Diocese of Gary YM Forum - Recently Updated Pages

St. T's

CYX2008 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:55:03 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Carole's Page

CYX2008 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:49:28 CDT

Carole is the queen of CYX. And yes she knows it!

St. James the Less (Life Ministry)

jkern313 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:26:51 CDT

CYX Cross

Prayer Service
We will be receiving the CYX Cross this Friday, June 13th and we plan to have a prayer service at the new Centennial Park in Munster. The service begins at 7pm, so please plan to meet us there. Centennial Park is located at 9701 Calumet Ave, Munster, IN. Deacon Mile will be leading us in the service. Bring your camera to take plenty of pictures of this "Historic" event.
Where & When
9701 Calumet Ave
Munster, IN
June 13, 2008 - 7:00PM

CYX Cross

Pilgrimage Through Highland
We will be leading a Pilgrimage with the CYX Cross through the town of Highland on Saturday, June 14th at 1pm. We ask that each attendee bring a case or pack of bottled water. We are going to be handing out water to those in the town of Highland as a service project at this time as well. We will meet at Main Sqaure in Highland and take the Cross around town. Please bring friends, water and camera's. Pictures of this event will be posted on the CYX Website. For more information on the CYX Cross, click here

Where & When
Main Square Park
Highland, Indiana 46322
June 14, 2008
1:00PM

Youth Leaders Only

jkern313 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:23:17 CDT

Resource: Article - Fix My Kid
We talk a lot about Youth Leaders Only (and yes, it's the best way to get music/media for your ministry). But each YLO book has youth ministry-focused articles around a theme. The Summer box focuses on Parents & Family. Go here and check out the article called "Fix My Kid" (I think we've all been there). And if you're missing out by not being a YLO member, go here and join.

Links to YM Resourses

jkern313 — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:58:01 CDT

Feel free to add links to this page of youth ministry resources that you have found.

MTV 2008 Movie Awards

jkern313 — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:43:23 CDT

Youth Culture Window: No Limits: A Glimpse of Pop Culture through the Lens of the MTV Movie Awards

by Jonathan McKee

I love movies... and I love good TV. But the MTV Movie Awards always leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

First, understand how powerful an influence MTV has on our kids. It's amazing if you think about it. MTV pre-dates cell phones, iPods, Xbox and the internet. MTV filled homes across the world while MySpace creator Tom was still in diapers. Jordon Sparks and Chris Brown had yet to sing together... actually, they weren't even born when MTV already "owned" a young generation. That generation has already grown up and is raising kids of their own. These kids now watch the same channel their parents watched, just with less videos, more reality shows, and much more sexual references per hour.

As we rolled into the new millennium, when everyone had an email address, a cell phone number and a Starbucks addiction, MTV was still named the top choice for advertisers who wanted to reach teenagers.

Now, in 2008, MTV still "owns," although now they probably share the crown with Nick, American Idol, Facebook and iTunes. But on this past Sunday night, all eyes were on MTV for their annual MTV Movie Awards hosted by Michael Myers and featuring every celeb imaginable, from Will Smith to Juno's Ellen Page.

I've gotta be honest with you. I'm biased. I don't like MTV. As a parent, I struggle with a channel that gladly peddles smut to our kids to make a buck. Think about it for a second. If a man walked up to our kids in a grocery store and starting talking about the content that MTV doesn't hesitate sharing every day... most parents would be either calling security or smacking the individual. But what do we do? We reward this individual and give him free reign over our children. It's mind blowing.

So last night I sat down to try to stomach another year of what MTV had to offer. As a movie fan I normally would enjoy Michael Myers, Will Smith and Jack Black...but not this night. Not on this channel.

After the "gold carpet" pre-show with "role models" like Diddy, Paris Hilton, and the Pussy Cat Dolls, the show started with a creative introduction from Michael Myers that had a few chuckling moments.

The show went downhill from there. I'll highlight the good and bad for you quickly, share some of the trends I noticed this year, and finally make two suggestions of how we can respond as parents and youth workers.

The Good Part of the Show:

I always enjoy seeing Chris Brown dance-a very talented young man.
It was fun to hear Coldplay's new song performed live.
And I was truly excited this year when all the nominees for their annual "Best Kiss" award were actually a kiss between a guy and a girl!

Well, that wraps up the good. Here's the bad.

The Bad Part of the Show:

Every year the show seems to award a bunch of movies that parents wouldn't really want their kids watching. Considering that MTV is the " top-rated network in the 12-24 demographic," it's discouraging that racy R-rated movies like Knocked Up, Superbad and Sex in the City were in the lineup.
The show featured a moment that is probably the most blatant televised promotion for smoking weed that I've ever seen. Seth Rogan and James Franco lit up a big fatty joint and smoked it live right in front of thousands of cheering fans.
This show is a gateway drug to other MTV shows. They consistently plugged other trashy MTV shows like The Real World and Tila Tequila where the commercial featured a lengthy shot of two girls passionately kissing. They also plugged new shows like House Bunny, where a playboy bunny moves into a sorority... oh... why even bother explaining. Sigh.
Almost every commercial break cut to a piece of Usher's "Let's Make Love in This Club" video.
Michael Myers, as funny as he is, never ceased to cross the line. Somehow, he seemed to twist every little introduction into something sexual. "Our next presenters did a movie together called The Foot Fist Way and surprisingly, it's not a celebrity sex tape." Other times he played creatively quirky characters including his sketch as an ex-porn star who now caters for movies. She (Myers) told us to be careful what we "put in our mouths."
At first I was excited because they brought Dana Carvey in as a guest to do a live "Wayne's World" sketch with Mike Myers. I was amazed with what they got away with on TV, joking about "pubes," porn film titles, and a whole little bit about proclaimed bi-sexual Tila Tequila reaching down the front of people's pants and being satisfied with whatever she finds down there (complete with hand gestures). It was embarrassingly graphic.
As a whole, the show was a giant infomercial. At times, it was hard to decipher between the show and advertisements. I wasn't alone in this observation.
MTV's commercials always bother me, but at the same time, I think MTV tips their hand with their advertisements. It's very clear what kind of audience they expect with their advertisements for new "unrated" movies and racy reality shows.

This Year's Trends
Every year I notice certain trends in pop culture programming. The 2008 MTV Movie Awards revealed plenty. But three trends seemed to float to the top...

CLICK HERE FOR THE THREE POP CULTURE TRENDS JONATHAN OBSERVED AND THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE

Or click below for Jonathan's Two Cents on last year's...
MTV 2007 Video Music Awards
MTV 2007 Movie Awards

Diocese of Gary YM Forum

jkern313 — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:41:37 CDT

Welcome to the Diocese of Gary Youth Ministry Forum!

New Links Page added. Click here to access and your your links!

This forum is a networking tool that is designed to share events, resources, comments or feedback with all of the Youth Ministers in the Diocese of Gary.

You can:

Monitor topics and get e-mail updates
Add pages and topics to the Navigation
View Diocesan Events and Comment on them
Share some of your resources by adding to the Youth Ministry Resources Page
Post an event you are having
Share feedback, ideas and more....

How to Edit Pages
You can edit the content of pages by clicking the EasyEdit button at the top of the page. You can format the content, add images, movies and more.

How to Add Pages
Pages can be added by clicking on the category to the left, and then clicking Add Page.

If you need help on please feel free to e-mail the admin by clicking here

TOP 10 THINGS ADULTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUTH

jkern313 — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:38:21 CDT

From:
RETHINKING YOUTH MINISTRY

1) Teens are people, too. Resist calling them "kids" (unless you mean it as a term of endearment) or speaking about them as if they aren't in the room.
2) Teens need time. Particularly during discussions, teens need a little time to think about what they want to say. Resist the temptation to jump in with "the right answer" and don't feel you have to fill in every moment of silence with talking.
3) Teens like adults. Despite what you may remember from your younger days, teens do enjoy the companionship of adults. They just aren't always sure that we like them so the can seem stand-offish at times. In fact, many are at a point in their lives when they are trying to put a little independent distance between themselves and their parents, so they are seeking other caring adults to serve as mentors and role models.
4) Teens have a lot to teach us. In many ways, "The Breakfast Club" got it right. Young people are unique individuals with unique talents, gifts, attitudes, and perspectives. It would be a mistake to lump them all together as one homogenous group.
5) Teens' body clocks are different from ours. Most teens need 8-10 hours of sleep a night and get much less. Additionally, most teens are not at their peak until late morning and many are "night owls."
6)Teens are passionate. The first part of the teenage brain to fully develop is the emotions center. This means that teens can have high-highs and low-lows all in one day, they really connect with the hurt of others, and can be very passionate about the things they believe in.
7) Teens want to "own" their experiences. We have a temptation as adults, when teens talk about their struggles, to say things like "Oh, I went through the same thing at your age," or "I had the same problems and I survived it," or "Here's how I handled that problem." In many ways, the experiences of teens today are quite different from when we were young. Their struggles are real and they want them taken seriously, not dismissed with "I survived that and you will, too." The best approach often with young people isn't to offer advice, but just to listen. 8) Teens are fun to be around. You might think hanging with adolescents would make you feel old, but it's just the opposite. They often offer a perspective on life and the world that is refreshingly honest, hopeful, and new. And that sense of hope and possibility can be contagious.
9) Teens can be a great source of frustration. Ok, Ok. Teens are great, but let's be realistic about this, too. They can be incredibly frustrating to work with. . .unless you are willing to be flexible, can take a little good natured ribbing and criticism (Have I mentioned the girl at church who always tells me when my tie doesn't match my suit?), and remember that they still have a lot of growing up to do. Which leads to the final item on this list...
10) Teen are not adults. No matter how much they might look or act like adults, teens are still children, in the best sense of the word. For every moment of maturity, they have other moments where they grumble about taking out the trash, neglect their responsibilities, fight with their best friends and then make up an hour later, and choose goofing off over doing their work. Don't expect them to act like adults. Expect them to act that young people who are still growing, adjusting, stumbling, and trying to figure it all out.

Christian Leadership: Through the Lens of "Hoosiers"

yyakev — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:25:09 CDT

Youth Ministry Leaders, Mark Your Calendars!
Christian Leadership: Through the Lens of “Hoosiers”
Bus departs NWI: 6pm, Fri. Oct. 3
Seminar: Sat., Oct. 4
Return to NWI: appr. 8pm, Sat. Oct. 4

A seminar on Christian Leadership, as viewed through the lens of what ESPN called the greatest sports movie of all time, Hoosiers! The movie was shot entirely on location in Indiana, is chock full of powerful lessons in Christian Leadership that parallel the teachings of Christ, and we’re going to the famous Hoosiers Gym in Knightstown, just 30 miles east of Indianapolis to learn more about how to become a more effective Christian leader!

Package price TBA will include R/T Bus Transportation to and from Knightstown, Saturday meals, and seminar and facility fees. Participants will make room arrangements on their own at a reduced rate block at a nearby hotel.

∙ Seminar takes place in the actual gym used in the movie ∙ Mark Erdosy, Marian College, serves as co-facilitator ∙ Open to any adults working alongside youth: youth ministry leaders, catechists, teachers, parents, etc. ∙ Bring your gym shoes: we’ll pray, play, and learn in the name of Jesus Christ!

A presentation of the Diocese of Gary OYYA!

Safe Sex

jkern313 — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:46:04 CDT

Great message to send to your High School Youth!

TOPIC: Setting proper sexual boundaries

MAIN SCRIPTURE: "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." (Song of Solomon 8:4)

OTHER SCRIPTURES: Psalm 119:9; John 10:10; 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; Ephesians 5:1-20; Hebrews 13:4

WHAT JESUS MIGHT SAY TO YOU:

I see the sexual messages society repeatedly tries to pound into your head. Society wants you to think that sex is simply a physical act, that there's nothing wrong with premarital sex. Don't believe it.

I'll get straight to the point: Premarital sex is sin. I'm not trying to make life miserable for you, but your heart isn't ready to handle the intimacy of a sexual relationship. Awakening your heart before the time is right will have devastating effects--including in your life with the person you eventually marry. Trust me.

So let's construct some boundaries together before you pass the point of no return:

Invite me into your relationships. I didn't come so you would have an unsatisfying life; I came so you might have an abundant life. And besides, I'm present in all your relationships--don't you think it's about time you acknowledge me in them? Make me an active part in your conversation, and you'll discover a spiritual dimension of your relationship that few couples enjoy.
Don't ask how far you can go. When you do that, you're looking for ways to get around me. Instead stay far enough from the boundary that you won't have to ask that question. (Of course, asking me for a little insight doesn't hurt.)
Take time to get to know the other person. Usually when a premarital relationship becomes sexual, the two people stop exploring each other's hearts.
Do things in groups. This will go a long way toward preventing you from placing yourself in compromising positions.
Ask your friends to help you stay pure. They're an important line of defense.

You have a lifetime of enjoyable sex ahead of you. Don't put it in jeopardy by prematurely exploring it. And remember: If you've already explored, I love you just the same as I always have--just ask for my forgiveness and start your life and relationships anew.

Love, Jesus

SUMMARY CHALLENGE: Jesus wants you to enjoy a lifetime of sex--but he doesn't want you to lessen the joy by having sex before you're married.

Taken from "Conversations with Jesus" copyright 2006, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
https://shop.youthspecialties.com/store/product.php?productid=319

Source & Summit 2008

panderson — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:15:16 CDT

Source & Summit 2008
April 25-27, 2008 at Andrean High School

Source & Summit 2008 is a great way to jumpstart the fire in your heart with love for Our Lord! We are all searching for "something" in our lives. Pope John Paul II said, a. “It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness. He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you...it is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives.”
The Source & Summit Retreat is filled with rockin' praise music, energetic speakers, and the big guy Himself, Jesus Christ present with us in the Blessed Sacrament! He is watching over the whole weekend. The key is to open your hearts to let Him in and grow in a relationship with Him. Give it a shot! Source & Summit will not disappoint!

Now, for the nitty-gritty details...Source & Summit is a dynamic weekend that teaches young people grades 7 through college age to follow Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, by placing Him at the center of their lives. Through a Eucharistic-centered retreat, the focus of the weekend will be entering into a deeper personal relationship with God as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and with Mary, the Mother of God. During the retreat young people will spend time in prayer, adoration, singing, listening to lively talks and sharing with other youth in small groups.

For more information, contact PJ Anderson at (219) 365-5678 ext. 263 or email him at panderson@stjohnparish.org. You can also check out our Teens For Christ website at www.stjohnparish.org/teens.

Parish Events

jkern313 — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:52:05 CDT

Add your parish event to this page.
To add an event, click on the "Add page" link to the left. You can add the page with your parish name. From there you can update your page with new events or messages, or create sub pages of information.

Share with us your successes and failures. Update us on dates, times attendance and more.

Sacred Heart LaPorte
St. Andrew
St. James the Less

Diocese Youth Ministry Websites

jkern313 — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:41:12 CDT

Do you have a website for your youth ministry?
Want to share it with others?
Click the EasyEdit Button above and add your website to the list below.

Who are you in an emergency?

jkern313 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:47:43 CDT

By Rick Lawrence

'Editor's Note: This is a Youth Ministry Minute column written by Rick Lawrence several years ago that features the insights and advice of Rob Tucker, a veteran youth pastor who was intensely involved in helping his kids through the horrors of a school shooting. His experience could be invaluable to you as your own kids confront the news of the worst school shootings in history, at Virginia Tech University. We've adapted and updated the column.

In the emotional chaos that followed the shootings, youth worker Rob Tucker was thrust into the most demanding and critical "marker moment" of his ministry. Within hours he was talking to kids who were sitting so close to Sheets that the sound of the guns was still ringing in their ears.

Several years ago, 14-year-old Jimmy Sheets pulled a .44-caliber Magnum handgun in his Red Lion, Pennsylvania, school cafeteria and shot his well-liked principal in the chest. Then he pulled out a .22-caliber handgun and shot himself in the head. The 300-plus kids in the cafeteria raced outside to safety. But for many of them, school will never be safe again.
The shock of what this quiet, well-behaved eighth-grader did was overshadowed only by the desperate grief of a community searching for answers. Friends, family, and teachers all said what people always do after a school shooting—they never saw it coming. Red Lion Borough Police Chief Walt Hughes said, "We don't know why today. And we don't know why, period. I think it's safe to say that something was building inside of him that he couldn't control."
In the emotional chaos that followed the shootings, youth worker Rob Tucker was thrust into the most demanding and critical "marker moment" of his ministry. Within hours he was talking to kids who were sitting so close to Sheets that the sound of the guns was still ringing in their ears.
A little more than a week after the shootings, Rob contacted me—mostly, he just wanted me to know his story. He wondered if other youth leaders could benefit from what he was learning about responding to kids reeling from a crisis. I told him what he had to say was important for every youth minister who's ever said, "I can't imagine that happening here."
What follows is what Rob wrote about responding to kids in crisis, just two weeks after the shootings:

Respond quickly and proactively. Don't allow the crisis to control your ministry's direction. Rather, ask yourself how your ministry can help direct the response to the crisis. God's redemptive plan for any tragedy is carried out through his people. Ask him to use your ministry and church for healing, reconciliation, or whatever is needed.
Encourage your students to tell, retell, and tell again their story. The relief that comes from being heard is hard to measure. Many students just want you to hear what they've been through. They're not looking for knee-jerk reactions to complicated situations or quick fixes for their problems. They want you to really hear them. Remedies can come later with God's help.
Don't forget to reach out to parents. Many parents were just as shaken up as their kids. Put yourself in their shoes. Empathize with their fears. Help them with their pain. If they're not well, it will take much longer for their children to find help.
Offer whatever you have to the community. Give your time, your building, your expertise, and any other valuable resource that can help in the situation. Keep offering, even when your help is declined. It's crucial your community understands your true intentions—your church exists to meet the real needs of real people. Open a door between your community and your ministry.
Change your program to meet your students' needs. If you truly have a "relational ministry," you'll dump what you've planned to respond to what kids really need. It might mean replanning your weekend services or, in my case, a junior high retreat weekend. This isn't about your agenda—it's about meeting kids where they're at.
Ask your youth staffers, parents, and other youth leaders about ways you can improve your response. Refuse to assume your actions have hit the mark—find out by asking.
Invite God to deepen your dependence on him. A tragedy clarifies your vision—I saw quickly how desperate I am for God's help. And it clarified my perspective on what's really important in youth ministry. A crisis puts God squarely at the center of everything—where he should be even when things are going smoothly.

How do you tell kids, "Put away your cell phones?"

jkern313 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:36:04 CDT

In our current THE SOURCE podcast (Episode #13) I promised I'd blog about it. It's something youth leaders all deal with: Every kid in our youth room has a cell phone in their pocket!

How do I communicate to kids to stop texting during worship?
Can I say "no cell phones" on our trips?
What if parents WANT their kids to have cell phones with them?

These are great questions. And, as we said in the podcast, we WANT YOU to help us answer. Here's the situation:

In the HELP ME section of our most recent podcast, youth worker Matt from Longview, TX asked us:

Our small youth group (25-30) has taken to text-messaging on their cell phones. I'm not against cell phone use, but it has become a distraction. Have you got any ideas for boundaries/limits to cell phone use during youth group activities? Secondly, have you got any clever ideas on how to address the youth with these boundaries? Do you know of successful ways of dealing with this issue? -Matt Longview, TX, USA

In the podcast David and I shared some funny "cell phone" experiences and provided our 2 cents on the matter. The most difficult situation to figure out was what to do on trips. After all, many parents want their kids to have their cell phones so they can be reached (have you read about the epidemic of "helicopter parents?"). David suggested that we don’t circumvent parents’ authority on the matter, and allow cell phones. Just tell kids to not use cell phones EXCEPT to communicate with their parents..

This, of course, brought a skeptical laugh out of me. So I asked David, "How the heck do you monitor that?"

It's not an easy answer. And there probably isn't ONE answers. So... we want to hear from you.

How do you control cell phone use at youth group?
Do you allow cell phones on trips?
Should we put the foot down and say, "no cell phones" on trips?
If we allow cell phones on trips, how can we control use?

Share your 2 cents by commenting
on Jonathan's Blog Here!

CYX

jkern313 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:02:35 CDT

WHAT IS CYX? The Catholic Youth Xperience is... God3, dynamic, unbelievable music, speakers, funny, serious, making new friends, connecting with old friends, Xciting, challenging, profound, fun, learning, spiritual, eating, praying, thinking, praising, hanging, dancing, parish time, Liturgy, meeting the Bishop, celebrating, thought-provoking, very Catholic, and all that and so much MORE! CYX is grounded in the goals and components of Renewing the Vision, the US Bishops’ document on Youth Ministry, and in the National Directory for Catechesis. CYX is an XPERIENCE to, with, by, and for teens! And this year CYX is WYD!
Who is invited? Incoming 9th graders through newly graduated 12th graders. Teens must be registered to a parish group. Also, any and all adults working with youth are encouraged to attend. There will be a separate formation track for them, too! The adult chaperone requirement is one adult for no more than ten teens (a 1:7 ratio is even better), and parishes are strongly encouraged to bring an adult of both sexes.
When and Where? Valparaiso University and the adjacent St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center. Check-in begins appr. 1pm July 18th and the Closing liturgy ends appr. 4pm on July 20th. Additionally, on Saturday evening, July 19, CYX participants will be bussed to a dropoff location north of Valparaiso, where they will embark on a pilgrimage walk to Camp Lawrence to join in with our brothers and sisters gathering in Sydney, Australia with Pope Benedict XVI for World Youth Day.
Cost? Pricing for CYX 08 is TBA. 2007 info: Standard (on time) registration is $140 per person (registrations received by June 6). Late registration is $160. Each parish/school/organization will receive one free adult registration for every ten paid teen registrations. (10-19 teens = 1 free adult; 20-29 teens = 2 free adults, etc.) A limited amount of scholarship money is available.
Who should go? Because CYX is all about variety, there is something for every kind of teen in your parish. (God wants us all!) Your strong leaders are probably ready for the different types of prayer, talks, etc. Your “new-to-youth ministry” teens will likely get caught up in the weekend and CYX will challenge them to explore their faith at a new level. Some will leave loving the chance to meet new teens. Some will like their learning sessions. Some will like the speakers. Others, the prayer experiences. All of our youth are different, and CYX reflects that! When it comes to promotion, personal invitation works best.
What about safety? We take the safety and well-being of the participants seriously, including their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. All adult participants are required to have received diocesan-mandated VIRTUS training. Campus security and CYX Security monitor the event 24 hours a day. A hospital is located adjacent to campus. Further, priests, a nurse, and a certified counselor are always on call.
Why register as a parish/school/organization and not as individuals? CYX lights a fire for many, inspiring them to continue the Xperience in their own local communities. Parish time Friday and Saturday night allows groups to process the day and reminds teens that when it’s all over, the challenge is in finding God back home! Plus, it allows adults a chance to build community with young people on somewhat neutral ground. Adult youth leaders—whether they are the “coordinator” or not—will experience formation on the weekend, so they’re getting something out of it, too!
I've already been to CYX before? Can I go again? Yes! Teens can participate in CYX for up to five years and have a different Xperience each time! Each year features new keynote presenters, musicians, etc., and each grade level features a different theme. In theory an incoming HS freshman could attend CYX before their first high school class all the way 'til his or her last CYX after he or she has worn a cap and gown!
What’s new for CYX ’08? Since you can't make it to Australia for World Youth Day 2008, we're making every effort to bring WYD to you! Live video from Australia, international themes, a pilgrimage walk, and a Saturday night candlelight vigil at Camp Lawrence will make you feel like you're "down under" with Pope Benedict! • Adult leaders receive training on Youth Ministry Access and leave with an entire year's worth of youth ministry activities, resources & support! • Concert & ministry from Sal Solo • MORE!

Youth Ministry Resources

jkern313 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:53:56 CDT

This section is a place where you can add resources that you use for Youth Ministry content, ideas and suggestions.
Feel free to add pages for resources, or simply comment in a thread.

The more you add, the better this site will be for everyone.

St. Andrew

jkern313 — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:54:32 CST

Car Wash, Flea Market, Bake Sale, Cafe
May 3rd, 2008
St. Andrew Hall
801 W. 73rd Ave. Merrillville

The indoor flea market has spaces available for $10 and we supply the tables.
Setup is on the night before from 6-8pm.
We have a fun time and if anyone is interested they can call me at (219) 736-7345.

How to Maximize the Small Group

jkern313 — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:40:39 CST

I found this on his web page and thought is was worth sharing.

Dear Small Group Leaders,

Every time we speak to kids they have the opportunity to hear the truth. That is, if they're listening.

How do we know if they're listening?

How can we give them an opportunity to really take in what we're saying, chew on it a little bit and digest it?

Don't get me wrong—I love the "speaking" venue. But I usually don't let it end there. Then comes the most important part. I want to give them an opportunity to think about it and discuss it. I want them to hear what others have to say about it. I want them to have a chance to respond or ask questions about the subject matter.

I usually provide all this in a format they like—small groups.

Today's kids love to just hang out with each other and talk. Whether chatting, texting, emailing, talking on their cell phones, or just "kicking it" with each other… they love talking, and they all want to be heard. Small groups are an opportunity to hear them. Sure, we'll throw out some well placed questions and facilitate the direction of the conversation, but this is their time to talk—their time to be heard. This is an arena that they talk approximately 80 percent of the time, we talk just 20 percent.

The term "small groups" can mean a lot of different things in different venues. In one youth group they might be an "assigned" group of kids that meet regulary at a house or off-campus location. In other groups, small groups may just be a format they use to help kids process the learning they just received. The group leader might just say "everyone break up into groups of 5 to 10 kids!" when it's discussion time.

I'm not here to tell you what type of small groups to facilitate, I just recommend using them in some shape or form each week for discussion.

Small groups come in different sizes. I prefer less than 10 kids in a group. I think the optimum group size is 5- 8 kids per group.

For even greater detail about the different types of small groups and how to run a small group, check out this other article on our web site. (CLICK HERE)

New Small Group Questions Format:
If you've been using all the free resources on our web site for long, you've probably noticed that we usually provide small group questions with most of our resources. Whether it's the OBJECT LESSONS or OUTREACH AGENDAS on our CURRICULUM & JUMPSTARTERS page, or the discussion starters on our VIDEO CLIP IDEAS page, you'll usually see small group questions to help kids process the information we're teaching.

I'll be the first to admit that our resources have been developing and improving over the years. Some of our older resources don't include any small group questions or wrap up talks. But as our ministry to you has grown, so has the quality of our resources. And in the recent years we've been providing even better small group discussion questions and wrap up talks.

This year we have started a new format for small group questions. In these small group questions we will usually start with a couple of fun, easy questions that make it easy for kids to open up. Typical small groups contain some kids that will share if asked, some kids that really struggle opening up in front of a group, and that one kid who won't shut up! This format will help us limit the time of the chatty kid, and help the shy kid open up just a bit.

Our goal is to get the kids used to each of them taking turns around the circle and sharing. The opening questions will start in that format—something like, "Everybody share your name and your favorite kind of pizza." I usually will throw out this question and then say, "I'll start, then we'll go around the circle." I share first, then I look to the person to my left, prompting them that it's their turn.

The idea is that kids will get used to the fact that they have an opportunity to share their own "2 cents" about each issue. If we start with easy questions about their favorite food or movie, this shows them that the format isn't scary. It's something even the shy kid can do. And the chatty kid doesn't monopolize the time because every body gets a turn.

In our new small group question format, we'll start off each question with one of these three words or phrases:

AROUND THE CIRCLE: This is when you should give everyone an opportunity to answer the question around the circle.
A FEW OF YOU: This is when the question doesn't require everyone to share, but it's nice to get a few different opinions or voices of input.
SOMEBODY: This is usually a quick easy answer that only requires a simple, quick response.

Look for each of the above cues at the beginning of each question so you know how to facilitate the discussion.

Small Group Rules:
If you've been leading a small group for a while, you know how frustrating it is when the group is out of control. I like to start off my first small group time with one rule. I get them to agree to it. I usually say it something like this: "This is your time. I want to be able to hear from you without anyone else interupting. So we have one simple rule: RESPECT. That's it. Nothing else. In this group we respect each other by not interupting, not talking while someone else is talking, and respecting other peoples opinions. Respect doesn't end in this group time. It goes outside this group and outside this cabin. We don't go telling others what someone shared inside this group. Does everyone agree with this one rule?" (I usually look around the group and look at each member to get a visual nod.)

If kids interupt or start joking out of turn- don't hesitate to stop the group for a second and say something like, "Kierra, you agreed with the one rule we have in this group, didn't you?" (And then refrain from yelling, "THEN SHUT YOUR BIG YAPPER!") Then simply proceed with whoever's turn it was. "As you were saying Christy?"

That's it. The ball is in your court. I hope these small tidbits are a help as you facilitate your small group. Pray that God will use this time.

In His Grip,

Jonathan McKee

Getting the Word Out

jkern313 — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:56:46 CST

Getting the word out to your youth is challenging these days, yet there are so many resources that you can use to do it. Youth are very big into social networking sites, and instant messaging. Social networking does have its dangers, but in some way, we can also be called to provide "good, Christlike" content to these often discouraging forums.

Instant Messaging
I do recommend setting yourself up with a "free" AOL instant messaging account, and sharing that screen name with your youth. Most youth these days do have AIM accounts, but there is a great tool out there for connecting to multiple Instant Messaging services at once. This way if you have youth that are on AIM, Yahoo, or some other service, you only have to use one program to connect to all. It is called Trillian, and can be downloaded for free at www.ceruleanstudios.com.

By the way, if anyone wants to add my SN (screen name) to their list, it is StJamesYouthGrp (from AIM).

E-mail Communication
The best tool I have found for e-mail communication is an inexpensive resource called Constant Contact. You can e-mail out newsletters, communications, invites, etc from their site to all of your youth with a few easy clicks. Some of the benefits are as follows:

Great "pre-designed" templates for you to choose from. Just enter your message and send.
Tracking of who is reading your e-mails, and who is not.
Cost effective solution ($15 per month)
Step-by-step Email Wizard
Easy send scheduling
and more...

You can also sign-up for a free 60 day trial account.

Click here to learn more Constant Contact

Click here for a FREE 60 day trial Trial