by David Hanson | Sep 2, 2013 | Podcast, The Youth Ministry Blog
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Welcome to the 2nd Youth Ministry Blog Podcast!
Summary:
1. Do a Back to School Event:
- Prayer Time
- Focused Small Group
- “Launch” Event – Send them into school equipped to start a bible study or prayer time.
We have seen so many students impacted and encouraged by sending students out to do a Bible Study, get this, IN THEIR SCHOOL! Jesus cannot be taken out of schools if our students, who bear the image and spirit of Christ, are IN those schools! What would it look like for you to empower your students to DO ministry on their mission field?
2. Encourage Students in their gifting:
Teach your students that ministry is not just a small group or prayer time! What do your students like to do? Where are their giftings? How can they use them to glorify Christ? I have a student who started rapping for Jesus, check out Adrian Stresow below! He’s only a sophomore! What?!
Call to Action:
1. Comment below: How are you equipping your students to share and live the gospel in their schools?
2. Follow The Youth Ministry Blog on Twitter to stay up to date on what we have going on!
3. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST!
by David Hanson | Sep 2, 2013 | Podcast, The Youth Ministry Blog
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Welcome to The Youth Ministry Blog Podcast!
Summary:
1. Call your recently graduated students & challenge them to plug in. You students need to feel that they can come to you with anything. By contacting them after they have gone off to college or work, you are taking the first step in continuing that line of communication. When you talk to them, ask them if they have found a church community to plug into. Encourage them to be actively seeking a place where they can get in community and grow.
2. Find a church that you would want to go to and swap information between the church and your grad. I am actively looking for a church for one of my students who is attending Cal Berkeley. I’m looking for a church and a community that is passionate about discipling students and within a 5-10 mile radius of her dorm. Make a list and do this for your departed students!
3. Send a care package to your recently graduated students. Who wouldn’t love to get ramen noodles in the mail? Send you graduated students some that says, you are not forgotten and you need to do your laundry!
Calls To Action:
1. Subscribe to the Podcast. Now up on iTunes!
2. Comment below on what you would like to see me cover in the podcast.
Praying for you,
David
by David Hanson | Aug 28, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
My wife and I are in a unique situation. We both work at our church. I am the middle school pastor and she works for our communications department. This presents us with some blessings (I get to see her during the day) and some challenges (her busy season is often my down season). One of the things I love about her working at the church is that I get to experience what it’s like to be married to someone in ministry. It helps me appreciate how much she has sacrificed for my ministry over the years.
Last Saturday she had a big project that required her to be up at the church all day, on her day off, painting and building some cool display pieces. Coincidently, I had taken the weekend off and was looking forward to some time away from the church. At some point in the morning I realized that the project was going to take longer than she expected and she would be needing my help to get the job done. We spent a good 7 hours to finish the project and in the end It looked awesome. I am so proud of her department’s creativity and hard work. Even though it was my day off, I am so glad I got to help her out.
It got me thinking about the three things my wife did that made it easy for me to help her out. These are three things that we can all do to help our spouses as they serve alongside us in our ministry.
First, she gave me a purpose. Because it was important to her and her department, she took the time to make sure I knew why we were working so hard. She talked about how important the project was to get people excited about our big fall teaching series. When I was tempted to daydream about watching the Texas Rangers game on my couch, I remembered how my work was going to bless her and the church. In the same way, we need to help our spouses see that their service to you and the church has a purpose.
Second, she gave me permission. At several points during the day she told me that it would be ok if I went home. I didn’t take her up on the offer but it was nice to know that I had freedom to leave if it wanted to. Often our spouses feel obligated to serve or to be up at the church with us. This can lead to bitterness and frustration. If we simply give them permission to take a break then they feel that they have a choice to be there. When your spouse is there by choice they will be more present and have more passion for the ministry. I encourage you to regularly make it clear to your spouse that they are NOT obligated to be up at the church 24/7 with you.
Third, she gave me appreciation. What ultimately kept me going was that I knew my wife appreciated my hard work. I am surprised how many pastors fail to acknowledge how much their spouses sacrifice for the sake of the ministry. We can take for granted that they are going to show up and support us every week. We will go out of our way to make a volunteer feel loved and supported, but do we do that for our spouses? Many spouses suffer from neglect for our ministry without so much as a word of thanks. Make sure you regularly communicate appreciation and gratitude for their sacrifice and support. A small gift or note can mean the world to an under appreciated spouse.
I am so thankful that my wife models to me how to be a better ministry spouse. So, what about you? Does your spouse need purpose, permission or appreciation? If so, go do that today!
Kevin Libick is a Middle School Pastor living in Fort Worth, TX with his wife Kara and her two cats. He is a novice banjo picker and expert Hawaiian food eater. Kevin loves to connect with other youth workers and equip them to live out their calling in God’s Kingdom. Connect with Kevin on Twitter: @kevinlibick
by David Hanson | Aug 28, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Today represents the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 250,000+ gathered to stand for racial equality and the overthrow of Jim Crowe laws that propelled racial segregation. Watch and listen to this clip:
“I Have A Dream, that my 4 little children will one day live in a nation, where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I Have A Dream Today!”
Youth Ministry Spin:
Character. It sometimes feels that character and integrity are lost in adolescents. Seeking to be popular, athletic, and well dressed take a much higher priority than the content of one’s character. In fact, character is often sacrificed on the alter of acceptance.
As Youth Pastors, we must continually help students examine two things:
1. How am I seeking to know, love, and worship Jesus?
2. Does my character reflect Jesus?
May we dream BIG about what God can do through our students as we seek “to be conformed to the image of his Son.” (Romans 8:29)
by David Hanson | Aug 21, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Every year around this time, youth ministries welcome new members to the ministry while at the same time saying goodbye to graduated seniors as they take off for college. It’s a strange dynamic of saying goodbye to students who you have developed strong relationships with and meeting baby-faced middle schoolers who seem culture shocked.
So the question becomes: How do we get new students integrated into the life of the ministry so that they, like our departing seniors, are set up for a lifetime of following Jesus.
May I suggest 3 starting points:
1. Do a 6th Grade Student/Parent/Staff Meet-n-Greet!
It’s important that students come to know and love you as the youth pastor. It’s equally important that parents come to know and TRUST you. Plan a time to meet parents, cast vision, and answer questions.
2. Give extra focus on getting the 6th Graders into a Small Group.
Before just asking students to show up at a Small Group on a Wednesday or Sunday night, let your 6th Graders meet their leaders on a Sunday morning. Create some buzz and excitement. Show your new students this is a place the can be known, have a blast, and pursue Jesus.
3. Get your upperclassmen passionate about integration.
This last week, our incoming 6th Graders visited our Sunday service for the first time. Next week they promote. After I dismissed the 6th Graders, I challenged my upperclassmen to be family. I challenged them to be spiritual big brothers and sisters who take care of each other. More specifically, I pushed them to reach out to our new family members over the next few Sundays as get settled in our ministry.
How do you help make this transition smooth? Comment below!
by David Hanson | Aug 1, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
No Excuses
“Excuses are like armpits. Everyone has them and they all stink.” I can still hear my first high school coach saying this. Our whole lives we make excuses for not doing things or for why we mess up. We even try these excuses out with God, hoping He will see our flawless logic and give us a pass for messing up or ignoring His prompting.
In Costa Rica I have met two men who don’t make excuses despite obvious physical weaknesses.
Tim grew up a farm boy in Minnesota. He tried to run from God and ended up in a wheelchair. Yet despite being in a wheelchair he now runs orphan homes with his wife in Haiti, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. He could make countless excuses and try to blame God for his disability, but he chooses to be faithful. Tim places his own comfort below the will of the Father.
Oldemar grew up in the poverty of Costa Rica. In addition, he is blind in one eye and only has 5% vision in the other. Yet God didn’t see this as a roadblock to Oldemar being a pastor. While this may not seem like a big deal to us, many Costa Ricans look down on people with disabilities.
I love seeing such bold faith and men who trust that God is in control. Each have thriving ministries and adults and children know Jesus because of their faithfulness.
I pray that we all would have faith like Tim and Oldemar. Know that He is in control. Know that God does not see weakness but rather and opportunity for faithfulness. He has and will equip you to carry out His will.
You can make excuses or you can be faithful. Where is He calling you?
by David Hanson | Jul 30, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
HIS LOVE & STRENGTH
These are the words that one of my students used to describe what we are doing in Costa Rica.
In the short week we will be in Costa Rica our objective is simple: We are here to love on orphans and help the local church.
Part of out team is spending the week simply being present with children, reflecting the love of Jesus, and giving the Tia’s (ladies who work there) a well needed break! The other half of our team is helping a local church build a student center that will house a mid-week Bible study as well as technology, music, and language classes throughout the week!
As we sat and reflected at dinner tonight, one of my students pointed out that we are here to reflect both Christ’s love (at the orphan home) and His strength (joining the local church).
But as everyone who has ever been on a mission trip will tell you: We will learn far more from our brothers and sisters in Costa Rica than they will learn from us! I appreciate your continued prayers!
by David Hanson | Jul 29, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
I’m headed to the airport as I write this post. We are taking a team of 19 to Costa Rica to share the love of Jesus with orphans and help a local church.
Would you please join me in prayer that God would use our team and that my students eyes would be opened to how God is present and moving throughout the world.
Earlier in the year our student ministry took a team to Haiti to do similar work. It’s AMAZING to see the hearts of students opened to global missions!
Tell me about your trips? Where did you go this summer with students?
Thanks for your prayers!
by David Hanson | Jul 19, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Students & Sanctification
Great News! We had SO MANY students make a decision for Christ last night at FUGE Camp! The Lord was truly present and wrecking some people. It’s been my prayer that God would “mess up my students at camp,” and He is!
Over the last two nights, however, I have noticed something interesting. I have noticed that many students have a hard time differentiating between justification and sanctification. Here’s why I say this: Last night, when the speaker gave an invitation, I had many students stand up to “receive Christ.” Some of these students, I know, already know Jesus and were trying to follow Him.
When these certain individuals stood up, I was a little taken back. Now, I know that there are many who claim to know Jesus but actually just know about Jesus. They know a lot of facts about Jesus, but they do not have a personal relationship with Him. But this wasn’t these students… These were students I KNOW are trying to be faithful in their life and relationship with Christ.
So after a few days of walking in a Jesus-centric environment (QT & worship in morning, small group in afternoon, worship & teaching at night, small group debrief in late night) they were “high on Jesus,” and felt convicted. And instead of walking in repentance and seeking forgiveness for the ways they had made Christ a side-show, they felt the need to “get saved” again.
Complete Disclosure: I don’t believe in rededication. The Bible doesn’t use the word rededication, it uses the words repent.
1 John 1:19, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Acts 3:19, “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.”
2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
I think many students come to know Jesus as Savior and then when they push Him down the priority list, only to rediscover that He deserves the top spot, they question whether they ever knew Him in the first place.
This is the difference between knowing Jesus as Savior and knowing Him as Lord. When you believe that He died for your sins, you know Him as Savior. When you orient your life around Him, you know Him as Lord.
I believe we need to help students understand that sanctification (the process of becoming holy) is precisely that, a process! Knowing Jesus and orienting our lives around Him is not a one stop shop. It is a continual process of understanding his holiness and our depravity and seeking to give Him all the glory He is due!
Many of my students didn’t need to “get saved,” they needed to repent!
How do you help students understand this process? (Comment below!)
by David Hanson | Jul 18, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook. We can’t escape social media. Our students are on them nearly 24-7. There is great potential for these tools to connect and communicate with students in our ministries. But there is a great temptation. In our ministry I’m realizing we’ve been relying too heavily on these social media avenues to draw students in.
We have become really good at marketing in the youth ministry world. The technologies are available to everyone. Logos, brand strategies, social media campaigns are a part of nearly every youth ministry. Even the smallest of youth groups can have an Instagram feed and a Facebook page.
For a while I thought that we could get more students connected to our ministry and events if we improved our social media presence. All summer we had been using this strategy for our camp and mission trip. The idea is that if I email parents enough, tweet enough, post enough pictures on Instagram then kids would sign up. The result was bad…real bad. No one was signing up.
It works the same in my life. If I get a mass Facebook invite, I’m 90% sure I’m not responding. If I get an E-vite for a party, I’m waiting until the last minute to respond. But if I get a personal call I’m probably going to respond favorably and immediately.
This was our change of strategy. Personal invitations. We had our leaders contact the students they are connected with and intentionally invite them. The results were staggering. Last Sunday, we went from having only two people signed up for our mission trip (one week past the deadline) to our largest ever number of sign-ups within a matter of hours. What was the difference? Personal invitations.
Over and over I am reminded that what our teens want is personal investment. When we deviate from that into impersonal means, then our teens are simply not having it. We can’t rely on social media strategies to create of movement of Christ followers. Does that mean that we delete our profiles and accounts? No way. These become ways to communicate with those whom we have personal relationships with.
For me it means that from now on, we’re going to make sure we stay personal. Instead of social media strategies, we will make students know that we care by having our leadership interact with them in personal ways.
Kevin Libick is a Middle School Pastor living in Fort Worth, TX with his wife Kara and her two cats. He is a novice banjo picker and expert Hawaiian food eater. Kevin loves to connect with other youth workers and equip them to live out their calling in God’s Kingdom. Connect with Kevin on Twitter: @kevinlibick
