Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Delaware

A newer youth leader called today to ask if I had any resources for games that she might be able to use or borrow... and it occurred to me that it might not just occur to everyone that you can google search stuff like that.

HOWEVER... these are some websites with all kinds of free resources posted that I used to reference often - FREE Games, Lesson Ideas, Fundraisers, Illustrations, Crafts and SO much more.... enjoy :) 

thesource4ym.com
youthpastor.com
egadideas.com
pastor2youth.com
youthministryideas.net

You are not alone out there. .. the internet can be SO handy when it comes to idea sharing... Hop on board!

This was a really great article from Neue Quarterly that I read today... Dave Browning gives some . 

Hey Youth Leaders!!!  You can be BIG TIME TOO!  Check it out... ha ha ha ha

I was reading Adam McLane's blog about different teaching styles... and I thought: this is amusing, but there must be more than this.

I think I'd add The Reluctants:  You show up prepared every week but you never actually just lead the class - you let the other guy do it - every week.  You're waiting until you finish your masters, feel as wise as C. S. Lewis, go on another retreat or finish another chapter of Leviticus (the list goes on...) so you'll be "ready."

Who else would you add to the list?

Jon Foreman is the front man and lyrical genius of Switchfoot.  And while he enjoys rocking with his band (and brother) on stage, he has this love for the after show.  Generally, he tweets a location and time around showtime - and then gathers with anyone who wants to listen for an acoustic, stripped down, old and new set.

Last week, after a show in Tampa, Jon was playing an after show in the parking lot and got arrested.  Yeah, that's right, arrested.  He wrote a thoughtful response for the Huffington Post. 

Well played Mr Foreman.  Well played.

I found today's post on Jon Acuff's blog to be pretty funny and sincerely true today.  Youth Leaders aren't Silver Medal Pastors/Priests - Youth Ministry is in a totally different Olympic Event Category.  Enjoy.

I got an email today that suggested this link... and well, it was worth passing on so here it is :)

Today several Staff Alumni came to camp for our first annual Alumni Cookout.  Pairs of alumni were posted at Pioneer Units and the staff rotated through to eat delicious food, meet the alumni and hear their stories.

I floated around trying to get pictures of everyone and making sure everyone had what they needed. One of our pool guards asked me who the other alumni were in the other sites around camp.  She was so excited to hear that one of her old counselors was here today.

Anne is 21 years old and has been working here for at least five summers.  When she was about 12 years old she spent her first time in Pioneer and thus had her very first Pioneer overnight.  Camp used to have these mandatory, three day/two night trips away from camp that generally involved long canoe rides and wading in marsh mud.  I have no idea what her counselor Janna said to her.  Whatever it was - it's the one thing, and Janna is the one person that Anne attributes her lengthy stay at camp to.   

We have no idea how strongly the little lines of encouragement we so easily spew (and tend to think nothing of) can impact the life of a young person.  Choose your words wisely.  You never know when they're really going to stick.

Neue Magazine posted a tweet today quoting Tim Keller and asking a great question:

“Most use their city to build a great church. Use your church to build a great city." - Tim Keller

How does your church build your city?

There's this adorable and brilliant author named Margaret Feinberg.  She's written some really great books including Organic God, The Sacred Echo, and most recently - Scouting the Divine. 

Nearly two years ago I first heard her speak at a conference.   She shared some really profound thoughts as she told her story - but all I'll reference from her talk in this post is that she explained the idea of a "sacred echo."  She talked about how there are patterns in life that repeat and cycle and there are things that we hear or see in unrelated places that echo one another as well.

Echoes are one of the ways I distinguish God's voice and  direction in my life.  My life is FULL of sacred echoes.  It's kind of ridiculous.  I think they're playing in all of our lives - we just have to be open to looking for them.  I had them before I heard Margaret speak and I was relieved when she articulated a name for this seeming phenomena them.

If I'm honest with you I just about hate "Here I Am Lord."  Most groups of people can't seem to master it's tempo.  It's over played.  And it's more than a tad campy - not in a good way.   So of course, like a cat that knows I'm allergic and want nothing to do with her - this song follows me.  It's haunts my life.  And every time I have to endure it - I grit my teeth and grimmace... and every time I'm convicted again by the line "I will hold your people in my heart."  It's as if God is (again) reminding me I even need to love the people that love this stupid song.

Then there's the Bible story of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones.  It's one of THE coolest stories in the Bible and yet I meet people all the time that have NO IDEA what I'm talking about when I reference it.   I won't go into all the lessons God's taught me from this one story - I'll just say that it's been echoing in my life for almost a decade.
 
 Last week, I had a a few "horrible no good very bad" days in a row.  In the midst of it all God's voice was very clear.  Over four occasions in the last 5 days - there they were, both of them, Here I Am Lord AND Ezekiel in his valley, staring me in face.  It made me laugh out loud - which almost always makes me feel better. 

So I'm wondering - What messages does God repeat over you in your life?  What's one of your sacred echoes??