Predictability is not all Bad

While it’s true that creativity is an important part of student ministry, so is predictability. Young people crave consistency and an effective youth ministry will provide it.  This is especially vital when it comes to the discipline policies and basic structure of a youth meeting.  Here are 10 “predictability check” ideas on what I mean:

1)    Make sure all parties involved know the process for misbehavior and make sure that all leaders follow it to the rule.  This will minimize distractions and you might find that it brings out the best in your students.

2)    Create a basic outline for youth meetings and follow it every week.  I would suggest opening with some fellowship time and a fun activity/game.

3)    If you have snacks at your youth group, build in specific times for munching and limit students to this time.

4)    As you move into the content, have a specific flow that you stick to.  I suggest opening with the scripture.  Here’s a hint, use the scripture that your pastor is preaching on.  You can choose to prep (the lesson before) or reinforce (the lesson after) the sermon with your youth meeting.

5)    Next, reinforce the sermon with some sort of media.  You can find clips for every situation on Youtube or Vimeo (even if it is from a cheesy bible movie).

6)    If you have a second text, sandwich the media piece with the two readings.

7)    Now create four or five open-ended discussion questions for the group to explore.  Yes/no answers should be treated as if they are the black plague.  Don’t try to steer things too much; you will be able to take things in the right direction with a wrap up (5 minutes or less) at the end of the night.

8)    You may pray at other times during the night but always close the night with prayer.

9)    Give students a few minutes to share praises and requests.

10) Challenge students to pray but don’t push them to hard.

Resource Review: Videos That Teach

I am always on the lookout for good resources that youth directors and youth pastors can use. One that is been around for a while is called "Videos That Teach” by Doug Fields and Eddie James . The basic premise of this resource is to take teachable moments from modern-day movies that you can use as discussion starters, sermon illustrations, r complete programs on various topics.

Currently there are four volumes of this resource that cover about 75 modern films in each volume. They are broken down by movies (in alphabetical order) or quick clip locators by topic or Bible reference. There's a section on how to best use this resource in each volume written by the authors. Each clip gives you information on the movie (specifically what the rating), when the clip starts and when the clip ends), Bible passages that relate to the clip and a list of 6 to 8 questions that you can use to help get the discussion started.

What makes this resource so appealing is its versatility.  If you are teaching on a specific Bible verse or topic you can search very quickly to see if there is a video clip that can be used to help drive your point home. Another appealing aspect to these resources are that they are very affordable costing about $13 per book. If you are in a local church within the Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church our resource center, Discovery Place, has all four volumes available to be checked out.

I highly recommend these resources and wish you luck in your creativity in how to use them in your youth ministry.

Thinking Inside the Box

We constantly hear that we need to, "think outside the box." Looking for the latest and greatest innovative program out there on the market to increase the size and scope and reach of our ministry. While this might need to occur, sometimes what you really need is tried and true, solid stuff. Stuff that is actually totally inside the box.

Ask yourself these questions as you look at planning the season ahead:

1) What has worked really well in the past year?

2) What is "classic" that would be fun to revive?

3) What were people talking about after last summer?

4) What is MY favorite event of the year?

5) Where did we see the most life change in the last season?

6) What is easy to plan but brings the ministry a big win?

Don't ever forget that the church was built around "Tradition." If we lose what we traditionally do for the latest and greatest, we might be doing more harm than good.

Magi's Lesson

Here’s a lesson for you to use for teaching from Matthew 2 about the Magi.

Thanks to Mark DeVries for this lesson from his Spice Rack downloadable curriculum at ymarchitects.com

http://bit.ly/TcTS53

there are also lots of other great resources for Mark DeVries, so check them out!

Questions to ask Mary and Joseph

One of my favorite authors is Max Lucado. On top of being an accomplished pastor, he is also an accomplished author that writes easy to read and relevant devotional books. One of my all-time favorites is his book entitled "God Came Near: Chronicles of The Christ." In that book one of the chapters he poses questions that he might ask Mary, the mother of Jesus. From that article I have adapted my own list of questions that I would ask both Mary and Joseph. Here they are:

What was it like to correct him?

Was he any good at woodworking?

Joseph, why did you stay and raise a child that biologically wasn't yours?

Did Jesus go through the terrible twos? (I have a two-year-old and could use some advice)


Did Jesus have any close friends?

Did he ever get hurt? How did you make him feel better?

What was his favorite food to eat?

Did you ever want to ask him about how he and made the universe?

Too often at this time of year we lift Jesus up on a pedestal not realizing that while he was fully divine he was also fully human. I hope is you celebrate this Christmas you will keep that in mind.

BTW-What questions would you add?

Video-Myths About Christmas

I found this great video that explains some myths about Christmas. It can be used as a great launching point for discussion with the youth group or even an adult small group. Enjoy!!

Youth Ministry Christmas Ideas

Decorate Youth Room Night – Tired of decorating the youth room? Get all the stuff ready and make one of your nights a night where you all pitch in and decorate the youth room for Christmas. You can break students  into teams and have each team be responsible for 1 aspect of the room such as lights. Have one team be in charge of getting the Christmas tree ready ect… Have rockin holiday tunes playing for the evening on Pandora or your favorite way to broadcast music and have fun together! Have some treats ready to go so that you can take a  break or when it’s all done – pig out together.

Student Christmas Tree – Basically – get everything you need to make a person into a Christmas tree. This is a lot of fun and you can divide up students into groups and pic 1 student out of the groups to be the volunteer to become the Christmas tree and then give a time limit and once they are all completed – judge 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. You can even give out prizes too! Make sure each group is prepped and has the same amount of stuff along with scissors and tape.

Host Your Own Community Christmas Party – Have your students raise money and host a party for your community! Turn your youth room or make it a non-church facility and turn it into a Christmas Party. Be as extensive as you want with prize give-a-ways, treats, karaoke to Christmas carols, and more. Invite the community to share the love of Christ. Your students can be involved in various aspects of the evening and the point is to serve and love your community.

Christmas Caroling – Do you remember doing some of this growing up? I do. Why not bring it back? Have your group or groups go out and do some caroling either house to house or in your local nursing homes. TIP: do some practicing because if some students haven’t ever sang Christmas carols before – then it’s kind of embarrassing showing up and nobody really knowing how it goes – lol. So just make sure there is a good handful of students/adults that know the songs before you head out so that your song/s don’t die out.
The “First Christmas” Skit – Do a skit with your group using the “First Christmas” (click the link to read about how). Skits are a powerful way of helping us to think and remember and respond to the meaning or message in the story.

White Elephant Gift Exchange – This is probably over-done – however – this is still a fun and easy way for students to have a gift exchange. A white elephant gift exchange is about wrapping up funny gifts and then everyone draws a number and the first person starts – opens a gift and then the 2nd person can take the first person’s gift or open a new one. This continues until all the gifts and exchanging are over. You can apply whatever spins and twists you like to game.

Un-plugged Acoustic Worship Night With Just The Christmas Lights On – I don’t need to expound on this one right? Select some Christmas or Christ-focused worship songs and have your student team or an adult that is up to snuff on the acoustic guitar lead the group in some worship songs. The only thing that is plugged in is your Christmas lights. I encourage you to just stick with the Christmas lights – so don’t paste words on a screen or anything like that. Another alternative is to use candles. Have an un-plugged evening of singing and testimonies in candle light! This has a great effect on the mood and students opening up to God.
What are your favorite Christmas ideas for Youth Ministry? Please share them with the rest of the readers below so we can see what it is that you do with your youth ministry.

Above every activity that you decide to do – keep CHRIST in Christmas! Focus on Jesus and you can never go wrong with your time together!

Advent Idea: Advent-in-a-Box

Try this idea to encourage your youth to spend some time focusing on the themes and texts of the Advent season.  Inspired by a 2011 post by Joel Mayward.

Prepare a small gift box with the following items:  shepherd nativity figure, watch or hour glass, baby toy, votive candle, greeting card with image of the nativity, strips of green and red construction paper (most of these items I just picked up at a dollar store). Print and cut out the texts below and tape them to the corresponding object in the gift box.  Invite one participant at a time to select an item from the box, read the text and corresponding question and pass the object around the group, giving each person a chance to respond. Note: You could do this as one large group (no more than ten would be good) or divide into smaller groups (with 3-5 people per group).

WAITING:Read from Luke 3: “As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John (the Baptist), whether he might be the Messiah, *16John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with*the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Advent is a season of waiting – waiting once again to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the way that birth changes the world.Invite each group member to hold this watchand answer the following question: What are you waiting for this Advent season (for example, in your personal life, at school, with your family, in the world, etc.) If you like, pass the watch around again and ask each person: What do you think God is waiting for? 

STORY: Read from Luke 2: “In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,*the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ “

Consider the nativity story. Pass around this greeting cardto each person and have them answer: Which character from the story do you most connect with, relate to, or see yourself as at this point in your life?The humble, smelly, outcast shepherds? The expectant (and potentially disgraced)mom? The worried, confused dad? The wandering magi bearing gifts? The angels bringing good news? The animals watching from the background? 

PRAYER:  Read from Colossians 3:“ As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”

Who are you praying for this Advent season (Yourself? Someone else?) Everyone take a slip of red or green paperand write the name of the person you wish to lift up in prayer on the paper. As you go around the circle and share your prayer concerns with the group one at a time, attach your prayers to form a paper chain, connecting your prayers together.After each person shares their prayer concern, respond as a group: “God, in your love, hear our prayer.”

SHEPHERD: Read Luke 2:8-14: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,*the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,*praising God and saying,14‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’* 

What a radical story we tell, claiming that the first people to come and worship Jesus were a bunch of dirty, peasant shepherds!These were people that most wouldn’t have given the time of day, and yet they are the ones who we follow to the manger.Scripture often refers to Jesus as a shepherd who cares for his sheep – as one who will lead others to the way of peace and compassion. Pass around the shepherd figure and ask each person to answer: Who is (or has been)a “shepherd” in your life that you are thankful for?Who is nurturing you? Who is guiding you and helping you find your way? 

LIGHT: Read from Isaiah 9: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.”

The Messiah was expected to be like a light in a dark world, especially to the poor, the hungry, the outcast, the marginalized, and the oppressed.For many people, Jesus wasthat light. But he also said, “You are the light of the world.” Pass around this votive candle and have each person share: How are you being called to be a light this Advent season? Where are you needed right now to illuminate some love and peace in the world?”

EXPECTATION:Read this passage from Luke where the teenager Mary discovers she will be having a baby: “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ *29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’” 34

In the story, Mary is pretty confused when she gets this news from the angel. And yet, very often the announcement of a new baby on the way is good news, a chance to celebrate new life.In Advent we prepare to share the good news that the same God who loves the world through the birth of a tiny, helpless, peasant baby, also loves the world through each of us…if we are willing. That’s pretty good news! Pass around the baby toy and have each person share: What good news do you have to share about your life right now? What can you celebrate?

Close by passing around the box itself and say: "Think about what gift you would most like to receive this advent season to help you be part of sharing the good news of Christ's love -- something that can't be bought in the store.  Maybe it's rest, self-confidence, or patience to deal with a friend." Pass the box around the room and have each person share. Close in prayer.

When Should You Higher a Youth Worker?

So your church is thinking about hiring a youth worker? Except you’re wondering when the best time would be to do this.

Here are some helpful hiring tips that just might make this job search go a little easier.

1)“Sustainable Youth Ministry” by Mark DeVries recommends 1 full time staff person for every 50 youth who are active somewhere in the life of the church. 25 youth means a 20-hr person and so 12-13 youth would mean hiring someone for about 10 hours a week.

2)What to pay? Go to the January 2012 issue of Group Magazine and check out their latest salary survey. They provide loads of stats and variables to consider.

3)Where to post your church’s position? Simply Youth Ministry, Youth Ministry Architects and Youth Specialties have the best job boards. Of course, your denominational office is good. Colleges and seminaries are a must. Plus? There’s always Craig’s List.

4)Pick 3 non-negotiables and 1-2 “these would be great IF” qualities in a staff hire. Head towards that.

5)Don’t set the hire up for failure by holding off everything till “the new person gets here.” The youth ministry belongs to the church and so does the Youth Minister's vision and values. The person you hire should be able to match up with similar skills and purpose.

I hope that is helpful and Good luck!

How to Lose Support of Parents

If you don’t get anything else out of this post, get this: 

Young People’s Ministry is about caring for

 the students AND their parents.

In Young People’s Ministry we have been entrusted for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of not only the student but their family and parents as well. We don’t always get it right. Below are 3 common places where Young People’s Ministry staff and volunteers miss the mark when it comes to the ministering of parents.

We Don’t Let Them Know What Is Happening in the Ministry-Young People’s Ministry can be one of the best-kept secrets in the church! How cool would it be if parents knew the lessons ahead of time and could have the opportunity to discuss it before they left for group? Or at least have some tools on the back burner to help them discuss at home what they learned at church. Too often we move from lesson to lesson and program to program without even the most basic communication to parents.

We Don’t Return Phone Calls-It doesn’t matter what type of communication you prefer. For many parents-hearing a voice over the phone is far and away the best message. When you don’t return a phone call it subtracts equity from your ministry. It doesn’t take long before you are overdrawn. If you aren’t a phone person… Who cares? You need to become one because a phone call is the love language of most parents these days.

We Keep the Spiritual Growth of Their Child a Mystery-As we care for their children, we need to keep parents in the loop of what is going on with their child emotionally and spiritually. A lot of youth and young adult workers want to gain the trust of the students they work with and so they make promises that they want discuss issues with parents. While I can understand the want to be “liked“ by the students, your first responsibility is for the care of your students. You only see your students for a fraction of the time… The parents spend far more time with them. Keeping them in the loop of how and what is going on with their child will en-dear you to them and will let them know that you truly care about their child.

There are many other ways to alienate parents. What are some of the ways you might add?

Leaders Are Learners

There is a famous quote that I really like:

“Leaders are learners-when you stop learning you stop leading.”

It’s a great quote, but it begs the question what makes someone a good learner? Here are a few possibilities to consider.

Someone Who Asks Thoughtful Questions - Someone who is curious and asks lots of good questions is hungry to learn. They are processing the information that has been provided, and now they are seeking clarification for an even deeper understanding. They know they need to learn and use the answers to those questions to propel themselves forward. If you want to show someone you’re listening, learning and leading, ask great questions.

Humility is Key - It isn’t easy, but a truly teachable person allows others to speak into their life through exhortation, encouragement, correction and coaching. Even when they aren’t asking for this. To be open to correction you didn’t know you needed. To be coached in areas you thought you had already mastered. To be pushed in directions you didn’t think you want (or need) to go. To learn from people who don’t know as much as you do.

Chances are the older, more experienced, more educated and more “successful” you are, the less teachable you are, too. While this is natural, it doesn’t make sense. In the fast-paced, ever-changing world of ministry, leaders simply can’t afford to quit learning.

Dealing with Disappointed Parents

One of the more common challenges in ministry is dealing with disappointed parents. You don’t have to be in Young People’s Ministry very long to have this experience. If you haven’t had this joyful experience…Is you will. And in some ways, it is exciting and encouraging when parents engage in their teenagers spiritual lives, even when that means they have taken an issue with your ministry.

Don’t sweep it under the rug or ignore it! Here are a few helpful steps to deal with parents quickly and  in a (hopefully) healthy manner.

Take a Deep Breath-This isn’t the first time that a youth or young adult worker has had to deal with conflict or disappointment. All of the greats in God’s kingdom have had to deal with disappointment -  you, too! God will use you and grow you through this experience.

Pray-Once you regain your breath, start here. Ask God to free you of anxiety, arrogance, or defensiveness. Ask God for the right heart, and commit to responding wisely and slowly.

Seek Counsel-If you’re unsure how to handle the situation, ask for help! Too often youth and young adult workers rushed this conversation or dismiss a serious issue in their attempt to get it over with. Take time to process the issue so you have some responses ready and some possible resolutions in hand.

Just Do It-You need to do this face-to-face. Own what part of it you need to. Learn from all of it. Have the conversation, set the appointment. Find a neutral place, and try to have a non-defensive posture. Make sure 100% of the issue is raised and addressed-the worst thing is holding back 10% on either side and having to do this all over again in 2 weeks after it blows up behind the scenes again.

Master the Art of “FEEL, FELT, FOUND.”-While it won’t work every time, this simple strategy is often quite effective.

“Mr. Smith, I can understand why you FEEL this way…”

“In fact, Mr. Smith, other parents have FELT the same way…”

“Here’s what we’ve (the other ministry leaders in the church including yourself) FOUND…”

Follow Up-When the meeting is over it isn’t necessarily over. Take the time afterward to process and then fix or address the problem. Do what you promised the parent. And follow-up. The worst thing you can do is not following up and might be more damaging than the original disappointment.

Key Elements to Youth Ministry

Key Elements to Reaching Young People from Warren Bevacqua

Student Leadership

One of the core beliefs that I have concerning Young People's Ministry is that Young People should be front and center in leadership.

This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. They can plan activities, lead Bible study lessons, organize mission opportunities, preach to the congregation, and teach other adults. If we do not put Young People into leadership roles, how else are they supposed to learn? 

Here are just a few benefits to giving Young People the opportunity to lead:

• It gives them real world experience and leadership.
• If they are the leaders of an event, they are invested and participation by other students will increase.
• It teaches them responsibility and accountability (if they don’t plan the program, then there is no program, and they have to and the responsibility.)
• Young People have various passions-Let them lead something that they are passionate about.

What other benefits would you list?

Allowing Young People to be in leadership and have mentors along to help guide them and love them unconditionally when they falter or fail is what student leadership is all about! 

YouTube Video Describing Christianity

This is a YouTube video by gentleman named Tyler Oakley. He evidently posts on a regular basis and this post has to do with his description of Christianity. Take a look and then ask yourself or a group the questions below.

1. What's your reaction to Tyler Oakley's description of Christianity? 
2. Did you find it funny? Accurate? Misleading? 
3. What would you say to Tyler about his video and his interpretation?
4. If this was someone's first intro to Christianity, what sort of picture do you think they'd have?

How To Plan a Programming/Teaching Calendar

Planning is key to any successful Young People’s Ministry program. A lot of people think that you can just throw something together and that that’s good enough, however, what I have found that the old adage is true “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Here are a few suggestions to get you started on planning a programming/teaching calendar.

Consider Working in “Thirds” - break down your calendar into categories. One example might be: 1) Christian Education; 2) Life Skills; 3) Felt Need. By doing this you will balance your programming/teaching calendar so that you do not focus on any one category too much.

Consider Series/Themes - if you’re leading a program or teaching a Bible study or Small Group choose a series that you will follow for 3 to 6 weeks. A lot of research has been done that the ideal timeframe for a series is no greater than 6 weeks. There are a few exceptions (confirmation class, disciple Bible study, etc.) but for the most part determining theme/series for a season of time is helpful. If you get really good at it you can plan a whole year in advance.

The most important thing to remember about planning is not to get lost in the plan. It is okay to get off schedule. The planning just helps you kind of like a roadmap. It helps students, parents and other leaders know where you are going so that they can plan their lives accordingly.

What do you think is the most important thing when it comes to planning ?

How to Produce Evangelistic Students

At its heart, Christianity is an evangelistic religion. We have been so moved by what Christ has done in our life that we are compelled to share it with others. However, one of the biggest problems that faces mainline religions like the one that I am associated with is that we have lost the passion to share what Christ has done in our life with others. Furthermore, we have experienced or witnessed evangelistic methods that are turnoffs therefore making the word “evangelism” a bad word.

Be that as it may, here are a few suggestions on how you can encourage students to share their faith with others.

Lead by Example-If you want your students to share their faith with others, then you also have to share your faith with others… This is a leading by example! This is a practice that Jesus used often. He didn’t just tell his disciples how they should share about the kingdom of God, he showed them. If you want your students to be evangelistic and share their faith with others, you need to model it for them.

Help Students Know Their Own Story-Students need practical ways to share their faith with their friends and family… One of the best ways is helping them articulate their own spiritual journey. If their story is filled with sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll-That’s okay because it’s THEIR story-but make sure the focus rests squarely on Christ and his redemptive work. If their story isn’t quite as dramatic, encourage them to point out how God is moving in their life. Either way, having everyone write out their personal story is a great way to help them build confidence around sharing their faith with others.

Create Opportunities to Share Their Faith-Every opportunity you get, have some students share their personal faith testimony. This can be done during worship, on a mission trip, on a retreat-ANYTIME! The more opportunities you allow students to share their faith stories with others the more confident they will become and the easier it will be for them to share it with their friends, family and even with people they don’t even know.

5 Practical Things you can do to have a Healthy and Relevant Youth Program Webinar PowerPoint

Webinar - Get Real-Youth Ministry for the 21st Century from Warren Bevacqua

Ministry Transitions

Summer is a season of transitions in young people’s ministry. Depending on how your local church program runs, you will have Grade School students joining the youth ministry program, junior high or middle school students joining the senior high program and graduating seniors moving on to college or post-high school jobs and life. This time of transition can be difficult not only for the young people but for the leaders of those various ministry programs. Here are a few ideas to help make these transitions as smooth as possible in your particular ministry situation.

Work in Harmony with the Other Areas of Ministry-All areas of ministry in your local church should work in conjunction with one another. The staff and volunteers that work in the various age levels throughout your church (Grade School, Junior/Middle school, High School and post High School) should be working in concert with one another knowing each other’s programs, keeping regular communication about calendaring events, and being aware of this transitional time so that a coordinated plan can be made to help all students make the transition well.

Prepare Your Students for What Is Ahead-Communicating with your students, staff and volunteers on these transition points will help everyone. As mentioned before, your local church should have a coordinated plan so that everyone (including students and parents not just staff and volunteers) know what to expect. This communication can be done in a variety of ways and should be understood by everyone involved. Pick the best way of communicating that works for your specific location.

Create Spaces for Questions- as a part of your transitional plan it would be good to have a time for Q&A. Invite staff, volunteers, those students that are affected as well as their parents and any other leaders you think need to be there to help relay proper communication and introductions to the various programs. One of the biggest problems in any ministry program is a lack of communication. If a ministry learns how to communicate well it can be successful.

Celebrate Every Step of the Way- Find a way to celebrate these transitions in an appropriate manner with each age group. That could simply be one big party, individual parties, a transitional fellowship dinner, etc. You know what will work best in your particular location.

Any transition can be difficult for anyone. But if you properly prepare, communicate and celebrate those transitions it will pay off in big dividends down the road.

Mission Trip in Connecticut

Blog entry number 2

Today we are nearly done with the week. I have a great group of guys who have been working incredibly hard. In fact, the entire camp has been working very hard. 

Every night worship we light candles on the altar to signify the number of jobs that have been complete below is a picture of last night's altar. 

It's amazing to see students from all over the country come together to serve people that they have never met before . If you get ever get the opportunity to go on a youth mission trip, TAKE IT!

You can follow us on Instagram (youngpplministry) or on Twitter @yngpplministry. And check out posts with the hashtags #SUSUMC, #SUSmissions, #authenticwitness