Superchick - Cross the Line Bible Study

Interlinc's most recent Music Video Loop Magazine (MVL67) features a Bible study I wrote for Superchick's "Cross the Line" video.

The Superchick people liked it. I hope you do, too.

Leader Guide

Artist: Superchick
URL: superchickonline.com
Album: Rock What You Got
Label: Inpop
Video: Cross the Line
Writer: Kirk Moore
Ministry: Union Congregational United Church of Christ
Location: Somonauk, Illinois
Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:
Courage

Objective:
Students will discuss what holds them back from living their lives fully and completely for Jesus. They’ll be encouraged to cross the line out of their comfort zones to live fully in Jesus’ love.

Warm- up:
The Distance: Draw or mark a line on the ground. Have students stand on the line and jump forward as far as they can. (Do you remember the standing broad jump?) When they have jumped as far as they can, draw or mark a line where they just jumped to. Then invite them to try again – attempting to cross the line and jump past where they jumped before. Remind the students that this is a challenge for each of them to jump farther than they did on the try before – it is not a competition to see who can jump the farthest. Encourage them to try their hardest to cross the line they reached before.
{Alternate activity for folks who aren’t jumpers: Make some paper ‘footballs’ (triangle-shaped folded paper) and invite students to send them (with a flick of the finger) as far as they can. Then invite them to try again – challenging them to cross the line they’ve just reached . . .}
When all have had several chances to jump and jump again, congratulate them for their efforts and invite students back into the group area.

Transition:

Say: The first time you jumped, you may have gone as far as you thought was possible – or maybe you just went as far as you were comfortable trying. What was it like to attempt to go beyond where you were comfortable or where you thought possible? (Allow for some short discussion here if students seem eager.) After a short discussion time, introduce the video.
Superchick’s song, “Cross the Line” is a challenge to look beyond what we are comfortable with or what we think is impossible. It’s got some really cool jumps in it, too! (Leaders: This video is fun and exciting – a blend of a rocking Joan Jett song and a Matrix movie video.)

Play Cross the Line from Superchick

During the video, have students write down phrases that describe what stands out from scenes in the video that they’d really like to see again.

Transition:

Say: “Everybody dies – but not everyone lives.” Is the band’s favorite phrase in the song. Think about your reaction when you hear that. (Allow for a discussion if students are eager.)
Another part of the chorus has the singers talking about riding as if the police were chasing you and living as if you’d just gotten out of jail. What do you think of when you hear those words? (Allow for continued discussion.)

After a short time of discussion, introduce the Bible study.
Jesus lived a life of courage in the face of danger. He gave his life and offers us eternal life. God is the author of our salvation. There’s nothing we can do to earn it. And as sinners saved by God’s grace, we have a natural response. We courageously live God’s love through Jesus! Sometimes doing that isn’t easy and it is even sometimes scary. But it is what God calls us to do as Christians.

Bible Study:

Invite students to look up and read

• 2 Timothy 1:7-9
• Philippians 4:13
• Psalm 56:11
• John 10:10

Discussion questions:

• God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, yet we’re so often afraid to live out our faith. What are some ways to encourage one another to courageously live with a spirit of power, love and self-discipline?
• God promises that we can do everything with the help of Christ who gives us strength. What strength do you need to love God’s love through Jesus?
• The writer of the Psalm offers words of encouragement to all to trust in God and to be courageous. How does Psalm 56:11 encourage you?
• What do you think it means to have life “to the full” or abundantly?

Wrap-up: Jesus came to give us life – not fear. And through God’s word we’ve found encouragement to live our lives sharing God’s love through Jesus. Let’s leave this place ready to cross that line of timidity and fear to be courageous witnesses of Jesus’ love.

(If students ask, play the video for them once again.)

Closing prayer: God who gives us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline, thank you for always hearing our prayers. Please help us to live courageously as we share God’s love with all we meet. Help us to live lives that you desire for us. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Savvy Servants -- what I wish senior pastors and youth pastors knew

I serve as both the senior pastor and youth minister of a small church. Here's an article I wrote for Interlinc's latest music magazine (YLO 77) on what I wish both senior pastors and youth pastors knew. While Interlinc is testing digital delivery of the magazine this month, you can read the article here. And you can also read it (without the fun brain artwork) just below.

Savvy Servants:
A senior pastor and youth pastor shares from inside both minds

Things I wish every youth pastor knew
Things I wish every senior pastor knew

Senior pastor

• If you treat youth pastors as subordinates, they won’t recognize you as a partner in ministry.
• Recognize the disparity between your income and the income of your youth pastor. Be an advocate for a livable wage for them.
• Please don’t micromanage the youth pastor. Instead, ask them questions that let them share their story or give them the opportunity to share their opinions i.e.: "What do you think brings students faith to life?" and "How do you think the students would respond to me coming in for an "ask the senior pastor" night at youth group?"
• Youth trips are not vacation.
• The youth of the church are not the church of tomorrow – they are the church of today. So are the children, young adults, parents, empty nesters, seniors . . . everyone!
• Your presence is important in the lives of the youth. It’s important in the lives of everyone at the church you serve.
  

Youth Pastor

• If you treat your senior pastor as an out of touch boss, they won’t recognize you as a partner in ministry.
• Yes – the senior pastor makes a whole lot more salary than you do. They know it too. They have spent many years in this career.
• Try to involve the senior pastor in the faith journey of the students you serve. You might even want to invite them to an "ask the senior pastor" night at youth group!
• Vacation isn’t an event where you supervise youth.
• The youth of the church are not the church of tomorrow – they are the church of today. So are the children, young adults, parents, empty nesters, seniors . . . everyone!
• Your presence is important in the lives of the youth. It’s important in the lives of everyone at the church you serve.

I’d love to hear some of your thoughts, as well. Send them to kirk@kirkogitation.com

Phil Stacey - You're Not Shaken Bible Study

Interlinc is conducting a test digital delivery of their latest music magazine (YLO 77) I've got a couple of articles in the magazine -- this one is a Bible study for American Idol contestant Phil Stacey's song, "You're Not Shaken."

The edited version in the magazine lacks some of the punch of the original Bible study I wrote, (that happens sometimes as my progressive leanings can, on occasion, be too much for the conservative leaning mag.) but it still gets the point I was trying for across. Feel free (as long as the test edition is up) to compare the two and see what you think! (Interlinc would love to know what you think of the digital delivery -- take a look and respond to them!)

Leader Guide

Artist: Phil Stacey
URL: philstacey.com
Album: Into the Light
Label: Reunion
Song: You’re Not Shaken
Writer: Kirk Moore
Ministry: Union Congregational United Church of Christ
Location: Somonauk, Illinois
Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:
Trust in God

Objective:
Students will discuss difficult times in life and they will be encouraged that God will never abandon them

Warm- up
Rock the Boat: Arrange to bring a video camera to youth group. Be sure to have the proper equipment (usually just a connecting cable) to be able to view the short production you create on a larger screen than the camcorder. Gather students into teams (for larger groups) or in one group and describe the events from the Bible study for this lesson. (Mark 4:35-41 – use only Mark 4:35-38 for this video.) Have the students act out a boat trip for the camera. (In a ‘spontaneous melodrama;’ way.) When the storm comes up suddenly, shake the camera to simulate a rocking boat as the students pretend to be jostled around by the waves. (Provide as much direction as you’d like, though a no-rehearsal, no-direction video will likely provide the most laughs when you watch it with the group.) After shooting the video or videos, show them to the group.

Transition:

Say: The disciples were in the boat and the wind and the waves were thrashing them – yet Jesus was asleep. Sometimes we wonder where God is in the difficult times in our lives. Phil Stacey asks the question, “Why?” in his song, ‘You’re Not Shaken.’

Play You’re Not Shaken from Phil Stacey

During the video, have students fill in the lyrics:

I am _________ in the ________ that is ________
I just wanna ______________
I am _____________in the _____________ of my own ________
All the __________ with no _________
So ________ me __________ I’m __________

Transition:

Say: The writer wants to know why – and ultimately decides to trust that God has things in hand. But it isn’t easy to just let go and say, “I’ll trust you, God” when we’re in the midst of danger. Just look at how the disciples acted towards Jesus when their boat was sinking.

Bible Study:
Have students read the entire passage – Mark 4:35-41.

Say: Some folks would say that God was active in the storm that rocked the disciple’s boat.

Author’s perspective: I do not, now will I ever, blame God for hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes and other disasters or tragedies. Any time someone stands up and says that storms appear because God is punishing folks for something or other my response is a succinct: “That kind of thinking is wrong.”

However, nowhere in this week’s reading does it say that God brought on the storm. It does say that Jesus rebuked the wind and told the sea ‘Shhhh! Be still.’

We may think God brought the storm because there are many “God caused” moments in the Bible:

• God caused the great flood. (Genesis 6-9)
• God caused the plagues. (Exodus 7-11)
• God caused the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18-19)

But our Bible reading this time doesn’t say that God had anything to do with this storm.

Say: What do you think about this idea?
“God is not the one who brings the storm. God is the one that brings us through the storm.”
(Spend time discussing the idea.)

During the discussion, say: “Those words are comforting and hopeful. Though they aren’t an answer to the reason why things happen, and they aren’t words upon which everyone agrees, they are words of comfort and hope.”

Say: When Jesus woke up as the wind and the waves threatened to swamp the boat, his first words were “Shhhh! Be still.” What do you think of the idea that as he said those words, he also directed them at the disciples?
(Discuss the question.)

Wrap-up: Even with all our questions, something is evident. Jesus calmed the storm. He said “Shhhhh! Be still.” Jesus says to us, in the most difficult times, ‘Trust me – we will get through this.’

Closing prayer: God who brings us through the storm, thank you for your love, your compassion and your strength. Help us to trust you as you guide us and stay with us on our faith journey. Amen.

Robert Pierre - Jesus Bible study

The latest edition of Interlinc's Music Video Loop (MVL 66) features a video for the song "Jesus" by Robert Pierre. As part of the magazine that comes with the video, I wrote a Bible study that focuses on the stigma that is too often associated with mental illness. Here's the original -- only slightly different than the version published in the magazine.

Leader Guide

Artist: Robert Pierre
URL: robertpierre.com
Album: Identity
Label: Indie
Song: Jesus
Writer: Kirk Moore
Ministry: Union Congregational United Church of Christ
Location: Somonauk, Illinois
Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:
stigma, restoration

Objective:
Students will discuss mental illness and the historic stigma that has accompanied it. They’ll also discuss Jesus desire for restoration for those who have been marginalized and outcast.

Warm- up
Questionnaire – What do you know about mental illness?
Give students the following questions – you can use handouts, powerpoint (or other presentation software) old-fashioned overhead or even a chalkboard!) The correct answers, along with a little bit of discussion for some questions are included here.

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning. Let’s find out what you know about mental illness in the United States:

1. How many Americans, in a given year, experience a mental health disorder?

• one in 4
• one in 10
• one in 50
• one in 100

Approximately 58 million in the United States experience a mental health disorder in a given year. One in seventeen lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder 1, and about one in ten children have a serious mental or emotional disorder. (References and more details about mental illness can be found at nami.org. From the “inform yourself” dropdown choose “About Mental illness)

2. What percentages of mental health problems and disorders have their onset during before age 14?

• 10%
• 20%
• 50%
• 70%

Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14-- three-quarters by age 24.

3. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. Among 10-24 year olds, it is the _____ cause of death.

• 15th
• 11th
• 1st
• 3rd

4. What percentage of students with a mental disorder age 14 and older drop out of high school

• 10%
• 25%
• 50%
• 75%

50% is the highest dropout rate of any disability group.

5. Depression is very common. When is depression most likely to occur?

• in childhood
• in adolescence
• in older adulthood
• depression can occur at any age

6. People living with mental illness are often subjected to stigma. Stigma is negative attitudes (prejudice) and negative responses (discrimination) that can make a person feel unwanted and shamed (stigmatized). How does stigma affect people with mental illness?

• seriously affects the well-being of those who experience it
• affects people while they are ill, while they are in treatment and even when a mental health problem is a distant memory
• stops many people from seeking the treatment they need
• all of the above

Transition:

Say: For far too long, the church has treated mental disorders as something that are indicators of a weak person or a person who isn’t close enough to God. The church has and must continue to change. Some might view the video we’re going to watch, from newcomer Robert Pierre (he’s just 16 years old!) as one that sends the message – “Just pray to Jesus and everything will be all right.” We’ve likely learned that things don’t work out that way. In this study, we’ll discuss mental illness and Jesus’ desire that people would be restored to health and to the community.

Play: Jesus from Robert Pierre

Note: The video includes powerful images of a teenager contemplating suicide. (related to #3 on our questionnaire.) The images may change the nature of this meeting from one discussing ministry and mental illness to one that focuses exclusively on the subject of suicide. Please be prepared with helpful resources from these or other agencies:

• pathways2promise.org
• mentalhealthministries.net
• nami.org/namifaithnet
• suicidepreventionlifeline.org

During the video, encourage students to write down single words or sentences describing the emotions that they feel.

Transition:

Say: “Any desperate day - One word I can pray. All I know to say . . . Jesus.” There is no time, no emotion and no situation where we can’t go to Jesus. Jesus hears our prayers all the time: Good times, ‘regular’ times, bad times, even times where we can’t find the words to think or to say. Jesus loves us no matter what. It seems, thought, that when we or others experience symptoms of mental illness that we’re not sure where Jesus is or if he is listening at all. Folks who experience mental illness too often feel the stigma of their situation and the pain of how folks have treated them when they learn of their illness. Let’s look to the Bible to discover Jesus’ desire for folks who live with stigma and the marginalization that comes with it.

Bible Study:
Have students look up Mark 4:23-24 and Mark 5:1-19

Matthew 4:23-24
Jesus healed people. He restored the people from their illnesses and to their communities. Included in the list of diseases and sicknesses Jesus healed are people who had demons. Bible scholarship today recognizes those described as having demons in Jesus time as folks who were suffering from mental illness. (Students may challenge this statement. There is time for discussion on this topic in this lesson.)

Mark 5:1-19
Jesus healed a man who was possessed by demons. Afterwards he told the man to go home to be restored to his family and community.

Ask: What are your thoughts about the relationship of the term’s ‘demon possession’ and ‘mental illness’?

The Bible describes folks with demons – folks with mental illness – as being healed and restored to their communities. How can we be a part of following Jesus example and reaching out to folks who have been ostracized – especially due to the stigma of mental illness?
(Suggestions for discussion or to ‘prime the pump.’)

• Speak up about stigma to friends and family
• Be aware of how you judge others with mental illness
• Support organizations that fight the stigma of mental illness

(pathways2promise.org, mentalhealthministries.net, nami.org/namifaithnet )


Wrap-up:
No matter where we are, or what our situation, we can call out to Jesus for help. Even when we don’t have the words, God is listening. For folks suffering from mental illness or for folks who are affected by a family member or friend with mental illness: You are not alone and Jesus’ desire is for restoration – not marginalization.

Closing prayer:
God of love and compassion. Thank you for always hearing our prayers, no matter what the words – or even lack of them. We believe that you love each one of us just as we are and you walk with us on our faith journey. Help us to love all of your children with that same compassion, Amen.

Work Trip 2009

I just returned from Camp Reynoldswood in Dixon, IL, after a few days working with youth and adults from Union Congregational UCC in Somonauk and one student from First Congregational UCC in DeKalb, IL. What a great week!

Here are a few highlights:

• I cannot say enough good things about the 8 youth and adults who were with me on this trip. (There were, in total, 9 of us on the trip for all or part of it) Each person came to serve, to learn, and to live out love for God and for each other. Every task -- every moment we were there I witnessed that love.
• The work projects we participated in included painting, gardening, clean-up and Tipi setup.
• By far our favorite experience working involved Tipi setup. We learned (at first by doing it wrong) how to set up Tipis for the Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Church's Tipi Camp -- a Native American camp experience. Through that experience we met several wonderful people and had a chance to get to know many more folks that we would have if we had spent more time in the garden or painting.
• I cannot say enough good things about the staff at Camp Reynoldswood, either. I had attended there about 30 years ago as a junior high student and they went to great lengths to help make this workcamp experience a wonderful one.

You're invited to have a look at pictures from the week -- check them out!

Experiencing what you preach

Yesterday was a great worship day -- a community sunrise service with great energy, music and preaching and then a lively, spirit-filled, musically uplifting service with, I gotta say, a great sermon from that there preacher (OK -- that there preacher was me) One of the statements that occurred several times during the sermon was this:

"God has ways of making the impossible possible."

And then after the service things went . . . poorly.

I've been planning a youth and adult work trip to a close-by camp and retreat center. We had a small but ready group -- adults and youth-- ready to head out Tuesday morning.

I learned after the service that two adults (necessary chaperones) and two youth weren't going to be able to make it to all of the trip -- and likely not at all.

After a few conversations yesterday afternoon and this morning, I realized that the trip wasn't going to be able to happen. I contacted the retreat facility and told them the news. I couldn't secure chaperones for the trip -- it was impossible. We had to cancel the trip.

20 minutes later, we had a solution that includes proper chaperones, work opportunities for everyone involved and a work trip that is going to be wonderful.

I'm really grateful to Reynoldswood Christian Camp in Dixon, IL, for their assistance in turning things from 'unraveled' to 'ready to go!' We leave tomorrow afternoon.

And I'm amazed and thrilled at how God has ways of making the impossible possible.

Interview with a Middle Schooler

Interlinc's latest Youth Leader's Only Magazine (YLO 76) has a middle school ministry theme. I wrote this article for the edition, it's in there, but with a slightly different title. I like the Anne Rice-y pun in my title, so that's how I'm going to post it here.. (So there;)

Interview With a Middle Schooler:
A Few Middle Schoolers Views on the Statements of Experts
By Kirk Moore

I recently sat down with a group of middle schoolers and asked them to respond to some statements made by the folks who write books and magazine articles about middle schoolers.

Middle Schoolers are the “new teens.” They are invited into a teen lifestyle, a teen existence actually, that used to be the stuff of high school. (Packaging Girlhood By Sharon Lamb, Lyn Mikel Brown, p. 6)

Combined response: “I keep telling my parents that things are different than when they were my age. They think they know everything. They don’t.”

“Middle schoolers are bolts of energy wrapped in a package of laziness.” (Jerry Parks – Teacher Under Construction)

Combined response: “Not all the time – whoever wrote that is only describing the way we act sometimes.”

"Middle schoolers are often in a state of confusion, as they want to act like adults, but still feel like children; they also begin to feel the pressures of complicated social interactions, especially with the onset of male and female relationships." (http://math-and-reading-help-for-kids.org/articles/Psychology_of_Middle_Schoolers.html)

Female response: “Boys are the ones who are confused. They have no idea how to be friends anymore.”
Male response: “What happened to the girls? When did they turn so mean?”

“Middle schoolers are inspired by sincerity, frustrated by denial, and defeated by doubt.” (Jerry Parks – Teacher Under Construction)

Combined response: “What? Say something that makes sense!”

“The span between sixth graders and eighth graders (especially beginning-of-the-year sixth graders compared to end-of-the-year eighth graders) is huge.” (Mark Oestreicher – President, Youth Specialties – ysmarko.com)

Male response: “No duh. I have trouble recognizing some of my friends pictures from 6th grade!”
Female response: “I don’t think things have changed all that much.”

“Middle schoolers are unique because they’re not children anymore, but they’re not teenagers either. They’re at an in-between age, trying to figure out who they are in every day life and in their spiritual life. I love middle schoolers because they’re moldable.” (Cory Hammett, Middle School pastor at Living Hope Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky.)

Combined response: “Moldable? I don’t want someone messing with me and trying to turn me into something I’m not.”

Whatever any expert says, please remember this. Middle school students are people. They have minds, dreams, fears and joys. And the students you work with won’t be impressed by your expertise. Instead of treating them like projects for the future, remember that they are valuable today. All of the middle school students you work with deserve to be listened to and cared for as a person whom God calls precious.

Akon - Right Now Bible Study

Here's a short devotion I wrote for the "Re:tuned" section of Interlinc's latest Youth Leader's Only Magazine (YLO 76)

Song: Right Now

Artist: Akon

Album: Freedom

Kirk Moore

Union Congregational United Church of Christ

Somonauk, IL

kirk@kirkogitation.com

Teaching Point: When relationships end – it’s painful.

Opening Question:  What are you supposed to do with the pain of an ended relationship?

Discussion:

Anyone who has ever been in a relationship and then broke up knows that the pain that comes with the end of a relationship is real. But even though the pain is real, folks so often tell us (or we tell others) to ‘get over it’ right now and move on after a relationship ends. But how is a person supposed to ‘get over it’ right now and move one when they’re dealing with a broken heart?  

Here are some ideas:

• Acknowledge that it’s painful
  
• Talk to a friend or someone else you trust about how you feel
  
• Write poetry or a story or a song about how you feel
  

Akon’s song “Right Now” expresses feelings of sadness and longing relating to the end of a relationship. The song is a ‘Lament’ or a song or poem that expresses sadness and sorrow. It’s not too different from the Psalms – songs, prayers and poems that often express sadness and sorrow.

Many Psalms can provide comfort to folks who are in pain relating to ended relationships. Some verses in the psalms that are particularly helpful are:

• Psalm 34:18
  
• Psalm 69:3, 16
  
• Psalm 147:3
  

Just like in the song, there are no quick answers to healing a broken heart. ‘Getting over it’ quickly (right now) isn’t a likely reaction to a relationship that ends. But talking to others, writing, praying and reading the Psalms are acts where we can find comfort and where we can begin to heal.

Conclusion: There’s no quick cure for a broken heart, but we can be comforted in knowing that we’re not alone in our pain and that God’s healing will come.

Third Day: 'Revelation' Bible study

I just perused a copy of Interlinc's latest Music Video Loop Magazine (MVL 64/65) Here's a Bible study I wrote for this issue:

Leader Guide

Artist: Third Day

URL: thirdday.com

Album: Revelation

Label: Essential

Song: Revelation

Writer: Kirk Moore

Ministry: Union Congregational Church

Location: Somonauk, Illinois

Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:

God’s Guidance

Objective:

Students will learn that following God and seeking God’s guidance isn’t about having it all figured out; rather, it’s about not having things figured out -- and seeking God anyway.

Warm- up:

Show Me What to Do: This “no prop” game asks students and leaders to repeat a sequence of numbers in rhythm. Have students stand in a matter where all can see the leader. Let them know that you are going to show them a number (using digits from 1 to 5) on your hand. All they have to do is repeat that number – with the correct rhythm (with one number rhythm isn’t too important – as you add numbers to the sequence it will get more difficult.) The leader continues adding numbers to the sequence in each proceeding round. (It might be good for the leader to practice this – as it can get confusing even if you’re making up the sequence!) The game is over when all students have missed at least once. (Or when you’ve gone through enough rounds to declare several winners!) As an alternative “props needed” game, find a “Bop-it”, “Bop-it Extreme” or “Brainwarp” game and use the ‘passing’ version of one of the gizmo’s games.

Transition:

Say: Sometimes it’s really hard to follow directions, isn’t it? Everything seems to come at once and it seems impossible to get everything right. And having a leader who keeps messing up doesn’t help things either! (Yes, that line won’t work well if you used the “props needed” games. In that case, you can say “And those electronic games have no forgiveness for your mistakes!”) Life can be that way, too. And following God, while simple in some ways, can get difficult and frustrating when we keep making mistakes and feel like there’s no use in even trying. Today we’re gong to watch a video from Third Day (pause for a few to look at each other with a “Cool! I love that group!”) called “Revelation.” In the song, the group asks for God’s guidance while they know that they keep messing things up on their own.

Hand out Student Guides and then play “Revelation” from Third Day.

During the song, have students fill in the "fill in the blanks" portion of the student guide

Transition:

Say: This song is a request from the singer for God’s guidance. It is also a lament. Do you know what that is? (Let students offer suggestions. If none can describe a lament . . .) a lament – as it applies here, is a song or a poem that expresses grief, sorrow, anger, stress or regret. A lament can have hope for something better in it, too.

Bible Lesson:

There are places in the Bible that are full of laments. Can you name any? (Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Job, Jeremiah and the Psalms) Since today’s song is a . . . song. Let’s look for laments from the songbook of the Bible, the Psalms

Have selected students read the following verses from the Psalms aloud:

Psalm 31:1-5

Psalm 51:1-4, 10-12

Psalm 73:1-2, 22-26

Say: In each of these Psalms, the writer asks for God’s guidance. But all through asking for guidance, the writer also acknowledges how imperfect they are. They don’t come to God with everything together. Instead they come to God just as they are: Flawed and in need of guidance.

Say: If you were to write a Psalm of lament, what do you think you’d put in it? (Let the group offer suggestions - write them on an overhead or a flipchart, etc.)

After a short time, tell the students that they’ll now have a chance to write their own psalms. Let them know that you’re not going to collect them and that you’re not going to make anyone share them with the rest of the group. Give students 5-10 minutes of quiet, contemplative time to compose their psalms.

At the end of the quiet time, give students an opportunity to share their psalms, if they desire. If not move right to the wrap-up.

Wrap-up:

God’s guidance – God’s revelation isn’t something that comes to us because we demand it or because we tell God what we think we should do – it comes from us asking God what God wants us to do. And we don’t have to have everything figured out to ask for God’s guidance. We can ask just as we are. To close, let’s spend just a few more minutes in silence reading the psalms we’ve written. During that time, let’s also ask for God’s revelation.

Close in silent prayer

Soul School Review

Here's a book review I wrote for Soul School by Jeanne Stevens. Ymexchange.com published it today.

Review: Soul School by Jeanne Stevens
By Kirk Moore

Youthworkers often have a reputation of being tireless, resilient and somewhat headstrong. I think it can also be said that youthworkers spend so much time and energy helping others grow in their faith that they neglect caring for their own souls. Veteran youthworker Jeanne Stevens feels the same way. In her book, Soul School: Enrolling in a Soulful Lifestyle for Youth Ministry, she writes from her perspective as a youth leader who has experienced the ups and downs of ministry and who has also had her share of successes and failures.
Soul School is an invitation for youthworkers to step away from outward comparisons and unrealistic expectations and instead live life authentically seeking and experiencing God’s presence. Each chapter focuses on a different area of soul enrichment. Additionally, each chapter finishes with a ‘workbook’ area for contemplating and to writing reactions to the chapter as well as setting goals for soul enrichment.
Chapter highlights:

• The Unforced Rhythms of Grace – "Too many youthworkers are afraid to admit they’re tired" (p.39) "God is the one who fills our tanks." (p. 41)
• Hello, My Real Name Is . . . – "We are God’s children, we always have been his children, and we always will be his children." (p. 84)
• The Miraculous Middle – "I am still amazed that in Jesus we can be both broken and whole." (p. 99) If there’s a quote that sums up this book – this is it.
• The Freedom of Forgiveness – "I was surprised by what happened to me when I began to embrace my capacity for being wrong." (p. 110)
  

I think the best students for Soul School are Youth leaders who are open to an ongoing soul-renovating experience. Some chapters will be much more engaging than others for different youth workers, but the same book read at different life seasons will likely challenge the reader in very different ways. I found myself deeply engaged by about 4 of the book’s 10+ chapters. I think all of the chapters would have engaged me had there been more first-person experiences in addition to Jeanne’s personal and third-person experiences. Soul School is a helpful, if not necessary, resource for youthworkers on a continuing journey of faith.


And wouldn't you know it . . . Soul School is on sale this week at youthspecialties.com!

Downhere: Here I Am Bible Study

Interlinc's released it's newest edition of the ConGRADulations gift CD and DVD for graduating seniors.  They've also featured this year's offering in their latest music magazine (YLO 75)   I wrote a Bible study for one of the songs, Downhere's 'Here I Am.'  It's featured in the Bible study pages of the magazine:

Leader Guide

Artist: downhere

@: downhere.com

Album: Ending is Beginning

Label: Essential

Song: Here I Am

Writer: Kirk Moore

Ministry: Union Congregational United Church of Christ

Location: Somonauk, Illinois

Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:

Mission

Objective:

In this study, students will discuss God’s call to share the good news of Jesus with all the people. They’ll also be encouraged that God’s call extends to us just as we are, warts and all.

Warm- up:

Airmail:  You’ll need paper, (8½  X 11 sheets work best) a paper airplane making instruction book (or an expert in making a few types of planes) pencils and a wide open area (gym, sanctuary, balcony).  Ask students to take their pieces of paper and write a message of life, hope, love, forgiveness and compassion from God. It should be a short sentence, “I have come to bring you life- Jesus.” After students write their short sentence, have them fashion the paper into a paper airplane. If there’s time students can make more than one. After students have finished making the planes, take them to the wide open area and see how far they can send their messages via airmail. Encourage all and remind them that no matter where the planes land, the airmail message has gone. When enough airmail messages have been sent, gather the students back in you meeting place.

Transition:  

We flew a whole bunch of different paper airplanes – carrying all kinds of different messages of life, hope, forgiveness and compassion from God. Imagine if instead of writing the message and sending it on a paper airplane, you took the message and let yourself be sent. Downhere’s song, “Here I Am” is all about that.  

Hand out Student Guides and then play “Here I Am” from downhere. (Leaders will notice the very “Freddy Mercury-ish” vocal quality of downhere’s lead singer. Students probably won’t notice at all.)

During the song, invite students to write more messages of life, hope, love, forgiveness and compassion.

Transition:

This song is about being willing to follow God’s call in our lives even though we struggle, have weakness and live with failure. Let’s look at some struggling weak failures from the Bible who were willing to respond to God’s call with the words, “Here I Am.”

Bible Lesson:

Have selected students read the following verses aloud:

Isaiah 6:1-8

The call of Isaiah – a man of “unclean lips.”

1 Samuel 3: 1-10

The call of Samuel – a boy apprentice to a Rabbi.

 

Acts 9:10-18

The call of Ananias – the one who was the first to encounter Paul after he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Say:  In each of these Bible readings, a person who was somewhat unlikely for a call from God heard that call and responded with “Here I Am.”    

What do you think would hold Samuel back?

Samuel was a mere apprentice but he was willing to respond to God’s call. 

What do you think would hold Isaiah back?

Isaiah didn’t think he was good enough but he was willing to respond to God’s call. 

What do you think would hold Ananias back?

Ananias was afraid of Paul’s reputation for killing Christians but he was willing to respond to God’s call.

Say:  Take a look at the messages of life, hope, love, forgiveness and compassion that you wrote on your paper airplanes and in the student guides. What did you write? (Allow time for students to respond.)

It may be easy for you to think of reasons why it is too hard, too scary or why you feel inadequate to share those messages of God’s life, hope, love, forgiveness and compassion with folks you meet each day. Think about them just a little. As you’re doing that, we’re going to read one more verse:

Read 2 Corinthians 12:9 and have the students repeat this line several times;

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Wrap-up:

In our weakness, with our struggles, and through our failures, God calls us to share his hope, love forgiveness and compassion. Let’s respond, knowing God’s grace is sufficient, with the words of Isaiah:  "Here I am. Send me!"

Closing prayer:

We fail, we doubt, we’re weak and we’re broken, God. Here we are – send us! Amen. 

Social Networking

I have a new article published in Interlinc's Music Magazine. (YLO 75) . It's about youth leaders staying connected with graduates during the 'absent years' of college.    (I think it's telling about the pace of social networking change that the end of this article about a much less known Twitter - at the time I wrote the article - now needs an update!)

(Here's a link to the pdf version Interlinc just published on their website - 3/10/09)

Thoughts?

Social Networking – A Tool to Stay in Touch During the ‘Absent Years’

By Kirk Moore

We spend an amazing amount of energy staying connected with students during their middle and high school years. 

Some youth leaders spend as much, if not more, energy trying to keep college students connected to church life – others forget about the students shortly after graduation. In both cases, churches see a mass exodus of students from local church ministries shortly after graduation.

Can we reverse the trend? Can we keep students involved in our local churches or at least keep them involved in ministries at college?

Maybe.

Students who were active in church during their high school years and fell off the map during their college and early adult lives will likely return after they get married and have children. If they continue to have a connection with the ministry they were a part of during their younger years, I think the likelihood of them returning is even greater.

Enter social networking!

Social networking websites (okay – let’s not kid ourselves, I’m really talking about Facebook and not much about any other sites) provide an excellent opportunity to stay in touch with college age students and young adults during their “absent years” from church. If you’re not connected with Facebook, sign up, log on and start getting connected with those college students and young adults you may not have seen or heard from in awhile. Most (if not all!) of them are already connected with hundreds of friends on Facebook.

Some things you can do to stay connected:

• Sign up at facebook.com
  
• Connect with students (it takes a remarkably short time for folks to find you!)
  
• Create a group for students from your youth ministry
  
• Wish them Happy Birthday on their birthday.
  
• Have a “Facebook meet-up” at a specific time online.
  
• Post memorable (and appropriate!) youth group memory photos on your Facebook group.
  
• Never post anything in any electronic format that you wouldn’t want your mother to see or read.
  
• Don’t remind college students to be appropriate online. You’re staying connected to them but you’re not the Facebook police.  
  
• Continue to be supportive, invitational and demonstrative (big word, eh?) of God’s unconditional love.
  

Did I mention Twitter? I probably should have. You may want to keep an eye out for that site, too!

Jonas Brothers - A Little Bit Longer

I wrote this "short review for youthworkers" for the most recent Jonas Brothers record for Interlinc's music magazine (YLO 74)

Artist: Jonas Brothers
Album: A Little Bit Longer
Label: Hollywood Records
@: jonasbrothers.com
Genre: Pop
TIYL: Hanson, Miley Cyrus, Cheetah Girls, Any of the newest Disney Channel singers
Reviewer: Kirk Moore
Union Congregational UCC
Somonauk, IL
kirk@revkirk.com

What are teen pop sensations The Jonas Brothers doing as part of the record review portion here in the YLO magazine? Turns out that just a few years ago Nick Jonas was signed to INO records and all three performing brothers (Nick, Kevin and Joe – a younger brother, Frankie, is on his way to becoming the youngest Jonas performer!) are Jesus-following, purity-ring-wearing teen pop stars. (Note: Carrying the "role model" label is a heavy burden to bear. In addition to dealing with the temptation of being worshipped as a rock star, the Jonas brothers live with the same temptations and struggles of other teens. It’s wise to remind students of that reality)

The latest Jonas Brothers CD is filled with catchy and danceable pop tunes. Most of the songs, appealing mostly to middle schoolers, will have your toes tapping. The non-toe-tapping slower songs are still musically moving.

The songs are not, however, poetic masterpieces. Younger students will love them, but most of the songs don’t lend themselves to great discussions. A few exceptions (and I’m probably stretching a little here) are these three:

• Shelf is about feeling rejected. The singer laments giving more in a relationship than his partner gives. This song might lend itself well to a discussion about things we keep on the shelf – like dusty old bibles or our spiritual lives.
• Video Girl explores the shallowness of fame. The band realizes in this song that many so-called friends are really only around as long as there is money or power in the relationship. This song has possibilities as part of a discussion about the parable of the prodigal son.
• A Little Bit Longer expresses hope of healing from sad situations. The singer has lost something precious and has no prospects for getting it back. This song would work well in a discussion about God’s healing and comfort in the worst times of our lives.

Play any song from this CD, and your middle school students will excitedly participate in group discussions. I’d stay away from the latest Jonas Brothers CD, however, with anyone older than 13.

Family Force 5 - Wake the Dead Bible Study

I wrote this one for the most recent edition of Interlinc's music magazine (YLO 74) In addition to the text here, you can find this one in pdf format as a freebie from the folks at Interlinc.

Leader's Guide

Student Guide

Artist: Family Force 5

URL: familyforce5.com

Album: Dance or Die

Label: Transparent Media Group

Song: Wake the Dead

Writer: Kirk Moore

Ministry: Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ

Location: Somonauk, Illinois

Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:

Renewal

Objective:

In this study, students will dance and play. They’ll also learn about and experience the life that God promises and gives.

Warm- up:

Puppets! Before the meeting, run down to the children’s ministry area at church and grab all the puppets you can find. (It might be a good idea to ask the Children’s ministry leaders if this is OK, but if you’ve forgotten that detail, be sure you treat the puppets well!) As students arrive at the meeting, give them a puppet and tell them to give the puppet a name and to develop a voice for it. Remind them to treat the puppet nicely. Once everyone has a puppet, have them go around the room for a 30 second introduction. If there’s time (the warm up shouldn’t last more than 10-15 minutes) encourage the students to go around the room again and “really bring those puppets to life.” If there’s no time, thank the students for “really bringing those puppets to life” and collect the puppets. (Be sure to get them back to the children’s ministry area!) If you want to have a little more fun, award each puppeteer an award that involves the phrase “bringing the character (or puppet) to life. You can use different categories – female/male, comedy/drama, special effects etc.

Transition:

Bringing puppets to life may seem natural to some and difficult for others. What do you think it would be like if you could really – like Pinocchio – bring a puppet to life? How would you breathe life into that puppet? Keep that thought in mind as we listen to a song that you might need to dance to – feel free to get up on your feet if the spirit moves!

Play: Wake the Dead from Family Force 5

During the song, have students draw pictures of their favorite puppets and/or make up funny or dramatic catch phrases their puppets could speak. (Unless they’ve decided to dance!)

Transition:

It sounds like the singer is a little angry about the comments some make about the music he sings. The singer then responds that the loud music and the message are telling of a power that can really shake things up.

Bible Study:

Let’s look at a part of the Bible where God told a prophet that He was going to really shake things up.

Invite a student or students to read Ezekiel 37:1-14 out loud. Encourage them to really “bring the words to life.”

Ask: (allow time for discussion after each question.)

• These verses are very descriptive – almost like the treatment for a very realistic special effects movie. How did you react to the graphic details?
• How does it strike you that the bones were “very” dry? Is that different from just “dry?” How?
• Both God and the writer (Ezekiel) have things to do relating to bringing the bones to life. What are they?
• What do you think this Bible reading says about hope and about the renewal that God gives?

Say:

• What connections have you drawn between the Bible reading and the song?
• What else are you thinking – as it relates to the Bible reading and/or the song?

Wrap-up: Sometimes it’s exciting. Sometimes it’s unnerving. Sometimes it’s even scary. God is breathing new life into you and into this group and into our church all the time. God is continuing to do a great thing.

Closing prayer: Thank you, God, for your life-giving spirit. Thank you for giving us words of hope. Help us to be able to share our experience of that hope and of the life you give us with everyone we meet. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Teen Sexuality: By the Numbers

Tyra Banks revealed the results of her survey of over 10,000 girls about sex, drugs and violence.  The study may not have been a random-sample scientific one, but it did get some conversations going!  A few months earlier, folks were putting together articles for Interlinc's latest edition of Youth Leaders Only Magazine (YLO 74: The Naked Truth) This edition takes on the hot topic of sex -- I wrote a couple of articles for it.  Here's the second (The first one, "An Article about That Subject," is in another post.)

UPDATE:  This article is also available now as a pdf download from the "Try our magazine and then maybe you'll subscribe to the service" area.  

Teen Sexuality:  By the Numbers

By Kirk Moore

“It’s not that way in our youth group!”

“We’ve taught our students differently than that!”

“Christian kids don’t do the same things as non-Christian kids.”

We can guess all we want and we can base our assumptions of teen culture on what we hear from students who want to give the right answers about sex to the questions we ask in our youth groups. Perhaps we should pay more attention to the data. Here’s what the students in our communities and in our youth groups are up to . . . sexually:

• Slightly less than half of 9-12th grade students have had sexual intercourse. (Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007.)
  
• 55% of students age 15-19 have had heterosexual oral sex. (Guttmacher Institute -  Journal of Adolescent Health, July 2008.)
  
• 35% of 9-12th grade students are currently sexually active (have had sex in the last 3 months). (CDC, National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007.)
  
• 50% of students who take virginity pledges deny it a year later. (American Journal of Public Health, June 2006.)
  
• Within 3 years of taking an abstinence pledge, 34% of students will break it. (42% of students who have not taken a pledge will have sex.) (RAND corporation Study, Journal of Adolescent Health, September 2008.)
  
• 4.6% of students who take an abstinence pledge will be diagnosed with an STD. (7% of those who do not take an abstinence pledge will be diagnosed with an STD.) (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 2005.)
  
• Students who take an abstinence pledge are less likely to use condoms and more likely to experiment with oral and anal sex than those who do not take a pledge. (National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 2005.)
  
• 62% of sexually active students report using condoms the last time they had sex. (CDC, National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007.)
  
• 4% of young women age 15-19 will give birth this year. (National Center for Health Statistics – 2006.)
• Students who receive comprehensive sex education are at a 50% lower risk of teen pregnancy than students who receive abstinence-only sex education. (Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2008.)
  

What do you think your students’ reaction to these statistics will be? What do you think the parents’ reaction will be? How will it affect the way you do ministry?

An Article About That Subject

Interlinc's come out with their most recent edition of their music magazine (YLO 74: The Naked Truth) and its full of articles about sex. Of course, it's full of record reviews and song Bible studies and devotions, too. I've got a few things published in this edition. The one I'm most stoked about, however, is the article I thought might not make it through the 'vetting process.'
Interlinc's a great youth ministry organization -- and they're also one that leans more to the conservative side. So publishing this article (granted, alonside several articles that present the issue from a much more conservative viewpoint) is a big thing. It definitely acknowledges the need for conversation on the wedge issue of homosexuality.

From the Interlinc blog:

You probably won’t agree with all or even many of these viewpoints or opinions… but that’s okay, we don’t either. But we simply thought that as you help your kids deal with a sexual culture spiraling out of control, having a big list of resources (from ministries, news, research and others) would be a good idea. We want you to be aware and we want you to be prepared (as much as we could find).

Here's the article I wrote -- it's on page 18:

An Article About That Subject

By Kirk Moore

Union Congregational Church

Somonauk, Illinois

kirk@revkirk.com

Faithful and intelligent Bible scholars don’t always agree on Biblical interpretation. Concerning wedge issues like homosexuality, folks share passionate rhetoric and experiences on both sides. It seems that it is not only difficult, but also seemingly impossible to have a conversation about homosexuality without emotions flaring. Among Christians there are vastly different opinions about the subject. No matter what the side, those speaking are sure that their interpretation is the correct one.

And this article and this magazine aren’t going to settle any debate on the issue.

Instead, I’d like to suggest that although the church is very skilled in the emotional debates and the all-too-often caustic language about homosexuality, we have also marginalized and missed out on the opportunity to minister to some wonderful people.

We need to change. We need to reach out and invite young people who identify themselves as homosexual into our youth groups. We need to remember that the rule of love trumps any conviction on the issue of homosexuality. We need to remember that God is the one who changes hearts and minds. We need to remember that God’s time in changing hearts and minds is rarely synced with ours. And we need to be ready to welcome those youth into our youth groups exactly as they are.

Some I’ve talked to worry that welcoming – with no agenda other than love – homosexual youth is impossible with existing church policies. We need to change that, or at least start talking with church leaders about the policies.

Others I’ve talked to are worried that welcoming – with no agenda other than love – those youth opens the door to, among other things, same-sex couples in youth group. My usual response to fears like this one is, “Open, frank, and age-appropriate talk about sexual issues is something I think belongs in youth ministry, but I don’t want any students who are in relationships with each other to be displaying their romance to the rest of the group. Girls are pink; boys are blue. No purple, okay? And for that matter let’s not have any hot pink or dark blue, either.”

To welcome with love as the only agenda will be easier for some than others. The desire to bring in an agenda on any side of the issue will be strong. Please remember, however, that in youth ministry we aren’t ministering to issues or settling debates. We are sharing God’s love with God’s precious children. No matter whom we have in youth group, we must remember to treat God’s children with the love that we experience in Jesus.

I think that’s the way we should minister to all youth.

Ronnie Freeman - Breakaway Bible Study

Here's the latest Bible study I wrote for interlinc -- it's in the Fall 2008 Youth Leaders Only magazine (YLO 73)


Leader Guide
Artist: Ronnie Freeman
URL: ronniefreemanonline.com
Album: God Speaking
Label: White Apron Entertainment/KOCH Records
Song: Breakaway
Writer: Kirk Moore
Ministry: Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Location: Somonauk, Illinois
Email: kirk@revkirk.com

Theme:
Repentance

Objective:
This study encourages students to examine their life path and to be challenged to change direction from their way towards God’s way.

Warm- up
Turn Around
Have students stand in lines or rows with enough room to stretch their arms fully. All students should be facing in the same direction. (towards you) Tell the students, "On the count of three – simply turn around." After counting and seeing some students turn 360 degrees around and some turn 180 degrees, tell all the students that you meant for them to turn around. (Don’t tell them what exactly you mean.) Say "Let’s try again." On the count of three I want you to jump in the air and try to turn around before your feet hit the ground." After counting and seeing some students jump 360 degrees around and some jump 180 degrees, tell all that you meant for them to turn around. This time explain that you mean turn around and go in the opposite direction. A third time have them lay on their stomachs (in the same places they were standing and jumping) Tell them that on the count of thee you want them to turn around and face the opposite direction- without getting up off of the ground. After counting and laughing as students try to get themselves turned around while still on the ground, say "Tonight we’re talking about turning around – turning away from the things we want and turning towards the things God wants for us."

Transition:
Say: Christian music artist Ronnie Freeman’s song "Breakaway" (Yes, there’s more than one song with the same title! You can use this line to let students know that you’ve heard the Kelly Clarkson tune.) Here’s how he describes the backround of the song, "I’m learning about the responsibilities He gives us in the journey of life—decisions that He has empowered us to make through the person of the Holy Spirit."Breakaway" is an expression of that determination to make those hard—but right—decisions."

Play: Breakaway from Ronnie Freeman
During the song, have students fill in the blanks of a few lyrics from the song. (Want the student worksheet? Ask for it in the comments!)

Transition:
Say: "Do whatever it takes, whatever you need to make a change – to see a new day." Ronnie Freeman’s song is a challenge to take positive steps to change the way we live our lives if that way isn’t the way God wants. Ronnie also says thisabout the song: "I find that I don’t get desperate, hungry, tired or angry enough at all the things I allow to slowly destroy me. Sometimes I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for God to part the waters, instead of considering that He might be asking me to take a boat."

Discussion:
Ask: Think about things in your life that God wants you to change. Repentance is a word that literally means "to turn around." For us that means turning away from sin and turning towards God. Let’s look some more at what we can learn from the Bible.

Bible Study:
Say: Before Jesus arrived, John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness. He talked about repentance.

Invite students to read Matthew 3:1-2 and Luke 3:11-14.
Ask: What was John the Baptist telling the people to do? What do you think he’d be saying to you if you asked him "What should I do?" today?

After a few minutes of discussion, Say: After John was no longer on the scene (If you’d like, you can run through a quick synopsis of John in the wilderness, John baptizing Jesus and then John’s imprisonment before Jesus started his public ministry) Jesus started saying something identical to what John had said.

Invite a student to read either Matthew 4:17 and Mark 1:15
Say: John said it, Jesus said it, it was in the song – and we’ve started talking about it. Can you think of things in your life that you know you need to change, yet you think that you’ve gone so far in the wrong direction that you think it’s too late?

C.S. Lewis (You might know him as the author of the Chronicles of Narnia) wrote this in his book, Mere Christianity: We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road;

Think for a little about the road you’re on and how you could make an about-turn to walk back on the right road.

Wrap-up: Turning everything in our lives over to Jesus isn’t an easy thing. And ‘pretending’ to do it because we’re expecting to get it all back isn’t really trusting Jesus with everything in our lives. But Jesus does promise that if we really turn everything about our lives over to him, we’ll find true life.

Closing prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for being someone we can trust with everything about us. Please help us to trust you completely – with everything that we are. Thank you for promising that with you, we’ll find true life. Amen

Strategy

A magazine I write for asked for some articles about Strategic Youth Ministry. Not being one who likes to go with the flow, I submitted one that took the opposite approach -- how strategy can get in the way of ministering to youth.

It didn't get printed, though. (Update: Read the comments to find out why!)

But you can read it!


Strategy, Purpose, Programming . . .and other terms that get in the way of ministering to youth
by Kirk Moore

Writers, thinkers and leaders of youth ministry publishing organizations love to analyze the state of youth ministry and to guess what the next shift in culture means for youth ministry strategy. Scholars and marketers and publishers try to offer resources that will equip leaders to run effective youth ministries.

What happens if it all misses the mark?

Here are a few terms associated with youth ministry, a brief definition, and then an opinion about how the term gets in the way of ministering to youth:

• Strategy – a plan for winning – its history is related to plans for military victories.
  If the plan is about winning, then it runs contrary to the idea that in Christ, there is no US or THEM. There’s no winning and losing. We’re not engaged in a battle. We’re helping people develop deeper relationships with God.
• Purpose – the end that guides the action or the means.
  If every action in a youth ministry is driven according to a purpose statement, the unanticipated, yet extraordinary ‘God moments’ can go unnoticed. So many of the most memorable and life-changing times in youth ministry start with something that seems purposeless.
• Programming – a group of activities with a specific purpose.
  I used to have a ‘clipboard of fun’ that I used to see what the next part of the program was for a particular youth meeting. Knowing that sticking to the programming at all costs ALWAYS (did I just use and absolute statement?) ends up missing golden ministry opportunities, I regularly checked what was on the clipboard with the group and asked for ideas about what to do next.
• Philosophy – a belief system that guides actions.
  What happens when group members don’t agree with the belief system that a leader has? What happens when the questions challenge the very basic understanding of what it means to follow God? If a leader’s philosophy doesn’t allow for questions, then youth will ask those questions somewhere else.
• Excellence – performing beyond a limit or standard.
  Striving for excellence in youth ministry draws in students who appreciate a high performance standard. It also repels many who march to a different drummer. Ministries that truly want to strive for excellence should also expect and celebrate things that turn out completely wrong.

No strategy, purpose statement, program, philosophy or drive to excellence can ever replace the most fundamental and unchanging necessities of ministry. It’s about pointing people towards God and knowing that God is capable to accomplish whatever it is God wants to accomplish.

Fix My Kid

Here's another of a few articles I wrote for Interlinc's most recent music magazine (YLO 72) It's one of the featured articles on the theme, "Parents and Family."


Fix My Kid
By Kirk Moore
kirk@revkirk.com

• "My daughter has been cheating on assignments at school. She got caught and now she has to re-take all her tests from this semester. She says she’s learned her lesson that that she’s stopped cheating, but I’m not sure. Could you talk to her and be sure she doesn’t cheat anymore?
• "I don’t understand why my 15 year old keeps yelling at me and acting so bratty all the time. I ask him to be more polite to me and he says that I never listen to him. All I’m asking for is that he stops yelling so much. Do you think you can talk to him and get him to stop?"
• "My daughter keeps getting poor grades because she isn’t turning in her homework. She says that homework takes too much time and that she’s learning everything in class. I’m afraid she’ll fail her classes if she doesn’t start doing her homework. Can you tell her how important homework is so that she’ll turn it in from now on?"
• "I can’t get my son to attend youth group meetings. He says that he doesn’t have enough time for church. I’m afraid that if he doesn’t come back to youth group he’ll end up getting in trouble at school and that he’ll ruin his chances of attending the right college next year."
• "My daughter said that she doesn’t want to go to college right after high school. She wants to work and earn money this year for a big trip next year. That means that she isn’t planning on going to college for at least two years! Can you set her straight with some youth pastor talk?"
  

Situations and requests like these are familiar in youth ministry. Many parents want their students to be involved with youth ministry so that they’ll become well-adjusted, successful adults. They also expect that because they’re part of a church group, students will behave better throughout their high school years. Youthworkers are often the people parents come to for help when things aren’t working out as they think they should.

What’s a youthworker to do? Are we here to make teenagers behave better? Are we here to mold students into successful adults? Are we a character-building honorary society? Or is there something more that we’re called to do as we minister to youth and to their families?

Some youthworkers want to respond to parent’s requests by immediately laying out the rules. "I’m not a ‘child fixer.’ I teach them about Jesus and help them to continue growing in their faith. I help them to live their lives following Jesus. I encourage them to follow Jesus’ two important rules –‘Love God’ and "Love your neighbor.’ I can’t, however, give them a magic fix that will turn them into perfect teenagers."

I think that the biggest problem with responding this way, however, is that it does no good in the situation. Parents, coming to a youthworker feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, leave feeling overwhelmed, hopeless and angry.

Educating parents about the purpose of the youth ministry you serve is helpful and necessary. This education, however, shouldn’t take place as part of a response to a parent’s request for help in a time of crisis. A much better time to help parents understand about the goals of a youth ministry comes during the job interview process. It comes as part of a parent meeting. It even can happen during a ‘parents of youth’ forum or similar event.

When parents come to you with what may seem to be laughable requests, it is primarily important as it is when ministering to youth, to listen well and to let the parents know that you hear them. Offer support to them in their frustration and offer to spend time listening to and talking to their child. It’s okay to let the parents know that you don’t have a simple fix for a complicated and frustrating situation, but that you are available to listen to both them and to their child as you work towards a peaceful situation together.

Following Jesus two most important rules of ‘Love God’ and ‘Love your neighbor’ can help us to remember that listening and providing a shoulder to lean on is part of the necessary ministry of presence for students and their parents. Parents will come to know, as their students have come to know, that being present and showing God’s love is more important than a quick "fix my kid."