Prompted by a recent talk from Dave Engbrecht, I came across a short phrase in the early parts of Proverbs 31, a section of Scripture often associated with women, that caught my attention. King Lemuel is warning his princely son of the common temptations that face kings (and really all men and women) in life. Lemuel says a few times, “It is not for kings…” as he then exhorts his son on what not to do when in leadership.
In our culture of informality, our eschewing of top/down structures, and our youth-full focus, I think we’ve lost a bit of this language when it comes to leadership qualities. We don’t talk much of giving up our rights for the sake of others, of doing the right thing, even though most leaders understand these necessary aspects of leadership. In our tolerant age, we don’t often sit around to discuss, “It is not for leaders to …” as we talk of high character and other leadership qualities. During election years we see it most often, but we talk about how ‘presidential’ candidates are when they campaign or talk.
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Posted on Monday, June 25th, 2012 at 8:05 AM in LEAD WELL. No comments
Courtesy of @hh5800/@iStockPhoto
The field of youth ministry is one that values real-world skills. The ability to work well with people, hold teens’ attention, get things done, and be productive are what matters most. So when it comes to encouraging people where to get educated on ministry, the emphasis is often on these type of ‘how’ qualities. When I talk with folks about getting a college degree in youth ministry, I hear phrases like “I want an education that is practical.” Or, “I don’t want anything that’s theoretical.” I understand what is meant, but the response heads too far away from the ‘why’ or the ‘what if?’ challenges that the real world will present. We tend to think of that as technical skill (what the Greeks called poiesis) training versus phronesis – developing practical wisdom.
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Posted on Thursday, June 21st, 2012 at 8:48 AM in CONNECT EFFECTIVELY, YOUTH MINISTRY. One comment
Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images North America
Imagine you’re a woman trying to ‘break in’ to the male-dominant sport like NASCAR. Beyond that, you’re the youngest woman to ever do that … and hold your own in your first season. You would think that the press and major TV networks would be pushing that story to the forefront, especially if you were articulate and considerate (which you are). But no one says a word. Instead they focus on another female driver, one who has the financial backing of one of NASCAR’s most significant corporate sponsors. She gets mentioned in every article, even when she spins or wrecks and you finish first. She gets camera time during the race even when you’ve been racing better and are in front of her.
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Posted on Wednesday, June 20th, 2012 at 7:50 AM in THE WORLD, YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
So, yesterday I asked folks to identify those in youth work and youth ministry who are the great teachers. Who are the leaders, whether currently in youth work or used to work with youth, who could lead discussions, give talks, facilitate small groups or trips, and just ‘know’ how to do it all in a way that connects with youth. When they taught (via a variety of methods), students learned.
I got one response.
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Posted on Thursday, June 14th, 2012 at 7:10 AM in CONNECT EFFECTIVELY, YOUTH MINISTRY. 4 comments
I’ve embarked on a summer project that will result in something and I seek the best teachers you’ve ever seen in youth ministry. I am looking for local youth workers, youth pastors, and leaders (volunteer or vocational) who truly helped people learn. Who were those great leaders who just knew how to get students’ attention, how to generate deep conversations, or how to connect content that mattered to everyday realities? Maybe they led small groups, role plays, short-term missions, or lectured…. but people learned through their intentional teaching.
Maybe these great teachers were part of your life decades ago. Maybe you watched them in action last week. Whatever is the case, they would serve as your model to say to others, “THAT’s how you do it.” In an era where experience rules, these master teachers remind us of the core element – learning matters.
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Posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 at 12:04 PM in CONNECT EFFECTIVELY, YOUTH MINISTRY. 4 comments
The following is a guest post from Aaron Helman at Smarter Youth Ministry. His goal is to reduce your frustration so that you can stay in ministry forever. Grab more of his communication tips here.
If you’re working in youth ministry in the year 2012, you’re probably trying to do whatever you can to get your message out to students and families. The Internet was supposed to make this easier, but it didn’t and right now your communication strategy probably looks like this:
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Posted on Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 at 7:42 AM in LEAD WELL, THE WORLD, YOUTH MINISTRY. No comments
I sit with parents and prospective students every month who are curious about majoring in youth ministry at Bethel College. More often than not, the student is very excited about his or her interest in youth work, but the parents are more hesitant to see their son or daughter choose that their major in college. The concerns generally range from whether they can earn a living in youth ministry, or whether they should major in a real degree so they have something to fall back on ( I presume the concern is that they may fail and youth ministry, or get chewed up like many do in local congregations).
These are valid concerns, however I think they also tell more about the economic pressure we feel when facing correlation versus anything else. As I stated in a previous post, I think we have begun to see higher education more as a means to be productive financially versus a process to become educated and wireless. And the reality is that not many people actually were in the area the major in while attending college. I am always amazed that youth ministry as a degree tends to get higher scrutiny than degrees like music (what I majored in), or history, or even psychology (the second most popular major for college students) that requires an additional Masters degree in order to work in that world.
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Posted on Monday, June 11th, 2012 at 6:31 AM in IN THIS CORNER, YOUTH MINISTRY. One comment
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