When students see forgiveness, love, and grace modeled by people, who they can see… it helps them better understand the forgiveness, love, and grace of a God who they can’t see.
What’s Going On In My Teen …. Science Explains It All
Ever wonder what is going on in your teen’s brain? This video is incredible and full of great information. A great resource for all youth workers.
Ad of the Day: Gatorade’s Epic Farewell to Derek Jeter Will Be Tough to Beat | Adweek
“From my first at bat until my final out, you helped make me who I am,” JETER
There will never be a player that earns as much #RE2PECT as Jeter. This is a sad week for any baseball fan as we gear up for his last game.
You may hate the Yankees, but I truly will never understand a baseball fan who says they did not like him. You may hate the plays that he pulled off in the field against your favorite team, or hated that clutch November home run, but Jeter made baseball better.
These ads explain it all.
via Ad of the Day: Gatorade’s Epic Farewell to Derek Jeter Will Be Tough to Beat | Adweek.
When Parents Are The Ones Too Distracted By Devices : All Tech Considered : NPR
This is a great article. I have been wrestling through this issue with a few ministry friends lately.
How are you as a parent balancing your screen time with real time?
“One of the many things that absolutely knocked my socks off,” she says, “was the consistency with which children — whether they were 4 or 8 or 18 or 24 — talked about feeling exhausted and frustrated and sad or mad trying to get their parents’ attention, competing with computer screens or iPhone screens or any kind of technology, much like in therapy you hear kids talk about sibling rivalry.”
via When Parents Are The Ones Too Distracted By Devices : All Tech Considered : NPR.
Low-tech parents: Why Steve Jobs wouldn’t let his children touch an iPad and other digital gadgets | Financial Post
Even parents who work for tech companies are asking the question: How much is too much time in front of a screen?
Chris Anderson, the former editor of Wired and now chief executive of 3D Robotics, a drone-maker, has instituted time limits and parental controls on every device in his home.
“My kids accuse me and my wife of being fascists and overly concerned about tech, and they say that none of their friends have the same rules,” he said of his five children, 6-17. “That’s because we have seen the dangers of technology firsthand. I’ve seen it in myself, I don’t want to see that happen to my kids.”
The dangers he is referring to include exposure to harmful content like pornography, bullying from other kids, and perhaps worse of all, becoming addicted to their devices, just like their parents.
Some of the questions that I had after reading this.
What limits do you set for your kids in the home?
Do you have limits that you place on yourself?
Risky play and skinned knees are key to healthy child development | Toronto Star
By exhilarating kids, it gradually exposes them to things they fear, so they can learn to cope and master new skills. Fear protects them from situations they aren’t ready to handle.
Taking risks is important towards understanding who you are. How do you as parents and leaders encourage smart risks?
Or, why do you feel kids should not take risks?
Share your thoughts below!
via Risky play and skinned knees are key to healthy child development | Toronto Star.
The Orange Conference 2014: Highlights on Vimeo
I finally came across the highlight video from the Orange Conference I attended in the spring time. Have a look at the video below for only a small sampling of why this might have been the best conference I have attended in years.
Launching a New Ministry Year : Notes and Highlights
This past Sunday marked the first week that our elementary students used the 252 Basics curriculum from Orange and from the leadership side of things we could not have been happier with the outcome. Here are a couple of my highlights from our launch weekend.
1) Our set for this month. We were given some used doors to use from a family on our staff to use as well as all the hinges and screws to piece them together to make dividers. We used these to bring the theme from “Opportunity Knocks,” (the title of this months series) to life on stage. The idea from Orange was very Monsters Inc. and our tech. team went with that and used lighting to make them all blue and green.
Another great thing that came from this set happened by sheer coincidence. The theme for our church’s Global Missions Conference that runs from September 7-21, 2014 has a very similar look to it. We found this out after we planned the doors for our stage in a meeting with our worship arts department.
2) We taught the students a new song this weekend from the CD “Movin’ Me” from Amber Sky Records. This CD is a must own for any #kidmin programs. It is upbeat, catchy and full of great songs for students and parents to learn. My wife and I play this CD at least once on every road trip since I picked it up in May. We taught the students one of my personal favourites from the album “Let It Be Known.”
3) We made some changes to the sign-in and sign-out policies for our children’s ministry that were greatly received from our parents and congregation. We had ushers and greeters to help us with these transitions so it was a smooth transition.
4) We have implemented a props cupboard for our storytellers and hosts. This was very handy for the first lesson that included safari hats, sunglasses, a shovel and a stuffed carrot to name a few. this should help us stay organized and to help us gather props for upcoming weeks.
Our children’s ministry department loved the flow of our large group with the bottom line, memory verse and lesson. It flowed well and kept us on schedule for the whole morning.
A great first week.
Thoughts Heading Into A New #Kidmin Year
As we get ready to launch our children’s ministry for a new ministry year this week I am taken back to these words found in Playing For Keeps by Reggie Joiner & Kristen Ivy.
We don’t experience worth because we are loved once,
but because we are loved by someone over time.
We are not motivated to action by one phrase,
but by words that move us over time.
We don’t understand the word through a single event,
but through a collection of stories over time.
We don’t know we belong because of an invitation to something,
but because we have been welcomed in a tribe over time.
We don’t discover how to live in a moment,
but we live when we experience the joys of life over time.
I find these words to be a challenge and a focal point for the upcoming year. As students enter into their place of worship this year are they experiencing love, hearing words of encouragement, listening to stories that will change their lives and welcomed into a life group?
All of that so they can see and understand the joys that come from living a life that mirrors Christ and shares the gospel with their friends and family.
I am pumped for this year and I truly hope that none of our kids miss out on the fact that they are loved by God and their life group leaders care enough about them to share a large story with them all year so that their life will change forever.
Books on my shelf
The books that I have recently finished, or I am currently reading. Also on this list would be “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek which I blogged about here.
What books are you reading right now?
Everyone wins when a leader gets better. – Bill Hybels
The Emerging Network 