Terry Linhart

As I drive to YSPalooza in Chicago with Seth Bartlette  (from RemedyLive.com and one of our youth ministry graduates from Bethel College-Indiana), I thought it appropriate to make a small announcement (which has already been announced, but it’s a bit more official now).

First, some backstory:  For years I  have had the privilege of attending numerous National Youth Workers Conventions.  The Nashville NYWC has always been a bit of a transitional point for me it seems.  I love YS’s work and always feel ‘at home’ when I attend their conferences.  I can’t sing “Blessed Be the Name” without thinking of the St. Louis convention after YS founder Mike Yaconelli died and Chris Tomlin came out and began the conference singing, “He gives and takes away….. He gives and takes away….”

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Posted on Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 7:11 AM in Youth Ministry. No comments

I’ve always watched leaders in action. I am drawn to those who can take adverse circumstances, rally dissonant voices/people together, and foster a general consensus to lead forward.  Most leaders have strong drive, intense focus, and work extra hard to accomplish tasks.

I remember watching Ronald Reagan during my teenage years and I was always fascinated that he spent much of his downtime on his ranch … clearing brush.  Why would the most powerful person in the world choose to do one of more mundane tasks over and over?  And on purpose?

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Posted on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 7:11 AM in Leadership. No comments

Nothing too profound here today, but I’m just curious about how you see what matters to youth’s clothing and style choices change as they make school transitions.  Have you observed some truly awkward trends that teens have tried (please don’t remind me of my leisure suit in middle school or ‘body wave’ perm my senior year) en masse at your local high school?

Yesterday I sat next to the 13 year old son of a friend and I did a double-take to make sure it was him and not Justin Bieber.  He look just like the Biebs – hair crowded forward around his face, white jacket, exact clothes (he looked like the photo), and the shoes (very important!) were one of Bieber’s favs.  I chuckled and thought “It’s all going to change next year when you head to high school.” Based on watching countless boys make that transition in my local school, they soon cut their hair short, take on the more industrial approach to style, and wear nicer button down shirts.  Then, four years later at college he’ll sport as much facial hair as possible, wear old T-shirts from the local thrift shore, and sport an abundance of university apparel. And sweat pants.

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Posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 6:32 AM in Culture. No comments

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Posted on Monday, January 16th, 2012 at 6:01 PM in Culture, Faith. No comments

My wife and daughter have introduced me to country music. Daily. So, it’s growing on me a bit – though I’ll take classic rock, classical, jazz, and electronica over it any day.  But, I particularly enjoy Lady Antebellum  and their harmonies.  So, I know I’m late to the party on this song, but their song “HELLO WORLD” inspires me.  It reminds me that we aren’t to be in such a self-focused hurry that we don’t remember that everyone’s story matters and that most people wake up each day working to do their best.  I also like the song (the video’s wardrobe choices are suspect) because the creative/performer side of us wants to ‘make a mark’ in our .  Each day gives us the chance to do just that – as if we get to say “hello world” as we look out over each day’s ‘canvas’ and begin to paint with our lives … as God directs us.

So, enjoy this video and remember to believe that  every story matters.

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Posted on Friday, January 13th, 2012 at 5:30 AM in Culture, Faith. No comments

This past weekend, I looked over some InterVarsity Press offerings and I was struck by the number of books on global topics that I hadn’t read, but want to read.  My work on the book Global Youth Ministry: Reaching Adolescents Around the World (YS Academic)has prompted me to include some of the more prominent books on global topics into my reading list for this year. What I like about the global youth ministry text was that the authors were not from North America writing about global topics.  They were from their region. So, I’m hesitant sometimes to get excited about global texts written by North Americans, but I think this is a great list of the IVP books:

The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity
- Soong-Chan Rah

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Posted on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 9:18 AM in Culture, Global Youth. 2 comments

I am fairly apolitical, which frustrates the people around me who care deeply about their particular party.  So, I know I’m wandering into dangerous waters here for those passionate about politics. My issue is that I am drawn/convinced about some principles and, when I look up, they don’t align neatly with our current political divisions in America.  Then I become curious as to how the shouting back and forth of “conservative” or “liberal” helps us move forward with some very complex problems facing our country and world.

In fact, as I look back over the two administrations (from very different parties), they don’t look very different to me.  They both spent us into a large debt on programs, wars, and agendas that mattered to them and ended their term with a broken trust with the American people.  Both at a time where either President could have earned significant trust with the people and left a legacy.

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Popularity: 7%

Posted on Sunday, January 8th, 2012 at 3:59 PM in Culture, Leadership. One comment