by David Hanson | Nov 18, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Are You On Social Media?
Are you ENCOURAGING your PARENTS to be on Social Media?
If we want to impact the student’s world, we have to get into their world! Just like we get on their turf by going to their games, we need to get on their turf when it comes to social media.
We can influence them greatly by being on social media! If you haven’t noticed these days, students are always looking down at the CELL PHONES. They are always on their phones.
We have an opportunity to IMPACT their world! It is crucial for an Instagram, a Twitter account, and for us to have a Facebook…still.
We should LIVE LOUDER than we PREACH!!
Let them see your family and a glimpse of your life! Use social media to encourage them to read Gods Word or to follow Jesus to the fullest! Encourage your parents to be on social media or at least to check their student’s social media accounts.
Encourage the parents in your student ministry to challenge their students to use social media for the GLORY of GOD! We must be INTERESTED IN, what they are INTERESTED IN! We must CARE about what they CARE about! By us not having social media we lose credibility, trust me on this one.
“When we have social media, they begin to realize He/She gets me or knows my world.”
Michael Hux is the Student Pastor of Team Church in Matthews, NC.
Connect with Michael on Twitter or Instagram: @_Hux
by David Hanson | Nov 11, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Isaiah 55:11 “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me void (empty), but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Write this down on your music stand, podium, whatever you preach from so you don’t forget this!!
Before you get up remind yourself that GODS WORD wont RETURN VOID!! It’s the inspired Word of God that you preach from!!
The WORD you PREACH every week is having an EFFECT!!! Don’t ever think it isn’t!!
You may not see it at first but it is working in the lives of people!!
GODS WORD is and will ALWAYS be the BEST MESSAGE we could ever PREACH!!
Gods Word does what God wants it to!
Gods Word will not Fail!
God is a Promise Maker and a Promise Keeper!! He doesn’t need to pinky swear.
Gods Word is alive and active! (Hebrews 4:12)
Gods Word sets people FREE!!
Remember Gods Word CAN CHANGE HEARTS so always make GODS WORD come ALIVE because that’s what will TRANSFORM their LIFE!!
Someone once said, “The greatest sin in ministry is to bore people with the Bible!”
Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever!”
Keep preaching Gods Word!! You cant go wrong!!
It’s Monday, you could be preparing your message and remember Gods Word changed your life and it WILL CHANGE your students LIVES!!
Michael Hux is the Student Pastor of Team Church in Matthews, NC.
Connect with Michael on Twitter or Instagram: @_Hux
by David Hanson | Nov 4, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
You have heard people say, “a HAPPY WIFE leads to a HAPPY LIFE” or “If SHE ain’t HAPPY then NO ONE is HAPPY” and this is soooooooooo true!
Just like we should make spending time with God a priority, we must make spending time with our wife a priority!! She needs to feel LOVED and feel as though she is more important than your ministry because she is!
If your MARRIAGE FAILS then your MINISTRY FAILS! Make DATING your WIFE a DISCIPLINE! Make LOVING your wife a PRIORITY! Put her on your prayer list not only to pray for her but so you remember her daily and how blessed you are to have her!! Write down special dates in your calendar so you don’t forget to remember days!
HAVE a DATE NIGHT
Pick a night during the week and make that date night for you and your wife. Don’t let anyone interfere with that night. If you have kids, hire a babysitter that night or if that is too expensive make a deal with another couple that you will watch their kids one night if you watch theirs one night. You and your spouse will begin to look forward to that night! We must be INTENTIONAL when it comes to our wives!
SPEAK her LOVE LANGUAGE
I, for the longest time didn’t know my wife’s love language! I was writing her a note instead of figuring out her love language was gifts and quality time. This will help you tremendously by allowing her to FEEL LOVED!
If you don’t know each other’s love languages set aside some time tonight to take the 5-minute test to discover what they are!
http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/
God wants you to LOVE your WIFE BETTER than you LOVE His!
Your students and children need to see how much you LOVE your wife and how important she is to you! Students especially need to see more couples who love each other and see examples of Godly dating/marriage!
Don’t let her question for a second that you don’t think she is important!
Ephesians 5:25
New International Version (NIV)
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
Michael Hux is the Student Pastor of Team Church in Matthews, NC.
Connect with Michael on Twitter or Instagram: @_Hux
by David Hanson | Oct 28, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Ministry isn’t the easiest job at all. It’s extremely messy because I’m a sinner dealing with other sinners. It takes a lot of prayer. It’s sometimes inconvenient and there are times that are very tough but this isn’t something that you should dread and it is something that you should look forward to every Monday morning!
Because…
Never forget that people are giving their lives around the world to do what we do!
Praise God every chance you get that He has given you the opportunity to carry His name and share His name.
We GET to share GOOD NEWS!
We GET to teach any student anything from GODS WORD!
We GET to help parents point their student to JESUS!
We GET to get PAID for it! (Even if it’s not that much)
We should not expect our society or the news media or the entertainment industry to honor us as we carry out our Lord’s commands.
“Ministry is not a right, it is a privilege. Its not about the messenger, its about the MESSAGE!” –James MacDonald
By nature we are not worthy to be called one of his children, let alone his spokesman or ambassador. Nevertheless he gives us that glorious privilege to serve him in this way.
Psalm 115:1
Not to us, Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
Michael Hux is the Student Pastor of Team Church in Matthews, NC.
Connect with Michael on Twitter or Instagram: @_Hux
by David Hanson | Oct 14, 2013 | The Youth Ministry Blog
Ever feel like GIVING UP in Student Ministry??? You need a FOLDER!!!
Lets face it Student Ministry isn’t the easiest thing in the world! Sometimes, a student will get on your nerves or you get that parent email that makes you just want to throw in the towel. It’s not easy because we are sinners dealing with sinners.
But we ALL NEED to REMIND ourselves WHY we do what we DO!!
“To BRING students to JESUS who can CHANGE their LIVES!!”
There is MORE JOY in that than anything in this world!!
No student is ever worth you quitting over!!
No parent is ever worth you quitting over!!
No leader is ever worth you quitting over!!
No email or text is ever worth quitting over!!
SEEING one STUDENT meet JESUS for the FIRST TIME is worth years of MINISTRY!!
In times that you feel like giving up in Student Ministry, do this!!!
-Start a folder where you can collect emails, tweets, Facebook posts, notes, and cards of how God has changed lives in your Student Ministry
-Pull that email out from the parent who emailed you saying how God changed their student’s life!
-Pull out that hand written card a student wrote you saying how much of a difference you have made in their life!
-Look back at your Student Ministry and see what God has done and rejoice!!
-Pull out that tweet and Facebook post of how a student’s life was changed!!
You will encounter times of wanting to give up and when you do PULL OUT that FOLDER and remind yourself of why you entered ministry in the first place!!
This suggestion came from Doug Fields book, “Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry.” It is a must read!!
Michael Hux is the Student Pastor of Team Church in Matthews, NC.
Connect with Michael on Twitter or Instagram: @_Hux
