Posts filed under 'Ministry'
The Five Tanks Of Youth Ministry
Loving The Five Tanks Of Youth Ministry blog post by Jeanne Mayo. She writes about to be fully refreshed there are five areas we need to focus on, not just spiritual refreshment:
- The Spiritual Tank: In a church, a highly Christian environment, it is easy to talk about the Lord, referencing, praising and lovingly bragging on Him, yet without alone time with Him, our talk creates a false sense of relational maturity.
- The Physical Tank: Our physical tanks are critical to our overall well-being. The Bible describes our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit, yet how quickly we turn our temples into pizza eating machines.
- The Emotional Tank: For youth pastors, the emotional tank of life gets unusually low, and at some point, do not be surprised if you feel blue and withdrawn. I often tell youth ministers, never resign your ministry on Thursday (if your midweek service is Wednesday). Wait until your tank fills back up and then go after it again…and again.
- The Intellectual Tank: The Bible clearly states we are all spirit, mind, and body. If you continually study the Word from the same angle, you will find yourself growing very bored. Every two or three years, I change the type of Bible I study with, but in addition, I read other books, listen to tapes and keep myself on track to be a life-long learner.
- The Relational Tank: Every individual alive needs relationships. As a minister, you still need people who replenish you as a person, bring joy to your life and strengthen your walk with the Lord.
Great post, and really helpful for me, especially as I see myself getting tired because I’m not doing enough exercise as I should – playing fatboy football once a fortnight for an hour isn’t good enough.
How about you, which tank do you need to focus on refilling?
Add comment June 13, 2010
Books I have read: Simply Strategic Stuff
This afternoon I finished Simply Strategic Stuff: Help for Leaders Drowning in the Details of Running a Church by Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan. I love what Granger Community Church are trying to do, and read many of their staff’s blogs so it was with interest to read what Tim Stevens and Tony Morgan (now moved on) had to say about being strategic in church work.
This book is written for church leaders as a basic guide to both the long-term and short-term strategic and administrative running of church. It’s structured as 99 short chapters, with just over 200 pages,and written in a very easy style enabling the reader to either read
it through from cover to cover or to dip in and out of.
Some of my favourite chapters include:
- If it feels good, check the data
- Visit other churches and steal their stuff
- Maintain an appropriate span of care
- You can pick only two
- Focus on hot projects
- Create a culture that expects volunteers to do it before staff
- Partner for the long term
- Study your stats
The key thing I took from the book this time is we need to be better a keeping and analysing stats within our youth ministry – this enables us to better see what’s working and what’s not.
Add comment March 3, 2010
Books I have read: Mad Church Disease
I finished Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic by Anne Jackson tonight, a helpful book as I continue to reflect on what it means to slow and to rest more often. In one sense the book doesn’t say anything that most other books on rest and sabbath haven’t already said, but it’s structured in a very helpful manner: a discussion on the topic of burnout; a section examining some of the risk factors and symptoms; followed by five principles to be better balanced. I especially like the last section, highlighting the need for a holistic approach – not just a clock watching approach.
If you’re in ministry check this book out, you won’t learn lots of new things, but it’ll make you think.
1 comment February 1, 2010
2009 in review: Books
In 2009 I read and blogged on 58 books. Let me try and highlight some of my favourites from this year:
Youth Ministry
- Nurturing the Soul of the Youth Worker
- 99 Thoughts for Youth Workers
- Youth Ministry 3.0
- Hope and Healing for Kids Who Cut: Learning to Understand and Help Those Who Self-injure
- The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer
Ministry
- 7 Practices of Effective Ministry
- Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome
- Next Generation Leader
Theology
Other
1 comment January 4, 2010
Psalm 145 – series of golden nuggets
Felt God prompt me during our worship in church to drop my prepared talk on Micah 5 and speak off the cuff on Psalm 145 tonight to our young people. I think there are so many bits to take from this Psalm, have a read, I pray God will speak to you too through it:
A psalm of praise. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. [c14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
Add comment December 6, 2009
Youth Ministry Links
Some more youth ministry links and thoughts:
- Teenage girls ‘living on one meal a day’: Teenage girls are regularly skipping up to two meals a day because they think they are overweight, according to a new survey examining children’s lives.
- Auschwitz launches a Facebook page: The Polish authorities in charge of Auschwitz have launched an official site for the former Nazi death camp on the social networking website Facebook. A spokesman said the move was aimed at reaching the younger generation and educating them about the Holocaust.
- Facebook cuts drop out rates : Social networking websites such as Facebook are helping to reduce college drop-out rates, Gloucestershire College says social networking is used to keep students informed and in touch with staff.
- Supergirl meltdown: How middle-class girls today are under unprecedented pressure to succeed: Perfect grades, perfect bodies, perfect boyfriends, welcome to Generation Supergirl – the young women who are supposed to have everything.
- Cleaning Up an Event As You Go: Josh has some great tips on cleaning up events quicker, we’ve been trying to do something similar with our Friday night youth work.
- Points of Clarification for Young People: Michael Wade points some humourous observations for young people to take note of.
- The youth specialties/zondervan/youthworks story, from where i stand: Marko blogs on the YS/Zondervan news of the last few weeks.
- Catalyst, NYWC, Open Space and Future Conventions – part 1, part 2, and part 3: Mark Riddle expresses stuff that I really agree with about ministry conferences, I don’t always want big names, I want real ministers.
- The Brett Favre – John Piper Conspiracy: Stephen highlights John Pipers influence.
- Ministers Need Friends: awesome post by Adam on the need for support outside of church
Add comment December 3, 2009
Books I have read: Next Generation Leader
One of the benefits of a day off is a chance to read. I’ve just finished Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley. I loved this book for the constant nuggets that you find in it. Here’s a few to get your started:
The two best secrets of leadership are these: the less you do the more you accomplish, the less you do the more you enable others to accomplish.
What are the two or three things that you and only you are responsible for?
I once heard John Maxwell say, “You are most valuable where you add the most value.”
Leaders provide a mental picture of a preferred future and then ask people to follow them there.
Max De Pree made this observation: “An unwillingness to accept risk has swamped more leaders than anything I can think of.”
Uncertainty is a permanent part of the leadership landscape.
People will follow you in spite of a few bad decisions. People will not follow you if you are unclear in your instruction, and you cannot hold them accountable to respond to muddled directives.
The best thing to do sometimes is to open up the cage and face the 500 pound gorilla. He’s going to come after you anyway, so you might as well let him out.
Character is the will to d what’s right even when it’s hard.
A set of great quotes that I’m going to be grappling with over the next few weeks.
1 comment December 3, 2009
Books I have read: Energy Zappers
I’ve just finished reading Energy Zappers: Dealing with People Who Drain You Dry by Shaun Blakeney and Wallace Henley. I found it a mixed read, the concept is that they look at the many different types of people who can drain us in our work, for example: cynics, depressors, doubters, foot draggers and so on.
The concept is good, they write with good examples and humour about each of the type of energy zappers and then apply examples from Jesus’ life to show how we can handle these different people.
They try and cram so much into the book which meant it felt intense, and as though they were covering too many types of people.
If you feel like you struggle with people politics then this is a good book to dip in and out of, otherwise it probably shouldn’t be top of your reading list.
Add comment November 28, 2009
Theology and Ministry Links
Some links from the world of theology and ministry:
- Biblical Studies at the University of Sheffield: Maggi blogged on the University of Sheffield revoking their own decision to close their Biblical Studies course.
- Bishop calls on Christians to wear crosses in run-up to Christmas: The Bishop of Lichfield has entered the debate about the right of Christians to wear crosses or fish badges while at work with a call for Christians to demonstrate that they “aren’t going to disappear quietly from the market place.”
- Tim Keller: The Personal Story: Tim shares how his addiction to work were really selfish and idolatrous attempts to secure admiration.
- 16 Keys to Effective Elders’ Meetings: a summary sheet by Alexander Strauch summing up his book, Meetings That Work: A Guide to Effective Elders’ Meetings.
- Five Mistakes I Made As A Young Leader–Part One & Five Mistakes I Made As A Young Leader–Part Two: some really helpful thoughts from Perry which I’ll be chewing over time and again.
- Ministry: Rudiments of Wisdom: Bishop Alan Wilson reflect on 30 years of ordained ministry.
- Happy ‘atheist bus’ children are Christians: how ironic that the atheist bus advert used children who are Christians.
- Riding the Wave:Craig Groeschel writes a wonderful post.
Add comment November 27, 2009
How to start reading the Bible
A while ago Kem Meyer blogged on the top 5 places to start reading in the Bible, given it’s a question I’ll often be asked by young people, I thought I’d add my views on this. The crucial thing is that they aren’t too long, and are a good introduction:
- Mark / John … to learn about Jesus
- Acts … to learn about the early church
- Proverbs … fantastic widsom, bite-sized chunks to chew over
Add comment November 14, 2009
Chuck Swindoll at Catalyst
Chuck Swindoll spoke at Catalyst and I’ve been running his ten life and leadership lessons through my head over the last few weeks, well worth reading:
- It’s lonely to lead
- It’s dangerous to succeed
- It’s hardest at home
- It’s essential to be real
- It’s painful to obey
- Brokenness and failure are necessary
- My attitude is more important than my actions
- Integrity eclipse image
- God’s way is always better than my way
- Christlikeness begins and ends with humility
It’s a message I might try and buy a recording of.
Add comment October 28, 2009
Books I have read: Church Leader’s Handbook
When I spent time at Belmont Chapel they recommended the Church Leader’s Handbook edited by Harold Rowdon. I’m not sure how easy it is to get hold of a copy, I found one in a second-hand bookshop a few months ago, and have recently dipped in and out of it.
It’s a very good guide looking at what it means to lead a local church. With 51 topics contributed by 44 authors, covering leadership, activties, management, pastoral care, and legal and financial matters it is a very wide ranging book. This isn’t a book that you’ll often read cover to cover, but it is certainly a book you might want to dip into on occasion.
Add comment October 28, 2009
Books I have read: No Well-worn Paths by Terry Virgo
Life has been busy recently which has meant less time for reading so it was nice to finally finish No Well-worn Paths by Terry Virgo. I’m always a fan of biographical accounts of Christians and this one didn’t let me down.
I don’t go to a New Frontiers church but have had close links with a number of NFI churches over the years, so when I managed to pick up a copy of this second hand it looked to be a promising read. The book is a clear life story of both Terry Virgo and the New Frontiers movement which he founded.
What challenged me the most was that he always tried to act on the working of God through the Holy Spirit, and that he expected God to work. This leads to some very honest musings over the starting of the charismatic movement and some of the politics of that both at what was London Bible College and in the early ‘apostolic meetings’.
A book that’s worth reading, although I’m sure it’s due an update soon.
Add comment October 27, 2009
Theology and Ministry Links
Some links from the world of ministry:
- Do Reformed Charismatics Have an Image Problem?: nice article by Marcus on the image that still exists of charismatics and reformed Christians being polar opposites.
- Sex buyers beware: you are now a target: The Archbishop of York has tabled a bid to stop women being forced into prostitution.
- ‘Twitter Bible’ Converts Scripture into Mini Messages: A new so-called “Twitter Bible,” which summarizes the over 31,000-verse Bible into nearly 4,000 short-form tweets, is being released at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week.
- Christmas by Colour: Christmas by Colour, a not-for-profit exploration into the colours that shape our Christmas. Frustrated at the plethora of Christmas reds, whites and greens they decided to explore the colours people really associate with their Christmas.
- “Preacher-Onlys” are not good preachers: Tim Keller on the need to shepherd your congregation as well as teach and preach.
- How God called John Piper to be a pastor
Add comment October 18, 2009
Being team in ministry
I’m absolutely loving the banter and fun times that are happening in the office due to having our three ministry apprentices this year.
I want us to continue to have lots of fun together, but that actually we go deeper than that. In 1 Corinthians 12:12 Paul writes “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”
My hope is that together we …
- Capture the vision: we need to be really clear what it is as a team and as individuals we’re called to do. From our vision of every young person having life changing encounters with Jesus, we’ve developed a plan which includes 35 key targets for this academic year – I want the team to know what it is we’re chasing after, and critically what those individual targets contribute to that wider vision.
- Be real: the fun and laughter are crucial, but I hope we go deeper, there’s been moments when deep things have been shared with each other, I hope that openness and honesty continues to grow.
- Big up each other: let’s celebrate each other’s successes – already our apprentices have done some wonderful work, let’s keep using opportunities to celebrate those moments.
Add comment October 7, 2009
Theology and Ministry Links
Some posts from around the world of ministry:
- Why I Write in My Books: Tony Reinke has a helpful post about why he writes in his books.
- The average size of an American church : reflection on the difference of mean and median in church stats.
- 48 Questions to Becoming a Personal Accountability Superstar: Ed Stetzer compiles a list of 48 questions for accountability groups.
- Questions for Your Missions Budget: Kevin DeYoung writes four questions to help you think through the budget.
Add comment August 21, 2009
Prayer meeting
Tonight was Tonbridge Baptist Church’s monthly prayer meeting, and tonight we spent time praying for our week long youth camp which starts in ten days time.
We started with Psalm 84:10 – what we desire for our young people – a day in God’s presence is truly better than 3 years of life in Tonbridge and beyond:
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
This was followed with some worship reflecting on God’s faithfulness. Tonbridge Baptist Church has been around for over 140 years, there are many, many examples we can give of God’s faithfulness, so let’s be expectant to see God work this year.
After a bit of information on where we’re going, we prayed through our spiritual sessions, the activity programme, health and safety, and catering. There were then sheets of paper with every camper, leader, and leader’s children for people to pray over.
I came away with a strong sense that although there weren’t many people, there were some incredible prayer warriors there battling on our youth work’s behalf – it’s great to know we have people like that on our side.
If you’re interested in praying for our youth work, check out twitter.com/youthtbc
Add comment August 12, 2009
Books I have read: It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get it and Keep it
I finshed It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get it and Keep it by Craig Groeschel this morning and loved it. Craig is one of those guys who is really easy to read – partly because he is so honest, he says it as he sees it.
He takes the challenge of talking about it – the thing that some people and churches have – seemingly regardless of size, denomination, style, structure. The thing that all of us in church life long for. He starts with the near impossible task of trying to define it.
The majority of the book is taken up with trying to highlight what contributes to it. His short list includes:
- Vision
- Divine focus
- Unmistakable camaraderie
- Innovative minds
- Willingness to fall short
- Hearts focussed outward
- Kingdom-mindness
I especially resonated with the last three. As we start a new year, we’re going to be taking on some Ministry Apprentices – young adults who want to take a year to serve in our ministry. I want them to be bold, to get on and go with what God is calling them to do, not to be worried about failure, I want to challenge the perception that we can’t fail.
In our youth ministry we’re at a time where we’re looking outwards, as a large church we can be great at just trying to teach and disciple our young people, and to some degree being happy with the 150 teenagers we see each week, and yet there are over 400 teenagers in our local area who don’t know Jesus – let’s reach them.
To do all of that we mustbecome kingdom focused – not a Tonbridge Baptist Church kingdom, or a Chris Kidd kingdom, but a Jesus kingdom in Tonbridge. It’s why I love hanging out with other church youth leaders because together we can accomplish so much more.
I loved the little profiles from leaders such as Mark Batterson, Mark Driscoll, Perry Noble, and Tim Stevens to mention a few. They bring real practical depth to Craig’s writing.
The last two chapters focus on our personal response as church leaders, and that all important need for our heart to be focused on the right things. Again Craig is disarmingly honest, which is refreshing and needed.
This was a book that left me itching to get off my holiday and back to work and to our ministry – always a great sign in a book.
Add comment August 7, 2009
Books I have read: Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome
I’ve read Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes a number of times, so when I spotted Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome I was very keen to grab hold of it and read.
It didn’t disappoint. At 198 pages of text it isn’t long, but is very focussed on one point – faithfulness is Biblical way to measure success. When ministers act as God’s faithful servants they have been successful in their ministry – whether that is in a large or small church, whether they preach regularly to big conferences, or are an accomplished author, or they regularly preach to 10.
Hughes balances illustrations from his and others ministries with great biblical points. In one sense it doesn’t say anything new, but it does present it forcefully and coming from a heavyweight such as Kent Hughes brings credence to the arguments. The focus has to be on yourself serving God, and when you have the disciplines in place to pray, to live with a holy attitude, then you will be being successful in your ministry, regardless of how often you get into the media etc.
If you’re in ministry please do read this book. It reminds you to focus on your relationship with God, and your disciplines before worrying about your public reputation or recognition.
1 comment August 1, 2009
Theology and Ministry Links
Some links from the world of theology and ministry:
- Bookkeeping: a post by Bishop Nick Baines on biblical illiteracy.
- Top 5 commentaries Keith Mathison shares his recommendations on each book of the Bible.
- Tools for Preaching Proverbs: CJ Mahaney posts some great thoughts.
- The History of Martyrdom: Christianity Today has a helpful post in the history of Martyrdom.
- 10 Ways to Create Margin: Wonderful post on the need for margin in the calendar.
- Beach Labyrinth: Maggi points out a great looking labyrinth.
Add comment July 2, 2009


