Terry Linhart's Blog, page 21

In favor of youth workers visiting students’ homes

Visiting students’ homes (or that of your favorite blogger) is a helpful practice.

I took David home from youth group; he needed a ride to his home and he lived about as far west from the church as anyone in my student ministry.  I gladly obliged, happy to get 20 minutes of time with David who had just recently started attending, but was having difficulty connecting with other students in the youth group.  As I pulled up to his rural home, I discovered one of the contributing factors: David came from a very unique family situation.  I won’t get into why it was “unique,” but as he invited me into this home and I met his parents and saw where he lived, I learned so much about David, many things that couldn’t be discerned from just watching him.  And that invitation into his home built a bond and a level of trust between us too.  From that forward, David and I remained connected and my ministry with him was more fruitful because of that trust level.

What could you learn when you find out that the picture is my backyard/house?

Somewhere along the way we in pastoral ministry have decided that calling, visitation, and spending time not running or managing a program isn’t what we’re to be doing.  The bases for that decision is unclear to me, though I generally hear something about volunteers who do that sort of thing.  It often sounds more like an avoidance of discomfort (see the story of the good Samaritan for an example in biblical days) versus a step toward something more reflective of pastoral practices or of biblical models of ministry.  What ARE the principles taught by Jesus in the good Samaritan story anyway?

I am not advocating cold-contacting where you just show up at a home unannounced. But I am saying that it would be profitable to  a night a week and set up a series of 4-5 30 minute visits of students and their homes.  If you’re a larger youth ministry, a team of volunteers could do this once a month with and you could divide in teams.

I remember visiting a LARGE west coast church for the research I did on the National Student Leadership Project (the books Contagious Faith and Evangelism Remixed came out of that work).  This youth group of 500+ (there were 800 high schoolers at the meeting I attended) high school students spent every Monday doing 5-minute visits to the homes of every first-time visitor who came on Sunday.  The youth pastor sent a hand written note in the mail and he and a handful of student leaders would just drive by the homes of visitors, stop for a high-energy California-style welcome, give a gift of candy or something fun, and then move on (without going inside) to the next house.  Some of our student leaders could do this really well and enjoy giving a night a month (you could rotate teams 4x a month) to do this.

For a church of 5000+, this communicated something really impressive to students.  If we’re building a community of people, we ought not to be running from relationship-building initiatives.

One of the simplest ways to do this for youth workers and their volunteer is to help provide rides for youth after church and school events when it’s possible.  There’s something about that “this is my home” moment that opens up all sorts of conversations.  Kel and I just had it happen a few weeks ago as we took home a friend of Sean’s from the church.  As we pulled into the driveway of the guy’s house, he just started talking about his family and all sorts of issues. There was something about sitting in a car outside of his house that made him feel comfortable with us.  We were in his world.

Have you had similar instances with students once you’ve been to their house?  In our disconnected world, finding ways to be connected, to build trust, and to build community seem imperative to fruitful youth work.

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YS Roundtable with Tom Bergler

I invited Tom Bergler of Huntington University to stop by and talk about his book, The Juvenilization of American Christianity.  We aired this video as the third in the series for Youth Specialties, though we shot it first.  Tom talks about his latest book, which created a lot of press and discussion (links to Jesus Creed blog by Scot McKnight), while giving youth workers a lot to think about.  If you haven’t read the book, this video will introduce you to its main points.

YS Roundtable :: Tom Bergler 2 from Youth Specialties on Vimeo.

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Who’s having fun?

This past week most of America has been watching “March Madness,” the final basketball tournament for large universities and upstart Florida Gulf Coast University has stolen the spotlight.  Only in their second year of eligibility to make the tournament, they have upset two better known teams to make the final 16 (out of 64) after being ranked as one of the worst 8 teams in the tourney.

The most striking feature of their play though is ….. THEY ARE HAVING FUN!   They are [passing (what? a pass in basketball?) dunking, laughing, dancing, and enjoying every moment along the way.  And making fans, including me.  It’s reminded me of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird playing for the title when team play, passing, and loving the game of basketball drove their will to win.

Who has fun anymore?  Anywhere?  Think about it:  Do people seem to enjoy their family?  Does anyone like their job anymore?  Does all of the stuff we have, the many movies and games we own, and our ability to eat out 4-5 times a week bring us joy?  Who’s joyful these days?  Do you know a Christian who is so close to Jesus that he/she just exudes joy?   Nehemiah reminded the children of Israel that the joy of the Lord is their strength (Neh. 8:10).  The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving” (Ps. 28:7).

Despite having more leisure time than ever, we’re stressed … and life is heavy.  Few seem joyful or content.   Most seem heavy, angry, or down.  The Western world and of all its affluence seems anything but happy.  Celebration is difficult for many, the language of celebrating unknown, and most “celebrations” are escapes from the problems of life versus a happiness for living life and being alive to work, create, and enjoy others.

You can see it in our sports.  Watch college basketball and you’ll see teams having anything but fun. Coaches over-coach, players are just trying to get their shot versus playing a team game, and at the end of a good play their reactions aren’t joyful but rather seem angry at the other team, an in-your-face anger.  .  Visit your local little league field where 12 year old’s get screamed at by coaches and parents, or football dads belittle their 10 year-old’s after a pee wee league football game….. that’s supposed to be FUN!

It’s why Bob Goff and his joy-full book Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World has captivated so many.  Bob reminds us that life was meant to be LIVED… not something we fight against or something we can control.  And out of that joy, that LIVING, we can love and make a difference in others’ lives versus seeing life as a competition against them.

So this week, the week before Easter (should be a day of celebration for Christians), I am on a joy-full quest to discover why I feel heavy and weighted down at times and joy seems elusive.

Who’s having fun?  Who’s living life to the full?  (John 10:10)

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The problem with theological litmus tests…

Have you ever felt unfairly labeled?

One problem with theological litmus tests is that they’re binary.  You’re either one thing or another.  Sure categories and stereotypes provide quick summaries about where people stand, but I generally find that people use them to push others to the side – what we quickly term “right”or “left,” conservative or liberal.

In conversations with other youth worker in recent months, I’ve heard more frustration regarding being labeled than I can remember.  Have you felt labeled unfairly?  

I even find left-leaning (see? I just did it!) folks who advocate centered-set thinking drawing lines in the sand too, “If you don’t believe this, then you’re just X” and yet fight  to not be labeled themselves in any direction.  And I’m sure I do this as well. The thing is that we don’t always know we’re doing it.  But we do it and it’s not helpful for the Church and its mission to the world.

The one that drives me crazy most often is how we theological types so quickly dismiss others’ views, if they perceive those views as (whoops, more labels coming!) mainline, charismatic, evangelical, or not.  The problem is that many litmus tests aren’t often concerned with core theological issues. They’re sometimes about peripheral matters and require minutiae-tic (yes, I made up a word) analysis of small texts of Scripture, if Scripture is even consulted at all in the discussion.

Here’s where the problem with theological litmus tests hits home to me.  I grew up in a mainline tradition, but with a strong commitment to following Christ, studying God’s word, and to evangelistic missions.  And, to be honest, I often feel most at home in mainline settings.  However, I teach at a fantastic evangelical school where, when you’re on campus, you can sense that God is active and at work.  I care deeply about evangelism. I enjoy being involved in Charismatic traditions because (I am a musician?… no that’s not it) I believe that the Holy Spirit changes and sanctifies lives.  I live in a Mennonite community where personal piety matters and quiet simple living provide a daily reminder that all of our consumeristic strivings may thwart the work that God wants to do in our souls. I feel at home in all faith communities. All of them shape my faith each week.

My head spins at times as I look left to friends who lay out a series of litmus tests to see if I align with them or else I’m “evangelical” as if that’s a bad thing.  I look right to folks who lay out litmus tests that keep changing year to year and aren’t even near the core tenets of the faith at times.  Some of these litmus tests are political, others quite reactionary, but many will fade in 20 years and join the dusty room of cultural concerns that masqueraded as theological or spiritual.

And then there’s the label of “youth worker.”  Heh heh.

Thanks for letting me vent a bit.  Where have you felt limited by a “litmus test?”  How have some of the labels that people have given you not adequately represented the diversity and depth that you possess?

 

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Camping Gear Review: The best solar shower

A hot shower makes camping go better.

For those of us who camp where there’s no power or hot water and who like a few comforts along the way (like good coffee), a hot shower is a real blessing.  I’m going to save you a lot of time, frustration, and disappointment:  The Advanced Elements 2.5 Gallon Summer Solar Shower is the only solar shower to get. Don’t get the other models that AE has and don’t go for the bigger 5 gallon bags (just get two of these then).  This one will be your favorite.

I’ve tried five of the leading models and sizes and this one has consistently outperformed the rest in marginal weather (all solar showers can heat water on hot sunny days) and been the most popular with the people I take on trips.   Here’s why:

It’s small size warms up quicker and on days where warmth and sunshine is limited.
The personal size makes it easier for folks who would have trouble hoisting 5 gallons of water up above their heads.
It’s design has been proven against larger designs and other models.
I’m seeing more and more of these with the experienced campers who camp where we go.
They’ve proven their reliability:  I’ve got two that have been reliably used for 3+ years each in the Boundary Waters and remote Florida settings.

We just came back from a trip where I took along another solar shower (I think it’s my fourth model to compare against the Summer Shower) and it was always the last one picked come shower time by campers.  Next trip, I’ll buy a third one of these so I can get a hot shower myself.

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Review of Coleman Portable Propane Coffeemaker

Have delicious coffee while camping!

For this year’s family camping trip, Kel said she was tired of the inconsistent quality of campstove percolator coffee. With five coffee drinkers now in the family who can tell the difference between various beans and blends, the pressure was on to deliver high quality coffee and a lot of it!   Fortunately, Coleman just came out with the Coleman Portable Propane Coffeemaker with Stainless Steel Carafe and we splurged to give it a try.  It was totally worth it.

How it works:  The coffeemaker uses a propane tank connected to a burner under the unit, which is lit by an ignition switch that actually worked every time.  One morning’s heavy dew caused it to not fire, but there’s an easy way to light the burner manually with a lighter stick.  The unit functions just like a drip coffeemaker from your kitchen, using a flat-bottom paper filter and a bunch of your favorite coffee (we featured our favorite, Casi Cielo from Starbucks this week in Florida).

The pro’s:  This makes coffee the way you like to drink it – and you’ll become the best friend of others in the campground (if you want to be generous) who boil grounds in fry pans, messing with percolators that overflow into the fire, and who stir in instant coffee into hot water.  It lights easily and within 30 minutes produces two pots of coffee that kept our two campsites happy, warm (it was a cold week), and caffeinated (read: not grumpy campers).

The Con’s:  These are more like issues or limitations and not really anything negative.  It’s a big unit and takes up a lot of pack

Good coffee makes a campsite a better place.

space. So this won’t work for backpacking or wilderness camping (like the Boundary Waters) unless you just loved your coffee so much it’d be worth the space.  I also would not characterize the unit as fast. The website says 15 minutes, but I say it’s more like

20-25 minutes. Finally, the reservoir doesn’t hold 10 cups of water.  I don’t know how this got past the engineers at Coleman, but it holds more like 8 cups.  I had to add the final 2 cups of water once the thing started, which I didn’t mind, but it is a curious drawback to me.

The carafe:  The unit we used (you can see in the picture) came with a glass carafe just like you’d get with a home coffeemaker.  I didn’t know that they came with more durable stainless steel carafes, which I would definitely recommend. I was so nervous about the glass carafe breaking and we’d be unable to replace it all week since we were camping on a remote island.   (I wonder, too, if the steel carafe may be smaller too, thus holding the same amount of water that the reservoir can hold.)

At first I wasn’t too thrilled about the big expense and the big space the Coleman Portable Propane Coffeemaker with Stainless Steel Carafe was going to take up. After a week of flawless coffee along the Gulf of Mexico, and as much as we all wanted, I was happy we brought it.

 

 

 

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Survey: What youth ministry book was a “game changer” for your ministry? (Giveaway)

This past week Seth Godin wrote that real-time news is neither.  He said, “Go watch an hour of cable news from a year ago… what were they yelling about that we actually care about today?”

It made me think about my field of youth ministry and the books that we clamor for and trumpet each year. Some received a LOT of press when they came out but today are rarely mentioned or discussed.  Others have seemed timeless and continue to inform the field.  Others may not have sold as many copies, but have a devoted following.

So, I’m curious for you,  which youth ministry book has most influenced and continues to influence your work in youth ministry?

As an incentive, on Friday I will randomly select someone from the comments below to win a FREE YOUTH MINISTRY BOOK OF THEIR CHOICE! 

And for every person who Tweets or ReTweets this post on Twitter that includes @TerryLinhart and a relevant hashtag in it (like #youthmin or #stumin or something from your tribe), he/she will get a second entry into the drawing.

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The winner of this week’s book giveaway is……..

This week I asked readers how many hours a youth pastor should spend with teens.  We drew from the comments, well Jayson did the random drawing from little scrunched up papers in my hand… and CASEY HASSELKUS (from Wisconsin) is the winner. She gets to pick one of my paperback books (and who wouldn’t want one of those, eh?) as her prize and we’ll get that to her as soon as possible.

Congrats and stay tuned for another book giveaway next week!

 

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YS Roundtable Episode with Barrett McRay

One of my favorite episodes from the first series of the Youth Specialties‘ roundtable show was my conversation on soul care with youth by Barrett McRay from Wheaton College.

YS Roundtable :: Dr. Barrett McRay from Youth Specialties on Vimeo.

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Why change is difficult. Or too easy (and then difficult).

Most of my week is spent coaching and teaching people who lead, coordinate, teach, or manage various groups.  I consult with people ages 18 to 83 who hold positions in youth ministries, nonprofits, local public schools, educational administration, publishing, and even a few CEOs of global corporations.

All are trying to keep up with change, the new constant of our culture.

Though the fundamentals of youth development haven’t changed much and the principles of how to deal with people have been consistent, the rate of change in other areas has been staggering.  Some of us have readily embraced the changes, seeing them as opportunities for innovation. Some of us have resisted for various reasons.

Sometimes our reactions to change are not the right ones.

Not every change is a good one.  I have seen young leaders who enter the workplace full of confidence and ideas, but lacking the discerning and often helpful balance of experience, go out and make a series of changes without a clear set of reasons or awareness of the organizational DNA.  Critical of anyone who opposes them, they eventually were dismissed or relegated to other positions and confused about what just happened.

What I’ve noticed is that all leaders generally have strong ego strength.  We have an ability to get things done, to lead with confidence, and an intuitive sense of how to marshal others to our causes.  We have ego – and this isn’t just something we get when we’re older. Young leaders can’t often recognize it, but they see it in older leaders who may be more hesitant to change.

“Ego in old age makes us hesitant to change.  Ego in youth makes us change without hesitation.”

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I’m working on a new adage for those of us who lead:  Confident leaders listen better.  The most crucial element to leadership in the midst of rapid change is to listen:  To people, to trends.  For the Christian leader, this would also include more reading, more prayer, and a closer connection to God’s Word.

Ego makes us miss the organizational clues that would be so very helpful in leading change, if change is needed at all.  We think we know what we’re looking at or discussing when a healthy round of listening would’ve been the best thing.  Young leaders often have underdeveloped listening skills too while older leaders think they’ve heard it all before.

Listening well require humility and a learning posture on the leader’s part. 

That’s the problem for many leaders.  And why change is difficult.  Or too easy.

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