Category Archives: Discipleship
Mosaics and the Bible
The Barna Group has done a helpful study on what Americans think about the Bible. Below is an infographic that summarizes the results. It is interesting to see that Mosaics (18-28) are more likely to see the Bible as an important source of “wisdom” in many life areas.
This is especially noteworthy for those ministering to collegians and teens. I often call the ages 12-22 the “Ten Year Critical Window” as so many life-shaping decisions are made during this brief point of person’s life while at the same time are walking through major developmental changes. Read the rest of this entry
Every Family Needs One of These
Is it really a right?
Have you seen the Sprint commercial below for the iphone5 which at the ends states:
“I need to upload all of me. I need, no, I have the right to be unlimited.”
Marketers spend a lot of time and money researching their target audience’ values in order to sell their product. I find it interesting that they chose to describe uploading as a “need” and being unlimited as a “right”. Is uploading really a need? Are unlimited data plans really a human right? Read the rest of this entry
Disciplemaking is Imitation
Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 1 Corinthians 4:16-17
Disciplemaking is not just about a body of teaching. Disicplemaking is about a way of life.
You can’t pass a way of life onto a crowd. Therefore, preaching and teaching alone will never make disciples.
Our disciplemaking deficiency in the American church is not a problem of lack of information. It is a lack of imitation. Read the rest of this entry
Are You A Spiritual Leader?
Henry Blackaby wrote a great book called Spiritual Leadership that I read years ago. Many define leadership as influence. Blackaby defines spiritual leadership differently. His definition, in short, is “moving people onto God’s agenda”.
In recent days I have found myself praying for God to help me not only be a leader but to be a spiritual leader who is moving people onto His agenda. This is a humbling prayer as it calls me to remember that I must then draw near to the heart of God, seek His face, respond courageously and obediently to His leading. Ultimately, it means that I must allow myself to be led.
As I read Joshua 1-8 today I saw 10 leadership principles that I want to see more fully developed in my own life and pray will also be true of vocational and volunteer leaders serving in Student Ministry across the country. Read the rest of this entry
THE ISSUE Facing Today’s Teens
I was just at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference and had the opportunity to talk to Walt Mueller of the Center of Parent and Youth Understanding. He said something that struck me. He stated that in all his research when he assesses the various issues students are facing today–broken homes, divorce, cutting, illegal drugs, depression, bullying and the like—that pornography is THE issue that we need to set our target on.
Taking a Look at the Stats: Read the rest of this entry
LIVE Leadership Giveaway! **UPDATE**
I am excited for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference (March 1-4), it is around the corner…and almost sold out! I will be teaching a couple workshops on technology in youth ministry and I have a ton of FREE STUFF. I asked my friends at Simply Youth Ministry if they would give me a head start on giving some things away and they said YES! So we have a $250 LIVE Leadership to give to one of you ReachStudent Blog readers. I will pick a winner on Monday March 4th.
One of my favorite resources in youth ministry has been the LIVE Curriculum. This line of curriculum is fully complete yet fully editable for your needs (and the needs of your small group leaders)! At the start of this school year I sat down and went through all the topics, made some choices, asked my wife to sift through the topics and lessons and then we came up with a final 4 year curriculum. There are so many lessons you may not use them all. They are so versatile I often give the extras to our Sunday school teachers as outlines for large group teaching. If you are interested in LIVE Curriculum read more here.
The cool thing about LIVE Leadership is it is not just a small group curriculum. Like other versions of LIVE you can use these outlines in large groups too…but wait, their’s more! This is a pretty diverse tool. LIVE Leadership contais messages for Adult leaders as well as student leaders and leadership lessons written specifically for junior high students.
Here’s how to win our copy of LIVE Leadership.
- Post a comment below sharing with us your 1 to 3 of your favorite websites/web resources you use that are fun and or sharpen you as a leader. These could be blogs, games sites, or places you grab resources…just leave a link and a few words telling us why/how you use it.
- Want a second vote? Tweet this post or a link to this post with #freeLIVELeadership. (hash tag must be present to win)
We will grab all those comments, tweets, and retweet and pick a winner Monday March 4th. If you do not win, but you like the idea behind a complete small group curriculum check out LIVE Curriculum and their FREE trials. If you are attending the Simply Youth Ministry Conference come and find me, I’d love to talk tech, youth ministry, or just get a coffee and hang out.
**UPDATE**
And the winner is…Steve Berg!!!! Congratulations Steve, I’ll get you the info you needed soon.
A Crisis of Faith? Questions and Doubts for Transitioning College Students
This past weekend I had the privilege of presenting a College Transition Seminar at Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA. The event was sponsored by Christ Community Church of the South Hills and the Coalition for Christian Outreach. At the same time and location, CPYU president, Walt Mueller, presented a seminar for parents and youth workers on Understanding Today’s Youth Culture. It was a fun day, filled with very meaningful conversations.
During my seminar for transitioning high school students and their parents, a parent made a comment that was very helpful. I was discussing the place of doubt within the life of a follower of Christ. One of my main points I really wanted the students to grasp was this: “It is okay to ask questions and to have doubts about faith.” In fact, I explained, doubting is part of the normal process of taking ownership of their faith. I challenged students with these words: Read the rest of this entry
10 Reasons Why Youth Are the Strategic Bulls-Eye of our Missional Target
The “12-22 window” is quickly becoming the largest unreached people group in the world. Young people, ages 12-22, must be a central priority of today’s Church.
In Hurt, Chap Clark writes that today’s adolescents operate within an environment in which adults have largely abdicated their responsibility to mold and shape teenagers’ everyday lives causing them to create an “adolescent underworld.”
Is the church contributing to this underworld? Are we unintentionally abandoning our collective role in reaching and developing young people? We must awaken to the opportunity before us, seeing youth as the most strategic missional focus of our day!
This is true for several reasons: Read the rest of this entry
Raised Expectations
As a middle school pastor, I have learned that clearly identified expectations and leading toward a culture that praises these expectations earns a reputation of quality and makes a big difference.
Jr. High/middle school ministry can easily be stereotyped, the brunt of jokes and skits by the Skit guys as out of control, activity driven and basically a time to extend immaturity and lack of responsibility. It is our job, as those who work with middle school students, to make sure our ministries are not characterized in these ways. God, your students, families and your church deserve more than that. If your pastor, church leaders, parents, church members and the community are shaking their head at what goes on in our ministries, how can we expect support, volunteer leaders and real growth to happen? Read the rest of this entry
