Winter 2010 volume 7, issue 2
Your Guide to 365 Days of Youth Ministry
Sliding into Winter
A calendar of when to start planning your upcoming activities
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Getting the Courage to Ask for Donations
When to Say “When”
Creating Healthy Boundaries Between Home Life and Church Ministry
www.youthunlimited.org
THE INFO FROM THE DIRECTOR Youth Unlimited eQuip volume 7, issue 2 Editor Shari Ilbrink Kristin Keizer Publication Coordinator & Graphic Designer Kristen Van Stee Contributors Rick Roeda Kristi Kruithoff Cody Statema Mark Knetsch Megan Wunderink Valerie VanKooten Jeff Kruithof Youth Unlimited eQuip is printed in the United States and is a FREE resource to contributing churches. eQuip is available for purchase at $25 /yearly subscription. Canada Canada Post International Sales Agreement #41124116. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Youth Unlimited eQuip Box 1100, Norwich, ON N0J 1P0 CANADA Youth Unlimited Board President Ben Fergus (Herndon, VA) Vice President Brad Laninga (Holland, MI) Treasurer Cindi Riemersma (Tinley Park, IL) Rick Abma (LaCombe, AB) Roger Drost (New Maryland, NB) Mark Elgersma (Minneapolis, MN) Jake Hiemstra (Goderich, ON) Arlana Huyser (Inwood, IA) John Rop (Muskegon, MI) Paul VanHofwegen (Tolleson, AZ) Frankie Wunderink (Henderson, NV)
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New Year, New Staff With a heart and a passion to see young people live lives that transform this world, Youth Unlimited is committed to enhancing our services that support local youth workers – both volunteer and paid. As a result, YU has hired a new team member who will lead our leadership development initiative.
ers reach out with the love of Jesus to young people.
As the leader of Youth Unlimited’s leadership development initiative, Marcel will be focusing his attention on: 1. Networking: bringing youth workers together. 2. Serving: passing along youth ministry Marcel deRegt joins the Youth Unlimited best practices, resources, and trainteam with over fourteen years of youth ing. ministry experience within the context 3. Relating: being that person you can of the local church. He started and led go to when faced with challenging two youth ministry programs as a circumstances or need encourageME volunteer and most recently ment to stay committed to the MARCE ET L NOW : served as Youth Pastor call of ministering to young You can view a s h o people. at Cornerstone Christian r t introd uctory v from M ideo Reformed Church in Chilliarcel by clicking Marcel eagerly anticipates youthu on wack, British Columbia. In nlimite d.org/n serving you and your church ews. addition to his years serving as a valued member of the the church as a volunteer and Youth Unlimited staff. Please paid youth worker, he worked join me in welcoming Marcel deRegt nine years for the Bible League and to the Youth Unlimited team – marcel@ served as their Youth Ministries Director youthunlimited.org. for seven years. Along with youth ministry experience he will bring you and the YU Jeff Kruithof is the Youth Unlimited Executive Director. He serves on the team his experience, of networking with Student Ministry Advisory Team at Providence Church in Holland, MI. To youth workers at the local and national get in contact with Jeff, write to him levels while serving as an advisor to the at jeff@youthunlimited.org or call 616.241.5616 ext. 3043. Youth Specialties Canadian Youth Workers’ Conference. While I highly admire and value Marcel’s many youth ministry experiences, I most appreciate his commitment to follow Christ wherever called. He is a devoted husband and father, and has a passion for helping the Church and its youth work-
CONTENTS 4-8 Season at a Glance: Timeline
ON THE WEB All of the web sites you find in eQuip are easily accessible from the YU web site. Find them all at www.youthunlimited.org/equip. You will be prompted for your username and password. username: yupartner password: partner2010
Communication 4 Our Fellow Youth Workers: Networking 5 Ready, Set, Go! Getting a Youth Worker Network Started 6 Show Me the Money
Youth Group Community 8 Expect More 9 Using Culture to Connect with Youth 10 How to Welcome Unchurched Kids
Leadership Development 11 Boundaries Welcome 13 Developing Student Leaders
Teaching God’s Word 14 The Problem: Human Misery
Insight
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9
YOUTH CULTURE
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Do you ever look at a phrase or word over and over until it looks awkward, or say it out loud multiple times and it morphs into an undecipherable sound rather than a recognizable word? At first I thought this only happened with the word ‘fork’, but I’ve discovered that it also occurs with the term ‘youth culture’. Apparently youth culture is defined as: “n. young adults (a generational unit) considered as a cultural class or subculture.” Check out page 9 for information on how to use this subculture as a tool when connecting it to youth ministry.
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COMMUNICATION
“Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.”
—Bridget Willard
Our Fellow Youth Workers We have all heard the phrase which says, “you don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” and yet when we look at many churches we see this happening. Because the “wheel” has already been invented is why it is so important to create relationships with other churches both in your own community and beyond. By networking with other churches you are not saying that your ministry is “weak” but rather that you/your ministry desires to use all the resources, including other youth workers, that God has given you/your ministry to reach your students for Jesus Christ.
Obtain an initial commitment for your winter retreat from students/parents.
Distribute information concerning the winter retreat a month before it occurs.
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standing in the students’ lives, and show we care about other churches. Christians are called not to live isolated lives from each other but rather to work together through Christ’s unifying power. When youth leaders work with other churches, we are able to not only talk about this but make it happen. What an exciting opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Build support for your youth ministry. Many times in churches we can get easily discouraged when either the numbers are not there or we are dealing with difficult problems with students. By working and creating relationship with others in youth ministry, you may find that your unique problems are not so unique. By working together you can save
Update and print winter ministry information.
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Each issue of eQuip will contain a ministry timeline. This will be your general outline to keep track of where you are at now and what you should be planning for in the months to come.
JANUARY
Your Guide to 365 Days of Youth Ministry!
Schedule a training/blessing meeting(s) for youth sponsors and teachers for late summer.
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nario may be that you are working on finding service opportunities in your town or beyond and struggling to find ones. There is a strong likelihood that someone in another church either in your town or elsewhere has done some and would be more than happy to share. This saves valuable time and resources. Through building relationships with other churches, you are building the Kingdom of God. Students today are looking at and wondering, “What is up with the church down the street? Why do they do the things they do?” or “Why are there so many different churches in our town?” By working with other churches, we can speak first hand about what they are doing and help to bridge the gap of under-
Register for the YU youth worker retreat nearest you: youthunlimited.org/retreat.
Here are a few practical reasons why you should embrace building relationships with your fellow youth workers: • Working with other churches allows you to gain new ideas and perspectives on youth ministry. Sharing ideas, lessons, games, and resources is a tremendous benefit to any group. Perhaps you have a smaller youth ministry and always wanted to do a large event. Have you considered that the smaller church down the street has always wanted do the same? Work together and all of a sudden it becomes possible. Or maybe you are struggling for a topic which some of your students are talking about in school. There is a great possibility that the youth leader across town that has students in the same school is dealing with it too. Another sce-
READY, SET, GO! GETTING A NETWORK STARTED There are many large organizations already set up to facilitate networking, for examples, The National Network of Youth Ministries (www.youthworkers.net) or The Canadian Youth Network (www.canadianyouth.net).
the steps listed in the box. Today we have a citywide network of youth leaders who pray monthly together and plan quarterly city wide events. There is still much more work to do and not every church has said yes, but we continue to press on with the vision. If you have more questions or comments I would love to talk: pastorrick@ mountainviewcrc.org or (905) 945-0004 x226.
Start slow–perhaps with just a few leaders –and get to know each other. Then discuss working on a group event together. Create a solid foundation. If it goes faster than expected, awesome, but do not be focused time.
NETWORK OF PRAYER
Rick Roeda is the Youth Pastor at Mountainview Christian Reformed Church in Grimsby, ON.
Did you know Youth Unlimited
Pray that God will open doors for networking opportunities. When you are doing God’s will he will guide you. We are all part of God’s Church.
has a prayer network? The first Wednesday of every month is dedicated to praying for you and with you. To join in this time of prayer, visit youthunlimited.org/leaders
Host your winter retreat.
Send in the registrations for your summer trip opportunities.
Obtain registrations for your summer trip opportunities.
for details!
FEBRUARY
Approach students about making profession of faith/ confirmation.
Schedule a profession of faith/confirmation class.
Obtain an initial commitment for your summer trip opportunities from students/parents.
When I took the call to my present community there was not an organized local youth network in place so I started one by taking
Teach a profession of faith/ confirmation class.
time, energy, frustration, and despair. Your church may ask, “The church down the street is doing something, how come you are not?” By being connected with the church down the street you can not only answer that question but explain why your group may not be doing it. This is also very helpful if you have to work with committees or a council where questions inevitably will arise about youth ministry practices.
For something on a smaller scale, start by searching churches in your community on the internet. Contact the youth ministry leaders via email or phone, or drive around town making face to face contact. Introduce yourself and the idea of putting together a network of youth workers in the area to talk shop, share ideas, and support each other in your ministries. If they decline, okay, if not, great! If you are able to connect with one group they probably know other people and it becomes easier as you go.
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COMMUNICATION
“Show me the money!” —Jerry McGuire, from the movie, Jerry McGuire
Donations PLEASE! Wouldn’t it be nice if we never had to worry about how we were going to raise all that money for the summer mission trip? Unfortunately that’s not typically the case. Below are some steps in aiding you on your journey to raising money, communicating the need, and building the courage to straight out ask people for help.
Schedule a time with the senior pastor for profession of faith/confirmation in a Sunday morning service.
Step 3: Ask specific people When you approach someone to ask them for money there are a few things you should not do. You should not act embarrassed about your need. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You are not showing a weakness or a fault. It is normal to need to ask people to invest in ministry at a church–that is why they take Follow up with students from profession of faith/confirmation class.
MARCH
Recruit a parent to help in planning an Easter celebration.
Step 2: Create a detailed plan for the money you need It is not a great idea to ask for money, help or resources if you do not have a clear and detailed plan of how to use it. Before you go and ask another person to give to the youth, sit down and write out how you plan to use the money. The most important thing that you can communicate is the value of your need. When you are asking someone to invest in your ministry in a specific way, they need to know how their money will help you and why it is important. Let’s say you are trying to ask for money for a mission trip that you plan to take during the summer. Rather than just asking someone to contribute towards the trip as a whole, plan out something spe-
cific that someone can purchase for you. Maybe you need to rent two 15 passenger vans for transportation for your mission trip. Do some research around town and find a few options for rentals at different companies. Calculate the best cost for renting each van that you will need for your trip. In addition, specifically write out why renting these vans are a necessity for your mission trip. This might seem obvious, but it is important to be clear and detailed in what you plan to use their money for. Now that you have your plan ready, you are ready to find someone to invest in a need for the youth ministry.
Distribute Easter celebration invitations.
youth group meetings. If you can spread your vision for the youth ministry to each person in the church, they will be more than willing to give of their time or money to help.
Recruit a parent to help in planning for summer trip fundraiser.
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FEBRUARY cont.
Step 1: Get to know people in your church Make an effort to introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Get to know each family by finding out their occupations, passions and hobbies. There is no better way to find out where your resources are then to get to know the members of your church. It is important not to discount someone as an investor based upon the fact that you do not think their job pays them enough to support their family and give extra. When individuals are passionate about a specific ministry, they are willing to give more than you think they might have. In addition, by getting to know these people, you might find those who have non-monetary gifts that they can give to help your ministry. For instance, a carpenter might be willing to help you build a ramp so you can reach out to the skateboarding students in your group. Or a computer programmer might be willing to help you create movies and presentations to use as a lesson illustration for
COMMUNICATION
an offering every Sunday during the service! In addition, you should not approach a person in a demanding or begging way. No one will want to give anything if you whine and complain about not having the things you need in the youth ministry. Before you go ask church members for money, take the time out to pray to God about your need. Tell him about your needs and ask him to provide for the youth ministry by showing you a person that you can depend on as an investor. Next, take your written plan to the people you are asking to give money or time to help the youth ministry. Try to give your investors options for where they can use their money. Show them that you have researched and found the best possible price for the need. Explain that they can invest by giving some money towards the total needed or they can give the whole amount. Keep in mind you might not get what you need with the first person you ask. Do not be discouraged, but keep on
Need More Help? At www.youthunlimited.org/eQuip you’ll find an ongoing calendar as well as updates of what your groups should be doing now. Visit today or add something new! Cody Statema is the Pastor of Youth and Outreach at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Edina, MN.
asking new people. Eventually, you will find the person that is willing to help.
Kristi Kruithoff is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI.
Step 4: Say thank you! When someone has invested in the youth ministry, make sure you communicate your appreciation for their time and/or money. There are a few different ways to do this. Verbally thank them several times. You can also send them a thank you card that everyone in the youth group has signed. Furthermore, it is a great idea to take a picture of the youth using the item that was given and send it to the person. You can never say thank you too many times. In fact, showing your appreciation to a person will give them the desire to help you again in the future!
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WINTER BLUES: The winter blues aren’t always taken seriously, but can be a serious condition that affects behavior. To get more information on how Seasonal Defective Disorder could be affecting the youth you serve, check this out. www.gannett.cornell.edu/healthAtoZ/ healthAdvice/winterBlues.html
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YOUTH GROUP COMMUNITY
Expect More Part 1 Many youth workers, like myself, like to exchange “war stories” about their experiences in youth ministry. Youth workers also like to brag about the teens in their group. Personally, I’d like to describe my current jr. and sr. high youth group as smart, funny, caring, interesting, exciting and dependable. But wait - did I just describe teenagers as dependable? Can those two words go together? I believe they can and they should. So often our culture portrays teens as trouble-making, disrespectful, and irresponsible. I think many adults are guilty of unconsciously underestimating junior and senior high students and selling them short. As youth workers, not only should we be advocates for the teens in our lives, but we should be constantly challenging them to live up to higher expectations than the norm, or what they even have of themselves. I believe that when we challenge those teens in our lives, they will rise to the occasion, surprise us, and even surprise themselves. About a year ago, I was asked to preview a book that had recently come out: Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. A member of my church was
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hoping to give the book to her teenage granddaughter and wanted to know what I thought. I was excited to see a book written by teens challenging their peers to step out of the stereotypes we adults often place on teens and become world-changers. Alex and Brett Harris, who wrote the book when they were 18, strongly believe that our culture expects way too little of teenagers and are challenging teens to be world changers. Challenging the youth in our churches can be done any number of ways: challenging them in their growth spiritually, in their involvement at school and in their community, and as leaders in the church. If your group is small, delegate them to organize and run fundraisers, help with outreach events, or to teach younger children in your church. Working together on challenging projects will bring your group closer together, build team work, and foster a sense of belonging. If you lead a larger group, challenge those with leadership abilities to become part of your student leadership and provide various outlets for students to discover their passions and talents. Ask the students where they desire to see change and how they can bring it about. When brainstorming with the youth at my church, community service and visiting the elderly in our congregation ranked high on their list of goals for the year, not just retreats and all-nighters.
Part 2 Because I am part of a smaller church, we often need all the volunteers that we can get for various events. Our youth group teens are an integral part of our various programs, and are often some of our most dedicated volunteers. At our annual summer fundraiser (selling fireworks) we could not have done it without the teens of our church. Many of them worked 8 or more hours a day outdoors in the 110 degree desert heat, even giving up their 4th of July to work at the booth. Sure, it was hot, sweaty and tiring, but they were excited to sell fireworks, wear an Uncle Sam costume and play board games during the slow spells. During our week of Vacation Bible School, the youth group led our worship time, performed the dramas, led the games and activities, and helped as junior counselors. There were as many teens leading VBS as adults, and they volunteered and asked to have leadership roles! The youth group is already asking about being the junior directors and leading rehearsals for our upcoming Christmas program in a month and a half. I’m not saying the teens in my church’s youth group are perfect, but over the years we have given them more and more responsibility and they have always stepped up and gone above and beyond. Yes, they are still teens who are forgetful and
YOUTH GROUP COMMUNITY
Using Culture to Connect with Youth
make bad decisions at times, but I can genuinely say that many of our programs and special events would not be possible without them. I have seen a group of eight jr. and sr. high students accomplish amazing things as they learn to work together and develop their gifts. Ask your students today what ministries interest them or make them curious. What are some ideas they would like to try? Who are some students who usually fade into the background; how can they learn to take a risk? Involve the students in your church programs with the adults and see what begins to happen. Maybe the adults in your church will be challenged to re-think their opinions of the teens in your youth group as well! Megan Wunderink is the Youth Pastor at Grace Valley Church in Las Vegas, NV.
RESOURCE Purchase information for Do Hard Things, is located on The Rebelution website: www.therebelution.com.
When looking at youth ministry today we are constantly bombarded by ideas and words about “youth culture” and are reminded to stay relevant. While we may totally agree that being relevant with youth culture is important to youth ministry, we often times wonder what are some of the practical implications of connecting “youth culture” with “youth ministry”. Is it all talk, or is there something tangible? There are many ways to positively connect youth culture and youth ministry. Simply look at how we view the items in culture such as movies, music, TV series, internet, books, etc. Do we view them as pieces of culture unconnected with ministry that have to be controlled? Or do we view each of them as a tool that God gives us to connect with students? Once you begin to look at objects in culture as tools that God gives you to connect with students you will soon find many possibilities of how to use them to bring relevance to your youth group meeting. Take a movie for example. Instead of choosing one particular movie, look at movies in general. There is usually a conflict: this can be used to demonstrate various Bible points. Look to the Old Testament for some great conflict comparisons. There is a relational component: if you are looking for a team building night, look at a team building movie; if you are doing something on personal relationships, you can find numerous examples of positive and negative ones. It starts with just going to your local video store and looking at each movie with a topic in mind. There are also various websites and books that can help you such as the Videos that Teach series by Doug Fields and Eddie James or
Movie-Based Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching by Craig Brian Larson and Lori Quicke. Music is another great way to connect culture and ministry. Many genres both Christian and non-Christian (Exception: that occasional song or cheesy repetitious praise song that makes it seems that everybody has it all together, which actually could be a good lesson on being a real person and what happens when you try to fake it) of music seek to tell a story, idea, or thought that the band, artist is trying to convey through a song. When working on a lesson, the easiest thing to do is go online and Google the song lyrics and read through it making notes on ideas or themes that stick out. It is easy then to take those ideas or themes and find a Biblical theme just by checking out a Bible concordance online through www.Biblegateway.com. Or if you really want to try it, ask your students during a meeting what a favorite song of theirs is. Then have a computer available and work through the process with the group asking them questions about the lyrics as you go, allowing you to teach your students how to think about the music they listen too. Above all, when looking at youth culture through the eyes of youth ministry we see it not as a barrier but as an incredible tool that is giving us new tools everyday to work with the students God has entrusted us with. Rick Roeda is the Youth Pastor at Mountainview Christian Reformed Church in Grimsby, ON.
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YOUTH GROUP COMMUNITY
Reaching Out How to Welcome Unchurched Kids Every youth group has the goal of bringing in unchurched kids, but most of us know that’s a difficult prospect. Here are a few tips to help you in that endeavor. Break down the barrier: • Mine your congregation’s boys’ and girls’ clubs for members. Whether it’s a GEMS Girls’ Club or Cadets or some other organization that’s meeting with grade-school aged kids, work with those leaders to bridge the gap between elementary school programs and those geared for junior high or high school students. In our congregation more than half of the girls in our GEMS club have no church home, and the numbers are pretty similar in our Cadet club. It’s been our goal the last few years to send our high school kids into those clubs as junior counselors or just to spend five minutes during a meeting talking to the younger kids about how cool the high school group is, giving them some examples of the things we do. • Schedule times for both groups to be together. A program my church is working on this year is putting together a prayer-partnership between the high school youth group and the younger grades. Other times, we invite the junior high kids to join us for meetings. When the time comes for these younger kids to transition into high school youth group, it won’t be an unknown for them. • Challenge your youth group to “Bring-a-Friend” Nights. The goal here is not to steal kids from another youth group, but for your kids to find someone they work with, go to school with, live next to, who doesn’t have a church youth group. You may get some responses like, “I don’t know anyone who doesn’t go to church.” Challenge those young people to think hard. Eventually, they’ll come up with someone. Then plan an activity for your guests that’s away from the church. The thought of coming into a church building—or even a youth group member’s home-is a daunting one for many kids. Keep it on neutral territory—a city park or the local bowling alley, for instance. Communicate with Kids and Their Families: Once kids from outside your congregation start trickling in, your communication with them and their families will probably have to change. Of course, the church bulletin or weekly newsletter is a great way to get the news out—for those who are a part of your congregation. But you’ll need to look for new ways to communicate with those coming in from outside: texting, e-mail, a monthly newsletter, a website. Nothing sours a newcomer’s budding relationship with a youth group more than to miss an event or a deadline because she didn’t know about it. Bringing kids with no church home into your youth group isn’t easy. But it’s not impossible if you act with intention and focus.
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Valerie Van Kooten is a volunteer youth worker at First Christian Reformed Church, Pella, IA.
“BRING A FRIEND SUNDAY” IN THE BIBLE Remember the story told in John1:40-45? The Bible introduces an example of bringing a friend to church. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
PLAN IT For ideas on how to start your own “Bring a Friend Sunday” or something similar for your youth group, visit www. evangelismcoach.org/2009/ operation-andrew-bring-afriend-sunday/
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Boundaries Welcome On September 16 my wife and I welcomed our second son into the world. With his arrival coinciding with the new church year and the kick off of fall activities, I was painfully aware of how great the demand was for my time, energy, care, and presence in both arenas. At church there were teacher trainings, schedules to develop, messages to prepare, copies to make, council meetings to attend, youth team meetings to organize, soccer games to cheer at, football games, volleyball matches, the kickoff picnic, and on and on and on‌ every single one of them demanding more and more time and attention. Then at home there was my two year old son, household chores, and my eight month pregnant wife who was experiencing daily false labor for the three weeks prior to delivery. I know I am not alone with the varied and complicated stress of life and ministry–we all have our own things to deal with. I was, however, reminded that with all these demands, healthy boundaries between home and church are of utmost importance for my family, my sanity, and also the church. Too often leaders in the church and sometimes we continued on next page
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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
believe that we are super-men and super-women, and that the church could not survive without us there, intimately involved with every activity and event. The blessed truth is that the church belongs to Christ and he has sustained, grown, and upheld the church for hundreds of years before we were born and he will continue to do so until he returns! With this reality in mind, I offer these suggestions to help create healthy boundaries for your ministry to your family and your ministry to your church. Make time for Christ Without faithful time with your Savior and in God’s Word to shape and mold your motivations and heart in line with Christ, no other ministry boundary matters. Plan Ahead Planning ahead not only frees up your creativity in the midst of ministry, but it allows you the ability to bless others with opportunities to use their gifts in the work of ministry as well. Delegating tasks, events, and leadership to others is not a sign of weakness but a powerful blessing to your family and to the church! Communicate with Your Family When I communicate clearly ahead of time to my wife about what is going on at church in that week and month, I do not surprise her each night with a new activity or meeting. I also allow my wife to have veto power over my schedule. She deserves a husband and father who is attentive, involved and supportive so if I am having trouble saying,“No,” she can help me. Enjoy Your Family and Friends When you are home, be at home. Church ministry is never over and there will be times when you receive those calls that you need to respond to spontaneously, but when you are at home your focus needs to be with those who you care about. If you have kids, make time to play with them, be faithfully involved in their discipline, and enjoy them as the gifts they are! Your loved ones should never have to feel like they need to compete with the church for your attention and love. Cody Statema is the Pastor of Youth and Outreach at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Edina, MN.
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Boundaries Continued
YOU ARE NOT ALONE When we forget to set healthy boundaries, we as youth workers can experience burn out. Visit www.studentministry. org/how-i-will-crash-andburn-out-in-ministry for some additional tips on preventing that in your ministry.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
“They felt like they were important and were encouraged by the fact that someone valued their ideas...” Developing and Investing in Student Leaders One of the ways that I am investing in the high school students this year is by creating a student leadership team. One of the best ways to develop leaders is to give them the opportunity to lead! The adult leaders chose this group of students by observing them in church, youth group, and school events over the past year. We created a team of students from various grades who were creative, resourceful, driven, and willing to both lead and learn. When this team was created a few months ago I explained to each of the members the purpose of this team: to bring new and creative ideas to the youth ministry as a whole. One of the first tasks of the student leadership team was to bring creative ideas to decorate, organize and transform the “loft” area that we meet in. They were trusted with a budget that they could use to buy or create games, art, seating, and more. These students were so excited to brainstorm and get started on their space. They found inspiration and ideas by asking other students in youth group for their ideas and input. They felt like they were important and were encouraged by the fact that someone valued their ideas and trusted them to be creative with their space. Another task of the student leadership team is to greet, encourage, and be examples at the youth group meetings. At first, it was hard to peel them away from their group of friends that they were comfortable hanging out with, but eventually they started to enthusiastically greet students
when they arrived at youth group. In addition, they have encouraged others to participate in activities. They are also setting the example in their small groups by sharing and being open in conversation. Lastly, in an effort to fulfill the mission of this team, they have input in lesson topics, speakers, mission trips, events, and more. As their youth leader, I need to show them that I value their ideas. It is important to use their ideas (when possible) and ask them to participate in making youth group a place that students feel like they can grow in their faith journey. Investing in this group of students has proven to be a rewarding experience. First, it has given them ownership of their group. The team of adult leaders that help with youth ministry exists to create a ministry for the students. There is no better way to do this than to involve the students in the decisions that need to be made. Next, meeting together as a team helps me, as the youth director, delegate some of the tasks that need to be done. I encourage the students to take up various responsibilities like researching mission trip options, designing t-shirts for the group, and planning games and activities for our meetings. This gives me the opportunity to invest in other areas of the ministry. Lastly, creating this student leadership team provides a great opportunity for me to invest in relationships with students through discipleship. In the process of regularly gathering with these students, I am able to get to know them better, pray
with and for them on a more regular basis, and share my faith with them so that they are encouraged to grow in their relationships with God. Kristi Kruithoff is the Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries at Hillcrest Christian Reformed Church in Hudsonville, MI.
MORE TO COME Stay tuned for more info regarding developing student leaders through the Facing Your Future (FYF) program www.calvinseminary. edu/fyf which is sponsored by Calvin Theological Seminary.
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TEACHING GOD’S WORD
Planning Facilitating Roots and Fruits
READ BEFORE THE LESSON
In the last issue of eQuip, I emphasized how preparation is key to effective teaching time. You can’t wing teaching. It’s different than simply discussing a random Bible passage picked the night before. You need both; teaching provides the roots, discussion provides the fruits. Lesson Title: ‘The Problem,’ a brief overview of Part I of the Heidelberg Catechism officially entitled Human Misery. Challenge: teach youth that this world is broken beyond their imagination, and that Jesus came to fix it. Leader Prep It’s essential for adult leaders to come prepared. A week prior to the meeting, provide material on the lesson with questions for their small group (see on next page), along with a photocopy of the introduction and first chapter of Neil Plantinga’s Not The Way It’s Supposed To Be (a must read!) Small Group Discussion So how do we begin to dive into discussing the lesson? Start with devotions (led by a youth) and an explanation of the evening’s theme. Following devotions, break up into groups of up to 5 teens plus an adult leader. By meeting in small groups you are able to prime the youth’s brains for teaching time. For 20-30 minutes, even if their small group discussion is going poorly, they are at least being asked questions that make them think. Full Group Teaching After small groups, come together for full group teaching time for another 20-30 minutes. This is where things can get a little sticky because youth have been sitting in school classrooms all week. Some have been playing volleyball or band practice after school. Some have to be here, others want to be here. No matter how many odds may be against us, the task is there before us. Christ commanded us to teach, and so we do. Full Group Discussion With the whole group together, ask how their small groups went. Have them share something new/insightful/helpful that they talked about in small group. After they share, explain why focussing on ‘The Problem’ is really important. If our youth don’t understand why we talk about anything, then these spiritual realities and truths are reduced to theological arguments. The use of creative teaching methods such as slides, music, videos, and stories are important in order to make the theme feel real. The goal is that when weaved together, these
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tools point to one theme. Fortunately for this theme, there are unlimited resources at our disposal–brokenness is everywhere! Still, in the end, there is only so much time to teach. Breaking it down is tough because there is so much one could say about this crazy world and our need for Christ. Keeping things simple, clear, and experiential is the key to effective teaching. May God bless you as you continue to discover how to disciple you teens through effective teaching from God’s Word!
RESOURCES AVAILABLE The resources mentioned in BOLD CAPS can be found in the eQuip section of the YU website: www.youthunlimited.org/equip. You will be prompted for your username and password.
TEACHING GOD’S WORD
The Lesson The Problem Intro • Lesson Title: ‘The Problem,’ a brief overview of Part I of the Heidelberg Catechism officially entitled Human Misery. • Challenge: teach youth that this world is broken beyond their imagination, and that Jesus came to fix it. • Read Romans 3:9-20,23 (Theme passage) • Read The Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer #6 Small Group We’ll focus on the problem humanity finds with itself. Below are launching questions for your small group. (The portion of the catechism that deals with this topic can be found at www.youthunlimited.org/equip and passed out to leaders.) True or False 1. Sin literally means ‘Missing the mark’. (True). 2. All sin is equally evil in God’s eyes. (False, sins have different levels of evil, but are equally wrong). 3. I am a pretty good person. 4. God loves everyone just the way they are. Discuss the following argument people use against Christianity: God is all power. God is perfect. Because there is sin and evil, God is either not all powerful or not perfect, or doesn’t exist at all. (see Q/A 6 for some possible answers.)
Ask the following questions: 1. The Heidelberg Catechism (HC) says that humanity is stuck in it’s misery without Jesus. How would you convince an unchristian millionaire who has a brand new Jaguar sitting in his double garage, has a lovely faithful wife, has 3 children who are all athletic and smart, is generous with his money and loves traveling around the world with his wife, and finally has a dog named Spot, that he is stuck in misery without Jesus? 2. When we think about the world and all it’s problems, we often think about poor children in Africa, or the murder that happened downtown a couple of weeks ago. But it hits closer to home too: loneliness, lust, gossiping, lying, cheating, depression, sadness. Why do you think these things exist? 3. The HC says that we come to know our misery from the law. What does this mean?
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Do you think sin is really a big deal? Why don’t we just focus on love and Jesus and fluffy things? When we sin, can we blame Satan or demons, like, “The devil made me do it!”?
If there is time, read and Discuss HC Questions and Answers 3-11. Full Group Teaching and Discussion • Review: Show how ‘The Problem’ (Part I: Misery) fits into the Heidelberg Catechism • On PowerPoint, show a picture entitled SHIP OF FOOLS BY HIERONYMUS BOSCH. • Watch the video HOW FAR WE’VE COME BY MATCHBOX 20 (Discuss quote from song: “I believe this world is burning to the ground. Oh well, I guess we’re gonna find out.”) • Show images that show brokenness and explain why they represent brokenness. • Read Q/A 6 AND 10 FROM THE HC
Conclusion Show a PICTURE OF INDIAN TEENS SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR FAITH. This particular picture shows how in the face of trials, persecution, and poverty, freedom in Christ far exceeds the brokenness of this world. Close with prayer. Mark Knetsch is the Pastor of Youth Outreach/Discipleship at Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Hamilton, ON.
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INSIGHT
LAUGH IT OFF Send us your ‘Foot in Mouth’ stories Insert Foot Here and share the blessing of laughter! Write to I truly believe that the Lord has had fun keeping Chances are pretty good that if you have been equip@youthunlimited.org me humble over the years. Every time I find my foot in ministry for longer than five minutes, you have and look for it in the inserted in my mouth, I am reminded of how incredibly made some kind of faux pas, oversight, gaffe, or have Spring issue. thankful I am that there is a God who loves me just the caused some embarrassing situation. If you are one of way I am but is also continually working on me every single those lucky ones who happen to be reading this before your day. So even if someone tells me that they may have melanoma first five minutes in ministry have lapsed… STOP reading this at (the worst type of skin cancer) and I confusedly ask, “did you get once, tape your mouth shut, turn out the lights in your office/cuthat from a chicken?” (I was thinking about salmonella poisoning bicle/closet, and hide under your desk! Of course when the folks from a bad piece of chicken), or I mix up the order of my pages hearing the commotion in your office come running to check out in my message as a guest preacher and all of a sudden blurt out what is going on, you will immediately fall into the league with the after two seconds of crushing silence, “ahhh, I am so sorry, I am rest of us who cannot avoid these situations either. very nervous.” I can be thankful that the Lord uses imperfect Seriously, what do you say when you ask someone if they will be people like me to do his great work of ministry. coming to the evening service that night and they say, “Oh sure, What about you though? Do you have any humorous stories, emyeah, I will be there but I will have my invisible clothes on.” Do barrassing learning experiences, or youth ministry blunders you you laugh, beg them not to come, or explain to them that invisible would like to share? I bet you do! If you got some good stories we clothes are not appropriate for a worship service? What do you do would love to hear them so we can celebrate all together that God when you go to a baseball game for one of your students, sit down calls goofballs, screw-ups, and silly sacks like us to faithfully seek with the family and introduce yourself to their grandpa saying, “Hi, him and share his good news! I am Cody Statema, I don’t think we have met,” and he responds, “Well I think I should know you, you have been my pastor for two years now.”
Cody Statema is the Pastor of Youth and Outreach at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Edina, MN.