Finding Rest In God’s Garden

This weekend’s ski retreat was the very thing that I needed. The past month has been a whirlwind of youth ministry that has been good, but not energizing for my introverted self. The ski lifts by myself, the runs that do not allow for conversation, and the view from the top of the Colorado Rockies simply filled my soul.

I was feeling a bit worn before this event. Nerves were on end and I was finding myself wanting to just rest when I needed to do paperwork. The desire for students to know Christ better was still there, but the passion had lost a bit of its edge. I needed to be refueled.

I know many different ways to be renewed, but none of them are better than silence. I can read books, journal, or program a website (yes, that’s refreshing to me), but all of those are still a kind of work. Silence and solitude, even if just for a single run on the slopes, can fill my soul, restore my heart, and calm my mind like nothing else. After several runs, I was a whole new man and my faith was running deep again.

How do you restore your soul? Is it the best that is out there for you? Have you practiced it? Restoring our soul needs practice. The first time that I sat in silence, it took an hour for my mind to shut up. Now, a five minute ski lift trip is enough and the three minutes back down is truly encouraging for me. Exercise your “soul care” muscles and practice being with God, however you do so.

So what are you waiting for? Go out now and be with God!

Blogging 101: What Will You Write?

[This article is part of the Blogging 101 series to help people start up their very own blog.]

Before we even begin to dream of what can and will happen with this blog, we need to lay down some serious foundational work that will allow for us to streamline the future processes and make writing articles so much easier.

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Blogging 101: Intro

Last weekend, I had the privilege to sit down with a friend and discuss what it would take to setup a blog. It was interesting to hear her enthusiasm for wanting to begin writing online and getting her voice her. She drilled me with question after question on how to not only start well, but set herself up for success. I quickly realized that we needed to provide a written resource for people on how to setup a blog, from start to finish.

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Guest Post: 5 Ways To Grow As A Youth Worker

The following is an excerpt of Brad Widstrom and my new book 99 Thoughts on Caring for Your Youth Group. We created this book so you can grow as a youth minister no matter what your pay grade (volunteer, full or part-time) and no matter where you work and for whom you work (a church, para-church, secular job). So the following is from our book and our heart for you to GROW!

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Guest Post: The Problem with Social Media in Youth Ministry

We view social networks differently than youth view them and for a few more years this will be the case, as youth pastors didn’t grow up with social media the way our youth have.

My interest has been piqued by the recent upsurge in youth ministry blogs talking about using social media in youth ministry. I feel like I could point you to at least ten posts in the last three weeks dealing with this topic, and I have to say, I am disappointed.

Firstly, I am disappointed because along with this upsurge in social media posts on youth ministry sites, it seems to be a symptom of a problem with youth ministry blogs, many are getting away from youth ministry and getting into less important matters. It feels like in order to have a successful “Youth Ministry” blog, you have to give things away, point others to freebies, and not talk much at all about youth ministry, but rather just add to the bottom of a post “Wouldn’t this be great to use in youth ministry?”

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Links of the Week

Each week, we scour the web for great articles on youth ministry, social media, and blogging and offer the best of them to you. Here is what we have found to be good reads this week. If you find something you like, let us know what and leave them a comment on their blog.

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Friday Funnies: The 7 Sins of Game Leading

This is an oldie but goodie. I love finding some great new resources to share with volunteers. This one has just enough humor, yet teaching content to be the perfect introduction for youth workers to setup a discussion on how to do games well at youth group. I hope this helps you do youth ministry a little better.

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You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Titus 2

Ministering To Students With Depression

Working with teenagers in a time where they are emotionally and physically still growing and hormones that put them in an emotional whirlwind sporadically. One day is the greatest day in their world and the next is so awful that it overshadows whatever hope the day before held. But teens can suffer from psychological disorders including depression that youth workers need to be fully aware of.

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