Help for Young Life Leaders NOW

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

Read the rest of this entry »

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.

Do you like YLHelp? Consider getting updates via email for you and your team: Sign up HERE.

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.

Turnip for what! One person on the internet slightly smiled at that joke. That person will love this club.

A little while back it was difficult to find ideas for clubs. Now there are lots and lots of ideas to be found. Because of this I don’t post many club plans anymore. But, if an idea is great, or in this case just quite unusual, then I pass it along.

One of our leaders had an idea to have a club which revolved around lettuce and turnips. Yup. So that is what we did. In all honesty lettuce volleyball was really difficult. We found out that a head of lettuce pretty much explodes into nothingness when you try to hit it. My back yard looked like a lettuce explosion happened. The local birds and rabbits loved it for the next few days. It started smelling a bit so I ran my lawnmower to pick it all up. I’ve never mowed a lawn of lettuce before but now I can say that I have mowed a lawn of lettuce. Even after 20+ years of YL there are new things to experience!

We also made a video of a skit from SNL. Those that like dry humor enjoyed it.

This was one of those clubs that was so random that it was memorable. And… we got to tell kids about Jesus (that was our real plan all along).

You can get the full club plan HERE

Do you like YLHelp? Consider getting updates via email for you and your team: Sign up HERE.

The value of the word “family” is at an all-time low. While we can measure stats about marriages, how many nights a week families eat together, etc… What I’m talking about is the use of the word itself.

How do I know this? Because rarely a day goes by when I don’t see a post on social media where a young person says: I love my ________ fam! Here are some examples:

Young person gets a new job at XYZ coffee shop: “I love my XYZ fam!”

Young person on a sports team: “Huge win tonight for the team #family”

Young person returning from camp: “Cabin XYZ forever #fam”

Here is what I almost never see:

· Young person on a weeknight: “Great time at dinner #family”

· Young person after a vacation: “Crazy adventure with the #fam”

Those two posts might sound too lame and almost unrealistic to even imagine from a young person, but you get the idea. In some ways this isn’t a bad thing. Teenagers are in the midst of a natural transition toward independence which includes establishing new relationships and identity. So, it makes sense that they would want to publicly announce their excitement. On the other hand, and without knowing it, they are reimagining their own definition of family. In my opinion they are lowering the bar of what “family” means… and sadly we can contribute to the depreciating value of the word “family” too.

Here are some basic criteria for family:

1. Time together
2. Commitment
3. Honesty
4. Engaging challenges
5. Self-sacrifice

Now in some ways you absolutely can get a good dose of these through a new job, joining a sports team, or going to a camp. But perhaps the two biggest differences between “shallow fam” and “deep fam” are timeframe and meaningful purpose. True family is a very long-term commitment that, at its best, changes the direction of lives and even generations. Read the rest of this entry »

I would like your help.

Personal background: I had several key people pour into me when I became a Christian. The Lord used the intentionality of these people to significantly shape my walk with Christ and also my growth in leadership.

My reality: I think I’m only so-so at doing that for others. It might be that those I look up to set such a high bar that I shouldn’t compare! Nonetheless, I’m always wanting to grow in leadership. One thing I’ve tended to be able to do is to organize things and write them down, so I’m trying to leverage that for this purpose (hence ylhelp).

Here is where I need your help… Will you help me think about the “Leadership Tree”, and “who are your 3?”

Here is the background…

I’ve heard for years from international African Young Life friends how they do great ministry with many people but also focus on three people for a season (about a year). Here is a video about it (with surprisingly only 36 views on YouTube when I re-watched it today! Maybe more on Vimeo, but it doesn’t say.)

The idea is simple and powerful. It is also nothing new, it is virtually the same the observations made in The Master Plan of Evangelism (which is really a book about the strategy of spiritual leadership development: Summary HERE). More importantly, this approach is easily observable in the ministry of Jesus.

For the last year I have been putting a lot of energy into thinking about what this would look like in a local club and in a local YL area. I recently went to a seminar put on by YL Africa friends. I had about a dozen detailed questions (written, of course) I asked them afterward and they graciously shared their wisdom with me for an hour. I see incredible potential and I also see that wisdom is needed.

I would like everyone who reads this to respond to me… especially if you think you are too young/new to YL/a newer Christian/etc. but also if you have some experience doing similar things. I’m mostly thinking on a club level and on a personal level. Here are some questions you could respond to:

1. How many people can you (or most people) realistically “pour your life into”?… Right now (not theoretically).

2. Would you tell these people that they are part of your “3”? Why, or why not?

3. How would you avoid people feeling excluded? Or, is that OK?

4. How often would you meet with these people? Individually? Together?

Read the rest of this entry »