Not My Ipod

I think I have excellent taste in music. For someone born many years ago (don’t ask) I can appreciate and even like some music that the kids listen to today. Beyonce is cool right? Jet? Coldplay?

Ok I cheated a bit just then and looked at my daughter’s playlists. But I’m not silly. I know that for young people music is very important. They all have iPods or something similar, and it is not unknown to have earphones as part of your everyday attire, hanging out your collar. I know its cool to post song lyrics on your facebook status, and make jokes from current song titles.

Numbers

Be careful what you pray for! Last Friday night at our regular youth meeting we reached in numbers an all time high. We had 74 in attendance. I know to some of the larger churches 74 isnt a huge number, but lets look at this in perspective.

Last February 2010 I had 35 kids and was praying for 40. At the beginning of this year, 50 was a good night, but we had an aim to reach over 70 by December. It’s June.

Around The World Theme

Tonight is our youth night and the theme is around the world. Kids are encouraged to dress in international costume (if they feel so inspired) and some connect groups are munching down on international snacks. I’m not sure how international mini pizzas and baklava is but hey, close enough.

Some of the games we have found to play are interesting

What is a Vision?

I may be a complete twit, but I had no idea what on earth people were talking about when they said you needed a vision for your youth group. I’m a Mum with 6 kids so my vision is to get through the day alive.

But my massive learning curve has taught me a vision is the direction in which you want your youth group to go… and grow.

Top 10 Things a Youth Pastor Should Never Do.

1.       Get mad with the microphone in your hand – Yes seems obvious. But when Someone comes to tell you they didn’t prepare the games they were rostered on for seconds before you lead into it your head gets all hot, and you somehow lose awareness of the black technical implement you are holding used to project your voice.  And then EVERYONE hears you loose your cool. Just for a moment anyhow.

2.       Forget to get a receipt – if you have a super efficient church accountant like mine, it doesn’t matter how much you spent on that amazing “Bad T shirt night” theme, if you don’t have the itty bitty bits of paper with numbers on it to prove it, you aint getting a cent.

A Youth Ministry Gem

Another gem I gathered from this year’s Youth Pastor Retreat is the art of regular reporting to the Church Senior Pastor. A guy who had been a youth pastor for many years said he wrote a weekly overview of what had gone on in their ministry for the last week, describing it in detail, pros, cons, people, ideas, growth, mistakes and all reflections possible. I write my reports to PastorG every Tuesday, (well… most Tuesdays) the same day each week, and sent it via email, as well as keeping a copy for myself.

Responding to Criticism

Im getting better at dealing with criticism. There was a time in my life when a constructive word, however gently put, would depress me significantly. As I press closer to God he reveals to me that only HIS opinion is important, then the words of others affect my heart alot less. As it should be.

There is still a momentary desire to act impulsively and make it go away in whatever means possible. I'm a fixer, and a talker. I like to talk things through. But when criticism is offered, passed on, or delivered in whatever manner is chosen (polite or not!) i prefer now to wait until my flesh has gotten over the initial pain, then wait for God's voice.

Take for example last week.

Can I have a lift?

I'm pretty excited. One of my youth kids sent me a text asking for a lift to church tonight. Its his first time at church as far as I know. Let's call him Lex. Lex lives out of town, so its a bit of a drive out of my way but I'm not concerned in the least. He is coming to church.
In March, the man and I attended Youth Pastors retreat

Murder Mystery Night

Last night was our youth night, which is officially titled Youth@theShed. Remind me to explain that one day.
We had a special theme night last night, "Murder Mystery night". The idea was borrowed from a fellow youth pastor (thanks Phil!) and was kind of a mass Cluedo game. Leaders of each of the connect groups were suspects, random items from the church building

Post School Exo Day Reflections

Last Wednesday week I overcame my inhibitions and we threw a local school exo day. When I first became a youth pastor and someone said school exo day I truthfully thought that was way to hard and to much trouble and simply just couldn't be pulled together in such a small country town from a similarly small church.
To be honest i wasn't even sure what it was, or what it was for. But yet.... we did it! And it rocked!! How I hear you ask?
I had so many questions, so here are a few that were running around my head,

It's Raining Bibles

It's not literally raining Bibles here in Blayney, but i wish it would! I was trying to think of a catchy title to match my blog post and I heard the song "it's raining men" at the cafe I had lunch at today and the two just kind of meshed together... so um...sorry.
Yes today I had a cafe lunch. Pasta with pesto if you're interested. I was having lunch with a Mum of one of the kids from youth

First one

Ive been a youth pastor for just over 2 years now, serving in a tiny country town in NSW Australia called Blayney, with a population of about 3000. We have 50-60 kids each week at this stage, and I'm praying for 100. I know numbers don't mean much to God but for me its a sign of growth which is a sign of health. But my main aim as a youth pastor is to have an effective pastorship, not just a growing one.

I keep wanting someone to talk about ideas, to see if my version of youth pastoring is a normal one (normal... I know) or some days just to celebrate the good moments and have someone mourn with me over the bad moments.