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Best Youth Ministry Books Update

By Matt · Comments (0)

Monday, November 12th, 2007

I started working on a series of Best Youth Ministry Books and then sort of
dropped the ball. I’m going to pick it back up, but do it a little differently than originally planned.

At first, I thought I’d go through chapter-by-chapter and sort of summarize each chapter of these books. Well, there are three reasons why I’m not going to do that:

I never have the book with me when I am in a writing mood.
I am too lazy (which is probably why I got bogged down in the first place).
If I blogged through each chapter, you would probably not need to read the book. I don’t want that. You need to actually read these books.

So, I will simply make one post on each of the best youth ministry books I’ve read over the next few weeks. Feel free to add your own in the comments or write up your own reviews on your blog and I will link to it.

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Categories : Random

Busyness

By Matt · Comments (9)

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

It’s been 8 days since my last post. There’s been a few reason’s why I haven’t been posting lately:

I was accepted to Luther Seminary and have been working on doing some of the things I have to do to get ready for that. It’s amazing the amount of software they want you to have on your computer.
Our local area has just been approached by an oil and natural gas company to lease the mineral rights to our land. There was a community meeting Thursday night, and since then I’ve been trying to talk to as many neighbors as possible to get them to not sign the lease yet. Most people have no idea what they are signing. I’ve also been doing some research to try and figure out if we even have the authority to drawn royalties from the mineral rights to our land. It looks like there is a strong possibility most of us don’t own the mineral rights to our land.
This Sunday is our monthly youth-led worship service. No matter how much prep work I do ahead of time, there is always lots of work the week of the service.
Even though I am very happy with the results of my implementation of GTD, I have been pretty swamped trying to wade through the minutiae that had accumulated in the past 15 months of working at Hope.

I have started writing the next blog post, it’s just not finished, yet.

Comments (9)

Categories : Personal, Random

100 Answers in (around) 100 Words

By Matt · Comments (6)

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

Over at Life in Student Ministry, Tim Schmoyer has a post on “100 blog topics I hope YOU to write.” Well, I’m done.

I have tried to answer every topic with one (different) word. Some are serious, others are tongue-in-cheek. You’ll have to decide for yourself.

How to use Facebook for ministry: Groups.
How to build community among teenagers: Food.
Technology I use in youth ministry: Huh?
How to write Bible study lessons for youth group: Study.
Conversation starters to ask a student you just met: Food?
How to get parents involved in their kids’ lives: Less.
How to handle confrontation: Carefully.
How to teach students with learning disabilities: Patiently.
How to market your events: Don’t.
How to effectively use visual aids in teaching: Google.
How to make time for personal prayer and devotions: Schedule.
How to empower your youth leaders: Space.
How to follow-up with new believers: Facebook.
Using podcasts in youth ministry: Waste.
How to engage students in worship: Example.
How to deal with a suicide in your ministry: Immediately.
Everything a youth worker should know about eating disorders: Watch.
Addressing porn and masturbation at youth group: XXXchurch.com.
How to help parents prepare their students for college: Trip.
Recommended books for every youth worker’s library: Yaconelli.
How teenage girls best relate to each other: Gossip.
How teenage guys best relate to each other: Wrestling.
Teaching students to evaluate their media consumption: Discernment.
How to equip your students to achieve their dreams: Steps.
Sermon presentations versus small group discussion Bible studies: Easy.
Necessary elements for any youth meeting: Jesus.
Balancing youth group events with athletics, homework and jobs: Missional.
How to achieve longevity in youth ministry: Sabbath.
What students need from their youth leaders: Time.
How to take an idea and make it happen: Ask.
How to plan a youth ministry budget: Last-year.
The real influence of celebrities on students: Excessive.
How to change a teenager’s world forever: Care.
Why youth ministers should read their students’ blogs: Spying.
How to evaluate ministry and implement change: S-L-O-W-L-Y.
Addressing sin in your own life: Kill.
How to make youth group visitors feel welcomed: Talk.
How to use the arts in youth group: Worship.
The youth event no one has ever seen: Marathon.
What I wish every Sr. Pastor knew about youth ministry: Transition.
Balancing youth ministry with my personal life: Calendar.
The difference between part-time and full-time youth ministry: Money (not time).
How to fix your mistakes in ministry: Move.
How to develop students to be spiritual leaders: Risk.
When I feel frustrated in ministry: Read.
Youth group strategies for evangelism: Incarnational.
How to come up with creative ideas: Notepad.
How NOT to introduce visitors to the youth group: Hugs.
What every youth worker needs to know about Jr. High students: ADD.
What every youth worker needs to know about Sr. High students: Deep.
How to earn the trust and respect of your Sr. Pastor: Communicate.
How to lead a youth group when you’re the only volunteer: Help.
How to help a student break an addiction: Prayer.
How to teach through a book of the Bible: Quickly.
What youth group students need from each other: Forgiveness.
Internet tools I use for youth ministry: Bloglines.
How to develop a world missions strategy for your youth group: Pick.
How to simplify your life and ministry: Cancel.
The future of youth ministry: Theology.
How NOT to use video in youth ministry: Flashdance.
How to handle the most common youth ministry struggles: Parents.
How to keep God’s Word fresh for teenagers: Passion.
How to work in a church that doesn’t support it’s youth ministry: Leave.
What to do with “God sightings” stories in your youth group: Share.
Tools for working with hurting teenagers: YouthSpecialties.
How to get kids plugged in to God’s Word: Challenge.
Youth ministry topics that need more coverage: Ecclesiology.
How to become a student-led youth group: Failure.
Expectations to hold for any youth worker volunteer: Perfection.
How to turn conversations toward Christ: “Christ.”
How to respond to criticism: “Thanks.”
Ten youth ministry sites I like and why: TimSchmoyer.com
How to work with the hyper-active kid: Exercise.
How to address self-esteem at youth group: Yay!
How to get your kids sharing and contributing to small groups: Force.
A story of how Christ changed my youth group: Bible.
When to let go of a student and trust God take care of the rest: Rebellion.
How to recharge your emotional batteries: Nap.
How youth ministry made me go crazy!: Busy.
How to make the most of a youth group retreat: Plan.
How to shake a student from their apathy for God’s Word: Live.
Things to consider before purchasing a curriculum: Booo.
American youth ministry and how I would change it: Think.
How to give yourself away: No.
How NOT to give advice to a student: “TheBibleSays.”
The top 10 excuses every youth leader makes: Hectic.
The top 10 excuses every youth group student makes: Soccer (or football, band, etc.)
How to settle a disagreement with your Sr. Pastor: Lose.
Common mistakes to avoid in youth ministry: Burnout.
Guidelines to follow for selecting new youth leaders: Opportunity.
How to facilitate communication between students and parents: Try.
How to partner with parents in youth ministry: Humbly.
Reaching rural kids versus reaching urban kids: Ha!
How to support a student through difficult times: Embrace.
The #1 best thing you can do for the kids in your youth group: Love.
How to promote an attitude of prayer in daily life: Pray.
How the Internet is changing students’ perspective of community: Weakening.
Why I’m in youth ministry today: Teens.
A passage of scripture every student should know: Many.
How to get students involved in the rest of the church body: Integrate.

Comments (6)

Categories : Christianity, Random, Youth Ministry

New Look

By Matt · Comments (0)

Friday, September 14th, 2007

Decided to change the look of the blog. This WordPress theme was recently released and I fell in love. I’ll probably make some minor tweaks over the next week.

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Categories : Blogging, Personal, Random

On Jeremiah 29:11

By Matt · Comments (9)

Friday, August 24th, 2007

Maybe I’ll start a series sometimes on the most mis-interpreted verses of the Bible. For now, I would like to begin with Jeremiah 29:11. We see this probably most of all around high school graduation time. College graduation probably takes second place, since the kids who were Christians at high school graduation aren’t anymore by the time college graduation rolls around:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I find it unfortunate that people don’t quote the verse before this one. You know, the one where God tells Israel that they have to spend seventy years in Babylon.

Comments (9)

Categories : Christianity, Random

Christian Fundamentalist Shenanigans

By Matt · Comments (0)

Friday, June 1st, 2007

Wow. Apparently Chuck Swindoll is too “liberal” for some folks. He was dropped by a radio station (or network, I don’t know) for using vulgar language like “crap” and “balls”. They have kept a seven-year running tally of offenses:

Go here for an introduction.
Go here for the full release on Slice of Laodicea. Have fun reading the comments, too.
Andrew Jones has a response here.

I will say this: I am offended that a Christian outfit like the one at Slice of Laodicea would use language like “testicles” and “prostate exam” on their site. How inappropriate.

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Categories : Christianity, Random

Good Company

By Matt · Comments (0)

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

I was listening to the recent Youth Specialties Podcast with Tony Jones and heard a quote from Tony that is quite encouraging. According to Tony, the average article in a scholarly academic journal gets read by four people. Four.

I guess my blog traffic is in “distinguished” company.

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Categories : Blogging, Personal, Random

From the “You Can’t Make this Up” File

By Matt · Comments (0)

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

Benny Hinn got a new airplane. And he needs YOU to help cover the $6 million down payment!

HT: Tim Challies

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Categories : Christianity, Random

Albert Mohler is postmodern!

By Matt · Comments (0)

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

I know, I couldn’t believe it either! But he’s definitely treading very closely to postmodern hermeneutics with this post.

(For those who don’t know, Dr. Mohler is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has his own radio show, and chairs or is the president of 847 committees and organizations. He also speaks a million times a year.)

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Categories : Christianity, Random

Icy Driving

By Matt · Comments (0)

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

Since we are experiencing a little winter storm here in DFW, I thought I would offer a public service announcement:

If anyone happens to be watching WFAA’s news and weather coverage today, the traffic lady has been saying over and over to leave plenty of room between you and the car in front of you: three car lengths.

Ummm, that’s wrong. Car lengths doesn’t help people. As you drive faster, you need to increase distance. Even in dry conditions, you need at least 2 seconds of time between you and the car in front. As conditions worsen, you need to increase your distance to up to 8-10 seconds. For more info, go here.

This public service announcement brought to you by Mattopia.

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Categories : News, Personal, Random