MinistryPlace.Net » Uncategorized

Top Ten Tips for Budgeting for Technology in Youth Ministry….

admin — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:13:17 +0000

It’s that time of year. Finance Committee meetings, turning in and modifying budgets, oh my! Did you budget for replacing aging technology that you use in ministry that is either out of date or simply worn out? Or maybe you put in the budget something to take a step forward in teaching students spiritual and Biblical truth using the tools that technology offers. I’d love to share some tips that I have learned from experience.

Top 10 tips in budgeting for technology in Youth Ministry:

10. Remember, things wear out and break. Don’t budget for something you cant afford to replace or maintain.

9. Technology culture is different in different parts of the country (and world). “If it worked there… ” is a never a good enough reason.

8. Make sure you understand what you’re budgeting for enough to be able to explain it to someone who is completely techno-phobic in 30 seconds or less.

7. Before it hits your budget, research, ask lots of questions, and compare pricing. Be a good Steward.

6. Fads, trends, and iStuff do not always equal necessities…

5. For large projects and purchases, look for ways to spread the funding over a longer period of time. Your treasurer will love you for it.

4. Always ask the question “How does this directly impact teaching Biblical truth to students?”

3. “Refurbished” isn’t always a dirty word. However, “Extended Service Plan” is an ugly phrase.

2. Always plan for the learning curve new or added technology is going to present in time to learn and train volunteers and students.

1. You can be “too careful” and miss it. The crazy thing about Youth Ministry is that you sometimes have to jump out there and say, “we are going to try this and pray that it is successful for building God’s Kingdom”. Sometimes you will be right, sometimes you won’t.

Added Bonus:

Here is a way to help fund some of that technology budgeting….

Worldview Academy. I am not a big “Camp” Youth Pastor. I do...
Youth Camp Recap. Recently, our Youth Department returned from Youth Camp in Warsaw, Missouri...
Involving Parents in Youth Ministry Open Question of The Day: What does your church to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Rethinking the typical.

admin — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:49:57 +0000

I was in a meeting today that helped confirm a lot of what I have been thinking and reading about the “millennial generation” (largely those born between 1980-1991).

Photo Credit: thinkresearch.org.uk

While there are varied experiences based on the context you are dealing with (such as urban vs. rural ministry), I am finding that in the Rural Youth Ministry/Traditional Church context, something went haywire about 1975, then it was fixed with “band-aids, baling wire, and duct tape” about 1985, then that all fell apart about 2005. What is this something that broke? Different denominations and churches are going to use different terms, but I’ll throw this one out there – Community Discipleship.

I was kind of late to the game (born in 1979, entered Youth Ministry in 2001), but I see from experiencing the post-1985 quick fixes while I was in youth group what I’m sharing today. Band-Aids and Duct Tape are poor tools to use for eternal matters. Facades do little if he foundation is weak.

I propose that we make the hard choice to re-think what we are doing to build disciples in our churches! We need to suck it up and go for it full-bore to make a difference in our communities. This “playing church business” isn’t going to cut it in our present generation. Whatever that looks like to make fully devoted followers of Christ, we must do. Time is short. Are you in?

These Marketing Fails Remind Me of What We do in Church Sometimes…. Socialnomics is a site that Marketing Geeks like me can...
Good or Great? It’s easy to chart what you need to do to...
The “Soup” of Church Ministry…. I had a moment of inspiration while eating my lunch...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

I’ve been hurt by the church

admin — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 17:44:48 +0000

One of the common excuses I hear for people not going to church is that I’ve been hurt by the church. I hear this way too often. Yes, unfortunately people get hurt by the church, but let’s unpack this a little bit more… Its unfortunate that so many people let this slide with zero probing or pushback. The first thing we should do is show compassion if it is truly a situation where under the name of Christ someone was deeply hurt. It is true that the church kicks the wounded, eats its own, and does other horrible things sometimes under the name of Christ. I’ve seen what can happen, but that is the exception, not the rule. However, we must not approach this with fear, but with a desire for understanding. Let us examine the particular situation, work toward building a relationship, work toward healing, if need be. Lets use our hearts and minds to lead people toward Christ, not away from Him. Let us not be afraid of what we may find, and let God’s words of healing supersede our own.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

When teens are called to “save their friends”…

admin — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:32:14 +0000

It is the Holy Spirit’s job. He has done a great one in redeeming our souls. We have been given a great gift that we should want to tell everyone we know about. It’s not unlike the homeless beggar that finds a huge source of food. If he’s not sharing that source with others, he’s being selfish.

However, we also have too many selfish Christians. We need to share the bread of life and the living water we have been given with others. I have been given much. I want to help the students realize that if they have received God’s salvation and grace, they have too.

Evangelism in a Student ministry can have many effects.
I encourage them to engage in evangelism to share what they have been given. It pushes them deeper in God’s word (enter discipleship)to answer their friends questions about Jesus. They then rejoice with each other when more come to Christ (worship) and pray for each other when persecution crops up (edification).

It is really a win/win situation.

Coming home from #symc today….. Today is the last day of the #symc conference in...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.