The PowerPoint is done, the finishing touches on the “extras” (that make seminars a little better) are almost completed, and I’m about ready for the National Youth Workers’ Conference in Los Angeles this weekend. Dave Rahn or I will be hitting all three this fall and will be leading labs about evangelism in youth ministry, a topic that has all but disappeared from youth ministry conversations until recently.
Of course, this new push parallels the release of Evangelism Remixed: Empowering Students for Courageous and Contagious Faith
, a book based on the latest youth ministry research, developmental theories, and current conversations about how the church should reach out to her communities. The disappearance of evangelism hasn’t been lost on people like Chris Folmsbee and Dr. Scot McKnight, as this article reveals.
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Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 11:34 AM in YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
For some of us creative types, it’s so easy to get distracted that we… hey… did you watch the Notre Dame / Michigan game this past weekend? …. Anyway, we can begin a project and then get sidetracked …. have I told you about Lauren’s latest volleyball match?.…or we just sit in our seats and stare at a computer screen… maybe I’ll check Twitter……
Perhaps you’ve got a house or yard project that has sat undone for weeks. Okay, for months. Raise your hand if you’ve, like me, had one unfinished for over a year now.
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Posted on Monday, September 14th, 2009 at 6:49 AM in LEAD WELL. No comments
Two experiences this past month have reminded me how important good research is to fiction and non-fiction writers. After spending a few months in South Africa, I finally picked up a Wilbur Smith novel to read. I thoroughly enjoyed most of it, loved his depth of writing, and found that the extensively-researched context and backstory were usually “just right” and not disruptive. Though a fictional piece, the book revealed Smith’s ability to weave in historical research with a thrilling story that provided a “plot that taught” and kept the pages turning!
This past Sunday, I watched a video by accomplished author Lee Strobel. After his wife converted to Christianity, Lee, an atheist journalist at the time, began an intense investigative effort on the claims of the Christian Faith. His wife had changed so dramatically that he wanted to know more about Christianity and the only way he knew how to do it was through a robust research project. Dramatically changed by what he discovered, he converted to Christianity and his writing “career” has been built on his ability to research well and present it effectively.
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Posted on Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 6:56 AM in YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
I have been in full swing lately with a variety of teaching, writing, and speaking engagements. Add in the fact that I’m working on a book project due in November and it’s been a “fun” four weeks. But, I love it and wouldn’t trade it for anything, even though this blog suffers at times.
In my job, I get to teach and speak, grade papers, review and write articles, work on a book here and there, and read a lot of blogs. I encounter many different styles and quite frequently run across a piece that lacks significance (often it’s something I’ve written). When I read it and look beyond the description, humor, or even good research, I cannot figure out what it’s saying, let alone saying anything that is new, fresh, or challenges/changes me. I don’t know what the big idea is. And if I do, I don’t know why it matters.
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Posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 7:16 AM in LEAD WELL, YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
This past week we started classes at Bethel College and I opened one my courses with a “snapshot paper” exercise. Students write 500-600 words about their backgrounds, focusing specifically on leaders who had shaped their lives through youth ministry programs. It’s a great exercise for a first class in a course. The process resembles sharing a handful of meaningful pictures of those who have had impact.
Every time I do this, I am reminded of how personal leadership is to those who follow us. I don’t think we really understand this – and I don’t think people share with us leaders how much we affect them by our actions and behaviors.
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Posted on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 at 5:30 AM in LEAD WELL, YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
I went to college to major in music and radio communication.
This got me to thinking about the AM radio days. I love radio broadcasting. It’s in my blood and I miss listening to WLS, KMOX, and WOWO, the powerhouse radio stations in the Midwest. I went to college thinking that I’d go into radio, but God called me into youth ministry. Still, I loved the “voices,” the men and women who could announce and hold an audience (without yelling about politics) and creating a connection with thousands of listeners. There was a connection and it was about the community, entertainment, and being a radio presence bigger than life. I used to turn down the music, but turn up the voices as they led us listeners along.
Here are the radio announcers and personalities that have shaped me through the years. Please take the time to click on the links that I’ve provided and enjoy their work. You’ll be glad you did. These are the greats.
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Posted on Friday, September 4th, 2009 at 4:50 PM in IN THIS CORNER. No comments
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