our event environment / beginning to end

This weekend we have a big event and we worked hard on the environment. Every year we try to mix it up. Here is our room, where we started and where we ended today. We still have a few things to do but this will give you an idea of some things we made to change things up. So thankful to work with some amazing people who can take ideas and make them a reality! Check out the room...

environment is never neutral

Environment is never neutral. Environment either enhances the experience of an event or hurts it. I know many of you think you should be able to play a guitar or open the Bible and teens be engaged but that is just not the way it works. Really it doesn't work well for adults either. Environment helps to set the tone of your event. This weekend we are designing an environment for a weekend retreat and we are putting a ton of thought into every element so that we set the direction of the weekend through the space the teens are entering. When I talk about crafting the environment I am talking about what videos you use, lighting, video backs during songs, stage design, stage layout, pre-service music, and seating. All of these elements work together to send a message when people enter the space. Later this week I will post some pictures of how we set up our space for the weekend. Remember, with any budget you can create an environment that will enhance your message and mission for an event. Take time, make a plan, get creative, and enhance your environment for your next event.

Free Stuff / new game idea

Everyone is always looking for a quick game for your middle school or high school environment. This is one we did last week in our middle school service called Just Say It. We used valentines day candy hearts that had messages on them and had teams put together a sentence using only the words on the hearts. We then had them read them to the crowd and the best, most romantic voice won. It was funny and we involved a team of leaders and 2 teams of middle school students. Here is the graphic we used...enjoy some FREE STUFF!

Raising Expectations

Getting better is hard! We all want to see improvement in the ministries we lead but it's strenuous work. Raising the bar is difficult in any organization but it begins with raising the expectations of the people on your team. It starts with your key staff and volunteers choosing to do the needed work to improve. When you look around and decide that normal is not enough you have to raise expectations for everyone around you and you can't give up. Most of the time we raise expectations, someone complains, and then we lower them again. Improvement only comes when we push through complacency. The truth is most of us forget that leading people toward Jesus is the most important thing we can do with our lives. In 100 years what we do with Jesus will be the only thing that matters. We view ministry as a nice option, a thing we do on the side when in reality it's what matters most in life. We raise expectations because seeing the lives of kids, teens, and college students transformed by Jesus Christ matters. We raise expectations because partnering with parents matters. We raise expectations because mentoring the next generation is the heart of life change. We raise expectations because next week may be the week for someone to discover the unfailing love of God for the first time. Never apologize for raising expectations, it really is the only way to improve.

Leading Young Leaders

I used to be a young leader but now at 35 (one month away from 36) I look around and find myself surrounded by leaders who are younger than me. It's an odd feeling but it's also encouraging to see how God is raising up the next generation and using them in huge ways. Next week one of my former students will be our speaker at an event we do every year in our student ministry. This was a kid I was investing in when he was a middle school student. There's no greater joy than watching God use young leaders. At our church we have made an intentional effort to empower young leaders and along the way we have learned a few things about how to and how not to lead them. Here are a few reminders when leading young leaders who are in high school, college, or are young professionals...

• Young leaders are in process // We have to remember that young leaders are on the journey and are still figuring out who they are. Who a young leader is today is not who they will be a year for now. We have to be patient and keep investing because they are in process.
• Young leaders will make mistakes // Empowering young leaders can get messy. They will make bad choices. Sometimes they say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Sometimes they really make some bad mistakes. It's our job to walk them through the consequences and push them forward as they heal. A young leaders current mistake has the potential to teach a lesson for a lifetime.
• Young leaders need the freedom to question and dream // We have to give young leaders room to question and tear apart our organizations (respectfully of course). Jesus is the only thing that is unchanging! Sometimes young leaders need a break to get away and think. Sometimes they will not agree with the direction we choose to go with the ministry and that is fine ad they are fine as long as they have a voice.
• Young leaders need real opportunity and responsibility // At some point you have to choose to give young leaders opportunity but with that you also have to give real responsibility. Leadership is hard work and it comes with real responsibility. We help young leaders grow when we give them both and see what happens.
• Young leaders need mentors // Every young leader need someone to hear them and someone to push them. They have questions that they need to process with you. They have ideas that need careful shaping. They have dreams and need direction. Mentors walk with young leaders and simply remind them they have someone in life that believes in them.

4 ways I'm using my iPad

In 2011 decided to add an iPad to my list of tech toys with one condition...I was going to find way to actually use it on a day to day basis. If I did not have a plan to use it I was not going to waste my money. I waited, planned, researched, saved up, and finally made the jump in December or 2011 with an iPad 2. Sure I debated if I should wait till the 3rd version came out but I decided to make the jump and move forward. Honestly I think it is one of the best purchases I have ever made and I use it every day. As I talk about how I use my iPad please understand that the iPad will is not ready to replace your MacBook or iMac but it will allow you to be more flexible. Flexibility is the great advantage that comes with the iPad. Here are 4 ways I'm using my iPad every day...

• Meetings >> Evernote and Wunderlist are 2 apps that have dramatically helped me be more efficient in meetings and in follow up after meetings. I use my iPad in every meeting I'm in because I always want to be able to write notes down and mark dates down in my calendar that will then automatically sync with my MacBook.
• Speaking >> Yep, I use my iPad every week when I speak. I can make changes right up till the point of going on stage and then delete things for my next talk.
• Thinking and Dreaming >> The iPad has some amazing apps for brainstorming and drawing and I don't lose what I have created because I can send the documents to Evernote.
• Slowing down >> When I go home I leave my MacBook at the office. For some reason it feels great to leave work at work. There are things I can only do at the office and it allows me to be very intentional about when I bring my work laptop with me. My iPad allows me to feel a separation from the office but still have many tools with me to be very productive at home.

STRETCH your ministry for growth

What would happen in the ministries we lead if we began to stretch our leadership, our volunteers, our structure, and ourselves in order to make our ministry dreams a reality? Incredible is what would happen because we serve a God who desires for us to live in faith and rely on him. When it comes to making change happen instead of allowing change to happen to us we often become fearful of taking the steps needed to take. Many times we just need a little push, a dose of encouragement, and a ton of prayer in order to move. Jim Wideman just released a book that I think will help many student and children's leaders understand the next step to take. STRETCH is all about helping you understand what it takes to structure your ministry for growth and forward progress. When it comes to volunteers, structure, and vision casting Jim knows what he is talking about and the entire book reads like you are sitting down for coffee and talking real life ministry. This is a book I hope you will check out. Here are a few notes I highlighted on my Kindle...

• The right structure can keep you from being afraid of growth. The wrong structure can keep growth from happening. Improving your structure can allow growth to continue. What you do now really is going to matter later.
• As you establish your organizational structure, you can create a growth structure by asking, “What can we do now that we would be forced to do when we are double or triple our size?”
• The moment you get comfortable and let your people get comfortable is the moment you turn back into a maintenance structure.
• I’m not married to anything but my wife. If there’s a better way to do it, then let’s do it the better way.
• People follow people with a plan. Planning always needs to go before action.
• The devil attacks busy people by getting them to do stuff they have no business doing. You are the only person who can control your priorities.
• Responsibility without authority only brings frustration and never leaves fruit that remains. You must dare to trust people to represent you well.
  

10 incredible youth ministry blogs

I'm a blogger and I follow many of other blogs written by some amazing leaders. I write because I love pushing myself to share ideas and get them onto my blog and out of my head. When I see that same passion on another blog I just want to follow along and learn. I can't even begin to say thanks to all the people who have invested in our ministry here at Grace Community through their writing so I thought I would share ten blogs that you will want to follow if you work with teens. All of these are places where it is safe to learn, ask questions, and find encouragement from leaders moving in the same direction. Here it is, ten amazing youth ministry blogs you should check out...

• More than Dodgeball
• REyouthpastor
• OrangeLeaders
• Coach Shef
• DougFranklinonline.com
• DougFields.com
• Terracecrawford.com
• Youth Leader Stash
• JuniorHighMinistry.com
• YouthMin.org 

Motivating Volunteers

In 2011 I went to the first pre-conference day I have ever been to at any conference. I never thought I would be a "pre-conference" kind of guy but it ended up being my favorite part of the Orange Conference last year. Session after session I was able to slow down, meet other leaders, have meaningful conversations, and learn about some issues that I might miss when the conference starts. Kendra Fleming is an amazing leader and these are the notes from one of her conference sessions which focused on motivating volunteers. This session is ministry GOLD so check it out...

Motivating volunteers is a constant challenge for every ministry team. How do we keep our leaders tuned into our mission? How do we keep volunteers energized? This morning Kendra Flemming reminded us that what motivates volunteers connects back to what attracted volunteers to our ministry in the first place. Of course none of us are motivated by the same things but these are 7 principles that attract volunteers to our ministry and can keep our teams motivated.

We are initially attracted to things that are visually appealing //  Some volunteer connections are bound in relationship but many times we are drawn in simply the look and feel of an environment. Branding, clear communication, and environment matter.

We are naturally attracted to excellence // No one wants to feed time, energy, and talent into something that is mediocre. Be committed to progressive excellence.

We are increasingly attracted to things that are celebrated // What we celebrate becomes attractive to our volunteer teams. Celebrate what matters most.

We are relationally connected to dynamic communities // Excellent leaders attract other great leaders. Dynamic attracts dynamic.

We are selfishly attracted to things that are personally beneficial //  leaders stay when they are serving and growing at the same time. Make sure your volunteers are growing and being rewarded!

We are attracted to fun! // Environments that are fun, where we laugh, attract people! We have to create margin for fun.

We are ultimately attracted to leaders and organizations with integrity. //  Know what we value and live what we value

These attraction factors help to motivate our volunteers. The end goal is to empower volunteers for the long haul. Motivated volunteers are going to thrive and serve longer. What are you doing to motivate your team? In this list of 7 is there one that stands out?

 

learn, listen, worship, laugh, dream...TOGETHER

This is a picture my friend Sam Luce took last year at the Orange Conference. This may look like any other conference you have been to but it's not. What you are looking at is an army of children's, preschool, student, and college leaders TOGETHER. I have been thinking about how to unite family ministry teams. How do we come together in order to reach this generation. I may work with teens but I need my college pastor creating ways to help them integrate faith into life on the college campus. I may work with teens but I need my kids pastor figuring out how help preschoolers know God loves an them and made them. You may work with children but you need my to help pointing  middle school students to Jesus as they navigate the storms of life they face. At some point we have to break down the walls and come together. Five years ago the Orange Conference helped our family ministry team learn, listen, worship, dream, and laugh together and our church has never been the same. We are different because we are working every week to reach the next generation together. Our student ministry team is helping our preschool environment capture the attention of kids. Our children's ministry team is helping our college ministry staff be more structured and organized. We are fighting for each other.

If you are processing how to get your team together and on the same page them this conference might be a great place to start. Sure, you will still have questions. No, there is no magic ministry bullet. Yes, ministry is hard work. The Orange Conference will simply help you find ways to accomplish more together.