Multempire - Thoughts on Youth Ministry

Amanda Drury - Teen Apathy in Faith and Forming an Immersive Faith via The Youth Cartel’s Summit. http://adammclane.com/

Tim Hawkins - Christian Comedian - We showed this video to get the night kicked off.  The kids were laughing at the silly over-dramatic poses, and they knew the “Jesus Take the Wheel” video, so this was so right.  The story is hilarious, but shows how friends can help each other, even if in a ridiculous way.  Start off with this video for breaking the ice in your youth group sometime.  And check out Tim Hawkins sometime.  Very funny.

What Do We Make of the Riots. This Youth Worker tries to make sense of society and its reaction to the riots and how it degrades the humanity of all those involved.  The image of young people in British society is at issue, so is the animalization of other humans (degradation).  

I walked the streets of Croyden (outside of London) two days after the riots ended and saw the boarded windows, though life seemed to be returning to normal.  It was the self-reflecting, the punishments, and the editorializing in the papers that brought light to many issues in British society, but which have parallels to America as well.

Thoughts that come up in my mind as I watched this:

(1) How we view young people (and their role in society) is a social justice issue that needs to be part of our culture’s conversation.  They cannot just remain a monetized group with no purpose or vision for life - let alone the issue of joblessness.

(2) The vision of young people as trouble makers and responsible for the ills of society is disproportionate to the actuality (note the stats on who actually participated in the riots - 80 percent adults).  

(3) Punishments on young people, when they are used as a scapegoat, are much more severe than punishments on those wealthy elites or politicians who perpetrate much greater crimes (note last frames on comparison of punishments).

I watched this and was fascinated.  Partly because I can’t stop listening to the English accent, but also because the anger and the disconnection between the rulers and the young people is something the US has been dealing in different ways (Columbine?).

When people have no purpose and are given no dignity or goal, and time widdles away,  sooner or later something is going to burn.  

As youth workers and ministers, what is our role in this?  How do we address anger in youth?  How do we point them to hope in Christ?  Hope in a future for them, their families, their dreams?

(Source: http)

Parenting is a noble profession.  Share this video with your parents to start some discussion.  It may be an ad, but it is powerful.  

Great Opener Video for a Hard Talk about Fear and God.  From Central Christian Church - very interesting.

Great Creative Gospel Presentation that points people towards the Bible.  Great video from YouthMinistry360.

This is a great video (1) Because it is funny (2) Because it is true (3) Because it is smart and produced well.  The point of the video is simple: There is the youth minister you wish or think that you should be, and then there is the Youth Minister that your youth need - Which is What You Are.  Enjoy this hilarious, yet encouraging film about doing Youth Ministry. I’m going to share this with my team ;D

“I’ve seen it all” Music Video.  Great watch for all YM’s out there.  Blow off some steam and enjoy this one.  Love it.

Need a fun Opener?  Have a few Star Wars fans in the group (what group doesn’t?) - This is a great icebreaker for those nights when you’re not sure how to kick off the games.  Especially on a competition night! Get creative with some colored foam noodles and some football helmets and you’re bound to have an amazing amount of fun together!

I don’t like to toot my own horn, but I made my first video message.  Not spectacular, but edited and its on a favorite scripture verse of mine.  This is my first video “message” to our youth group.  We had a lot of positive feedback, so I hope to do this creatively and well.    First, it shows how much Jesus loved the Gentiles and illustrates that Christianity is a universal faith reaching out to all people.  Second, it shows how Jesus was willing to model reaching out in radical ways to show us how we can do it also.  The woman here picks up on it and an entire community realizes, “Hey, this Jesus guy is for real.”  I love this passage in scripture.  Sticking your neck out is a good thing when it is for a higher cause.