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Invest in Leadership Training

It’s one of the most inspiring, encouraging, challenging, best connecting and equipping things you can attend as a youth worker. It’s time to register for the Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2014!

I’m in!

Our team is in!

Are you in?

We’d love to see you there! Save yourself some money and register by October 31st.

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God is Trustworthy: Kids’ Responses

This past Sunday I had the privilege of speaking to our Shelter Rock Church Tweens (5th and 6th graders). We talked about God being trustworthy. At the end of the lesson I had the students name things that reveal that God is trustworthy. Here were their responses.

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Fall Family Fun!

On Monday we took the family (and Claudia’s best friend Mary) for a drive out east and had a delightful day at Harbes Farm in Riverhead. We drank apple cider, ate homemade apple cider donuts, ate kettle corn, went for a hayride, picked pumpkins, and traversed an 8 acre corn maze. So fun!
See all the pics here.

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Colorado Trip Pics

A couple of weeks ago Adriana and I had the great joy of going to one of our favorite states in the United States: Colorado! We went out for a few days of meetings at Groups Publishing to brainstorm and help plan the Simply Youth Ministry Conference: A Conference For Youth Workers BY Youth Workers. We decided to head to Colorado a few days early to enjoy some time hanging out in Rock Mountain National Park. Just before our trip we discovered that my second cousin Nate Larkin would be in Denver at the same time, so we arranged to swing by and have a quick visit with him. Our time in the Rockies was so relaxing! We were thoroughly refreshed as we were taking in the beautiful views, hiking, trout fishing, and even 4-wheeling (yep, we got Ady out there and she really enjoyed redneck living! lol!). Our meetings at group were very productive and I couldn’t be more excited about the conference! We were also treated to a private concert by Gungor who performed songs from their incredible new album I Am Mountain. They will be leading the music at the conference in the spring. (See pics from concert here.)

See all the pics from our trip here.

With my 2nd cousin Nate Larkin & Matthew Ward (of band 2nd Chapter of Acts)
Gungor

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Fun Night in NYC with Parents Coach Tim Smith AND Old Elim Friends

Tonight Adriana and I went into Manhattan to have dinner with our friend Tim Smith. We discovered yesterday that our friends from Bible college, Nathan and Emily Sanders were in town, and we were so happy that they were able to join us as well. We had a wonderful time having dinner and reconnecting at Bubba Gump overlooking Times Square. After dinner we said farewell to Nathan and Emily and Tim, Adriana and I had fun navigating the crowds, going to some stores, then headed to a very nice place for dessert. What a fun evening!

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Fun, Inexpensive Way to Appreciate Volunteers This Fall

“Would you like to buy a book of coupons to support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption?”
Sure I said. 
I gave them a buck, took my order and my coupon book and left Wendy’s.
A few days later I returned. (Do I have a Wendy’s addiction?) Different cashier. 
“Would you like to buy a book of coupons to support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption?”
“No thanks,” I replied, “I already have …”
But I stopped. I thought for a second, then said, “You know what, give me 25 of them.”
You should have seen that guy’s face light up! The next thing I knew he was slow-moving employees out of the way, rushing my order, bypassing the week-old fries that were next in line to be taken, and scooping hot, fresh fries still dripping with grease straight out of the fry basket, making sure my Frosty was overflowing, and asking me to complete a customer survey to rate his service; all the meanwhile grinning from ear to ear. I think I had just won him employee of the month. 
In my rare moment of thinking at the counter that day, a lightbulb went off, and I realized I could give each of our student ministry volunteers a coupon book for 10 free Frosties and it would only cost $25. Granted, they are coupons for small Frosties, but for 25 bucks I could communicate to our volunteers that I am thinking of them even when I’m in line at Wendy’s; I could give them a little something of a treat for themselves; I could encourage them and equip them to invest relationally in students by taking them out for Wendy’s; I could give them a little something to take their own families out. 
I took some time to write a heart-felt card of appreciation and encouragement, a corny poem about Frosties, and I packaged them together with the coupon books and mailed them (it’s always cool to receive stuff old-school, in the mail). Including postage I paid just $36.50. Inexpensive. Simple. Memorable.

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Passing It On: Shaping a New Generation of Youth Workers

Last month I experienced one of the greatest joys of my youth ministry career. I was able to bring two of my former students – Ren Jainarine and Michael Fenimore – onto our student ministry staff at Shelter Rock Church. It’s always been my passion to see the young people I have the privilege of investing in through their middle and high school years serving God wholeheartedly as adults, and to now be serving shoulder-to-shoulder with these fine young men is a dream come true. Today as we met for our weekly connection, we cracked open the book that was so helpful in shaping me as a young youth pastor and began reading and discussing it together. Not only is it a great read for them as they are beginning in youth ministry, it is also a great reminder for me. I realized in just the first chapter where I have wandered a bit from some of my guiding principles, and I felt so challenged to get back to the basics of good, healthy youth ministry. Whatever role you play in youth ministry, if you’ve never read it, or if it’s been a while, do yourself a favor and pick up Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields. It’s so great!