SYM Show: The E's Have It!

This week, Jason commits the unforgivable sin: He badmouths George Lucas. In the meantime, Kurt isn't even sure who George Lucas is. As for youth ministry discussion....the guys tackle portions of a topic that is a constant challenge in youth ministry; creating a healthy volunteer ministry culture. As Kurt rambles off some of his thoughts, a disturbing trend is identified.

SYM Show: The Aftermath

What do you do after a big event like a youth ministry conference of camp? How do you avoid losing the "mountain top" high? Should you avoid losing it? In addition to this rich discussion, Kurt saddles up his horse and we learn first-hand why Jason is a drummer, not a singer.

SYM Show: The Aftermath

What do you do after a big event like a youth ministry conference of camp? How do you avoid losing the "mountain top" high? Should you avoid losing it? In addition to this rich discussion, Kurt saddles up his horse and we learn first-hand why Jason is a drummer, not a singer.

This Book Gets Around…

Much to the dismay of the good people who publish stuff I write, I shy away from plugging my own resources (at least in any significant way). Sometimes I try, but I’m pretty lousy at peddling my wares. But I’m so stinkin’ excited about This Book Gets Aroundthat I have to point you to it!

If you want a fresh, fun, creative and out-of-the-box way to help the junior highers in your group get to know each other better…then I have what you are looking for!

This Book Gets Around is a super simple concept: It’s a short book full of fun interview questions, 10 questions per page, that gets passed around and around and around and around and around from person to person to person to person to person. Upon its eventual return, the owner of the book gets to discover who filled out the various pages and learn a little bit more about them.

Last weekend at The Simply Youth Ministry Conference, we gave 3,000 youth workers a special “youth worker edition” with fun questions written specifically for that crowd and people loved it!When I finally got my book back, I couldn’t wait to dig in and discover who had participated.

Here are three fantastic ways you can use This Book Gets Around in your Junior High Ministry:

- Purchase one for every student in a small group and have them pass their books around amongst their personal small groups. This is a more controlled way to use the book and a GREAT way to help small groups members learn more about each other.

- Give them to every student as the board the church bus or van for Summer camp! At camp, books will be getting past all over the place and it will be a fun addition to week.

- Purchase a whole bunch and freely give them to some of your students and ask them to pass their book out at school as a way to learn more about their classmates.

SYM Show: Why Are You Watching This When There's A Sweet Conference Going On?

In honor of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference happening this weekend, Kurt and Jason share some of their tips for making the most out of attending a conference. A.C. gets a gift from a sponsor even though he's hardly ever on the show and Kurt hits a basketball shot even Michael Jordan would be proud of.

SYM Show: Why Are You Watching This When There's A Sweet Conference Going On?

In honor of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference happening this weekend, Kurt and Jason share some of their tips for making the most out of attending a conference. A.C. gets a gift from a sponsor even though he's hardly ever on the show and Kurt hits a basketball shot even Michael Jordan would be proud of.

Everything’s Discipleship

Every now and then in junior high ministry conversations, the topic of conversation turns to discipleship. It’s always a fairly interesting discussion largely because it tends to get stalled out of the gate by the inability for folks to agree on what, exactly, discipleship is; specifically how it’s defined and implemented in a junior high ministry context.

I’ve heard every possible definition: “Helping students become more like Jesus”, “Helping them learn to grow on their own”, “Developing fully devoted followers of Jesus”, “Mentoring and modeling faith”, “Walking in Jesus’ footsteps while they walk in ours”, and on and on it goes.

I recently came across this formal definition of discipleship: To help one embrace and spread the teachings of another.
That MUST be an accurate definition because I found it on the internet.

I’m normally a fairly strategic thinker…I like the method of defining my end goal(s) and then working backward to create the steps and processes to get there.But what do you do when you can’t define the end goal? What do you do when the end result you think you want isn’t easily identified? How do you create steps to achieve something unclear? That’s the frustration I’ve often felt with the task discipleship: How can we accomplish that which we can’t even define? What if we do it wrong? What if we THINK we are discipling students, but the target we drew is off?Wait, what target…we don’t even know what we are aiming for! Uhhggg!

I propose a new junior high ministry rule: EVERYTHING IS DISCIPLESHIP.That’s it. Easy. The reality is that most folks would agree that discipleship has something to do with helping junior highers grow closer to Jesus and become more like him. We may not agree on a precise definition….but maybe we don’t have to!When we have an “Everything is discipleship” mindset we begin to minister out of a sense of freedom instead of prescription.

When you crack open the bible and dig deep into with an 8th grade small group (which rarely happens): DISCIPLESHIP!
When you play kill ball after church: DISCIPLESHIP
When you treat a trouble maker with grace: DISCIPLESHIP
When you visit a sick student in the hospital: DISCIPLESHIP
When you show up to a 7th grade girls basketball game: HELL ON EARTH! (ummm…I mean, DISCIPLESHIP!)

Junior high ministry….everything is discipleship.

Everything’s Discipleship

Every now and then in junior high ministry conversations, the topic of conversation turns to discipleship. It’s always a fairly interesting discussion largely because it tends to get stalled out of the gate by the inability for folks to agree on what, exactly, discipleship is; specifically how it’s defined and implemented in a junior high ministry context.

I’ve heard every possible definition: “Helping students become more like Jesus”, “Helping them learn to grow on their own”, “Developing fully devoted followers of Jesus”, “Mentoring and modeling faith”, “Walking in Jesus’ footsteps while they walk in ours”, and on and on it goes.

I recently came across this formal definition of discipleship: To help one embrace and spread the teachings of another.
That MUST be an accurate definition because I found it on the internet.

I’m normally a fairly strategic thinker…I like the method of defining my end goal(s) and then working backward to create the steps and processes to get there.But what do you do when you can’t define the end goal? What do you do when the end result you think you want isn’t easily identified? How do you create steps to achieve something unclear? That’s the frustration I’ve often felt with the task discipleship: How can we accomplish that which we can’t even define? What if we do it wrong? What if we THINK we are discipling students, but the target we drew is off?Wait, what target…we don’t even know what we are aiming for! Uhhggg!

I propose a new junior high ministry rule: EVERYTHING IS DISCIPLESHIP.That’s it. Easy. The reality is that most folks would agree that discipleship has something to do with helping junior highers grow closer to Jesus and become more like him. We may not agree on a precise definition….but maybe we don’t have to!When we have an “Everything is discipleship” mindset we begin to minister out of a sense of freedom instead of prescription.

When you crack open the bible and dig deep into with an 8th grade small group (which rarely happens): DISCIPLESHIP!
When you play kill ball after church: DISCIPLESHIP
When you treat a trouble maker with grace: DISCIPLESHIP
When you visit a sick student in the hospital: DISCIPLESHIP
When you show up to a 7th grade girls basketball game: HELL ON EARTH! (ummm…I mean, DISCIPLESHIP!)

Junior high ministry….everything is discipleship.

SYM Show: Marriage, Ministry & Sexy Time!

Dr. Tim Levert joins the guys via Skype to share three marriage and ministry tips. Also on this episode Jason riffs about Star Wars and Kurt doesn't care, there is a celebrity sponsor and the ongoing bet over the previous usage of the fancy black chairs is settled!

SYM Show: Marriage, Ministry & Sexy Time!

Dr. Tim Levert joins the guys via Skype to share three marriage and ministry tips. Also on this episode Jason riffs about Star Wars and Kurt doesn't care, there is a celebrity sponsor and the ongoing bet over the previous usage of the fancy black chairs is settled!

Our JH Ministry….What I’m Excited About.

I’m sitting in a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop near my daughter’s college (Azusa Pacific University), anxious for a lunch date with her! While I wait, I’m doing some long-term planning and trying to catch up on some bigger projects that are hanging over my head, the biggest being preparing our ministry for the launch of 12 international churches. Yep, a chunk of my time these days is (or should be) spent on the process of figuring out what, exactly, is necessary for a youth ministry to truly be a “saddleback youth ministry”, and then…unpacking what that looks like in each of our 12 target cities. A job at which I’m dangerously behind and severely unqualified!

So this morning, as I sip a black cherry tea latte, my tired mind is wandering to our junior high ministry…and all the exciting things going on.Here are a few:

- Jesus. We’ve dedicated our entire two-year small group curriculum solely to Jesus. Every small group lesson a 7th or 8th grade student will discuss in our small group system is Jesus-centric. If parents ask us what their child will learn in small group we now simply say: “They will learn about Jesus Christ…in great depth”.I like that!

- School Wars is coming. We aren’t a big “team competition” culture. Sure, we play games and give away prizes, but we don’t do ongoing competitions with points and all that fun stuff…unless it’s the first two Sundays in March each year.Then it’s on, Baby!“School Wars” is our annual 2-week long school-based competition that pits our schools against each other in crazy physical and mental challenges.Our volunteers dress up as gladiators, students come in their school colors and things get entirely out of control for two weeks.

- Grade Groups. A couple of years ago, to make our large group gatherings feel a little smaller, we started Grade Groups. Grade Groups are nothing more than a 10-minute break-out time during our program where students gather by grade and gender for announcements, to welcome guests, and play a quick game or discuss a few questions that set up the lesson. What started out as a short experiment has morphed into a key part of our weekend strategy.

- IMPACT. Impact is our informal junior high student leadership program. Anybody can join and they meet once a month to help plan our weekend services, invent new ministry opportunities, brainstorm how to impact their schools, etc.

- Sticky Faith. We are taking seriously the challenge to create an entire church culture dedicated to helping teenagers own and hold onto their faith after high school graduation, and much of those efforts start in junior high. My new, very lofty, goal is to help Saddleback become a church where the entire body “lives, grows, and gives” together. And by “together” I mostly mean in attitude and appreciation of each other. BUT things like Worship Together Weekend, where we cancel our youth services once a month in order for the whole congregation to worship together, are tangible examples of a church living, growing and giving together.

Gotta go…my lunch date with Kayla is at 12:00 and I’ve got between now and then to figure out what a Purpose-driven youth ministry looks like in Manilla.

Our JH Ministry….What I’m Excited About.

I’m sitting in a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop near my daughter’s college (Azusa Pacific University), anxious for a lunch date with her! While I wait, I’m doing some long-term planning and trying to catch up on some bigger projects that are hanging over my head, the biggest being preparing our ministry for the launch of 12 international churches. Yep, a chunk of my time these days is (or should be) spent on the process of figuring out what, exactly, is necessary for a youth ministry to truly be a “saddleback youth ministry”, and then…unpacking what that looks like in each of our 12 target cities. A job at which I’m dangerously behind and severely unqualified!

So this morning, as I sip a black cherry tea latte, my tired mind is wandering to our junior high ministry…and all the exciting things going on.Here are a few:

- Jesus. We’ve dedicated our entire two-year small group curriculum solely to Jesus. Every small group lesson a 7th or 8th grade student will discuss in our small group system is Jesus-centric. If parents ask us what their child will learn in small group we now simply say: “They will learn about Jesus Christ…in great depth”.I like that!

- School Wars is coming. We aren’t a big “team competition” culture. Sure, we play games and give away prizes, but we don’t do ongoing competitions with points and all that fun stuff…unless it’s the first two Sundays in March each year.Then it’s on, Baby!“School Wars” is our annual 2-week long school-based competition that pits our schools against each other in crazy physical and mental challenges.Our volunteers dress up as gladiators, students come in their school colors and things get entirely out of control for two weeks.

- Grade Groups. A couple of years ago, to make our large group gatherings feel a little smaller, we started Grade Groups. Grade Groups are nothing more than a 10-minute break-out time during our program where students gather by grade and gender for announcements, to welcome guests, and play a quick game or discuss a few questions that set up the lesson. What started out as a short experiment has morphed into a key part of our weekend strategy.

- IMPACT. Impact is our informal junior high student leadership program. Anybody can join and they meet once a month to help plan our weekend services, invent new ministry opportunities, brainstorm how to impact their schools, etc.

- Sticky Faith. We are taking seriously the challenge to create an entire church culture dedicated to helping teenagers own and hold onto their faith after high school graduation, and much of those efforts start in junior high. My new, very lofty, goal is to help Saddleback become a church where the entire body “lives, grows, and gives” together. And by “together” I mostly mean in attitude and appreciation of each other. BUT things like Worship Together Weekend, where we cancel our youth services once a month in order for the whole congregation to worship together, are tangible examples of a church living, growing and giving together.

Gotta go…my lunch date with Kayla is at 12:00 and I’ve got between now and then to figure out what a Purpose-driven youth ministry looks like in Manilla.

SYM Show: You're Outta Here!

The focus on this episode is all about preparing your ministry for your absence....whether it's because you have to call in sick on a Wednesday night or because you are leaving the church. The big question: Can your youth ministry survive without you? Apparently Kurt has some feelings about this issue because he climbs up on a soapbox and has a hard time coming back down. But at his height, it's impressive he was able to climb up there in the first place.

SYM Show: You're Outta Here!

The focus on this episode is all about preparing your ministry for your absence....whether it's because you have to call in sick on a Wednesday night or because you are leaving the church. The big question: Can your youth ministry survive without you? Apparently Kurt has some feelings about this issue because he climbs up on a soapbox and has a hard time coming back down. But at his height, it's impressive he was able to climb up there in the first place.

Looking For Help

I’m reaching out to the junior high ministry community for your help in a few areas:

1) Resources or books for teenage boys who have lost their father:I have THREE boys in my junior high small group who have lost their dad due to illness. I’m having a hard time finding anything written specifically to boys going through such a loss.

2) A lesser known youth ministry book that you really liked: I’m wondering if there is something out there that I haven’t read that I should.

3. Your Top 3 Apps that aid you in ministry:Games apps, apps that keep you organized, bible apps….if you use it regularly, I’d love to know about it!

4. Your favorite ministry-related blogs or websites: I’m not looking for resources, but rather people you read…folks who are influencing the way you think about theology, ministry, life and leadership.I find myself learning from the same circle of 6 or 7 people and I want to expand my horizons.

Add your input to any….or all of the categories!

Looking For Help

I’m reaching out to the junior high ministry community for your help in a few areas:

1) Resources or books for teenage boys who have lost their father:I have THREE boys in my junior high small group who have lost their dad due to illness. I’m having a hard time finding anything written specifically to boys going through such a loss.

2) A lesser known youth ministry book that you really liked: I’m wondering if there is something out there that I haven’t read that I should.

3. Your Top 3 Apps that aid you in ministry:Games apps, apps that keep you organized, bible apps….if you use it regularly, I’d love to know about it!

4. Your favorite ministry-related blogs or websites: I’m not looking for resources, but rather people you read…folks who are influencing the way you think about theology, ministry, life and leadership.I find myself learning from the same circle of 6 or 7 people and I want to expand my horizons.

Add your input to any….or all of the categories!

A Plug For My Friends

Warning: Shameless Plug. But at least it’s for somebody else!

If you’ve never heard of the amazing people at CIY (Christ In Youth), it’s time to get acquainted with this amazing ministry located in Joplin, MO.

CIY has been around for more than 40 years with a single purpose in mind: “To amplify the call on student’s lives to become kingdom workers.”To that end they create some incredible trips, events and resources.And I’ve become one of their biggest fans.

Here are three reasons I think CIY has something to offer your ministry:

1) They love Jesus And His Kingdom. Plainly put; I’ve not been around too many organizations with such a passion for Jesus and a desire to nudge teenagers toward making a Kingdom impact. This stuff bleeds out of them….from the President to the guys setting up sound equipment at an event (and we all know the guys setting up sound equipment hardly ever love Jesus).

2)They Love The Local Church. So often when a church uses an outside organization, things seem to be all about the outside organization…they become the heroes. Not so with CIY. At every CIY event I’ve been to (which is a lot), they consistently position the local church as the hero….as whom they are there to serve. To often, the church and the para-church world feel at odds, in some sort of unhealthy competition. CIY is a faithful partner and cheerleader of the church.

3) They Create Incredibly High Quality Events. We use CIY primarily for three things: We take our junior highers to Believe. We take our high schoolers to Move. And we take a JH/HS combo trip to Engage. I’m going to share a secret with you: Mega-churches can be fairly arrogant, and it’s tough for us to admit that anybody would be able to create anything as awesome as what we can create ourselves. And this posture kept us from attending CIY for far too long (at one point, I even traveled to a Believe event, studied it for a weekend and went home to create my own version for churches in our area: The result?We started attending Believe shortly thereafter!). The level of quality at a CIY event is shockingly high. The music, the “lights, camera, action”, the content, the way they love on church leaders, and the list could go on and on.

Here is a partial list of CIY’s offerings:
- Believe: A two day Junior High event (think weekend retreat but in a hotel setting with tons of awesome)
- MIX: A four-day Junior High summer camp.
- MOVE: A week-long High School summer camp.
- Engage: A four-day (I think) urban work camp.

Here is a promo video for Believe that will give you a peek into a CIY event:

SYM Show: Mailapalooza!

The mailbox is full of questions from the Youth Ministry Nation and, for once, Kurt and Jason manage to stay focused long enough to get through a few of them. The wisdom and wit dripping from this dynamic duo is a sight to behold....not really, but we needed to make this week's show description a little longer so we added that part.

SYM Show: Mailapalooza!

The mailbox is full of questions from the Youth Ministry Nation and, for once, Kurt and Jason manage to stay focused long enough to get through a few of them. The wisdom and wit dripping from this dynamic duo is a sight to behold....not really, but we needed to make this week's show description a little longer so we added that part.

A Plug For My Friends

Warning: Shameless Plug. But at least it’s for somebody else!

If you’ve never heard of the amazing people at CIY (Christ In Youth), it’s time to get acquainted with this amazing ministry located in Joplin, MO.

CIY has been around for more than 40 years with a single purpose in mind: “To amplify the call on student’s lives to become kingdom workers.”To that end they create some incredible trips, events and resources.And I’ve become one of their biggest fans.

Here are three reasons I think CIY has something to offer your ministry:

1) They love Jesus And His Kingdom. Plainly put; I’ve not been around too many organizations with such a passion for Jesus and a desire to nudge teenagers toward making a Kingdom impact. This stuff bleeds out of them….from the President to the guys setting up sound equipment at an event (and we all know the guys setting up sound equipment hardly ever love Jesus).

2)They Love The Local Church. So often when a church uses an outside organization, things seem to be all about the outside organization…they become the heroes. Not so with CIY. At every CIY event I’ve been to (which is a lot), they consistently position the local church as the hero….as whom they are there to serve. To often, the church and the para-church world feel at odds, in some sort of unhealthy competition. CIY is a faithful partner and cheerleader of the church.

3) They Create Incredibly High Quality Events. We use CIY primarily for three things: We take our junior highers to Believe. We take our high schoolers to Move. And we take a JH/HS combo trip to Engage. I’m going to share a secret with you: Mega-churches can be fairly arrogant, and it’s tough for us to admit that anybody would be able to create anything as awesome as what we can create ourselves. And this posture kept us from attending CIY for far too long (at one point, I even traveled to a Believe event, studied it for a weekend and went home to create my own version for churches in our area: The result?We started attending Believe shortly thereafter!). The level of quality at a CIY event is shockingly high. The music, the “lights, camera, action”, the content, the way they love on church leaders, and the list could go on and on.

Here is a partial list of CIY’s offerings:
- Believe: A two day Junior High event (think weekend retreat but in a hotel setting with tons of awesome)
- MIX: A four-day Junior High summer camp.
- MOVE: A week-long High School summer camp.
- Engage: A four-day (I think) urban work camp.

Here is a promo video for Believe that will give you a peek into a CIY event: