Communication is commonly defined as the imparting of thoughts, words, or ideas by way of speech, writing or signs. Who would have guessed that Webster’s definition from years ago would lead us into the world of cell phones, websites, e-mail, texting and blogging? Today, new forms of instant communication are coming and going before we can maximize their effectiveness and often before we even adequately learn how to use them.

Because of the array of options, people can now pick and choose how they want to give and receive information. While great for the recipient, today’s plethora of options can make it hard to figure out how to most effectively communicate important information. As a church, we recognize that personality, life stage and preference can all shape which modes of communication are best for each individual. Ever try e-mailing a high school student or facebooking mom and dad? Yes all of us have been given the luxury (or forced) to choose communicating styles which we will and will not utilize.

In an attempt to continue to “equip for a life of spiritual passion” we want to take advantage of as many different technological opportunities as possible. We believe that many of these avenues will allow us to inform and equip from a distance. As a student ministry, we are starting a blog that will be updated multiple times per week. If you are a parent, leader, student or just someone interested in learning more about the next generation, this blog may be for you.

In addition to the ongoing posts, our blog has links to other staff blogs, our favorite websites and even includes more detailed information about our mission and vision as a student ministry.

We are excited to take this endeavor in learning how to communicate more effectively with a broad spectrum of people through a broad spectrum of channels. Stay tuned!

~ Jeremy

I have been thinking about making some big changes for a while.  More personally than ministry related but still these changes will have an impact on my ministry.  Over the past few years I have felt myself drifting more and more into “social media.”  Social media isn’t bad or evil in and of itself – but when it becomes something that takes half of your time through the day then I think it’s something to address and deal with.  Lets be honest in our culture today everything is shifting to social media so we can be connected.  This really weirds some people out and really excited/ draws others in.  For me, it really drew me in.  Like many others I have an online community that follows what I am doing or what is going on in my life.  Now there are some great pros to this.  I can post a prayer request and have literally hundreds of people praying for different things.  I can get ministry advice in minutes.  But there are cons; it takes time to develop this community and sustain it.  It can take away from your work or life.  Social media is made to enhance our lives but really it can take away from it if we let it.  We can get to the place where we use it to see how much value we have which is a false reality and it isn’t how God values us.

So in 2010 I am making some changes in how I use social media personally.  Starting this week I will begin to ween myself down to one Twitter post a day.   I will also only be making one Facebook status update once a day OR every other day.  From here on they will pertain MOSTLY to blog posts. I will continue to use TXTSignal for our student ministry updates as well as Facebook.

I will also be drastically changing how I spend my time online and through the day.  I haven’t gotten my daily schedule down just yet but this week I will have it broken into blocks for studying/ reading, responding to phone calls/ emails and lesson development.  I will post more on the breakdown of my day as I develop it more.  It will definitely be a structure change I need to make to become more effective as a Youth Pastor.  These changes will not come easy and will be met with resistance but I know it will happen.

What changes do you need to make for 2010?  Notice these aren’t resolutions – they are lifestyle changes.

I loved working at home.  Sleeping in, making coffee, working in my robe – it was surreal. It was incredibly easy to get distracted too..  “Hey honey, I’m just going to go work out.. on the Wii.”  yah right – that went over great!

I’m not saying I’m not happy to be back at work…but I’m not saying I am either.  That being said, however, I AM happy to be back and starting a new year.  There is always something about starting a “New Year.”  The refresh, the restart…

Now, I’m sure that I’m one in 1 trillion that are blogging about the whole “New Year’s” thing.. which is why I’m going to stop.

I do need to finish our experience in Chicago (a few posts back..) Bottom line, is this: food, food, food.  If you are reading this, and you’re a fellow Youth Worker – who just happens to be going to Chicago for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference – .. you gotta find some time and jump on the “L” and get some food.

When Melissa and I flew in, O’Hare seemed confusing.. but really wasn’t.  (I later decided that it was the swarm of people that caused me to be confused…not really the lack of signage directing you.)  Once I found the baggage claim area, we were easily directed to the subway – and 30 mins later, found ourselves downtown 3 blocks from our Hotel.

All that to say this – we were very happy/impressed with Chicago’s transit system.  Cheap, fast, efficient, clean and safe.  On a side note – you might happen to see some ‘interesting/strange’ people on the “L” – and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

We plan on returning in the warmer weather.  We actually plan on going back often.  Chicago is a beautiful city – with incredible food, and friendly people.

Thank you Chicago.. for the amazing time!  I’ll see you shortly!

We start a series next week with our students called “4 Important Words” and it’s about 4 words that I would like to be known as. These 4 words come straight from God’s word. I am going to be sharing from 4 passages in the Bible that have changed who I am. This is so exciting for me to share from the change that God has made in me and is in the process of doing. Here is where we will be camping out for the next couple of weeks. Romans 12:1-2, The book of Joshua (Just an overview), 1 Tim 4:1-16, John 3:22-36. I am going start recording my messages and post them on here.

I have a request for you as we do this I would love to hear from you. Who do you want to be known as? Post on here a bible verse or a passage that you would like to be described as…

Last year I attended a gathering of youth leaders at Winshape facility in Rome, GA where I met and heard Ron Luce speak to our group. Besides wearing really cool jeans for a relatively old[er] student ministry leader, Ron is wise. Very wise. And a great leader. As well as a great parent.

Below are five questions Ron asks himself as a parent:

1. Are You Parenting By Convenience?
Life is busy and time is limited. Are your sons/daughters an interruption to life? Do you just give them a computer or a video game to watch to distract their attention while you march ahead with life?

2. Do You Have a Cultural Dashboard?
How much of the world am I letting into my house? How much TV, internet, and phone usage do I allow? If you don’t have a standard that you allow, the world does…as much as possible.

3. Who Owns Your Kids Heart?
The answer to question #2 will likely reveal the answer to this question. Parents should own a student’s heart and allegiance. How? Time. Whoever owns their heart is who exerts authority in their life. What if we don’t currently have their heart? When we lean towards them, they will lean back.

4. Are You Going Through the Windows of Their Heart?
Teenagers can sometimes painfully communicate with the ability of a mute. However, when they do is when we should seize the moment. When they open their heart to talk, then is the time to talk. It’s not always a time to rebuke or even to give answers. It’s just time to talk. Don’t let those moments slip.

5. How Are You Communicating Your Values?
Ron has a written statement posted in his house known as the “Luce Family Values.” It communicates what a Luce should be know for, by, and about. Be proactive about communicating your values. Don’t hope they’ll just suck them up.

Parents, do you have a question to add?
Student pastors, what other advice would you give?
Students, what else do your parents need to know?

Thanks for reading. Subscribe to this bog to the right →

The holiday is over so I’m easing myself back into the blogosphere by ripping someone off. Aussie Mark Sayers is a favourite critic of western youth culture with consistently savvy and insightful things to say about the generation that dominates collegiate settings, and he’s conveniently catalogued a series of posts he’s written on the church’s current generational gap.

• Your Faithclock is Ticking: Why Young Adults leave Church
• Why Young Adults Leave Church: Reason 1 Choice Anxiety
• Why Young Adults Leave Church: Reason 2 Post-Christian Identity
• Why Young Adults Leave the Church: Reason 3 The Pornification of Christian Resources
• Why Young Adults Leave Church: Reason 4 Consumerist Spirituality

bsmualgary is more about accomplishing something on campus and in the world than it is about keeping church kids in attendance, but that might actually make us more effective at keeping them around, because what we do is to call them to a fulfill a purpose and integrate faith and life outside of the church bubble many of them have relegated faith to. Reducing this generational gap is another one of those things that makes collegiate ministry so stinkin’ important.

Is there a real answer? Or is every church and situation unique?

I wish I had a camera to capture some moments we’ve had recently; the diversity in what we do. I suppose especially around this time of year life is like a stack of Uno Wild Cards.

All day Wednesday was spent decorating the Fellowship Hall with students and youth sponsors to transform a room into a wintery wonderland of timeless celebration for the arrival of the New Year. Hauling Christmas trees, boxes of decorations, sewing projects, checking with the caterer, ordering table cloths, designing centerpieces, and more.  

 New Years day required some finishing touches, a final game plan, and an anxious afternoon hoping and praying that all would go well.

Kids came, worship happened, food arrived, games were played, and the ball dropped. We made it!

The next day, the remainder of decorations that hadn’t been taken down the night before were stored away for another year. Floors vacuumed, extra chairs returned from hiding in the nursery, hundreds of plastic snowflakes untangled and lights taken off of trees.

Now Saturday. Another stop in the office. Type up a post report, continue editing the January newsletter, change the big church sign outside, make sure copies of a DVD are being made for small group bible studies, and then an afternoon at home- catching up on Pre-Christmas laundry (5 loads and only half-way through!) and the sermon for sunday night. Have a light dinner, watch a movie and call it a night.

Today. Morning service, groceries, lunch, powerpoint for a sermon detailing rules for Pure Culture, calling students, coordinating drivers for vans, connecting with the worship leader, and getting a soup put together for a late night dinner when we get home. Ah, and a window of time to blog.

From parties to sermons to whatever, whenever, wherever, this is our typical life in student ministry.

• Spontaneous trip to the zoo
• Pirates in the backyard
• FNL 3.13.09
• What I learned in 1 Kings
• Kinds Camp ‘09
• What if we made church all about the guests
• It’s only a matter of time
• Protect the space with your family
• What happened on Nov 15th

I am really looking forward to 2010. One of my goals is to be more consistent in blogging. Thanks for taking the time to read, I pray it is helpful. Happy New Year!!

2010 is going to be fun. Lots of changes and lots of cool stuff ahead in my family and in our church. This year I want to “step it up” to the next level in every area of my life. I want to be closer to God, a better husband, a great dad, and a great pastor. I want to give the gospel more, and pay more attention to the opprtunities that God gives me.

I was inspired today when someone I was listening to posed the question, “What problem would go unsolved if your organization didn’t exist?”. For me I thought of it this way-”What problem would go unsolved if I did not do what God has called me to do, and what problem would go unsolved if I did not influence others to do what God’s called us to do?”

This year we were able to see many young people come to know Christ, get baptized, and start to be discipled. We saw a family get saved because of what God was doing in their students life. We saw God do some incredible things, and there are people whose eternity was forever changed because of the grace of God in using us to be obedient to Him.

This year I believe it is time for our church and youth group to “step it up” too. We have too much to do, and too many people depending on us to be obedient to what God has called us to do.

What problem is God calling you to solve in 2010?
Ben
– Posted From My iPod

One of the things I love to do is dream about the future. I think one of the reasons many people don’t accomplish their dreams or do something great is because they don’t have dreams. We become our expectations and dreams. Without goals and dreams, we have nothing to shoot for, nothing that we are going after.

Here are some of the things I am excited about and/or hoping to accomplish in 2010. Some are things I started this year and will continue, others are brand new:

• Watching our kids grow up even more.
• Ava starts kindergarten in July, crazy we will have a 5 year old.
• Getting away just Katie and I. The longer we’re married, the more important this becomes.
• Preaching through Nehemiah (in the spring) and Philippians (in the fall) this year at Revolution. Still working out our other series, but those are the ones that we’re for sure planning on.
• Running a half marathon in March.
• Reading 52 books this year.
• Rev Up starting this year.
• Seeing God grow Revolution from 100 – 300 this year.
• Seeing our staff team grow.
• Give even more away at Revolution so that we can develop more leaders.
• Date night every week with Katie.
• Monthly daddy dates with each of our kids.
• Having only our house and student loans as debt in December, 2010.
• Reading through the Bible in a year. I started this last year and it was great. I use the message version that is already broken up by days.
• Preach 44 weekends this year. To stay fresh and not burn out, this is something older pastors have told me to plan for.
• Finish the lead pastor coaching network.
• Get into photography. Really excited about this. When I was in high school, I took some photography classes and loved them. Katie got me a camera for Christmas and someone gave me some really nice lenses for it. Really, really excited to get back into this. Watch for more pictures on the blog.

Those are just some of the things I am excited about accomlishing in 2010.

What are your goals?

Just found a great video about what it means to be a Student Pastor/Volunteer Youth Worker.  Definitely a must watch! Enjoy!!!!

Urbanapanorama: main session with Ramez Atallah

Urbana is here. And you can watch along as the sessions are posted here.

God is at work throughout the world. As we consider his good news to all peoples and all of creation, we have to ask: what are the top missional challenges facing us today?  What is the reality of the world God loves, and has called us into?  At this Urbana, we are studying John’s Gospel, chapter 1 through 4, asking what it means to be the followers of Jesus, the one who is the Word of God and the Word made flesh, who made his dwelling among us.   But living incarnationally in the world as it exists today is presenting unparalleled challenges.

Four challenges are before us, and we are hearing about them here at Urbana, hearing them as prophetic calls to become the living incarnation of the body of Christ in our world today.  Top challenges facing us are 1) the movement of peoples (from human trafficking to war refugees and more), 2) money, 3)  the environment, and 4) divisions between people.

What a list.  What a neighborhood. And the good news of Jesus, the Word made Flesh, is longing to intersect into these realities, bringing life and freedom and hope to a world that is dying in bondage and despair.

This is the world God loves.

is the one you don’t watch!

Listen HERE to my sermon from Sunday morning.

A quick summary: Christians (especially in this country) have a tendancy to see ourselves as consumers of religious services. We often find ourselves as observers, as an audience, to the professional and really dedicated Christians as they do the work of service, witnessing, and worship. How can we break free of that? How can we stop watching the parade, and be in it?

Lately, more than ever the Lord has pressed on my heart the importance of studying His word. Two of the things that I love the most is Bible Study and Teenagers. This is why my heart is student discipleship. Moreover, I just want people to know Jesus and the best way of doing this is to read the Bible. So how is your Bible Study life? Here are a few things to consider:

1. Do you read your Bible outside of church? This sounds like an obvious place to start however, many people struggle with this. If I was honest with you, I struggle with this at times. We have to get to a point where the Bible exist outside of the four walls of church.

2. Do you have a plan in place to have a specific, daily time with Jesus in His Word? What is your plan to spend time with Jesus? The funny thing that I hear more than I would like to admit is, “I want to know Jesus” and my response is “How often do you read your Bible?”… and here is the funny thing, their response to that is, “Well, not all that much.” You cannot know Jesus without reading His Word. Have a specific time, place, and plan that guide you through the Scriptures. This is when great Bible Study takes place!

3. Do you bring personal application to the Scriptures you read? If we cannot apply the Bible to our own life and circumstances I think we are missing what God has for us. So many times we read the Bible just to be doing it and an hour later (after we have read the Bible) it means nothing. The are so many rich truths for us in Scripture. Our job is to read our Bible and say, “Lord, speak.”

Here are a few other ideas:
1. Choose a translation that is accurate yet readable. Two of the best translations, in my opinion, is the English Standard Version and the Holman Christian Standard Version.

2. Don’t try to take in so much it’s overwhelming. You do not have to have a quiet time that last an hour. Spend time with Jesus… the timing is different for everyone. If the Bible is harder for you, aim for 10 minutes. If that seems comfortable try 20-30 minutes or even 15 minutes.

3. Bible Study Layout:
A: Pick a passage of Scripture (Again, there are great Bible Study helps out there; take advantage of them!)
*Great books to start with are the Gospels written by John and Mark

B: Read your particular passage of Scripture (Example: John 3:1-21)

C: Answer this question- What are the key principles in this passage?

D: Answer this question- How can I apply these principles to my life?

E: Re-read the passage

Our ministry made the decision to start using a text message solution for our students and parents. I’m curious to see what you guys use for your service. I’ve complied a list of a couple text messaging solutions to get the list started. Let me know if you find any other solutions.

What we use right now:
Tatango- Starts at $19.00 a month with 400 messages and 2 keywords. It comes with a free 30 day trial and you can cancel anytime. You can also send to multiple groups. iPhone friendly.

Other options:
SimplyTXT- This service is by Simply Youth Ministry. Starts at $10.00 a month with 50 contacts, 1 group, 30 group messages, no keywords. A free trial is offered.

EzTexting- Pay as you go option (2.5 cents for standard messages), Monthly plans start at $10.00 with 400 standard messages, $25 per keyword. A free trial is offered.

TextChurch- Plans start at $24.95 for 350 messages. No contract.

TextMarks- Free ad-supported option. Includes 3 keywords with unlimited messages. Non-ad versions provided starting at $9.95. (Thanks Keith! Twitter: Keith_Parker1)

We are beginning a 4 week series January 24th on Relationships, and I am trying to finish rounding up all the great resources I can find, and I need your help! What are some great books, sermon series, articles, etc. that you have read/listened to that you think would be helpful? Don’t assume I already have it, just fire away. Ready…GO!

friend : one attached to another by affection or esteem
: a favored companion

How influential have friends been in your life?
In what ways have your friends influenced your life?

At THE WAVE, we are about to kick off a series called Pirates vs. Ninjas.  It’s going to be all about choosing your friends, fighting battles together, picking your friendship battles, ect.  When I think back on the history of my friendships I think about those friends who have really sculpted me into the person that I am… the person God continues to shape me into.

Preston taught me how to fight for the underdogs and introduced me to Christ.  John showed me to laugh at life and myself.  Erick taught me to what it is to really be a nice guy (I wish his coolness had rubbed off).  Jay taught me how to talk my way into or out of just about any situation in life.  Rusty pointed out how to be giving and to love Christ more deeply and authentically.  Micah helped me to develop discipline, and to understand discipleship.  Pete helped me to see how to be motivated and content at the same time.  Currently I have a whole new crew who are helping to show me wisdom, consistency, compassion.  My best friend:  Summer Joy, constantly teaches me about love, peace, trust, hope, and home.

*by the way, I’ve left out dozens of people, friends who have shaped my life and whom I love deeply.

Friendship is a powerful thing!  How has friendship moved you, changed you, developed you???
If you were teaching teens what would say to them?  What would you warn them of?  How would your encourage them?

¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  John 15:13

A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  Proverbs 18:24

How influential have friends been in your life?
In what ways have your friends influenced your life?

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Pirate or Ninja??? What say you…

In the words of Tiny Tim..

“God bless us.. everyone.”

Our prayer (.. being the leaders of RSM) is that during this holiday season, that God will bless you..  the student; the families, the members of RSM.

Not just in material things.. not just in toys and objects… But that God will truly reveal himself to you this holiday season.

No matter who you are.. or where you are, this Christmas..know that you are not alone.  You are thought of, prayed for,  cared for and loved.

We (RSM) are here for you!  We are looking forward to an amazing 2010.. and are excited to see what God has planned for the group.  And for you!  That’s right.. YOU!

Praying for you and missing you all this holiday season.

Tonight was a one-off night before shutting down for Christmas and New Year’s. Rather than a deep, profound lesson, we invited teens out to view a Christmas movie, and I had a few questions afterwards to engage their thoughts, and hopefully tie it into Scripture a little bit.

The movie selection (by teen vote): The Nightmare Before Christmas

Evaluation: We were introduced to a couple new teens, and saw a couple that we have not seen in a while, who came out because they were invited by their friends. Even though there were a couple teens reading, another trying to sleep, they came to spend time with us. We’re doing something right in that area, creating a space where they want to be. Even though the discussion didn’t go as deep as I would have liked to see it go, there was some engagement about how commercialized Christmas is.

Next up: Nothing next week. FAITH: starts in two weeks!

What Is Student Ministry?

Student Ministry =

Student -  For our group, it is adolescents grades 6th – 12th.

Ministry – literally means to serve or to meet the needs of others.

So Student Ministry is…

1. Serving or meeting the needs of Students (teenagers… your teen).
2. Students (teens) meeting the needs of those around them.

We are created for ministry…

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.   Ephesians 2:10

We are SAVED for ministry…

who has saved us and
called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but
because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ
Jesus before the beginning of time,  2 Timothy 1:9

We have been chosen for ministry…

But you are
a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging
to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  1 Peter 2:9-10

*Too often we confuse teens with being the future, the future leaders, the future Church.  Truth be told many teens are leaders.  Those who know Christ are the Church.  God has used and continues to use teenagers to be the movers and shakers of His Bride… The Church.