WEEKEND WRAP UP:  This past weekend we kicked off our new series, “Flipped”.  This series takes a look at some of the ways Jesus flipped the world’s ways of thinking upside down. This week’s topic was “Power Doesn’t Matter”.  Matt Hall, one of our team members, did a fantastic job of helping students look at Jesus’ view of what true power is all about.  We played a game we called “Flipped Phrases”, which was a rip off of Mad Gab which went over well.  We also had a cool backdrop/sign on stage with our “Flipped” logo on it that we flipped over halfway through the lesson, which was a pretty fun little visual.

STAFF CAMP: We are trying something new in a couple of weeks. Because of budget cuts, we lost the ability to take our team to a conference this year for ongoing learning etc. So, in a creative moment we decided to take the money it would cost for ONE person to go to a conference and put on our own, in house, conference for our entire student ministry team. We have asked a couple of the other pastors on our team to share with us, we will do some reading, some training etc.  Should be awesome….but could be a flop!

CHANGES: A couple of months ago I posted here that our team is in the beginning stages of streamlining our programs, re-evaluating how we spend our time etc.  Two months later and we are still taking some baby steps toward some fairly significant changes that we will ease into throughout the summer and into fall.

HARRY REID: I’m not sure which is worse, the horribly offensive language he used to make his point, or the sad sad sad reality that what he said is probably true. Actually, I do know which is worse. One is one man’s display of ignorance and racism while the other is that of an entire society.

RADICALIS:It’s not to late to join Pastor Rick, Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll and others at Saddleback’s Radicalis conference.  The conference includes NINE HOURS worth of youth ministry training and discussion with Doug Fields and our Saddleback student ministry team.

If you work with students, you really should consider joining us for SYMC in Chicago in February! Advanced registration closes in two weeks, and you don’t want to miss the action.

In addition to the fabulous general sessions, the great conversations and opportunities to make some new friends, I (along with Scott Rubin, Katie Edwards and Johnny Scott) will be hosting a total of almost 16 hours worth of junior high ministry stuff! We have a one-day “pre conference” junior high ministry seminar, a 4-hour intro to junior high ministry track and a 4-hour advanced junior high ministry track.

Register, grab a parka, and join us in Chicago!

As a friend of Marko, I was devastated when he left Youth Specialties. I was sad for him and wondered what the future held for an organization that has helped lead the charge of youth ministry for so many of us for so many years.

Today I learned that Tic Long has returned to YS as its new Executive Director, and I must say that I am thrilled! In recent months I have said in several conversations that I believe the youth ministry world needs “a vibrant Youth Specialties”.  As a guy who has been around for a little while, I owe a large debt of gratitude to Youth Specialties and I am excited that Tic is at the helm as it heads into this new season.

 I’m super excited about two brand new resources available at Simply Junior High!  We’ve created a “Smart Stuff” small group video curriculum as well as a “Smart Stuff” 10-minute moment book for your students.  Each resource takes a look God’s wisdom found in the book of Proverbs.

Because I love our planet (it’s a pretty good place to call home, for now.) and want to be a good steward of what God has created for us, I have slowly become more interested in the discussions concerning global warming; specifically mankind’s role….or lack of role.

To be fair…I’m only interested, I’m not overly concerned about or consumed by the subject and I really haven’t been a student of it. But I recently ran across this organization and thought it had some interesting insights.

NOTE: I am not endorsing thier views or trying to get people to sign their petition (which I wouldn’t do myself)….just passing along something I found.

EXTRA NOTE:  I am also posting this because I don’t have much “junior high ministry stuff” going on in my head today!

WEEKEND WRAP UP: Our first weekend of the new year was suprisingly strong. Attendance was high, energy was high, volunteer involvement was high, and the lesson was strong. Our topic was an uncreative “How to Have a Great Year”, but the lesson itself was really fun. The main point was simply DECIDE THAT GOOD ENOUGH ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH. We talked about the various areas that junior highers tend to settle for “Good Enough” and ways to avoid that temptation. All in all, it was a great weekend.

A BUSY SEASON:I feel like I am heading into one of the busiest seasons in a long, long time. A couple of writing projects, several speaking/training engagements, and beginning the process of a fairly radical “re-tooling” of some crucial aspects of our student ministries program at Saddleback. I’m not much of a list maker, but I am in the process of creating a fairly lengthy one to help me keep my priorities on track.

DENVER BRONCOS: Still too sad to comment.

WHAT I AM READING: I am currently reading “The Guinea Pig Diaries” by my A.J. Jacobs.

LOOKING FORWARD TO: Ditching church this Saturday night to take my 12-year-old son, Cole, to Supercross.

Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas. I hope you find time to slow down, enjoy family and friends and celebrate our savior.

No blogging for me until the new year.

See ya in 2010.

Our junior high ministry has lots of strengths, and more than its fair share of weaknesses! One of the things we seem to do best is get kids connected in a small group with about 10 peers and an adult leader or two.  We have a fairly defined purpose/goal for our small groups, but I often wonder if a “narrow focus” for our small group ministry as a whole is the right way to go, or if we would be wiser to loosen up a bit and let individual small groups take on their own feel and personality….in essence becoming a custom-made small group for the kids in that particular group.

CURRENTLY: Our small groups all meet on Tuesday or Wednesday night, they are expected to choose curriculum from a pre-approved “menu”, We create the calendar of meetings and events for them, they are all same grade/gender with no mixing of other “tribes”, they all meet for the primary purpose of “fellowship” with a strong dose of “discipleship”.

BUT WHAT IT: We loosened it up? what if groups could form however they want and meet whenever they want for whatever purpose they want? What if we trained and empowered our leaders to decide what the spiritual pace of their group is and pick their own curriculum…or have no curriculum at all!  I know things would get a bit squishy, hard to define, hard to measure and hard to control…but things would also get very interesting in a hurry.

We have probably all heard the saying, “It it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  I believe that is a saying that has caused lots and lots of people and organizations to wait too long before they begin thinking about change and progress. The truth is, by the time something is noticeably broken it is often well beyond repair. I don’t know what, if anything, about our small group ministry will look different a year from now, but I’m thinking about it!

QUESTION:  Is there something in your ministry that is working well, maybe so well that you haven’t thought about how it might be improved? Try it…it’s kinda fun, and really important.

- As I type this, there is a 30-something guy in Starbucks spending time with a high school student…which is awesome. In the middle of what seemed to be pretty intense “mentoring” the guy’s phone rang and he took the call.  it TOTALLY ruined the moment.  May those of us who work with students be willing to be fully engaged (Kurt, preaching to himself).

-  Saw “Brothers” the other night. It’s rated R, so some may choose to avoid it but I found it quite compelling, disturbing, encouraging all at the same time. It is a little cliche, but a good story overall.

- I am swimming about 4 days a week and loving it. However, I have discovered that I am extremely hungry after swimming….WAY more so than after any other form of exercise. Any swimmers or health professionals out there that can explain this?

- Spent about 2 hours yesterday afternoon with Josh Griffin, our high school pastor, talking about youth ministry…specifically the future of ours. I think the next 5 years will take us on an incredible ride, and I’m thrilled he’s helping to lead the way.

- …Almost ten minutes later, and “30 something mentor/cell phone guy” is still yapping away while the high schooler is twiddling his thumbs…literally!  Uugghhhh!