worth checking out

there's a program on PBS next week about teenagers and the Internet. It looks very informative and well worth a youth worker's time. I've included the info below.

if you haven't gotten your Winterama info yet try to get that done soon. should be a great weekend!

MySpace. YouTube. Facebook. Nearly every teen in America is on the Internet every day, socializing with friends and strangers alike, "trying on" identities, and building a virtual profile of themselves--one that many kids insist is a more honest depiction of who they really are than the person they portray at home or in school.
In "Growing Up Online," FRONTLINE peers inside the world of this cyber-savvy generation through the eyes of teens and their parents, who often find themselves on opposite sides of a new digital divide. From cyber bullying to instant "Internet fame," to the specter of online sexual predators, FRONTLINE producer Rachel Dretzin investigates the risks, realities and misconceptions of teenage self-expression on the World Wide Web.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/

What I wish senior pastors knew about youth ministry

In the past few weeks I have had several conversations with youth pastors who are frustrated because they and their senior pastor have different philosophies of ministry. Such differences can be very difficult and sadly often end in one of the two leaving the church for another ministry (11 times out of 10 its the youth pastor). I wish churches didn't have to say good-bye to darn good youth pastors so often. Perhaps all that is needed is a little (ok a lot of) understanding. So let me offer a few suggestions for our senior pastors.

Because of the writers' strike I thought I'd give you some top 10 action. I know you're missing it.

Top 10 things I wish Senior Pastors knew about Youth Ministry:

10. Taking junior highers on a retreat or to a camp is not a vacation (if it is, why don't you and your family spend more of your vacation time at jr. high camp?)

9. Not every pastors gathering has to be at 7:00 in the morning. God is just as alive and active at 7:00 in the evening.

8. I know that you like wearing button-up shirts, dress-pants, and dress shoes every day, but shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops seem to suit me just fine (and if you want theological backing, I'm sure Jesus wore sandals).

7. An effective youth pastor doesn't just sit in an office. She goes where young people are: the mall, schools, Taco Bell and meets them on their own turf.

6. Judging a ministry on numbers alone only tells us how many people show up to our thing. It really doesn't say much about life-long discipleship.

5. Going to a basketball game or band concert is ministry. By doing this I am being present to a teenager. (you try going to a freshman badmittion game and tell me its for fun).

4. Praise your youth pastor from the pulpit. Your authority and voice means a lot to the church. any public affirmation for your youth pastor will go along way with the congregation in its support.

3. Get off your youth pastor's back. It is really difficult to do youth ministry with someone breathing down your kneck (especially if that person doesn't have a tic-tac). Give your youth pastor some freedom to fail and be right there to lovingly guide her when she does.

2. Inquire about what's going on in the youth ministry. You didn't just hire a youth pastor to unload another responsibility of your's (okay maybe you did) and not concern yourself with it. The students in your church are the Church of today and what's going on in their lives matters deeply to your church.

1. Pray for your youth pastor. Pray for your youth pastor. Pray for your youth pastor.

I encourage you to print this out and share it with your pastor. My hope and prayer is that wherever you're at in your relationship with him/her that this can lead to effective discussion and maybe bring about any needed healing.

Although if you could, eliminate my name from this. Some of the pastors know me and I'd rather not have my ordination in jeopardy ;)

Keep loving on those kids,
Erick

Youth Ministry 3.0

I recently attended the National Youth Workers Convention in St. Louis w/the Alfs and Holversons and had an excellent time. I wish all of our NCC youth workers could attend this event becuase it is always such a challenging and encouraging time for me.

Mark Oestricher, the president of Youth Specialties, spoke at the final session and I wanted to share some of his thoughts with you. he spoke on "a preferred future for youth ministry." In his talk he briefly went through the history of youth ministry and based on what he's been observing these days he shared where he thinks we might be headed in youth ministry. Here is how he broke it down:

Youth Ministry 1.0 1930's-40's
- Youth Culture Fixation: Identity
- Key Themes: Evangelism and Correction
- Key Verse: Matthew 7.13-14
Proclamation Driven

Youth Ministry 2.0 1970's-2000's
- Youth Culture Fixation: Autonomy
- Key Themes: Discipleship and Positive Peer groups
- Key verse: Matthew 28.19-20
Program Driven

Youth Ministry 3.0 today-?
- Youth Culture Fixation: Affinity "Where do I fit in?'
- Key Themes: Communion and Mission
- Key Verse: Acts 2.42-47, John 17.18
Not Driven but Present

Marko believes that we are shifting into a new season of youth ministry where programs and events do not matter as much as our presence in the lives of young people. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all youth ministry programs and strategies (if they ever truly existed). You know your community. You know your kids. each context is different and requires different approaches to ministry. So here were some suggestions that Marko offered as we enter into a communional and missional day of youth ministry:

1. Contextualize: You know your kids and your community
2. Do Less (less programs and events/more just being w/kids)
3. Be communional: Strive to invite your kids into authentic Christian community
4. be missional: model and teach your kids to reach out to others and share Christ with them in tangible loving ways
5. Be present: Spend times with kids. Laugh with them. Cry with them. Talk about the tough stuff with them. Love on them.

I hope Marko's preferred future is the direction we're headed. I think it is. these are exciting days to be in youth ministry. I hope that we have youth groups everywhere doing less and being present to one another more.

Keep loving on those kids!

Erick

The Best Thing I've Ever Done in Youth Ministry

Last year I attended a pastors' conference with one of the other youth pastors in my area. We enjoyed two days of great teaching, encouragement, office episodes, fast food, and world-changing theological conversation in the car. As we arrived home before I left my friend's car he said to me, "we're in this together."

We're in this together.

What you need to understand is that there is a group of youth pastors that I meet with every week for prayer, and I have been doing this for three years. What I enjoy about this group is that there isn't talk of how many kids are showing up to our thing, there aren't any flyers for the next life-changing youth event being passed out, and there is no youth pastor trying to assert himself (yes the male-gender use is on purpose) as the top youth pastor with the best ministry in town. Instead we come with our brokenness, imperfections, martyr complexes, and dreams and we talk and pray about them, and really just look to encourage one another.

This is why when a fellow youth pastor says to me, "we're in this together" I know in my heart of hearts that its true. Its not just several isolated youth ministries trying to do the same thing, rather it is a group of diverse individuals who are passionate about seeing a community changed for Christ.

Why am I telling you this? Because I think that intentionally looking to develop relationships with other youth pastors and community leaders is one the best things I've ever done in youth ministry.

If you're not already connected to some people in your own community who are seeking to share the love of Jesus with young people you need to be. Pick up a phone, stop by a church, find some youth workers and forget about all the "how many kids-do you have a youth band-what's your next big event" crap (it will only kill you). Invite this person out for a cup of coffee or lunch and simply get to know them. Your shared passion for young people will shine through.

As youth pastors we're called not to run programs for teenagers; rather we're called to be a presence in communities and to seek to transform them. Transforming a community is no small task. We're better suited for this task when we join hands with those who share our dreams and passions and face our community together.

so if you're already connected to a group of youth workers give one of them a call and let him/her know you love em. If you're not connected pick up the phone or stop in at the church down the road (don't worry Baptists don't bite).

It might just be the best thing you ever did in your youth ministry.

Looking forward to seeing many or you this weekend!

Grace and Peace,
Erick

Teenage Saints?

I got to preach in "Big Church" this past Sunday.

I decided to preach on Ephesians 4.11-12. I love how the NRSV puts it, "He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some teachers and pastors..." and now my favorite part, "to equip the saints for the work of the ministry."

If we break down the word "saint" it means something different then a dead person with a building named after them. The Greek word for saint is the same word that is translated as "holy." So a saint is someone who is holy. if we read in Ephesians 5.25-26 we discover that Jesus gave himself for the Church to "make her holy." Jesus, through his blood shed on the cross, made the Church holy, made them "saints." So if you are a part of the Body of Christ, then you're a saint! Cool thought.

"Ministry" is about far more than a nicely dressed person (usually male) giving a nice speech in the front of a room. The Greek word for ministry means "service" or "servanthood," or literally "to wait on tables." a minister was a waiter, someone who existed to serve others. With this understanding of being a minister, you don't need seminary, Bible college, or any of that. You just need to serve. So if you're a servant than you're a minister. another cool thought.

so what's the point? Sometimes I think that others see me as an adult who forgot to grow up, and now spends his time eating pizza, playing xBox with youth, doing some Bible studies, and hopefully keeping the youth off drugs and out of bed with one another.

but here's why I'm in youth ministry...

Because I have the grand opportunity as a leader in the Church to equip some teenage saints to do ministry! what an awesome, big, and humbling task we have as youth workers! So may you know this week that your work is going far beyond just hanging out with teenagers. You're equipping some teenage saints who just might change the world.

and yes, we might eat some pizza and play some guitar hero along the way...

Have you registered for our NCC youth worker training yet?

Blessings to you all this week,
Erick

NCC Youth Worker Training

hey everyone!

in case you had not already heard, there is a great opportunity for us crazy youth worker folk next month! (No your senior pastor hasn't paid for you to have a week in the Bahamas). Even better...our annual NCC youth worker training is scheduled for Saturday October 20th. The theme this year is "Dreaming God's Dream for Young People." We all have dreams for our youth ministries I hope, but sometimes we struggle to turn them into reality. We're going to take some time and learn how to have vision for our youth ministry and then put it into practice. Rick Morgan will be our speaker this year.

We also have another great opportunity during this event. Katie Mansur (our young teen camp video guru) will be doing a session on how to maximize media in your youth ministry.

and as always, if you can make it...we'll meet at the log cabin on Friday night for some pizza, youth ministry dialogue, a camp fire, and some friendly (or sometimes not so friendly) competition over board games.

oh I almost forgot...I am about to finalize the plans for the sweet giveaway that you'll all get this year.

so here's what you need to do:

1. print out the flyer and registration form that are attached.
2. Get your team together and get them signed up.
3. Talk to the whoever makes the money decisions at your church and have the church cover the registration costs.
4. Mail the registration form along with money to Sky Lodge by October 8th.
5. Show up the 19th or 20th and begin watching your youth ministry dreams come to life!

If you have any questions give me a shout!

May God bless you as you change the world through sharing the love of Jesus with young people!

See you the 20th!

Erick

Sr. High Experience

It was good to see most of you at Sr. High Experience...especially Joe and Kathy Leverton. It was great to meet the two of you and we're excited about you being a part of the youth ministry efforts in the NCC. May God bless you and the youth ministry at Platteville. Also, special thanks to Paul Alf for another great Sr. High Experience!

Just wanted to remind you all of the Conference Youth Worker Training at Sky Lodge on October 19-20. This is a quality event for very little money. Rick Morgan, youth pastor at Spring Arbor FMC and leader for youth ministry in the denomination, will be our teacher. So get your team signed up and plan on being a part of this great event.

Know that I am praying for you all as the school year begins. There is often some momentum this time of year and I hope that the momentum we see in our youth ministries will bring our kids closer to Jesus.

I'll let you know soon when our next feast at Famous Daves will be.

Thanks for loving on young people.

- Erick