NEED YOUR HELP!

I have been mating with a couple other youth pastors in the community. We all share the same ideals about youth ministry. In the south (Bible Belt) we have a HUGE problem of "MY church is better than your church." It is nothing like I have ever seen up north. So here is what me and these two other your pastors are trying to pull off. We are going to have a big rally with all our youth groups together once a quarter and then have Mission Mondays a few Mondays this summer to get all of our kids together. Mainly to show all of our kids that we are all on the same team and to show them other Christians that go to their schools.
HERE'S WHERE YOU COME IN!!!
What are some ideas you have to help this go smoothly?
Do you have any ideas for a name for these rallies?
What are the red flags we may encounter? (theology doesn't count, we are all on the same page)

Thanks for your help!!!
Love you all :)

-Z

Good News For Christian Football Fans I Suppose

If you happen to be in a church leadership position and have lamented not being (legally) allowed to show the Big Game to your church, youth group, etc, lament no longer. The NFL has reversed its previous decision and is now allowing religious organizations to show the game, no matter what size screen they are showing it on. The previous ruling dictated that a church could not show the game on any screen larger than 55 inches.

So there you go...start your pre-planning for next year and your pre-pre planning for 2012 when the game is in Indy (hopefully)!

Many Faces of Youth Ministry :)

Good Samaritan Skit

Here is a a skit we did at youth group. The kids loved it!
It works really well if the acting students are over dramatic and really into it.
Think dodgeball instructional video. :)
Use it if you want....change it however you like...I just hope it helps!!!


Good Samaritan Skit: Luke 10:30-37

Roles:
Narrator
Billy: on their way to class (maybe dressed kinda nerdy)
Bullies: (however many you want)
Jock: late for practice and to busy and stop and help
Prep: doesn’t want to get dirty and doesn’t want to be seen with the hurt person
Good Samaritan: Student who helps Billy

Props:
Nerd gear
Torn shirt for nerd
Sports equipment for jock
Prep gear


SKIT:

Narrator: (read with a voice like the "How to video" on Dodgeball)
One day Billy was on his way to class at. It was a beautiful day, and Billy really loved his
school.
(Billy will be walking across the stage with a big dorky smile as happy as he could be, even whistling)
All of a sudden Billy feels a tap on his shoulder.
(Have the bullies tap Billy on the shoulder)
Next thing Billy knows is that he is shoved into a closet and well……
(Bullies throw Billy into door on stage right. Billy screams and you hear the sound of smacks and crashing chairs)
(After several seconds Billy craws out to the middle of the stage beaten up)
(You could even have red paint put on Billy’s face, and wearing torn cloths.)
Lucky for Billy here comes some help.
(Enters jock carring practice gear, obvisouly in a hurry)

Jock:
Are you ok?
(Billy moans)
You really need some help………
(Pause as jock looks at practice)
I mean…I would love to help…but I have practice and home work, and I have to call my girl
friend…I sorry
(Pause)
I hope that you are ok…
(Jock leaves in a rush)

Narrator:
Poor Billy…He really needed to be helped but that person was in too big of a hurry.
Maybe someone else will help Billy.
(Enters Prep dressed very nice and talking very loudly on the cell phone)
(The Prep works best if the person is over-the-top dramatic)

Prep:
Like I know…She did look like a hippo in that dress. OMG…R U OK
(Billy moans)
Like you really need some help…That blood does not match your shirt at all…
(Billy moans)
(Prep turns around and starts talking on the cell phone)
You are not going to believe this…you know that nerdy kid, no…the other one, no…the
other one, no…the other one, no…THE OTHER ONE…
Yeah like he got beat up and needs some help. I know I can’t get blood on my new cloths…
What if someone sees me with him…OMG…TTYL…BFF
(Prep turns back to Billy)
Like I know your really hurt but like I got to go…TTFN

Narrator:
Poor Billy…isn’t anyone going to help him.
(Enters good samaritan student)

Good Samaritan:
Hey are you ok?
(Billy moans)
You look awful!
(Billy moans)
I should help you……
(Pause as student turns away…Student then begins dialoge away from Billy)
He really needs help…...But I really don’t have time
He looks so bad…....But I’ve got school work and other stuff I have to get done
But what if someone sees me with him……
(Pause………)
I don’t care I have to help.
Come on Billy and let’s get you to the nurse.
(Student helps Billy up and takes him to nurse)

I'm a DOER!!!

So often I find myself in situtations where I know what to do, but I spend so much time thinking about what to do, the moment passes by and I don't do anything.
This past Wednesday I challenged my youth to stop thinking and start doing.
In the word's of Drury, It was a home run.
(ALL PRAISE TO GOD FOR MOVING THE HEARTS OF THE YOUTH).
-there are a compele different ending below, make it your own :)


Below: Manuscript and skit
Use it and make it your own.

I’m a Doer!!!
Checkers with June-June
One of my favorite memories growing up was going over to my grandma’s house. My grandma’s name was June-June and June-June was also our babysitter. My sister and I loved going over to June-June’s house because there were two things that we knew where going to happen. One was that we were going to get to eat Pringles. I loved Pringles and because they were so expensive I never got to eat them except when we went to June-June’s. The other thing that was going to happen was we were going to play checkers.
Who loves checkers? I loved playing checkers especially with June-June. So we would get the board out and get the pieces all set up. I would always play with the black game pieces and June-June was always red.
The only problem with playing checkers with June-June was that she was really good and obviously I was not. I was a 7 year old playing against a lady in her sixties. Needless to say I really didn’t have a chance. She kicked my butt.
I remember playing and focusing so hard on what move I would make. I would sit at the table thinking, and thinking and thinking, for what seemed like hours contemplating the next move I would make. Until finally, June-June would get tired of sitting and would start counting down from 10…9...8...7…6…5. And all of a sudden I would quit thinking and do something. And then she would move and then the process began again. Thinking, Thinking, thinking…and as I got older even though I knew what I was suppose to do I would think and think and think, until June-June would say, just do it.

We have moments in our lives like this too. We know that it is our turn to move but we just sit there thinking. We almost always know what our next move should be but we just sit there and wait. Maybe, waiting for someone to move for us or tell us what to do. Sometimes we wait because curtain people are watching or because we know that what we must do might make us uncomfortable, yet we know that it is our turn and we know what move to make but the moment passes us by because we just think…
In Luke 10 we see this also played out. This is the parable of the Good Samaritan. And to help tell this story some of your fellow students have put together a little drama to help. So if you would please put your hands together for this presentation. Scream as loud as you can for our presentation of another day at Alamance High.

Good Samaritan Skit

What a great job they did. They are awesome. And I know we were poking fun at this and usually you don’t have to worry about walking past someone who is bleeding at you school but…

The point still remains. We are faced with moment’s everyday that put the choice is placed in our hands and we are forced to make a decision. When I played checkers with June-June at first when I started playing I did not always know what the right move was, but as I grew to learn how to play the game I knew what move I had to make. So I made my move.
And the fact remains that there are many decisions that you guys face during the day. I’m not talking about what to eat for lunch, but should you stay and listen to that dirty joke, or should you curse, or should you go to that party were you know people are going to be drinking, or should you do with or that with your boy friend or girl friend. You guys have big decisions everyday and you know what the right move is but we spend to much time thinking and not enough time doing.
Are you going to have enough courage to stand up for what you believe in and not only think the right choice but to do right choice.
It’s one thing to think of the right thing to do….It’s another to do the right thing…
It’s one thing to think of the right thing to do….It’s another to do the right thing…

James 2:14-17
You must not only think of the right thing but do the right thing.
Let me ask you this…last time you were faced with a tough decision what did you think…and what did you do.

I think that many of us are thinkers but not doers. We get half way there.
When I played checkers with June-June there were moves that I had to make during the game that I didn’t want to make. I knew that to win the game I had to sacrifice a game piece, a piece of who I was to make the right choice.
And to win at this game of life to win at this Christian walk you also are going to have to sacrifice and make moves that you really don’t want to make.
But we must be doers!!!
God’s word says that without action our faith is dead….

How could we transform the world if we became doers!!!!

With every head bowed and every eye closed.
This time is between you can God.
Ask yourself if you are truly a thinker or a doer.
We are going to spend the next several minutes seeking God.
If you have trouble stepping out and being a doer, this is a great time to ask God to give you the strength to be a doer.

Pray at your seat, come to the altar, whatever you would like.
But lets become Doers……..
Let’s seek God together….


In this youth group we are going to be a family of doers…not students who can just talk the talk but students who are willing to step out and be doers….do the right thing.
Here is what I want you to do. We are going to spread out on this half of the gym and I want you to spend some time praying about being a doer. We are not going to be just thinkers any more….we are going to be doers.
So quietly spread out across this half of the gym and ask God to give you the strength to be a doer.

Can You Love Your Enemies?

Found these online today at the Plow. Wish I would have had them this past week as we actually discussed Luke 10 and the good samaritan and how we are to love our neighbors. We talked about finding that one person, the one who really gets to you. the one who you would say you hate if you weren't a christian. i had our students picture that person, then passed out boxes of valentines candy and told them I wanted them to give them to that person this week at school. We'll see next week how it went. I'm planning on using these to facilitate more discussion.

Some questions; In general, do these detract from the idea of loving our neighbors by being too over the top? Is there an "over the top" when talking about loving others? Do you think these would fly in your church? Youthgroup? If not, why?

Lent and Holy Week

Hey guys,

We're into the Lenten season and our church is beginning to plan our Holy Week services (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter) and I was wondering if you have any good ideas you're using with your youth programs, getting them involved in Easter and maybe even the less celebrated days.

Upcoming Series

I'm in the process of nailing down our next sermon series. Partly inspired by Shane Claiborne, we're calling it What If Jesus Meant Everything He Said?. Here is what I have so far;

Week One: I Heart Who? (Loving our neighbors)
Focus is Luke 10:25-37, the good samaritan. Key verse is 37a, "Go and do likewise." Main theme is that if they have flesh and blood, we're called to love them.

Week Two: Faith With Legs (Practical ways to love people)
Focus is Matthew 25:34-46, the sheep and the goats. Key verse is 40 "...whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." We'll be taking a trip the following Saturday to hand out food and coats downtown Ft. Wayne, to anyone hungry or cold.

Week Three: 4 Seeds (parable of the sower)
Focus is Mark 4:1-20. Key verse might be 9, "...He who has ears let him hear."

While I've tentatively planned out each of these lessons, I wanted to throw them around unfinished and see if any of you had thoughts. I'm really looking for illustrations, visuals, different angles on these messages that I haven't thought of. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Church WiFi?

I found this article on another blog but thought it was interesting enough to pass along.

"The geek world has been abuzz lately regarding Ars Technica's look at the ethics of stealing wifi. At Church Marketing Sucks, we don't make too much of an effort to be arbiters of morality. But we would love to be proponents of ideas.

How about opening your church up?

These days, there's more to being welcoming to visitors than putting "Welcome" on your church sign. Shoot, it even goes beyond having official "greeters."

What if your church had the sweetest wifi in the town, some really comfy chairs and a few friendly faces? How great would it be to have folks normally hostile to "church" be able to say, "I'm gonna go hang out at the church and get some work done."

As a connoisseur of fine seating (ENO and Love Sac, if you're wondering) and a constant searcher for the perfect coffee shop, I can tell you this: if I found somewhere with good coffee or sweet tea, open spaces and comfy chairs, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Folks lucky enough to work at home, thankful as they should be, need to get away sometimes.

So bump up your Internet speed, get some decent coffee, sweet tea or pastries, and invite folks on in. This is the 21st century. Maybe it's time that the church is a friend for the friendless, a home for the homeless and an office for the officeless."

Alright, it's Marc again. All that being said, here are a few things to keep in mind

1. Will offering this necessarily bring people back to church (if that is even a goal)?
2. How stringent is your content filtering? (how do coffee houses offering wifi prevent objectionable/illegal material ie. porn? do they at all? I really don't know)
3. Would this even be worth it or would it be fighting a losing battle to the 900 Starbucks type places already established?

Thoughts?

I got a surprise Saturday at Lunch...I was preaching Sunday Morning!!!!!

I got a call Saturday at 11am. It was my pastor telling me that he was going to be gone the rest of Saturday and Sunday to an undisclosed destination. Long story short, my pastor jumped town for the weekend and I was left with the full responsibities for Sunday. YIKES! Nothing like short notice.

If you attended chapel the day a preach, you hopefully remember the sermon I gave about the power of God's word. It was based off of Matt 4 where Jesus is being tempted in the dessert.
A little refresher....Jesus is being tempted by Satan...... Satan used Scripture to try and get Jesus to fall, and Jesus uses Scripture to combat the temptation. Needless to say there is amazing power in Scripture if Jesus and Satan both used it against each other.

That is the sermon I gave on Sunday. I have to be honest, I was a little frusted with my pastor jumping town without giving me a reason why.
After thinking about why all this was happening, my mind jumped back to this summer to somthing Wilbur Williams said in Israel.

During our trip, time after time, we would be postponed for some unknown reason. Instead of getting upset Wilbur began to praise and thank God for being in control. I can rember Wilbur saying, "God we don't know why this is happening, BUT you do. So thank you for having a plan bigger than we are."

Flashforward back to Sunday.........I gave the message in both services and the Lord truly blessed it. The response from the congregation was AMAZING. At our church the congregation occasionally will clap after the choir sings a special, and amazingly enough they were so moved by the message that after the dismissal they began to clap. I have no doubt that this clap was a praise offering to God and I give Him all the PRAISE and HONOR.

Let me encourage everyone. So often we get upset because the circumstances in our lives change without our permission or consent. REMEMEBER...GOD IS IN CONTROL!!! Next time you face a situation where you are completely confused and frustated because your plans change, remember what Wilbur said, "God we don't know why this is happening, BUT you do. So thank you for having a plan bigger than we are."

May you remeber that God has a bigger plan!

Loveingly cheering you on,
Pudge