Year end Wrap- Amazing Race

Its only our second year planning and pulling of the community wide “Amazing Race” for our youth group, but i think I seriously feel like a pro. I was even telling a fellow youth leader we should do this as a job….plan amazing races that is.

Needless to say, it went well. The one negative I can pull from it is that we underestimated teenagers competition levels and needed to add more activities. In total it only took around 2.5 hours to complete and we anticipated at least 3. We did youth in a rural community, so we took advantage of our surroundings and what we had available.

This year the roadblocks/detours/challanges consisted of:
-Finding a clue hidden in a outdoor swimming pool
-Chasing a “message in a bottle” down the river to get the clue that was inside
- Carrying a team mate across the river without getting them wet.
- Completing a suduko puzzle
- Throwing whipped cream pies at a teamate until you found one that had a cherry in it.
- Leading untrained dogs through an obsticle course
- Creating a device of soup cans and a plank to get you down a hill and back up
- Hearding cattle and collecting the clue off of the back of one of the animals
- Finding the oldest tombstone at the cemetary

It was a blast!

I am willing and able….well, ok…Im just able.

Have you ever had someone throw out a blank offer, one which you know they never expect you to take them up on? “Hey, let us know if you ever need any help” followed by a quick shuffle and then almost a sprint out the door as they run before you can say “actually….we could use you on Friday”.

Sometimes I feel ministry is full of those blank offers. Im guilty of doing it myself. We make ourselves open by saying we are willing and able, when in truth we are, at best able, but certianly not willing. I think over the course of the year we had 6-7 dinner invitations extended to us, and only one was ever followed up on. I think I offered to hang out with some of our girls upwards of a dozen times and maybe followed through on half of the occasions. There is something in us that feels if we extend the offer we have done enough.

This year we had a family offer to help us out whenever we needed it, and they truly meant it. They changed plans and brought thier whole family with them, but they did whatever it took to make it work. We were so so thankful for these people. Another couple offered there time and although they were not able to make it because of previous engagements, they prepared everything in advance and had it waiting for us when we got there. We appreciated thier help so much.

On the other hand, you have those times when you actually follow someone up on these offers, and they quickly and strategically manuever themselves out of the initial invitation. Or sometimes they forget that they even offered, or we have even had people selectivly chose which actvities they would help with and which kids they could handle. My favorite are those who think they have made themselves available, but have never actually spoken to you abotu it.

But, my oiint was not to tell stories, rather to define true willingness. I need to do more reasearch, but I think true willingness is displayed pretty well by a few huge bible peeps; the disciples, Ruth, Paul, Noah, etc…

After thinking abotu this, I decided that when I extend an invitation or an offer of help from this point on, I am going to make
sure that I :
– can follow through
– can make it specific so that I can follow through
– look the person in the eye
– have time to discuss the possible times/dates/locations

I want to make sure that I am not just able to help, but that I am truly willing as well.

BYO

Last Friday we had a BYO at youth. We wanted to give the group a chance to bring what they like to the group. Ah….who am I kidding, the creative juices just weren’t flowing.

But it didn’t matter, They had a blast. It was hel-random, but we played soccer, truth or dare, had a 3-on-3 tourney, cooked spaghetti, played catchphrase, curled boys hair, chewed copious amounts of jawbreakers, jammed on stage, played sequins, laughed, burped, and played the Eukaleili.

I think that youth ministry sometimes co-exists with structured entertainment. We forget that we can just let these guys and gals hang out and they will have fun. We have labeled this the “Hang out Factor”. Not only is it cool to watch, but it initiates some leadership on their part as well.

Leaving Sucks

A couple of month ago my husband and I decided that we were stepping down from our youth ministry position. We currently live an hour away from the community that we do youth ministry in, which has become an issue (that is for next blog). We are also thinking of relocating.
Yesterday was the day we decided that we would tell our core group of teens. FRICK! While I stood there staring at gapping mouths and tear streaked cheeks, I came to this very profound conclusion: Leaving Sucks!
I dont know if there is actually an easy way to say it. Not only have we developed some pretty serious relationships with these kids, but they already have the Payton (OTH) approach to life “People always leave” and we just proved their theories right. Most of these kids come from broken homes, broken families or broken relationships. They are used to people walking out on them; they are used to feeling alone. We tried to be there for them and mend some of those wounds, and now…..all in vain.

Leaving Sucks!

Encourage your Pastor!

Ministry is tricky!
No matter how RAD we think we are, someone also thinks were pretty BAD. Just when we think we are being lead by complete obedience to God, someone out there thinks we are defying the very pleadings of the Gospel.
I guess that is where we found ourselves this past week. After months of confrontation and subtle gestures of disapproval, one of our youth helpers gave us the ultimatum of “My way or no way”. We had thought that we were able to resolve this issue between our youth leadership staff, but apparently we were unsuccessful. Ouch.
So, we called the Senior Pastor. I was anxious to say the least. What if he sided with this guy over us? What if we were wrong all along? What if…?
After a very fruitful conversation I realized two things: A) We have an amazing pastor who will back his staff even if it puts his own job on the line. He truely believes in us and what we stand for. That speaks heaps about him as a spiritual leader as well as a mentor.
B) There is no one way of ministry that is complete without the other forms complimenting it. Your form of ministry might be good, but it is not complete unless the other forms are working along side it.
So, I guess after dealing with this in the past weeks I have become very thankful to our pastor. I dont think we express this gratitude enough. I seached the internet to find some creative ways to help our pastor and show our appreciation for his Godly-ness, wisdom, willingness, and understanding. Here is what I came up with…

http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/1999/sepoct/9r5035.html

(I like #3)

http://www.my-pastor.com/pastor-appreciation.html

http://www.victorious.org/blesspastor.htm (I really Like this!)

If you have any other ideas, let me know. Lets get creative!

Christians are to the World what Dwight is to the Office

Christians Are to the World As Dwight Is to The Office

You know what? Christians in the world are a little like Dwight!

Rural vs Urban teens

Since we do youth ministry in a rural community I found this article interesting

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/04/02/the-differences-between-city-and-country-kids/

What counts

Yesterday I was helping on of the teens from our youth group fill out a spiritual autobiography for a camp that she intends to work at this summer. One of the questions on the application asked her to give her opinion and experience with the following; homosexuality, drinking, smoking, living together before you are married, and premarital sex. As I read over the questions I knew that the easiest answer would be the “Sunday School” answer, but I knew she could give me more.

You see this particular girl is my inspiration. When we first met her she was the most popular girl in school. She had the hottest boyfriend and although she was only in Jr. High, she got to go to the best parties. She is athletic, pretty, smart…she looked like she had it all. And, as her story goes, she fell in love with God. Only 2 years later she has become a leader in our youth group, church and a brave servant for her saviour. Although she has a very supportive church family, she is the only christian in her immediate and extended family.

So when we began answeering these questions her response was ” Its so hard for me, because when these things happen in my family they are celebrated. Everyone was excited when my cousin and his girlfriend moved in together. But as a christian, even though I know they are wrong I still want to support them”

Wow.

As we continued she explained ” I know that I dont have as much experience as a lot of other people who have been christians all thier lives. Maybe I cant quote bible verses or explain things very well, but I think that I will be able to relate to these kids because I have experience with everything they are going through”.

Wow.

As I sat and listened to her explain her testimony I was inspired. I told her that what she had I hoped she never lost. Sometimes mature christians get so secluded in their “christian bubbles” that they can no longer relate to non-christians. They almost forget what it was like to be a “sinner” because they are engulfed by thier “perfect” world. What a waste! Dont they know its not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick?

16 year olds = Inspiration. Find one today.

Disciples…Like rig pigs

So my one of our youth kids (who also happens to be my younger brother) came home from a youth event at a friends church and said….

“Hey, I heard the greatest analogy at youth tonight. It puts it all into perspective! We were talking about Jesus and his disciples and the youth pastor said ‘ you know what the fisherman were, you know who they are like today. Its like Jesus had 12 rig pigs following him around and telling people about the miracles he was doing’”.

Bahahaha!

I love it! I mean I come from a family that thrives off of the oilfield, so I can laugh at it.

But just try to imagine these rig pigs going around and trying to tell people about miracles and love and mercy and grace and…..ahahahhaha. God is funny. Thats why I love him.

EPIC Fear Factor

Okay, we tried the “Fear Factor” night last week and it was freakin’ Fantastic. I think us leaders were more grossed out than the youth….dang. But this was my favorite event, Carmel Apples….no wait…ONIONS!