Reggie Joiner's Blog, page 17

The Importance of Loving Yourself First

What did Jesus say that matters most? Since you’re a youth pastor, this might feel like a trick question, but humor me for a minute and let’s look at what Jesus said: 

 

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37b-39 NIV)

 

Simple, right? Love God and love other people.

 

As someone who grew up in church, if there were two thi...

Elevating the Voice of the Next Generation

One of the things we’re most passionate about around here at Orange Students is creating content that encourages teenagers to develop an everyday faith. Not just a faith they have at church or when they’re with their small group. But a faith that is with them at home, at practice, at school. A faith that is with them when they are alone and when they’re with people. A kind of faith that goes with them everywhere, into everything.

 

Personally, my favorite thing we do in every season of curriculu...

How to Define the Win For Every Volunteer

We all know it. We all say it. Volunteers are the backbone of our ministries. In the middle of our fast-paced, Sunday-is-coming grind, it’s pretty easy to lose sight of just how much they’re contributing to the ministry machine.  But really, every volunteer team you’re training is a reflection of the organizational structure of the church-at-large. 

 

Let’s think about it. Often lead pastors employ a staff to lead different aspects of church operations. Worship, discipleship, connections, kids a...

Dos and Don’ts of Engaging Middle Schoolers in Large Group

Have you ever been in front of a room full of middle schoolers and wanted to throw something at them? Was there a moment when you’ve felt like they make it simply impossible for you to teach?

If you have, then you’re not alone. Because there’s something about being in a room full of middle schoolers that leaves you wondering, “Are they even capable of listening?”

The truth is a room full of middle school students requires a lot more room management.  While you can let middle schoolers in a Small...

Ways to Contextualize the XP3 Teaching Script

Did you know that there are usually over 40 contributors to every XP3 series?! FORTY HUMANS! Do you want to know who the most important contributor is out of all 40+?

 

Well, it’s the 41st. YOU!

 

Even though a team of 40+ spend over 400 hours putting together one XP3 series, the most important contributor is YOU. The ministry leader who knows your church, community, and students better than we do! That’s why no XP3 series is finished until you have a chance to contextualize it. 

 

“Contextualiz...

Encouraging Volunteers for the New Ministry Year

My car has this obnoxious DING and flashing countdown to warn me that it’s time to get it serviced. It is so incredibly hard to ignore! 

 

I sometimes wish that everything in life had this giant warning light when it needs attention. Coming from a wild summer season, my warning would for sure be flashing reminding me to take some time to care for myself.  

 

As ministry seasons go, the transition from summer to fall can be THE MOST exhausting. 

 

You have asked your volunteers to give up their v...

The Importance of Contextualizing 7 Segments for XP3

Did you know that one 4-week XP3 series takes over 400 human hours to complete? But do you want to know an important secret?

 

Even after 400+ hours, an XP3 series is STILL not ready for your students. 

 

One misconception of XP3 and any curriculum is that it’s designed to be plug & play. Meaning, you use a curriculum so you don’t have to worry about what you’re going to teach. We certainly want to help give you a strategy and structure. But there’s still some work to be done between getting XP3...

4 Ways to Engage Every Kid in Your Ministry

As kidmin leaders, one thing we can count on every Sunday is those unexpected behaviors from the children we serve. When kids seemingly “disrupt” ministry on Sunday mornings, there is more to consider than just the behaviors we see, especially in this post-pandemic setting.

 

We could do a quick google search for the best crowd control strategies that would, at best, temporarily engage and reroute the kids that stumbled off our best-laid plans. 

 

But, building lasting engagement takes more than...

How to Train Every Volunteer Every Month This Year

You asked for it, and we delivered.

 

Volunteers matter more now than ever. And we believe every church needs a simple and effective plan for inspiring and equipping them consistently.

 

Beginning August 2022, all Orange curriculum subscribers will receive free monthly volunteer training courses for the whole year!* Our team put together some of our favorite ministry minds to develop a plan for training volunteers beyond just one event or one day per year. Each course will focus on the natural r...

Why Faith and Character Matter

Putting Faith in Action: Our Strategy for 252 Curriculum

I remember a children’s organization asking a strange question several years ago in a survey they did with parents. “Would you rather us teach your kids about God or character?” The question seemed oddly leading. I simply wrote into the margin,

“I would like you to teach my kids about God and character.”

Our team at Orange wrestles everyday with the real tensions that we believe exist in discipling a generation. Whenever you tend to treat ...