Category Archives: Family Friday

YMT #3: Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

This week’s Youth Ministry Tip is dedicated to all of those ministry spouses out there. My wife is a huge part of my life and my ministry- and one of the big reasons that I am of any success. I want to proclaim a great big THANK YOU to her. Here are four ways that Sandy helps me be a better minister:

She is my biggest fan and fiercest critic
No one gives me more encouragement than Sandy. She is quick to tell me that I’ve done good and she is always there to cheer me along. On the flip side, she can be brutally honest. She minces no words when she tells me I could have approached something better. She doesn’t beat around the bush when I’ve messed up either. So whether it is praise or criticism, she is honest with me and that helps me stand firm or to move forward and get better.

She is my sounding board
I often feel sorry for Sandy when she is sitting in one of my classes or participating in something I’m leading because she has had to hear about the content, the teaching, the stories, and the jokes over the course of the last week. I run ideas by her. I ask her if the transitions make sense. I gauge her reaction to a story. She is very familiar with something before I deliver it to the public… and yet… she never seems to mind. Thanks for the input babe!

She participates and leads in my ministry
There is an old joke that says that churches will often get a “two-for-one” deal when hiring youth ministers. That is most definitely the case with Sandy. Sandy participates in classes, bible studies, camps, mission trips, you name it. She cooks meals on Sunday nights, bakes brownies for Wednesdays, and opens our home for Bible studies and movie nights. She prays with girls, encourages the guys, and hangs out with them both. She is not a passive participant in the youth ministry. She is a leader.

She takes care of our home and family
IMG_4815 THE MOST IMPORTANT WAY SANDY HELPS MY MINISTRY IS BY TAKING CARE OF OUR FAMILY. No joke. Sandy does everything within her power to take care of Hewson and I. She is selfless and she is tireless in her efforts to create a quiet, loving, peaceful home. Everything gets clean, everything gets put away, everything gets taken care of. If this were the only thing Sandy did for me it would be more than enough to satisfy. Instead she takes care of our home and much, much more. Nobody does it better than Sandy. She is the greatest wife, mother, and partner in the world. I can’t thank her enough.

Thank you for every single thing that you do for us Sandy. Hewson loves you. The teens and their families love you. I love you. You are the greatest!

Now, who deserves the credit for your success in life? Give them a call. Send them a text. Tell them how much you appreciate them.

Halloween Orange

I’ve been working my way through Reggie Joiner’s Think Orange this semester in an effort to help me connect better with the whole family. As a youth minister I work with families but too often I have gotten the feeling that at times I am working exclusively with teens and at other times I’m focused on parents. My desire is to minister to the whole family and so I’ve been seeking out resources to help me do this.

Think Orange has been invaluable because Reggie’s heart families mirrors my own. “Orange” is the idea of “two entities partnering together to make a greater impact or to create a better solution.” To Reggie, the church is ” a bright yellow” light that exists to illuminate Jesus. The family is a bright “red” heart that demonstrates God’s love and character through unconditional relationship. Together these two forces combine to create Orange. What a beautiful picture and a perfect metaphor for authentic family ministry. The book has been great and I am excited to share some of this with those I minister to but, in the Spirit of Orange, I’ve really been thinking about Halloween this week.

Something Reggie wrote about this family-focused holiday (yes, I just called Halloween family-focused) has been on the forefront of my mind all week. Here is what he said:

– An estimated 47 percent of household consumers decorate for Halloween.
– Halloween is second only to Christmas in the volume of decorations sold
– Over 790 million pounds of jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkin pies will be bought
– Candy sales will exceed $2 billion.
– More than 93 percent of children go trick-or-treating every year. (I wonder how many of those families go to your church?)

Most families love Halloween. Right or wrong, there is something about October 31 that stirs the imagination of children and engages the hearts of parents.

Watch your neighborhood closely this fall.
Listen to the laughter.
Take a look at the generosity.
Taste the sugar.
Feel the energy.
See the glow in the children’s eyes.
Notice the parents walking with their kids.
And observe how families connect with other families.
It seems kind of… magical.

Why can’t the church be more like that? Why can’t the church create the kind of atmosphere for the family that captures their imagination and incites a relational revival in the home?

No color commentary from me on this today. It is just a question that I’m pondering right now.

How can the church create the kind of atmosphere for the family that captures their imagination and incites a relational revival in the home?

I believe that somewhere inside the answer to this question lies the secret to a dozen generations boldly proclaiming– in word, in deed, in heart, in mind, in power, and in strength- the Glory of Jesus Christ. So, there’s your challenge. It’s not just for this weekend but for the rest of your lives.

Have a Happy Halloween. Keep your eyes and your hearts open as you look for the answers to impact future generations.

How can the church create the kind of atmosphere for the family that captures their imagination and incites a relational revival in the home?