Insight

Serving others - more food for thought

You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you. John Bunyan

Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can. John Wesley

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one. Mother Teresa

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?' Martin Luther King, Jr.

God has given us two hands - one to receive with and the other to give with. We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing. Billy Graham

The future of youth ministry - learning to serve!

In a previous post 'The future of youth ministry-consumers or servants', I asked if one of the major changes we face as youth leaders today is to orientate our young people away from a consumer mentality (which some argue has gripped the western church) to an attitude of service. Moving from spectators only, to participants in demonstrating Christ's compassion for the world, bringing Good News to those who have never heard it and engaging in sacrificial service because that's what the Lord Jesus would want from us.

Isn't one of the marks of a deepening faith, a servant heart? A desire to do good in the name of Jesus? A passion to reach others with a life transforming Gospel?

'For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.' Ephesians 2:10

Resource review

Pointing you in the direction of great youth ministry resources, thought provoking articles, interviews and comments on youth work and leadership.

I've mentioned Brian and Jacob's blog Rethinking Youth Ministry before and it's well worth investing a few minutes to check it out. In a recent article Creative Worship-Artful Prayer, Brian gives 8 creative ways to engage young people in prayer.

'I suppose most of us would love it if we had a group full of young people who loved to pray out loud with a group. (But) young people are often shy about sharing verbally with others for fear of being laughed at or not being able to really articulate what they feel. Additionally, not all youth (or adults, for that matter) are verbal learners. So here are a few prayer ideas that tap into other intelligences and learning styles’

Also take a look at my own article People of Prayer – an evening of creative prayer for young people.

Nigel writes at Relational Youth Work and shares his reflections, advice, stories and comments on relational youth ministry. Everything flows out of your relationship with God is a reminder to us all of the need to stay close to the Lord as we minister to young people.

'One of the key issues for me when considering my work with young people is my vision to see them fully released into what God wants them to be. That's where my personal relationship with God becomes all-important. If my connection isn't fully working then what am I modelling? More than that - what am I imparting spiritually as I pray and work with them?'

The Youth Ministry Exchange is a youth ministry website and resource produced by youth workers for youth workers.

'YMX exists to serve, support, and reach out to those who serve, support, and reach out to today's incredible adolescents.'

I say, this is an excellent site to check out for youth ministry articles, helpful free resources, the new YMX blog, the discussion forums and much more. You can also sign up for a free weekly newsletter of articles, resources and links.

The Body of Christ - a themed youth evening of icebreakers, games and talk!

Exploring what it means to be part of the church and to play our part in the 'body of Christ.' To complete the icebreakers and games the young people need to co-operate with each other and work as a team.

BODY WALK

Draw two chalk lines on the floor about 10 metres apart. Divide the young people into teams of four. The object of the game is for each team to cross from one line to the other with only the correct number of limbs or body parts touching the floor. Begin with easy combinations, gradually becoming more complicated: 6 feet only, 5 feet and 2 elbows, 5 feet and 1 hand, 4 feet and 3 hands, 2 feet and 4 hands, 3 feet and 1 nose etc. You can make it as easy or difficult as you like. Have 6-10 different combinations. This game is about working together as a team. You might like to have a camera ready - you have to see this to believe it! Remember to ask the girls to wear jeans for the evening.

The future of youth ministry - consumers or servants?

After a break from blogging over the Christmas and New Year, I'm back with weekly thoughts and reflections on youth ministry and youth resource ideas.

I've been reading a number of comments and observations recently about the future of youth ministry. At least as it applies to the western nations of Europe and the USA. That distinction is important, for I believe if we took the time to look, we could learn a lot from the vitality, mission and discipleship experiences of our brothers and sisters in Latin America, Africa, Central Asia and elsewhere.

I came across a challenging post from Joe recently and it has prompted me to make a small and hesitant contribution to the discussion. I like Joe's honesty. He says, 'I know God has called me here for a purpose and a reason. That reason is to love kids and point them towards the Kingdom. (But) I am tired of doing the same old stuff. Why? IT ISN'T WORKING!!'

Some commentators question if current youth ministry practices have reached a dead-end. Others say youth ministry is terminally 'broken' and a few wonder if churches even need a youth group any longer. Brian has posted a thoughtful reflection on this here.

So is youth ministry really 'broken'? Are our youth programmes redundant? Is it what we do that's wrong? Or is it that our focus is wrong?