one, know that I should be more intentional with knowing what media our teenagers are consuming.

The issues covered in “13 Reasons Why” are already ones that your teens face. In 2014, suicide was the second leading cause of death for children and young adults ages 10 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tragically, suicide is a personal issue to me having lost two friends who chose to take their own lives. While it can be frightening at times to confront what the culture chooses to address, I really believe that God meets us in faith and equips us to point our teenagers to the grace and love that’s exclusively found in Christ alone while living, sharing and growing in Christian community. Rather than hesitating in uncertainty or overreacting in protective love, let’s partner together to address the real-life issues that your teens and their friends are facing.

Parent Support

If there is interest, I am willing to put together a parent discussion one evening around this show and the topics relating to it. If that is of use to you, please let me know.

If your kids are watching “13 Reasons Why” on Netflix right now (and millions of kids are) you have an opportunity for conversation that should not be missed. You’ll need to watch it to be able to talk about it in any kind of a meaningful way. It’s raw, painful, complicated and hard to watch. It’s believable and relatable and tons of kids are seeing their stories played out. Don’t watch it and freak out. Watch it and think. Watch it and pray. Watch it and evaluate your own family and community. Watch it and come up with some good open ended questions to spark some deep and meaningful conversation.

Here are a couple of ideas:

• Why are kids so cautious about talking to adults about what’s actually going on in their lives?
• In what ways is your school like the one in the show?
• What are you doing to make your campus a safer place for kids who are struggling in ways that most people might not see?
• What are some things I’m doing as your dad/mom that makes it harder for you to talk to me?
• What would you do if you found out that one of your friends was spiraling toward despair and hopelessness?”

Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions. My office door is always open.

In Christ,

Bryan

Additional Recommendations

1. Watch this show on your own, if only just an episode or two, to know what your teenager is watching.
2. If your teenager has already seen this show, ask them questions about what they saw and what they thought about it. If your student is willing, watching it together and discussing it afterward may even be a great option.
3. Do not be afraid to talk about suicide or ask about suicide. Most mental health professionals agree that using the word suicide or asking about it doesn’t increase the likelihood of it but rather opens the door to discussing a very important and relevant topic. Depending on what resources you read, suicide is either the second or third leading cause of death in young people aged 10-24, so it is important to know the signs.

Lesson Plan

1. Introduce Show & Topic
   1. Who’s heard of the show? Who’s seen it? What did you think?
   2. Hannah Baker commits suicide and leaves tapes explaining the 13 Reasons Why and who’s to blame
   3. Address the awkwardness of the topic and explain why it’s important to discuss what’s relevant to our culture
   4. Make it personal- Bryan had 2 friends commit suicide, one a good friend from his own youth group
2. Identity Issue
   1. Who are you?
      1. Athlete, musician, fan, son, daughter, brother, sister, student, friend, etc.
         1. Do these categories truly define us?
   2. How do you define your value? Who defines your value?
      1. Everyone and everything in this world will disappoint us since we live in a sinful, fallen, broken world
   3. Instead of looking inward or outward, we must look upward
3. Our Union with Christ- Ephesians 1:3-14
   1. All of our past, present and future sin is forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ
   2. Because of Christ, God sees us as His children
   3. As you go through the passage with students, have them fill in the chart below (note that the chart below has not exhausted the material in Ephesians 1, it’s just what my group uncovered).
      1. Past- 1:4-5
      2. Present- 1:7-9
      3. Future- 1:9-14
   4. This is how God sees you!! No ifs, ands or buts about it!!
   5. You’re signed, sealed, delivered, you’re His!!!
      1. How do we know?
         1. 13-14 tell us that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit who is our deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance
            1. Discuss seals in Middle Ages- penalty for breaking seal of King was death
            2. Discuss putting down a deposit on a car, how that holds it in your name until you can pay for the rest of the vehicle
               1. God is so much better, since Christ paid for us!!!
4. Media Discernment
   1. What does all of this have to do with 13 Reasons Why and suicide?
   2. Genesis 1:27 teaches us that we’re made in the image of God
      1. This means we have inherent dignity, value and worth because God made us like Himself!
   3. Suicide is a sin, but not an unpardonable one
      1. Suicide referenced 6 times in Bible and it never meets with God’s approval
      2. Remember, your identity in Christ!
   4. Romans 12:1-2 teaches us to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds so we can test to discern God’s perfect, pleasing will
      1. How do we do this?
      2. The media we consume stokes the passions and desires of our hearts
   5. God’s fingerprints are all over Creation
      1. We have to discern the Truth from the lies
   6. 13 Reasons Why
      1. Truth- People who are depressed and suicidal need help
         1. 13 Reasons Why has drawn awareness to this issue
         2. Kids at school are terribly cruel to each other
      2. Lie- an absence of God
         1. Parents are totally clueless, adults can’t help you
         2. Revenge suicide is a noble alternative to choosing life
      3. We cannot mindlessly consume media that contradicts our worldview
         1. We can still enjoy shows if we keep them in their proper perspective
      4. Do my media choices bring me closer to God, or do they push me farther away from Him?
5. Conclusion
   1. Where do we go from here?
   2. It’s a statistical reality that you or someone you know is dealing with depression and suicide
      1. You are not alone!
      2. God cares, and we as the Church of Jesus Christ care
         1. We cannot keep secrets when it comes to your safety
         2. We are not licensed counselors
         3. We can walk with you through this and get you the help you need
   3. Remember who you are in Christ! How God sees you!
      1. Wanna learn more?
         1. Read Ephesians 1-3 to learn how God sees you
         2. Read Ephesians 4-6 to learn how to live it out
         3. Ask a leader, we’re here for you!
      2. Close in prayer

Bryan Lees is the Director of Youth Ministry at Hope Presbyterian Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  A Master of Divinity Student at Reformed Theological Seminary Washington D.C., he’s spent the past ten years working with children and youth at various churches and summer camps. When he’s not cheering on his Green Bay Packers or buried in seminary books, he loves hanging out with kids teaching them about Jesus. Bryan infrequently BLOGS at and you can connect with him on FACEBOOK.

The post 13 Reasons Why, Suicide & Our Identity in Christ appeared first on Youth Specialties.

It is crazy to think about, but I am rounding the corner on 20 years of student ministry. That is so long. That is so many hours, days, weeks, months and years pouring my guts out for students in an effort that they may know and love Jesus someday. And don’t get me wrong, I LOVE IT!!!

But over the last couple of years, I have had this awful realization, YOUTH MINISTRY CRUSHES YOUR SELF ESTEEM!

What is so hard about this reality is that it sneaks up on you.

In the normal career curve of the youth worker, it begins with us being a few years older than the students we work with. We are like big brothers or sisters and love “leading” young people to Jesus. But really, we are just not quite reflective enough or self-aware enough to realize that we are not even considered by the students we so desperately love and give our lives to.

But soon, it all catches up to us. Sometimes it takes a matter of months or just a few years, or in my case, a solid 15 years to realize that this continued outpouring of love and grace to students who are fickle, give little to no positive feedback, and who’s lives show little fruit over the long haul, can be crushing.

Adult ministry is a piece of cake in comparison.

I am starting to realize why so many of my fellow youth workers get out of the gig as soon as they can. Adult ministry is so easy in comparison. I am right now teaching and adult ed class, and it is like shooting fish in a barrel.

My baseline is teaching Sunday School. A room full of blank stares at an ungodly hour for adolescents, as I try to use this time to help our students go “deeper” in their walk with Jesus. The only flicker of life is when one of their phone’s buzz from a snap chat sent by someone else in the room.

So, you could imagine my surprise that when all the hours of preparation now is going toward a room full of adults who actually want to be there, want to grow in their faith and want to be challenged to go deeper. It was crazy to have people actually answer your questions and stay on topic as you facilitate discussion. And you could imagine my shock when some adults actually came up to me afterward and gave me some positive feedback.

Combine this adult ed class with the occasional preaching opportunity, and one could see the draw to adult ministry.

A couple of final thoughts:

1. Our call is to students, and this is a true ministry. It is a call to serve, to embrace the bottom of the totem pole, and to offer our lives as a drink offering.
2. Don’t give up and jump to adult ministry simply because you need more positive feedback in your life.
3. Youth ministry does crush your self-esteem, so you must work so, so hard to be emotionally and spiritual healthy. Do what you must!!! Your ministry and your very soul depends on it!

KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT!

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Failing is something that normally people do not like. Failure means that we did not do something successfully. It is never a good feeling to know that you failed at something you really wanted to do well. In youth ministry, failures will happen but we do not have to let them break us down. In December, I experienced a failure in my ministry that has now prepared me for the future. I learned from my failure and now consider it a success as it has helped me to grow my ministry and as a person.

In my failure, I had planned a movie night with all the youth ministry from the elementary age, through the high school age. Since it was Christmas time, we were going to watch the Polar Express. When we went to start the movie, the computer could not read the DVD. While frustrating, it was not the end of the world since you can rent movies online, now. When I started the online version, the movie would not render properly (of course, right?). We, then, moved to a new area to watch the movie and it actually started to play. I was thrilled as I knew that the night would not be a complete failure, so I thought. After about twenty minutes, the computer we were watching it through decided to crash and do an immediate update. This was a hard experience for me to go through, as I felt like a failure and let the kids down. Through this experience, though, I learned some things that I think our failures in ministry can teach us.

1. We are human.

When we fail, it shows our youth and others that we also make mistakes, even though we are ministry leaders. While we are a hero to teens and kids, they need to see that we are human too. It shows our students that it is normal to make a mistake. Our culture today tells our youth that they need to dress, act, and live a certain way. If they do not, then they will be considered a failure. When we fail, it shows them that failing is normal. As humans, we can never be perfect, but we serve Jesus who is. Failing shows us that we are humans and that we cannot always get it right. It shows us and our youth our need for Jesus.

2. Your youth still love you.

After the movie night messed up, I thought I was doomed. As a youth pastor, you obviously want to have a good relationship with your students. I thought that since I had failed an easy event like this that the youth would start to look down on me. I let my head and the enemy get to me. I was worried the whole next week that when the next Sunday rolled around, students would be thinking differently of me. Instead, what I found, is that they did not really care at all. They still wanted to hang around me and rough house on me (middle school and high school boys, am I right?). When I left church that day I felt God say, “Lean on me.” I was leaning on my thoughts, instead of God’s thoughts. The youth still loved me and they still love you through your failure, but when you fail, lean on God.

3. Learn from the failure.

A fail in ministry does not have to stay known as a failure. If we learn from it, then we succeed by applying it to our lives. From this failure, I realized that ministry is hard. While we wish everything would go our way, it will not. When it does not, usually it is God allowing something to happen, so that we can learn or depend on Him more. God used normal people like you and me in the Bible. They failed at times, too. God knows we are going to fail, but we can always learn from it. We can always turn a failure into a successful failure when we recognize that there is always something to be applied from the event. Please, be encouraged to know that when you fail, it is okay. Learn from the failure and apply it to your life. Do not let the failure consume you, but instead recognize that you are human, that your youth will still love you and that there is always something to learn from it.

Ben Lock has served in youth ministry is some form or fashion for around 4 years as a volunteer and now full-time at New Heights Church in Connersville, IN. He loves to show children and teens the love that God has for them. When he is not hanging out with students, Ben likes to play video games, go camping, watch movies, and go on dates with his wife, Kaitlyn.

Twitter: @YOUTHMINBEN
Facebook: @YOUTHMINBEN

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Yet another twist on the old youth ministry classic dodgeball.  Just in case you are sick and tired of the same old week in and week out of playing dodgeball. “

A favorite around our 5th-8th-grade ministries. 

SUPPLIES

• Dodgeballs
• Cones or a way to define a center line

Quick Explanation

A game of dodgeball where players may not be eliminated immediately but rather lose the use of the area of their body that is hit.

Set Up

• Define the playing area and the center line
• Set out dodgeballs at the center line

How to Play

• Divide students into two equal teams.
• Give the “Quick explanation,” rules and an example.
  • Say something like this as an example, “If you get hit in the arm, you lose that arm for the remainder of the game…if you get hit in the leg you lose that leg and have to hop on the remaining leg for the remainder of the game…”
• On “Go!” everyone starts playing.
• You, as the game master, may yell “Healed!” throughout the game restoring everyone back to full health.

Rules

• Use your usual “house rules” for dodgeball.
• If a player gets hit from the shoulder to their hand, they lose the use of that arm and it must be held behind their back.
• If a player gets hit from the shoulder to their hand in the other arm they lose the use of both arms and can now only “dodge”. They may NOT kick the ball.
• If a player gets hit in the leg from the hip to their feet, they lose the use of that leg and must hop on one leg.
• If a player gets hit in the other leg from the hip to their feet, they lose the use of both legs and must play on their knees.
• If a player gets hit in the head, chest or back, they are dead and out of the game.
  

Winner(s)

The winning team is the one with the last remaining player still “standing.”

DAN ISTVANIK is the 5th to 8th-grade pastor at Victory Church in Lancaster, PA. He has been working in youth ministry for over 20 years serving churches in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Virginia. Besides serving in the local church setting he is also the youth ministry content writer for Parent Ministry.Net, along with being a contributor to a variety of other great youth ministry resources like Youthworker Journal, Group Magazine, Download Youth Ministry, and more. Additional he shares daily Jr. high/middle school ministry specific resources, and hints on his own blog “The Middle Years” at: www.middleyearsministry.com

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Kay Warren, the cofounder of Saddleback Church, took a few minutes to share with Maina Mwaura about her family’s life in ministry, being the spouse of a pastor, and her latest book, Sacred Privilege: Your Life and Ministry as a Pastor’s Wife.

In the book Sacred Privilege, Kay confirms that being a pastor’s wife does not mean being perfect. More vulnerable than ever, Warren reveals the brokenness that resulted from childhood molestation – the allure of pornography, intense marital conflict and temptation, as well as depression and a distorted view of her worth. Losing a child to suicide could easily have been the catalyst for leaving ministry, but Kay’s resilient faith and confidence in God’s redemptive plan for her life has kept her feet firmly planted. The road has not been easy, but she has learned much along the way and can now confidently say that being a pastor’s wife is truly a “sacred privilege.”

MAINA MWAURA loves to guide student leaders. He is the husband of Tiffiney and has a two-year-old daughter name Zyan. Maina, lives in the Atlanta area and is the mobilization pastor at West Ridge Church. Check out more info at MAINASPEAKS.COM

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How was your energy level after serving at church on Sunday?

Every volunteer, staff member, and pastor walks through passionless seasons of ministry. We feel frustrated, burned out, under-appreciated and we spiritually disengage months (maybe years) before we actually transition out of our role.

Every volunteer, staff member, and pastor walks through passionless seasons of ministry.
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If you are experiencing a passionless season of ministry the cause may reside with you more than your organization or leadership. Granted, I do not know your situation. I have served in incredible organizations and some that had extreme cultural issues. But I know that our initial reaction is to blame everyone else when we are dissatisfied.

Yes, there may be sizable changes that your organization may need to make, but if you are leading from a place of spiritual passion (the zeal mentioned in Romans 12:11) you can be a spark God uses to usher in a new wave of ministry within your church.

3 Signs You Are Losing Your Passion For Serving Your Church

You Are Avoiding Relationships

Are you late showing up to serve? Are you looking to travel the quickest route to and from your car to avoid extra conversations? Without relationships, ministry fails. Avoiding others is one of the first signs that you are losing your passion for serving others.

You Are Avoiding Spiritual Disciplines

How are your spiritual disciplines going? Personal study, worship, prayer, confession and solitude are key pillars of your spiritual life. These disciplines align our heart and mind to do passionate ministry in the first place.

You Are Cynical of The Leadership

Do you find yourself questioning every decision the leadership team makes for your specific area of service? It is one thing to ask questions, seek clarity and present potential pitfalls, but it is another to reject their leadership or, even worse, undermine their authority. Having a cynical view of the leadership is a sign that your service is more obligatory instead of an overflow of your passion.

Now What?

Questions to wrestle with and pray through:

Is there a broken family, work or church relationship that you need to mend? Humans are relational people. Ministry is based on our relationship with Jesus and others. Unvoiced frustrations, emotional pains and rejection will cause us to withdraw from the people we are called to serve.

How is your personal, family and corporate worship? Are you walking with Jesus each day? Do the truths that you teach on Sunday transform your Monday? If you fail to be invested in God’s Word, prayer and in a small group of others your energy, passion, knowledge and creativity will run dry. It is impossible to point others to Jesus if you are not orienting your life toward Him.

Has your passion for the specific areas you are serving in shifted toward another group, phase or area? Seasons of life often shift our desires to serve. It’s easy to confuse frustration with our current role and frustration with the organization as a whole. Perhaps you need to meet with your church’s leadership and discuss how you are gifted and see what other areas you can get involved in.

CHASE SNYDER is the founder of MINISTRYBUBBLE.COM and serves as a Family Pastor in Knoxville, Tenn. He seeks to live a life that glorifies God and disciples others through their day-to-day lives, and his passion is equipping those in the church to seek those who are outside of it. Check out his writing at MINISTRY BUBBLE or connect with him on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or INSTAGRAM.

This post was previously published by ministrybubble.com.

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I remember the excitement of the first month of being a full-time youth minister. I had so many ideas of how I was going to evangelize the world and raise up a new generation of sold-out Jesus-freaks. With my Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields in one hand and my coffee mug in the other, I felt excited to begin building my ministry. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that you can’t just build a ministry and expect everyone else to immediately be on board. I quickly realized that criticism (and sometimes constant criticism) was going to be something I would have to deal with.

Here is the reality: In ministry, not everyone is going to like the decisions you make. Actually, in ministry, not everyone is going to like you. As harsh as that may sound, it is a very important reality that all ministers need to know. You are going to get angry emails from parents. You are going to have students who actively work against your plans for the ministry. You are going to have church leaders and pastors who don’t agree with you. So here are a couple of things every minister needs to remember when dealing with criticism and conflict.

1. Don’t Be Everything To Everyone

I wish someone would have told me at the beginning: experiencing criticism doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. When I was first met with criticism, I thought it was my job to make everyone happy. I jumped through as many hoops as possible in an attempt to make every student, leader and parent happy. You will never make everyone happy. Nor should you. Some of the people who are criticizing your ministry are actually wrong and just want their way. Remember that. To follow the people-pleasing path is a quick slope downward toward burn-out.

I heard a pastor once say “If we become everything to everyone… we actually become nothing.” Many churches think it is their job to make every person in their congregation happy. That is a ridiculous claim. If that was the case in scripture, Moses would have let Israel turn around and go back into slavery. In 1 Samuel 8:7, Samuel was distressed as the nation of Israel refused to have God lead them because of their desire for a king. It says, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.” Sometimes people who are coming to criticize you are scapegoating you because of their own personal sinfulness and brokenness. Like Samuel, sometimes we as leaders need to step back and see things from a broader perspective.

“If we become everything to everyone… we actually become nothing.”
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2. The Wise are Willing to be Corrected

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” -Proverbs 12:15

“Arguments always begin with an answer in mind. Conversations begin with a question.”  -Unknown

As leaders, we need to be wise and many times that means we need to be willing to hear others out. Many times in Proverbs true godly wisdom is explained to us as being humble and willing to receive correction. It is really easy for us to treat our ministry like our “baby.” We can become prideful and closed-minded when we refuse to hear other out. As leaders, we need to be seeking help and insight from other “wise” sources. Sometimes we have blind spots in ministry because we are so entrenched in it. When parents, leaders and students come to us with right intentions we need to make sure their voice is heard.

3. Lead People to Be The Solution

God gives insight to people for a reason. Oftentimes in the church, people think they are given insight so they can tell the pastor what to do. But many times, they themselves are the ones that hold the greatest solution. If a student comes to you and says that youth group games are boring and outdated, maybe they need to be involved in leading and organizing the games for youth group. If a parent comes to you and says that communication between the pastor and the parents is failing, maybe they need to be a part of helping administratively to communicate with other parents on a weekly basis.

This is not simply a response like “well then you just do it.” Instead, it is an invitation into finding a better solution together. You will be surprised how helpful some of these people can be for your ministry and how much quicker solutions are found.

Your job as a leader is to be faithful with the church God has given you. Remember to ask for his strength and that he would give you discernment in his Spirit to know who is criticizing in love and who is seeking their own way. It is a huge responsibility to lead others and it can get messy sometimes. Know that God is using you daily in the lives of teens and families. Seek his vision and his direction and remember that he is already pleased with you.

Andrew May is the Middle School Director at CALVARY CHAPEL WORSHIP CENTER in Hillsboro, Oregon. HE has been serving youth ministries since he was a high school student and has been in full-time ministry for four years. For more information and writing by Andrew, please check out his website at PASTORANDREWMAY.WEEBLY.COM.

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Summertime brings about many memories of childhood days gone by for me. While I absolutely loved school growing up, I could not wait for the lazy days of summer. That’s when the hardest question I had to answer was which swimsuit to wear to play in the sprinklers with my friends outside or what sweet treat I would procure from the ice-cream truck.

Now those memories stand in stark contrast to my present day life. Summer no longer promises long lazy days of sitting on the porch laughing with friends, barefoot races down the middle of the street or afternoons spent running through the sprinklers in the front yard. For me and many others in youth ministry, summer is all about preparing for camp or mission trips, transitioning students through our ministry, recruiting new volunteers and building programs for the fall. Many of us have lost our ability to just relax and enjoy this season of longer days and warmer weather and we now use the additional hours of daylight to do more work instead of taking the opportunity to slow down a bit and simply enjoy the life that we’ve been blessed with.

So here a 5 quick tips to help you get back to enjoying summer just like you did when you were a kid.

1. STAYCATION

Sometimes because of our many other obligations, it is literally almost impossible for us to get out of town to relax and enjoy. This is what makes a staycation a perfect choice, especially if you only have a day or so to relax. Take the opportunity to enjoy your city as a tourist. Stay at the local bed and breakfast that everyone raves about or find a nice hotel and spend the night. Visit a new restaurant or your old favorite. Whatever you do, take this an opportunity to enjoy your city in a new way.

2. SPA DAY

There’s nothing like a relaxing massage to work out all of the kinks from a good, long year of ministry. Do your best to make a day of it. Get all of the extras. Pro-tip: Check out Groupon or another online coupon site to see what the local deals are. I’ve had some amazing experiences and discovered some hidden gems this way.

3. VISIT FAMILY

Summer is a great time to check in with grandparents, parents, siblings and cousins, especially those that live out of town. It’s an opportunity to get into a different space and build some new memories with people that you’ve loved for a lifetime.

4. WORKOUT

Summer is a great time to get into a healthy groove and exercise is a wonderful way to decompress. Take morning or evening walks by yourself or with the family. Go skating in the park or ride your bike on a new trail. Get outside and spend some time in God’s creation.

5. ROAD TRIP

If you have two or three days and a heart for adventure, take a road trip and explore a new city or town. Or you can take the time to revisit an old favorite and create some new memories. If you’re near a national park, do yourself a favor and take some time to check it out. I promise you that you won’t regret the decision. Pro-Tip, try to keep the destination within a 4-hour driving distance. You want to be able to spend the majority of your time enjoying your destination, not getting to it.

No matter what you decide to do, make sure that you’re taking some time to focus on yourself and to rejuvenate your spirit. We may no longer have a summer full of lazy days, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a summer full of peaceful moments and opportunities to create great memories that will keep us smiling the whole year through.

Kristin D. Hemingway is a Detroit native currently residing in Atlanta, GA. With over 12 years of youth ministry experience, she currently serves under-resourced middle and high school students in the metro area. She loves traveling and helping people to live a life that they absolutely love!

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Summer is a time when things change for our students.

Sometimes that means they get busier. They are working a summer job, going to summer sports workouts, going to summer camps and trying to hang out with friends and binge of the latest Netflix show.

Other times that means our students are now at home all day, with nothing to do, bored out of their minds and filling time with often unproductive activities.

The transition to summer brings a lot of change for youth workers as well.

Programs often fly out the window and are replaced with a different type of ministry. We find more time to do the things we should do, but in the busyness of the year, often put off.

We reconnect with friends and loved ones. Recommit to hobbies. We binge the latest Netflix shows or hole up and play video games.

If we aren’t intentional with ourselves and our students, we can waste a summer. I’ve done it as a student myself, and there have been summers in ministry that have gone at such a frenetic pace there was never a recharge and Fall arrived with exhaustion and already run-down leaders.

How can we make the best use of summer? There are three things I think that, if we are intentional with, can drastically increase our likelihood of Kingdom impact this summer:

Build Relationships

I think we can all agree that one of the key aspects to summer is the ability to build relationships. It just doesn’t happen like this during the school year.

Depending on your context and climate, summer is the time to be outside, to hang out at the beach, to go on mission trips, camps, campouts, etc. The ministry season sort of changes, and things tend to become less programmatic and more fluid.

Use this to your advantage.

Go paintballing. Go kayak. Take a field trip to a nearby city just for fun. Head to your local ice cream place and hangout.

Summer is such an optimal time to build relationships with students, focusing on their hobbies and environments.

Rest Well

Summer is a “break” from the norm for our students. School is out, summer jobs, summer trips and summer fun is in.

Whether at the beach, the pool or inside playing video games, our students are taking a break from school and a break from routine.

They are already so over programmed throughout the year, we don’t want to over-program their summer too.

We have a student who is normally engaged every single Sunday during the year, and is very busy during the week before, during and after school, who is going to be gone most of the summer at various camps, competitions, and practices. We don’t want to add to that, but want to make whatever we do meaningful and impactful in the life of the student. Sometimes we need to be the ones who bring the rest.

We need to take a break too. Rest is biblical. It doesn’t feel productive or necessary sometimes, but it is. Trust me.

I am all about productivity and check lists and getting things done. I’ve had to find out the hard way that rest is necessary, biblical and sometimes the healthiest thing I can do for myself (and my family) spiritually, emotionally, physically. I also become a better worker and servant when I am more rested. Rest this summer.

Follow Natural Rhythms

Use what is already in place in your context to minister to students. There are natural rhythms to whatever context you are in. We have a natural rhythm of taking some time off of youth ministry, then doing “relational events” (for lack of a better term) which including campfires, movies, free concerts, games and so on, usually in people’s homes. As our summer rhythm continues, we do a missions trip in July and sort of end the summer off with VBS and a big cookout party at someone’s lake house. This is our natural rhythm.

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Free concerts and street performers are a natural part of our city. Find whatever is already happening, and join your students there. Chances are they want to be in those places anyway, and this provides critical relationship opportunities for them to see us outside of church and hang out in a context that isn’t ministry-focused.

Be your real self around your students this summer. Hang out. Have fun. Build relationships. Rest well. Follow natural rhythms.

Ben Marshall has served as a Youth and Young Adult Pastor in Holland, MI since 2014 and recently became a Campus Pastor in the Fall of 2016. He has a passion for discipling youth and young adults, helping them realize their God-given potential and developing next generation leaders. Ben is married to Connie and their had their first child, Aliya Joy, in October, 2016. Ben’s hobbies include blogging, playing guitar, soccer, and football. Follow him on Twitter @benmarshall3 or on his blog at youthpastorben.wordpress.com.

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Often times, games and activities fall by the wayside during a youth group night. We get swamped during the week, we spend much of our time planning the lesson, we focus on counseling students or we have just gotten back from a retreat…err umm sorry vacation, and games are the last things on your mind as you prepare for the evening.

But the reality is that we can only default to dodgeball so often due to a number of bloody noses. Sharks and minnows will become old soon. Students will no longer want to participate in ultimate. And let’s be honest: floor hockey has left too many dents in the wall to be a valid option.

And therein lies the problem: what do we do when we need a game…NOW? Well living in the Midwest where you can only be outside for a few months of the year we have learned to have group games that are applicable to both inside and outside environments, but that can also be done with any size youth program. These games all require little or no prep and can be an easy go-to for anyone crunched on time, or looking for a little change to what they currently have.

1. Pull Up

Requirements: A sound system and music.

Rules of play: Have your group sit on the floor in a circle facing inward. Then choose an odd number of boys and girls to be in the middle. When the music starts the students in the middle must go to a member of the opposite gender, extend a hand and “pull them up.” They then sit in the open spot and that new student in the middle continues by pulling up a member of the opposite gender. This continues until the music stops and the gender with the most people in the middle loses. Play for as long or short as you would like.

2. Drip, Drip, Drop

(May get carpets a little wet, so be on good terms with your janitor)

Requirements: Paper cups and water…maybe some towels.

Rules: Players sit in a circle facing each other much like Duck, Duck, Goose. Pick a player to be it. They stand outside of the circle and are given a cup with a small hole in the bottom. Have them place their finger over the hole. When they start they go around the circle saying “drip” and dripping a small amount of water on the students’ heads. When they yell “drop” they turn the cup upside down on the person and have to run around the circle while being chased by the person they dropped on. If they make it to said person’s spot they are safe. If they are tagged they are it again. Feel free to use as little or as much water as you want!

3. Egg, Chicken, Dinosaur

Requirements: An emcee.

Rules: This is a great alternative to Rock, Paper, Scissors and is really easy to pull off. Explain how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to the group. Then explain that in this game you can only play with people who are the same as you: i.e. an egg, chicken or dinosaur. Eggs can only play eggs, chickens can only play against chickens and dinosaurs against a dinosaur. The kicker is they must walk or waddle in a manner that is befitting of an egg, chicken or dinosaur. Participants all start as eggs. They must find another egg and play a best 2 out of 3 round of rock, paper, scissors, and if they win they become a chicken. When a chicken wins they become a dinosaur. If they lose a round, they go back one level.

4. Lightsaber Duels

Requirements: A sound system, music (epic music or Star Wars music is great here) and emcee.

Rules: Participants must all place one hand behind their back. They will then join in a battle with another person by locking their one hand with the other person’s hand. They will then extend their pointer finger as their lightsaber. When the music starts they attempt to touch their “lightsaber” to the other person. They can “zap” them anywhere. If they are zapped they are out. The winner keeps advancing until only one remains. **Note: this can go on for a while depending on your students. Some battle for long periods others for a matter of seconds.**

5. Bucketball

Requirements: Buckets, cones, pinnies/colored shirts and balls.

Rules: Prior to dividing students, place bucket in the middle of a ring of cones (we usually make it about three feet in each direction from bucket to cone). Divide your students into groups (we usually just do two but having more groups makes it interesting) and assign each group colored pinnies. The game is played in the same manner as ultimate Frisbee where the students must pass the ball down the field and are only allowed three steps with the ball. We have a rule where if playing co-ed, ladies must have two touches on the ball before a point can be scored. Points are scored by players throwing the ball (after three or more passes) to their goalkeeper. The goalkeeper will hold the bucket within the ring of cones and attempt to catch a ball in the bucket. Only balls that stay in the bucket count. The goalkeeper may not go outside of the cone ring and the defense and offense may not go inside the cone ring. Feel free to add as many balls to the game as you would like.

6. Hot Seat

Requirements: One chair, people, emcee (can also be played in small groups)

Rules: Chose a person to come up and sit in the “hot seat” for 30-60 seconds. During that time the audience can ask questions of the person and they will need to answer. This can be as surface, deep or bizarre as your group would like. However, make sure you have a good emcee to filter some of the more awkward questions because we all know that will happen. At the end, give the person in the chair a candy bar for being a good sport.

7. Seated Basketball/Soccer

Requirements: Chairs, pinnies, balls and extra leaders/students to collect stray balls

Rules: Explain that the game you are playing will be played like soccer or basketball in that the goals are the same: obtain points how you would normally (kicking a goal, making a basket). Divide your students into two teams and give them their pinnies. If you are playing soccer have the students remove their shoes to prevent potential injuries from kicking one another. Have your students then grab a chair and give them 15-30 seconds to place their chair. Explain that this is the only place they may sit for the first half/quarter. Once they sit they may not move from that spot. When everyone has sat down, introduce the balls for the game and explain that students must remain seated all the time, and failure to do so will put them in a penalty box. Explain that if no one can reach a ball it will be placed back into play by a leader. Assign times for your halves/quarters and then when a new one begins, allow students to find a new spot to sit.

8. Cat and Mouse Tag

Requirements: A large room

Rules: Have students pair up and link arms at the elbows. I would recommend not allowing them to hold hands or wrists as it can lead to injuries. Ask for two volunteers (or four depending on your group size) and explain that one will be the cat and one will be the mouse. The cat will be it and will need to chase the mouse. At any point during the chase the mouse can link up via their arm with a group and the person who is now on the outside is the new mouse. If the mouse is tagged then the roles are flipped and they are now the cat, and the cat is the mouse. There is no winner to this game, it is more just an active game to engage students with.

9. Octoball/Gagaball

Requirements: 8 rectangular tables and a ball that bounces (we have used an indoor/outdoor volleyball and it worked very well)

Rules: Set up the tables in an octagon shape by placing them on their sides and extending the legs to help keep them upright. You can interconnect the tables however you would like depending on the size you would like your court to be. Students then can enter the octagon (make sure to keep the number of students proportional to the size of the octagon) and begin play. A player serves by allowing the ball to bounce three times while everyone chants “ga-ga-ball” in time to the bounces. The ball is then live and players may go for it. Players may hit the ball with their hands in an attempt to eliminate other players by having the ball hit them below their knees. Doing so eliminates the player who was hit. If someone hits the ball out of the court they are out. If they hit the ball in the air and it is caught the player who hit it is out. If it is caught out of play that player is now in. There is no double-hitting allowed and a player can only hit the ball again if it hits someone else or a wall. When two people are remaining they are allowed to have double hits on the ball. Various other rules can include: no ball carrying, no punching the ball, no shielding of one’s self, no teams, etc. The last person standing wins the game.

10. Death Sticks

Requirements: Pool noodles cut in half, music and chairs

Rules: Place an odd number of pool noodles on an equal number of chairs in the middle of a large circle of chairs. Have each student pick a chair and remove any chairs that do not have a student. Then chose an odd number of students to stand in the middle that is equal to the number of chairs with noodles. Explain that this is a guy versus girl game (or however you would like it to be) where when the music starts the guys must take the noodle and bop a lady on her legs, and ladies must do the same to guys. Once someone is bopped the person with the noodle must return the noodle to the chair they took it from (no throwing it must be placed) while being chased by the person they bopped. If the person who was bopped manages to retrieve the noodle when it placed down and bop the person who bopped them before they sit down in the vacant chair that person returns to the middle. If they cannot they are now in the middle and can bop someone. The winning team is the team with the least of their gender in the middle. And remember that bop = soft hit, not smacking someone in the head with the noodle.

Bonus Game: Mingle Mingle

Requirements: Pre-scripted “get to know you” style questions and an emcee

Rules: This is a “get to know you” game. Explain that on “go” students are to walk around the room mumbling, “mingle, mingle” until you yell out a number. Once you yell a number, students must get into a group and share “their name, their grade/school and your “get to know you” question.” Give them 30-60 seconds and then repeat the game.

A few things to help make any game time even better

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How many of us didn’t grow up believing or were encouraged to believe in the white picket fence dream? You know…the dream where we graduate high school, get our college degree, meet our future spouse whilst in aforementioned college, get married, work for a bit, have 2-3 kids, a couple of fish, maybe a dog, a walk in closet and a white picket fence.

There is nothing wrong with the life I just described. Many people are living it. The problem is when we tell our kids that this is THE life dream to have. The dream of the white picket fence. Because while that may be life for some, that is certainly NOT life for all. And even for the some – white picket fence living isn’t that neat, all wrapped up and tied with a bow.

At the end of each youth season, I have my students evaluate the past year. Somewhat scary, but also very enlightening. And to be frank – truly funny at times since teens can be hilariously and brutally honest. Keeps my ego in check.

One of the questions I ask is if there are any new or different subjects they definitely think should be discussed in youth group. Here is what one of my students said this year,

“Singleness – because some people don’t understand that it is okay.”

Seriously?!

Negative Consequences of Not Celebrating Singleness

And yet as a single woman myself, I am not surprised. Our culture is swamped with how one simply cannot be complete without a mate. Case in point – about a year ago the #loveyourspousechallenge was trending like mad! However, I don’t think I have ever seen the opposite, #loveyoursingleness. And that’s sad for a number of reasons. One big reason is that we are blatantly or subtlety teaching our students that God didn’t really finish His work on them when He created them. That they are only complete once they say “I do.” That’s just not Biblical. The apostle Paul himself extols the virtues of singleness.

Another reason this is potentially harmful is that there are numerous students in every youth group not dating, but wish they were. So when culture says they should be in a relationship, they either feel they are less of a person or jump into a relationship just to be in one. By not celebrating singleness as a youth group and a church we are reinforcing that message.

A third reason we need to talk more about this and allow space for singleness is that it is a growing trend whether we in ministry want it to be or not. More and more young people are waiting to get married and the single population is growing, not shrinking. Churches and youth groups need to start adapting to this. However so far, a majority of churches at best are doing their utmost to ignore it and at worst, see it as a problem that can only be fixed via marriage. There is a great void when it comes to ministering to single, career-minded adults.

From when they are young children on, our teens have been taught over and over again about relationships, sex, marriage and kids – this is a GOOD thing. However, very little is said, if at all, about singleness in church/youth group. And it is a subject that can no longer be ignored.

Here are a few ways you can start to try and bridge that gap

1. Have youth group volunteer leaders that are single.
2. Bring single people into youth group talk about their experiences with singleness.
3. If you have a lesson on relationships, have one on singleness also.
4. Talk about ways a single person can live out their faith because they are single.

Singleness needs to be discussed in youth group since a good majority of your students will probably be single for some time or perhaps a long time. Giving them the tools to be a single in God’s kingdom is just as important as giving them tools for how to be married in God’s kingdom. The gap needs to be breached and youth group is a perfect place to start.

Sarah Vanderaa is currently serving as a full-time youth director in a church located in the south suburbs of Chicago. She is close to wrapping up her tenth year there and is excited to see what year eleven will bring. On her rest days, she can often be found behind a computer writing and updating her blog, while drinking lots and lots of coffee. In between naps, she still finds time to read novels. You can connect with Sarah through her blog at WWW.UNLOCKANDRELEASE.TUMBLR.COM or her Facebook page @UNLOCKANDRELEASE.

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We have all been taught when the struggles of a teenager seem like more than you’re equipped to handle, to refer, refer, refer.

But to who? And how? Especially if you’re new to the area or to the church, how are you supposed to know who to call when you need reinforcements, specifically of a trained mental health professional?

We can do better than just a list of strangers’ names when youth or parents talk to us about mental or emotional health needs. This post is meant to guide you through the process of putting together a referral guide that is accessible, robust and useful for the youth in your context.

When teenagers come to us at their most vulnerable, their most raw, we have a responsibility to point them not just towards Jesus, but towards those here on earth who, as professional caretakers of adolescents with mental and emotional health needs, act as his hands and feet.

So, where do we start?

Step 1: Gather

Start by gathering as many names, resources and options as possible. Utilize lists already put together and build on them. Ask your pastoral care staff and the pastoral care staff at other churches in the area. Call local high schools and talk to guidance counselors and school psychologists and get their referral list. A school in our area hosted a suicide prevention program, so I contacted the organizer and asked for who she worked with to put it together. If you know someone in your ministry is seeing a mental health professional and is open about it and having a good experience, ask for their name, and where they practice.

It can be tempting to start this process with an internet search, and if you really don’t have any other options, that is a place to start, but you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed with options, many whose quality no one has vouched for.

Step 2: Research

Now that you have a long list of resources, it can be tempting to think you’ve done enough, but in my experience, it takes people a lot of courage to admit they or their child needs help, and one or two bad leads can discourage them. You can minimize that possibility by narrowing the list.

Call the centers, resources, practices and practitioners on your list. Tell them what you’re doing and mention that you would like some more information and to ask a few questions. These places want clients, don’t expect you to be an expert and are generally very open to these kinds of questions.

Here are some things you will probably want to ask right off the bat:

• Are any of your counselors taking new clients right now?
• Do you have counselors who work with adolescents?
• What is your fee system? (Do you take insurance or Medicaid? Is it sliding scale?)
• What kind of licensure do your providers have?
  • You’ll run across everything from MD’s in psychiatry to non-professional lay counselors, and while they can all be helpful, you need to be able to provide that information to families.
• What types of counseling do your providers specialize in?

Also ask some questions about any specific needs you may have for your context, like:

• Do you work with substance abuse issues?
• Do you have counselors who are bilingual?
• Are you affirming to LGBTIA+ clients? (for Christian counseling centers)

Step 3: Organize

Once you have a long list of resources and some information about them, begin to eliminate resources that are not a good fit. Your youth and their parents will benefit more from a handful of really good options than dozens of bad ones.

Organize your options to be able to navigate them better. Some of the categories I used are Christian Counseling, Low or No-Cost, Crisis Intervention (including inpatient centers), and Private Practice. Make sure you have addresses, contact numbers and any names of people you talked to or who were specifically recommended, so you can tell people who to ask for. This process may also reveal gaps in your resources that send you back to step one. That’s ok, it’s a working document.

Step 4: Share

Share the referral guide with people on your staff and with other youth workers in your area! See if they have anything to add or any feedback on resources you recommended. Reach out to anyone who helped you in the gather phase and offer them a copy. Not only is this polite but it establishes you as a resource in local mental health resources for adolescents.

Step 5: Use

This is the most obvious, and hardest, part isn’t it? It’s a different ballgame when the child who needs inpatient care for substance abuse or counseling through traumatic loss, isn’t just a youth, but your youth.

If a teenager is dealing with more than you or they can handle, then tell them that you think that they should see a professional, and let them know that you’re going to talk to their parents, because you care about them, and want to love and help them the best way you know how.

When talking to the parents, be compassionate, patient and persistent. Get the parents to agree to allow you to at least send a few resources for them to look into. Send the referral guide, or relevant section of it, that day, and then follow-up to see if they have any questions. It’s not appropriate to ask them which resource they used or how it went, but you should be available to debrief if they offer up that information.

With the exception of extreme cases (risk of harm to self or others, abuse), you ultimately can’t make a youth get the help they need. But you can make it as easy and unstressful as possible. Confronting issues of mental and emotional health is a courageous and vulnerable act, and we owe it to the youth we work with to be as prepared as possible to meet them in that place and help them find healing.

Kat Bair is the Associate Director of Youth Ministries at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, Texas. She is pursuing her Masters of Arts in Youth Ministries at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a Graduate Resident in the Center for Youth Ministry Training. You can follow HER BLOG or on Instagram at @KAT_BAIR

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God made us to be in community. As ministry leaders, we are often left creating an environment of community for others, yet being left out of close community ourselves. Connecting with other pastors and ministry leaders can really fill that void that we have as we lead others. If you have ever reached out to other ministry leaders, then you understand how difficult it is to network and connect with other ministries and leaders in a healthy way.

Unfortunately for the Church (big C), ministry is a very competitive field to work in. Yes, being driven to reach as many people for the Gospel as possible, and make sure to close the back door and keep people in your church is a good thing. At the same time, being driven and being competitively aggressive (or defensive) with other churches and ministries are two totally separate things. One can lead to lots of people coming to new life in Christ, the other can lead to major hurt and bad attitudes towards local churches.

Having been on both ends of ministry networking, I have experienced the hurt of trying to come alongside another ministry that pushes you away out of competition, and I have also experienced having God do amazing things by bringing two ministries together. All of that while also creating a strong community of ministry leaders determined to work together, encourage one another and be accountable to one another. When that community is established, it is much more than a strong network, but it is the Church being the Church outside of four walls.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when seeking out ministry connections:

1. Be Ready to Pour Out without being Poured into.

One reason to look for community is to find that encouragement that you rarely get from those under your care. However, do not go into a relationship with another ministry leader expecting the world. If your expectation is to come away from that connection feeling somehow invigorated or full-to-overflowing, you may end up bitterly disappointed. The only way for ministry networking to work is to be ready to serve, to give and to encourage without expecting anything in return. I have been there and found myself very hurt by other ministries because I expected as much out of them as I was giving to them. This was not their fault, but it was my own unrealistic expectation. There are definitely times when we end up being used by others (perhaps in another article that can be the focus), but as a leader, you cannot worry about what they will or won’t do for you.

2. Make sure there is flex time on your calendar.

No, this is not time spent at the gym. I have seen several ministries fail to connect with others due to a rigid calendar. For whatever reason, they simply could not find time to lock arms with another leader or church. If you create space within your calendar that can shift a couple of weeks backward or forward, or if you keep your schedule relatively tentative, then when someone comes calling, you will be able to do something really cool by networking with another ministry.

3. Don’t look at other churches as the competition.

We have an enemy, and it is not the church down the street, but he would like to make us think that. It is a sad thing for a ministry leader to hold a bitter grudge against another due to the fact that one of their students left his/her group for that one. If we see each other as co-laborers rather than competitors, so much more can be done for the Gospel. Furthermore, and this is just my personal opinion, it seems to be the lazy way out to blame another church on our own shortcomings. So what if a student has decided to go to the “other church.” Is EVERY student in your community going to church regularly? If there is even one student that isn’t churched in your area, then the problem is not with another church. Go and reach the ones that haven’t been reached!

—

In order to make the most out of ministry connections, find other ministry leaders that you cannot just “talk shop” with, but those who care about you personally, who want to see you succeed and who will be those people that you can vent to when needed. Every pastor needs a pastor, therefore build yourself a community that is a safe place for all the junk that you carry that cannot be shared with your people. You will find that you will be a healthier leader, and your ministry will be much more vibrant.

Every pastor needs a pastor. Therefore build yourself a community that is a safe place.
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Joseph Fowler has a passion for leading the next generation of the Church, and reaching those who are far from God. He’s a sports fanatic, outdoorsman, pop culture connoisseur, and gamer. Find Joseph on Twitter  @THEJOSEPHFOWLER, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM.

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It is well documented in business circles that “blaming the customer” is a terrible practice. It’s also popular to talk about how we must “change or die.” Oddly enough, there are a surprising amount of businesses – and even entire industries – that ignore this wisdom and continue to blame their customers. Ironically, this is many times in the name of resisting change.

• There have been car companies that decided to blame the customer instead of recalling a faulty part.
• When the yoga pants maker Lululemon started getting a lot of complaints about their product, their first response was to imply that the problem was with “most women’s bodies.”
• Kodak almost folded after trying to completely deny the advent of the digital age.
• Blockbuster Video couldn’t imagine customers not wanting to come out to their brick and mortar stores.
• The music industry originally responded to P2P sharing programs (like Napster) by taking the customers to court.

Even when the lawsuits succeed, they still fail. In 2013, the city of Seattle was sued for allowing people to opt-out of receiving a phone book.  No brainer, right? Wrong. It was apparently a violation of free speech and after multiple appeals, the city chose to remove the opt-out and settle for $500,000. The phone book companies won. Except they didn’t. After all, when was the last time you used a phone book? (For anything other than kindling for a fire or ripping in half in a strongman display).

Playing the Blame Game & Resisting Change

I would argue that we know inherently that the blame-game is a dead-end. However, we tend to forget how subtle this game is. It is so easy to be playing it and not realize we are doing so. For our purpose here, I’d suggest that we in youth ministry have been playing the blame-game with our students and youth culture.

Resisting change is equally a dead-end. Resisting change creates “sides” where it can be us versus them and we celebrate our successes and their failures.

Howard Hendricks once said,

“All across the country, there are tens of thousands of churches in America that are little more than a museum of how church was done 50-100 years ago. They have resisted change and gone from ‘not growing’ to flat out dying. Their leadership gathers and asks some version of, ‘How do we attract young families?’ But then they come to the conclusion that “families these days just don’t care about church like they used to.”

I’ve sat in on meetings like this. My friends have sat in on meetings like this. You may have too. We know our opinion isn’t really wanted so we say nothing and sit and listen to church leadership do the two things we know lead to death: Blaming the customer and resisting change.

Are we falling into the same trap?

Now at this point, you might be tracking with me pretty well, especially since so far I’m making us – the youth ministry people – the heroes. We know better – right? But let me turn this back to you and I and ask a very serious question. Are we falling into the same trap? Are we doing any better?

I can’t speak for you, but I know that I’ve been convicted lately that I blame students, parents, and the culture of the modern family, and I’ve been doing so to help resist the need for change. I’ve been in youth ministry for almost 20 years and I’m known in (very) small circles as a youth ministry “expert.” But I’m scared to death that my real expertise is actually how youth ministry was done 20 years ago.

I waved the white flag at a recent meeting with my volunteer staff.

“I need ideas. I have to stop complaining about how families are too busy and people need to make youth group a priority. Sports schedules will not be getting lighter. Parents won’t make getting their kids into college less of a priority. Teenagers still need Jesus and I’m feeling like our program, as is, only reaches a very small niche of teenagers in our area. If we don’t change our approach, we will be dead in a matter of years.”

Three Options in the Face of Change

I realized I basically had three choices. I could (1) get out of youth ministry, (2) move to a church where my outdated model still works, or (3) change my approach.  And the thought occurred to me that perhaps option two is something that happens in the ministry world more than we realize.

But the point is simply this. I knew what I had to stop doing. I had to stop blaming students. I had to stop blaming parents. I had to stop blaming culture.

So do you.

Otherwise, we will become the youth ministry equivalent of that church leadership meeting that we mock from afar. We will continue to just lament about how youth ministry used to be and continue to do the same things we‘ve always done. We will become outdated, and irrelevant. We will become powerless. We will become just one more institution known for fighting for self-preservation instead of having an actual impact on the world.

We can choose to stop blaming the students and the culture…

…or we can choose to go the way of the phone book.

JONATHAN HOBBS is the Director of Youth Ministries at the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, Pennsylvania. He has worked in youth ministry for almost 20 years, including churches in New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania. He has spoken and/or led worship for multiple camps, retreats, and events around the country and has written multiple articles for blogs, newspapers, and magazines.  He also co-wrote/edited a book called “Don’t Do This” which is full of stories about failures in youth ministry. (Something he knows a lot about).  He is the founder of J3 Youth Ministry (WWW.J3YOUTHMINISTRY.COM) and is one of the hosts of the J3 Youth Ministry Podcast. He took karate in high school because he thought it would help make him cool. He was wrong. Jonathan and his wife, Carolyn, have two beautiful daughters, Kaylin and Julia. He loves golf, can juggle two balls skillfully and does a halfway decent impression of Kermit the Frog. He’s also a big fan of the Oxford comma. Follow him on Twitter @JONHOBBSTWEETS.

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For some of us, summer means things slow down a bit for a few months. For others, things seem to somehow move even faster. But, no matter what speed you find yourself moving right now—no matter how full or how empty your summer youth calendar is—fall is coming.

And, while summer may offer a change of pace for many of us, fall means the start of another ministry year full of program nights, small groups, outreach events, service projects and whatever else you fill your ministry calendar with.

Over the past 22 years that I’ve served students, I’ve learned to think about the youth ministry seasons of summer and fall this way…

If summer is time to slow down and put the brakes on, I think fall is like getting shot out of a cannon—it’s an adrenaline rush every time, but you have to know where you’re going and hit the target. Otherwise, you’ve just made a lot of noise and a big mess.

Youth ministry is a lot like that—you have to know where you’re going and aim for something. And, you better be prepared too. Otherwise, your ministry calendar can easily become just another chaotic mess of random events and teaching topics thrown together at the last minute.

Fortunately, Jesus gave us all something to aim at—His Kingdom. Ultimately, He wants us to go out and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). He wants us to make an impact in people’s lives beyond this life. And, for those of us involved in vocational ministry, that means that we’ve got to be ready when fall rolls around and our ministry calendar starts all over again. Because, the reality is, God’s Kingdom is at stake.

So, while you’re thinking about what you’ll be doing during those hot summer days in front of you, let me give you four things to do to prepare yourself for fall. Remember, you have to know where you are going and aim for something. If your aim is to make an impact in God’s Kingdom, then consider adding these four things to your summer:

REST.

You need rest. Your body, soul, mind and spirit cannot maintain the pace of ministry year-round. You need rest. In a typical ministry year, there are generally two blocks of time that are ideal for you to rest—the summer months and Christmas break. So, take a vacation and go somewhere and rest. Leave your smartphone at home, grab a book or two and go. A couple books you might check out are An Unhurried Life by Alan Fadling and Leaders who Last by Dave Kraft (especially chapter 5!).

RELATE.

The summer is a great time of year to spend time with students and leaders. You can make huge investments in kids’ lives by hanging out with them over ice cream, throwing a Frisbee around at a local park or even surprising them at their work if they have a job. The possibilities are endless. But, the great thing about summer is that your schedule is more flexible and students’ schedules are wide open. So, go find some students and hang out with them! You’ll be glad you did in the fall.

RECRUIT.

When fall comes, you will need help. You can’t do ministry alone. And, you can’t wait until Labor Day weekend to recruit your leaders for next year. Start the recruitment process now by making a list of potential student leaders and adult volunteers. Then, take that list and make personal contact with each person—talk to them about your ministry and how you see them fitting in it. Be clear about what you’re asking them to do and give them time to pray (and think) about joining your team. Remember, you can’t do ministry alone. God didn’t design the church to function that way anyway (Ephesians 4:11-16).

RELOAD.

Like I said before, I imagine fall is like getting shot out of a cannon. And, if the cannon is empty, all you’ve done is made a lot of noise with no lasting impact (except for some deaf ears). You need to take the summer to reload your ministry—to have everything* ready to go when the ministry calendar starts all over again. And, just like in recruiting, you can’t wait until Labor Day weekend to do this. The best time to reload is the summer months because you actually have the time to put some thought and prayer into where you’re going in your ministry (and how you’re going to get there).

* “Everything” includes working on stuff like the overall program, teaching topics, small groups, outreach activities and special events, service projects and student and volunteer leadership development.

How you use your time this summer will have a huge impact on how effective you will be in the fall.
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If your desire is to make an impact in God’s Kingdom—to see it explode in your ministry—then what are you going to do this summer to make that happen?

Jason Matthews is a youth pastor in Washington state, where he’s been serving students for over 20 years.  When he doesn’t have to be in the office, he loves to be outside with his family, hiking and exploring the Pacific Northwest.  He also loves to write, and you can find more of what he writes about at one of his blogs (WWW.VERSEOTHEWEEK.WORDPRESS.COM & WWW.PJASONMATTHEWS.WORDPRESS.COM).

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