Help for Young Life Leaders NOW

Two days ago the vans and buses of Capernaum Week at Lost Canyon pulled away and I wrapped up speaking to hundreds of my new friends. While the week was full of so many blessings and lessons learned (about Capernaum ministry and myself), I want to talk about the Jesus Storybook Bible.

The Jesus Storybook Bible (JSB) is a collection of 44 stories from the Old and New Testaments which highlight that “every story whispers His name”. It is important to note that the JSB does not attempt to be a formal translation of the Bible (I will comment on that more in a later post). Instead, the JSB captures the overarching heart and message of the gospel of Jesus through 44 biblical stories.

The JSB has won many awards, not just for its commercial success, but for its quality content. Tim Keller wrote: “I would urge not just families with young children to get this book, but every Christian–from pew warmers, to ministry leaders, seminarians and even theologians!” (For more see here, here, and here.) While I am not Tim Keller, I am a pew warmer, ministry leader, seminary graduate, and a theology professor/theologian, so I can attest that I agree with Keller!

Note: For my club talks I used the Jesus Storybook Bible without the pictures so it was easier for me to read. You can find that here.

I would like to highlight 3 reasons why I loved using the Jesus Storybook Bible in my Capernaum Club Talks Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever wanted to know more about a specific word in the Bible, what it meant in the original languages? For some people, the answer is: Nope! But, for others, the answer is: Yes! Give me more!

In Young Life, we speak the language of teenagers. It is a language that we typically have keep up with since it changes all the time. We work hard at it and knowing the language of teenagers helps us achieve our goal of communicating clearly the great news of Jesus Christ.

Our English language is fortunate to have a wide-range of excellent translations from the original languages of the Bible. Yet, sometimes English can’t capture all of the nuances of a different language. For instance, you may have heard that the English word “love” has several meanings in New Testament Greek (though sometimes the differences are pushed too far). Identifying the precise meaning of a word is one reason why you might be interested in doing a word study in the original languages of the Bible.

You may know that I’ve taught part-time at a local Christian university for a bunch of years and that I’ve gone to school for biblical studies and theology for wayyyyy too long. I’m always trying to find ways to make the most of that nerdy stuff for my heros: Young Life leaders! (By the way I’m a leader too.)

So, I’ve put together three simple 10-minute videos to help you get started:

Part 1: Basic foundations
Part 2: Looking up information (online at Blueletterbible.org)
Part 3: Example

Just a note: These videos are really only the tip of the iceberg on this topic and only utilize free resources available online (which aren’t the best or most updated). Yet, the videos will give you a good introductory understanding and skill set to learn more about how to do original language word studies in the Bible. I hope they are helpful as you share the great news of Jesus Christ.

Sean

Part 1: Basic foundations

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Hey there friends, I haven’t been able to post as frequently as I’d like. I’m in max-hustle mode especially as I try to finish my PhD thesis by January (fingers crossed). But, I’ve been cranking along as I normally do making things for my club and my area that might also be helpful for others. So rather than making seven individual posts, below are seven things you might be able to use… all wrapped into one post. I hope they are helpful! Blessings on all the amazing work you do my friends!

1. Marshmallow Club

Two weeks ago we did Marshmallow club. We are still finding marshmallows in our club room and digging them out of our carpet, but it was a blast. You can find the club plan HERE.

2. Froyo Club

Nothing is as cool as frozen yogurt, well OK… maybe lots of things are. But, we still have a great plan for Froyo club. I tried to get a frozen yogurt machine brought in for club but it didn’t work out, maybe you can pull that off! You can find the club plan HERE.

3. New Spotify Playlist for Club 2016-17

In my history with YL (which began in the early 90s!) I can’t remember a time which was more difficult to find great club songs that are sing-able and also are clean. When will Taylor Swift please come out with a new album?!? Maybe Kelly Clarkson will make a comeback? Probably not. In the meantime I’ve created a playlist for background music for my club. While I did my best to sort out sketchy stuff I’m sure it isn’t perfect, use your own discretion. You can find the playlist HERE.

4. Tutorial using Typorama to make YL graphics for social media

While we shouldn’t over-rely on social media for communication, we all know it is important. Social media requires great graphics. I would love to know what you are using to make your graphics. In the meantime, here is what I am using right now: Typorama. You can find a short tutorial I made HERE.

5. Snapchat YL promo ideas

I’ve received a ton of feedback about Snapchat Geofilters for club (original post on how to make them in 6 steps HERE). Thank you for the messages! One YL leader showed me the analytics from his event were their YL Geofilter received 10,000 views for one event. Wow. Here are some creative uses I’ve heard about:

-Set up a Geofilter at the school at lunch (of before school) when you are doing contact work. Kids who are just using Snapchat at that time will see your Geofilter too (even if they don’t use it).

-Set up a Geofilter for a big event like a football game or a school dance (Homecoming, etc.)

-Create a contest or a game where kids need to use the Geofilter you set up and then send you a screen shot of them using it. You could use this to win a t-shirt, money off of weekend camp, or pretty much anything.

6. Free Snapchat Geofilters

I ran a brief contest for a generic YL Geofilter for Homecoming. You can find the winning design HERE. Thanks Josh Roubik from Flagstaff WyldLife!

Big thanks to Brad Voight (@BradVoigt) for providing these simple YL and WL Geofilters for all to use. Dropbox with the files HERE).

7. Gospel of Matthew Talk Helps: Talk Tuesday!

Last year I went through the Gospel of John and passed along some tips and ideas for club talks. This year I am going through the Gospel of Matthew. I try to do it on Tuesdays (hence, Talk Tuesday!) but sometimes it ends up being Talk Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday… You get the idea. I have switched from Periscope to Facebook LIVE. Facebook LIVE seems to be a much better platform and gets much more engagement. The YouTube videos have over 1500 views, so glad I could help 1500 club talks in the last year just a little bit with these videos! You can find the full details HERE and the YouTube list HERE.

Think ideas like these might help another leader in your club, your area, your region, or maybe someone who just became a leader? Consider signing them up to get emails automatically HERE (with their permission!)

I’m guessing a lot of you are making your semester plans. Part of our semester planning includes planning out our club talks.

Last year we continued the approach I like to use by going through one of the Gospels all year long. We went through the Gospel of John.

Each week I made a one page handout and a 15 minute (approx.) video with some ideas about how one might approach giving a talk on each chapter of the Gospel of John. We didn’t end up doing John 20 and I was gone all summer so it is missing, but the rest are there. Maybe I’ll go back and do John 20 one day!

I’ve made a zip file with all of the one-page overviews and a one-page summary of the entire year. You can download the file HERE.

You can see all the videos in the YouTube playlist HERE.

I’m heading into an extra busy semester (hopefully finishing up my PhD and a few other big commitments) but, with my sweet wife’s encouragement and requests from leaders in my local YL area, I’ve decided to do “Talk Tuesdays” again this semester. We will be doing Matthew. I’ll keep you updated (mostly on Twitter).

Many blessings on a new year of ministry! –Sean

PS: Thanks for all the encouraging messages about the One Year New Testament. I’m excited so many college freshman groups, leadership teams, leaders, and kids are using it! 

PPS: If you are looking for some campaigner resources, you might want to check HERE.

Recently I started trying out Snapchat Geofilters for YL events. If you don’t know what Snapchat is… just ask a teenager, they will tell you. If you don’t know what a Geofilter is… see my last sentence. Briefly, Geofilters are location based graphics to add over Snapchat pictures. For a short video click HERE.

Why would you do this? First, it is fun! Second, kids love them. Third, it is an excellent way to get the word out about YL and WL events.

You can find out all the details from Snapchat HERE. I’ve also put together a little “How-To” below. Enjoy!

Step 1: Make the graphic

The graphic must be a 1080 wide x 1920 tall web-optimized .PNG. If that sounds like a foreign language to you, go to an organic cold brew coffee shop and ask anyone who is wearing sunglasses indoors and a retro hat (either a Smokey the Bear type or possibly a Fedora) to translate that for you. Alternatively download the free graphics program GIMP HERE and then use the template I’ve made HERE. For inspiration look HERE. When you are done, save it, then “export” as a “PNG”. If you need help with design you can contact me.

Step 2: Pick the date and time Read the rest of this entry »

For most of the summer I have had limited access to internet, on assignment, and sadly, not able to post at all. However, I have some exciting news to share with you. My wife and I have published a new resource that might be helpful for YL leaders; it is the New Testament in a Year.

Briefly, the New Testament in a Year organizes the entire New Testament into 365 daily readings and includes an introductory thought for each day as well as questions to process each daily New Testament reading. The focus is on getting the most out of your daily reading of the biblical text yourself with minimal distraction.

The longer story is that for nearly a decade Erin and I have been leading a weekly Bible study for college freshman (FYL) in which we read through the New Testament in a year. From the beginning, we knew the format we were looking for, which was a daily New Testament reading printed for each day of the year (Ex: Matthew 1 on January 1). The only published version of this format was for “Busy Moms” and “Busy Dads”… not exactly ideal for college freshman. The looks they got in their dorms from friends were pretty hilarious. Most put stickers on the covers. Also, the brief comments and questions were largely irrelevant for people who were not moms and dads. Eventually, Erin and I decided to put together one on our own.

For the last year, we used the version which is now available to everyone. We tested the comments, questions, and introductions to each book of the Bible on our college freshman friends. We made some adjustments along the way and now we want to make it available to others.

This could be a great resource for a college Bible study, FYL, campaigners, YL leadership (for one year), individual discipleship, or just simply for yourself.

You can find the full details and a sample HERE. You can find some tips about how to lead a group through it HERE.

I’m certain it isn’t perfect, but we hope it is helpful!

I’m about to head out to camp and then soon after that I’m off to my summer assignment. Before I do, I wanted to pass along a few things that might be helpful.

#1 One-on-ones Continued

I asked you all for some input on this, and I got it! Thank you! I had too many good ideas to incorporate them all but here is the scoop… In our area, we are challenging all of our leaders to continue their camp one-on-ones with individual students when they get home. We gave all our leaders the sheet below (and formatted it so it could be folded into a business card size shape for the wallet/purse) and asked them to think through the kids they will be with at camp and pencil-in which activities might be best for them. If you pre-plan and know what you are going to do with kids in advance (though you can always change it), it makes it so much easier. Below is a Word file with the ideas and then a pdf of the formatted file we handed out.

One-On-Ones Continued (Word File)

One-On-Ones Continued (Folded handout PDF file)

#2 Camp Club Plans

Back in the day, I did program… a lot. In the last decade or so I haven’t done many programs, but guess what I’m doing this summer? Program! Woohoo! I know one thing for sure, I’m not the funniest program person, but I am good at writing things down. So, I thought I’d pass along at least one thing to help anyone who might need it: our club plan. It has all the songs and games we are using and all our backup plans. PS… Please make this better and send me your plans if you have them!

Summer Camp Club Plan

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The aim of YL is to reach out to young people and disciple them. To simplify it: we are to disciple. This is the second person plural active imperative from the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19). Translation: Do it! Disciple!

With camp around the corner, I’ve been praying and encouraging others to pray for people by name as potential Mt. 9:38 leaders. In a recent post, I suggested continuing your one-on-ones when you get home from camp. Then, a strange thing happened. I was working on a one-on-one continued plan for my area, and then separately my regional director Chris Eaton shared his vision for continued one-on-ones in our entire region. God must be up to something!

In our area, our leaders commit to doing a one-on-one at camp with every kid we bring. You probably do the same thing. We get back from camp on June 11. Our plan is to follow up and to keep doing one-on-ones when we get home. Our committee might even help supply some gift cards to leaders to treat kids to coffee or burger to help out a little (thanks, committee!)

Many leaders already know exactly what they like to do in these one-on-ones, but I am working to draft some ideas to help those who could use some direction. This is where I need some help… from you!

I think there are roughly three essential elements of a good one-on-one:

Connecting: This could be as simple as asking “how are you” or sharing your high/low since the last time you were together.

Bible: Open the Bible together and/or share a verse with them in one way or another (maybe even if you just text them a verse after you meet with them).

Prayer: Ask them how you could be praying for them. Pray for them during your one-on-one or pray for them over the course of the next few days and then check in with them for an update.

One important note: I have become more and more aware that I need to pay attention to where “they” are in the moment and not just to plow ahead with my own plan for our time. I’m a bit out-of-touch sometimes and am just learning this… most of you are so far ahead of me in this area!

With all this in mind, I’m trying to create 30 ideas for one-on-ones continued to use in my area. I’d love for you to scan it and let me know 1) your feedback and 2) ideas to add. Thanks!

One-on-ones Continued – 30 ideas

Read the rest of this entry »

I can’t quite find where it began, but somewhere in the history of YL the tradition of the “9:38” page or “9:38” list began. A 9:38 list is a list of names you create and you commit to pray for regularly to become “workers for the harvest field.” I found one of my lists just the other day in an old Bible of mine. The idea comes from Matthew 9, here is the broader passage:

Matthew 9:35-10:4 (ESV)

³⁵ And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” ^10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ² The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

I would love to break down this entire passage but people don’t like to read blog posts that are long. Here are the most obvious parts:

1) Jesus “went”
2) Jesus had compassion for people
3) Jesus observed that the people did not have a shepherd/leader
4) Jesus declared that the harvest is plentiful
5) Jesus told the disciples to pray for laborers (9:38)
6) Jesus empowered others to do the work Jesus had been doing
7) The names of these workers/laborers are listed (they were a sketchy crew, that is the theological word for them)

Right now I know a lot of us are working toward getting kids to camp. At the end of the summer many of us will recall that we (1) went, (2) had compassion, (3) recognized kids who needed a leader, and (4) saw that there were lots of kids who needed to go to camp. Don’t end at #4.  Here is the important part I’d like to suggest:

Every kid we invite to camp we see as a 9:38 future co-worker for the kingdom of God.

I doubt anyone would disagree with me on this aim, but the litmus test is this: what is your follow-up plan? If you are like me you are so busy with just trying to get kids to camp that you haven’t even begun to think about follow-up after camp.

What if you turned your “kids I want to get to camp list” (I have one of these) into a “Matthew 9:38” list? This is what some people call “beginning with the end in mind.” I think if we looked at our camp lists this way it would profoundly influence how we do ministry.

I had two thoughts for this post. The first one was to get the general idea out [see above], the second part is to give some practical ideas for follow-up after camp [see below].

Here are some things you could plan right now to help your 9:38 follow-up:

All-area campaigners – In our area all the schools get together for 4-6 weeks for a huge campaigners. It looks a bit like a shorter club with a campaigners talk and then we get into cabin time groups.

Continuing your cabin time – This is the easiest way to follow-up. When you are at camp simply tell your cabin time group that you will keep meeting when you get home. I usually do this once a week.

One-on-ones – Similar to camp one-on-ones, just put in these in your schedule right now so that you have the time blocked out for when you return.

Partner with a church – Talk to churches and see if they will host your group, provide a speaker, or something similar. One year I asked if I could preach the Sunday after we returned from camp. Nearly our entire area came to hear me preach and it helped many kids go to church for the first time.

Ask people to host meals – Ask four families to provide meals for four weeks. Most likely this is easy to do now and it will help them be involved in camp (they might even sponsor a kid if you ask them to be involved with follow up!)

Share the load – Many YL areas have leaders who are in and out throughout the summer. Come up with a plan in your area to share the load. For instance, our all area campaigners helps a lot because it creates a weekly rallying point even if some of the leaders are gone that week. Maybe consider partnering up with another YL area close to you.

Above all DO SOMETHING –  Don’t wait to see your camp friends at the first club of the year. Have a plan now. It might actually get you even more excited for inviting kids to camp.

These are suggestions for the first step. Imagine a kid you’ve been inviting to camp as a future co-worker for the kingdom (not just YL, the big kingdom) who has been trained by you and empowered by the Holy Spirit. That is exciting.

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The long-awaited announcement of the candidates for new president of YL have been announced. Two of the well-known candidates have made official statements which can be found here. But, a third and unexpected candidate has been named…

This candidate has built his platform for the YL presidency on his statement that he is going to “Make YL Great Again.” The candidate has stated that YL needs to turn back the clock and go back to the days of Rayburn: doing handstands on the top of 14,000 foot mountains, calling groups of kids “gangs,” and more.

In a controversial move in 501c3 international politics this candidate has declared that he will send Malibu Club “right back to Canada. If it ain’t USA, I say NO WAYYY.” He continued, “we will buy Malibu, California and clear up decades of confusion and marketing nonsense. It will be really really good. I know people in Malibu, good people, who know good things. I will find the best people to make this happen right away. And I mean right away. Mark my words.”

Some are outraged that he will reschedule all 2016 summer assignments, even though his appointment would be weeks before camps open. Instead, he will turn the Associate program into the “Summer Camp Work Crew Boss Apprentice Program.” Committee chairs will serve as assistant judges and get to utter the iconic words “You’re hired.” Though some who get all the Work Crew work done but forget to lead devotions for the Work Crew might hear “You’re fired.”

Jon Offner at Lost Canyon expressed his support for the last-second candidate, saying: “we have been looking for a high-quality, low-cost flank steak supplier for a long time, and with our new candidate I think we’ve found the perfect contact. His steaks are better than the beards of most of the property staff ya’ll.”

Major donors are not happy about his decision to run for YL President due to his controversial “wall” initiative. This initiate demands that a 10 foot wall be placed along the entire perimeter of the Service Center. Worse yet he stated: “And I’m going to make the service charge pay for it!”

For more information please see this link and this link and this one too. Remember, the Clubble is banned.