Equip Magazine | Spring 2011

youthunlimited.org 1

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER BREAK | CELEBRATING YOUR LEADERS | GROWING IN THE WORD

E Q U I P P I N G TO D AY S V O L U N T E E R YO U T H W O R K E R

LISA DYKSTRA Seven Years of Serving Teens

ARE YOU LISTENING Expanding Your Emotional Vocabulary

FROM SMALL TALK TO SALVATION PART 2

LIVING BEYOND THE INSECURITIES

GETTING DIRTY BEFORE YOU GO Mission Trip Preparation

POTHOLE PERSEVERANCE

CREATING SPACE Utilizing Prayer Stations in Your Ministry

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF

SPRING 2011|VOLUME 8|ISSUE 3

2 equipmagazine

(

(


InfoYouth Unlimited Equip Magazine

Spring 2011 | Volume 8 | Issue 3

Publication Coordinator | Marcel deRegt

Chief Editor | Shari Ilbrink

Design Director | Jim Bowerman

Contributing Writers | Koen Beugelink, Marcel deRegt, Gretchen Driesenga, Jeff Gates, Mark Knetsch, Ryan Kimmel,

Jeff Kruithof, Cody Statema, Kaylyn Unterkofler

Guest Writer | Tim Wolffis

Cover Photo Credit| Lindsey Folkerts Graphic Design student at Dordt College

Equip Magazine is printed in the United States as a free resource to churches across North America.

Canada | Canada Post International Sales Agreement #41124116. Return undeliverable Canadian address to:

Youth Unlimited Equip Magazine Box 1100, Norwich, ON, N0J 1P0, Canada

Executive Director:

Jeff Kruithof616.241.5616 ext. 3043

[email protected]

Leadership Development:

Marcel deRegt616.485.1966

[email protected]

Missions:

Jerry Meadows616.241.5616 ext. 3040

[email protected]

Events:

Millie Hoekstra207.864.2963

[email protected]

ContentsnOPENING NOTE Prep work ......................................................................... pg. 4

nEVENTS Creating Space .............................................................. pg. 5

nnuts & bolts Living Beyond the Insecurities ................................ pg. 6

Getting Dirty Before You Go .................................... pg. 7

nExceptional youth worker Meet Lisa Dykstra: 7 Years of Serving and Loving Teens .................... pg. 8

nLEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Pothole Perseverance ..............................................pg. 10

Celebrating Leaders ..................................................pg. 11

nCommunity The School Year is Over ... Now What? Being Intentional About the Summer Break ... pg. 12

How to Deal with Grief ............................................. pg. 13

nCOMMUNICATION From Small Talk to Salvation: Part 2 ..................pg. 15

Are You Listening? .....................................................pg. 16

July and August: The Death of Youth Ministry? ................................pg. 18

nGrowing in God's word From a Winter Storm to a Summer Sabbath... pg. 20

nWORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT The Good Fight ........................................................... pg. 22

Not sure what these boxes are?

They are QR codes: two-dimensional bar-codes that can be read by smart phones.

Own a smart phone?

1. Download the app.

2. Scan the code. Hold your phone over the a code and use its camera and a QR app to to read the QR code.

3. Enjoy! The QR code will direct you to a site, a video, music, photo or other goody.

No smart phone?

Look for the link at the bottom of the page.

youthunlimited.org

4 equipmagazine

My wife and I came to a very daunting realization this past winter. Just

over a year ago, we moved into our current house and our real estate agent kindly blessed us by providing a paint decorator to come in and offer advice on color-coordinating our home. The previous owner of our home had a huge fascination with the color blue. He was not fussy about which shade of blue or whether or not the different blues matched, he just wanted everything blue: walls, carpet, counter tops, toilet, bathtub, tiles and the list goes on. So the decorator came and informed us that we should paint everything in dark earth tones to somewhat camouflage the blue that we weren’t ready to replace. She gave us her recommendations of paint color, paint number, type of paint and various techniques on how to paint. But one thing she forgot to address was the prep work. She didn’t test the walls to see what type of paint we were covering up. Yes, we knew it was blue, but what we didn’t know was whether it was oil-based or latex.

I’m not sure how much you know about painting, but you just cannot put latex paint over top of oil-based paint. If you do, the latex paint will literally just peel off. Well guess what? You guessed it ... unbeknownst to us, most of our walls were originally painted with oil-based paint. The

paint that our decorator recommended was latex. So here we find ourselves, one year later, with blisters on our hands as we peel and scrape off our nice, earth-tone paint to once again be faced with the original blue paint. And now it looks even worse.

This issue of Equip Magazine looks at the concept of old things becoming new in youth ministry. As I think about my

paint situation, I can’t help but make the connection to youth ministry and the journey we are on. Youth ministry does not always look pretty or coordinated, much like all the various shades of blue that (once again) grace the walls of my home. As a volunteer

youth worker, you may have to deal with uncomfortable, messy, ugly issues; things such as the death of a youth’s parent or even the death of a youth. You may have to face personal spiritual emptiness or struggle to find the words to bring a conversation back to God. These are the various shades of mismatched blue we can find ourselves looking at as we interact with youth.

I find myself saying to my wife as we wince at yet another blister, “If only our decorator had done the proper prep work and tested the paint before she told us what paint to buy. Man, that would have saved us a lot of pain and headache ... and money.”

As you read through this spring issue of Equip Magazine, may it be part of the prep-work you need to face the blue situations that come into ministry. As you read each article, may it be equipping you for the journey that lies ahead. Some of the articles have web links; take the time to check them out. Some articles have self-tests; try them. Others have great ideas for community building and personal growth; give it a shot. This issue is your prep work magazine for youth ministry.

If you take the time to do the proper prep work for your ministry and your own spiritual life, you will be far better equipped to deal with the blue situations that inevitably come with youth ministry at any time of the year.

Because we, and our decorator, did not do the proper prep work, we now find ourselves in a bigger mess than we were in before. This is what prep work can prevent in home renovation jobs and in youth ministry. Prep work has the ability to clear fog so the ship can pass through in safe waters. Prep work has the ability to save us valuable time so that we do not have to strip things back and start over.

Spring is coming and summer is just around the corner. Youth ministry programs may be coming to an end but ministry keeps on going. Each article in this issue is written to encourage, inspire, challenge, motivate and spur you on in ministry to your youth and to yourself.

The old is gone and the new has come …make sure you do your prep work so the old doesn’t come and rear its ugly head once again!

MARCEL DEREGT

" ... you may have to deal with uncomfortable, messy, ugly issues, things such as the death of a youth’s parent or even the death of a youth. You may have to face personal spiritual emptiness or struggle to find the words to bring a conversation back to God."


c r e a t i n gs p a c e

In the course of our religious lives, we often talk about taking time out of the busyness of our lives to pray and reflect. We often encourage, even implore, our students to step outside of their speedy lives, but how often do we give them large

quantities of time dedicated to being contemplative? One helpful way to summarize a semester or year and to set aside intentional quiet time is to set up a series of stations. They can be small and simple or as elaborate as you deem necessary. Stations provide a break from the status quo and offer students and leaders an opportunity to engage their hearts, minds and senses in worship. Here are some thoughts and suggestions for utilizing them in your ministry.

First, plan what you want your stations to focus on. Perhaps you have a theme that runs throughout your semester or year, or maybe you have a topic you want to spend just one night on. Once you know your theme, you then need to decide how to split it up into separate stations. There are two main ways of setting a station up: sequentially or randomly. First, you could follow a Bible story and make the stations follow a particular order. This is a great option with the Christmas Story, the Easter Story

or the Lord’s Prayer. This method may take longer as you have to stagger when students begin with the first station. If you go with this plan, make sure you have something for the students who are waiting to start and those who finish first so that they do not become a distraction for those still participating. The second option is to have stations that do not need to be visited in order. They can all relate to your theme, but students can go to them out of sequence. This is a more time-effective method and it also allows for students to dwell at stations that may be more meaningful to them. This would work well with topics like prayer, confession, justice or something like the Fruit of the Spirit. One idea is to take every topic you have covered over the year or semester and create a station to remember each topic. One semester, our middle school youth group studied the Ten Commandments and we ended our semester going through ten stations, each one dedicated to a commandment.

Next, you will need to focus more on the individual stations and what you want them to be. I would recommend visiting a few different websites to get some ideas – creativeprayer.com is a great site to start with. There are fantastic ideas out there that you can often adjust to fit your theme. Do not feel like you have to invent them all on your own.

You could use one large room with your stations scattered throughout, or use the education wing of your church with a different station in each room. You could set stations up in your sanctuary and invite the congregation to participate. When setting up, be sure to space stations out to minimize the distractions of the other stations and other students. Realize that the atmosphere is crucial. You will want to set up a space that feels safe, quiet and reflective. Most of this can be accomplished with your lighting and music. If your church allows candles, they are a great prop, but soft lamps at each station or even a strand of white Christmas lights also work well. Consider having incense sticks to engage the sense of smell. Having the room free from all noise is effective, especially if one of your stations involved making noise of some sort (hammering nails into a cross, dropping rocks into a bucket, TV static). The effect of those noises then stands out dramatically. Creating a play list and having some soft music playing in the background is another great option.

To be effective, students will need clear instructions on what is expected of them throughout the experience. You will either want to print instructions for each individual station or make a booklet which includes all the instructions for each station. Rather than printing Scripture out on paper, leave Bibles and Scripture references at each station for students to look up themselves. It is just another way to get them in the Word. As with any lesson, be sure to begin with prayer. Help students enter

the experience ready to reflect, be quiet and listen to God.

Finally, plan the stations to engage the mind, the heart and the senses. Plenty of time is necessary to plan and set up stations, as well as time for the students to engage the elements and ambience at each station. Some stations should be intellectually stimulating, while others ought to be more emotive. Pray that your gift of time and contemplation will refresh yourself, your students and leaders.

GRETCHEN DRIESENGA

More ideas for designing creative prayer stations.

rethinkingyouthministry.com/2009/02/yes-more-creative-prayer-stations

6 equipmagazine

It was a Monday morning and I was sitting in Starbucks with a leader, discussing

upcoming teaching topics and sipping on my chai tea latte. I was trying to exercise my discipline of being present, but could not help being distracted by the policeman who continued to drive back and forth, peering inside the coffee shop window. I finally watched him park and walk in, assuming he was there for his morning cup of joe … but I was wrong. He was there for me.

He marched straight through the store, stood at the foot of our table and then towered over and asked, “Excuse me, miss, why aren’t you in school right now?”

I let my breath out, unaware that I had been holding it in. Relieved, I explained to him that I have been out of high school for years (seven to be exact). My explanation wasn’t enough. It wasn’t until I showed him my identification that he let me off the hook, apologized and drove off.

Oh the joys of being a young youth pastor.

Not only do I look like a high school student, but I also have the voice of a twelve-year-old. Add my gender and introverted personality to that mix and there you have it – my insecurities in a nutshell. But let’s be honest, shall we? Whether it is because of your age, gender, education or personality type, you probably have insecurities of your own.

It has taken me years to come to terms with how God created me. Here are three important lessons that I have learned along the way:

Your insecurities can either be a straightjacket or a diving board.

You have a choice in how you allow your insecurities to influence your life. They can either restrain you from having full confidence in ministering to youth, or they can be a springboard that propels you into the depths of the calling God has put upon your life. As someone with claustrophobic tendencies, I beg you…just dive.

Your confidence should come from your weaknesses, not from your strengths.

The verse I cling to the most is 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” Find confidence in your insecurities and let God’s power do the rest!

Your qualification comes from God alone.

Whether you are young or old, introverted or extroverted, male or female – these things are not what qualify you for ministry. If you are doing the work He has

called you to, you can be certain that He has equipped you for it. Stop looking for justification from your students, friends, family, baristas and policemen. Simply look to the One who has created you just as you are.

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen,” Hebrews 13:20-21


“I let my breath out, unaware that I had been holding it in. Relieved, I explained to him that I have been out of high school for years (seven to be exact). My explanation wasn’t enough. It wasn’t until I showed him my identification that he let me off the hook, apologized and drove off.”

KAYLYNUNTERKOFLER


There is a lot about a mission trip that is out of your control. For instance, how

many hours of sleep will you get each night? How many hospital trips will you make? Will your students remember to bring deodorant or will you have to share? Will your flight get delayed or will you get the infamously-timed flat tire? Will that dirt ever come out from under your fingernails?

While there is a lot of unpredictability involved in mission trips, there is a major component that you’ve got in the palm of your hand.

Enter mission trip preparation.

This concept may irk some of you non-administrative, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants youth workers, but I can’t emphasize its importance enough. Here are some simple ways that you can prepare your group in advance for the unpredictability of what’s to come.

• Haveanintroductorymeetingwhere your students can get to know each other. Make this a fun, relaxed time where students feel comfortable. I recommend involving pizza and sugar.

“Talk about cultural differences as a team. Whether you are headed downtown in your local city or driving into another country, each mission is a trip into a different world of lifestyles, expectations and language. Make sure your students are aware of what they need to be sensitive to.”

• Incorporateteam-buildingactivities/ games in your meetings. Google “toxic waste team builder” or “river crossing team builder” to get you going.

• Askyourstudentstowritedownthree goals that they hope to accomplish during the trip. You can even revisit these halfway through your trip.

• Learneachstudent’sgifts.Findarole for the trip that will help them exercise this gift. For example, if you have a student with administrative gifts, ask for his or her help in making sure you are on time. If one of your students is gifted in teaching, ask him or her to prepare a devotional for one of your mornings.

• Allowstudentstosharetheirfeelings about the upcoming trip. Ask students what they are excited for, what they are nervous about, what you can be praying for, etc.

• Speakingofprayer,makesureevery meeting involves prayer!

• Invitestudentsintothefinancesofthe trip. Make sure they are aware of the costs and ask for them to brainstorm ways to subsidize them.

• Talkaboutculturaldifferencesasa team. Whether you are headed downtown in your local city or driving into another country, each mission is a trip into a different world of lifestyles, expectations and language. Make sure your students are aware of what they need to be sensitive to.

• Ifyouneedtofundraise,trytothink of ways that the entire group can grow in community. Some ideas might include a car wash, yard work, or a garage sale. Nothing says community like getting up together at 4:00 a.m.

• Setupameetingwithparentsonetotwo weeks before you leave. Provide parents with details including flight times and numbers, contact information and the address of where you will be staying. At the end, allow adequate time for questions and answers so parents can voicetheirquestionsand/orconcerns.

• Haveacommissioningelementinthe Sunday service before you leave. Allow your students to share their hearts and what they will be doing. Invite the congregation to pray for your team.

You will never regret the time and work you put in ahead of time. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you get your hands a little dirty before you go!

KAYLYNUNTERKOFLER

For resources on many of these ideas, contact [email protected] and ask for the Before You Go packet.

8 equipmagazine

MEET LISA DYKSTRA

7 YEARS OF SERVING ANDLOVING TEENS

MARCEL DEREGT


Let’s begin by you telling us a little about yourself. Family, work, etc.

Lisa: I have been married to Dave for almost 20 years. We enjoy being aunt and uncle to lots of nieces and nephews. We have even had some live with us so that keeps our life interesting and fun. I work as an insurance agent at Perspective Insurance in Sioux Center. My hobbies include walking, reading and watching sports either on TV or going to the game itself.

Marcel: How long have you been volunteering in youth ministry?

Lisa: I have been involved in our youth group for seven years.

Marcel: Tell us a little about your youth ministry history in terms of the roles you have played over the years as well as your current role in youth ministry.

Lisa: I was asked to be a youth leader in 2003 for a three year time frame. Little did I know that I would still be doing this. God has blessed me greatly with a love for the youth. In the first three years, our group went through some big changes. We lost our youth director after the first year and the planning fell on us leaders. That was new for all of us and came with some challenges. Since then I have become the Youth Ministry Assistant under our pastor and our group has really evolved. We changed our meeting time to Wednesday nights. In 2007, we went on our first mission trip as a youth group and have made it part of our programming every other year. This has really bonded our youth and has brought us all closer. I also met with each youth one-on-one this summer at our local bakery. We would grab something to drink or eat and get to know each other better. I had some questions that I came up with and gave each youth a chance to tell me what they like about our youth group and what we could change. I

received a lot of helpful suggestions from each youth and took those into account when planning for this year.

Marcel: Being a volunteer in youth ministry, what keeps you motivated week after week?

Lisa: Definitely the youth! Just hanging around them gets me excited and glad to catch up with them on their lives. It definitely keeps me young!

Marcel: What do you find is your greatest joy in ministry and then contrast that with your greatest struggle?

Lisa: My greatest joy is watching each young person grow and mature in their faith and to see how they open up more each year. I also love it when those who have graduated still contact me and want to get together.

My greatest struggle is competing with the other things going in each youth’s life. They lead very busy lives and I want them to also be able to devote time to youth group.

Marcel: What books do you recommend other youth ministry volunteers read?

Lisa: For youth leaders I would recommend The First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields and Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry by Andrew Root. Crazy Love by Francis Chan is another good one also.

Marcel: If a youth pastor is reading this, whatadvicewouldyougivehim/heronhow to encourage their volunteers?

Lisa: Remember to thank them for what they are doing. Meet with them and talk things over and remember to pray for them.

Marcel: What have you learned over the years that would be helpful to other youth ministry volunteers who might be reading this article?

Lisa: The most important thing you can do is to build relationships with the youth. They are around for maybe four years in your program and what you do will impact their lives now and later. Show them you care, show up at their school events and spend time talking to them, you may learn something. If they see you outside of church, on their turf, it makes them feel special and shows them you value them. Another important thing for you as a leader is to meet with other people involved in youth ministry. I went to my first National Youth Workers Convention in November and had a wonderful time. It was cool having 3,000 people there who cared about youth. Wow!

Marcel: Are there any closing remarks that you would like to share with people who are considering becoming a volunteer youth workerand/orwhohavebeeninthetrenchesof volunteer ministry for some time?

Lisa: Investing your time in a young person’s life will change them, but it will also change YOU! God wants you to make time for the youth and connecting with them is a very important job.

Lisa, thank you very much for your willingness to share your passion for youth ministry. You have shared great insights into what it means to be a volunteer youth worker. Thank you.

“The most important thing you can do is to build relationships with the youth. They are around for maybe four years in your program and what you do will impact their lives now and later. Show them you care ... “

Pictured from the left to right:Front row: Hailee Kooima, Sarah Bos, Shania Geels, Rachel Bos, Adrienne Wesselius, Shannon Vander BergMiddle row: Lisa Dykstra, Tracy Eekhoff, Abby De Vries, Madeline WesseliusBack row: Eric Eekhoff, Tim Klein, Micah Roos, Nathan Reichert, David vanBeek, Caleb De Vries

10 equipmagazine

It is that time of the year again! Yes that is right, it is pothole season! The ground

is thawing and cracking the pavement, snow is melting along the roads revealing dirt-encrusted ice lining the roadways. The scene is typically so disgusting that I actually long for winter again and the serene covering of white, fluffy snow. If you have never lived in a northern climate and have no idea what pothole season is, consider yourself tremendously blessed. It is the time of the year that always seems to stretch out into mundane endlessness.

For the youth worker, this is the time of the year when the whitewash seems to melt away as well. Your energy is dwindling, your students are used to the rhythm of meetings and your ideas to keep things fresh seem dreary and stale. If you haven’t experienced energy withdrawal in your ministry at this time of year, great! Praise the Lord! But if you have hit that wall, are wondering whether this youth ministry gig is worth it or you are just plain

tired and wonder if you will make it to the end of the program year, take heart and open yourself to the Body of Christ!

Share Struggles

No one will know the challenges or the frustration you are experiencing if you do not share it. The church is meant to support and spur each other on in the work of ministry, but that starts with us being open enough to allow others to see our weaknesses. You need the prayer support of your prayer warriors in the church. You need people to know the ways in which they can contribute to God’s work.

Accept Help

Once you request prayer support, do not be surprised if people desire to assist you. Examine the ministry and ask yourself how it could continue if you were not there. Who could teach, organize, relate with students, plan, communicate, etc.? Approach those individuals to assist if

they do not come to you. As a volunteer, you probably have many responsibilities for work and family. In order to be faithful in those other callings, you must seek out those who can come alongside you in ministry. This will also allow you to focus on using your greater gifts for the Kingdom.

Strive for the Prize

In Acts 20:24 Paul says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” Ministry is not about us. We pour ourselves out for the sake of the gospel, but we do not do it alone! Our task is demanding; there will be challenges and sufferings to endure. Take joy in the students that God has blessed you with. It may not be easy all the time, but take joy that you get to share with them the greatest story that can be told every time you see them.

CODY STATEMA


Celebrating leaders

We need them. We recruit them. We train them. We work with them. We

thank them. But do we celebrate them?

As I was thinking about ways to recognize and appreciate my fellow leaders, I was struck with the fact that it is easy to see the leaders I work with as another item on my checklist. A means to an end. A necessary part of helping teens meet and grow with Jesus. I think, “Uh oh, it’s spring time. What am I going to do to recognize all of the time and effort our leaders put in this year?” These words go through my head as I remember that I need to plan some sort of recognition party to show them how much I appreciate them.

I realized that the first step in celebrating leaders is adjusting my own way of thinking. Isn’t that true of leadership in general? It has to begin with ourselves. Gandhi said it well when he said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I need to ask God to change my thinking and

to change my heart. Do I really appreciate my leaders? Do I see them as people who serve Jesus at my side and not just as a means to an end?

If I truly celebrate leaders in my head and heart, the rest comes easily. As you think about recognizing and appreciating your leaders, celebrate each one privately with God first. Picture them in your mind’s eye and thank God for them, pray for them and be grateful for who they are.

When you really appreciate each leader you work with, it is much easier to celebrate them.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Prayforthembynameandtellthemthat you are praying for them.

• Remembertheirbirthdayandsendthem a birthday card.

• Takethemoutforcoffeeindividually and tell them what you appreciate about them. Ask them what they are excited aboutand/orstrugglingwithandreally listen to their response.

• Askthemwhattheirdreamsareand then encourage and help them work toward achieving some of them.

• Givethemownershipandresponsibility over a specific part of a youth meeting or event and then celebrate their success with the other leaders.

• Budgeteventsandretreatssothat leaders do not have to pay out of their own pocket.

• AskforatimeduringaSundaymorning service to introduce your leaders and ask the congregation to pray for them.

• Lookupthemeaningoftheirnamesand compliment them and tell them (in front of the other leaders) how you see them fulfilling how they are identified.

• Planaleadercelebration.Servehors d’œuvre and creative desserts. Share stories. Play games. Give personalized gifts. Have fun together!

• Encourageteenstoexpresstheir appreciation to their leaders.

• Buildtimeintoyourregularstaff meetings for connecting, sharing, celebrating and more!

“Celebrating our leaders is not about paying them for what they do. It’s not even about trying to make their time worthwhile so that they keep helping. We want our leaders to volunteer their time because they want to serve Christ in this way and help teens meet and grow with Jesus. It is a blessing to be part of a team of youth leaders. Let’s celebrate our fellow workers, not because we have to, but because we love them and we love what God is doing in and through them!”

JEFF GATES

12 equipmagazine

THE SCHOOL YEAR IS OVER

... NOW WHAT?B E I N G I N T E N T I O N A L A B O U T T H E S U M M E R B R E A K

Because of snowy winters and stormy springs, summers are a highly coveted

time for vacations in West Michigan. Whether it is cottages, camping or cook-outs, families are in and out all summer long.

In our youth group, we adjust our ministry approach during the summer. Not because there is no one around, but simply because families find new rhythm over the summer. Instead of fighting that, I want to find the strength in it.

Strengths of taking a summer break from programming:

• Simplythat:Aprogrammingbreak. This is a good thing because it allows for an extended period to reclaim the passion, redefine the goal and re-launch in September.

• Volunteersgetabreakfromthenormal routine, which is energizing. It helps leaders want it again.

• Achangeofpace.Thiskeepsprograms from getting stagnant and gives ministries time to explore and experiment with new ideas.

Potential weaknesses of a taking summer break from programming:

1. Student-Disconnect

Use the summer as a time to build relationships with students without the

crutch of programming. Have a bonfire, go see a movie, get ice-cream, hang at the beach, go hiking, get appetizers at Applebee’s – just do something!

My commitment for the Summer of 2011 is, using the activities mentioned, to spend every Thursday hanging with students or building into leaders.

2. Loss of Momentum

Change is a great momentum gainer. So if summer equals a loss of momentum, I would suggest a relook at your summer strategy. Summer vacation is a time for capitalizing on big events and for building excitement for the re-launch of programming in September.

3. A “no programming = no ministry” mind set

Keep your pastor, consistory and church informed. Highlight the mission trip, Live It! and other happenings. Youth leaders need to reteach the church that just because programming ends, it doesn’t mean ministry does.

Here are some summer ideas:

• Live It! – Youth Unlimited’s spiritual catalyst for high school students held at Indiana Wesleyan. Plan it now!

• Dangerous Devotions for Guys: Dare to Live Your Faith by Tim Shoemaker. This was a big hit with our group.

• Perseids Meteor Shower Campout. Find someone’s backyard away from city lights and enjoy this annual August meteor shower. Although this summer’s full moon will keep the shower from its full glory, it is still a great time to focus on the wonder of God.

If your ministry programming keeps going over the summer, my hope is that it is a time of sustaining and gaining momentum while not exhausting leadership. We all know how much energy the fall takes, so dedicate part of the summer to building excitement for September.

If I could be of some encouragement, here are some things I suggest to youth leaders for the summer break:

• Share the responsibility. Try hitting up some of the great ministry opportuni ties that Youth Unlimited has to offer.

• Enjoy the sun. Yes, relax. You know you need it and you know it’s good for the soul – and it’ll end up being good for your ministry too.

2011 Astronomy Calendar.

RYAN KIMMEL

seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-2011


“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

—Psalm 34:18

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF TIM

WOLFFIS

My wife was on the phone looking distressed when I entered the room. It

was one of those phone calls. When the call was over, she choked out the words that her brother’s father-in-law was killed in a tragic accident; a tree had fallen on him in the woods. She was going over right away.

My very first thought was, “What am I going to say? What am I going to do?” I am the chairman of the board of Living Beyond Grief and the director of the teen camp at Camp Anew, a camp designed to help kids who are grieving, yet I was anxious about my first and subsequent encounters with my relatives. Most of us who volunteer at our churches in the youth department hope that we never have to encounter a child who is grieving the death of someone close to them. We struggle to know what to say, what to do or how to help. One side of us wants to make an impact and help in the healing of the hurt, the other side of us wants to avoid eye contact or conversations. Unfortunately,

helping kids who are grieving is not a matter of if, but when. Death is ever-present and it is just a matter of time before you will be in the position that I was in.

It has been said that all people grieve differently. I believe that we grieve in the same way that we love. If I were to ask you how you love someone, what would you say? It is difficult putting feelings like that into words. In 1988, my brother was killed in a car crash. He was instantly transferred from this earth into the arms of Jesus, leaving me without a roommate, brother and best friend. I hurt and I cried a lot, I went without food and sleep and I struggled to push the pain aside and go on living. Even though I suffered these things, I would not dare to say, “I know how you feel,” to someone who is grieving – because I don’t. Grief is that personal and that unique. I think this might be a good reason why we become anxious and tongue tied when it comes to interacting with a grieving teens. What should we do? What should we say?

Ask questions specific to their thoughts:

Often teens do not get to have their say, or if they do have the chance to talk about it, it may stir up strong emotions in a parent or guardian causing that teen to want to hide their thoughts for fear of

bringing on more tears and distress. It is bad enough that this person is no longer here physically, but now they are being scrubbed from conversations too. I have a friend who works with grieving kids. She told me she asks kids all the time to tell her what their loved one might be doing right now or asks them what their loved one’s room might be like in Heaven. She said that often a child will say, “Are you sure that it is okay to talk about this?” When they find out that she really wants to know, and that it is okay to talk about these things, the kids are relieved and excited to share. You might ask about the person who died: “Tell me about [ ]” or “What was [ ] like?” Maybe to get their perspective on the situation you could ask questions like “What happened to you?” Or “How did you find out?”

Use the words dead and death:

My mom facilitates an AfterCare monthly meeting to encourage those who are on a grief journey. It is sponsored by a local funeral home. She tells the story of her interaction with a wife who was grieving the death of her husband. My mom approached her and said, “Sorry to hear that you lost your husband.” This hurting woman snapped back, “I didn’t lose my husband! I didn’t go to Kmart and couldn’t find him — he’s dead!” You both know what happened — just say it plainly.

14 equipmagazine

Tim Wolffis pictured at Camp AnewListen:

Stop talking. You can’t listen if you are talking. Some people talk a lot when they are anxious or uncomfortable in front of someone. Listen to understand, not to reply. Be patient. Allow for plenty of time, don’t interrupt. Grieving teens may enter into a world where time is not as important as it used to be. Somewhere out there, time is moving on and life is being lived, but not for them. They are lost in the hurt and their thoughts; they are scared about the future and wishing for the past. I think of the story of Job’s friends. They knew that he was intensely grieving so they sat

with him for seven days without speaking. In our fast-paced world, seven minutes of silence might seem too long!

You don’t have to fix this — God will:

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” Psalm 147:3. As a volunteer in my youth group, I tend to think that there is nothing I can’t solve. If you tell me what is going on, we can work through this thing right now and make it better. Not so with grief, it has its own schedule. Grief will tend to take over someone’s life and that is okay;

it is natural for a season. But someday, life will be bigger than the grief again.

For me, dealing with grieving kids is one of the great joys of serving God. I don’t always get it right and often, I still have tendencies to want to avoid people who are hurting. Every year before we welcome the teens to Camp Anew, we teach our volunteers how to help kids who are grieving. There are many things we talk about, but I think these four things are the most useful in equipping our staff.


word. What often happens is that we spend so much time in the abstract that we tend to lose all truth.

Fantasy or Fact?

• Wecannotallowteenstoaccepta Christianity that is real for them, but not necessarily so for others. That is a fairytale faith, not a factual one. When we talk about God, we must be sure that we are communicating something that is as much objectively true as subjectively relevant.

Back to Jordan…

After I spent time simply listening to Jordan, there came a point in our conversation where he was ready for me to say something. So what I did say was, “Listen Jordan. I know you are hurting, but there is no better time to find God than when you are in pain. He is actually there and He really cares. If you ever want to walk down that road, I’m here to walk it with you.”

Remember it is “ ... as though God were making his appeal through us ... ” 2 Corinthians 5:20. We are His ambassadors. Our call and responsibility is to share God’s love and truth. However, that message will never be heard in its entirety if it is not spoken out of His love, peace and patience and demonstrated as eternally true. As Mark Dever says, “Lower their defensiveness toward you (but not toward your message).”

In this follow up article, I wanted to continue the conversation of moving

small talk to salvation.

Jordan is a lost and hurting kid who knows nothing of God…

FROM SMALL TALK

TO SALVATION 2HOW TO BRING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE WEATHER TO WHETHER OR NOT JESUS IS the CHRIST

RYANKIMMEL

Jordan’s the kind of kid I wish we had more of in our youth groups. Not that I wish for more lost and hurting students, but that we need more teens like him attending church – because let me tell you, they are out there. When I got the chance to talk with him, his heart had been shattered by a recent breakup. Somehow, “Don’t worry Jordan, even though Jenny doesn’t love you anymore, God still does,” just didn’t seem like the best thing to say. So how do we gracefully point students to God?

Break the Ice:

• Partofitisknowingwhenthegigisup. We are youth leaders and students know that. It is going to be no surprise to them when we talk about God, so sometimes we just need to break the ice. What we are really doing though, is breaking the ice for them. Students will want to talk about God, it may take time, but when they do, they will know we are open to talking about faith and the cool part is they will come to us.

Natural = Not Awkward = Good:

• WhenitcomestotalkingaboutGod, everyone has their own style. I have a more straight-forward and edgy approach. When I try to be soft and sweet it comes across as just weird and awkward for everyone. The most fluid conversations are the more natural ones, which is why we must be able to speak from our own experiences, knowledge and love for God.

Keep'n it Real:

• Don’tgettrappedintothegameof, “it’s real for some, not real for everyone.” The reality of God’s love is objectively real. Christ’s death and resurrection is historical fact; the Bible is literally God’s

"We can not allow teens to accept a Christianity that is real for them, but not necessarily so for others."

To read part one of From Small Talk to Salvation, visit youthunlimited.org/equip

RECOMMENDED READS

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever

Evangelism and the Sover-eignty of God by J.I. Packer

16 equipmagazine

Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “My parents don’t really listen to me,”

from one of your students. Our students are longing to be heard and understood, but often times feel neglected and misunderstood by the adults in their lives. As youth workers, we must expand our emotional vocabulary and learn how to reflectively listen in order to be empathetic listeners to our students. Empathetic listening involves being able to understand our students feelings and circumstances without necessarily taking on their position. We should walk away from one-on-one meetings with students feeling confident that we identified how they were feeling. When done effectively, this practice may also help our students articulate what they previously could not put into words. This is a skill we can also train our students’ parents in, helping their families communicate more effectively.

The first thing we need to realize is that most of us have a very limited emotional vocabulary. Take a few minutes and try the following exercises.

Make a list:

List as many words as you can think of associated with the word feeling.

Fill in the blanks:

I am [ ] that you are feeling better and made it to youth group!

I can not believe my retreat budget got cut. I am so [ ].

It’s hard when someone close to us moves away. I am sure you are very [ ].

I am sure you were [ ] when you couldn’t find the rest of our group at the amusement park!

How many of us could think of at least 20 feeling words?

How many of us used the words glad, mad, sad and scared to fill in the blanks?

Glad, mad, sad and scared are the four main categories of our emotions, but too often we limit ourselves to only those four rather than making use of the enormous spectrum of emotional descriptors available. The first thing we need to do in our journey toward becoming empathetic listeners is to expand our emotional vocabulary. How would you respond when a student tells you, “I failed all of my exams. My parents are so upset that they took away my car. It is never going to get better. My life sucks.” Would you say, “It sounds like you are really

sad?” Does the word sad truly capture the depth and breadth of this student’s feelings? Is this student going to feel as though you truly listened and understood what they just shared with you? What if instead you said, “It sounds like you are feeling a bit depressed and hopeless right now.” Articulating an emotional word that fits this student’s feelings will help this student identify their own feelings as well as feel like they have been sincerely heard.

Expanding our vocabulary takes work and practice. Here is an exercise to help us get started. Begin by listing our four categories of emotional words: glad, mad, sad and scared. Next, under each word, list ten words that mean the same thing in order of intensity. Here is an example for the word sad: glum, unhappy, lonely, down-in-the-dumps, troubled, defeated, rejected, depressed, helpless, hopeless. Complete this exercise for all four words and make an effort to use these more descriptive words in conversation. Continually add to these lists and you are on your way to a more comprehensive emotional vocabulary.

The other aspect of being an empathetic listener is learning how to reflectively listen. Many of us feel as though we are naturally proficient at listening to others, but listening is truly a skill that needs to

A r e Y o u L i s t e n i n g ?

GRETCHEN DRIESENGA


be learned and practiced. Too often while dialoguing with a student, we are indirect and tend to move the conversation forward too quickly rather than reflecting on what they have to say.

Let’s take a look at this example:

Student: “I found out about a party that all of my friends were invited to, but I wasn’t. I can’t believe they would do that to me.”

Leader: “Yeah, that is hard.”

The response from the leader is indirect; it does not help the student articulate their feelings and does not invite the student to share more. A better response starts by reflecting on what the student is saying and then attaching a feeling word to it. Instead, the leader could respond by saying, “It sounds like you are feeling a bit alienated and alone because your friends didn’t invite you along.” If that is indeed how the student is feeling, you will likely get a response of, “Yes, exactly!” When a student feels they have been heard, they will be more open to sharing more on the matter at hand. It invites further discussion. If the student is not feeling alienated and alone, they may respond, “Well, not exactly alienated, just annoyed and a bit angry.” Even if you were wrong in your reflection, it has helped the student focus on how they are actually feeling.

Helpful reflective sentences to use:

I hear you saying you feel [ ].

It sounds like you are feeling [ ].

Maybe you are you feeling [ ] because of [ ]?

If I’m hearing you correctly, you are feeling [ ].

I am under the impression that you are feeling [ ].

Here is an exercise to help us learn how to listen reflectively: (Write out a response to each of the following sentences using the above starter sentences).

Male student in the 10th grade: “I feel like I suck at everything. I always get chosen last for basketball and I even got cut from the baseball team.”

Female student in the 9th grade: “I’ve had it with my parents. They try to control everything about my life: my friends, my clothes, my music … I’m just so sick of it!”

Male student in the 8th grade: “I can’t talk to people when I come to youth group. People look at me weird and I don’t know if anyone likes me or not.”

Female student in the 12th grade: “I don’t know what to do about next year. My parents want me to go to the college they went to, but I want to go farther away. I don’t want them to think it is because I don’t love or respect them, but I want to make my own decision.”

When we combine our newfound emotional vocabulary with our ability to reflectively listen, we are meeting the longing students have to be heard and understood. Be intentional in using these new skills during your next one-on-one meeting with a student, or in conversations with your spouse or friends. These exercises would also be valuable to pass along at your next parent meeting or training. Write your own student sentences for parents to respond to. Have them pair up and practice reflective listening. Make a list of emotional words together as a group. In doing so, you will be passing on the practice of empathetic listening to the families you work with, giving your students even more opportunity to be truly listened to.

I feel confident in your ability to become excellent empathetic listeners!

“When a student feels they have been heard, they will be more open to sharing more on the matter at hand.”

"Too often while dialoguing with a student, we are indirect and tend to move the conversation forward too quickly rather than reflecting on what they have to say."

"Does the word sad truly capture the depth and breadth of this student’s feelings? Is this student going to feel as though you truly listened and understood what they just shared with you?"

18 equipmagazine

No. It is important for us to know that the death of youth programming

over the summer does not mean that ministry to youth must die in July and August. Like most church or para-church ministries, there is also an ebb and flow to youth ministry. Some youth groups have their big events during the summer, such as participating in a Youth Unlimited SERVE project or other various mission opportunities. Other youth groups shut down for the months of July and August to re-energize and plan for the new ministry year. There are benefits to both if there is intentionality driving the vision for summer youth ministry. There is another, and yet not often talked about, opportunity that exists in paring down youth programming in the summer.

At my church, we intentionally program very little for our youth in July and August. I have certainly had my share of criticism for this. The two common types of criticisms are a variation of these:

1. “Just because school is done doesn’t mean we need a break from our walk with Jesus.”

2. “What am I going to do with my kids this summer if there is no youth programming?”

Our lack of youth programming in the summer targets this type of criticism.

First, the critiques reveal there is a heavy (too heavy) reliance on programming to carry the faith of our teens. Second, the critiques reveal that our ministry vision was not being cast wide enough. If parents thought our primary purpose was to provide Christ-centered activities for their teens for the summer, we were failing at casting the vision of youth ministry in general, and particularly in summer ministry. After hearing these critiques for a number of summers, we recognized they needed to be addressed.

Let me try and make our vision for summer youth ministry more clear by examining this paradigm.

Our Guiding Youth Ministry Paradigm:

Faith nurture happens best in intergenera-tional communities of faith as opposed to solely peer-based, segregated ministry.

Summer Contextual Realities:

Summer is a natural season where families spend time together: vacationing, camping, home renovations and occasional day trips are common for families in West Coast British Columbia.

Our Summer Goal:

Our desire is to help families harness faith growth opportunities that come with these family summer adventures.

Ministry Goals:

As youth ministry leaders, we come alongside families and provide encouragement and vision for how to enable their family’s faith to grow over the months of July and August.

JULY & AUGUSTTHE DEATH OF YOUTH MINISTRY?

KOEN BEUGELINK


Vision In Action:

• InBritishColumbia,weareblessedto have Creation Fest (a three-day, summer, Christian Music Festival) close by. This event is a huge hit with many youth in our church, but this is not an event that we take part in as a youth ministry. Here is why we don’t and why we probably never will. There are about six families that go to this event every year. Families. Mom and Dad (primary influencers of their faith) sitting in loud concerts with their teens listening to their music. Mom, Dad, siblings and friends taking four days out of their year to camp together and grow together. If we were to make this event a youth event, those families would send their kids with us instead. The loss of the intentional investment these families are making into their teens lives is not worth trading for the “summer high” an additional 15 youth would get if we made it a youth event. Instead, we encourage families to keep going and to take their teen’s friends along and act as surrogate faith nurtures.

• Afewyearsago,mywifeandIwere drawn to some of the Old Testament feasts that God had prescribed for the Israelites to celebrate as a lasting ordinance for generations to come. With a desire to offer our children an opportunity to celebrate God’s provision and His goodness in the

Celebrating God’s faithfulness in the family setting, away from programmed ministry was powerful for those involved. It is our desire to spur our community on to harnessing those God moments within the natural ebb and flow of our seasons.

These vision-in-action samples are not about Creation Fest or our congregation’s fixation with summer camping in the interior. These are simply examples of looking into the organic faith-nurturing opportunities our congregations already take part in. The next step is encouraging those initiatives through intentional leadership and vision.

Intentionality is the key.

Have a great summer!

summer months, we incorporated a contemporary celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles into our summer. Here is how we connected our current context to the intent of this ancient feast. Around mid-summer that year, it struck me that West Coast British Columbians behave a lot like the nomadic Israelites in the summer months. We load up our tent trailers, campers and motor homes (tabernacles) and head out toward the British Columbia interior (desert) to camp. So last year, my wife and I asked the families who we camp with for a week every summer if they would be open to the idea of celebrating a contemporary version of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). They responded with agreement. Here is what we did: We asked them to set one day during the week of camping aside to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

Here is what it looked like:

Morning:

Breakfast together as a family.

Family devotions reading an Exodus or a desert-wandering story from the Bible.

Afternoon:

Lunch together as a family.

Group hike to a waterfall, swim under it followed by a re-telling of the story of God commanding water to come out of a rock found in Exodus 17. The point of this is God offers refreshing.

Each family makes a banner reminiscent of the division of the 12 tribes of Israel found in Numbers.

Evening:

Dinner together as a community (potluck).

Singing camp fire songs and songs of our faith together.

Present your family banners: How has God set your family apart? Discuss passions, skills and calling.

Read Exodus 20 or parts of Nehemiah 8 and reflect on God’s provision and blessings.

Visit Booths: During this time, individuals visiteachfamily(booth/trailer)andreceivegifts and goodies (think Halloween).

Group Game Night

"As youth ministry leaders, we come alongside families and provide encouragement and vision for how to enable their family’s faith to grow over the months of July and August."

Learn More about the Feast of Tabernacles.

Sukkōt (Feast of Tabernacles) is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September to late October). It is one of the three Biblically mandated Shalosh regalim on which Jews and Believers make pilgrimages to pre-determined sites to worship and make fellowship in the Temple in Jerusalem.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot

20 equipmagazine

As I look outside my office window in Hamilton, Ontario, I see white. It is February 1 and we are bracing ourselves for one of the biggest snowstorms in years. They are calling it the Groundhog Day Storm, and it is coming tonight! The name is kind of ironic, because no

matter whether Wiarton Willy (our infamous groundhog) sees his shadow or not, we will be in snow for a while. Still, this article is for the spring issue of Equip and so, in the spirit of Groundhog Day, I write looking far into the distance. I look even past spring. This article is for the youth volunteer looking forward to summer!

Summer can be a strange time in terms of regular programming for youth volunteers. In most cases, but certainly not all, youth group takes a break. Some teens are getting psyched to enter high school, while older teens are getting prepared to leave for college. Teens you were in regular contact with throughout the year are now out and about, enjoying summer. Indeed, programming may slow down, and regular contact with teens may not happen as much, but summer can be just the gift you need in order to maintain a long-term approach to your calling as a youth leader.

Summer is a gift because it allows you the space to grow in your own spiritual journey. People often remark how fast summer flies by. It can come and go without any change in your growth as a disciple. But for your sake, and for the sake of the youth in your program, it is crucial to take some time out. What that looks like is different for each individual person, so discovering how to gain Spirit-strength within this Summer Sabbath is the place to begin.

Here’s a place to begin: Take a bath! Theologian John Stott talks about how pastors should bathe in a text before they preach on that particular text. What better image of resting and rejuvenating from the stressors of life then taking a nice, hot bath? When the analogy of bathing is applied to being inside Scripture, what would that look like? What does sitting, getting washed and feeling refreshed within God’s story look like for you? Perhaps it is sitting around a campfire sometime this summer by yourself reading the Bible like a good novel. Perhaps it is sitting on the beach with one of Jesus’ parables and reflecting how that parable challenges the way you live. Perhaps it is memorizing a Psalm as you drive for hours with your family. Resting from youth group doesn’t translate into resting from being a disciple.

A good Scripture bath is an excellent way to start a Summer Sabbath, but God has given us many tools to build us up during times of rest.

FROM A WINTER STORM TO A SUMMER SABBATH“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.” Hebrews 4:9-10

MARK KNETSCH


Here are a few other ways in which you could rest in new and unique ways:

• Startthedisciplineofkneelingwhileyoupraybeforeyougotosleep.

• Ifyouaredrivingsomewhereforvacation,listentotheBibleonCDortaketimereflectingasafamilythetoptwothingsyouarethankfulfor.

• Takeathree-hourhikeforthepurposeofadmiringGod’screation.

• Daretobetheonetoleadanopenprayeraspeoplestareintothecampfire.Thisexperiencewithfriendsandfamilycanbeverymeaningful.

• ReadProdigal God by Tim Keller and be challenged in your walk with God.

• ReadWhat’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey and rediscover the wonderment and power of God’s grace.

• Hereisafunone!Buysomegood Christian music that you'll love and dance the way King David danced in praise to God.

• Prayforeachteenyouknowwhochoosesnottogotoyouthgroup.Makeapointoftakingacoupleofthemoutforlunchorsomething. Remember, rest from programming does not mean rest from being a disciple or making disciples.

Your youth group needs you to be ready and raring to go when programming starts back up again. Coming back burnt out in September will certainly challenge your ability to be an effective leader. Don’t make your summer like the Groundhog Day Storm. Take a Summer Sabbath and rest in Him. Get close to your Lord. Take time for yourself to spend with God in creative ways. Surprise yourself with the amount of time you prioritize with your Heavenly Father. Are you listening to His call to draw near to Him this summer? Are you listening to His call to begin this process of resting in Him right now?

"Summer is a gift because it allows you the space to grow in your own spiritual journey. People often remark how fast summer flies by. It can come and go without any change in your growth as a disciple. But for your sake, and for the sake of the youth in your program, it is crucial to take some time out. "

New LookNew FocusFree To AllFor back issues & to subscribe, Visit youthunlimited.org/equip.

COMING SOON:West Coast USAOctober 21-23, 2011Dana Point Marina, Dana Point, CAEarly Bird Registration: $180 per person/double occupancy

SAVE THE DATES:Great Lakes USAJanuary 16-18, 2012 Miracle Camp, Lawton, MI

Central CanadaFebruary 10-12, 2012Fair Haven Conference Center, Beaverton, ON

KEEP WATCHING:2012 dates for the following locations are coming soon:

West Coast Canada

Canadian Prairies

Mid West USA

East Coast USA

To learn more and to register, visit youthunlimited.org/retreats

22 equipmagazine

It is spring and another church youth ministry year is almost complete.

Between September and May, I spend countless hours listening, planning, traveling, creating budgets, marketing and more. By spring, I usually find myself reflecting back over the last nine to ten hectic months of ministry with a bit of satisfaction in my efforts and feeling like I deserve a break. After all, I should be able to feel this way, right? In 2011 alone, the small staff of seven at Youth Unlimited will assist churches through kicking off Live It! (our large event being offered to all high school youth), mobilizing over 30 SERVE sites (week-long

The Good

Fight!

youth mission experiences all over North America), holding Where U At? (a weekend retreat for urban youth), publishing Equip Magazine (a free quarterly youth ministry magazine), Leading Israel 2011 (a leadership development trip to the Holy Land) and hosting six Soul Care Retreats (regional youth worker retreats across North America).

My church just finished up a special, month-long series called Outrageous Obsession; Abandoning A Lukewarm Life. In his message, my pastor referenced 2 Corinthians and it made me stop to think. In these verses, Paul makes a list of the

various trials he had to endure while following God’s call. With a feeling lately as though I have been living a dedicated and committed life for God, these verses immediately brought me back to reality and caused me to question if I was giving my all.

23-27 "I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather."

28-29 "And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches. When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut."

— 2 Corinthians 11:23–29 The Message

So how about you? With another youth ministry year just about behind you, are there thoughts of throwing in the towel or coasting through the summer because of all you gave over the past year? Do not let the words of Paul cause guilt, but instead inspire, push and challenge you to keep on ministering to youth with the passion and energy that only comes from the overflow of what Christ gives you.

Take a break: Yes, it’s good to take a break and refresh; even Paul needed times to refresh and recommit to the calling God had on his life. Make the time and create the space to be refueled. This is not so you can get away from the students, parents or church parishioners, but so you can give your best to God and the youth ministry at your church.

So while I felt as though I may have sacrificed a lot of myself this year for God and this ministry, I was then reminded I have yet to break down in a rental car, walk away from a fiery plane crash, been unable to find a place to sleep, been robbed at gun point, gone hungry or been beaten or stoned by the YU staff (the last might still be a possibility). There is my reality check … keep up the good fight!

JEFF KRUITHOF


"For in Him we live and move and have our being."

— Acts 17:28JULY 20 –24, 2011

R EGISTERNOWyo u t h u nlimited . o r g /liveit

In dia n a Wesleya n U nive r sit y | Ma rio n , In dia n a

CREATE IT • DO IT • GROW IT • LEAD IT • PLAY IT • SUPPORT IT

MARK OESTREICHER

JONAH’S WALE

JARED HALL

TOM TUFTS

At Live It!, young people will participate in unique experiences in their chosen track, make personal discoveries, explore and build upon their unique gifts, interests and talents. Pull It Together worship will be a spiritual catalyst which will challenge and empower participants to live for Christ when they return to their home church and communities.

Become part of a community, discover your gifts and learn how to make a difference in this world. Whether it's through learning, arts, sports, service or supporting others, everyone will discover how to live for Christ!

24 equipmagazine

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER BREAK | CELEBRATING YOUR LEADERS | GROWING IN THE WORD

E Q U I P P I N G TO D AY S V O L U N T E E R YO U T H W O R K E R

Dynamic Youth MinistriesPO Box 7259Grand Rapids, MI49510 USA

Nonprofit OrgUS Postage

PAIDGrand Rapids, MIPermit No. 931

SPRING 2011|VOLUME 8|ISSUE 3

LISA DYKSTRA Seven Years of Serving Teens

ARE YOU LISTENING Expanding Your Emotional Vocabulary

FROM SMALL TALK TO SALVATION PART 2


GETTING DIRTY BEFORE YOU GO Mission Trip Preparation

POTHOLE PERSEVERANCE

CREATING SPACE Utilizing Prayer Stations in Your Ministry

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF

Documents

Equip Magazine | Spring 2011