Youth Ministry

7 Key Questions Youth Ministers Should Ask Everyday

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  • Why?
    Key: Discover the root cause.
    Life is cause and effect. Actions give you your results. This applies to not only what we do, but to what others do as well. It applies in church, in youth ministry, in your job, and in your personal life. Try to see things through the eyes of the Bible, through the eyes of God, through the eyes of another person to discover the root causes. And remember Isaiah 55:8 – Sometimes we simply don’t know. But ti still never hurts to ask why and you might discover some missing piece, a small change, a different perspective that can change your outcomes.
  • What did I learn?
    Key to progress
    What can you learn about God, about yourself, about others, about your church, about your youth ministry, about the youth as indiciduals. Life is full of lessons about God, about human nature, regarding our own self-knowledge. Mistakes are made, misunderstandings occur, plans fail, but at the same time, success can be repeated, opportunities can be discovered, possibilities can be explored if we can find a lesson to grow from.
  • How can I help you?
    Focus on the needs of others
    It’s easy to get distracted from the real reason we are in youth ministry and focus on events, results, rules, traditions and ourselves rather than focus on the needs of other people. Our ministry is not just to our youth, but to our families, to the church, to church leaders, to our colleagues, to parents, and to our volunteer workers. When we focus on the needs of others and that they are special creations of God, created with a purpose it can make a world of difference. Sometimes we have to see people not for what they are now, but for what they can be through the grace of God and playing whatever part God give to us to nurture that growth in Christ.
  • What if?
    Free your creativity, new possibilities
    A small change in perspective can make a big difference. Many of the conveniences of todays world came about because someone asked “What if?” Instead of looking at impossibilities, explore the possibilities. With God anything is possible. Instead of seeing difficulties, look for opportunities. Instead of seeing struggles, see opportunities for growth. Focus on solutions and you will find them.
  • How can this be improved?
    Take your results to a new level
    Even success can be tweaked for greater success. Contentment is often the precursor to failure. You will only grow as big as your dreams. When you trust God with things that are bigger than you, you’ll find that he is bigger than any success or failure. Step out in faith for even bigger things the next time around!
  • How can I show my gratitude?
    Thankfulness is key to long-term happiness
    We know that all good things come from God. There is a light at the end of every tunnel. There is an opportunity in every difficulty. When everything is great, it is because God has blessed. Give thanks in all things. Whatever we focus on grows bigger in our thoughts. Success is getting what you hoped for, but happiness is found in being thankful to God for what you have.
  • What is the best use of my time now?
    Refocus on what’s most important,
    There are never enough hours in a day to do what needs to be done in your youth ministry or church. But God doesn’t call us to be solely responsible. Each member of the youth group, of the church is a part of the Body of Christ and God divides the work among us. God gives every one of his children a piece of the load of ministry to carry. Just pick up your piece and trust God to deliver the rest.


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Teaching Illustrations

A to Z to Achieve Your Dreams

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Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits.
Believe in yourself.
Consider things from every angle.
Don’t give up and donate give in.
Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come.
Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them and enjoy their riches.
Give more than you planned to.
Hang on to your dreams.
Ignore those who try to discourage you.
Just do it!
Keep trying no matter how hard it seems—it will get easier.
Love selfless if u loves.
Make it happen.
Never lie, cheat or steal; always strike a fair deal.
Open your eyes and see things as they really are.
Practice makes perfect.
Quitters never win, and winners never quit.
Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.
Stop procrastinating.
Take control of your own destiny.
Understand yourself to better understand others.
Visualize it!
Want it more than anything.
X-celerate your efforts.
You are unique of all God’s creations, nothing can replace you.
Zero in on your target and go for it!

Author: Unknown


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Teaching Illustrations

Visit from Jesus

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Ruth went to her mail box and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.

She read the letter:

Dear Ruth,

I’m going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I’d like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always,
Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. “Why would the Lord want to visit me? I’m nobody special. I don’t have anything to offer.”

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. “Oh my goodness, I really don’t have anything to offer. I’ll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner.” She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents. “Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, atleast.” She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk…leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

“Hey lady, can you help us, lady?” Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn’t even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. “Look lady, I ain’t got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it’s getting cold and we’re getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we’d really appreciate it.”

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. “Sir, I’d like to help you, but I’m a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I’m having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him.”

“Yeah, well, OK lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.” The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. “Sir, wait!”. The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.

“Look, why don’t you take this food. I’ll figure out something else to serve my guest.” She handed the man her grocery bag. “Thank you lady. Thank you very much!”

“Yes, thank you!” It was the man’s wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering. “You know, I’ve got another coat at home. Here, why don’t you take this one.” Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman’s shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street…without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. “Thank you lady! Thank you very much!”

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn’t have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. “That’s odd. The mailman doesn’tusually come twice in one day.” She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,
Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ ~Matthew 25:40

 


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Resource Reviews

Endurance

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“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus…endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus… if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops…” ~ 2 Timothy 1:1-7

“Athletic competition clearly displays one’s ability to endure in measurable terms. Running a marathon (26 miles, 385 yards) in a certain amount of time indicates a degree of endurance. The one who finishes with the quickest time has, among other things, a greater ability to endure. But perhaps one of the greatest examples of endurance in the world of athletic competition is long-distance professional cycling…

Without a doubt, the greatest of these cycling events in the world is the ‘Tour de France.’ This event sometimes stretches more than twenty-four days and covers over 2,500 miles. The riders follow a course outlining the country of France, from the flatlands of Brittany to the mountains of the Pyrenees and the Alps. Each day of competition involves from three to eight hours of racing and has its own unique course, from shortened time trials to lengthy hill climbs. This incredibly demanding event is considered by many to be the most remarkable example of physical and mental endurance in all of athletic competition.

The first American to ever win the Tour was Greg LeMond. His amazing conditioning and stamina allowed him to endure to victory in the 1986 Tour, which was considered the most demanding Tour
in recent memory.

But in 1989, LeMond demonstrated perhaps the greatest display of emotional and physical endurance when he returned to win the ‘Tour de France’ by only eight seconds over Frenchman Laurent Fignon. This race is now considered the greatest Tour ever.

After two years of recuperation from an accidental gun shot wound and an appendectomy, LeMond returned to win despite the many skeptics who claimed his riding days were over. His win put the skeptics where they belong.

Watching this race, I was reminded of the illustrations Paul used about enduring through hardships in 2 Timothy 2. There Paul described the professions of soldier, athlete and farmer. Interestingly, he does this directly after exhorting Timothy, ‘Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus’…

The Christian life is essentially warfare against the forces of evil.

  • If we are going to compete and endure through this warfare, we must take to heart the soldier’s example…
  • The athlete would not dare to enter competition without first physically and mentally preparing himself…
  • Through his hard work, the farmer strives ahead in his labor to harvest a successful crop.”

Source: Ronald F. Bridges- “Rediscovering Your First Love” 1990, (Here’s Life Publishers, San Bernadino, CA)

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Teaching Illustrations

Ladder of Achievement

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Our attitude determines our results. What often seems impossible is possible when God is added to the equation. Do we focus on the impossibilities or the possibilities?

__________100% — I did!
_________90% — I will
________80% — I can
_______70% — I think I can
______60% — I might
_____50% — I think I might
____40% — What is it?
___30% — I wish I could
__20% — I don’t know how
_10% — I can’t
0% — I won’t

Author Unknown

 


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Devotional

A Hole in your Sock?

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socks.jpg

We are all too familiar with getting a hole in a sock. It’s common to children, youth, and even adults. It’s part of the journey of life along with the missing sock that gets sucked into the black hole of the washing machine, leaving behind an unwanted orphaned sock, forever abandoned. At least we can mend the hole in a sock and look forward to another cozy day together. But what do we do when we get a hole in our spirit?

Have a Hole in your Sock?

Often the first hole in a sock appears at the big toe. It’s an annoying trait of socks that holes eventually appear — usually at the most unfortunate or embarrassing times. Visit a friend and remove your shoes to enter his/her house and somehow your toe seems to know that now is a great time to break free. Whether at school gym class, or after a hard day at work, our socks get worn and soon a hole appears. We are then reminded that it is time to buy a new pair or a whole package of socks.

Have a Hole in your Spirit?

But what happens to you when you get a hole worn in your spirit? Do you go out and purchase a new spirit? Can you mend it with your sewing kit? Whatever you do, the holes continue to appear.

Often we look at external forces that are causing our spirit to get worn down when, perhaps, it might be more beneficial to look at how your own spirit might be causing the holes.

Take a hearty look at your “spiritual feet.” Take some time to wiggle your toes in the sand of God’s love and Christ’s salvation. Make sure that what you stand on will support you and not wear you down.

How does a spirit get worn down?

Many parts of our lives drain us when they could be filling us up. For a youth what could be called the prime of life can often be tumultuous as studies, relationships, and the struggles of growing up often wear at our spirit. Serving in a position in the church could be uplifting when sometimes it is not. Participating in athletics can help both spirit and body. But often the requirements for sports consume a large portion of a youth’s time. For adults, work could be edifying when often it is tedious, hectic work. Parenting, household chores, and taking care of the family can be wearing on both body and spirit. Both youth and adults go to bed, knowing that they have to wake up the next morning just to do it all over again.

Every time you make a commitment, some of your free time is going to vanish. And if you wear many hats, you will end up simply trying to get by.

Find Focus to reduce the Wear

Stop this madness. It’s time to sit down and set your focus. Our focus will determine our priorities and the manner in which we accomplish those things which are necessary. Often it is not the bad things that wear holes in our soul, but doing too many good things instead of focusing on the best. We need to recognize that some things we do have greater significance than others.

Are there any activities you could do without? What activities are using a lot of time and are not very productive in fulfilling God’s will for your life? These activities are wearing holes in your spiritual socks.

You can replace your spiritual socks by regaining focus. You can repair them by losing what is simply time consuming. Remember to walk closely with God. God will make sure that your spiritual socks are always in good repair.

Our walk with God is commonly known as discipleship. Unfortunately some of us have allowed our ourselves to become spiritually worn out and sidelined.

  • What things have you allowed to wear you down spiritually that you need to remove from your life?
  • What holes have been left in your soul that need to be mended?
  • What can be done to help you regain your spiritual focus?
  • How can you return to your Christian walk, to discipleship in your life?
  • Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Romans 12: 1-2 for more ideas on mending the holes in your soul.

 

Look to the cross to mend your soul

Maybe the best place to look in mending the holes in your spirit is to the cross. At the cross Jesus became very well acquainted with holes:

  • A crown of thorns was placed upon his head, the sharp thorns puncturing holes in his scalp and brow.
  • There were holes in his hands and feet where the soldiers nailed him to the cross.
  • A hole in his side spewed blood and water when the soldier speared him.

 

But it was the hole in his heart that was the biggest – a heartbroken by the sin of you and me. It was the reason he came to us, to mend the hole created by sin. Jesus died on that cross to mend our soul and spirit wounded by sin, but that wasn’t the last hole. You see, there was one more hole that Christ faced that would change everything.

They took his body down from the cross and it was placed in a borrowed hole, a tomb, by Joseph of Arimathea. Three days later Jesus left the hole and was alive. And with the conquering of the grave he proved that there was no hole too big, too deep, too painful, too dark, too impossible to overcome, that God cannot heal.

So look to the cross. Look to Jesus, for the mending of your soul. Look to him for His priorities for your life. Not only will you find healing, but also renewal. You’ll be able to move from a life of holes and a worn out spirit to a holy life filled with his joy and strength for each new day.


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Creative Teaching Ideas

50 People, One Question

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If anything could happen for you,
before the end of the day,
What do you wish would happen?

If Jesus were to answer the same question about your life,
what would he say?

Use this video to start an interesting discussion with your youth.

 


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Devotional

Need a change of perspective?

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A change of planes in LA, a stopover in Japan, and the tourist arrived in Singapore, like thousands before him. The flight was smooth, but the next part of the journey was a bit of a shock. “Marina Sands” the tourist requested. The taxi driver, accelerated into traffic, driving on a different side of the road behind a steering wheel positioned on a different side of the car. It seemed that drivers enjoyed honking horns incessantly and careening around corners. To the big visitor, jammed into a small back seat, the ride seemed chaotic and dangerous. A couple of times he felt he was going to die in a head-on collision.

To his relief, the wild ride brought him safely to the Marina Sands. Easing out of the cab on wobbly legs, he paid the driver and headed inside Singapore’s world famous resort. He endured a long elevator ride before reaching the top and the observation deck high above the city. Dazzled by the expansive view from the deck, he paused to take in the view. He looked straight down to the city streets from which he had just come. To his amazement he saw order and design where, only a few minutes before, he had feared for his life. Dozens of yellow and blue taxis moved together, stopping at red lights and going at green ones. What once seemed very threatening now seemed very small and insignificant. He could hear no horns at all. It all looked so safe.

To travel to any destination is an adventure. We choose a final destination and appropriate modes of travel in order to reach it. Our goal may be east, but at times we may need to travel north, south, or even west to get there. Yet in the end we arrive someplace East of the starting point. There will always be changes, stopovers, and transitions. Immersed in the traffic jam of life you have one view. But looking down from above you have another. What seemed chaos a few moments before suddenly makes sense.

The same is also true of life. As Christians we are also on a journey. As the church we are on a mission. At times the journey may not make sense. But when we see things from God’s perspective everything will fall into place.

The story of Job illustrates this point. Job lost his possessions, most of his family, and his health. Job’s wife confronted him and said, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job strongly rebuked his wife, and affirmed his faith in God. Job was later blessed with twice as much as he had before. Our perspective is very much a reflection of how near we are to God. Job lost everything, but rather than complaining, cursing or losing his temper, Job bowed down and humbly worshiped God. To the apostle Paul, John Mark was a liability, a man who could not be counted on, and thus a man who should not be taken along on a missionary journey. To Barnabas, whose gift was encouragement, Mark was an opportunity and a challenge. Whatever happens in life, look at things from God’s perspective and everything else will fall into place.

Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

Whether you are a youth or an adult, the various areas of your life are greatly affected by your perspective:

  1. How you see yourself?
  2. How you see your circumstances?
  3. How you see God?
  4. How you see the church?
  5. How do you see the future?
  6. How you see others?

 

How might your views change if you were to try seeing these areas from God’s perspective?

~Ken


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Parents Ministry

Why Teens don’t like to be seen with their parents

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Parents often question why youth no longer wish to do things with them outside the home. It almost seems that youth are embarrassed to be seen with their parents. Dr James Dobson explains one reason why…

“Teenagers are engulfed by a tremendous desire to be adults, and they resent anything which implies that they are still children. When they are seen with “Mommy and Daddy” on a Friday night, for example, their humiliation is almost unbearable. They are not really ashamed of their parents; they are embarrassed by the adult-baby role that was more appropriate in prior years. Though it is difficult for you now, you would do well to accept this healthy aspect of growing up without becoming defensive about it. Your love relationship with your child will be reestablished in a few years, though it will never be a parent-child phenomenon again. And that’s the way God designed the process to work.”

From “Dr- Dobson Answers Your Questions”, by James Dobson, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., a 1982.


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Teaching Illustrations

The church = Trophies of Grace?

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I sometimes wonder if there is a place for grace in the church today? Churches get berated for “cheap grace.” But grace was anything but cheap. It was costly. it doesn’t matter if you are a youth that doesn’t know better, or a seasoned youth worker that should know better. We all fail and we all need grace. It is only through grace that anyone is saved.

“The church is more than a group of people who have all been born again. The church consists of God’s trophies of grace…

Throughout eternity, God will be glorified because He has extended His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. We certainly didn’t deserve His grace, yet He *chose* to extend loving grace toward us on the basis of His own loving nature.

Unlike their Father, performance-based Christians accept other people according to their conduct. One walking in grace accepts people on the basis of unconditional love. This doesn’t suggest a blanket approval of all behavior, but grace allows one to accept and love others regardless of ther actions.

Legalists set out to change what people *do.* Grace looks beyond what others do and affirms them for who they *are*, encouraging them to live up to their identity.

Legalists heap guilt and shame on those who fail to measure up. A gracious Christian loves unconditionally.

As you extend grace to Christians who stumble and fail, you will be amazed at the impact it has on their life. A Christian who has fallen doesn’t need condemnation. He probably already has enough self-condemnation to cause him to feel crushed under its weight. Condemnation of a believer *never* comes from God…

Legalism separates Christians, but grace draws us together in a love relationship. We are one in union with Christ.”

Source: Steve McVey “Grace Walk” Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR


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