SYM Show: Leadership Starts with 'F'

This week, AC joins the action and brings his usual smoothness with him! The guys use the Simply Youth Ministry Today articles as a launching pad into a discussion about mentors, following up in a timely manner, following your leader.

SYM Show: Leadership Starts with 'F'

This week, AC joins the action and brings his usual smoothness with him! The guys use the Simply Youth Ministry Today articles as a launching pad into a discussion about mentors, following up in a timely manner, following your leader.

New Digital Magazine: UNFILTERED

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SYM Show: We Need Unity, You Dummy!

Kurt and Jason read a couple emails from the Youth Ministry Nation and camps out on a discussion about lack of unity, cliques and divisiveness. Are cliques always unhealthy…or are they natural and neutral? What can we do to build a sense of unity in our youth groups?

SYM Show: We Need Unity, You Dummy!

Kurt and Jason read a couple emails from the Youth Ministry Nation and camps out on a discussion about lack of unity, cliques and divisiveness. Are cliques always unhealthy…or are they natural and neutral? What can we do to build a sense of unity in our youth groups?

On Second Thought…

Before it was released, I was asked to write an endorsement for Joshua Becker’s new book for students, Living With Less…An Unexpected Key To Happiness.

I declined.

I felt the message was a bit too extreme, and presented a lopsided case for a life of minimalism. I was afraid that without somebody to help them chew on the content and the ideas proposed most teenagers would be left feeling overly guilty for the lifestyle they have inherited. I (mostly) loved the message….just wasn’t sure I loved the method.

I still stand by that assessment…and obviously the above paragraph IS NOT the type of endorsement an author wants on the back of his book.BUT HERE’S THE DEAL:It’s a great book. It’s a book that I think every teenager needs to read IF they have somebody to help them navigate the counter-culture ideas Joshua suggests. So on second thought, I should have figured out a way to right an honest endorsement about a much needed subject.

Buy this book. And then consider buying a copy for a few of your more mature 8th graders and ask them to read it for themselves then meet you at Starbucks to talk about it. I guarantee it will be a fantastic discussion.

I thought it would be worth letting you hear a little bit about Josh, his journey toward minimalism and the book so we conducted a quick little interview:

Hey Josh, Can you take a moment and introduce yourself to our readers?

Sure thing. For the past 14 years, I have served as a Pastor of Student Ministries at churches in Wisconsin and Vermont. Currently, I serve as one of the pastors at Journey Church in Peoria, AZ.

But on the side, I write about the lifestyle of minimalism inspiring others to live more life by owning fewer possessions. Four years ago, after spending most of my life living a pretty typical suburban lifestyle, I came to the important realization that my pursuit and accumulation of material possessions were robbing me of true life. They had become the great distraction to my most important pursuits. As a result, my wife and I set out to intentionally remove everything from our home that we didn’t need or absolutely love. And our online journal, Becoming Minimalist, quickly became a home for over 100,000 monthly readers who have discovered the joy of living with less.

How did your transition into minimalism come about? Was it a quick transition or over a period of time?

Both, I guess. The decision happened in a moment. I was cleaning out my garage during a beautiful Vermont weekend we had set aside for spring cleaning. My 4-year old son was in the backyard alone on the swing set asking me to play with hime, but I kept responding, “I can’t buddy. I need to clean out the garage. I have to do this first.” After a few hours of this exchange, I commented to my neighbor (who was also outside trimming the bushes) how much energy it takes to own a home. She responded by saying, “That’s why my daughter is a minimalist. She keeps telling me I don’t need to own all this stuff.”

I looked at the pile of dirty possessions sitting in my driveway. Then, I looked back at my son alone on the swing. And in that moment, I clearly recognized how I had allowed my “stuff” to distract me from the things that were the most important to me. And I was in! I remember thinking, “I’m not sure what minimalism means exactly. But if I means I’ll have more time and energy for the things that are most important, I’m in!” It all happened in a matter of seconds.

Ultimately, the removal of our excess possessions would take longer… many months to be exact. Eventually, we’d end up removing 70% of our personal possessions and move into a much smaller house because of it.

Has this transition had any spiritual impact on your life?

Absolutely. At first, it was just about removing the clutter and making space for more valuable pursuits. But it quickly became a spiritual journey in every way possible. At first, it was easy taking van loads of unneeded stuff to Goodwill. But by our fourth or fifth van load, we started to ask ourselves some pretty difficult questions… starting with, “Why exactly did we buy all this stuff in the first place? What were we hoping it was going to accomplish in our lives?” It definitely required some heart-searching. Eventually, we began to wrestle with concepts such as contentment, gratitude, and generosity as well.

But mostly, we began to see Jesus’s teaching on money and possessions in a brand-new way. We began to recognize that most churches today have too easily excused His clear and simple teachings. We have begun to recognize that Jesus’s call to “sell your possessions and give to the poor” or to “not stockpile treasures here on earth” was not a call to sacrifice and worldly misery in exchange for a better life during eternity. They were invitations to a better way to live in the present… just like everything else He taught.

Thanks for sharing your heart with us. Tell us a little bit about the book, Living with Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness.

In the book, we invite teenagers and young adults to discover the practical benefits of living with fewer possessions. It is a stage of life full of opportunity and promise. And I believe the minimalist message has great opportunity to influence their future decision-making before they buy the big house… the fancy cars… or pursue the dead-end job just because it comes with a large paycheck. I believe most young adults desperately long for greater achievements in life than owning a bunch of stuff.

Relying heavily on the teachings of Jesus and our personal experience of minimizing possessions, we argue there is absolutely greater joy to be found in owning fewer possessions than can be found in pursuing more. The book concludes with very practical steps that any college student, high school student, or middle school student could implement today to experience the same joy.

There are already a number of books available that address the topic of materialism. How is this any different?

Good question. Thanks for asking it. Most religious books written on the topic of materialism discuss the evils of consumerism and seeking the world’s pleasures. I wanted to write a book that didn’t just discuss materialism from a negative view, but praised minimalism from a positive view by clearly articulating the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions: less debt, less distraction, more freedom, more opportunity.

In many ways, it’s not a book about materialism. Instead, it’s a book about minimalism. I wanted to invite teenagers to embrace a more abundant way to live. I wanted to encourage them to rethink the teachings of Jesus Christ. And I wanted to use it as a springboard to call the American Church to start taking Jesus’s teaching on money and possessions more seriously.

Students around the country are resonating with its message. And youth pastors, leaders, and volunteers are finding it to be a valuable resource as well… not just in their ministry but in their life as well.

Thanksgiving Fun

Am I the only junior high youth worker who actually finds this little video sort of fun? We played it in our service this past weekend and our kids were dancing and singing along.Cheesy? Yes.But It’s good, clean fun….and I think that in itself deserves a little love.

Set aside your concerns about the next generation, the consumerism of our culture, stage moms, our desire to achieve fame at any cost or whatever other grave concerns this raises in your mind…in other words, lighten up….and enjoy.

And, you know you’ll be showing this to your students this week! You can’t resist, even though you will try.

You can read an article about it here.

SYM Show: What The Skype?

We try something new this week by having a special guest interview via skype. Our guest? The one and only Greg Stier from Dare 2 Share. Greg and the guys talk evangelism and the Simply Youth Ministry Conference.

SYM Show: What The Skype?

We try something new this week by having a special guest interview via skype. Our guest? The one and only Greg Stier from Dare 2 Share. Greg and the guys talk evangelism and the Simply Youth Ministry Conference.

Random Randomness….About Youth Ministry In Germany

Slow blogging season mostly because Scott was prepping then away at his junior high groups big Fall Retreat, and I’ve been away in Germany for about a week. The trip was slotted because of an opportunity to train 150 German youth workers and I decided to bring Rachel along for a bit of a vacation on the tail end.

I’m in Berlin….in a Starbucks of course…reflecting on some of my learnings/observations over the past several days. As is often the case with international ministry opportunities, I think I benefited much more from my time with the Youth Ministry Nation in Germany than they did by having me.Here are a few totally random thoughts I’m processing:

- Youth ministry here is about 15-20 years behind “the curve” in many aspects. And I’m not totally convinced they need to catch up!

- However youth ministry, and the church as a whole, seems to be holding on by a very thin thread so there is obviously the need for life to be breathed into it.

- In my sessions, I tried to present mostly “universal principles” sprinkled with some examples of “how we do it where I’m from”. I found it interesting that many of our “universal principles” aren’t as universal as I assumed they are. Many of them are completely connected to the methodology in which we express them….or so it felt at times.

- Heart-to-heart conversations about life and ministry are perhaps the most “universal” ways we can encourage and train each other.

- I need to think more critically and do it more often. Friends like Marko and Adam McLane have helped me in this area, but it doesn’t come naturally. I’m a “doer” a pragmatist and a utilitarian youth worker. I rarely take time to think…really think…about some of the deeper issues of youth ministry and theology. The amazing men and women I’ve spent the past four days with thrive on it. I often felt like I was coming up short in conversations because I am mostly a man of ideas and “tools” not profound, futurist, theological youth ministry thoughts. I don’t need to go to that place very often, and I’m happy I have friends who seem to live there, but an occasional visit might be warranted!

- American youth workers are a spoiled bunch. We might not recognize it, or even have an entitled attitude…but we’ve got it very, very, good.I honestly can’t think of one tangible ministry resource, tool or necessity the youth workers I’ve met have that most of us don’t. Yet they are passionately committed to the task at hand.

SYM Show: The Mailbox is Full

This week, Jason finally gets his sunglasses…well, sort of. The Youth Ministry Nation mailbox is full, so the guys answer a few questions including: How to deal with a former youth pastor who is still overly involved in students lives, how to handle highly awkward students and “must have” books/resources.

SYM Show: The Mailbox is Full

This week, Jason finally gets his sunglasses…well, sort of. The Youth Ministry Nation mailbox is full, so the guys answer a few questions including: How to deal with a former youth pastor who is still overly involved in students lives, how to handle highly awkward students and “must have” books/resources.

SYM Show: 7 Mile, Baby!

Jason is away, but never fear....AC is here! The show goes a little long this week, mostly because of AC's mellow, soothing voice. What starts out feeling like an infomercial of sponsors, The Simply Youth Ministry Conference and various blogs finally gets around to a powerful prayer request and some good discussion about parent ministry. Not to mention an interesting shout out to Eminem, AC's stomping grounds and the 7-mile community.

SYM Show: 7 Mile, Baby!

Jason is away, but never fear....AC is here! The show goes a little long this week, mostly because of AC's mellow, soothing voice. What starts out feeling like an infomercial of sponsors, The Simply Youth Ministry Conference and various blogs finally gets around to a powerful prayer request and some good discussion about parent ministry. Not to mention an interesting shout out to Eminem, AC's stomping grounds and the 7-mile community.

Putting your Worst Foot Forward

This past weekend, Kurt & I were at Mark Oestreicher’s Middle School Campference.  I was asked to talk for a few minutes on something that I wish every Jr. High leader would either start or stop.   It seemed to get some good traction with the people there — so I thought I’d post it here, too.

Lots of us work pretty hard creating places to “PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD”.
- to “Manage our Brand”
- to get a bunch of “followers” …. by tweeting clever things
- to have a bunch of Facebook “friends” … or Instagram “likes”

And I’m definitely one of these people, too!   Just this week, I posted a few Instagram photos.

Jason Ostrander, SYMC and Tomorrow, October 31

If you haven’t met him, let me introduce Jason Ostrander. Jason is the new team leader of Simply Youth Ministry and directs the Simply Youth Ministry Conference, an amazing conference of over 3,000 youth workers happening this upcoming March. Recently Josh Griffin and I had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about the conference:

What is the heart and vision behind SYMC?

The Simply Youth Ministry Conference (aka. SYMC) has always been unique in the landscape of youth ministry conferences in that it is, by design, a conference “by youth workers –for youth workers”. In all aspects of the conference youth workers are an active part of both its development and implementation.

The true heart behind SYMC it is to be a place where youth workers from around the world can come to learn, connect and recharge and the vision is always to support the local youth worker in every way possible so that they can thrive in youth ministry.

There are a lot of conferences out there, maybe now more than ever – why choose SYMC?

This is a great question.My immediate response takes me back to when I was a youth worker attending SYMC –I remember that everyone I met seemed to identify with me as well as my journey.It felt good to be known (and remembered year after year!)As the conference director, I would say that SYMC works very hard to cut through the fluff of youth min conferencing so that we can fully engage youth workers right where they are.I have been a part of some SYMC Lead Team meetings in the past few weeks where we’ve cut out potentially “good” things to make room for the “most important” things that we should be offering to youth workers.

When is the best time to sign up and commit to attending?

Of course the deepest discount for SYMC would be the early bird registration ($40 off the regular price) –which ends October 31st!

Any special words of encouragement for the people who read this blog….folks who work with junior highers?

There is a special place in heaven reserved for you, where your mansions will be TP’d only with golden toilet paper. You folks are truly on the front-lines of youth ministry serving in an often Thankless role. So THANK YOU!

SYM Show: On the Nose!

This week, the show hits the 12:00 mark....on the nose! They guys spend way too much time talking about "side gigs", and not enough time talking about Halloween and respecting your church culture on such issues.

SYM Show: There's a First Time for Everything

On this episode, the guys tackle the tough topic of what to do when you don't feel respected by your Senior Pastor. They also enter into a Sonic showdown and....for the first time ever....pause to pray for a member of the Youth Ministry Nation.

SYM Show: On the Nose!

This week, the show hits the 12:00 mark....on the nose! They guys spend way too much time talking about "side gigs", and not enough time talking about Halloween and respecting your church culture on such issues.

SYM Show: There's a First Time for Everything

On this episode, the guys tackle the tough topic of what to do when you don't feel respected by your Senior Pastor. They also enter into a Sonic showdown and....for the first time ever....pause to pray for a member of the Youth Ministry Nation.