Immigrant Hope for Students
Immigrant Hope is a ministry of the EFCA that equips Christians to love and serve the immigrants in their community by guiding them through the immigration system. There are millions of immigrants in the United States and more arriving daily. Many of them are unfamiliar with our language and culture and struggle to understand and follow our complex immigration laws.
Immigrants often find themselves in serious trouble because of a misfiled form or a misunderstood question. With a little training, church members, including youth, can help their neighbors, friends, and family navigate the immigration system, and show them the love of God in the process.
Working with Immigrant Hope can help students make the transition from knowing about God’s calling to living it out. Immigrant Hope is also a great resume builder: a social service program that includes experience in law, social work and cross-cultural communication. Your students can gain valuable skills and experiences while acting as God’s hands and feet in their community.
For more information contact Ben Johnson: ben.johnson@immigranthope.org
Disciplemaking Genius of Jesus – Part 8
By Bill Allison and Dave Garda- Cadre International Ministries (Posted with permission.)
See also: Part 1, Part 2,Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Which one below is discipleship and which one is disciplemaking? Why?
What’s the difference between discipleship and disciplemaking?
Why does it matter? Read the rest of this entry
TIU Student Leadership Conference
This last week I was at the Trinity International University for EFCA week. I had the chance to meet with Katherine Goehrke who is the Director of Leadership Development at TIU. Katherine and her team are doing a great job of developing Emerging Student Leaders who as part of their development get to dream up and develop a Student Leadership Conference for 10th, 11th, and 12th grade high schoolers.
If you are close to the Chicago land area consider brining students to this conference. At $50/student it is one of the most affordable conference I’ve seen (price includes meals, housing, t-shirt, and a pair of TOMS shoes.) You can’t beat that!
Being Supportive in a Denominational Setting
As I denominational leader I found myself interested in a recent post on Slant33 hosted by Barefoot Ministries entitled “In a Strong Denominational Setting How do you Support Your Denomination.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts and any ideas you have for the EFCA.
Lost in Translation: Why Students Need an Alongsider
Students’ struggle is not lack of information it is lack of translation.
When we don’t see change in a student’s life, we often think the problem is that they must need more information. Even if we don’t believe this is the problem, it is often how we seek to solve it. We give them another message.
The truth is what most students need is not more information. What they need is to see how that information has been translated into someone else’s life. The problem is they don’t know how to implement the truth they’ve heard into their lives. They need a model. They need an “Alongsider” who will draw them close so that they can experience how this truth (information) has been integrated into the life of someone they trust and respect. A person who knows them well enough to help them in the early stages of implementing and applying the truth into their own way of life. Read the rest of this entry
Equip Students to Reach Out with Life Book
Back in June 2011 we posted about a fresh ministry called Life Book that provides a tool for students to use as they engage in spiritual conversations with friends. Our friends at Life Book are gearing up to distribute 630,000 free copies of the Life Book.
Here is what Scott Tinman, youth pastor in Moline, IL had to say about how they used Life Book:
“This past fall we had the opportunity to partner with The Life Book and our local Youthworker Network as a follow-up to SYATP. We used The Life Book as a tool to give students something that they can get into spiritual conversations with their friends that they prayed for at the Pole. Some of our students who took the challenge were at school reading The Life Book for themselves and found their friends asking what they were reading. Their friends then asked for their own copy. This led into further conversations. It gave students a great way to talk with their friends about their faith. The Life Book was a great tool for students to bring the gospel to their school campus!”
Jeremy Deck, Student Ministry Pastor in New Hope, MN is planning to use Life Book this spring:
“The goal of our student ministries is not to constantly pull students into different programs at church. Rather, our desire is to equip them to be the church wherever God has placed them and to live out the gospel on mission in their recurring, everyday activities. As we train our students in the gospel and its transforming power, Life Book creates intentional pathways to gospel shaped conversations with friends. As our students believe, understand, and apply the gospel, I’m excited to see how our Life Book outreach will provide longterm, intentional application of everything that our students are learning. We don’t just want our students to understand the gospel. We want them to apply it. Life Book will give us another opportunity for gospel application in the lives of students at NHC.”
Check out this video that shares the vision of Life Book.
A Disciplemaking Dream for 2012
Two questions I think are critical for every ministry leader to ask at the beginning of a new year are:
1.) Is my disciplemaking vision clear?
2.) Is my disciplemaking passion hot?
I think both of these ultimately come from God, but I think part of the way that God keeps our vision clear and our passion for that vision white hot is through burdening our heart with a dream.
As I look back on 2011, I am grateful for all that God has done, but as I begin 2012 I can tell you I am not satisfied. I believe God has far more He wants to do. His dream is burning in my heart.
This is my dream… Read the rest of this entry
Is there a “better way”?
QUESTION
What would it look like for disciplemaking to be something that everyone of your students had the joy of delivering rather than just merely something they attended?
This is a question that here in ReachStudents we’ve been wrestling with for some time. Recently, a pastor friend of mine who sits on the board for Cross World shared with me a little brochure called “A Betther Way” that their current president, Dale Losch, has written. It’ powerful. The implications are great and far reaching.
I dare you to read it.
A Better Way
Then I come back here and comment on these questions.
Where are you already experiencing this and/or what are the obstacles that get in the way? What are the implications for how you approach ministry and/or perceive your role? What would this mean for youth ministry?
I’ve love to hear your thougths!!
Challenge 2012: Why we invited Eric Mason
It’s exciting to have Eric Mason joining us for Challenge 2012 this summer in New Orleans. Registration for Challenge opens January 2. It’s going to be an incredible week as we challenge students to live on mission with God everyday, everywhere, with everyone. Check out more information at Challengeconference.com!
In Youth Ministry What’s of First Importance?
I grew up as the middle child of three boys. Both my brothers are incredibly intelligent and since they have always been natural born thinkers, I have looked to find my identity in other areas (that don’t include Star Wars and speaking Klingon). Consequently, I have grown up as a Christian who needs theology to be simple and straightforward. This might be one of the reasons I love working with teenagers.
Most of the students I have worked with can answer most of the cliché Christian answers with ease. These “Golden Children” have a clear understanding of the rules that good kids should follow, but I wonder if they actually know the main message of the Bible. Think for a moment about the brightest teenagers you’re working with. They probably come to your events, encourage you when you preach a crummy message, and even laugh at your corny jokes. But, do they know—and I mean really understand in both mind and heart—what the Scripture says is most important? Read the rest of this entry
