Book: What's in your bag? - Outcome based youth ministry

When David brought down Goliath, he did so with the full confidence of his faith in God and a skill he had developed over time. In his bag, he had what he knew how to use....a stone and a sling. With nothing more, God positioned and placed David at the right place and time, because David had both the faith and the skill necessary to take on the giant. 
What's in Your Bag? lays a foundation for the development of 30+ Faith Skills in young people; faith skills that will enable youth to live out their personal calling in life. 
Outcome-Based Youth Ministry fulfills the biblical mandate of church leaders found in Ephesians 4:12: To equip God's people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. (NLT) It aids congregations and faith-based schools in the development of a long-term, results-oriented strategy for equipping young people with life-long ministry skills. Partnering with both parents and our church family, we impart Faith Skills that help youth to grow in their personal faith while also filling their bags with the necessary Faith Skills to serve and lead whenever a ministry moment arises. 

Book: ROFL with Jesus

In sounds and tones that emulate what real teens in Everytown USA face daily, ROFL w/Jesus :) is more than a narrative -- it is a tool. 
The first in a planned Christian fiction series, this collection of stories is written for high school students and follows events in the lives of two high school students living in the same town, while attending separate schools. However, they attend the same church and youth group, and have discovered that they like each other. While trying to be good and do the right thing, it is not always easy in the secular world that surrounds them. The stories in this book are based on actual event - stories that involve peer pressure, drug and alcohol use, destruction of friendships, sexual tension, issues with parents, success and failure in school, responsibility when driving, and much more. Inter-woven into each fictional event, is a real person encountering life and faith in real ways that the author witness in his 30 years of youth work.

The book is available here

Graphic Novel - The Stormy Monk

It was an age of turmoil, lust and power. Kings and Popes bought and sold thrones. The Black Plague crept through the streets. The Turks were banging at the doors of Vienna. Human rights and an individual’s conscience meant nothing. Any dissent could land you in the stocks or find you facing the Inquisition and the stake. Into this time came one solitary monk  who nailed an objection to a church door and, with it, ushered the Medieval Era out and the Modern Era in, changing the course of history forever.

With humor, wit, and meticulous historic detail, playwright and storyteller Dr. Rich Melheim weaves a spell-binding tale of courage, deception, and a world about to unwravel.

Illustrated by the award-winning talents of Tim Kane, Sherwin Schwartzrock and Jonathan Koelsch, Luther: The Graphic Novel leaps from  the pages. Beginning with the hauntingly predictive martyrdom of Reformer Jan Hus, the story moves to the electrical storm that launched a young law student to the monastery. It moves from his restless quest to find peace with God, to the protesting professor nailing his objections to the Wittenberg Door 500 years ago next year. It takes you from the heretic’s trail, to Luther’s staged kidnapping, and up to and through the unlikely events that gave the protesting monk and his death-defying princes the breathing space for the reform to take hold…. And eventually split the church.

The Stormy Monk is available for $9.99 paperback or $4.99 ebook

For more information about the Stormy Monk visit here

Book: The Messengers: Discovered

The Messengers: Discovered is a novel about 15-year-old Simon who lives in a world of tight controls. Everything is regimented, defined, observed. Yet he doesn't buy into any of it. During the day, he pushes against the boundaries. And at night, he questions his father's life and all it entails. Then, in one moment, everything changes for Simon as he takes on a job that leads him to the underground church and its movement to restore Christianity and the Bible to the world. The government will stop at nothing to stop this movement, and the stakes grow ever higher for Simon, his father, and the other Messengers.
Join Simon and the other Messengers in this futuristic teen novel as they risk their lives to protect the Gospel.

Reviews
In a trend that will surely be replicated many times but never perfected in the same way, Lisa Clark has combined heady Christian theology and a dystopian YA thriller for middle-grade readers. Simon is the son of a secretive but loving father who discovers that the Darkness (the nameless fear that his community of rules and order pins everything on) is actually the message of the Gospel. Doled out in small but potent doses, the Message is sweet like honey to all who hear it in this debut thriller that is appropriate for children probably as young as ten. Lisa Clark's writing is tightly effective, but the heart with which she deals with the theology is light and jubilant. Young readers will love the rebellion against the authorities, while parents will delight in handing their children a book that not only encourages sharing their faith even in the worst circumstances but also embraces the importance of family, love, and friendship. The first of a series, I have no doubt that Clark's writing will quickly take this book to the top of the growing YA inspirational genre. --Colleen Oakes, Author of the bestselling Queen of Hearts Saga

Spoken Word - The Bible - spoken truth- spoken Gospel

The spoken word is like rap...but gentler....
Dai Woolridge - spoken on the bible engages people with not only what the bible is...but it's impact on our lives and our world....

Watch the video


Endorsements
 “When I heard Dai Woolridge perform his spoken word, I was  more than just impressed. I felt that he had mastered the ability to use this particular art form as an instrument that would captivate an audience, on the one hand, and communicate a clear message of the Gospel, on the other.”  Tony Campolo – Professor of Sociology at Eastern University

“Dai Woolridge’s spoken word pieces are excellent – engaging, entertaining, thoughtful,intelligent and moving.”
Graham Kendrick – Worship Leader

The Spoken word also offers resources for Christmas, Easter, blessed and remembrance...

For more details visit http://spoken-truth.com/the-book/

Illustration: Using your skills to help others in Jesus name

Recently a group of 4 young men known as 'How Ridiculous' threw a basketball ball down a dam wall 126 plus metres (or 413 plus feet) and it landed in a basketball ring...watch the video 

They have been doing some unbelievable feats for years....

check some of them out here: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5f5IV0Bf79YLp_p9nfInRA 

While there is a lot of fun involved they do these stunts for a greater purpose:

'Since the humble beginnings of How Ridiculous, they have been passionately supporting the international not-for-profit organization 'Compassion' to see children released from poverty in Jesus' name.'

How can you use your skills and talents to help people in Jesus name???

Devotion: Charlie Charlie

A good devotion for parents and teenagers relating to Charlie Charlie the latest fad sweeping teenage circles....visit http://364daysofthanksgiving.com/charliecharlie/

Research paper: Young Adult Ministry Evaluation 2014

The Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District undertook a research project in 2014 that assessed current young adult engagement in the church, identified the drivers of effective youth adult ministry practice and assessed current Youth Adult Ministry capacity.
Part of the research explored:

• The reasons why young adults have remained involved in the church
• The reasons why young adults have not remained involved in the church
• The key drivers of effective young adult ministry

To read a copy of the research and its conclusions visit http://www.lyq.org.au/files/attachments/yam_evaluation_2014_final.pdf

Book: Souls in Transition - The religious and spiritual lives of emerging adults

How important is religion for young people today? What are the major influences on their developing spiritual lives? How do their religious beliefs and practices change as young people enter into adulthood?
Christian Smith's Souls in Transition explores these questions and many others as it tells the definitive story of the religious and spiritual lives of emerging adults, ages 18 to 24, in the U.S. today. This is the much-anticipated follow-up study to the landmark book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. Based on candid interviews with thousands of young people tracked over a five-year period, Souls in Transition reveals how the religious practices of the teenagers portrayed in Soul Searching have been strengthened, challenged, and often changed as they have moved into adulthood. The book vividly describes as well the broader cultural world of today's emerging adults, how that culture shapes their religious outlooks, and what the consequences are for religious faith and practice in America more generally. Some of Smith's findings are surprising. Parents turn out to be the single most important influence on the religious outcomes in the lives of young adults. On the other hand, teenage participation in evangelisation missions and youth groups does not predict a high level of religiosity just a few years later. Moreover, the common wisdom that religiosity declines sharply during the young adult years is shown to be greatly exaggerated.
Painstakingly researched and filled with remarkable findings, Souls in Transition will be essential reading for youth ministers, pastors, parents, teachers and students at church-related schools, and anyone who wishes to know how religious practice is affected by the transition into adulthood in America today.

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
With the protraction of higher education, delays in marriage and childbearing, and extended financial support from parents, emerging adults (or EAs, ages 18–23) enjoy unprecedented freedoms. What does that mean for their spiritual formation? Smith, a veteran sociologist of religion, and Snell, of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Notre Dame, draw on statistical samples and more than 200 in-depth interviews to craft a compelling portrait of college-age Americans. This generation, steeped in religious pluralism, gets high marks for inclusivity and diversity awareness but has troubling consumerist tendencies, consistently prioritizing material wealth and devaluing altruism. Not surprisingly, EAs are less religious than older adults and than they themselves were as teenagers—which comes home especially poignantly in a chapter of follow-up profiles on some of the interview subjects from Smith's 2005 book on teen spirituality, Soul Searching. Surprisingly, however, EAs are not significantly less religious than emerging adults of prior generations. Although the book is heavy on survey data, tables and sociological typology, it's well-organized and seasoned with enough memorable interviews that lay readers will value it as much as specialists. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review

"Well-organized and seasoned with enough memorable interviews that lay readers will value it as much as specialists." --Publisher's Weekly

"Ranks for me as a potential book of the year for 2010." --Beliefnet.com

"Unlike the nonsense delivered in news magazines and opinion polls, Souls in Transition is serious scholarly research about religion among emerging adults. The sober, fair-minded presentation of evidence about what is and what is not happening among Americans age 18 to 23 is refreshing." --Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University 

"It would be hard to exceed the brilliance of Soul Searching, but Smith and Snell have achieved this feat in Souls in Transition. Through a masterful combination of surveys and interviews the authors illuminate emerging adults' religious beliefs as no one has done before, and also provide numerous insights on how religion is connected to other aspects of their lives. This book is social science at its best and should not be missed by anyone who wishes to understand the lives of today's emerging adults." --Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Clark University, Author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties

"Christian Smith's work in the National Study of Youth and Religion is the gold standard for research on religion and adolescents--and now, emerging adults. So buckle up: Souls in Transition reads like an avalanche as Smith reports the findings of the 18-23 year old cohort, takes on our culture's current "crisis of knowledge and value," reveals the uneven terrain of emerging adulthood. Insisting that religious disinterest in 18-23 year olds is neither inevitable nor universal, Smith challenges parents and congregations to support and model religious engagement with emerging adults. If you're a parent, pastor, campus minister, educator, congregation member--or a 'twenty something' yourself-- this book needs to be on your shelf." --Kenda Creasy Dean, Ph.D., parent, pastor, and Associate Professor of Youth, Church and Culture, Princeton Theological Seminary.

"Impressive...Smith, a professor of sociology and director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame, is a gutsy sociologist who does not mind tipping sacred cows or poking around in areas that theologians like to claim for themselves such as religious formation...Smith's research offers us hope." --Christian Century

"Souls in Transition makes a mighty contribution to the sociology of religion. It is innovative, full of rich narratives, and presents a wealth of accessible quantitative findings. Anyone interested in gaining a serious understanding of America's newest adult cohortswhat they believe, how they practice and view their faith, and the major social influences shaping their experienceshould start with this book."--Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 

"This title presents serious scholarly research in a way that is thoroughly accessible to average adult readers, a good mix of readability and substance that belongs in any religious, academic, or public library."--Catholic Library World

"This book...offer excellant methodology, analysis and theorizing"--Richard Flory, University of Southern California

"There is much more in this book....the book is primarily about the religious and spiritual lives of emerging adults, it successfully embeds those issues within the larger cultural context where they reside."Richard Flory

"Soul Searching , was particularly noteworthy for the introduction of a new phrase in the lexicon of American religion."--John Muether

"A conscientious note-taker, relentless interviewer, and skilled writer, Smith makes these twelve young Americans stand out vividly." --Contemporary Sociology

Here2stay ....

Current Australian research is shouting to us that our current ‘GIFT generation’ of young people (Google, iDevice, FaceBook, Twitter), which is more connected and more isolated than generations before them, is walking away from church and/or faith in their early adolescent years. A brief survey of some authors from across the Western world reveals that this concerning trend is not limited to our shores.

The Here2Stay initiative is the result of a collaborative approach by some of the major denominations and organisations serving families and children in Australia.  Our journey towards a solution begins with an acknowledgement that a large part of our discipling strategy has revolved around the imparting of INFORMATION.  While the content of our curricula and programs is important, this strategy alone is not producing mature disciples. To this equation we need to intentionally add experiences that focus on FORMATION so that faith goes deeper. The result will be TRANSFORMATION. The result will be followers of Jesus who are Here2Stay.

What are the formational ‘experiences’ that, if integrated into a long term journey with our children from their birth, will cause their faith to grow deeper, be more strongly rooted and grounded, and provide a foundation and stability for the turbulent years ahead? The Here2stay website explores further 10 foundational formational experiences that have largely been overlooked in our ministry programs with children, young people and young adults.

The beginning of the solution to see a reversal of this trend is at our fingertips – if we are prepared to take the journey?

Here2stay is a collaboration of Bible Society, Compassion Australia, Focus on the Family, SU Queensland and Willow Creek...

for more information visit www.here2stay.org.au

40 hour famine bible studies

The 40 hour famine is a great activity for congregations and youth groups to do....World Vision has also prepared bible studies for those undertaking the 40 hour famine.

The bible studies are available for downloading at http://www.40hourfamine.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Bible-Studies.pdf

Grow Ministries - Lutheran Children Youth and Family

Grow Ministries is the LCA Board for Children, Youth and Family Ministry which exists to support a national vision for children, youth and family ministry in the LCA by being a point of reference and resource for the wider church by researching and developing CYFM resources along with equipping and encouraging districts and congregations in their ministry to children, youth and families including camping. 
Their website offers numerous resources including:
Faith 5
Faith Inkubators
Milestone Ministries
Generations In Faith Together
Studies for Youth Camps
Quiet Time for Christian Life weeks

There is also a regular newsletter, information about upcoming training and links to other resources suitable for Children, Youth and Family Ministries. 

Visit their web site at http://www.lcacyfm.org.au/

Youth Bible Overview - experimental

Echo is an experimental bible overview for youth

The 12 sessions
Session 1: Creation
Genesis 1–3
Session 2: Disruption
Genesis 3–9
Session 3: The Promise
Genesis 12–13; 15–18; 21
Session 4: Exodus
Exodus 1–5; 7–15
Session 5: Commands
Exodus 19–20; 24–25; 31–32; 34; 40
Session 6: Judges & Kings
Numbers 14; 22; Joshua 11; Judges 2–3; 17; 21; 1 Samuel 8–9;
13–18; 22–23; 26; 31; 2 Samuel 5; 7–8; 11–12; 1 Kings 14
Session 7: Exile
1 Kings 3–5; 8–14; 2 Kings 17; 24–25; 2 Chronicles 7; 36;
Amos 3–5; 7; Jeremiah 18; 23; 29; 31; Ezekiel 36; Ezra 1–2;
Nehemiah 4; 6
Session 8: God-with-Us
Luke 1–3; Matthew 1–3; Mark 1; John 1
Session 9: Miracles
Matthew 8–9; Mark 2; 4; Luke 4–5; John 5
Session 10: God’s Kingdom
Matthew 5; 12–13; 18; 20; 22; Mark 2;10; Luke 11; 13–14; 17
Session 11: Death-to-Life
Matthew 26–28; Luke 19; 22–24; John 11; 15
Session 12: The Church
Acts 1–2

How it works
Each session follows a six-part sequence for participants to encounter the Bible in a variety of ways:
1. Rewind
The Story So Far video engages participants to briefly share something with a friend. Then, the video shows a fast-paced, animated review of the previous sessions’ stories.
2. Prepare
Participants draw a version of the story symbol in their Sketch Journals. Then, the leader helps to create a reflective environment and encourages imaginative listening.
3. Imagine
The leader reads the Bible story aloud. A carefully crafted narrative script of the story is provided in the Leader Guide.
4. Capture
After a quiet moment of reflection, participants capture any aspects of the story that stood out to them in their Sketch Journals.
5. Remix
The story is read aloud again, by someone of an opposite gender. During this telling, participants complete an activity that helps them to retell part of the Bible story in their own creative way.
6. Connect
The leader encourages participants to share their observations and insights from the story. A set of intentional questions is provided in the Leader Guide.

For more information visit here 

Creative Reformation Competition- for the youth

The Lutheran World Federation has a competition for Lutheran Youth which will involve a trip to Wittenberg for the winners

Details are:
The 500th anniversary of the reformation in 2017 remembers a major change effort carried out by people who listened to the Word of God, questioned themselves and their context and were courageous  to stand up for change. Young Christians today look for places and churches where this impetus of the reformation is present – and not just maintenance of tradition. As an ecclesia semper reformanda, we are a church that needs constant reformation.

What you need to do:
Respond to the question:  “What reformation do we need today and how can it be achieved?”
Choose one main answer or idea you have on this question.   It can be as free as you like. Explain and present it in a creative way to the internet community, for example as a text, video, song, speech, picture. It should not be longer than 1 A4 page or 5 minutes video.
Competition closes 25th June 2013

For more details on how to enter and what the competition involves visit http://lwfyouth.org/2013/06/06/creative-competition-on-reformation/ 

Top 10 things Jesus would say to teens!!

The top 10 things Jesus would say to teens.....
Share this message with any teenager you know....

http://www.ichurch.net.au/2012/11/what-would-jesus-say-to-teens/

By Tom Schmidt...youth worker at Immanuel Lutheran Church Buderim  

LWF Youth Virtual Conference - Green and Just

Lutheran World Federation Virtual Conference - Green and Just

Here is an opportunity to attend an international Lutheran conference without leaving home!!

Time: 12 May: 16.30 Indian Standard Time, 13.00 Central European Time, 7.00 Eastern Standard Time

Target group: Church leaders, people active in sustainable development, interested pastors and lay leaders, youth leaders.

Number of participants: 400-600

Format: green&just will be a virtual event. Interactions are in real time on the Internet. Most content will be shown in video. Questions can be asked in real time using text chat.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, German

Keynote adresses: Dr Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Ms Esther Hinostroza Ricladi, Co-founder, National Center for Mining Women, Lima, Peru Videos of the addresses are subtitled in four languages. The speakers respond in real time to questions in text chat.
Bible studies: After an introduction to the text by theologians, the participants discuss the texts with others from around the world. Webinars: Participants can choose many different topics and get deeper insights. The webinar leaders are going to be highly interactive.
Lounge: Throughout the day, participants from around the world can meet each other one-by-one or in small groups. Technical Requirements: A Computer with Internet connection and speakers/earphones. Churches who do not have these facilities can apply for small grants to visit an Internet Café.
Group participation: The virtual conference is a good opportunity to have global encounters with a local congregational or youth group.
Cost: The Virtual Conference is free of charge. However, if you are able you are invited to donate to cover the costs.

For more information visit:  http://blogs.lutheranworld.org/wordpress/greenandjust/program/

Free devotions for college and university students

Faithinkubators offer free email devotions for college and university students.....

Some parents and grandparents receive these and forward them to their children and grandchildren with a personal note....

visit http://www.faithink.com/Freebies/college.asp to subscribe

Food for thought: Hey Pastor you want a successful Youth ministry

Perry Noble is the Senior Pastor of New Springs Church and writes regularly about ministry....

Recently he wrote an article on thoughts why youth/student ministry at New Springs is successful...My summary his thoughts are:

#1 –Hire a leader, someone you can trust, someone you dont have to stand beside and make decisions for. (Some pastors won’t do this because they need to be needed!) AND…I made sure he was able to assemble the team he wanted around him…I did not hire for him!

#2 – Make sure the leader is resourced. The youth are not responsible for raising the funds for youth ministry....the church is. Why??? over 85% of people in church are connected and committed before they turn 18 Take care of your youth.

#3 – Make sure the youth leader understands the vision of our church. Spend time with them…go to lunch, encourage them to communicate with you in ways that suit them ...like sending text messages, etc..

#4 – As senior pastor spend time with the students/youth

#5 – But don’t try to do youth ministry! Your idea of what is suitable is likely to be out of date.....The senior pastor is not the expert in youth ministry…and so don’t try to be!!!

#6 – Ask your youth and student ministry staff/leaders lots of questions! BECAUSE, like it or not…what they are doing right now is going to be what the church is doing in the next 10 to 15 years!

#7 – Give them permission to fail…as long as they fail by trying great things then don't be overly concerned about it

To read his full comments visit http://www.perrynoble.com/2010/04/01/hey-pastor-want-a-successful-youth-ministry/

Youth Encounter

Youth Encounter is a Lutheran Youth movement offering opportunities for young people to grow with others as they grow with God

MISSION
Youth Encounter partners with Christian communities to strengthen their ministry to, with, and through young people.

Partners and Desired Outcomes
We desire that Christian communities:
Give witness to Jesus Christ in ways that are heard by young people;
Maintain a sense of community that welcomes young people into the presence of God;
Have effective ministry activities for each grade level;
Offer support for and secure the support of families.

We desire that young people be
Established in Christian faith;
Engaged in Christian ministry;
Equipped for Christian leadership.

We desire that one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church
Make an evangelical, confessional, and healing Christian witness;
Advance Christian mission and growth throughout the world;
Develop faithful, evangelical, and effective professional and lay church leaders.

Their mission and ministry is arranged around:
Event Ministries
Sounds like love: an event that helps young people grow through music
Quakes: events that include awesome speakers, fun activities and Christian music
Zones: an event that helps young Christians and Christian adults connect with each other

Service Ministries
Global Work Crews
Katrina Work Crews
Customised Mission Trips

Team Ministries that travel together through USA and Internationally

If you are at secondary school/college or a parent this is well worth exploring at http://www.youthencounter.org

Resources for Students moving to Secondary School

When young Christians begin Secondary School there is a big challenge for both themselves and their parents.
It is a new environment. They begin to explore more about who they are and who others are.

The following resources may help congregations minister to families in their congregation or schools who are about to experience this change...
It's your move

Across Australia, there are thousands of students who will enter high school next year. Many of them are wondering how they’ll get on and what the future holds for them at this time of big change in their lives. Which is why Scripture Union Has produced It’s Your Move!
It’s Your Move! contains
An A-Z survival guide for high school
Loads of wise advice and helpful interviews
True stories, quizzes, puzzles and jokes
The results of an Australian student survey
In 2009 the Cost is $4.95 a book or $4 for 20 or more copies
For more information visit http://www.scriptureunion.org.au/documents/ItsYourMoveA4Flyer.pdf

There is also a leaders guide at http://www.scriptureunion.org.uk/SU_ItsYourMove/english/downloads/IYM%20Users%20Guide.pdf which relates to the UK version

YP's guide to starting Secondary School

Introducing the YP’s Guide to Starting Secondary School: this little book is packed full of helpful advice for young people about to make the move from their primary school. Written by well-known youth author Steve Holloway, it also has puzzles, questionnaires – and a reminder that God is always with them. Some of the topics included are: leaving primary school well, facing fear, the first day at the new school, worshipping God anywhere, surviving parents’ evenings, and relationships.Also included are seven days’ worth of Bible reading notes to help young people get to know the God who loves them and has planned a brilliant future for them.

For more information visit http://crsonline.com.au/crs_r_Information.asp?rID=1853454184&fs=1

If you have other suggestions of suitable resources please feel free to share them through the comments page