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YouthWorker eJournal -- May 15, 2008
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Resources You Can Use: From the Source for Youth Ministry
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Ever notice that more youth group kids carry iPods than Bibles? Jonathan McKee, president at The Source for Youth Ministry has noticed.
"Seventy-eight percent of kids have portable media players," he says. "Eighty-two percent of those players are iPods. It's no secret those little white earphones rule the ears of this young generation. If only we could get God’s Word in those ears!"
Then an idea struck: What if we used those little white earphones?
That's what the new "A Li'L Bit" podcast does. It put a portion of Scripture in kids' ears, using a medium they own and love. Each 10-minute podcast provides an application and reading assignment for the week.
"Always 10 minutes, always fun, and always free," says Jonathan, an author and speaker who will be featured in the July/August issue of YouthWorker Journal.
You can check out the "A Li'L Bit" podcasts here.
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Joint Custody: What to Do When 'Your' Kids Attend Another Group |
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Jennifer Bradbury is a youth worker. Has the experience she describes ever happened to you?
Caitlyn is a seventh grader in my youth ministry. Every Sunday, you can find her at our youth worship service, eager to learn and grow in her faith. Every Wednesday, you can find her faithfully attending a different youth worship service at another church.
I felt betrayed when I learned this. I began to wonder, what did I do wrong? What's our ministry lacking that Caitlyn had to go in search of elsewhere? What could I do to get her back?
Then I realized I was feeling much like a parent caught in a nasty divorce who's just been awarded visitation rights rather than sole custody of Caitlyn’s spiritual life that I "rightfully" deserved.
That's when it occurred to me. I don't rightfully deserve anything when it comes to Caitlyn or her spiritual life.
Instead, God has graced our ministry with her presence and given me the responsibility to care for and nurture her. That call isn’t dependent on whether I’m the only person--or one of many--God has entrusted with this job.
[To subscribe to Youth WorkerJournal, click here]
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YouthWorker Journal TOOLS Review: A Look at Three New Products from BluefishTV
I Am Getting to Know God
David Nasser; Bluefishtv, DVD; 2007; $67.99
www.bluefishtv.com
Sex. Dating.
Michael & Hayley DiMarco;
Bluefishtv, DVD; 2007; $67.99
www.bluefishtv.com
Teens vs. Parents
Mark Matlock; Bluefishtv; DVD; 2007; $67.99
www.bluefishtv.com
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These video-driven youth Bible studies feature big-name speakers, teen-appealing clips and overall professionally filmed DVDs. The leaders’ guides are 60 pages in length and all of them follow the same format: Set Up, Kicker, Video, Discuss, Bible, Crunch and Just Do It. Set-up, Video, Discuss and Bible are self-explanatory.
Kicker is an icebreaker/game of sorts. Crunch includes application of the material, and Just Do It is a pep talk to send the kids off with. I’ve never been big on the one-formula-fits-all approach, but it does make transitioning from one Bible study to the next easier.
Containing several interviews and solid biblical teaching featuring David Nasser, I Am Getting to Know God is founded on the four topics of: 1) Looking for God, 2) When Bad Things Happen, 3) Identity, and 4) Question of Faith. Intriguing, thoughtful--it doesn’t come across preachy or condescending.
Sex. Dating. is similar to I Am Getting to Know God and features the tandem teaching of Michael and Hayley DiMarco (author of Technical Virgin and Sexy Girls). Great teaching, interviews and stories addressing: 1) Boundaries, 2) The Role of Dating, 3) Issues for Guys, and 4) Issues for Girls.
In the same vein of the previous two, Teens vs. Parents addresses: 1) The Myth of a Perfect Family, 2) Living up to Expectations, 3) Authority and Rebellion, and 4) Friend or Foe? The sound teaching of Mark Matlock is sandwiched nicely between intriguing teen questions and stories.
Although youth workers may not be pleased about the $67.99 price tag (ouch!!), the ease of use with small and large groups, as well as with middle and high school students, is appreciated. Going a little deeper into lives, this curriculum works best when youth workers have been invested in their ministry for a while, not just a few months.
--Jeremy Phifer
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The YouthWorker eJournal Survey: What do you do about joint custody?
Do you have kids who group-shop? They attend your group on some nights, but other nights they're at another event. How do you deal with it?
Let us know, and we'll report back next time.
What Do You Do About Joint Custody?
It's not a big deal with our kids, so we don't address it.
It's a big deal for us, and we try to get our kids to remain faithful to our group (or at least one of the groups!).
It's a big deal, but God is a big God, so we encourage our kids to learn and grow from a variety of Christian ministries.
The other groups are better than ours, so I persuade the kids to attend the other groups!
Go to youthworker.com to participate in this issue's survey.
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The YouthWorker eJournal Survey Results: Do your kids struggle with drugs?
Last time we talked about the new movie, Harold and Kumar, which shows that drugs remain popular among some segments of society. What about the segment of society you work with--your kids? Is drug use a problem for them? Here's what you told us.
Do Your Kids Struggle with Drugs?
No, drugs are not a problem for our kids. 40%
Drugs are a minor problem with our kids, and we talk about it. 25%
Drugs are a big problem with our kids. 20%
I'm not sure about our kids, but stoner movies like "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" don’t help. 15%
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[To subscribe to Youth WorkerJournal, click here]
Thanks for joining us for this issue of the YouthWorker eJournal.
See you next time. And I'll be seeing some of you at Group's national conference
in Cincinnati.
Sincerely, Steve Rabey, YouthWorker Journal
editor, and our entire crew
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