Obstacles to Prayer Groups

December 2, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

Fear
One of the number one fears that people have is the fear of public speaking. While prayer is communication with God, if there are other people listening and it is a corporate prayer meeting, people are similarly afraid of prayer. This fear can be somewhat alleviated if we provide training for those that will lead prayer, and avoid putting people on the spot to pray without prior notice and training. Stress that prayer is communication with God. It is talking to God. Also stress that in private, you can pray to God in whatever way most comfortable for you, but in corporate prayer it is best to do it in such a way that you benefit those listening in on your prayers with God.

Communication Issues
Prayer is communication, and like every other form of communication it only develops with training and experience. Many people have not developed the skill of communicating verbally with God so they may tend to repeat prayers and phrases they have heard — simply stringing together prayers they often hear. The best way to overcome this is to provide specific guidance for prayer items.

Unrealistic Expectations
Many people think that they will be considered less spiritual if their prayers are not on the level of the pastor or other church leaders. We need to stress in training that God is more concerned with our heart than how polished our prayer sounds.

Violation of confidences
Sometimes it can become a fine line between honestly praying for someone in need and turning the prayer request into little more than gossip sessions or finger pointing sessions. We need to pray for so and so because he did such and such…. Keep confidences and private prayer requests private. Make sure that even in prayer that everything we say is edifying to those who are listening. (Ephesians 4:29)

Planning issues
Many prayer meetings lack variety and become boring and routine. Vary the format and introduce a variety of concepts, styles, and vary the focus to add a little life to meetings that have become stale.

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Teaching Illustrations

Height of a Building

December 1, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

A young boy was touted as the next Einstein. One of the world’s greatest thinkers was brought in to test him to see how smart he really was… They set him down and gave him an exam. On the exam there was ONE question alone…

“Using a barometer, how would you determine the height of a building?”

The boy read the question, quickly wrote an answer and turned it in to the examiner. The examiner was quite surprised the young boy finished so quickly.. He read the answer.

“I would tie a sting to the barometer, lower it until it touches the ground, and then measure the string to determine the height of the building.”

The examiner said, “While that would work, that is not the answer I am looking for. Please try again..”

The boy went back to his desk.. He was troubled.. he was scratching his head and in such concentration that the examiner thought to ask him if he was OK… if he needed some help. Was he having difficulty coming up with an answer?

The boy replied, “oh no… that’s not my trouble… I have so many good answers I cannot decide which one to write down.”

Eventually the boy wrote down a formula involving barometric pressure to calculate the height above sea level and determine the building’s height.

The examiner was satisfied with the answer, but was also curious… “Do you mind telling me what some of your other answers were?”

The boy replied:

“I could measure the length of the barometer and then use it to mark the wall in the stairwell. When I reached the top I would multiply the marks on the wall by the length of the barometer and would be able to calculate the height of the building.”

“Or I could drop it from the top of the building and use a stop watch to time the fall. I could then use the formula for gravity and acceleration to determine the height of the building.”

“Or I could get up early and as the sun rises, measure the shadow cast by the barometer and the shadow cast by the building and using a simple ratio, determine the height of the building according to proportion.”

The boy continued with several more ideas.. Eventually the examiner asked him, “What was your favorite solution?”

The boy replied, “I would go to the guardhouse and show the barometer to the guard. I would tell him how this was such a wonderful barometer and all the wonderful things it could do for him.. I would then tell him… If you will only tell me the height of this building I will give you this barometer for free”

There are many solutions to a problem… Sometimes we are so intent on elaborate strategies and methods to solve a problem that we forget the simple things… Maybe we should just ask…

Are you bringing your problems to God?

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Youth Ministry

Youth Christmas Party Planning Checklist

November 30, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

Christmas is just around the corner… Have you prepared for your youth Christmas Party yet?

If you don’t get things moving well in advance, instead of enjoying the Christmas Vacation with the youth, you could end up being totally stressed and miss valuable opportunities to impact their lives and those of their friends and families.

So here’s a Youth Christmas Planning Checklist… (FIRST DRAFT – IDEAS WELCOME for improvement)

Form a Christmas Party planning committee

Who needs to be involved in the planning for the Christmas Party? (i.e. parents, youth workers, youth, pastoral staff, others?)
What are the roles in the planning and preparation for the Christmas Party and who will be responsible for each role?

Coordinate your Youth Christmas Party with the church as a whole

How will the Christmas Party fit into the over all schedule of Church activities? Does it complement the Church Christmas theme or focus?
Will there be duplication? Should some parts of the Christmas party be jointly organised?
Will there be conflicts of manpower and facilities?
Is your planned date for the Christmas Party on the overall church calendar?
Who will you need to coordinate with? Will it be part of the overall church Christmas plan or separate?

Decide the Christmas Activities Schedule

List the individual activities that will be part of your Youth Christmas program.
What are the times and dates of each event?
What is the venue or location for each event?
How will the Christmas Party fit into the schedule?

Decide your Goal for the Christmas Party

Purpose: What is the purpose for the Christmas party? Is it evangelistic? In appreciation? A simple celebration? To reach out to the community? To help the needy?
Target group: Who is the target group for the Christmas Party? Who do you want to attend the Christmas Party? (age group, Christians / seekers, friends of youth, parents, youth workers, community, etc.)
Brief Description: Write a clear description of the Christmas Party and its goals.
Theme: What is the theme for the Christmas Party?

Plan the Details for the Christmas Party

What is the official name of for the Christmas Party? Does the name clearly communicate the purpose
and content?
You should have already written down the date and time and venue for the Party. In addition you will want to add directions to the venue? Is there a map available? About how long will it
take travel there? Is it difficult to find?

Tentative Christmas Party Program

What activities will fill the time during the Christmas Party? OVER PLAN and have ALTERNATIVES. (e.g. Icebreakers, gift exchange, Bible study, Movies, Large Group Games, etc.) If you are using another venue, doing an on site inspection in advance will help you better prepare for Christmas games and activities. If there is a gift exchange, how will the exchange be coordinated? A great resource for planning your Christmas Party is the Creative Youth Ideas Christmas Collection.

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Christmas Party Finances

What’s the expected actual cost?
What is the budget for the Youth Christmas Party?
What is the cost to participants?
If there is a Christmas gift exchange, what is the price range for the participant’s gifts?
Are there sponsors / sources of supplies or food for the Christmas Party? Will parents or church members make contributions of Christmas goodies and food?
Are there scholarships available?
Does the cost change for early or late sign-ups?
When is payment for the Christmas Party due?

Christmas Party Arrangements

Reservation of Venue?
Recruit Adult chaperons / volunteers for the Christmas Party – A good rule of thumb is to have one chaperon (parent/youth pastor/leader) for every eight youth that attend. (Some groups may require more or less supervision)
Are there to be Special speakers / special items or programs utilizing outside people?
Someone trained in first aid or medicine on site in case of an injury.
What food will be available at the Christmas party? Meals and snacks should be designed to meet the needs of all attendees. Are there any special dietary requirements or restrictions?
Are there any transportation requirements?
Contact information for those responsible for major roles and duties?
Address and contact of nearest medical emergency aid?
What Rules will be enforced?
Create an ‘Incident Report’ form for any injuries, accidents or security breaches that occur during the Christmas Party?

Christmas Events Publicity

Promotional fliers
Church Bulletin
Church / youth Calendar or events
Invitations – Your invitations should state the starting and ending time of your Christmas party and should mention the food you will be serving. And don’t forget to include directions to get to the venue, expecially for first timers. You also will want to include any cost and indicate whether or not participants should bring a gift for a gift exchange and costing for such gifts.
Sign-up form / Permission slips
Postcards to invite friends
Posters / Bulletin Boards
Website / emails
Local newspaper

Equipment and resources needed for the Christmas Party

Are the tables and chairs available at the venue sufficient for participants and the food?
Sound system? Upbeat Christmas Music?
Special lighting?
Special equipment?
Materials and resources for games?
Parking space? Drop off and pick-up point for parents?
Requisition forms for supplies, Checkout / return out form for any equipment or supplies that are borrowed?

Handling emergencies

Any time you get a group of youth together there is a possibility of accidents. They will happen. So be prepared for them.
Christmas Party Attendee list – Name, contact number for parents, and permission slips if you are leaving the church premises. Keep the contact information together in a folder and available at all times in case of an emergency. Make a master copy and a standby copy.
Sponsor list
Emergency contacts
Fire, medical, and police department numbers
What is the name, address and phone number of the nearest hospital or urgent care facility? (This information should be included on your health form/parent release.). What is the most direct route from the venue?
What are the venue management contacts?
Prepare a Parent’s contact list.
Prepare a Volunteer list with assigned roles and contact numbers?
What transportation arrangements are required. Contact numbers?

Christmas Party Volunteer Training

- Screen Volunteers
- Meet with volunteers as a group before party.
- List responsibilities and contact numbers for each volunteer including a ‘Chain of Command’ – who reports to whom, who makes final decisions?
- Make sure volunteers are clear on the rules.
- Familiarize volunteers with the layout of the venue – especially exits, potential problem areas or hazards.
- Assign people in your team to be responsible for cleaning up any spills/ broken glass as soon as it happens?
- Trouble shoot with volunteers. What things could happen during the party and how should the volunteers respond?
- Have people and vehicles on standby to travel with youth in case of emergency.
- Instruct volunteers in how to complete the ‘Incident Report’ form for any injuries, accidents or security breaches that occur during the Christmas Party and what information is needed. They need to get signatures of any eyewitnesses.
- Go through the entire Party schedule. What resources are needed for each item on the schedule and who is responsible to make sure they are ready?
- Volunteers must be flexible and ready to help out as needed.

The Day of the Christmas Party

Set up the decorations according to your theme.
Set up for games / activities
Test the sound system and Christmas music
Delivery and storage of food and supplies
Identify key volunteers to participants, especially the medical person.
Are floor surfaces clear of trip hazards and electrical cords?
Are all security, staff and volunteers easily identified with either a uniform, t-shirt, ID badge or cap?
Are Emergency/Fire exits clear of any obstructions and will they have adults monitoring them?
Are there first-aid supplies, fire extinguishers? If so, where are they located?
If you are going to have a gift exchange, have quite a few backups for those that forget or unexpected gifts. Try to insure that everyone gets a gift.
Be sure to have someone take photos and video of the event. They make great Christmas Party souvenirs.
Clean up – It’s important to leave the hall or building in the same shape as you found it.
Involve everyone in this process.

After the Christmas Party

Return rental or borrowed items
Thank everyone who made the Christmas Party possible
Meet with the Christmas Party planning committee and evaluate. Ask: What worked well? What could we have done differently? What did we learn from this process?
Review any incident reports completed and see what steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents happening at future youth events.
Complete and file a written event summary including any resources and suggestions for future planning of Christmas Parties.
Send “thank you” cards to everyone who help in any way

This document is a guide only. It contains general information and is not intended to represent a comprehensive checklist. Have suggestions to add? Any words of wisdom? Please click on the comments link below and share with us your wisdom and experience in regards to organizing Christmas Parties for your youth!

Humor

Top Ten Reasons College Students Are Going Home for the Thanksgiving

November 24, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

10. You’ll know that your turkey is a Butterball rather than a Grade E yet semi-edible furball.

9. Your mother will not be serving your mashed potatoes and stuffing with an ice cream scooper.

8. Pumpkin pie is a great alternative to green Jello.

7. After your eighth glass of cider, your emergency dash to the bathroom will not be delayed by having to line the seat with toilet paper.

6. Clean underwear, comfortable bed, access to a car, bedroom larger than a 12×14 cell …okay, even if it is for only four days.

5. To eat your meals the only trek you’ll have to make is from the couch to the kitchen, rather than the dorm to the dining hall … in below freezing weather.

4. Instead of listening to “when I first started teaching here …” you can be entertained by “when your mother was your age …” and “during the Depression we weren’t lucky enough to have brussels sprouts. Heck, all we could afford was the sprout!”

3. You can eat your corn steamed with butter rather than popped in your microwave.

2. You’ll know the hair in the shower drain is your own.

And, the number one reason college students are looking forward to Thanksgiving…

1. You won’t be eating your Thanksgiving meal off a tray!

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration as well as a variety of other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for for some of the common holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Humor

Thank God

November 23, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

A man had been lost and walking in the desert for about five days. One hot day–actually, they’re all hot–he comes to the home of a preacher. Tired and weak, he crawls up to the house and collapses on the doorstep. The preacher takes him in and nurses him back to health. Feeling better, the man asks the preacher for directions to the nearest town. The preacher tells him the directions, and offers to lend him his horse to make it. The preacher says, “However, there is a special thing about this horse. You have to say ‘Thank God’ to make it go and ‘Amen’ to make it stop.”

Anxious to get to town, the man says, “Sure, okay” and gets on the horse. He says, “Thank God” and sho ’nuff, the horse starts walking. A bit later he says louder, “Thank God, thank God,” and the horse starts trotting. Feeling really brave, the man say, “Thank God! Thank God! THANK GOD!” and the horse is soon up to a full run!

About then he realizes he’s heading for a huge cliff and yells “Whoa!” But the horse doesn’t even slow! It’s coming up REAL QUICK and he’s doing everything he can to make the horse stop. “Whoa, stop, hold on!” Finally he remembers “AMEN!!!”

The horse stops a mere two inches from the cliff’s edge, almost throwing him over its head. The man, panting and heart racing, wipes the sweat from his face and leans back in the saddle. “Oh!” he says, gasping for air, “Thank God.”

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration as well as other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for a variety of common holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Food for Thought, Parents Ministry

Is the Internet Harmful to Youth?

November 21, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

I recently read with interest about some recent research by the MacArthur Foundation into the use of the internet involving 800 youth and their parents over a period of three years.

Source: Facebook, MySpace Beneficial To Teens by By Mike Sachoff

While the internet most definitely has lurking dangers hidden behind many of the links, not to mention porn, predators, malware, misleading and outright untrue information, unsavory groups and more, there are also some very real benefits to youth.

Here are some of the conclusions:

Youth who use social media such as MySpace and Facebook are developing important social and technical skills online that help them to be competent in the digital age. “The social worlds that youth are involved with have new kinds of dynamics, as online socializing is permanent, public, requires managing elaborate networks of friends and acquaintances, and is always on.”
The Internet provides a way for youth to interact and receive feedback from one another.
Young people respect each other’s authority online and are more motivated to learn from each other than adults.
Online spaces provide unprecedented opportunities for kids to expand their social worlds and engage in public life
Youth “learn on the Internet in a self-directed way, by looking around for information they are interested in, or connecting with others who can help them. This is a big departure from how they are asked to learn in most schools, where the teacher is the expert and there is a fixed set of content to master.”
In some cases the researchers found that parents and their children came together around gaming or shared digital media projects, where both parties found a common ground.

Your thoughts?

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Teaching Illustrations

Thanksgiving Dinner

November 21, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

“It was the day before Thanksgiving–the first one my three children and I would be spending without their father, who had left several months before. Now the two older children were very sick with the flu, and the eldest had just been prescribed bed rest for a week.

It was a cool, gray day outside, and a light rain was falling. I grew wearier as I scurried around, trying to care for each child: thermometers, juice, diapers. And I was fast running out of liquids for the children. But when I checked my purse, all I found was about $2.50–and this was supposed to last me until the end of the month. That’s when I heard the phone ring.

It was the secretary from our former church, and she told me that they had been thinking about us and had something to give us from the congregation. I told her that I was going out to pick up some more juice and soup for the children, and I would drop by the church on my way to the market.

I arrived at the church just before lunch. The church secretary met me at the door and handed me a special gift envelope. ‘We think of you and the kids often,’ she said, ‘and you are in our hearts and prayers. We love you.’ When I opened the envelope, I found two grocery certificates inside. Each was worth $20. I was so touched and moved, I broke down and cried.

‘Thank you very much,’ I said, as we hugged each other. ‘Please give our love and thanks to the church.’ Then I drove to a store near our home and purchased some much-needed items for the children.

At the check-out counter I had a little over $14.00 worth of groceries, and I handed the cashier one of the gift certificates. She took it, then turned her back for what seemed like a very long time. I thought something might be wrong. Finally I said, ‘This gift certificate is a real blessing. Our former church gave it to our family, knowing I’m a single parent trying to make ends meet.’

The cashier then turned around, with tears in her loving eyes, and replied, ‘Honey, that’s wonderful! Do you have a turkey?’

‘No. It’s okay because my children are sick anyway.’

She then asked, ‘Do you have anything else for Thanksgiving dinner?’

Again I replied, ‘No.’

After handing me the change from the certificate, she looked at my face and said, ‘Honey, I can’t tell you exactly why right now, but I want you to go back into the store and buy a turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie or anything else you need for a Thanksgiving dinner.’

I was shocked, and humbled to tears. ‘Are you sure?’ I asked.

‘Yes! Get whatever you want. And get some Gatorade for the kids.’

I felt awkward as I went back to do more shopping, but I selected a fresh turkey, a few yams and potatoes, and some juices for the children. Then I wheeled the shopping cart up to the same cashier as before. As I placed my groceries on the counter, she looked at me once more with giant tears in her kind eyes and began to speak.

‘Now I can tell you. This morning I prayed that I could help someone today, and you walked through my line.’ She reached under the counter for her purse and took out a $20 bill. She paid for my groceries and then handed me the change. Once more I was moved to tears.

The sweet cashier then said, ‘I am a Christian. Here is my phone number if you ever need anything.’ She then took my head in her hands, kissed my cheek and said, ‘God bless you, honey.’

As I walked to my car, I was overwhelmed by this stranger’s love and by the realization that God loves my family too, and shows us his love through this stranger’s and my church’s kind deeds.

The children were supposed to have spent Thanksgiving with their father that year, but because of the flu they were home with me, for a very special Thanksgiving Day. They were feeling better, and we all ate the goodness of the Lord’s bounty–and our community’s love. Our hearts were truly filled with thanks.”

Source: Andrea Nannette Mejia- in “Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul.” 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit

Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul — Conversation Starters to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration and a variety of other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for various holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

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Game Ideas

Fruit Basket Turnover – Thanksgiving Version

November 20, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

Game Description
This is the classic fruit basket turnover game modified for a Thanksgiving theme

Game Materials

As many chairs as you have youths. Sturdy chairs work best as there might be some wild dashes for chairs and I have seen a flimsy chair collapse before in the wild chaos that ensues when two people are rushing for the same chair.

Game Preparation

Set chairs in circle with the chairs facing towards the center of the circle.
Have the youths sit in the chairs close enough to close all of the gaps.
Select one to stand in the middle of the circle and then remove his or her chair and the circle close the gap.
The person in the center of the circle points to each of the other players and gives them a name, such as “Corn,” “Cranberries,” “Pumpkin,” “Squash,” “Turkey,” or any other food related to thanksgiving. Limit the items so that the youth are divided into 3 or 4 groups and everyone is assigned a label, including the youth in the middle.

Game Play

The person in the center will call out a food item related to Thanksgiving.
When that food is called, all youths with that label must get up and find an empty set vacated by another youth. The youth in the middle must do the same. Youths cannot sit in the same chair they vacated.
The one who ends up without a seat is the now in the middle and call out the name of a food items and attempt to get into a chair.
On occasion the youth in the middle can call out “Thanksgiving FEAST.” At this point everyone must get up and find a different seat.
As a variation you might also allow the person in the center to call TWO food items.

Variations

Place the food items labels on pieces of paper taped to the bottom of the chairs.
You can play it so that if you a youth ends up in the center of the circle three times, he or she must perform some kind of “forfeit” such as sing a song, do a dance, tell a joke, pretend they are popcorn popping, sing “I’m a Little Teapot” with actions, etc. You can also wait until the end of the game and bring everyone that has been IT times to the center of the circle to do the forfeit as a group.

Take it the the Next Level
Each time a person ends up in the center they must share something they are thankful for.

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration and games and activities for other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the various holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

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Humor

For what we are about to receive

November 19, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

Two men were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, “Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!”

John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life.”

“But you must!” implored his companion. “The bull is catching up to us.”

“All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table:
’O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’”

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration as well as a variety of other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the various holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Humor

Turkey Talk

November 17, 2008 kensapp Leave a comment

What does a turkey say?

“Gobble, gobble, gobble”?

A jewelry-lovin’ turkey?
“Bauble bauble bauble”

A dyslexic turkey?
“Boggle boggle boggle”

A turkey in the shoe repair shop?
“Cobble cobble cobble”

A turkey with a sore leg?
“Hobble hobble hobble.”

A football turkey say?
“Huddle, huddle, huddle”

A dieting turkey?
“Nibble, nibble nibble.”

A turkey who argues a lot?
“Squabble squabble squabble.”

Dizzy Turkey?
“Wobble wobble wobble!”

Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next Thanksgiving celebration as well as a for other familiar holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the various holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Creative Youth ideas: 1700+ Resources for youth leaders, pastors, ministers to help plan camps, retreats, and meetings using games, illustrations, Children's Worship, Bible Studies, object lessons, sermons, creative ideas,creative activities