Posted By Kurt Johnston

If I was allowed one “silver bullet” for any aspect of junior high ministry, I know EXACTLY in which direction I would fire: I would take dead aim at the lesson time. Over the years, nothing about JH ministry has nagged at me like the ongoing effort to create good learning experiences.

But, I have had some good moments as a teacher and there seems to be a few things present almost every time things go well? Almost all of my good lessons are:

SHORT: the only people who like long sermons are preachers. And the same can be said about JH ministry…if your lessons are long, you are most likely the only one having fun. I have NEVER heard a JH student complain about a short lesson. I typically aim for 20 minutes. I know that sounds short, but it forces me to really think about what I want to include, and how to maximize the lesson time.

INTERACTIVE: almost every time the lesson goes well, there
has been some sort of interactive element. Things like allowing for questions, providing some discussion time, using students as “props”, creating some hands-on element to the leson, etc.

FUN: when learning is made fun, it is way more likely to stick. I have a good friend who teaches 7th grade math. She makes what could be arguably the most boring subject on planet earth incredibly fun by routinely dressing up as characters, writing rap songs etc to reinforce
the lessons. As a result, her math class is one of the most popular on her campus. Making your lessons fun doesn’t take much effort. In fact, if they are short and interactive you are halfway there! Here are some other ways to make it fun: tell personal stories…especially ones that poke fun at yourself. Use video clips to reinforce or illustrate a point. Become a master at the art of object lessons.

The truth is…there is no silver bullet for JH lessons, but keeping them short, interactive and fun is a pretty good plan B.

Posted By Kurt Johnston

Two days ago I listed a couple of examples of things that might help make a junior high ministry “uncommon”, with an explanation of both. I thought I’d make it into a little blog series, but don’t have the attention span to do so! So….part 2 of this “series” is the last…and I’m simply going to list some more “uncommon” things without explanation, and let you chew on them. Add a few to the list if you would like.

An uncommon JH ministry might…
- NOT be youth worker-centric, and driven by the leader’s personality.
- NOT allow adults to play roles JHers could easily play instead.
- only play games that are safe, encouraging and contribute positively.
- be led by some of the most mature leaders in the church.
- look for ways to embrace “big church” instead of fighting against it.
- tackle some of the tougher realities students face such as bullying, sexuality, pressure to perform, abandonment, etc.
- refuse to get a laugh from the crowd at the expense of one. (chubby jokes, pimple jokes, nerd jokes, etc.)
- become “Jesus-centric”.

Just a few to get you thinking…

Posted By Kurt Johnston

Somewhere in our conversation last week, Mark Riddle and I found ourselves talking about common denominators found in youth groups around the country.

As we talked, we realized that there are many things that seem “common”, that maybe shouldn’t be…or that, at the very least, should be looked at more carefully to see how these practices impact our ministry settings.

So, with that conversation as a backdrop, I began thinking about what a
more “uncommon” junior high ministry might look like. I hope to make a short blog series out of this….we will see. And please add your thoughts, push backs, etc. This truly is just me thinking out loud.

AN UNCOMMON JH MINISTRY REFUSES TO MINISTER OUT OF STEREOTYPES
Too often I find myself saying things like, “junior highers ________” or “Our volunteers need____________” or “Nobody in our group _________”. As a result, I make ministry decisions for everybody based on trends of a few.
Obviously, we have to make sweeping policies, decisions etc, but an UNCOMMON way to approach JH ministry might be to look for every opportunity to do the hard work of ministering to people as individuals, and not only as part of the larger body.

AN UNCOMMON JH MINISTRY IS WILLING TO LOWER THE BAR
Yep, I said it….I think many junior high ministries actually need to lower the bar. Instead of hoping our students live out their faith the way a more mature 17 year old follower of Jesus might, perhaps we should do what seems UNCOMMON, and lower the bar by simply helping students live out their faith in a 12-14 year old way. I’m not suggesting we always lower the bar for every student…but just be willing to. Doing this, by the way, happens best when we get to know students as individuals, rather than taking then spiritual pulse of our group and collectively raising or lowering the bar.

More UNCOMMON ideas to follow. Share your thoughts.

Posted By Kurt Johnston

Last week, I spent two fantastic days with Mark Riddle.. I wanted his insight as I continue to wrestle with my various roles and responsibilities that include leading the student ministry team at saddleback, sitting on the executive leadership team, giving direction to an ever-increasing number of regional campus youth ministries and a good share of outside speaking and writing opportunities.

A good friend said to me very early in my ministry career, “don’t go looking for bigger, better, more exciting ministry opportunities…but don’t be afraid of them, either.” Over the course of the past 25 years, I have used that sage advice as a compass of sorts over and over.

But recently ministry has felt bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. It has also felt more scary, more intense, more uncertain and more stressful! So I decided to do what doesn’t come easily: I asked for help! And I called Mark.

Oftentimes, leaders wait to ask for help until it is too late. It is only desperation that forces some to glean from others. I didn’t want to wait.

I like to consider myself a learner…and I have no problem learning from others. But, if I am honest, my posture of learning is almost always from a position of strength; I’m doing great, things are moving forward, and I’m really only hoping to “learn” a little bit here and there to nudge me along.

But this was different. I wasn’t desperate, but I needed help. Mark is smarter than me, isn’t impressed by me, doesn’t know much about my ministry and thinks (in many ways) entirely different than me. IT WAS
PERFECT!

Here’s an idea: as you head into the new year, take some time to evaluate yourself and the ministry you lead. Are there areas you have been wrestling with, but too prideful to ask for help (because, at the end of the day, it is pride that gets in the way)?

Posted by Kurt Johnston

* Our church is trying something that is both risky and refreshing. Next weekend, we are completely cancelling church…yep. Instead we are encouraging our families to participate in “Good Neighbor Weekend” by creatively thinking of a way to be a good neighbor to another family in the community.  Volunteer to babysit their kids while they go shopping, help them clean their garage, help them hang their Christmas lights, etc.  Here’s what I absolutely love about the idea:

1) It’s gonna be costly, but we don’t care!  By cancelling a weekend we are losing an entire weekend’s worth of congregational giving.  But loving your neighbor as yourself probably isn’t meant to be cheap.

2) A church like Saddleback, that gets tons of heat for being too structured, too program-driven….too “modern” is trying to be missional in a way a whole lot of missional churches would be afraid to try.

3) For those who decide to participate, it should help them see firsthand how easy it is to do something generous for somebody else, and the impact it can make.  Sounds like I am setting the bar too low?  Maybe.  But here’s an example:  About 5 years ago, one of our neighbors was moving.   I noticed that this guy had ZERO help from anybody other than his wife and their two young girls.  I decided to walk over and ask if I could help.  He said yes, and about SIX HOURS later, we were finished.  A couple days ago, my wife ran into him in the grocery store, and he spent about 5 minutes recounting the event moment by moment, blow by blow.  He said he is still in awe that I volunteered to help him out.  Now…what if similar stories happen several thousand times over on “Good Neighbor Weekend”?  Could be pretty sweet.

* My friend, and junior high ministry guru, Heather Flies has a GREAT new book out titled, That’s What She Said, That’s What He Said. It is a fun-sized, easy to read hard-cover book written for young teens to help them understand all things “opposite sex” related.  Pass the news along to parents…it would be a great stocking stuffer!

* MIX, CIY’s new junior high summer event, is picking up steam!  You have probably heard about it by now and may be wondering if it is going to live up to the hype.  The short answer: Yes, yes it will!  CIY knows youth ministry, and the crew that heads up the junior high events REALLY know ministry to this age group. If you are looking for something new, or an addition to your traditional Summer Camp experience, MIX may be exactly what you are looking for!

* While thinking about junior highers and student leadership recently, I stumbled upon this old article that I think is worth passing along.

* Go Broncos.  Go Tebow.  Silence the haters.

Posted by Kurt Johnston

I have a confession to make: I loathe fundraisers.  I’m pretty sure it goes back to my first junior high ministry that I served in during the late 80′s. At that church we only did one fundraiser per year, but it was a doozey.  We sold Christmas trees for an entire month…from the day after Thanksgiving to Christmas eve. For almost 30 days straight I was either working at the tree lot all day long, then staying up late to do my normal workload OR I would have a normal day, but show up to the tree lot at closing time for my overnight/security detail.  It’s been over 20 years and just thinking about the annual experience makes my left eye start to twitch!

So from a guy who hates fundraisers, here are three simple ways to earn a little extra money for your ministry without a ton of effort:

1) “Send a Student to Camp!” tip jars.  If your church sells coffee or donuts or books or sermon tapes, ask the powers that be if they would allow you to put a tip jar at each location with a little sign that says “Send a Student to Camp!” and use the donations to bless a single mom or out of work dad by paying for their child’s upcoming camp or retreat.

2) “Recycle Shed”.  Build or purchase a little shed that is placed someplace on campus (ideally in the corner of the parking lot).  Let the church know that they can be environmentally conscious and help the youth ministry at the same time by saving their plastic bottles and aluminum cans and bringing them to church  a couple times a month. Simply unlock the shed before and after services and allow folks to toss in their bags!

3) “Ebay Extravaganza!” A buddy of mine makes a couple hundred bucks each month for his youth ministry by purchasing items on sale at retail stores, then re-selling them for a profit on Ebay. He chooses to focus on only a couple categories (books and sporting goods) to keep things simple, but the sky’s the limit!

Do you have an easy “non fundraiser” fundraiser?  Share it!

Posted By Kurt Johnston

This weekend, we wrap up our series called, “The Guy/Girl Thing”. It’s a series dedicated to helping junior highers begin to navigate relationships with the opposite sex. Here is what we’ve covered so far:

Week 1:  Developing Healthy Friendships With Each Other.  We simply took a look at some of the differences between guys and girls, and how an understanding of some of these differences can help us be better friends with each other.

Week 2:  Dating:  We took a look at what begins to happen when a friendship becomes more than just a friendship. We addressed such questions as:  When is it okay to start dating? Who should I date?  How should I date?  What role do should my parents play in all of this?

Week 3:  This weekend, we will wrap the series up by talking about sex. I feel a little overwhelmed because ONE lesson on sex isn’t enough.  I am afraid I will try to cram too much into the lesson, thus making it too complex, and more confusing than helpful.  But, here is where we are headed:

THREE THOUGHTS ABOUT SEX:

1) Sex is GOOD….In Fact, It Was GOD’S Idea!  (And God’s word is his rule book on the subject)

2) The World Has TWISTED God’s Plan.  (According to the world, there really is no rule book on the subject)

3) This leaves us with a CHOICE…Do We Trust God’s Way or The World’s Way?

Obviously, the bulk of the lesson lies with what is discussed along the way, but that is the general outline of where we’re headed. The looming question for me is if, and if so to what extent, I talk about pornography, same sex attraction, how far is too far, masturbation, lust, etc. It seems borderline irresponsible to leave that stuff out, but to include it all seems like I will overwhelm them.  We will see how it shakes out!

NOTE:  As we wrap up the series, we will selling two little books…one for girls, and one for guys.  I’ve created quite a few resources over the years, but “99 Thoughts About Guys…For Girls Eyes Only” and “99 Thoughts About Girls…For Guys Eyes Only” are two of my all time favorite!  I think they are a must-read for every junior higher.

posted by Kurt Johnston

Last week Rachel and I spent six fabulous nights at what, without a doubt, was the nicest resort we have ever set foot in. Because we have been in junior high ministry our entire marriage, the bar for “best resort we have ever set foot in” really isn’t set too high; but this place was unbelievable.

One of the fancy features of the hotel was the two jugs full of fresh, delicious key lime cooler that were in the lobby every day….all day!  They were displayed beautifully with rows of classy little glasses, each one with a slice of key lime in the bottom. It was impossible, at least for us anyway, to walk through the lobby without pouring ourselves a glass of this deliciously fresh, tart drink.  Next to the jugs was a wonderfully written little story about the history of the drink, why it has been part of the hotel tradition for decades, etc. I felt rich, pampered and a member of the upper class just by virtue of holding one of these little drinks in my hand (in hindsight, that’s sorta sad.).

On the last morning, as we were checking out, the unthinkable happened. We caught an employee of the hotel re-filling the jugs with key lime cooler….FROM A PLASTIC BOTTLE THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS PURCHASED AT COSTCO!  He made no effort to conceal the bottles, and it was glaringly obvious that the “fresh, delicious, hand made” drink was from actually from a bottle…..a plastic, crappy looking, bottle at that.  I was devastated. The experience was ruined.

As we drove to the airport I said to Rachel, “Worse than the fact that the key lime juice wasn’t what I thought it was, was the fact that the hotel made the mistake of letting it’s guests see it!….that CAN’T happen!”  To be fair, I had just finished reading the new Steve Jobs biography, so I felt a little more empowered to rant and rave.

The story is ripe with potential ministry learnings and applications…and I intend to think these through with my team in the next week. Here are just a few thoughts worth pondering:

- What are the Pros/Cons of a slick, impressive, professional ministry?  Does such an approach set us up to disappoint students when they see the “real” us?

- If we don’t want to create a facade…what might be the dangers of a ministry that is too transparent, too organic?

- What are some things that we simply “can’t let the guests see!”? stuff, that if they see, will hinder their experience?

- How the hotel “felt” was a big part of my experience….is this true with our ministries?

Posted by Kurt Johnston

- Sorry for the very slow blog week!  Scott has been away at his winter camp, and I have been away with Rachel for our 20th anniversary trip. Our anniversary was actually in June, but just couldn’t find the time to get away until now.

- I am typing this post on my first-ever Apple laptop. Our church issues our computers (spoiled, I know), but have historically only allowed the guys/gals who do graphics and other “production” related tasks to have one.  In fact, even if you were to purchase your own Apple, they wouldn’t support it unless you were on their “approved list”.  Well, after years of asking, making my case, etc. when the time came for me to get a new computer, I was finally allowed to be in the club!  I must say….it was well worth the wait.  Anybody out there have any insider tips for an Apple rookie?

- Speaking of Apple, I am two-thirds of the way through the new Steve Jobs biography.  WOW.  And I mean that in a good, sad, fascinating, discouraging, motivating and intriguing way.  It’s a bit too long, but an incredible read chuck full of learnings on leadership, entrepreneurship, vision, team dynamics, drive, business…..I could go on and on.  It’s not always a pretty picture, and many of the lessons learned from this world changing genius are of the “what not to do if I care about people” variety.

- Finally, even though you may have missed the early-bird rate for the upcoming Simply Youth Ministry Conference it is certainly NOT too late to make plans to join us!  It is being held in Louisville, KY from March2-5.  Conferences seem to be back on the rise, and there are plenty of great ones to choose from.  But I really do think SYMC leads the pack.  This year there will be an increased JH presence with SIX of the leading JH ministry voices joining in:  Heather Flies, Brooklyn Lyndsey, Katie Edwards, Johnny Scott, Scott Rubin and myself.  And, obviously, JH ministry training is just a tiny slice of what the conference has to offer. Come join us…you won’t be disappointed!

Posted by Kurt Johnston

In the interest of full disclosure, I have a strong relationship with CIY…the ministry behind events like Believe, Know Sweat, and Move.  But, the only reason I have a strong relationship with them is because I believe so strongly in what they do!  And, I’m convinced that nobody does what they do better than they do.

That’s why I’m thrilled that they are adding MIX,  a summer event designed specifically for 6,7 and 8th graders beginning in four locations this upcoming Summer! The success of Believe, their JH weekend conference, has caused a large number of churches to beg/demand/plead them to do something a little longer in the Summer.

What is MIX?  Think of it as summer camp….on a campus.  MIX will be held on a college campus and will feel like a great combination of Summer Camp and Conference. If you are looking for something new, or if the camp you always attend is pricing itself out of your budget, consider checking out MIX.  I think you’ll be glad you did