Tag: youth ministry

How Many Students Does it Take

I’m often asked how many students participate in Serve each summer. Here’s the short but powerful answer:

First, recognize that students and adults participate in Serve and the three major points of impact include:

  • The Host Church- The Host Church prays about how to creatively share the Gospel with their community and mobilize their congregation into the community. This isn’t just a one-week outreach or even three months of planning. Community outreach and home missions is written into the DNA of the Host Church, so the student workforce during this one week helps to enhance and advance what the congregation does throughout the year.
  • The Community – Persons in every community across North America are praying that God would meet their needs. Some of those needs are tangible, work-related projects that have a significant bearing on that person’s financial, social and emotional well being. Those people and organizations see the Church in action. They see teenagers as doers of the Word and not hearers only. Plus, the people receiving the work share their life story and perspective so their strengths are seen and not just their needs.
  • The Students and Youth Leaders – The Students and Youth Leaders who register have been praying about how to expand their worldview and fulfill the Great Commission. They are invited to serve the Host Church and community for one week then urged to go back and engage more fully with their own congregation to reach people down the street and around the world.

For more on Serve Outcomes in these areas of impact, click here to download a one-page summary.

Now here’s the break down of participants. These are approximates and on the conservative side (I never like to be “evangelistic” in my numbers):

  • 1,700 students and youth leaders
  • 400 Host Church volunteers
  • 1,700 Host Church Prayer Partners
  • 2,400 Sending Church Prayer and Financial Partners
  • 5,600 people receiving help and sharing their life perspective with students

10,000 plus participate in Serve each summer directly connected to a church.

That last part, “directly connected to a church”, is vital to Youth Unlimited. Serve is not a student mission trip where student groups “show up, blow up and blow out”. Everyone participating is or can be relationally connected to a long-term ministry. With Youth Unlimited, it’s all about faith for life.

If you’ve been on Youth Unlimited’s Serve and have a story of impact you’d like to share, please email Mandi at Mandi@youthunlimited.org.

 

 

A Look Ahead to Live It 2015

Youth Unlimited is excited for Live It 2015 and the opportunity to engage with high school age students at their point of interests and passions once again so they can learn about their value in Christ while exploring how to use their talents to spread God’s love to their friends, community and world. Watch the video below for a look ahead to Live It 2015!

The Church in the Park

Unity, worship, power, witness… those and many more words could be used to describe some of what God is doing in Peterborough, Ontario.

 

A few years ago, our church and youth group set out to extend our ministry and our presence into the community by loving others genuinely and intentionally outside the walls of our church building. We realized that as much as we talked about being changed and affecting change, effectiveness would rely on being intentional enough that we would actually leave what’s comfortable (i.e.: our building) and move into the community.

 

With this in mind, we began regularly canceling “youth group as usual” and organized service nights, connecting with service providers in our community, working to serve those who serve others. As we did that, we ran into unexpected co-workers… brothers and sisters from the church down the road. I walked into the “The Bridge”, a youth drop in for street involved kids in our city. And there was Jim, the youth pastor from Ferndale Bible Church. As we looked at each other and tried to figure out what each other was doing there, we laughed as we realized that we had booked the same service night at the same place on the same week. After that exact thing happened a second time, we figured that God was up to something.

 

One of the great things about ministry in our city is the connections and unity we experience. It’s an amazing thing to know, support and love others who are kingdom workers here in Peterborough. Church in the City is an organized group of pastors and ministries who pray for and with each other, work together for the common mission of Christ in our city. Jim and I know each other, know each other’s church and trust the call that God has placed in our hearts.

 

A year later, Jim and I found ourselves co-hosting Youth Unlimited’s Serve week together, celebrating the mission that God has not only placed each of us on, but placed us on together. We kicked off Peterborough Serve 2014 in the middle of Peterborough, the city God has called both our churches to. We held our Sunday service in a downtown park, overlooking the marina on Little Lake: in the same place that just the night before had been the location of Peterborough’s twice weekly free music concert series. In the middle of our community, Ferndale, Living Hope and all our Serve participants sang praises to our God and were commissioned to serving faithfully and enthusiastically for the whole week!

 

Amazing work was done, we were able to bless some families in their homes and draw alongside all of the same service providers that we had initially begun serving.
 We even got to send teams to The Bridge for fresh paint and a new look! We also dove deep into what poverty really looks like in our world, and specifically, in our town.

 

There was some great work done, and not a small part of that work was the binding of hearts of God’s people, on mission.

 

 

If you want to get your student ministry out of the church building, download this youth group curriculum  called, “Kingdom Living By Mere Mortals”. It is seven sessions based on Isaiah 58 that will educate, inspire and inform your group. It is suggested that your speaker watch the LIVE 58 Film and clips of that film in this series. See LIVE58.org after downloading and reading through the curriculum.

What now?

Love Jesus. Love Others. Like the directions on a shampoo bottle; lather, rinse, repeat.

 

“Repeating” asks us to do it again and again. Maybe you heard something like this in grade two: Pete and Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out and who was left? That could go on and on, my friends. Slightly more fun was changing it up to: Pinch Me and Punch Me were in a boat… but I digress.

 

In the past, student mission trips have seemed that elementary at first glance. It seemed the directions were go, return home and repeat.

 

That’s changed and we are realigned with the command of Christ. The emphasis in student missions is no longer on the mission trip. The principle worth repeating is living with the mission mentality. Love Jesus. Love others. Repeat daily (not annually after raising the proper funds). The mission of life is loving and serving with a clear gospel focus, especially at home where caring for others is most effective.

 

The goal of mission trips is not to accomplish missions. “Missions” are not something you accomplish – they are lived. Part of the goal is learning alongside of those we’re sent to serve. We learn how God is working in their community so we can better understand how he is working in our own.

 

In 2007, the Fuller Youth Institute developed the resource Deep Justice In a Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others and Right the Wrongs Around Them by Chap Clark and Kara E. Powell and in 2009, followed that up with the student companion journal, Deep Justice Journeys: Moving From Mission Trips to Missional Living by Kara E. Powell and Brad M. Griffin. Thank God, after seven years we are living this idea more fully.

 

Youth Unlimited has woven this key thought into our mission trips: You are being invited to serve alongside a local church and community for a week, learning from them how to compassionately care for a community. Then, you are asked to return home to engage more fully with your church to compassionately care for your own community and the world.

 

The summer has drawn to an end, so what now? The school year has started, what now?

 

How will your students repeat missional living each day and all through the year?

Faces of ThereforeGo, Fall 2014, Part 2 of 2

Jeff Schipper

Jeff Schipper | Youth Unlimited | Summer Teen Missions

Q. What’s your favorite place to meet with students, and why?

A. My favorite place would be at a local breakfast joint (The Windmill in Holland is tough to beat). Breakfast combines three of my favorite things: coffee, food and conversations in a booth. I also appreciate connecting with students before the pace of a regular day kicks into full gear.

Q. What do you do to stay relevant to youth?

A. I never felt the need to try until recently when I turned 30. Even now that I feel a bit irrelevant, I spend my time connecting with them personally at sporting events, dance competitions and coffee shops. In my mind, being present is more important than being relevant.

Q. I never leave for youth group without my…

A. Kickball and jumbo box of sidewalk chalk. The options are endless, and lately, our kids have become somewhat obsessed with 8 or 15-square. It’s a great mixer that anyone can play. Other options include parking lot kickball or a Jerry Meadows chalk portrait competition.

Q. What resource has inspired you for ministry lately?

A. Other than the Heidelberg Catechism J, I have been spending the most time lately reading and applying Mark DeVries’ Sustainable Youth Ministry. I’ve also been blessed & challenged by Bonhoeffer’s Life Together as I think about Christian community.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. Free time is hard to come by as a youth director, homeowner, husband, and father of two kids under 2.5 years old. When I carve out a little “me time”, I’m probably on the golf course or downtown Holland meeting up with some guys from church.

 

Ellen Lyzenga

Ellen Lyzenga | Youth Unlimited | Summer Teen Missions

Q. Where could we find you at 10:00 AM on a Saturday morning?

A. If there are no youth retreats, fundraisers or leadership events, then I would be relaxing on my couch with a good book and a cup of coffee, probably with my cat sitting on my lap.

Q. If your students described you in five words or less, what would they say?

A. Best youth leader ever!

Q. What resource has inspired you for ministry lately?

A. Both Essential Church? by Thom and Sam Rainer and The Millennials by Thom and Jess Rainer. These are some great researchers and authors who examine why our young people are walking away from the church and their books are full of good information and ideas on how to connect with our youth.

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a youth group fundraiser?

A. I haven’t done it yet, but I want all the kids to paint a picture on canvas, something that inspires them or their favorite Bible verse or Bible story. Then we will display and sell the paintings in a silent auction.

Q. Where would you like to travel someday?

A. Turkey, Greece or Italy. I was blessed with an opportunity to see Israel with ThereforeGo a few years ago and walk where Jesus walked. Now I want to travel and see where the Apostles started the early church. I want to walk in Paul’s footsteps where he went to share the gospel and preach the word of God.

Faces of ThereforeGo, Fall 2014, Part 1 of 2

Ryan Link

Ryan Link | Youth Unlimited | High School Summer Mission Trips

Q. Where could we find you at 10:00 AM on a Saturday morning?

A. Usually, I’d be just beginning some sort of project around our house or yard unless it’s the first Saturday of the month. Then, our family would be at Home Depot with a billion other kids suffering a headache and sore fingers from pounding wire thin nails into craft projects, but my wife and I enjoy it. We really do.

Q. What’s your favorite place to meet with students, and why?

A. We have a great restaurant at a local golf clubhouse that I like to take students to. It has a really cool atmosphere and students feel very comfortable there (and the food is great!). Most students expect Burger King or Juice Stop (which are ok), but I like to treat them to something special so they feel that our time together is important and valued.

Q. What do you do to stay relevant to youth?

A. I go right to the source. I spend a lot of time intentionally listening to what our students are interested in – what video games they are playing, the music they are listening to, their favorite movies, etc. I follow their Twitter and Instagram feeds, join their Clans in Clash of Clans, etc. Then, I incorporate themes and ideas from these things in my messages and lessons.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. It is important that my free time is spent with my wife and kids. Ministry often demands you make a lot of sacrifices of your family for the benefit of other families, so I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids doing activities that they enjoy doing. We play a lot of games as a family and enjoy the beautiful park system that Sioux Falls has to offer. If I do steal some time to just myself, I could probably be found racing RC Cars at the local track or working on a model train layout I have in my basement.

Q. What is one website that you visit every day?

A. I go to www.regonline.com to check up on our Sioux Falls Serve information. Who doesn’t visit this website every day?

 

Sonya Wubs

Sonya Wubs | Youth Unlimited | High School Summer Mission Trips

Q. I never leave for youth group without my…

A. Dodgeball game face.

Q. If your students described you in five words or less, what would they say?

A. I asked them and this is what they said: Motherly, Caring, Compassionate, Friend, Cheerful. (Note: I didn’t even bribe them!)

Q. What resource has inspired you for ministry lately?

A. Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne, Elastic Morality: Leading Young Adults in our age of Acceptance by Chris Thompkins and Building a Youth Ministry that Builds Disciples by Duffy Robbins.

Q. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for a youth group fundraiser?

A. Our fundraisers are pretty typical: meals, cookie baking, movie nights, yard sales. However, in 2013, in Canada, the government phased out the penny. So, we took it as a great opportunity to do a penny drive. We spent a very long time counting the pennies that came in afterwards. We raised over $150! That’s a lot of pennies.

Q. What is one website that you visit every day?

A. I often visit these blogs: http://www.emilywierenga.com/ and http://www.aholyexperience.com/. Oh, and of course Facebook.

 

 

 

My Life’s Work is to Love

In June of 2011, when I was 16 years old, I was the most reluctant person in my youth group to go on a Serve trip. I hated physical labor, and the thought of the Texas heat beating down on me while I worked without pay seemed beyond ridiculous. My parents sent me on the trip despite my best attempts to convince them otherwise, and for that, I will forever be grateful.

I had grown up in the church, so I knew the ‘stuff’ of the Christian faith, and let’s just say I was less than thrilled by it. But Stephenville Serve rocked my world in a way I had never imagined. Thanks to our amazing speaker, Troy Matchett (Buctouche, New Brunswick, Canada), I made a commitment to follow Jesus wherever he would call me to go. That commitment changed my life in so many ways .

Now let me back up. My week at Stephenville Serve was full of new relationships, lots of laughter and a whole lot of Truth. I had the best small group in the history of small groups (shout out to Team Cow 2011!), and we worked at a crisis pregnancy center helping them to arrange a fundraising garage sale. During that week, I grew closer to not only my youth group but also to leaders from other youth groups. I am so thankful to God for bringing people into my life during that week who have played a huge role in my Christian discipleship!

It’s hard to believe three years have passed since my first Serve experience. The Lord has done so many things in my life since I made the choice to say “yes” to Him at Serve in 2011. When I arrived back home, I knew my life would never be the same, and I began to take ownership of a passionate relationship with my Savior. I have been blessed to go on another Serve trip to Washington DC, I have served as a teacher in an after-school program in South Africa, I have laid hands on and prayed for dozens of women all over India, I have started a youth ministry program in Lincoln Nebraska, and this August, I will become the youth pastor at my church in Sioux Center, Iowa. I am currently a youth ministry major at Dordt College, and I’m so thankful to the Lord for calling me to youth ministry as a career. I am amazed at what the Lord can do with a willing heart that simply wants to love him by loving others. It is because of his amazing grace that I can confidently say that my life’s work is love.

Mentor for Life

I’m a new youth pastor at Trinity CRC. I started last September, and I absolutely love it. It’s a dream job. I would do it for free if I could afford it. One of the big parts of my job is mentoring. I started taking out my youth for lattes and lunches and although it was fantastic – it was overwhelming: There were so many youth!

 

I attended a conference in Vancouver and went to a breakout session on mentoring. I heard a lot of stories of people who were mentored and had great memories and experiences. It was meant to be an encouraging session, but I walked away sad. I was sad because I wanted so badly to give all of my youth those experiences but I couldn’t. I was limited. I was limited on time, meaning I wasn’t going to be able to develop a deep relationship with every single one of my youth. There were too many and I might not have connected well with all of them. I was also limited because I’m a woman and I wanted all the guys in my youth group to have a guy that they could talk to about “guy things”.

 

When I came back to Edmonton, I was wrestling and praying with how to mentor more efficiently when I had a fantastic idea that I believe was inspired by the Holy Spirit: I can’t do it, but the church can.

 

The idea of the mentorship program blossomed from there: I would pair up all the youth with someone from our church – a guy with a guy and a girl with a girl. They would be responsible for building deep relationships with the youth.

 

I began emailing and calling some of the people that I knew would be great mentors. The response I received was wonderful and I knew I had enough volunteers to get started. I began forming what the program would look like – focusing on simplicity and joy. When I was finished, I met with a youth ministry consultant who further encouraged me. I remember him looking at the program and calling it “gold”. This assured me again that I was following the Holy Spirit.

 

He gave me a few pointers and agreed to be a part of the mentor training. We went over the program with all of the volunteers and paired them all up with the youth, starting with grade 7.

 

Right now we have a total of 19 mentors who are roughly between the ages of 20 and 30. They are paired up with kids from grades 7 to 10 and some in grades 11 and 12. The mentors were all told that it is a lifelong commitment. The main goal and purpose is to love their youth and do life with them. Their main responsibilities are: praying for their kid, saying hi to them every Sunday, and hanging out with them once a month.

 

The volunteers are not just mentors though. They are disciples making disciples. The program starts in grade 7 and “ends” in grade 12. When I say it “ends” in grade 12, I mean I will stop holding them accountable after that and just assume and trust they will naturally be in their lives. The first 2 years (grades 7-8) is simple relationship building. The next few years (grades 9-11) we have a bible reading plan. The last year will focus on apologetics. Although we have this in the program, nothing is set in stone – the rule is to follow the Holy Spirit. Some mentors have said that rather than reading the Bible, they would prefer to do topical Bible studies. Great!

 

Another major aspect of our program is our prayer partners. We have people in our church who have committed to pray for a handful of our mentors on a regular basis. They are also instrumental in this program.

 

For the most part, this program has flourished. Some of the mentors have a hard time hanging out once a month because of their schedules, but they make more of an effort to call and email or to talk more on Sundays. The mentors are going to kid’s basketball games, taking them to movies, going for walks in the river valley – someone even took their kid to the Harlem Globetrotters game!

 

Because this is the first time we are doing this, they were told to expect kinks and we would just talk them out and get better. It’s not a perfect program, and it’s not meant to be. It’s meant to be joyful. It’s meant to be meaningful. It’s meant to glorify God.

 

Below are some quotes from some of the mentors currently involved in the program:

 

 “I find it challenging but interesting to get to know my kid, to help her and myself grow in Christian faith together is something I look forward to.”

 

“Being a mentor creates opportunities for both the mentor and the mentee to explore and grow in their faith. It allows the mentor to provide encouragement and advice to the mentee, in which the aim is to promote a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ.”

 

“What I like so much about the mentorship program is that it is set up to be long-term. Although our relationship is still pretty new, I think there is a lot to look forward to. It’s not always easy to find things to talk about with someone you barely know, but I’m having a lot of fun just being there for her. I’ve started out just getting to know my mentee, but I hope to be able to develop a spiritual partnership as well as a friendship. The mentorship gives me a chance to connect with someone who is going through a life-stage that I have been through. I wish that when I was girl in junior high, I had someone who was older (and not my mom) to talk to and ask all my questions. I want to be that person for my mentee, and hopefully it just becomes natural.”
 
“When asked if I would like to mentor a young girl at church, I was a bit hesitant, as it was completely out of my comfort zone. I took on the challenge and I am so glad that I did. I have started to get to know a beautiful, young girl who has taught me more about the innocence of our youth, a need for leaders and to love as Christ loved. God has blessed me through her quiet disposition and sensitive spirit. As Betty Ramsay said, ‘We all know investing in our young people makes good sense. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow and will shape the destiny of our country and the future of their children and so on and so on'”
 
“Starting and maintaining a relationship can be challenging even amongst people of similar age. Having just recently started the mentorship program, it’s going to take some time to establish a mutual trust. The biggest challenge for me so far has been to be in contact with my mentee frequently enough that the level of trust and familiarity grows. With some effort on my part and some help from God, I hope to continue to grow our relationship so that I can be a positive influence on my mentee’s life.”
 
“I really enjoy being able to share my experiences and advice and watch my mentee grow in all aspects of life. I am blessed to be part of her journey and excited to see where God takes her.” 

 

Keeping the Flame Alive

We’re all about faith for life and don’t want to see students or youth leaders riding a roller coaster of emotions on a mission trip or faith forming experience. Here’s a great article by a well respected leader in the short term mission movement on fanning the flame of life change once you return home.

 

Most people like to play with fire. There’s something rewarding about burning long sticks until they’re short, melting things, roasting things, or just sitting and watching the flames. But if there is insufficient kindling, the fire will not ignite; and if there is too much wind, the flame will go out. Even so, keeping the flame alive is really not that tricky. By having the right resources and providing enough protection for the flame, it will keep burning (or even grow to a bonfire) and will give off light and warmth that people like to be near. If your experience in missions has allowed God to light a fire under you, or to fan the flame, then add more kindling, add more wood, and make sure you protect the fire from things that will put it out or slow it down.

 

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

 

There are many things you can do to keep the flame alive and to continue to be a LIGHT in the world. Here are some practical steps you can take to stay on track spiritually and in ministry.

 

L = Live Differently

Do you know what will keep your short-term mission from becoming just another mountain-top experience in your life? You. Only you can determine if you will continue the amazing journey of growing nearer to the Lord and of being a blessing to others. For this to happen, you must take on that responsibility and be intentional about your continuing journey.

 

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do no conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

 

You’ve learned valuable lessons through Scripture and experience. Putting these lessons into practice may cost you something, but consider it in light of God’s mercy as a living sacrifice and as an act of worship to him.

 

I = Invest in the Mission Field

You can be a great encouragement to your ministry hosts by keeping in touch with them. Write letters, send birthday cards, pray for them, and join their financial support team.

 

G = Guard Your Mind

The things you allow into your mind have an impact on the way you live. A steady stream of less-than-wholesome television, movies, books, and music will affect your attitude and will rob you of the joy you have in Christ. Since you might not see any effect at first, it might feel as if you are “getting away with it.” However, in the long run you will find that it is like a slow leak. Eventually there will be a blowout, and you will find yourself out of commission spiritually. Remember the old saying, “garbage in, garbage out”? The Bible says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7).

 

An open mind is good. So is an open window. However, we put a screen on the window to keep the bugs out. Treat your mind like a window and screen what you allow in.

 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

 

H = Hide God’s Word in Your Heart

Stay consistent in the study and memorization of the Bible. A diligent effort to know God’s Word better will result in a vibrant growing relationship with him. In addition, you can read inspirational missionary biographies that will remind you of the great things God can do with a life that is totally surrendered to him.

 

T = Take Risks—Stay Out of Your Comfort Zone

Decide right now that you are not just at the end of your short-term mission but actually at the beginning of a new ministry. Plan to live in a way that will continue to stretch you beyond the level of faith you now have. Put your trust in God. Seek to hear his voice and to obey and put into practice all that you have learned. Radical living encourages radical faith!

 

Do you realize that walking actually requires that you set yourself off balance? As you put one foot in front of the other, you are literally tipping forward—off balance. If you never took the risk of being off balance, you’d be stuck in one place. It’s like that in life and faith. The act of “stepping out” and getting a little off balance is the very act that allows you to move forward spiritually. Think about the big steps you took in deciding to go on this short-term mission (STM) and look how you’ve grown! So keep taking risks, following God’s wild imagination, and being in the place where you will only succeed if you trust in him and him alone.

 

Do you need some ideas on how to proceed? Want to know what it looks like to step out in faith? The rest of this article will help you take the next step in ministry.

 

Outreach and Evangelism

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

 

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

 

We have a job to do here on earth. With love, patience, and respect, we are to speak up for what we believe and for who we are in Christ. Hopefully you have new found courage after your STM because you’ve spent time with people who are courageous and outspoken about their faith. Determine in your heart today that you will keep that fire burning in you and that outreach will become an ever-increasing part of your lifestyle.

 

When it comes to outreach and evangelism, there are two categories of Christians. The first category is those who are bound up in the activities and pressures of the day. They’re always on the backside of the things that they believe “happen to them.” They are wrapped up in their performance at work or school, running errands, fixing things, trying to stay in touch with people, but always too busy to do so. To them, life practically drowns out the fact that they are Christians. They are the ones who always say, “Spiritual things just never seem to come up at work.”

 

Then there is the category of Christians whose faith seems to just flow from life’s activities. They, too, live a hectic life, but somehow they have a fruitful influence in the lives of people around them. They are the ones who, because of their lifestyle, have people asking them about spiritual things.

 

There is a fundamental difference. To the first kind of Christian, Christianity has taken a back seat. To them, what they do is more important than their Christian faith. To the second kind of Christian, faith and responsibility to God are always in first place. Higher than a career. Higher than acceptance or fitting in. And higher than any circumstances. Ask yourself the following question by inserting your profession or life activity into the blank:

 

“Am I a __________ who happens to be a Christian or a Christian who happens to be a __________?”

 

Christians who “happen” to go to school or have a certain job will always place their faith and the responsibility to touch lives for Christ first. Their perspective is that God put them in that school, workplace, or situation because he wanted to affect the lives of those he has entrusted to their care. If you want to live a God-centered life, plan to live your life as a Christian first. If your relationship with Christ is your first concern and you are always looking to become more like him, your spiritual walk will deepen and grow.

 

This will add strength to your commitment to ministry, and he will use you to influence people all along the way.

 

Find Ministry in the Church, Community, and World

The continual, joyful giving of yourself for the sake of God’s kingdom purposes will help you maintain a close walk with him. Now that you are home, seek out opportunities to serve in the church, community, and world. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

 

Pray for discernment and eyes to see whatever God might be asking of you. It may be possible to join an existing ministry effort. But if it isn’t, don’t let a lack of opportunity slow you down—you may need to start something new. Jolaine started a weekly park outreach with a youth ministry team and it lasted for three years. Curtis started an evangelism committee at his church and it is still fruitful today. Darla inspired her church to reach out to the Japanese population in their city. Today there is a Japanese church within their church. Carl left his job and started a company that provides technical support to Christian organizations. As a result, the efforts of each organization are multiplied and there is a much greater impact for the kingdom.

 

Here are some other possibilities to spur on your creativity:

Ministry in the Church

  • Help with the youth or children’s ministry
  • Be a part of the worship team
  • Volunteer to be on the missions committee
  • Have a ministry of prayer
  • Take part in visitation, neighborhood outreach, and evangelism
  • Get involved in men’s or women’s ministry
  • Become a Bible study leader or Sunday school teacher

Ministry in the Community

  • Organize an annual neighborhood clean-up day
  • Get involved with local leadership in schools and other public arenas
  • Have a cross-cultural outreach to ethnic groups in your city or town
  • Lead Bible studies
  • Do a park outreach
  • Help at a weekly soup kitchen, food bank, or clothes closet for the poor
  • Get involved in campus outreach
  • Host a kid’s club or Vacation Bible School

Ministry in the World

  • Adopt a Bibleless people or an unreached people group
  • Organize a prayer vigil on behalf of a ministry, mission, country, or church
  • Support missionaries
  • Organize future STMs
  • Begin the process of becoming a mid-term or long-term missionary

 

Seek God and listen carefully as you choose the things you will be involved in now that you have returned home. Trust him for creativity, availability, and resources to do whatever he calls you to, wherever, and whenever.

 

From ShortTermMissions.com.

Riding the Wave, Part 3 of 3

Paddling out into the waves is necessary, hard work. Setting an environment for students to make the most of the momentum they gain at a faith-forming experience is very similar to this. Here are some tips/reminders for your faith-forming experience preparation:

  • Be sure to emphasize “life transformation”, not “behavior modification”. A transformation is lasting, where a modification is not always so.
  • Use language that communicates that this faith-forming experience is not the end all, but is a “life changing experience” and there will be more life changing experiences. (This is just one of many.)
  • Just like parents have a hard time understanding that they are the primary influence in a teen’s life, a lot of church youth leaders think that the guest speaker or the counselor at camp is the one that built the momentum. We all know that the glory is God’s alone, but he is also using you as a key factor in the transformation. Don’t overestimate an event/excursion/experience and don’t underestimate it. It is part of the life journey and is made more effective with your planning for each stage.
  • Set up non-attenders for inclusion and growth too. If a student chooses to forego their youth group’s event, consider that it may be part of their calling. Release them from false guilt and bless their ministry wherever they may be during that time. Let them share in youth group when they get back. If you cannot bless where they are going then at least bless what God is doing in their life.In addition to the students who are unable to attend, figure out how to involve the adults, children and the rest of the congregation as well beyond the final trip report.
  • Outline your desired outcomes—your expectations and measuring points for the Host Receiver, the Senders and the Goers, etc. and communicate those to parents and prayer partners.
  • Plant seeds of the theme or concepts of the event 8-10 weeks before and 4-6 weeks after to aid in the process of progressive life change.
  • Never work alone. Jesus sent disciples out two by two even to get a donkey tied to a tree! Ask veterans who’ve planned similar events in the past for suggestions, tips and tricks. Get members of your congregation involved as prayer partners or assisting in other areas of need.

 

The wave is spiritual momentum for growth and development. It’s important to work toward setting the right environment for this to take place at all stages of the event process from planning to execution to post-trip.

 

Riding the Wave, Part 2 of 3

Recognizing some myths youth leaders and/or students believe about faith-forming experiences can be a big help in not hindering the work of God within extended events, and instead keeping the momentum going, or helping students ride the wave.

 

The following three myths often come to the forefront of faith-forming experiences:

  1. The big waves matter most: Sometimes we set ourselves, our church, and/or our students up for disappointment because we put so much emphasis on the event. We minimize our week-to-week programming and relationships when that is the very thing that props up the extended event.
  2. High tide only comes a couple times per year: We think big churches with lots of resources and staff or parachurch ministries that specialize in wave making are the ones that help our students most. This is false. It’s the youth leader who is there day after day in the students’ lives and the church community.
  3. Ride as much as you like, you’ll end up in the same place: Have you seen your high school Seniors or Juniors abandon an annual event? Sometimes they don’t have an interest in going after they’ve been there 2-3 years, because it feels like nothing new. Some become loyal fans and love it and others despise it. No two events are the same whether they are meant to be similar or not.

 

In addition to recognizing the myths, you also need to focus on what you are trying to accomplish. Here are a few primary purposes to help build confidence in riding the waves God gives us through extended faith-forming experiences. Most likely, your retreat/camp/conference/trip has one of these as its primary purpose:

  • Growth: Similar to farming, growth is a process. You plant seeds, water them, wait, cultivate (remove hindrances), wait some more, eventually harvest and repeat.
  • Training: Sports training is also a process. You have to work out, to hurt a little bit, to eat right, and to cross train, and still, no one increases weights by 25 lbs. at a time, but rather 1-2 lbs.
  • Leadership development: It seems that Ministry Training and Leadership Development may need a longer, more detailed post-trip plan than spiritual growth. Typically, our ongoing programming is focused on spiritual growth so you can weave the experience into that programming very simply after returning home. Ministry training and leadership development may take a much more intentionally structured post-trip plan.

 

Therefore, your church relationships and ongoing programming are the key to developing spiritual growth and it’s important to stray away from the myths or pre-conceived notions that might hold you or your students back. It might not be a bad idea to reflect on your own faith-forming experiences. How did they play a positive part in your spiritual growth or development as a student? 

 

To be continued…

 

Riding the Wave, Part 1 of 3

There’s nothing quite like the sound of waves. We typically like to think of that sound as soothing, but in some situations, it could send your fight or flight mechanism into chaos.

 

When you view a big wave from a distance and you are ready for it as it approaches, you can get lost in a sense of awe and appreciation, taking it in with your whole being: seeing, touching, hearing, smelling and tasting, for a truly amazing experience. On the other hand, if a wave catches you off guard, you might remember the tossing, scraping, churning, choking, sand-in-every-crevice feeling for a long time. Waves can be a great blessing or a brutal reminder. With their power and majesty they can cause appreciation or disillusionment.

 

Similar to that image, a youth event of two or more days can cause a wave of impact that reaches a student emotionally, socially, physically and intellectually. When we send a student home from what they thought was a weekend or one-week event, they may feel like a huge wave has come. It can be full of spiritual adrenalin, but will an environment have been set for them to make the most of that momentum?

 

Though we realize we cannot create spiritual momentum, we can set an environment for God to stir the hearts of students. We can follow best practices while planning so we don’t hinder the work of God, but we really can’t make it last or keep it going after the immediate situation is over. Once students go back to their day-to-day lives, we cannot keep that ongoing fire for them.

 

What we can do is plan with excellence. We all realize that it’s possible to have a bad retreat, camp, mission trip, etc., so let’s start with a few questions to ponder:

  • If you were the enemy of the Kingdom of God and knew that churches were going to keep sending kids to youth events or faith-forming experiences, how would you attempt to mess it up? What could you want the churches or students to believe that would do more harm than good?
  • Do we set students up for difficult transitions back into “real life”? Have you seen students respond both ways (spiritually thriving and crashing and burning) a week or month after going home? Is it possible for even great retreats, camps or mission trips to have a negative effect on students in the long run?

 

To be continued…

 

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