Leading questions

Just a note to say that the excellent talks from the 2010 Bible Centred Youthwork conference Wise Up are now online. You can read a list on this website here. I think this conference was outstanding for a number of reasons - not least Steve' s insightful morning talks from Ecclesiastes. But check out the seminar material as well. Some brilliant stuff on special needs, marriage, sexuality, and helping parents of teenagers.

Marketing your ministry

Here's the outline for Rory Bell's excellent seminar from the BCY conference on Marketing your Ministry. The title's a bit misleading in a way, because it's not a seminar about advertising or promoting the various clubs or groups that you run.

It's all about a vital, but often un-recognised leadership skill that anyone involved in Gospel ministry needs to have a handle on. It's about how you encourage, influence and share your vision for ministry with the your co-workers, the children and parents you are involved with, and your minister!

Check out the audio talk here on the Good Book Company website.


Marketing Your Ministry
Leadership requires the ability to sell a vision. Sometimes people are less eager to buy into what you are trying to achieve than you'd like them to be. Sometimes these “reluctant customers” may be your church leadership! Learn how to sell your vision for Biblecentred children's and youth ministry in a God-honouring and winsome way.


Management vs Leadership

• Leading Down 
• Leading Across
• Leading Up

Identify Whom You Need to Influence (sell your vision to)
Pray - about:

• Your goals – why is this change necessary?
• Your motives – why do I want this change to happen?
• Who the best person will be to help you.
• Opportunities to share your vision.

Establish your own credibility

• Good work ethic.
• Build trust – openness, transparency.
• Never undermine the leadership’s decisions.

Align Your Ministry with the Church
Identify Life Change in Kids 
Show the Impact on Your Volunteers
Five Ways to Influence Those Above You

1. Be relational
2. Be visionary
3. Be clear, concise, and consistent
4. Be an example
5. Be patient!

Out of the mouth of babes

We've been doing the Exodus with our 3-7 year olds at Emmanuel Church since the beginning of the year, using the excellent Click material.

Little Hugh (aged 4) had just returned from a brief holiday in Egypt with his parents. After the story he looks at me all serious, and says:

"I've just been to Sharm el Sheikh, and I didn't see any slaves there..."

Priceless! But another reminder for those out there who work teaching children that smaller ones need very concrete ideas, and really don't get things like history...

Guidelines for children's spots

If your church does "kids' spots" during a morning meeting, here are some guidelines that have been produced by Andy Byfield at my church (Emmanuel Wimbledon) that may keep them on the right track.How to do a Children’s Spot at the 11am Service

The spots at the 11am are a key way to teach gospel truths simply and clearly to both children and adults. They also serve to make the service more appealing to families and to show that we take the children in our church family seriously.

1. BE SHORT: You have just 3 minutes, so there is only time for one point with one illustration and a one sentence prayer. It is very easy to overrun. Our usual format is to show us the Bible verse, then tell us your one point in a sentence then move on to the illustration. Finish by re-reading the Bible verse then close with a prayer.
2. BE BIBLICAL: In the attempt to simplify, watch out that you don't become misleading or inaccurate. Please teach the verse, not your own ideas.
3. BE SIMPLE: Young children only understand very basic vocabulary and short sentences. Concrete illustrations are better than abstract ones.
4. BE DOCTRINAL: We want to teach the children truth rather than just our illustrations. Please also try to illustrate positively if the verse is positive. For instance ‘Blessed are those who mourn’ – don’t tell us about wrong things to cry about (negative illustration) but what kind of tears are "good tears" (positive illustration).
5. BE SAFE:  Only give out simple chocolates with no nuts. Wrapped ones are cleaner and give parents of children with allergies time to intervene. 
6. BE VISUAL: Toddlers may not even notice you are speaking to them unless you are doing something or holding up an object or a picture (A3 please or bigger). Do use PowerPoint if you like but point to it for the kids.
7. BE IN CONTROL: Only a very unambiguous and easy question will get the answer you are expecting. You may get answers to rhetorical questions too!
8. BE HEARD: Go very slowly and as loud as you can to be heard over the racket children make, especially as you begin. You'll need to rehearse it. Perhaps ask a friend to listen to it and comment.
9. BE SEEN: Please stand on the platform at all times and not on the floor. Speak to the children rather than the adults or they will switch off. The adults will listen anyway...
10. BE KIND: Please smile a lot. Ask any volunteers their name and thank them. Help them up and down steps. It is easy to make toddlers cry so please avoid sudden movements. Loud noises are also scary and if you act mean or cross they can't tell you are pretending. Remember their parents are watching and may not be Christians - we want them to be assured that we love the children and don’t simply see them as teaching aids for our spots!

To this we might also add - be prayerful that God's Spirit would take your clear points to the hearts of both adults and children.

Thanks Andy

It's One to One week on the GBC blog

Hi everyone,

we all know that one-to-one personal work and Bible study is one of the most effective forms of Christian work. This week on The Good Book Company Blog it is ONE TO ONE WEEK - a week where we will publish a whole string of articles, video interviews and testimonies about the  principles and power of one to one ministry. Watch out for special features on teenage one-to-oneing, and interviews with students.
The intro is here.

THE TALKS ARE NOW ONLINE

Hi everyone,

just to say, the talks from the conference are now all online at The Good Book Company website here, or on this website here.

How not to do youthwork

Showed this clip at last year's conference. It's a classic. Useful to show your team. Introduce it like this:

• This is a video about a youth worker we want to hire.

•  Then ask - who would you hire?

TEACH THEM CHRIST IN THE BIBLE

Found this remarkable video on YouTube. After you've got over wondering how he managed to memorize it, and asked your questions about how "real" this is for him personally, then just use it to focus what we were doing on the Residential.
Don't just teach your children and young people the Bible. Teach them that our wonderful Lord Jesus is the subject of every part of the Bible.

Comments below

GROWING GODLY GIRLS

Here are the bullet points from Sarah Bradley's Most excellent seminar at the BCY residential this year.

Watch out for a new book for girls aged 11-14 that Sarah is writing with The Good Book Company later this year!

There are lots of things that can make it difficult for girls to live godly lives and we have a responsibility to teach the girls in our care. The truth that leads to godliness is found in God’s word. (Titus 1:1-2)

In amongst all the lies that they hear from films, TV, magazines, the internet, friends etc. we must teach them the truth - the truth of the gospel is crucial.

God created men and women: Equal but different.
We must teach our girls to be girls, and teach our boys to be boys. We need to recognise our equality, but also the brilliant God-given differences that we have. 

Three big things that affect girls, and challenge their godly living are

Image, Relationships and Success.

Image:
1 Samuel 16:7; Mark 7:20-23; 1 Peter 3:3-6; Colossians 3:12

The lie: Outward appearance is most important

The truth: God looks at the heart- that needs to be right with him.

Looks will fade, clothes will date or spoil, hair goes grey, skin goes wrinkly… but our relationship with God gets better and better the more that we get to know him. 

Proverbs 31:3 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Relationships:

Romans 8:28; Ephesians 5:1-5.

The lie: If you’re not in a relationship you’re not worth anything, there’s something wrong with you

The truth: Our worth is found in Jesus Christ; we can trust God for the good things in his timing

We want girl to see boys, not just as a potential boyfriend, but as ‘brothers in Christ’ (1 Timothy 5:1-2).  To encourage them to enjoy friendships with boys and girls, not to rush into relationships, and to make sure all their relationships are God centred not self-centred. 

Success
2 Timothy 1:5; Proverbs 31:10-31; Colossians 3:23.

The lie: Girls can and should have it all

The truth: We are created equal but different; we can rejoice in being the women God created us to be

Being a success is living for God in everything, working for him and not the approval of others. Working hard is important, using the gifts and skills that God has given us are important but we shouldn’t teach our girls that a career is the most important thing; they need to know that being a wife and a mother are essential and crucial roles.

Working with girls is a privilege and a joy

If we want to them to grow up to know and love Jesus, and to be godly women, we need to

• Pray for them 
• Teach them  
• Support them 
• Model godly living to them