Holiday Blues

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and excitement, and for the most part for most people that is exactly what they are. However, there is a segment of the population that dreads this time of year. The reason for that is because they have experienced a loss or tragic event in or around this time of year or within the last few months. It has certainly occurred in our area in Pennsylvania when 4 teenagers were tragically killed in a car accident only a few weeks ago. For their friends and family, this time of year is not going to be a joyous one. It is going to be a time of year filled with pain, tears and sadness.

 As people who work with youth and young adults we have to be particularly mindful of youth and young adults who have experienced tragic loss with their family or friends around this time of year. It is important as we plan fun activities during the holiday season that we also carve out some time for those individuals that dread having to face a new holiday season without a loved one. Unless you have experienced it yourself, you can overlook this very important opportunity for pastoral care to youth and young adults. There are several ways that one can honor and respect the people who have experienced loss and it doesn't take a lot of time and energy.

One easy way is simply sending a card to the individual on the anniversary of their loved ones death. If it's a youth member, having the youth group do this is even a better idea. Having a special worship service to honor an individual that is no longer with them is also very appropriate. Several churches in our area celebrate a "Blue” Christmas service, specifically intended for people who have experienced a loss during the holiday season. These services can be a reminder for everyone that the holiday time is not always filled with joy.

 As I think of those youth who died in a car crash, their friends, family and churches that will now have to pick up the pieces of lives cut short, I think how fortunate I am this holiday season. May God's peace, hope, joy and love greet you this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Resource Review: E|Merge

It can often be very hard to find good theologically sound youth resource material to use to instruct youth and young adults in a relevant and interactive way within our denomination. However, I came upon a good resource that I would like to recommend entitled "E|Merge." Developed at one of the largest United Methodist churches in our denomination, Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Tipp City, Ohio, this curriculum sets the standard for a learning style where there is a large group teaching and small group discussion.

At its core, it uses relevant everyday TV shows, movies and experiences to explain how you are to live the Christian life to develop you as fully devoted disciples. There are a total of three resources numbered 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. While a lot of the literature says that they should be used in concert with one another, after further review I could see you taking one unit as a stand-alone piece if you thought it would be appropriate. Each unit ranges from 3-5 lessons and is very easy to follow and use. The curriculum includes: the directors guide, younger youth guide, older youth guide and an interactive DVD/CD-ROM that includes the clip, handout and PowerPoint presentations use in the large group teaching.

In critique of this resource, it is very hard to find either at Cokesbury bookstore or on Amazon.com. I'm not sure if that is because it is out of print or not, but if you are looking to purchase this you're going to have to do some research. Also, it is slightly dated with a publication date that is approximately 5 to 7 years old, however, the units are well written, easy-to-follow and most importantly theologically in line with the United Methodist Church.

Reviewing Your Mentoring Program

Heading into the Christmas season is a great time for reflection and evaluation. Certainly some of that energy needs to be focused on your ministry, but don't forget to make sure your mentoring relationships are in order, too. Here is one simple strategy to consider:

Look Forward – Who Is Leading You?

It is imperative that you find someone who is a little further down the path than you; somebody a little older, and a little wiser. Many youth workers are pioneers, but the benefits of a seasoned mentor shouldn't be overlooked. Being mentored from a distance is possible, but having someone in real-life is a better option. Being mentored through blogs and books is also a possibility, but without access to discussion the dialogue is decidedly one way. Because things slow down a bit over the holidays, it's a great time to connect, reconnect or start a relationship with a youth ministry mentor.

Look Around – Who Are You Leading With?

There is nothing better than sharing in ministry with a close friend. They might be an incredible intern, a parent who jumped in to help or a volunteer who is so like-minded people think someone cloned your brain. In addition to the mentor who is leading you, make sure you are "doing life" with another youth worker and are journeying together.

Look Back – Who are You Leading?

God is going to do something special with several of the students in your ministry. His Kingdom is going to be built because of these young men and women. Why not pick one or two of them to pour a little extra into? Sure, you can lead the whole group from "up front", through your programs, but what could it look like if you hand-picked one or two and gave them some customized mentoring? If you take a second to think about your own experiences growing up, no doubt there were several people along the way that distinctively shaped you toward becoming God's man or God's woman. Pass that experience on!

Very few good things happen by accident. Don't leave the concept of mentoring to chance; it's too important!

Resource Review: YS Games Video Addition

There is a new resource put out by Youth Specialties entitled "Games: Video Edition-Explanations of 20 Great Games for Youth." If you want whacked-out, run-till-you-drop games, then here they are. What's unique about this resource is not only do you have 20 really great, unique games but all the games are explained in short video segments. All you have to do is pop the DVD in, pick the game you want to play  and watch how the game is played and an example of what it will look like. These games are great for parties, informal gatherings or just about any occasion. They use simple supplies and products that most any youth director can get their hands on.

For over 30 years, Youth Specialties has worked alongside Christian youth workers in every denomination and have produced time tested products to help with youth ministry. This is another one of those great resources that you should get your hands on. If I have one critique of this resource it would be that there are only 20 games on the DVD. I wish they had put more like 40 or 50 games on it because you will go through these games rather quickly. Couple that with the cost of nearly $20 for this resource and it becomes a question of how much do you want this.

If you are a church or a member of a church in the Susquehanna Conference of United Methodist Church, I would point out that we have a copy in Discovery Place, the Conference’s Resource Center (discovery-place.org) and you can borrow this resource for free. However, overall this resource is in keeping with Youth Specialties’ long-standing reputation of producing great youth resources, so give it a try.  

Simple Youth Activities Vs.Big Youth Events

There is a lot of debate out there as to whether Big Youth Events are more successful than Simple Youth Activities. While Big Events do get large numbers of students to be involved and are great jumping off places for youth ministry, simple youth activities are where the meat and bones of transformational ministry occurs with young people. 

When I was a youth, I grew up with Big Youth Events. They seem to be the norm. They were exciting, flashy and always got a crowd. Whenever I heard about these events in my area, I flocked to them. They were filled with lots of exciting activities like dances, concerts and legendary speakers. But what I discovered was that after the big event I would go home to my local church youth group and not know how to apply what I had experienced, so that I could capture the same feelings I had at the big event.

When I started leading youth ministry in the local church I found it challenging to get students who wanted to attend these big events. They were more interested in staying local and doing things in and around the community they were growing up in. This was especially true for small town and rural churches that I served. The big event just seemed to be “too big.” There are still a lot of great opportunities to have students get involved in large youth event gatherings both regionally and nationally. And I'm sure they have their place in a general youth ministry.

But as we are discovering more and more, putting on these large youth gatherings is becoming more and more expensive and they are becoming less and less productive at doing what the job of the local church is to do, which is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. If I had to choose between doing a big youth event or doing a simple ministry in your immediate community, I would probably choose the latter. Regardless of what kinds of programs you should offer for young people, be sure that they involve making direct connection with young people and stick to the focus of what the mission of the local church is all about.

Resource Review : The Leadership Lab

It is often this very hard to find a well done leadership program for young people. In the past, I have had to piecemeal together various parts from several different sources. However, recently the United Methodist church’s General Board of Discipleship’s Division of Ministry with Young People have come out with a leadership development resource for senior high youth entitled "The Leadership Lab”. This new program has been tried and tested over a two-year period and has proven to be an excellent program to help develop young people into leaders.

At the heart of this program it approaches leadership from a holistic perspective keeping a balance between improving leadership feels and helping young people grow in their relationship with others and with God. There are seven different modules that include exploring the principles of transformational leadership, discovering vital leadership skills and knowledge about oneself and how that relates to relationships, and practical active learning that will put what you learn into action.

Resources included are the following : (1) facilitators guide, (2) participants handbook, (3) PowerPoint presentations, and (4) handouts. All of these resources are on a CD-ROM that allows you to print as many copies as you need. I would highly recommend that you check this resource out to help develop student leaders in whatever setting you find yourself.

Imagining the Best of Yourself

When I was young, I was severely bullied and picked on as a young person. It deeply affected me in ways that I just now understand. When I see young people being bullied or thinking less of themselves for whatever reason, there is a part of me that hurts inside. As I grew up and went into ministry, I vowed that if I ever got the opportunity to work with young people that I would do my best to put a stop the ridicule and the bullying and look for ways to let those awkward young people know they were unique and special children of God.

Recently, on the show "America's Got Talent" a song was featured by Kirk Franklin entitled “Imagine Me.” While I had never heard this song before it was amazing! Kirk Franklin, a contemporary Christian gospel artist, writes in this song about how we should view ourselves, pulling from his own personal experience of self-doubt, abuse and neglect. As I listen to over and over to this song, I have imagined all of the young people who experienced themselves as "less than." Below is a Youtube link to the song. I highly recommend you use it in your young People's ministry to highlight the fact that regardless of how we might feel about ourselves, God sees us at someone unique and special that God created and loves.

Prayer Wall

Here’s a great idea to help decorate your youth or young adult space/classroom and bring an emphasis to the power of prayer in our lives as Christians. Make a prayer wall.

Use one wall or part of a wall in your room or space. Get some butcher paper and attach it to the wall and decorate the center with scriptures or graphics having to do with prayer.  Throughout the year, have your youth or young adults write up prayers or celebrations. Others can write encouraging comments alongside the prayers. Whenever you meet, encourage people to take a look at the prayers on the wall and to incorporate them into their daily prayer life. You can keep the prayer wall up for multiple years or put a new one up each year.

My Broken Palace: a Cool Web Resource

I just discovered a great web resource that I wanted to let you know about. The website is mybrokenplace.com. Its purpose as stated on its website is as follows:

My Broken Palace is a non-profit organization of passionate people who want to help others in their time of brokenness. Our shared desire is that no one should ever have to deal with the crushing weight of loneliness, depression, anxiety, stress, abuse, addictions, or thoughts of suicide alone.  Become part of the movement.  Whether you are the one in need or someone who desires to encourage others in theirs, My Broken Palace embraces your participation.

“no one lonely, alone”

What is so exciting about this website is that you can leave prayers on their virtual prayer wall and you will receive uplifting text and e-mails based on the prayers that you leave. It has a list of places that you can go to get help on a variety topics from suicide, abuse, depression, etc. For those who are artistically inclined, It includes an art wall where you can upload your art work and look at others artwork that has brought you inspiration.

This is a must visit website for youth workers and students who are struggling with the messy stuff of life. I hope you'll check it out!

Resource Review: Messy Stuff

Messy Stuff: Finding Hope in the Midst of Everyday Struggles, is a five-week small group video curriculum produced by Group. I recently had the opportunity to review it, and I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the curriculum.

First of all, most youth and children's curriculum that Group produces is top quality stuff and with "Messy Stuff" there is no exception. If you're looking for an easy to use, well-balanced Bible study or small group curriculum to use with Junior High or High School students, then look no further. In this five-week small group video series,  your students will examine the realities of our messy lives-and discover how valuable they are to God, despite their messiness. They'll investigate the wrong ways and the right ways to handle this stuff that makes life messy and causes our pain and brokenness. And they'll be encouraged to invite God and other people into the process of change in their lives.

Topics include:1) Me, Valuable?, 2)Um, What Happened?, 3)How to Handle the Hurts? 4) Finding Hope in the Messiness, and 5) Remember, Life’s Pain isn't Permanent!

What you get out of the box is a DVD with guided lessons. You also get a CD-ROM that includes discussion sheets in both PDF format and Microsoft Word format,  promotional ecards, postcards, posters and desktop backgrounds. You also will receive additional editable promotional elements that you can use to get your students to get involved in this curriculum.

I hope you get an opportunity to use this resource, I highly recommend it. If you are a member of the Susquehanna Conference the United Methodist Church you can borrow a copy of Messy Stuff: Finding Hope in the Midst of Everyday Struggles free of charge through our resource center, Discovery Place (discovery-place.org).

Spiritual Journaling

Here's a great idea to start as you begin your fall program with youth or young adults to help foster some spiritual discovery and relationship building. We always want to grow closer with our youth and young adults, but is often hard to do and involves a tremendous amount of personal one-on-one time. Well here is an easy way to reach out to all students in a very intimate way as well as teaching them some good spiritual disciplines.

In order to do this you will need a bunch of one subject spiral-bound notebooks. (You can usually find these on sale at the beginning of the school year). What these one subject notebooks are going to become will be individual spiritual journals that each member of your group will be able to use.  At one of your first meetings, pass out the notebook and have your students decorate and personalize them. After they have done that, inform them that these are now their spiritual journals that they can use throughout the year to share or reflect on things happening in their life. Every time your group meets, have your students take about 5 to 10 min. to share what they're feeling for that particular week in their journals. It can be as simple as how they're week is going to reflecting upon a spiritual passage that you have written up on a board. Encourage them to participate as much as possible, even if they simply write in them, "I don't have anything to write this week."

 Inform them, that their mentor/counselor/pastor will be reading these journals and will be responding to their entries every week. Be very clear with them that only their mentor/counselor/pastor will be reading their entries and that they have been informed by the youth leader to keep what they read confidential. (Note: do not allow the students to take these journals or allow anyone the other than their mentor/counselor/pastor to read what has been written.) Tell your mentors/counselors/pastors to respond in the journals with supportive and affirming comments. If there student is not there on a particular week when you do this, have the mentor/counselor/pastor write a note saying that they miss them that particular week.

This can be a very powerful way to connect with your youth leaders and students. At the end of the year, have the students take the journals home. Good luck and happy journaling!

Youth Mission Trips

Summer is usually a very active time in a successful youth program. There are usually a lot of activities and programs that happen during the summer. One of the most exciting is a Summer Youth Mission Trip. They are great opportunities to grow relationally with young people and have young people have an unbelievable experience that they can remember for the rest of their life.

A successful Summer Mission Trip however, takes a lot of time and planning to do well. Below are just a few suggestions I would have if you are considering doing a mission trip.

Plan Early - If you desire to do a summer mission trip with young people the best time to start planning is now! Depending on how elaborate your trip will end up being, you will need between six months and a year to make the event happen. I have seen too many groups try to do mission trip too quickly and the result has been a disaster.

Have a Clear Purpose - Don't just do a mission trip for any old reason. Have a clear purpose in mind as to why you want to participate in this particular mission trip. Maybe your purpose is to build relationships with your young people. Maybe your purpose is that your church has done a similar mission trip. Whatever the reason, be sure that your young people and you understand the reason why you are participating in this mission experience.

Fund-raise, Fund-raise, Fund-raise - Mission trips are usually very expensive. As you plan for your mission trip understand that you are going to be spending a large amount of your planning time trying to raise funding in order to do the trip. Don't wait until the last minute to fund raise. Plan good fundraising activities throughout the year that engage not only the congregation but the community in large as well.

Mission trips can be a lot of fun and as I mentioned earlier provide great experiences for young people. Talk to other churches or other youth groups who have gone on mission trips to gain insight, ideas and planning to make your mission trip go smoothly as possible.

Planning Youth Programs

As summer is in full swing, now is the time to think about planning for next year’s programs and activities. The farther you plan and get activities and programs on the calendar, the more success you will have with those activities. For a lot of youth leaders, planning in advance is very difficult. We like to spend our time forming relationships with our students, rather than work on administrative planning. The truth of the matter is however, that if you don't have good plans in place it won’t really matter the types of relationships that you form.  

If you're lucky enough to have good volunteers who are skilled at this, you can turn the planning over to them. However, as I discovered early on in my youth ministry, I had to do this task myself.  So I came up with an easy way to help in my planning out the year’s activities, discussion programs and mission opportunities, as well as, a way to get student’s input. In order to do this you simply need a pack of 3 x 5 cards and pens or pencils for all your adult leaders and students. (If you can find different color cards to give the adult leaders, this will help you keep their ideas separated from the students.)

Then at one of our largest activities (usually during the summer) I would gather them together and have them do this: on 1 side of the 3 x 5 card have them write down three questions of faith that they would like to discuss or learn more about. Examples could be, "What does the Bible say about suicide?" Or "How can I share my faith?" They could also list books of the Bible that they would like to study. The point was to get them thinking about what they would like to talk about over the next year. Once they had done that, on the other side of the card they were to write 2 fun activities that they would like to do and 2 mission opportunities that they would like to do. Give them 5 or 10 minutes to complete this. Now you have a whole stack of ideas to work with and begin your planning for the next year.

Note: Sometimes you will get some real duds, but by in large you will have a wealth of ideas to work with for the next year. It goes without saying that if multiple people ask for the same thing, then you definitely want to make sure that you do that sometime during the year.

Good luck with your planning and have a great year getting to know your student’s by drawing them deeper in their faith.

Youth Leadership

Last week I participated in my Conference’s Annual Conference Session. This is our annual meeting of all of pastors and church, usually held in late May or early June.

As is our custom, we invite youth and young adults to participate in these sessions as voting members. We have done this for a number of years and see it as important because it allows the youth and young adults within our churches to express their opinion about the issues that we face as  a church.

Having their opinion and presence at these gathering is incredibly important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, their involvement is critical in making decisions for our church because they are full members of our church. Youth and young adults are not just part members or affiliate members, they are full members with all rights and privileges that any other adult member of our church has. If we treat them as less than full members, then we are essentially telling them that they don't matter.

Secondly, having youth and young adults be a part of the decision-making process of our church is necessary so that we get everyone's opinions into the decision. No one would ever consider not allowing women to speak at meetings or not allowing anyone over the age of 65 to speak and share their opinion. However, I have heard it suggested and modeled that young people should be seen and not heard; they are pushed to the sidelines because they do not have the capability of making the right decision. When we do this in the church we send a very strong message to the young people of our churches that we don't want them or need them.

Finally, their involvement and participation in these gatherings and meetings is important so that they will learn how these meetings and gatherings work. Adults have the responsibility to mentor young people. When we ignore those responsibilities, we set up a system by which the church loses its future leadership. If we do this long enough, there will be no church in the future.

The piece of advice that I would have for you in the local church would be this: make it a high priority to have youth and young adults serve on decision-making committees or ministry teams. Don't use excuses like their opinion doesn't matter or that they should be seen and not heard. Instead, value their opinion and help them learn in the best ways possible. 

25 Great Graduation Gifts that Graduates Will Actually Use

I received this message via e-mail from one of my followers on my blog and I have had a chance to check out website in reference to my last blog posting. There are a lot of really great gift ideas that she has and I would encourage you to check it out. Below is what she sent me and a web link to her site.

Her name is Katina Solomon. thanks Katina reading my blog and I hope people will visit your site!

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Hi,

I’m a frequent reader of your blog and wanted to let you know that I just posted an article on my site that I thought you might find interesting “25 Great Graduation Gifts That Graduates WillActually Use” If you think your readers might like it, too, would you consider sharing or mentioning it on your blog? I’d appreciate it if you have time to check it out.

http://www.collegedegree.com/library/college-life/25-Great-Graduation-Gifts-That-Graduates-Will-Actually-Use/

Saying Goodbye - Graduation Gifts

It's that time of year when young people in both college and high school are graduating. As people who work with young people on a regular basis, we have spent a lot of time mentoring and loving these students and developing long-lasting relationships with them. As we began to say our goodbyes and wish them well on to the next stage of their life, we often think about getting them the gift to help them remember their time with us. But too often we choose cheesy things that don't properly express the magnitude of the life-changing experiences that we have had with the students over the years.

I am not a very good gift giver (just ask my wife). There are certain people who are gifted with the gene or some 6th sence whereby they know exactly the type of gift to get someone. Well, I'm sorry to report, I just simply don't have it and so it frustrates me at this time of year when I want to acknowledge the relationship that I have built up with these young people that I've worked with and the magnitude of what they have meant in my life. I have caught myself in Christian bookstores looking at picture frames with Scriptures on it or bookends or other trinkets that in a matter of years will mean absolutely nothing to these young people. And so I go to the person who is a Zen master at gift giving, my wife and beg and plead for her help.

The one thing she has taught me over the years is this-be authentic. Find a gift that expresses the authentic relationship that you have between you and the other person. It doesn't have to cost a lot nor does it have to be the latest and greatest thing that's out that everyone else is getting. When I think back to my own graduation, a friend of the family bought me an NIV study Bible when I graduated high school. This many years later I still have that Bible and use it for my daily devotions. I guess he saw something in me that he knew that I would need a good study Bible. And he was right! That study Bible has gotten me through many a good sermon, devotion and Bible study over the years.

So as you say goodbye to your seniors whether they be in high school or college be authentic with them. Express the emotions that you were feeling. And try to finding gift that they will remember 15 to 20 years from now that they might be able to share with others.

Relational Investment Vs. Relational Engagement

This is always a tough problem for people in ministry to wrestle with; especially those who work with young people. We want to personally investe in the lives of every student or young person that we come in contact with, however that is physically and emotionally impossible. I know a number of pastors who try to do ministry in this way, thinking that this is how ministry is done. But what ends up happening is that they burnout very early in their ministry and they are no good later in their ministry to anyone.

However, there is a way that we can be in ministry with young people and have a very meaningful impact on their lives. This way is relational engagement. I got this idea by attending a youth worker training event this past spring and it was one of those things that I had been doing for years but I never really put words to it. What the presenter tried to argue was this: it is virtually impossible to give 100% of ourselves to 100% of the students and young people that we are in ministry with. However, we can engage 100% of our young people in short, but meaningful ways.

The example he gave was attending sporting events, school concerts or school plays. While you won't be able to spend a whole lot of time with the young person, if you make a concerted effort to see the young person after the event letting them know that you were there and that they did a good job or made a good play, they will remember that forever. In my own ministry this rang true with a young girl who was bounded determined to hate me. I had followed a pastor who had been appointed to that church for over 20 years. It was the only pastor she had ever known, and she wasn't about to let me into her life. She was a field hockey player, so I found out her field hockey schedule and went to one of her home games. At the end of the game I made sure to say hello to her and her parents. After that encounter, her whole demeanor changed. It was as though I was could do nothing wrong and I instantly became her favorite pastor.

In ministry we are not going to have all of the time or the energy to invest in the people we want to. We could quite literally kill ourselves trying to do that. However, strategically engaging people in simple ways can make the world of difference to those youth and young people who so desperately need to be loved. Try it sometime! 

Connecting With Young People

Young people crave relationships. The fastest way to make a connection with young people is to form a relationship with them. However, some people don't think they have the skills to know how to relate to young people. They often get tongue tied or feel awkward talking, so here is an easy acronym to remember when talking with the young person on how to connect with specific meanings in their life. The acronym is F.R.O.M. (as in "where are they from")

F stands for Friends - One of the easiest things to do to get to know young people and to make a connection with young people is to ask about their friends. Who are they? Where did they go to school? Do they go to our church? Etc. If you show an interest in who their friends are, it's an easy doorway into their lives.

R stands for Relatives - Another very important part of getting to know young person is knowing who their family is. Asking things like, who is their mother and father? Do you have living grandparents? Aunts and uncles?  You need to be careful in asking a lot of these questions because they may be embarrassed about the family they come from. They may come from a nontraditional family where they are being raised by a single parent or they maybe living with grandparents because their parents can't take care of them. But if you can find out this information in a nonthreatening way, it will tell you a lot about the young person and how better to relate to them.

O stands for Occupation - This can get a bit tricky because a lot of kids don't work, however there are kids who do work. If they work at a local restaurant, making time to visit the restaurant when they're working can be a great "in" to their lives. If they're too young to work, ask them about their hobbies or interests. Did they play sports? What sports did they play? Again if you can find out some of this information, you can use it by visiting them at a game or by making a connection with a particular hobby like hunting or fishing.

M stands for Memories - This gives you an opportunity to ask a young person about moments in their life. Examples could be a favorite holiday, a favorite vacation, a favorite place to eat, etc. This then gives you an opportunity for you to share one of your favorite memories. Maybe you have similar memories and you can make a very strong connection with a young person.

Now you don't have to go in order asking them first about their friends than about their relatives and so on. Nor do you have to cover all four in any one conversation. This acronym is only there to help you touch on various aspects of a young person's life when you are stuck with what you say. Have fun! Who knows you just might make a difference in a young person's life.

Bullying: Learning How to Love

When I was growing up, bullying was a problem in my community. I remember as a child being bullied after school or on the playground by other kids. But it seems that in recent years bullying has become an even greater problem and continues to get worse year after year. It used to be, that people only had to worry about being bullied when they were at school. But with the rise of mobile technology like cell phones, twitter and Facebook, bullying becomes a 24-hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year event. Essentially, there is no safe place to escape being bullied.

This constant bombardment of bullying is known as "Cyber Bullying." Essentially, cyber bullying is having harmful statements or pictures posted to websites, Facebook pages, text messages, etc. The reason it is so pervasive is that in a matter of seconds by a simple touch of a button, hundreds of thousands of people are exposed to these harmful statements. No longer is bullying limited to a small community or school. Now bullying can be worldwide in a matter of seconds.  

I recently attended a training event sponsored by the United Methodist Church where the issue of bullying was discussed. One of the presenters lifted up a passage from the Bible which is commonly known as "The Golden Rule." This passage states, that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves; the key being the last part love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I believe, and so did the presenter of this workshop, that bullying is on the rise because kids and adults are having difficulty loving themselves. It's as though they find themselves unlovable and to help lift themselves up, they tear others down.

We who work with children, youth and young adults can help by teaching people that they are loved by God and that they should love who they are. I have always believed that if you don't get anything else out of church, you should get the fact that we should be about loving others and ourselves. So if you know of those persons who are being bullied, surround them with your love and support as much as you can but most importantly remember bully, they need love too!

Game Ideas: Minute To Win It

One of the most difficult things to come up with in youth ministry is fresh new games for youth group to do. Well it seems that network television has come to our rescue. If you have not seen the show "Minute To Win It" on NBC, then you truly are missing a great opportunity to get some great ideas on fresh new games that you can play with any size group. I'm not the first to blog about this phenomenal program. In fact, if you were to type in Google “blogs on Minute To Win It”, you would probably end up with hundreds. So let me tell you just a little bit about the show.

Essentially it is a game show, modeled after the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?”, where contestants are invited to play a variety of different games in which they only have a minute to complete. If they complete it, they move on. The more games they complete the more money they win. What's great is that most of their games use simple household items that you can buy very cheaply and use (ideal for youth budgets.) What's also really neat about this game show is that it has an interactive website where you can play games as well. The show airs on Wednesday nights at 8 PM Eastern on NBC and if you are currently not watching it or DVRing it, I highly recommend. The website for the game is below and I hope you'll check it out.

http://www.nbc.com/minute-to-win-it/games/