Top 10 Tips

Checkout Dingers blog for some great posts about his Top 10 tips for Youth Leaders, alot of food for thought, and stuff I’ve been pondering over for some years now and guess will continue to do so.  The attitude that if we’re getting kids along to activities, then we’re doing OK just doesn’t cut it with me.  We have a God given responsibility to pass on our faith to the next generation, but what does that look like and how do we do that effectively in todays quickly changing world.
Sometimes we need to stop, evaluate and ask the tough questions of ourselves and the ministries we are involved in so that we are passing on the faith to the next generation, and not merely the traditions and add-ons we have become accustomed to.  More thoughts will follow, but drop by Dingers blog to gain some healthy food for thought, until the next post………………………

Oasis @ Odyssey

At the oosis concert at the odyssey last night, amazing concert, so many top tunes by a band that are still producing quality music, if you haven’t bought it yet, check out their new album Dig Out Your Soul…

Back to Blog

Well it’s been about a month since my last post, thought i’d better return again to the barren land of blog and give a quick update.  Life’s been busy of late, Get A Life mission has now been and gone, a great week which really drew the church together and was well received in the local community, but in many ways the hard work now begins as we consider the follow up programme.  Hoping to run a Christianity Explored course for those interested in further thinking through areas of the Christian faith, and taking a further step on the journey.  I’ll be co-ordinating the youth follow up course, using the CY material to journey through Marks gospel looking at who Jesus was, why he came, how he conquered death, and the implications of these truths in our ultimate choice in life : What are we going to do about it!  Looking forward to it, somewhat apprehensively as I’m not sure how I’m gonna find the time to prepare for it, but trusting God to provide me with the resources and ability to lead it by His Spirit.
Have a few further thoughts I intend to work through and post in the near future, still processing some of them myself, but will jot them down here at a future date.  This weekend see’s us taking a group of our youth up to MAD, a great weekend encouraging us to go deeper wiht God. So it’s bye for now, to return again soon………….

Back to Busy

Has felt like it’s never been anything but busy this past while, but youthwork has all kicked back into gear again, and each week flies into the other with increasing frequency.  I’m also doing a night class for work for the next 2 years which is gonna make life somewhat more hectic, but its all fun!!

Looking forward to the forthcoming mission, final preperations getting under way : the past year planning towards it has flown by.  Youth club and Breakfast in the Book have started back again, looking forward to the incoming year.  Have finally settled on a programme for the Sunday morning bible study, taking a wide-angled overview of the bible and how we can seek to use it to filter the culture that seeks to submerge this generation.  The young people have came up with some interesting topics for our “What the bible says about…..” series, ranging from pre-marital sex, alcohol and clubbing, war and terror, sport on the sabbath, other religions, poser/fake Christians and governments that impose anti-christian laws.  Interesting to get a snap-shot of the issues that make them tick, and will be interesting to explore and discuss these, looking to the un-changing Word of God for guidance.  I’ll have to do abit of thinking and research to do in order to lead these discussions and think through some of these issues, any good resources would be appreciated!!!

Anyway heres looking forward a busy year ahead, re-assuring to know I don’t do it in my own strength, and worship a God who can make step into my weakness and use me for his glory…

Upcoming Mission

Have been busy these past months planning and preparing events and literature for our forthcoming getalife mission.
As the weeks roll on, i’m increasingly aware that what we’ve been
working towards for the past year and more is going to be upon us very
soon.  I’m also aware of how important the follow up, and integration
will be for those in whom God will move by His Spirir to respond and
start on the life-changing journey of following Jesus.  This is why
there has been a distinct lack of posts in recent months on the old
blog, but I will attempt to make more regular posts in the months
ahead.  Mission and reaching out to those who are lost has been on my
mind alot lately, and the whole Integration into “church” and what that
looks like.  Still mulling over thoughts, somewhat confused and
frustrated, but eternally thankful that it’s not our work, but God who
works through our weakness.

Further thoughts to come

Well it’s nearly a week since I’m back from the Youth Ministry Summer School, lots to take in, think and pray through and ponder.  It’s good to step back from the “doing” of ministry, and think through the why and how.  Was reminded again that our ministry comes out of the depth of our own relationship with God, and the necessity amidst the busy-ness to maintain sabbath, resting in Him and seeking his guidance and strength.  It’s not our ministry, or what we do, but that God invites us to join him in what he’s already doing in redeeming his church, and reaching a generation with his timeless life-changing Good News.  What a priviledge that he chooses to invite a fallen sinner like me to be a part of his world-changing mission.

Further thoughts will follow………………

Youth Ministry Summer School

This Thursday sees me heading off again to the Youth Ministry Summer School at Greenmount. It’s a great opportunity to get resourced, inspired, taught, connected and encouraged. I’ve blogged about it before, and look forward to the teaching provided this year by Kenda Creasy Dean and Marv Penner (details here), and hope to post some musings early next week. It’s a good opportunity to re-focus after a pretty busy summer with Reachout, and will help me as we plan for the year ahead. So watch this space, and leave a comment anyone who’s heading up this year and is reading this post.

Reachout 08

Well this blog has fallen into the barren land again, have been busy this past monthing planning, preparing and doing Reachout08, was a fantastic weekand God truly blessed us again.  But it’s back to porridge now, the more mundane 8-6 working life, checkout the Reachout blog for more info and updates, including a pdf summarising the weeks talks..

Maintaining the passion

The danger of becoming insular. As I contemplate my journey of faith thus far, this commercial comes to mind of how we can become insular and passionless in our walk. When I came to Christ some 5 years ago, I was full of dreams with a passion to bring about change in my home congregation. Having now been involved in the “local church” and its youthwork, how are those dreams materialising, am I being an influence of change where God has placed me? Or am I becoming comfortable and insular, like the flea’s in this clip no longer breaking out of the mould.
I gotta admit it’s a struggle, a frustrating journey at times, but something I feel God has called me to. I just gotta keep my focus on Him, allow Him to transform me and work through me, and continue to keep alight the flame of passion he has placed in my heart. O help me God!!

Being Transformed

Been off a couple of days, trying to get some prep done for Reachout while I have the chance. The theme this year is gonna be “Transformed”, looking at the idea of spiritual transformation, and how in being transformed we can be agents of transformation in our world and society.

Romans 12:22
“Do not conform any longer
to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Its something God’s been working in my heart, challenging me to flesh this out in my life, surrendering the mess of my sin-dead life into his hands, and allowing Him to transform me from the inside out by His Spirit. A work in progress in my life, and something I feel these young people can go after in response to His “Amazing Grace”…