More than a Backpacking weekend

So, I have to admit, right off the bat, this is a little weird for me.

I'm going to give you the background and history of what I am linking to.

We look good after hiking 10 miles.

Elijah and I have wanted to go backpacking for a long time. Katie has been wanting me to have "THE TALK" (dun, dun, duuuuun) with Elijah for a long time. So she picked up the Passport 2 Purity weekend kit produced by Family Life Today. It is Dennis Rainey's ministry similar to Focus on the Family.

I decided the hike and the P2P program would go good together. We would get away for a weekend, get to go back packing, get in the woods, just be the two of us. The hike was humid, the mountains steep, the views incredible, the food awful, the blisters hot, the water fresh and cold, the sleep was hard. All of the good stuff that goes into a great hiking trip. I loved it. Even the 5 mile detour we took on the second day. I loved every step of it.

Elijah, well, he might of thought it was tough. I haven't challenged myself this way in a long time, physically or relationally. I pushed myself and came out on the other end of the trail with jello legs and felt incredible.

But let me back up.

Eating breakfast and listening to P2P

We were doing the Passport 2 Purity program. It is a really good product. It is funny at times when it needed to be. It also gets series. It went into a good amount of depth and left a lot of unnecessary stuff out. From a Christian father's point of view, I was relieved and thankful for how it was made. Before we went, I sent a message to Family Life Today and asked them to pray for us as we were doing their program that weekend. They assured me people would be praying the entire time we were out and to let them know how it went.

A few days afterwards I did. I thanked them for their prayers and for providing a good quality, memorable weekend for us. They asked me a couple of questions, which I answered and that was it. Well, until a lady contacted us named Mary. She said they shared our story with their staff and everyone wanted to know more about it, because as far as they knew nobody else had done it this way. So a few questions turned into an embarrassing interview and that interview turned into an interview with Elijah, and all of that turned into an article written about our backpacking weekend. Which is right here.

"More Than A Backpacking Weekend" on Family Life Today "The Family Room" ezine

Now it says it's written by me, but it was written by Mary based on our interview. (I wrote what you are reading now, she wrote that, there is a big difference in the quality and refinement.) It also includes a blurb about how the program is structured. Which I am totally fine with.

What Eastern Kentucky Looks like from Pine Mountain on a beautiful June day. 

Now to the dads and moms out there.

If you are unsure about how to have "THE TALK" (dun, dun, duuuuun) this is the way to do it. It is a really relaxing and safe way to have the talk (dun dun duuuuun). It gives a guideline of how to relate your thoughts and experiences within it. It has suggestions (which I kinda changed to match us and hiking). It has a whole parent pre-weekend guide and cd/mp3s to listen to. It has books so you can stay on topic. It has music and stories, and interviews, and all the stuff that makes a good quality resource. It has separate guy/ girl sessions. AND it isn't full of any "Christian Cheese", over spiritualization, disgusting pictures, or other things that have made tools like this terrible. Don't try to be a tight wad and just get the student journal. Buy the whole P2P Getaway Kit. It's worth it. You will be glad you did. You will have more fun and they will remember it better.

If you have questions, contact me. I would love to encourage you in this little adventure, however you choose to do it.

Until then, try to stay on the right trail. Climbing back up is a whole lot of unnecessary work.

Still trying to be worked into something useful,
Mitch

So you think God is calling you to Youth Ministry?

My first piece of advice is to go back to God and double check. Make sure He has thought this through. HahaHa!!! No really.

Youth ministry is one of the most rewarding ministries and the most heart-breaking. It is not for the faint of heart or weak stomached. I think you know this, but it is not just fun and games. It is life and death. You are answering a very serious calling and will require you to really think about what you believe and if it matches with scripture.

Students are leaving the church in droves because of reasons of "it's boring" to "not relevant or practical". (https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/church/already-gone/) So to be a youth minister you be aware of this simple, discouraging occurrence. Church leadership may look to you to be the single solution to this phenomenon. Parents may claim it is your lack of attention to their child as the reason for their kid not wanting to attend. Pastors will tell you it is activities and fun outing that keep students involved. Others will say your group is too "clickish", and to fix it. All of these may be true in some simple form, but are by no means absolutes.

Kids do NOT need a Jesus Channel entertainer. They do need to know the Church, The Bible, you, the Pastor, Jesus are really all that you say they are, and will be there no matter what. You will pour your life into kids and they will just walk away one day. Then other kids you would not have thought will turn around and be wanting to be youth ministers themselves.

Another warning is the Bible says we should not be quick to want to be teachers because we will be judged tougher (James 3). I know you know that, but you have to remember, this warning is for you now as well, not just the preacher.

I still have a lot to learn about youth ministry. Here are 10 really big ideas, that I have learned, that I believe make a big difference. 

BTW. I am very proud of you for allowing God to sanctify you this way and following his leading.

1st. Your job is to point people, kids, families to Jesus. That is your number one priority. Ministry has to be vertical. Kids need to look up to see where their help comes from. I really believe the central theme of all of scripture is "giving Glory to God". That is done through Jesus and Jesus alone. ITS ALL ABOUT JESUS. I wish someone would have reinforced this 15 years ago. I know and knew that, but it wasn't always number 1 on my list. It's easy to get caught up activities, surviving, being there, that we forget that at times. If you try to do other things beside teach Christ, you will burn out and run out. Also Kids will not get what they really need; Christ in them to will and to act according to His purpose, for His Glory.

2. Support their parents. Encourage them to follow their parents. Repeat what their parents say. Be very careful in saying a parent is wrong or that you think it should be different. Your age and experience doesn't allow for it. Even with a daughter out of high school, I don't talk against parents or undermine them.This is tough when you see a dad blatantly against the church or a mom putting a daughter down. You have to keep in mind we have to Honor our father and mother. It is the first command with a promise.

3. This goes along with 2. See yourself as a "Family minister" not just youth. Your kids have to live in the home and the best change comes when the environment changes and has support. Also Jesus said he is the dad of this family we call church, so family is the core of the church. You are working to support the core. You can not teach youth and kids apart from their family life. Support it and think about the whole family as you teach, plan activities, costs, theology, etc.

4. Love your youth and kids as Jesus loves you. As messed up and stinky as the boys are, love them. As spiteful as the girls are, love them. Tell them you love them. Give them hugs and tell them you are proud of them for small things. In short, always be encouraging. Search for that little glimmer of something amazing and valuable in your kids, and really bring that out for everyone to see. Then God can show off and he gets the glory.

5. Make the gospel fun. You can have Jesus as the focus and center and it be a blast. It should be a sin to bore a kid with the gospel, or adults for that matter. (I can't remember who said that, but it's true.)

6. Keep it simple, but don't dumb down the Bible. Kids have things dumbed down for them all the time and they realize it. Kids need to be challenged by scripture. The apostles said several times, "This is a hard teaching". If we have to think, we will grow.

7. Get your hands dirty. Jesus was an active teacher and a doer. James said if we have faith we need to prove it. Jesus said if you abide in me you will bear fruit. So find simple projects in the community. Collect stuff for a Christmas food give-away. repair wheelchair ramps or help old people plant veggies in the flower beds. Get dirty. Make their faith seen. Jesus got down in the dirt with people. Jesus in John 15:8 people will see our good works and glorify our father in heaven. Having the kids work with a vertical mindset, point people vertical.

8. Find a unique way to involve kids in worship. This can be tough for some churches. But something like a stick/ dowel rod ministry, or puppets to do for younger kids or vbs. Maybe art to music if you have a really creative kid. something more than handing out bulletins or taking up offering. Something that takes practice. Creative. Takes them out of their comfort zone.

9. Get other adults involved as helpers. If you aren't artsy, I bet there is a lady in the church that is, get her to lead that part and you be a part of it. If you don't know construction, get a dad who can teach the youth how to fix porch rails. Find a little old couple to teach the youth how to plant veggies for people and get the stuff together. God gives us the body to meet all the needs of the church, so use it. It will give more support from the church, which will make everyone more receptive to more people and ministry opportunities.

10. . . could be anything. See what God is doing already and jump on. You don't have to come with everything yourself. But as a warning, every good idea is not for you or your group. Think it through, listen to older wiser believers, and pray you are following God's direction.

  

You can meet anywhere you can move chairs out of the way.
You can teach anything as long as the Bible is open and the primary source.
You can play anything as long as nobody looses an arm or face.
You can go just about anywhere and have a good time together.
But have I mentioned Jesus has to be first. If I didn't keep that in mind. I think you have that as your first thought, but it is easy to get distracted from that fact later on. 

You think God is calling you to be a youth minister? 

Congratulations. Enjoy it. 

Have fun with Jesus.

Point youth vertical.