Leaders define reality What’s really going on with your organization? Are you honest with yourself? Are things good, really? If someone were to ask the people who work for or with you these questions, what would they say about you and how things are going? These are questions any good leader should ask. It’s one […]
This past weekend, over one hundred middle school students descended upon the Hayward Wesleyan Church for the Spring Lock-In. I don’t know why they like doing this?! In order to organizationally survive 10 hours with middle school students, one needs to have a comprehensive plan for the time allotted. Preferably there needs to be more […]
When I was in college @ Multnomah University, I had a professor named, Dr. Steve Patty. In his class on Managing Church Ministries, Dr. Patty taught his students some proverbial wisdom he affectionately called: Patty Proverbs. Here they are: Leaders define reality Always lead people, not programs People are always down with what they are […]
Common Sense Rules Guard your privacy Protect your reputation Nothing is private online Assume everyone is watching Apply the Golden Rule Watch the clock Choose wisely Don’t hide Think about what you see Be smart and safe HT Digital Kids Initiative via Common Sense Media source YouTube
When I was in high school, my youth pastor, Mike Mobly loved sharing this story with us. We probably heard it 10+ times. Mike told it so well that I could almost picture the video in my mind. The other day I came across a video that sort of recreated the moment and the circumstances […]
When asked to draw a picture of herself @ Kindergarten screening a couple of days ago, this was Sari’s interpretation:
This is fascinating: “The common usage of texting and Facebook has changed the dynamics of teenage dating. The biggest changes can be seen in the courting process where the goal is to ask the other person out on a date. However teenagers still meet potential romantic partners face-to-face. “Another obvious shift is the fact that […]
Ranked Methods of Communication for Teens Meet in person = 58% Texting = 28% Talking on mobile phone = 5% Facebook = 5% Talking on the home phone, email, Twitter = 1% Who would have thought that the majority of teenagers want to communicate face-to-face instead of through technology? I wonder if technology has provided […]
As a middle school pastor who manages a number of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students each week, I know that our list of rules grows by the week. If you want to see if you have any holes in your policies, just place some middle school students in the middle of your experiment and […]
I love stories! They have the capacity to call forth all kinds of emotions. Stories can make you cry, laugh, scream, even change behavior. Here is one such story that any seasoned parent will appreciate: “Why is it that kids will do just about anything in their capacity not to admit to certain things? It’s […]
In Main Street, we show succinct video clips of Bible stories fairly often. This video was very helpful for summarizing a very complicated story with far-reaching implications. Prior to showing this video I had “taught” through the implications and the story of Cornelius and Peter. This took a little over 10 minutes and it got […]
The writers over @ All Pro Dad blog compiled 10 interesting facts about marriage. Out of the 10, my favorite is #7: More than friendship, laughter, forgiveness, compatibility, and sex, spouses name trust as the element crucial for a happy marriage. Click to see all 10
The story of Cornelius and Peter is super important. It is the crux of the realization that God’s kingdom is available to whole world instead of just the Jewish people. Jews are God’s special people for the expressed purpose of showing the world what God is like and being living examples of the kind of […]
This quote from Paul Martin really speaks to whether we believe the Gospel in and of itself is “good news”: When we, for whatever reason, think that the gospel in itself isn’t attractive, we have lost sight of our faith. Using entertainment to dress up our faith or baiting outreach with gimmicks shows an individual […]
This is one of those classic videos that I never tire of seeing: HT All Pro Dad source YouTube
I told this story @ the 2012 Easter Eggstravaganza. (Hold a rock while talking about rocks… make sure it’s big enough for the audience to see) There are 3 kinds of rocks Now I’m not a geologist, so this is simple and don’t ask any questions 🙂 There are:
What are you saying when you are not “saying” anything? How does your body language communicate to others? Here’s a helpful chart to illustrate what you’re communicating when you’re not communicating:
We showed this video @ Main Street to illustrate the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. source YouTube
I know that just putting together a school-wide “High School Musical”-type routine doesn’t stop bullying and teasing. But what a way to collectively and communally raise awareness! I bet this school really owns what they’ve created as well as the cause that creation supports. HT Rethinking Youth Ministry via Advocate source YouTube
Philip is preaching and teaching about Jesus in Samaria. Last week, Philip encountered Simon the Sorcerer in Samaria. This week, Philip is divinely directed to a location in which he ends up meeting an Ethiopian Eunuch who had some questions about Isaiah 53:7-8. After a fruitful conversation, the Eunuch ask to be baptized. Philip did […]