Do you have piles of pictures from old youth group activities or trips? Do you at least have them on your phone? Well, here is the easiest way to use those old pictures for good!
One of the most fundamental needs we have as humans is to be seen and to be known. In an age of social media we can give a lot of love by simply “liking” a students status or pic, and we can get even more when we tag them on Facebook or Instagram. But we all know deep in our hearts that doesn’t really cost you anything. Did you know that if you simply print off that picture and mail it through the post office, that you have actually satisfied, albeit briefly, that longing to be seen and known.
Here is all you do to make your students feel seen and known:
For parents of a troubled teen, the main question that is asked time and time again is this: “What is missing?” Parents feel like they have failed in some way because there is something that is missing from their teen’s life. They see this as the cause of all of the trouble. However, you should know that it is not your fault. If you have raised your teen in a warm and loving home, and he or she has still not turned to God, He could be the real element that is missing. You need to know how to reach out to your teen for God so that He can begin working to change the child’s life.
Do Not Be Overbearing
The number one mistake that parents make in this situation is to be overbearing. They try to push religion on the teen so much that the teen naturally starts to push back. Your son could reject the message just because he is so sick of hearing it. Remember that teens often are striving to be individuals. They may reject things that you say just because you said them, and for no other reason. Do not push too hard, or you could close that door for communication.
Do Not Be Judgmental
Another thing to avoid is judging your teen. Do not pick up all of your daughter’s faults and call her out on them. She already knows what they are. If you are angry and judgmental in your approach, she is just going to return your anger. She will not listen to what you have to say about God.
Ask Questions
Many teens want to talk. They want someone to listen to them. If they are walking away from God, do not yell at them or lecture them. Instead, ask questions about their decisions. Sit down and really get to understand why the teen is making the choices that he or she is making. This information can help you to communicate with your child. It also shows your child that you care. When the teen knows that you care and that you want to hear his or her side of things, your child will be more likely to listen to what you have to say.
Connect God with Things that the Teen Enjoys
There are many ways in which God can communicate with people. If your teen loves music, there are Christian artists who can bring a good message to any style of music. If he or she loves to read, there are also Christian authors who are writing great books every year. Rather than just dragging an unwilling child to church, you should try to use the child’s interests to bring them to God for better results.
About the Guest Author
K. Sontoya writes in behalf of HelpYourTeenNow.com . She helps them in spreading awareness about troubled and depressed teenagers (and how to deal with them). Help Your Teen Now aims to increase awareness on the current psychological and societal stresses of today’s teens and how these factors affect the future of our society.
After 3 long months, I am finally back in the saddle. It has been an amazing time off and I actually feel rested. At first I was a little bummed that I didn’t have money or space for some grand adventure like hiking across Europe. I failed in my pursuit to become an Abercrombie model, and didn’t memorize an entire book of the Bible. (Even 3 John) But because I wanted to stay married and have a relationship with my kids, I put some of those dreams on hold for some practical and needed maintenance.
Sure enough, settling in, relaxing, becoming comfortable in my own skin and playing endless board games with the family has paid off in a healthy person, dad, husband and pastor. I am so thankful for my church family and their care for me! It is so extravagant for a youth pastor to be cared for like this, for their staff and volunteers to do such an amazing job, and to even welcome me back with such excitement.
I love our church and I love student ministry. I look forward to this next season of ministry. And for better or worse, I look forward to doing in the unique manner in which God has created me to do it. I don’t want to keep striving to be someone else, nor do I want to continually judge myself by some false ruler that I continually come up short on. I know my gifts, I know my failings, and I am planning on bringing all of that to the ministry God has called me to.
GAME ON!
ps: Here is a little video one of my students, Spencer Wilson, made. He is an awesome young man and friend, and blessed the snot out of me and made me laugh with this video. Enjoy!
pps: Here are some home made Ben Kerns Fan Club shirts made by my homie! YES PLEASE!
ppps: Everyone needs to work hard in one context, take a break, and come back ready to take ministry to the next level with kids who you have walked through some significant road together. (If that isn’t part of your call or contract, let me at your elders!)
Our culture is changing, shouldn’t our ministries adapt as well?
One of the areas of passion for me is contextualization. As our context becomes more and more post-Christian, I am realizing that the way forward is going to be complex and challenging. Because of this a couple of the youth pastors in my network whom I love and respect decided that we should host an event to wrestle through some of these issues.
We genuinely believe that the the community of youth workers in our context will have a much better shot finding a way forward than a book by an author from a totally different context or by the oner person with the biggest personality and loudest voice pushing their agenda.
In just one week we are going to take a big swing and gather our peeps from the Bay Area for this conversation. If you call the Bay Area home, would you consider coming? If you consider me a friend, would you come as a personal favor If you are no where near us, please pray for us and feel free to chime in!
Below is how we are wrestling through these issues. I would love your thoughts on how you wrestle through these issues in your context. Continue Reading…
[averageym Note: Andy Blanks is becoming a good friend, and in fact a good enough friend that we found ourselves disagreeing on some ministry philosophy. I love when we be come good enough friends and that there is already a foundation of humility and grace that we can actually wrestle through issues, sharpen each other, and learn from one another. Thanks for inviting further conversation. The post below was featured yesterday on the youthministry360.com blog.]
[ym360 Note: This thoughtful and thought provoking post is born out of a discussion Ben and I had based on a post I wrote entitled, "Stop Telling Students To Invite Their Friends To Church." (You can see Ben's comment at the bottom of the page.) I was reminded once again of the great truth that there's room for different opinions and approaches as we all seek to lead students closer to Christ. I'm deeply thankful for Ben and his devotion to Christ, his family, and his ministry. Even if I don't always agree with him. --Andy]
This last spring we signed up my 5-year-old for his first season of T-ball. It’s quite entertaining to watch 5-year-olds learning the game of baseball. By the end of the season, the goal is that these kids will (almost) know their positions, the direction to run around the bases, how to hit a ball off a T, and, well, that’s about it. But the foundation has been laid.
While I’d love for my son to live out my his dream of playing in the big leagues one day, my ultimate dream is for him to be a godly man who loves Jesus, and who lives a life that reflects that love. My dream is that he would live “within the culture as a missionary who is as faithful to the Father and his gospel as Jesus was in his own time and place.” In essence, my dream is that my son would live a life that is missional.
I’ll come back to this baseball analogy. But first, I want to talk about this concept of missional living as it relates to the students in our ministries.
If you are no where near us, please pray for us and feel free to chime in!
