When planning your Disciple Now you have to think well beyond just your event to what exactly will happen after your event. How do you go from simply having a successful event to this being the catalyst for your ministry? In this video we discuss this and help you consider how you can take all your planning and preparing and help your event have its maximum impact in the grand scheme of things.
We decided to learn from our past and completely reinvent how we did tailgate parties. The first big difference was our location. This year, we held our parties at parks that were near the schools. We did this for a few reasons… well one reason, the schools said no. It was a frustrating thing to hear because there are so many people that tailgate on campus anyway, but we would rather call and get a “no,” than to go and hurt the reputation of our ministry. Because of that, we ended up doing out parties at the parks, and we loved it! Having it at a park let us do more activities (ultimate Frisbee, Football, Spikeball, etc.) that kept students at the event, giving us more relational opportunity. While having the tailgate in the campus parking lot would have given us a more convenient location, I feel like students would have grabbed food and left, giving us little face time with students.
As far as the event itself, we kept it simple and fun. The games that we tailgated for were the big rival games so we made sure to capitalize on their school spirit. We decorated everything in school colors! We had the balloons, tablecloths, streamers… the whole bit. We even set up a “War Paint” booth, where students could get their face painted for the game that night! Once students started coming over, we handed out some Frisbees, footballs, volleyballs, set up a game of Spikeball, and threw a dance party in the parking lot. We fueled them up for the big night by giving them pizza, cupcakes, cookies, chips, soda, and anything else that we found cheap. The event as a whole was super fun and super easy.
I am so happy with how it all turned out. We got to meet so many new students and got to make some awesome memories with our regulars! Tailgates can be a great outreach opportunity and can work for a ton of ministries out there because there are so many different ways to do them. I’m already thinking of ways to take ours to the next level!
Has your ministry tailgated a game before? How did you do it?
Colton Harker is the Student Leadership Director at Saddleback HSM. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact him at coltonharker@gmail.com or on twitter at @ColtonHarker.
Are you committed to building healthy volunteer teams? (Image: KROMKRATHOG / FreeDigitalPhotos.net)
Last week I had the opportunity to teach a workshop at the Orange Conference for the very first time. Loved it! I am definitely not called to kid’s or student ministry, but I love hanging out with family ministry leaders.
In my session last week, we talked about building healthy volunteer teams. You’d think in volunteer intensive ministries like we engage in churches, that there would be more written and talked about on this topic. Yet, Simply Strategic Volunteers is still one of the few books I’m aware of that’s focused on engaging volunteers in the Church. (What other good resources do you know of on this specific topic?)
These are the five keys to building healthy volunteer teams that I offered to the Orange leaders last week:
Share what you’re learning about building healthy volunteer teams. What’s working? What’s not? Join the conversation by sharing your comment.
If I live to 50: TJ will be 24, Tyler will be 22, Jake will be 19, and Becky and Billy will be 30 days from turning 18 when I turn 50.
So, with this realization, I have officially declared this my DECADE OF PARENTING INTO ADULTHOOD.
I have no greater responsibility in the next 10 years and to that end, here's my game plan:
MEET ONE-ON-ONE WITH MY KIDS. As long as my sons and daughter live under my roof or within driving distance, I'll keep making it a priority to meet weekly with them one-on-one. Hands down it's been the best parenting move I've made to date.
PRAY RIDICULOUSLY HARD. I'm more committed than ever to praying for and with my kids. I know raising my teens into functioning adults is no walk in the park. I'm giving up before I get started and gonna cry out for Divine help and guidance constantly.
LEAVE NO VACATION DAYS FOR TOMORROW. I'm going to get away with my wife and kids every chance I get. I want to camp. Ride bikes. Enjoy the snow and the beach and the mountains and the rivers. Play pretty much anywhere I can afford to go. This season will be gone before I know it. I decided that I want zero vacation days on the books when I hit 50. I'm gonna exhaust all of them.
PASS THE BATON OF FAITH AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. My goal is to stop running my kid's lives in the next decade. I could write for days in this concept, but bottom line is that I'm going to consciously continue to give them the chance to process through the "why" questions of life. I want to do less for them and equip them to do more. My greatest goal is for them to mature into thinking, passionate, and intentional followers of Jesus who have an adult faith and life. Getting there is a maze I might not be able to navigate, but I'm firmly setting my sights there regardless.
LISTEN AND LEARN. I'm getting all the mentors around me I can find who have been there and done that. I have no misconception that somehow you can create a family by formula, but I'm going to do everything I can to learn from the victories and even the warnings and regrets of every parent I respect who is further down this road than I am.
So... to those who have been there and done that or are in the thick of this with me... anything you'd add to my list?
In working on another project, I just compiled the ten key statements that have shaped my ministry to leaders and churches. It’s possible that everything I write and teach boils down to these key thoughts:
You’ll probably hear and see me repeat these statements over and over again. (And then, just to make sure you heard me, I’ll probably share them again.)
Have you ever tried to capture your personal mission in phrases like this? If so, what would be on your list?
Several months ago I was reading Ephesians four and the first verse literally JUMPED off the page at me. The verse tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling I have received.”
As a pastor, there are many things that living a life worthy of the calling that I received could include. Things that immediately come to mind are seeking God daily, loving my wife, loving my kids, staying pure, leading, and loving people. Those are sort of obvious things that come with my calling.
Lately, I’ve been thinking of the less obvious things that the calling to pastor brings. Something HUGE that God has taught me since starting Revolution Church is that everything the pastor does matters. And I mean everything.
Here are a few things that I am giving extra energy and attention to in order to live a life worthy of the calling God has given me:
Health: I don’t ever want to become the pastor that is 80 pounds overweight and preaches on everything BUT gluttony. I think health matters and when pastors ignore their health, they lose credibility in many ways. I am not perfect, but I do my best to run and hit the gym at least 4 days a week. Plus, when I stay healthy, I feel better and have more energy to share the Gospel. I’m in this for the long haul, so health is paramount.
Thanksgiving: As our church grows, I find myself becoming more thankful. I stop and say thanks more, I hand write a ton of thank you cards and I but a LOT of thank you coffee and ice cream. That sounds bad at first glance, but think about it. With so many people its difficult to have a personal relationship with many (I don’t believe that is my job anyway, but that is another post for another time.)
These days, I am trying to make it a point to never walk past a volunteer or a staff member without saying thanks and honoring them. It only takes seconds out of my day and literally makes their day.
I think we would all do better in our calling(s) if we would realize how big of a difference a simple, real, honest, heartfelt thank you can mean.
Style: I think pastors should get with the times and get some swag. I’m not talking about buying a thousand dollar suit and wearing a rolex. I’m talking about being relevant to the people you are trying to reach. Here are some tips: you can use an IRON. Shave. Get a haircut regularly. We have a mirror at the stage entrance, not because I like seeing myself (that’s the band!) but because I think my appearance is important. After all, people have to look at me for 30-40 minutes every week as I preach. Every week, pastors bring the most meaningful message ever! Maybe we should look like empowered messengers!
Space: I’m talking about my car, my office and my home. It needs to be kept clean and orderly. I think its kind of hard to set a good example in life with a car full of starbucks cups and an office that smells like fast food.
Money: I’m talking personal finances and church finances.
Personal finances: If I am going to teach Biblical principles like tithing, investing, saving, spending, bringing an offering and more, I need to be doing those things well! My family got all of this in order through Financial Peace University many years ago. We are debt free and therefore free to give. We have a goal to increase our percentage giving by one percent every year. Right now, we are working hard on making our money work hard for us by investing in new ways.
Church finances: I refuse to waste a single dollar or a minute of time on a program, piece of equipment or ministry position that isn’t the best option to reach the most people. We do more with less at Revolution Church and I have to champion that. I think this is a huge and vital part of walking in my calling.
Speaking: Over the last year, I’ve been very convicted that I need to improve on my speaking. I think sometimes, pastors get into a rut and just do their thing week to week when truthfully, there is a ton of room for improvement. That’s why I was so pumped when some of my friends launched Preaching Rocket. Great, powerful preaching is more than words. You have to learn how to move on stage, how to use volume, tone and inflection and more to really present well. Comedic timing, when to pause, where to look…preaching is so much more than just talking. I want to be one of the best communicators on the planet, every single week.
What less obvious things do you need to work on when it comes to walking worthy of your calling?
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One of the things I always hear in regards to leadership is that we should always desire to “go to the next level!” However, there are several things that will hold us back from doing this. Reality is that you and I cannot go to the next level if…
Usually leadership or spiritual growth books and articles are focused around adding things to your life.
A new principle.
A new practice.
A new person.
Many times that can be good, and sometimes even necessary. But I’m learning more and more that the opposite is just as if not more important…removing things from your life.
As great as it is to add to your life, if there are things in your life that are taking up space or are exerting a negative influence, they will quench whatever good the good things could bring.
Who cares if you learn a new principle if the old ones you’re still living by contradict it?
Who cares if you adopt a new practice if your life is too cluttered to actually practice it?
Who cares if you hire an A+ staffer if the rest are D-?
What if going to the next level in your leadership and your walk with God didn’t look like putting something in, but instead putting something out?
Maybe it’s:
Whatever it is, one difficult but essential solution is required for each of these if you want to go to the next level: Put them out.
Or they’ll put your chances of going to the next level out.
The holidays are a time for focusing on others. We’ve heard it our whole lives, and in our hearts, we’re pretty sure it’s what we’re supposed to do. Friends, families, and neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers are subject to extra kindness, thoughtfulness, and thankfulness. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right?
If that’s true, then why do so many of us start the year actually feeling kind of crummy? Could it be because, in the midst of showing everyone around you how much love you have to give, you’re holding yourself back from receiving any in return?
Take a look at that mirror and ask yourself: Was 2011 a year of regret? Of doubt, fear, guilt, and non-forgiveness? Has it gone even farther back that that? If so, then it’s time to look in that mirror again and ask yourself a different question: ”Who would you give a second chance?”
It’s a new year, and with it should come a new start. Let 2012 be the year you give yourself permission to take that second chance. Let it be the year you leave behind the hurtful words, the wasted money, the compromised principles, and the bad decisions. You are so much more than the sum of whatever mistakes you think you’ve made in the past.
You are a person of infinite potential. You are a person of a fresh start. You are People of the Second Chance.
Share your thoughts below, and link to your platform using the submissions form!
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Next you need to sell your event to your leaders. You need to cast a vision for what your expectations are for them and for what your goals are for the event. It cannot be guaranteed everything will happen as you hoped but you increase your chances of this happening if you take the time to sell your leaders on what you hope to see happen throughout the weekend.
Finally you need to sell the event to your church. Disciple Now is a big undertaking and you need a lot of help to pull it off. Therefore you need to get your whole church involved. There is an added benefit here though. Most student ministries are isolated from the rest of the church. While this is usually acceptable for everyone it poses a problem. Your students are isolated from people who can be great role models for them. This event gives you a chance to break that trend and build a bridge between the adults in your church and the students in your ministry.
There has been a lot of talk this year about the changing shape of youth ministry. As we wrap up one of our last articles of 2011, we thought it was a good idea to talk about a few of these changes … and point out a few things that don’t seem to be changing anytime soon. Up today, a few ways youth ministry seems to be evolving.
There are now many, many voices
It wasn’t that long ago that you would go to a youth worker training event or check out the youth ministry books online and see just a handful of resources by a handful of people. Today, youth ministry is rapidly expanding to include scores of voices from all sizes of churches and experiences. Thanks to the world of blogging, podcasts and Twitter, you can access the wisdom and experience of countless of youth workers with the click of a mouse or a push of a button on your cell phone while sitting at a red light (wait, is that even legal anymore?). There is room for your voice, too! The best voices are from the trenches of day-to-day youth ministry – so blog, tweet and podcast away!Emphasis on parent ministry
Youth ministry is no longer just about students (actually, it has never been just about students, but we are finally waking up to this reality), it is about reaching, equipping and empowering parents to be the primary discipler of their teenager.Team-based ministry
Youth ministry was never meant to be done alone! One of the radical shifts still gaining steam is the networking and collaboration of youth ministries worldwide. Everyone is beginning to understand the value of sharing resources and pooling our creativity to inspire others and share the timeless message of Christ.Church together
Youth ministry is no longer an island to itself. Churches and youth ministries are actively seeking out ways to serve together, worship together and learn together. By all means there is still plenty of room for age specific, segregated ministry to happen, but connecting adults and students together in healthy spiritual mentoring relationships is a needed and welcome change.
What else do you see shifting in youth ministry right now?
This post was written by Josh Griffin and Kurt Johnston and originally appeared as part of Simply Youth Ministry Today free newsletter. Subscribe to SYM Today right here.
I am a google apps fanatic and practically live in them, especially Gdocs - so to be able to sync, store and share files within that environment is very compelling to me. Since it rides along the google app, the fees/costs are structured by Google and therefore even cheaper than Dropbox. Here is brief overview of this app:
Advertising itself as a cheaper Dropbox alternative with a better feature set, Insync has been in closed beta for the last 15 months. Now, they're finally ready to launch with a service that tightly integrates into Google Docs. It's "8x cheaper" than Dropbox, according to their marketing; in fact, the core service is now free, and customers who paid for the service during the beta period will be offered a refund or premium service credit. The only cost for basic membership is the cost of Google storage.
Insync brings a number of novel features to the table, differentiating it from Dropbox's current service. For example, you can share individual files with more granularity -- not just as public links, but specifying read-write or read-only permissions. You can also revoke a sharing link, which isn't possible on Dropbox unless you move or delete the shared file.
All your files live inside your Google Docs account, but that doesn't mean you're limited to the supported Google file types; any file can be synced over, as long as it's less than 10GB in size (assuming you have that much room in your storage allocation).
You can nest sharing privileges so people have access to just part of a folder structure. You can also set re-sharing permissions, specifying whether those you share with can re-share that material or not. Share recipients are not charged against their storage quota.
Insync supports multiple Google accounts and uses Google's storage system. Google starts with 1GB free storage, and then moves to 20GB for $5/year up to 16 TB for $4096/year. Dropbox's pricing rates includes 2GB free storage, and then jump to 50 GB paid storage at $10/month. Dropbox's 50 GB will cost you $120/year compared to Google's $20/year for 80 GB. That's $0.25 per GB per year for Google Docs versus $2 per GB per year for Dropbox.
To use Insync, you sign in with your Google credentials and permit it to gain access to Google Docs. You then download and install the client software on your computer. From there, you launch, link the Google account to your machine, and you're ready to go. On OS X, all your Google Docs appear in a Finder window.
In its current incarnation, Insync feels a lot like Dropbox, and if you're used to Dropbox, then you already know how to use Insync.I have been using InSync for about a week, and so far I'm loving it.
