Comments on: Variety or Consistency? http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/ Junior High Rocks! Mon, 14 May 2012 17:27:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Kurt http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16925 Kurt Thu, 07 May 2009 18:58:37 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16925 I'm finding that when I don't have consistacy in the music and worship our group loses focus. We've been working on mixing up the rest of the program elements, but making sure that worship stays the same. When we mix up the music too much, we quickly get back into a "concert" atmosphere and we lose our focus on the cross. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. I’m finding that when I don’t have consistacy in the music and worship our group loses focus. We’ve been working on mixing up the rest of the program elements, but making sure that worship stays the same. When we mix up the music too much, we quickly get back into a “concert” atmosphere and we lose our focus on the cross.

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]]> By: Bump Galletta http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16924 Bump Galletta Thu, 07 May 2009 14:13:09 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16924 I switch things up all the time, so every week has a surprise. We actually just started putting our worship leaders on a rotation to, we will see how that works. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. I switch things up all the time, so every week has a surprise. We actually just started putting our worship leaders on a rotation to, we will see how that works.

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]]> By: Joel Daniel Harris http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16922 Joel Daniel Harris Wed, 06 May 2009 18:46:45 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16922 I wonder if there's something to be said about consistency in variety. In other words, having certain parts of what you do where students can know to consistently expect variety, but also other parts where the is more consistency. It seems to me that two key middle school characteristics need to be held in tension here...the need for normalcy when everything in their life is in flux as well as the desire for creativity because things become boring.. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. I wonder if there’s something to be said about consistency in variety. In other words, having certain parts of what you do where students can know to consistently expect variety, but also other parts where the is more consistency. It seems to me that two key middle school characteristics need to be held in tension here…the need for normalcy when everything in their life is in flux as well as the desire for creativity because things become boring..

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]]> By: David M http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16921 David M Wed, 06 May 2009 16:22:59 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16921 I'm a variety person, so I like the changes. But my job involves helping people know themselves (lots of variety!) - it doesn't take long to see that people fall all along the change-consistency continuum. So I would suggest it's probably not accurate to ask "Do students want/flourish-in variety?" (the answer is yes-and-no which, for me, begs questioning the question). So in an effort to win-win, what if you had some consistent elements and some not? Some consistency in the menial AND the important as well as change in both? Tying this in to the principle-level: + can we help a student by letting them experience their 'opposite' (consistent-types experiencing variety & vice verse) + are there some elements that are non-negotiable change or consistent (ex. Small Group leader consistent, lesson/question topics change from week to week [ha!],...) + does variety make the 'workers' (you, paid staff, volunteers, students) more or less effective (this goes back to your [Kurt] ideal of releasing the volunteers, not slotting them in pre-fabbed jobs) and letting this affect the change/consistency balance? -- this might even be seasonal (some months/years I am more random than others) What my eyes see. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. I’m a variety person, so I like the changes. But my job involves helping people know themselves (lots of variety!) – it doesn’t take long to see that people fall all along the change-consistency continuum. So I would suggest it’s probably not accurate to ask “Do students want/flourish-in variety?” (the answer is yes-and-no which, for me, begs questioning the question).

So in an effort to win-win, what if you had some consistent elements and some not? Some consistency in the menial AND the important as well as change in both?

Tying this in to the principle-level:
+ can we help a student by letting them experience their ‘opposite’ (consistent-types experiencing variety & vice verse)
+ are there some elements that are non-negotiable change or consistent (ex. Small Group leader consistent, lesson/question topics change from week to week [ha!],…)
+ does variety make the ‘workers’ (you, paid staff, volunteers, students) more or less effective (this goes back to your [Kurt] ideal of releasing the volunteers, not slotting them in pre-fabbed jobs) and letting this affect the change/consistency balance?
— this might even be seasonal (some months/years I am more random than others)

What my eyes see.

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]]> By: markeades http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16920 markeades Wed, 06 May 2009 16:12:26 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16920 I have 3 key set things we do each Sunday (& for us each wed.) but inside of those set things we have a lot of variety. Where most of the variety comes from is from the kids themselves as we give them opportunities to give input and put together different ways to do the 3 key set things. The 3 key set things for Wed are: 1) activity/game/mixer 2) worship/spiritual focus 3) message/large group discussion/grade group break down 3 key things we do Sundays ares: 1) Worship/spiritual focus 2) Message/table groups/discussion groups 3) same gender/grade prayer groups seems to work well with our group. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. I have 3 key set things we do each Sunday (& for us each wed.) but inside of those set things we have a lot of variety. Where most of the variety comes from is from the kids themselves as we give them opportunities to give input and put together different ways to do the 3 key set things.

The 3 key set things for Wed are:
1) activity/game/mixer
2) worship/spiritual focus
3) message/large group discussion/grade group break down

3 key things we do Sundays ares:
1) Worship/spiritual focus
2) Message/table groups/discussion groups
3) same gender/grade prayer groups

seems to work well with our group.

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]]> By: Joe http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16919 Joe Wed, 06 May 2009 13:44:11 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16919 Funny you should blog about this... I recently began this same process with my team. We were questioning our whole ministry format (Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights each week). What we found was that, while some variety definitely keeps things spicy, our kids really value our consistency. For some of our kids, our ministry and their school are just about the only consistent things in their lives. When we get too much variety, I think it makes some of our students uncomfortable. Plus I think consistency helps develop a ministry identity. We've been on a 3-year quest (my entire time here, so far) to develop and settle on an identity as a ministry. I think we're getting close. Once we establish our 'baseline' for who we are and what we do, I think we'll have a little more freedom to add variety here and there. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. Funny you should blog about this… I recently began this same process with my team. We were questioning our whole ministry format (Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights each week). What we found was that, while some variety definitely keeps things spicy, our kids really value our consistency. For some of our kids, our ministry and their school are just about the only consistent things in their lives. When we get too much variety, I think it makes some of our students uncomfortable.
Plus I think consistency helps develop a ministry identity. We’ve been on a 3-year quest (my entire time here, so far) to develop and settle on an identity as a ministry. I think we’re getting close. Once we establish our ‘baseline’ for who we are and what we do, I think we’ll have a little more freedom to add variety here and there.

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]]> By: Jason Chenoweth http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16918 Jason Chenoweth Wed, 06 May 2009 13:39:56 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16918 Kurt, in our small corner of the world, I've found having a skeleton that is consistent (same room, table set up, etc.) definitely helps our junior highers. The things we change are the focus points. I don't want my kids preoccupied by seating arrangements, but I do want them to catch the elements of the service (visuals, object lessons, etc.) So we change who presents those, and where they come in the service. Don't know if that makes sense or not. What do you find? [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. Kurt, in our small corner of the world, I’ve found having a skeleton that is consistent (same room, table set up, etc.) definitely helps our junior highers. The things we change are the focus points. I don’t want my kids preoccupied by seating arrangements, but I do want them to catch the elements of the service (visuals, object lessons, etc.) So we change who presents those, and where they come in the service. Don’t know if that makes sense or not. What do you find?

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]]> By: Travis http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16917 Travis Wed, 06 May 2009 13:24:32 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16917 We have a very similar struggle. Our team has been doing jr. high for many years and we kind of get tired of doing the same games, similar activities for summer camp, similar party games but what we have found is that students really like that. As a worker I feel it might be stale but the students are only with our ministry for 3 years. One factor has been that older siblings tell their younger siblings in our group about what it is like and then the students expect it to be that way. We do mix it up but on a more limited basis. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. We have a very similar struggle. Our team has been doing jr. high for many years and we kind of get tired of doing the same games, similar activities for summer camp, similar party games but what we have found is that students really like that. As a worker I feel it might be stale but the students are only with our ministry for 3 years.

One factor has been that older siblings tell their younger siblings in our group about what it is like and then the students expect it to be that way.

We do mix it up but on a more limited basis.

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]]> By: ryan guard http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16916 ryan guard Wed, 06 May 2009 00:32:49 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16916 We have a monthly "Choose Your Own Adventure" night where the group has two or three options to choose from for the night. We start together, then we dig into the same topic in a couple different ways. We also *aim* to do a monthly worship night... sometimes with a band, sometimes with the iPod. We usually put together a few stations/options for the kids to choose from. We try to create something for everyone on the spiritual spectrum on those nights. Tomorrow night is a "regular program" night... and I do feel a sense of comfort knowing that its the usual flow. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. We have a monthly “Choose Your Own Adventure” night where the group has two or three options to choose from for the night. We start together, then we dig into the same topic in a couple different ways.

We also *aim* to do a monthly worship night… sometimes with a band, sometimes with the iPod. We usually put together a few stations/options for the kids to choose from. We try to create something for everyone on the spiritual spectrum on those nights.

Tomorrow night is a “regular program” night… and I do feel a sense of comfort knowing that its the usual flow.

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]]> By: dan http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/05/05/variety-or-consistency/#comment-16915 dan Tue, 05 May 2009 23:02:05 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=799#comment-16915 with so much inconsistency in their lives, it looks like it would be good to have something consistent...but they also love a variety. maybe it is on occasion with the variety and not the norm. good thoughts. [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us '0 which is not a hashcash value. with so much inconsistency in their lives, it looks like it would be good to have something consistent…but they also love a variety. maybe it is on occasion with the variety and not the norm. good thoughts.

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