1.29.2009

Simply Junior High Podcast

About once a month or so (and by "or so" I mean once a month...once every-other month...once a quarter....whenever I get around to it!) I shoot a short, 10-15 minute, video podcast dealing with various topics related to junior high ministry. If you've never seen one, you can find the archive here. The goal for each podcast is to give a quick little bit of insight and share some of my learnings on any given topic.

Here's where I could use your help: What are some topics you think other JH youth workers are wrestling through? What do the paid "Point People" struggle with? How about their volunteers? What might a part-time youth worker in a mid-size church want some insight into? How about the "point person" who is also a volunteer in a small church?

7 comments:

Kevin said...

I have been wrestling with this. The word "missional" gets tossed around a lot these days. In general I love the idea of connecting with people where they are and doing life together. I see value and merit with the idea that we need to meet people where they are instead of expecting them to come to us.

My question is,"what does missional junior high ministry look like?" I know that our students don't fully get what it means to be a disciple who loves their world. But they can get glimpses and tastes of it. What does it look like when a junior higher gets a taste of it?

Thanks,
Kevin
Christ Chapel Bible Church
Fort Worth, TX

josh said...

love the podcast (sad i can't get the video podcast on itunes anymore, but whatever...)

i'm the "paid point person" for our church. so, coming from that perspective:

-any and everything you can think of to share about volunteer leaders (training, encouraging, delegating responsibility and authority, planning with volunteers, little ways to celebrate with them, how to followup with vols, roles that vols can play in ministry, etc)

-any and everything you can think of to share about parents (how to keep communication/information flowing -us to them & them to us-, how to connect with parents either within or outside of youth/church programming relationally, ways to invite parents onboard with ministry, the role of and how to's of trust -gaining, maintaining- between parents and ministry staff, ways ministry can be "family friendly", etc...

-any and everything you can think of to share about not tackling that student who nailed you in the face with the dodgeball when you weren't looking...

and just a thought about that whole "once a month or so" bit ... um, it's not consistent, but you always seem to deliver a little gold nugget in there, so thank you and please know you're filling a need. i've even thought (and plan to) use some of them for a team training -just setup the computer/projector, "let's all watch this", watch, "let's all talk about this."

josh said...

ps- and don't stretch to 11 min if you're done in 6. short's not bad. (not that you have or do that, but just something i thought i'd share.) again, thanks.

DIGSBY said...

I am with Josh's first request: volunteer leader training, etc.

As the "paid point person" that is one area that I really struggle with at times.

Unknown said...

different angle - volunteer hard-working leaders struggling with paid youth pastor not getting junior high kids (or the different approach required)

volunteer leaders (as opposed to followers) place in the scheme of things in general - working in the system without going crazy

how volunteers can bring 'change' where a youth pastor emphasises one purpose (or one aspect of one purpose)

how volunteers can bring any kind of change

working well (and staying sane) in an unhealthy structure

OK too hard!

Mark E. Eades said...

Here is some graet questions from an email I got from my good friend that applies to this quesiton:

What have you learned about middle schoolers and worship. Specifically how should a worship service designed for middle schoolers look like? How should it be different than other age groups?

Also how does your ministry use the Web to reach students. (website, myspace, facebook, etc.)

GodSide said...

How bout some tips on working with busy volunteers who rarely can make meetings or trainings...who by nature feel disconnected from the community.