Student Ministry Pastor

Purpose Driven Youth Ministry

2010-02-25T13:23:00.000-05:00

We are getting ready to consult with a local church to train a new staff and leader. Our goal will be to spend 16 weeks training the team based on the "Purpose Driven Youth Ministry" model from the book written by Doug Fields. We have successfully implemented this method at previous student ministries and have seen dramatic increases in attendance and involvement.

Stay tuned for updates on our latest effort and more PDYM.

Doug Fields wrote Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry to communicate what he believes are the key ingredients to building a vibrant youth ministry that glorifies God and changes kids lives. The book outlines the essentials for building a healthy, youth ministry that is purpose-driven. If you are passionate about building a ministry that fulfills the five scriptural goals of evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship, you will discover a proven, team approach that reduces burnout and incorporates the strengths of the church as a whole. The book is a flexible and exhaustive approach to building a healthy youth ministry based on nine components:Power of God Purpose Potential Audience Programs Process Planned Values Participating Leaders Parents Perseverance This book has been deemed a youth ministry classic over the last several years and has probably sold more copies than any single youth ministry book published. So what? What does that mean? Maybe that it's easy to understand and it resonates with youth workers' hearts. PDYM isn't a program to copy. Instead, the book contains principles to learn, filter through, and possibly adapt into your youth ministry setting. This material has been taught all over the world and makes sense in any setting, culture, denomination, and church. It's not a program to copy.

A World of Hurting People and A Word of Encouragement

2009-04-24T12:14:00.008-04:00

This morning as I worked to prepare my lesson for Sunday's Youth Class, I could not get away from this thought: "A World of Hurting People and a Word of Encouragement."

I was once told that one of the gifts of the Spirit, specifically speaking of The Word of Wisdom, is just that, it's A WORD.

This was a revelation to me and it explained why sometimes when I prayed with others, I would have just ONE WORD that could not escape my thoughts while I prayed.

I've spoken just ONE WORD as I have connected with others in prayer, and I have watched OVER AND OVER AGAIN as the tears begin to flow and the encouragement or confirmation is being given to them through JUST ONE WORD.

My lesson for Sunday is based on this thought.

These images can be made full screen by clicking on them.

If you are interested in using these slides in your next youth presentation, let me know by emailing me at chrisponjican@hotmail.com

We Interviewed James Turner of Hot Springs, AR

2009-04-20T22:58:00.004-04:00

Christie - Do you feel like you connect better (or more easily) with Jr. High or High School Students? Can you explain?

James - For me, Sr. High. I have always had an affinity to them, their issues and communication seems to be easier.

Christie - Do you feel that Jr. High and High School Classes in Student Ministry should be separate? Can you explain?

James - Absolutely!!! They are dealing with such difference issues that you cannot effectively meet both sets of needs in one setting. In a perfect world I would have multiple venues. A combined time for worship and teaching and then small groups separated by grade.

Christie - What is your favorite part of being involved (either now or in the past) in Student Ministry?

James - Seeing the lives changed. We had one young lady in Florida who was living a lesbian lifestyle, a hard-core gang member. She was in a Friday Late Night Worship Service and in the middle of it came to the altar, repented and denounced the lifestyle, the gang, everything she had been a part of. Now she is a Youth Pastor in Vero Beach, FL and rocking her world for Jesus!

Christie - What is the HARDEST thing you have ever had to do as a Student Ministry Pastor?

James - Deal with teenager’s ISSUES! Whether it is dealing with eating disorders, cutting, suicide, or depression. The hardest part of any ministry is seeing hurting people hurt. Sometimes it is overwhelming but we know the answer!

Christie - Do you feel like Student Ministry is difficult? (I know you will say HECK YES! to this... James, I personally feel like being a Student Pastor is THE HARDEST MINISTRY EVER!) My next question would be, why would you say that this ministry could be pretty difficult to take on?

James - You know, I am changing my thoughts the more I deal with adults. Compared to that, Student Ministry is not that bad… The most difficult thing in Student Ministry is the PARENTS! If we could just get the ministry and the parents on the same page it would be so much easier. Most parents want to be able to drop off their kids and we be the answer to everything. But the fact is I cannot be, and don’t want to be, their dad. That is not my job, my job is to mentor them and help them navigate their lives. They still need parents to be parents!

Christie - What could we do differently to make this ministry a more sustainable ministry for the students and for those who serve as Student Ministers?

James - HAVE FUN! Spend time with the staff, leadership/ministry training, retreats, etc… Invite the core student leaders, establish an intern program that includes them and prepares them for when they graduate to be involved in a ministry role.

Christie - What is the #1 resource that has changed your way of thinking for the better with regards to Student Ministry? (This would be a MUST READ for new Student Pastors everywhere...)

James - Purpose Driven Youth Ministry by Doug Fields as well as his prequel book, Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry.

Christie - What website would you recommend for Student Ministry Pastor Resources?

James - Youth Specialties, Group, North Point Community Church, Catalyst

Christie - You were my Youth Pastor many years ago (don't we feel old?!) , what led you to take that first step in Student Ministry right out of Bible College? What has kept you close to students over the years?

James - Our personalities played a huge role in it. I am really still a big kid in many ways. We enjoy being around teens, always have. We love being able to sow into the lives of the next generation.

Christie - Tell us about what you are up to these days so we can celebrate with you, the great things God is doing in your life. Also, this is a place for personal plugs - blog/website, etc.

James - We kicked off The Dream Factory Teen Center in Hot Springs, AR in December 2008. We have developed this as a “fishing pool” to be able to reach the unchurched kids that most churches are not reaching.

In our first three months we have averaged over 50 kids every Friday night and kicked off the program with a concert with 350 present. It is just a place to come every Friday night, 7-10PM, and play pool and basketball, air hockey, Nintendo WII, just a great place to hang out and stay out of trouble.

We have just developed a Small Group program, Driven, that is designed around helping get the teens into a place of maturity by adding accountability, belonging, and care in their lives.

You can check out our stuff at www.myspace.com/dreamfactoryhs or www.thebridgehotsprings.org . You can also see my blog at http://thebridgehotsprings.blogspot.com/

**

Special Thanks to James for sharing his heart with us through this interview.

James was the first Student Ministry Pastor I had. He believed in me, and added me to the Student Ministry Team in North East, Maryland at seventeen years of age.

I love James and his wife Deidre so much and really miss the Friday nights at the Bates' place where the most delicious cheese and salsa dip flowed like honey - (this was Deidre's secret recipe). I remember Bro. Hopper getting pudding in his hearing aid when Richie Miller tried to feed him while he was blindfolded - CRAZY TIMES! Good Times.

Thanks James for being a good friend and a great leader in my life.

I love you guys.

A War You Can Win

2009-04-04T23:44:00.004-04:00

This lesson helps students address the "wars" they face in their mind and gives them a reminder of the power they have through Jesus Christ to win.

It is so important that we confess our weaknesses to others who can help us through the daily battles we face in our mind.

We are not alone. We all have struggles. It's time to be real with ourselves, with God and with others who care.

If you are interested in receiving this Power Point for your student ministry, free of charge, send an email to Christie and she will forward it to you right away.

May the blessings of God be upon your student ministry.

Expand your Social Network!

2009-04-01T10:18:00.002-04:00

One of the greatest challenges and and opportunities today for Student Ministry Pastors and Youth Leaders is to connect to new, "un-touched" teens. Downtown "Main Street" is no longer where you can find them. Friday night football games are getting less crowded. Even shopping malls are empty in today's economic times. So where are they all? How do you connect to them?

The answer is the internet. Social networking has replaced almost all methods of communication and socializing in today's youth culture. Take a look at some of these statistics:

There over 150 million users on Facebook, Facebook is used in more than 35 different languages and 170 countries and territories, According to Nielsen, Twitter is the fastest growing community. From Feb '08 to Feb '09, it clocked in at a whopping 1,382% growth rate. In third place is Facebook, with 228% growth YOY

Surprised? If you are not actively spending time building up your social network, the fact is you are loosing opportunities daily at connecting to the vast majority of people that YOU NEED to influence.

Start with the top 2 networks... Twitter is the fastest growing and the largest is Facebook. Get your profile updated with exciting pictures, videos and news from what is going on in your Student Ministry and then update EVERYDAY!

The next key is to build a strong and large network of followers. This starts with you connecting to key colleagues and associates and looking for opportunities. Remember, people = opportunities in our business!

So I'll start... connect to me on Twitter and Facebook and look at my network. Build off of it and start finding people closely associated with your area and demographic then build on that. Then comment on this blog post and post up links to your Twitter, Facebook or any other Social Networking profile and we all will connect to it. This is going to help us all build up our networks and will promise new opportunities in our ministries!

Dan Ponjican's Profile | Create Your Badge

Without Vision the People Perish

2009-03-27T11:08:00.008-04:00

This PowerPoint was created for a Life Skills class I will be teaching this Sunday.

Sometimes we do not see things the way God sees them. This lesson was created to reiterate the importance of our VISION being in line with God's vision.

He REALLY DOES CARE about the way we SEE things.

An example: The blind man who wanted to be healed, came to Jesus. After Jesus prayed for him, he saw men as trees walking - that wasn't good enough for Jesus - He wanted the man to have CLEAR VISION. Without it, he could have perished.

"Perception is Reality" - what's yours?

Each slide is a .jpg file - you can click on each of the slides to make the image full screen. If you are interested in updating this PowerPoint to personalize it for your student ministry, just drop me a line by clicking here.

Additional information added AFTER teaching this class:

God doesn't expect us to have PERFECT vision. Where there is NO VISION the people perish.
The title of our lesson turned into, "JUST DO SOMETHING!"
We discussed waiting on the perfect mate, landing the perfect job, etc. and how we should be walking by faith every day. We CANNOT sit around doing nothing while we WAIT for the PERFECT everything to come along. God honors our decisions when they are made after seeking Him.

Book Promotion

2009-03-19T11:57:00.003-04:00

We noticed that one of the followers of this blog is a new Student Ministry Pastor - and we want to help him by recommending this book.

It CHANGED OUR LIVES as we sought to grow in Student Ministry.

It is by Doug Fields. It is called, "Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry".

What Not To Wear Powerpoint for Teen Class 2

2009-03-19T11:41:00.006-04:00

This lesson teaches students to think about their reactions to others before stumbling down the slippery slope of offense.

Talking points from the lesson:

It is important to treat others the way you want to be treated.

If you are trying to influence others toward a lasting relationship with Christ, it is important that you DO NOT WEAR your FEELINGS ON YOUR SLEEVE. Who wants to be down in the dumps all the time? If THAT is what GOD does for you, who needs God?

Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT ALL ABOUT YOU. Give of yourself to get your focus off of you and onto others. This is the plan of God for our lives.

Brian "Head" Welch (Korn) Testimony

2009-03-08T19:49:00.001-04:00

Lesson idea on protecting your cookie, ahem, I mean, your MINISTRY...

2009-02-23T11:45:00.010-05:00

Let's say I have a huge delicious chocolate chip cookie and I am to take THAT cookie to a friend who REALLY REALLY REALLY needs a huge delicious chocolate chip cookie. The cookie I have is made up of my life experiences. The ones from which I have grown incredibly.

As I am taking the cookie (The cookie represents a ministry that will meet a need or the way we live life to help others.) to my friend, I fall. (Falling may represent sinning or getting distracted from the mission.)

The cookie becomes smaller, because it was dropped when I fell. (I will never forget my life experiences, but coupled with God's Spirit in my life, the two can become a beautiful opportunity to minister to someone else. Walking with God day by day will help me to use the experiences I have encountered combined with the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit for a more lasting and meaningful impact.)

I get up,dust the dirt off, and begin walking with the cookie again, and this time I try really hard to protect the cookie because I understand the importance of meeting a need and accomplishing my purpose/mission.

As life goes, I get distracted again and a portion of the cookie gets broken off. This happens over and over until when I arrive to give the cookie to the person who really needed it, I have barely a crumb left to offer.

The idea is:
We MUST protect our ministry/our life in Christ (our cookie) because someone may really need (to see) it. If we are careless about God's purpose in our lives, our HUGE cookie will become nothing but a crumb, and it may not be able to meet the need as perfectly as it could have, if we would have stayed on course and kept our eyes set toward maintaining a strong relationship with Christ.

Influence comes in here... others are watching us - we were supposed to have something to offer, but we no longer have it - our influence begins to dwindle because it appears that we were not so serious about accomplishing the mission we were given. The person whose need we were supposed to meet, no longer trusts us and maybe their trust in God has also weakened because of our poor example.

We must keep our ministry/our life in Christ (our cookie) protected - so that when we arrive on the scene to help others, we have EXACTLY what they need: Our life experiences + God's perfect plan = the ability to confidently minister to others and lead them to Christ in a practical way.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR Powerpoint for Teen Class

2009-02-11T08:33:00.015-05:00

I chose to create this PowerPoint for the next time I teach Teen Class and Life Skills Class at church. The next Power Point in this series will be focused on not wearing your feelings on your sleeve.

Feel free to use these slides - as picture files or I can send to you the actual PowerPoint so you can personalize this for your own class.

You can contact me if you are interested in receiving this PowerPoint to update this file for your class.

Pastor and Student Pastor Staff Meetings

2008-11-04T09:17:00.008-05:00

From Doers to Equippers
Bill Easum

In our experience, if a church has a staff of 10, two will already be equipping people, two will not believe it’s possible in this church, and six are open to the possibility. Two need to be fired outright—and two or three of the six who are open to the possibility will make the transition with a lot of help.

So what kind of help do doers need to make the shift to equippers?

The shift begins with what happens in the staff meeting. Does the staff focus on programs, calendars, and problem, or does the staff focus on people? I use the phrase, “You need a to-be list more than a to-do list.” Everyone has a to-do list, and it gets longer every time a person sits in a staff meeting focused on programs.

When a staff meeting focuses on the to-be list, questions from the lead or executive pastor go something like this:

* Whom did you meet this week who’s ready for leadership?

* Who are the new guests you met this week, and what did you learn about them that the group should know?

* Who’s new in the small group ministry? Does each small group leader have an apprentice? If not, how can we help?

* How are the past month’s new members doing? Are they finding a place to belong and become involved?

* What about our small groups? Are they growing, and who needs our help at the moment?

* What is each of you doing to nurture your own spiritual growth? (People can’t give what they don’t have.)

* Does each of you have 10 people you’re mentoring? If not, what do you need to make this happen?

I strongly believe that we get back what we look for. People who tell me that the people in their church just don’t want to volunteer are really telling me they don’t spend any time looking for volunteers. They’re usually too busy doing the ministry themselves.

People who spend energy looking for new people so they can help them find their place within the body of Christ always seem to find them.

Another great book you can buy here by Bill Easum:

Teens Who Cut

2008-11-03T16:03:00.009-05:00

This blog entry was inspired by this video. (music by Plumb)

The number of teenage girls who have been admitted to hospitals for intentionally hurting themselves has risen by a third over the last decade.

"While some kids are ‘cutting’ as a result of peer pressure, others are experiencing extreme and raging pain and are using ‘cutting’ as an outlet for those emotions. "

Emma's mom first noticed the cuts when Emma was doing the dishes one night. Emma told her mom that their cat had scratched her. Her mom seemed surprised that the cat had been so rough, but she didn't think much more about it.

Emma's friends had noticed something strange as well. Even when the weather was hot, Emma wore long-sleeved shirts. She had become secretive, too, like something was bothering her. But Emma couldn't seem to find the words to tell her mom or her friends that the marks on her arms were from something that she had done. She was cutting herself with a razor when she felt sad or upset.

**

Cutting often begins on an impulse. It's not something the person thinks about ahead of time. Shauna says, "It starts when something's really upsetting and you don't know how to talk about it or what to do. But you can't get your mind off feeling upset, and your body has this knot of emotional pain. Before you know it, you're cutting yourself. And then somehow, you're in another place. Then, the next time you feel awful about something, you try it again — and slowly it becomes a habit."

**

Natalie, a high-school junior who started cutting in middle school, explains that it was a way to distract herself from feelings of rejection and helplessness she felt she couldn't bear. "I never looked at it as anything that bad at first — just my way of getting my mind off something I felt really awful about. I guess part of me must have known it was a bad thing to do, though, because I always hid it. Once a friend asked me if I was cutting myself and I even lied and said 'no.' I was embarrassed."

**

Sometimes self-injury affects a person's body image. Jen says, "I actually liked how the cuts looked. I felt kind of bad when they started to heal — and so I would 'freshen them up' by cutting again. Now I can see how crazy that sounds, but at the time, it seemed perfectly reasonable to me. I was all about those cuts — like they were something about me that only I knew. They were like my own way of controlling things. I don't cut myself anymore, but now I have to deal with the scars."

**

It has been said that people who cut, do so to see if they can still feel. They have become numb because of all the mental and emotional pain they have endured in their young life.

My hope is that this blog reminds us of the very serious issue of cutting that many teens face today. Let us work to help our students find relief from their pain through Jesus Christ, the only One who truly loves us unconditionally and understands us even more than we understand ourselves.

This is a great resource for Student Pastors who wish to address the issue of cutting with their students.

You may have noticed them; the kids who are hiding their pain under long sleeves or wristbands. Or you might never notice them the ones who seem to have life together except for the deep secret that they keep hidden beneath their clothes. This is no longer a fringe issue that occurs only in the most extreme cases. The truth is that many teens today are dealing with their emotional pain by inflicting physical pain upon themselves, whether we can see it on the surface or not.While we may never fully understand the motives behind self-mutilation and cutting, we can begin to understand why some teens cut, and more importantly, we can learn how to help. Marv Penner, author ofHope and Healing for Kids Who Cut, will take you into the world of self-injury, defining what it is, and what it is not. You'll hear stories from teens and young adults who struggle with the urge to hurt themselves, and you'll learn to recognize the signs of self-injury.

Leeland

2008-07-01T21:08:00.002-04:00

These guys are an inspiration! Leeland (lead vocals and writer of many of the hit songs) is a teenager. You can sense their dedication to God in their music.

Right on Leeland... write on.

ABCs of Creative Teaching Youth

2008-06-26T14:02:00.002-04:00

“Youth are mature enough for serious Bible Study. They shouldn’t need games and all this ‘creative’ stuff.”

Unfortunately this is a common sentiment among teachers of youth and adults. Of course, when they indicate serious Bible Study, what they usually mean is lecture. Yet Jesus, undoubtedly the most serious of ALL teachers, used stories, parables, object lessons, and activities to teach. As for lecture, we only have one long lecture of Jesus recorded in Scripture, the “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus involved others in the learning experience, preferring to guide his pupils to discover, understand, and live the truth. It’s a sin to for youth to leave Bible Study with the thought that it is boring and meaningless. Listed below are some ideas for preparing Bible Study with youth that is meaningful and exciting.

A.DAPT
Choosing Bible Study curriculum is like choosing new clothes. Few have the resources, skill, or the time to tailor their own. But you are not stuck with creating your own or using something that doesn’t fit. There is a third option - adjusting it so that it does fit. Bible study materials are often written to fit a wide variety of needs, but with a little planning and a little adapting here and there you can get something that fits.

Fit to the Occasion, Size, Practicality
We need to be very careful that we are not buying a Ballerina outfit for a Soccer Goalie. One may be elegant and beautiful, but no matter how much adjustment we do, it will never serve our purpose. Different occasions demand different materials. And the boys soccer team may need a little something different from the mom’s cross-stitch class. “One size fits all” rarely fits! To be most effective we need to know the sizes (spiritual maturity) of the people for which the material is intended. Finally we need something that is practical for the skill level of the teacher, the time constraints and the resources available. Discover the various interests and needs of your students and their teachers and you will be much more effective outfitting them for life.

Find the Main Idea
Isolate the main idea of the lesson, and how it should be applied to life. Then put it into one simple statement. Materials will often do this for you and call it the “teaching aim” or “central truth.” These are only suggestions and should be rewritten as necessary so that it is meaningful and applicable to YOUR youth in YOUR church. Your objective is not to cover all the material in the Bible passage, forcing your youth to “sit still while you instill” all the Bible content into them. Rather your goal is to help each to discover the ONE main truth of the passage and apply it to his or her life. Our goal is not Bible Drill Champions, but Biblical Christians. If the youth leave with one truth per week and truly apply it to life, you will have been incredibly used by God and might even create a few Bible Drill Champs in the process!

Focus the Lesson
Once you have identified the central truth, everything you do during this lesson should focus on this truth, shed light on it, look at it from different angles, help youth discover it, and eventually to see its application. Read the focal passage, the lesson in the student book, the background material, and teaching helps with your specific main idea for your youth in mind. Remember that games and activities for the mere sake of activity are meaningless. But games and activities that help youth to experience the main truth, to draw attention to it, can be the key to making the lesson memorable. They can be a hook, a hanger, on which the student can hang the lesson instead of getting lost in the bottom of the closet of their minds. When choosing activities and teaching steps, always ask the following question: “How does this activity or step reinforce the Focus of this lesson?” If you have several activities to choose from, identify which would be the best reinforcement and most likely to work with YOUR students.

Fun and Variety
Use a variety of engaging teaching methods to seize the attention of your students and draw them to the central truth. Different people learn in different ways, have had difference life experiences, have different interests and concepts of fun, different gifts and talents, and have different needs. It is impossible to teach to all these variables at once, but variety allows you to reach more of them. You want to shine a bright light of attention on all the various facets of that diamond of truth you have chosen so that all its sparkle and all its various angles and perspectives are illuminated. You want to make it so attractive to the learners so that they want to interact with it and explore it in all its detail. The worst teaching method is the one that is repeatedly used as it will progressively become more ineffective with each use. Most teaching materials will provide a couple of alternative options for each key teaching point. Identify the key idea or purpose of each activity. They are options and you can pick and choose as you wish. You may even add an option of your own if you can achieve the same result with another activity. Remember EVERYTHING in the materials are SUGGESTIONS! ADAPT!

Find Resources
If you wish to use alternative ideas you need resources. Why waste your time trying to come up with all your own ideas when there are some great helps already available from which to draw? If the focus of the lesson is for example “compassion,” then you can often find another lesson on compassion and add or replace activities in your lesson. There are many good books and resources that are just that, sources of teaching ideas for you to adapt as needed! One great resource is www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com. And when your creative juices ARE flowing and you have a creative idea, type it into your computer or jot it down on a notecard and store it in a file for later use. You never know when the same idea could be used again with a different group of youth later. Just categorize them by subjects and key words (i.e. what does this activity teach?)

B.E STUDENT FOCUSED
“We don’t teach the Bible, we teach YOUTH.”
Remember our goal is not “Content” but “Changed lives,” not “facts,” but “followers.” Our goal is to see youth grow and develop in preparation for a lifelong walk with Christ, to be faithful followers of Jesus. Many people know about God and Christianity without really knowing God and living as Christians. An effective teacher will know the needs, the likes and dislikes, and the learning preferences of youth and be able to integrate these into the lesson so that youth become a part of the lesson and can understand its application to his or her life. As you prepare for your lesson, you should keep in mind the needs, experiences, and personalities of YOUR youth. The key is to guide the lesson with YOUR youth in mind.

C.onnect.
You need to connect all the parts of the lesson together and most importantly build a connection between the lesson and the students and even between yourself, as the teacher, and the students. “Youth don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Youth need to know how one activity relates to those that have preceded it. After you have analyzed how each activity or step relates to the main lesson you only need to phrase it in a simple sentence and it serves as a great transition to the next step. You might also let youth know how this lesson connects with previous lessons. Finally youth need to know where the lesson connects with everyday life- (i.e. how does it apply.) They want to know why the lesson is important.
If you can Adapt, Be student focused, and Connect everything together, “Teaching Creatively” is as simple as ABC!

"Wake Me Up When Church Is Over" - Matt Maddix

2008-05-29T08:23:00.003-04:00

This is Matt Maddix's latest news letter... I thought it would be a great read for any Student Ministry Pastor. Amen, Brother Maddix... AMEN!

A recent Gallup Poll indicated that 70% of 18-29 year olds believe that religion is losing its influence in American life. Friends, we can no longer hide our face in the sand when 7 out of 10 of America's youth believe that religion has lost its influence. How can that be? How could we as a church be failing America's youth and children? Barna Research Group revealed that 92% of all of Christianity's conversions will take place between the ages of 12-25. I can't even begin to tell you how many 1,000's of youth that I have met on the streets of America, college campuses, high schools, and youth gatherings that have expressed to me that the number one reason why youth don't attend church is because it's boring. It's almost as if "church" is no longer relevant to the youth of America. We keep slamming our fist on the pulpits and preaching "at" these teenagers and saying things like, "We are living in a different day, and when I was your age" Come on friends, do we really remember what we were like when we were "their age?" It's so easy to put ourselves at a distance of these powerful and precious teenagers by "preaching at them" and never taking the time to listen to them. In fact, you would discover that many of today's youth have something to say and are dying to find somebody to listen to them. Years ago, I preached a message called "The True Cry of My Generation!" What is the "true cry" of my generation? What is it that teenagers and young adults are looking for? Well, I don't want to knock you off your religious high horse and break your heart, but we would be simply shocked if we knew what they were really looking for. Are you ready? On a second thought, take a deep breath and go take a seat for this one.

Would somebody please wake me up when church is over? I'd like to bring to our attention that this Sunday morning, over 88% of the teenagers in America will not be in church! My sermons on hell and the fear of God will not motivate them to get out of bed, nor will they be motivated by "fear or condemnation." In fact, the only way to get them out of bed is to offer something more and different than what we have offered our youth. I'd like to start off by saying that as a pastor, I've personally failed the youth of my church by being all over the world preaching and reaching other youth. However, major changes are coming to St. Petersburg as we will do whatever we have to do to reach our kids.

I have started by moving our youth class from the Sunday school room to the local Starbucks, and I don't "teach", but rather we study, discuss, and deal with relevant issues. Please don't misunderstand me; we are as strong in the Bible as any youth class in America. I've just found it much easier for my youth to open up over a White Chocolate Mocha rather than in a Sunday school room. As the pastor of the church, I personally teach the youth class, because I don't want anyone to have more influence in their life than myself.

Secondly, we must give them a Christianity that has thrill, appeal, challenge, and connection. Yes, we must understand that youth are looking for something that is real, and a place where they can connect. On Sunday nights, we go play volleyball on the beach with about 30 teenagers. Do you know that I can do more ministering in those 2-3 hours by hitting a ball over a net than I could almost any other thing? I've learned that if you show teenagers that you are real, you care, and that you are willing to spend time with them, then they will die for you and do whatever you ask them to do. Remember, "Rules without relationship only leads to rebellion." Yea, we Pentecostals are the rulers of the world at giving our youth a long list of "rules", but most pastors don't even know the birthdays, interests, or dreams of their youth. If we want our youth to follow rules, they'll gladly do it if they are free to ask questions, be human, and if we are patient with them as they are searching to discover God for themselves. Youth are different, and we are living in the 21st Century; we must be willing to give them something that is relevant to their world. We didn't have bomb threats, terrorist attacks, or school shootings when we were young. We didn't have the World Wide Web, text messaging, nor were we exposed to the most sexually oriented society in the history of the world. Our teens battle, deal with issues, and actually have real problems. Yea, the divorce rate is at an all time high, and 30 years ago you hardly knew anyone who came from a divorced home. However, 50% of those kids that walk into our church walk in from divorced, fractured, and dysfunctional homes and need to find a church that actually cares and gives them something real.

Thirdly, youth are looking for a mission, something to believe in, and something to die for. Yes, yesterday's Christianity is boring and no longer appealing to our youth. Church on Wednesday, Sunday morning, and Sunday night is awesome and we need it. However, today's youth are sharp, quick, and aggressive and are ready to change the world. Sadly, many of our youth groups have never been on a mission's trip or in a third world country. Many of our teenagers have no idea what it's like to help the poor and hurting. I know we all like to assume it's because they are dull, focused on their video games, and lazy. However, it's actually contrary, and they are ready for a church that will challenge them and allow them to do something big. Big? What is that? When was the last time we really took our youth on an adventurous experience? I remember when I was a youth pastor; our youth fed the homeless, we went to children's hospitals, nursing homes, we gave away bikes in the inner city, we started bus ministries, we painted houses for the elderly, cleaned up trash in the ghettos, and raised money for third world countries. It was a thrill, and they had something to believe in. Ladies and gentlemen, the reason why your kid keeps saying, "Wake me up when church is over" is because they are tired of the same old monotony and are ready for a challenge. I recently read a book entitled, "Why Christian Kids Rebel". Would you believe the number one answer was, "We rebel because our Christianity wasn't adventurous enough."? I am looking forward to Boot Camp America, and hopefully pastors, parents, and youth pastors will take up the opportunity that we have to challenge our youth, and mobilize them for an adventurous experience.

We recently took over 100 youth to the streets of Auckland, New Zealand, at 1:00 am and sang, preached, and prayed with people outside the wildest bar in Auckland. Would you believe that we baptized over 11 teenagers, and 6 of them received the Holy Ghost? Hey, we even baptized people in their underwear, and it was 40 degrees! HA! When was the last time our youth groups watched a 21 year old guy come out of the bar, receive the Holy Ghost, and be baptized in his underwear at 4:00 a.m.? Ladies and gentlemen, that would rock the world of every youth group in America. I really believe that every single teenager and youth group would be turned upside down at just one single Boot Camp experience! Awe, you sweet, sheltered, and judgmental religious people couldn't just handle seeing someone get baptized in their underwear. Really? Why do you watch all the TV and movies then? It's amazing that we'd protest something as precious and valuable as Boot Camp, and the same guys who do so will be the same guys at Blockbuster renting a movie with all kinds of filth. Well, I'd like to join the rest of today's American teenagers and say, "Wake me up when church is over!" Wake me up when we are done gossiping, playing politics, criticizing, and playing it safe. Wake me up when we are ready to spend money on things that actually change the lives of others. Wake me up when we are ready to do something intense, radical, and life changing. Wake me up when we are ready to get out of the box. Get out of the box?

Actually, I don't want to get out of the box. I am bored out of my mind with thinking outside the box. I want to think on top of the box, under the box, around the box, and on the side of the box - I want to crush the box - do whatever I have to do to reach the 7 billion people in the world of who all deserve a chance to meet an adventurous, compassion, authentic, and risky Christian. Every single young person in America deserves a chance to go to heaven.

Matt Maddix

To be or not to be...

2008-05-07T22:36:00.005-04:00

I have heard of at least four individuals, young and old, who have taken their lives this week.

The thought of this has given me such a heavy heart.

I feel like in the case of one of those individuals, who I happened to know, something MORE could have been done.

I feel like someone somewhere could have done more. (maybe it was me, maybe I could have done more)

Someone somewhere could have shown this person that there is hope. There is a reason to live. Each of us has a purpose.

Someone somewhere could have taken time to talk with this individual about a positive and fulfilling future that awaited the answer to one question.

"Can I be free from my addiction?"

I think before one gets to the point of asking if they can be free from an addiction that could take their life, they ask, "Does anyone really care?" "Who can I call on to help me through these troubled times?" "Do I really have a purpose?" "Why am I alive?" "What am I doing with my life?" "Why do I feel so lonely?" "Why am I confused?"

I want to shout tonight, to everyone who is reading this blog...

YOUR STUDENTS NEED YOU TO CARE!

By now, as you read, a face of one of the students in your student ministry may have entered your thoughts. Be the one to call them, text them, email them, visit them - Be the one to do SOMETHING to connect with them to show them that you care.

John 10:10 (NLT)
"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."

Statistics on Teen Suicide:
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds.
Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for persons between the ages of 10 and 14
Suicide is the sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds.
Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death for all persons regardless of age, sex or race;
Every hour and forty-five minutes another young person commits suicide.

We can't wait any longer - they're crying out for help.

Be.

**

The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said:

"The essential purport of the world-famous monologue in Hamlet is, in condensed form, that our state is so wretched that complete non-existence would be decidedly preferable to it. Now if suicide actually offered us this, so that the alternative "to be or not to be" lay before us in the full sense of the words, it could be chosen unconditionally as a highly desirable termination ("a consummation devoutly to be wish'd" [Act III, Sc. I.]). There is something in us, however, which tells us that this is not so, that this is not the end of things, that death is not an absolute annihilation.[3]"

Easy Fundraising

2008-04-07T10:36:00.004-04:00

We had a great and successful fundraiser this past weekend that I wanted to share with everyone. The local ice skating rink allowed us to have the entire facility for two hours on a Saturday (from 4:00pm – 6:00pm). They normally charge $8 for entrance and skate rentals. We negotiated that they give us $4 of each entrance fee. We called local Christian book stores and asked volunteers to gather up small door prizes. We ended up having almost 80 kids show up and raised over $300 with minimal work!

The event was a blast and was very easy to plan and run. I did a short 5 minute devotion towards the end of the 2 hours in the middle of the ice rink (I felt like a circus master!) and then gave away door prizes. Our goal was to have a bit more in attendance but we counted it a success none-the-less.

With this formula, $1000 would be very easy to raise with 250 in attendance.

d a n p o n j i c a n
C O M M U N I T Y p a s t o r
Heavenview UPC ▪ Winston Salem, NC

Chime in!

2008-03-19T16:42:00.003-04:00

I have begun to send out emails to several student ministry pastors, workers, volunteers and ministers to collect feedback on the topics listed below. This experiement is meant to help you, the student ministry pastor/leader to understand the culture that God has called us to minister to.

Let's keep our minds open and learn from each other. If there is a topic that you want included in this list, please do not hesitate to send me a note and I'll consider adding it.

So anyways... here they are;

(Easy ones!)
-The one thing I would change if I could re-do the first 30 days of student ministry.
-What is your opinion/experience on how involved teens should be in "non-church" events, clubs and/or organizations. (i.e. sports, bands, chess club, etc.)
-What do you see as the most effective program to teach and develop passionate worship in student's lives?
-What do you see as the most effective program to teach and develop effective evangelism in student's lives?
-Your definition of success in student ministry.

(Let's get crazy!)
-Should student ministries show favorites to exceptional students (putting individuals on a pedestal).
-How should a student ministry approach sex education?
-How do you define 'Holiness' to a teen in your ministry?

Interview with Kevin Hopper

2007-10-04T21:44:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to ask Kevin Hopper, Student Leader Extraordinaire, a few questions on Student Ministry:

CP - Do you feel that it is important for the core students in a youth group to be involved in some type of leadership - where their suggestions are taken into consideration and they feel responsible for some aspects of teaching, planning, etc.?

KH - When you say “core students” I take it that they have not only made a commitment to God and acknowledged that they want to do something for Him, but they have also made a commitment to their Youth Pastor.

By commitment to the Youth Pastor, I mean they have applied themselves to working (whatever their hands find to do) with all aspects of youth ministry including community service, youth service, prayer meetings, car washes, outreach, taking care of church facilities and yard etc...

Remember, even Jesus told His disciples “follow me and I will make you fishers of men”. You first have to be a good follower (in word, in deeds, in attitudes and in dress) then you can be a good leader.

As a part of the training process to go on and be used of God, the student needs to get involved in youth leadership, to follow through with their commitment to God to be an instrument for His glory! The training should be complete, meaning, no one owns an area of ministry but all get a chance to lead a community service day or a prayer meeting.

The student needs to work with a pre-plan to be approved by the Youth Pastor or whoever is appointed. When everything is said and done, the student should be willing to sit down and go over the event and accept suggestions and constructive criticisms to improve for the next time.

This is where the student will get their hands-on training/experience to be used later when they are on their own and doing a work for God.

It is exciting when you, as the student, spend time in prayer and put together a service with God’s help and under the Youth Pastor’s guidance.

Then when things begin to happen through the Spirit as God begins to move and the youth respond to His Spirit, it is awesome!

CP - How do you, personally, help students feel empowered to do something for Christ?

KH - To some extent you help to empower youth even before thy become part of your “core group”, you try to empower all the students and the ones that accept the empowerment stand up and want to be counted for the Kingdom’s sake.

This is done by talking to them and finding out their weaknesses and fears, because this is what the devil tries to get them to dwell on. Relate to the student a Biblical story or a personal story that refutes their fear or weakness. Sometimes you can do it one-on-one or just include the story in a lesson.

The lesson is very effective to reach out to empower the student. You can tell two or three stories and each one will be for some one different and in the end you have impacted a large part of the audience.

**

Thanks to Kevin Hopper! This insight is very helpful to all who are working to better their Student Ministries.

Teaching techniques that really seem to work

2007-09-28T12:29:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday!

As Dan and I have begun teaching the Teen Class at our local gathering, we have noticed that giving the students something to be responsible for doing, actually aids in their ability to concentrate and learn. (go figure! said as sarcastically as I can say it, because this could go without saying... I hate it when I state the obvious...)

We have been teaching for the past month on FREEDOM - they are to use the lessons that we teach, to teach inmates at a local minimum security prison in October.

Nervous? You bet! They are quite nervous about this task/opportunity - but I believe in the deepest parts of my heart that they will grow tremendously from this experience - it will be something that they will not soon forget.

Believe in your students - teach them something that they can teach others! (make it simple and keep it real!)

a little background

2007-09-18T20:55:00.002-04:00

Dan and I have been involved in student ministry since we were both about seventeen years of age. Through the years we have learned a few things that we would like to share with you, to help your Student Ministry flourish.

We would love to share with you, through our posts, what has worked for us and what has flopped - yes, we have had a few of those events that just didn't "reap the harvest" like we thought they would... unfortunately...

Let us save you some time and planning... we are here to answer your questions AND we are committed to doing this regularly.

**

Today's question:

How do you show a student that you really care about getting involved in their lives, if they have been hurt by someone close to them, and they are majorly lacking in the trust department?

Answer:

Students KNOW that you are required to be at church. They know that as a student pastor or student leader "on the team", you are expected to show up to each youth event on the calendar.

If you are REALLY trying to connect with these students to help them learn that they can trust you, do something with them outside of the regularly scheduled programming.

Spending time with students OUTSIDE of church or scheduled student related activities is key to nourishing your relationship. The more they know you, the more they will trust you. (hopefully)

It is my opinion that students should NOT be at your home every weekend - I am talking about once a week, going out with the students that are in need of some extra attention. (outside of church time)

If you do not protect your home and your marriage, you will have no ministry.

I have learned that calling a student to let them know you are thinking of them, sending cards to their home, inviting them out for a delicious dessert (and coffee) allows you the chance to just sit back and relax together. If you feel that you cannot keep the conversation going on your own, take a sanguine with you and enjoy a good laugh.

See you next week!

Believing IS Seeing

2007-09-14T10:01:00.001-04:00

I woke up this morning and was reminded of the times that someone believed in me, if it wasn't my quiz coach, Kevin Hopper (my Uncle), or Natasha Carmine (my mom away from home who always tricked my brother and I with one "made-up" home remedy or another every chance she had), it was my Mom, my Dad, Pastor Wayne Trout, Sis. Janet Trout, James and Deidre Turner...the list goes on...

SOMEONE believed in me. At times, I think that is all it took. Knowing this, motivated me - I remember feeling like I could not let them down. I often thought, if THEY believe in me, surely I can muster up some belief in myself!

Dan and I recently had the opportunity to attend a new church and have been asked to teach the High School students, as needed, during their weekly class.

I hardly know these students, but the first thing I feel myself doing is... believing.

I begin to see who these students CAN BE and who they ARE RIGHT NOW.

If I keep believing, I will eventually SEE - how God can use them in tremendous ways.

Never give up on your students, because God never gave up on you.

See you next week!