Archive - Youth Ministry RSS Feed

Office for the Week

May 26, 2009 in Youth Ministry with 0 Comments

Today is the first day on the wonderful beach for our senior trip.  I left with two other adults and six seniors Monday morning at 12:30 am and we arrived in Gulf Shores at 3 pm on Monday. Great drive down and now we are enjoying the relaxing beach house.  The seniors love it here and are a great group!  We do miss our three soccer girls that weren’t able to come because they are just too good at soccer and won their district soccer game.  We wish them the best for tonight’s game in Jefferson City!  Go support them if you are in town.

We had a great pasta dinner last night and I think everyone was in bed by 11 pm.  Tired from the first day’s drive. 

Today we’ve been sunning and funning.  The girls have been laying out all day and the guys went to town and bought skim boards.  Its been pretty hilarious watching them learn how to use them.  We are hoping to make some awesome videos before the trip is up.

I’m working this afternoon on upcoming trips and the like.   Just couldn’t get it all done before I left town.  But this isn’t too bad of an office.  :)

My office for the week

My office for the week

Tonight is Mexican night and I think the plan is to go rent some jet skis tomorrow afternoon!

We had a good devotion time last night as we talked about our fears for what lie ahead.  Graduating high school is a huge transition with lots of unknowns – roommates, bills, grades, new cities, etc.  I told them the story of my nephew Blake who woke up with a fright Monday morning.  During the night, his teddy bear had fallen between the bed and the wall and the only you could see was its paws sticking up .  When Blake woke up and saw the paws, he thought it was a monster coming to get him. Scared him really bad but he laughed about it later.

Such are our fears often.  We see something not too clearly and it looks horrible and like it is out to get us.  But in reality, it is really something that isn’t scary at all.  And no matter what, God is there to care for us.  I Peter 5:7 reminds us to “Cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us.”  What a great promise to take with them on this new journey.

Wish all of you could be enjoying such a gorgeous place!  

With sand between my toes,

Melissa

Shift – Day Two

April 23, 2009 in Youth Ministry with 0 Comments

The second day of  the Shift conference consists of three break-out sessions followed with a large group worship and teaching tonight.  I’m signed up for three break-outs and decided last night to skip the first one today.  Mike Yanconelli gave me permission.Mike and Karla Yaconelli

Several years ago at Youth Specialties’ National Youth Workers Convention,  Mike greeted us the very first day.  In Mike’s unique way, he told us that we had permission to make the conference what we needed it to be.  If that meant not attending a single thing, then don’t.  If we needed refreshing time alone, stay away.  (As an introvert, I really appreciated that.) If you needed to work on your marriage, stay in the hotel room. (As a single, I was envious.)   He then introduced a guy and brought him up on stage.  The youth minister shared the story of how he attended the National Youth Worker’s Convention the year before and how his marriage was strained under the toil of ministry.  When Mike told them to get a room, he and his wife did that.

At this point, a picture of a baby was displayed on the screens and the youth minister shared that this is what he took home from NYWC last year.  Everyone applauded.

So, today I’m taking Mike’s advice – I’m making a baby.  Not literally, of course.  But I more than a breakout session, I need some time to process, to think, to dream. I’m breaking out.  Just for awhile.

Thank you, Mike.  As always, you still continue to teach, inspire and convict us youth ministers. We miss you.

Page 4 of 16« First...«23456»10...Last »