Healthy Youth Ministry

I’ve been enjoying our discussions on what a healthy youth ministry looks like. It’s a tough discussion, but I think I agree mostly with Field’s in PDYM in that a healthy youth ministry does contain an equal balance between five biblical purposes

Evangelism

Worship

Fellowship

Discipleship

Ministry

I know my ministry is not balanced yet, but I am praying and hoping to strengthen our ministry for the health of our group. I would say our weakest areas would be evangelism and ministry, a good program would be discipleship, and our fellowship and worship are above average. I know this will be the main discussion of the blog (what is a healthy youth ministry), so feel free to post your own thoughts.

Leadership Survey

Hey all,

Great meeting today. I think we had some good discussion and set a great goal in seeking to empower our volunteers. That truly excites me. I went to KFC and spent a good time reading those articles Brad shared, and I can say I felt encouraged by what I read. I mean we have an opportunity to share a robust gospel to a people who need to be saved. It’s exciting. Anyways, I received an email in my inbox with a link to a leadership survey that examines your personal leadership style.  Thought you may be interested. Check it out here.

Worship Survey

Pastors, leaders, and students….

Here are some questions that I was wondering for other groups in the area.

Curious as to what you are doing.  Do you have music incorporated during your youth group time? If you do, what are all the instruments that you incorporate? Is it student or leader led? What songs do you do? Then the Biggie…What would you like to see happen?

Here are our answers…

Yes, we have a time of worship in the form of song almost every week we meet.  We usually do about three songs a week. My wife, Andrea, leads this time. She plays her guitar, and that is the only instrument we incorporate, but we are not opposed to adding drums, other guitars, pianos, etc, but we’re looking for people to add these elements with us.

I’d like us to be able to modernize our songs a little more, and we’ve been working to introduce some more, but here are some names of the favorites that our students have…

Mighty to Save

Empty Me

Love the Lord

Here I am to Worship

Heart of Worship

In the Secret (I Want to Know You)

Blessed be Your Name

Lord I Lift Your Name on High

Prince of Peace

Andrea’s working to add a few more that are featured on Passion: God of this City.

Interlinc also has good sources that I’ve checked out on good songs for worship.

Leave comments!

Check out the blog roll

Feel free to check out the blog roll, youth min sites, and some other sites that students may like. Feel free to add to them as well!

My Personal Blog

Hey everyone,

It’s late Wednesday night and I decided to go blogging and add to my personal blog.  I put it in our bookmarks.  Anyways, check out volkers84.blogspot.com

Some Youth Ministry Evaluation Tools

Hey youth workers!

We were talking about evaluating youth ministries.  Well, here is a link that I found from Dare2share that looks to evaluate how youth ministries go wide (evangelism) and go deep (discipleship). I will bring a hard copy to our next meeting.

Dare2share.org

http://www.dare2share.org/deepandwide/assessments

David and I had a great time at the Time Out retreat at Camp Manitoqua. It was a great time to recharge and reconnect with the Savior.  Will talk to you soon!

Farmtown U.S.A.

Hey everyone,

I’ve made it a week long goal to get on this, but as soon as we broke our meeting last Thursday (the 14th), my week has been nuts. I told some of you that I graduated from NIU last year, which of course was were the terrible tragedy took place. Thankfully all of my friends and old roomates are counted for and safe, but I had some friends who had friends who were hurt and even killed in the shooting. That room was a very popular room that most people know very well. In fact, we had Campus Crusade for Christ in that room, and I have preached off that very stage that the shooter used to kill people. Please be praying for my friends, their family, current students and their friends and family, faculty, and alumni as this university is trying to cope with the reality of the sheer terror that was thrust upon them last week.

As if that wasn’t enough, my wife’s aunt (who she was very close to) lost her battle with cancer on Friday. I spent the end of last week and the beginning of this week comforting her and her family. It has been a tough few days as many were very close to her aunt, who was a believer, so we are excited to see her in Heaven some day!

Because of those mentioned events, my pastor, sponsors, and myself thought it was best to postpone the 30 Hour Famine that I told so many of you about last week. We will actually have it on March 21-22. I think this may be better for attendance too.

On a good note, the combined post high ministry I mentioned kicked off last night, and we had a great turn out. 36 people came to hear what Christians mean by faith. We are stoked to offer a ministry geared for those out of high school and into their 20s. Our area really needs something like this.