Reggie Joiner's Blog, page 8

10 Ways to Appreciate Volunteers

If you’re a leader in ministry, you know how important volunteers are. They are the ones who . . . 

 

help programming run smoothly.

develop personal relationships with kids.

show up week after week to influence the next generation. 

 

For a role as important as that, we as leaders must know the best ways to honor and appreciate volunteers. 

 

Let’s face it, honoring our volunteers means more than making sure they have the lesson and show up on a Sunday. Think about what makes you feel seen and ...

Why You Should Use Curriculum (Even If You Never Use Orange)

I began a music internship at a church when I was sixteen, and I have been in ministry ever since. Working in and with churches is the only thing I have ever really done. I am like a lot of church leaders who simply believe the church is our best hope to influence a generation to follow Jesus.

 

Honestly, I am a little skeptical about non-profits or parachurch organizations (even Orange) unless I understand how they support the local church. There’s a lot I don’t know how to do: I can’t fix a ca...

The Difference Between the Orange Conference and Orange Tour

Have you ever been to the Orange Conference before? What did you like most about it? 

 

Have you ever been to the Orange Tour before? What did you like most about that? 

 

Over the years, two of the biggest family ministry events over the course of the year have been the Orange Tour and the Orange Conference. While they may both appear to be similar, they are both unique and can help serve your ministry leaders and families in your community in a powerful way. Here is a breakdown of their unique...

How to Plan Your Ministry Year

Part of being a leader is making what feels like a million decisions–decisions about everything from what Bible verse to teach to what pool noodle game to play at camp. However, few decisions are as extensive and important as the decisions you make about your plan for each ministry year. That’s why before you make any decisions, there are actually some questions you need to ask:  

What do you want kids to grow up and believe?

What exactly is the responsibility of a volunteer?

What are you hoping...

Toni Collier’s Favorite Resources to Help Fight Comparison as a Leader

If you work with teenagers, you know they have a tendency to compare themselves to others. The grades they’re getting, the people they’re dating, the friends they have, the clothes they wear, the highlight reel on their social media–it all feels like one long list of what others have that your students just don’t! 

That’s also why we partnered with our friend and Founder of Broken Crayons Still Color, Toni Collier, to talk about comparison in our new series, “Caught Up” for XP3 Middle School and...

Is My Curriculum Deep Enough?

There is one question that plagues many church leaders as they determine what to teach, what curriculum to use, and how to spend the limited hours they have with the kids and teenagers in their ministry.

 

Is my curriculum deep enough? 

 

After all, the average student will be in our programming for less than 40 hours a year. 

 

That’s less than 40 hours to teach and influence the next generation and build a spiritual foundation that lasts far beyond their time in our ministry. 

 

So, the pressu...

Restoration Through Spam: An AANHPI Reflection

Uproarious laughter erupted from the otherwise quiet Sycamore Room; inside this room, one of the many Orange Conference Meet-Ups was coming to a close. Meet-Ups allow for the thousands of conference-goers to break into smaller spaces, for connection and conversation around specific topics or commonalities.

 

Before we wrapped up this particular Meet-Up, we awarded what turned out to be the most coveted prize, hence the high-fives and hilarity: cans of Spam! To the majority of conference attendee...

2023-24 Orange Kids Scope & Cycle Resources

What if you knew exactly what you would be teaching in your children’s ministry and when you would be teaching it?Plan further in advance with a strategy in mind.Stop wondering what you’ll teach next week.Shop themed decorations ahead of time.

With Orange Kids Curriculum, you get detailed insight on this coming year of ministry from August to July. We plan our year with the scope and rhythms of a family’s life from the start of ...

2023-2024 XP3 Scope & Cycle Resources

What if you had a roadmap for the next year of ministry? You could . . .

 

Plan further in advancePlan what you teach with a strategy in mindStop wondering what you’ll teach next week

With XP3 curriculum, you get a plan for the next three years of ministry, and detailed insight on each coming year of ministry. We help you plan ahead through our 3-Year Plan called a Scope & Cycle (released every three years) and a 1-Year Plan calle...

The Rise in Anxiety for Teens & What You Can Do

Almost everyone can relate to anxiety. Anxiety is a normal human response. However, sometimes it takes more control of us than we would like. And if you ask a teenager what anxiety feels like, they might say it feels like… 

 

an elephant sitting on my chest

someone else is controlling me

there are 1,000 thoughts in my head

 

We are living in a time where various degrees of anxiety are affecting young people at alarming rates. Research consistently shows that anxiety is the number one mental heal...