THE BLOG

12
Jan

What I Learned from 17 Year Old Guys

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Today I hung out with four seventeen year old guys and learned some cool things that I believe can help us as youth pastors…

#1: They’re NOT perfect. Hormones are raging, immaturity is high, and families are not super healthy. This can lead to some mistakes and that’s OK! Give students grace as they grow.  Never be quick to write anyone off and NEVER hold them to your standards. You are the leader and the example. Let them follow and understand they will not follow perfectly. The greatest key to their spiritual growth and to serving for the long haul is knowing they have someone to run to when they fail. And that’s YOU!

#2: No one is too COOL to have FUN. We talked for at least forty minutes about Sky Zone, dodge ball, and laughing about injuries they have had. I love that guys are so easily entertained talking about broken bones, shoulders popping out of socket, concussions, and pain in general! They asked for a guys night where we could play dodge ball, eat pizza, and have fun.  These guys are NOT the Screech type students. They are much more like AC Slater! Y’all remember them?

#3: They want relationship! As I said in my last blog, youth ministry is all about relationships. I invited one guy to hang out and he brought three others. Not because he invited them but because when they heard he was hanging with me they asked to come. Now, I am not that cool! They just want relationship that bad! Give your students time, respect, and attention. They will open up and draw close.

 

jsc

12
Jan

Sex Trafficking Awareness Day

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Today is Sex Trafficking Awareness Day. It is a day to raise awareness about the modern-day slavery happening in the world. Today, there are more slaves alive right now then in world history. Over twenty-seven million people  RIGHT NOW are under the cruel bondage of sex-traffickers and pimps. One man who was arrested in Greece for running a brothel with women who were prostituting against their will were asked, “why sex slavery? Why not be a drug dealer, or an arms dealer?” His response was shocking… “prostituting women is easier because there is an endless supply an endless demand and the punishment if caught is much lighter then drugs or guns.” Sad. In America, you can receive up to a twenty-five thousand dollar fine and receive jail time for poaching an animal and yet be given community service for controlling, manipulating, and enslaving a human being.

Is there anything YOU can do? YES! Last week The Passion Movement held a young adult conference in Atlanta and raised over three million dollars to give to ministries helping set men and women free from sex slavery. And YOU can be a part of that. Here at The Church we run a ministry called Impact. Impact does many things for our community including running a house that helps young women get on their feet and free from their past life.

Here are just a few things we do:

  • Give them a free place to stay at a secret and safe location
  • Free counseling, job training,  food and everything they need to live

The Impact House, is a one year rehabilitation system that takes a woman from prostitution to becoming beautiful valuable member of our society. To date we have helped over a dozen women and more are coming in every month. We are the ONLY ministry of its kind in the city of Las Vegas. Do you want to help? You can give right now and help many more hundreds freed from slavery. No gift is too small, no gift is too big. Help somebody today.

jsc

10
Jan

What I Learned at a Jr. High Basketball Game

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First off… Jr High ministry is crazy! I am very blessed to have ‘Jr. High Whisperer’ Jay Hubbard, he has a freakish gift with this age group.  I am grateful for him! Now to the game… I was immediately shocked that in the wealthiest zip code in Nevada, the gym was packed with students. The atmosphere was fun, loud, stinky, and wild. I couldn’t believe it! These very wealthy students were not playing Wii, Xbox, or watching TV. They were talking, laughing, and completely ignoring the game! HELLO! It reminded me all over again that:

#1: Youth ministry is ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS! Gateway Church says it so well, “We’re All About People”. Seven’s leadership mission statement is similar: To love and  encourage young people.” My leaders don’t have to be Bible scholars. They just need to love people enough to encourage them, pray for them, give them time, and respect them. At the game, kids were having a blast and I immediately thought WE NEED TO HAVE MORE FUN AT SEVEN!!! WE NEED MORE FOOD!!! WE NEED A BETTER WAY TO LET PEOPLE EXPRESS THEIR NEED TO BE SOCIAL!!! How can you give the kids more time to talk and be heard during your youth night? A simple step may be cutting a song or shortening your sermon and add a discussion time or small groups to your service.

#2: Youth ministry doesn’t have to be perfect. As you may know, Jr. High basketball isn’t exactly the NBA – the kids didn’t care. The cheerleading was sloppy – the kids didn’t care. It was hard to hear the music during the half time show – the kids didn’t care. There were adults and parents EVERYWHERE – THE KIDS DIDN’T CARE! I love that youth groups are so cool… and at Seven we strive hard for excellence. I believe God and this generation deserve our best. I also know the kids would rather talk and be heard then watch your human video. Don’t act like you didn’t rock a Carmen tune or two!

#3: Youth ministry has to stop denying that kids have short attention spans. I know your a good preacher… I know you’re awesome! I know you’re the next Judah Smith. I BELIEVE YOU! I also know that kids are now used to tweeting, instagraming, facebooking, skyping, watching a TV show, and doing their homework all at the same time. It is NOT a good thing but kids need more mental stimulation and they need your youth service to MOVE. Halfway through the game the kids all around me were talking about going to the skate park after the game. They were already onto the next thing. You can get creative and figure out ways to work with that or you can deny it and become another boring expression of church. Figure out ways to keep the service and sermon fluid and interactive. Many of the kids feel ignored at home and need attention from authority. TAG, YOUR IT! I am not telling you to preach for fifteen minutes. I am saying you need to find the balance for that hour and half of spiritual, social, emotional, musical, and mental stimulation.

09
Jan

Why Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are Good for Christian Girls

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Ok… lets state the obvious. As far as I know Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy are not Christians. So if you want Tebow morals or Osteen inspiration your not gonna get it! Secondly, I hate confrontation. So if your mad about this blog, I’m sorry. Lets not fight. Lastly, I am NOT endorsing their language, movies or morals. Ok? This is about what we can learn from them and how we as pastors (especially youth pastors) can empower young women to be everything God called them to be. As Serita Jakes says: “YOU, DO YOU!”

#1: You don’t have to be perfect! Now I’m not saying that these women aren’t beautiful, because they are. I am saying they do not fit the Kardashian mold. And I love that! They are confident, hilarious, smart, and are taking over Hollywood! They have found their gifts and talents and use them excellently. Youth Pastor, the young women in your ministry don’t have to be like your wife: they don’t have to lead worship and they don’t have to preach! Release them to use the gifts God gave them! Not the gifts you wish He gave them. Cooking, dancing, art, media, comedy, acting, pintrest, photography, etc. Think outside the box and release young women to be the best sanctified version of themselves they can be!

#2: Women can LEAD! Kristen Wiig has revived SNL and for that I’m grateful! Don’t be afraid to release women not only in their gifts but in leadership. This generation of women needs to be taught that you can get where you want to get to without sexual exploitation, manipulation, or a certain look. Excellence and character still work!

#3: Femininity without sexuality. Today a new dress code was put into place here at The Church. Skirts must be knee length. For some of you that may seem too long for others too short. That means that female staff, interns, and women on stage can no longer wear a skirt that goes above the knees. When I heard the rule I laughed. I laughed because I knew some would have a big problem with it and to me that is a problem. Don’t let culture tell you what cute is. Don’t feel the pressure to live up to Hollywood standards. Women are beautiful. Whether in jeans, long dresses, long skirts, or a Forever lazy! By the way, I don’t care if you wear a skirt above the knee. I care that we have a society that is telling young women that beautiful is short skirts, cleavage, and 98lbs! Just look at the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages of the girls in your ministry. Don’t tell me they don’t feel the pressure! Women like Wiig and McCarthy let young women know you can be beautiful, wildly confident, funny, successful, and smart and not fit THE MOLD! As youth pastors we should do the same

jsc

04
Jan

3 Reasons Why I Worship on Stage

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I worship on stage on Wednesday nights… I don’t stand on the front row, don’t chill in a green room, or hang in the back.

If you do any of those things it’s all good. Here is why I do what I do…

#1: Perspective. It is cool to look over the crowd and just see and feel the vibe. It can help you to know where to take the night.

#2: Example. Never forget this… YOU ARE THE WORSHIP LEADER. Your people need to see HOW to worship. Yes, give them all the biblical reasons and expressions of worship,however when you live a life of worship and show them how to worship they WILL follow.

#3: Leadership. Your leaders (both worship team and other leaders) need to see you and know that NO ONE is to cool to worship. Green rooms are for conferences, not a local youth ministry. Plus, it encourages your worship team BIG TIME. They are inspired and fearless knowing their pastor is up there slugging it out with them. Everyones faith rises.