Are you tired of looking through illustration books for that illusive illustration that would drive the point home? Then perhaps its time to check out Youth Illustrator, an online source for “relevant illustrations that will connect the Word of God to the lives of today’s youth!”
Started in 2007 by a former youth pastor, the website offers illustrations from youth workers in the trenches. Not only can you find illustrations for your sermons, bible studies, bible lessons, etc. at Youth Illustrator, but you can also share illustrations by clicking on their submission link.
Showing posts with label youth ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label youth ministry. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
A Quick Start Guide for Organizing Your Youth Ministry Files
A user-friendly filing system is a vital asset to any ministry; yet, few who work with youth take time to think through and set up an easy-to-use filing system. Instead, we willingly spend countless hours searching through stacks of paperwork, magazines, or boxes for an illustration, a story, an idea, etc. that we know we have somewhere.
Setting up an easy-to-use filing system is not as difficult as it seems. The following ideas can serve as a quick start guide to help you in establishing or revamping a filing system.
Organize by Categories
Take the kindergarten approach to creating a user-friendly filing system by setting up a "category" system rather than the old "A-Z" system. For starters, divide your filing system into five general categories . . .
Add a Splash of Color
Create a color-coded filing system by using a different colored plastic tab for each category. For example, use . . .
Organize for Retrieval; Not Storage
One of the biggest challenges of filing is "Where do I file this?" When choosing where to file specific items, you should focus more on "finding" and less on "storing." Ask yourself questions like . . .
Speaking of Categories
Your "event" category is for files of each event in your youth ministry. Each event file should contain all the documentaion relating to that event.
Your "people" category contains files on both your student and staff/volunteers. To avoid becoming liable for invasion of privacy, all files in your people category should be in a locking file because of the confidential information they will contain.
Your "resource & organizations" category is where you place informational files on vendors or organizations that you use in youth ministry.
Your "topical teaching resources" category files are topical files that contain illustrations, quotes, borrowed sermons or lesson outlines, news articles, etc. These files would contain anything that you might use in developing sermons, lessons, or curriculum.
Your "sermons, studies, lessons" category contains individuals files for each completed message, study or lesson. Each file should contain the completed outline, your study notes, the reaction you recieved, and anything else helpful in developing the message.
Finish the Challenge
Organizing your files can seem overwhelming, and you might face the temptation to quit before finishing. However, for your new filing system to achieve the intended purpose of making life easier you must see the process through to the end. Once you have completed the initial task of organizing and setting up a user-friendly filing system, it is simply a matter of filing your new materials regularly.
A few hints and tips:
These hints and tips might make your "filing" life a little easier . . .
Setting up an easy-to-use filing system is not as difficult as it seems. The following ideas can serve as a quick start guide to help you in establishing or revamping a filing system.
Organize by Categories
Take the kindergarten approach to creating a user-friendly filing system by setting up a "category" system rather than the old "A-Z" system. For starters, divide your filing system into five general categories . . .
- Events
- People
- Resources & Orgainzations
- Topical Teaching Resources
- Your sermons, studies, lessons, etc.
Add a Splash of Color
Create a color-coded filing system by using a different colored plastic tab for each category. For example, use . . .
- Red tabs for Events
- Green tabs for People
- Blue tabs for Resources & Organizations
- Yellow tabs for Topical Teaching Resources
- Orange tabs for your sermons, studies, lessons, etc.
Organize for Retrieval; Not Storage
One of the biggest challenges of filing is "Where do I file this?" When choosing where to file specific items, you should focus more on "finding" and less on "storing." Ask yourself questions like . . .
- Where would I go to look for this in the future?
- Under what circumstances would I look for this?
- What "topic" search would most likely lead me to retrieving this item.
Speaking of Categories
Your "event" category is for files of each event in your youth ministry. Each event file should contain all the documentaion relating to that event.
Your "people" category contains files on both your student and staff/volunteers. To avoid becoming liable for invasion of privacy, all files in your people category should be in a locking file because of the confidential information they will contain.
Your "resource & organizations" category is where you place informational files on vendors or organizations that you use in youth ministry.
Your "topical teaching resources" category files are topical files that contain illustrations, quotes, borrowed sermons or lesson outlines, news articles, etc. These files would contain anything that you might use in developing sermons, lessons, or curriculum.
Your "sermons, studies, lessons" category contains individuals files for each completed message, study or lesson. Each file should contain the completed outline, your study notes, the reaction you recieved, and anything else helpful in developing the message.
Finish the Challenge
Organizing your files can seem overwhelming, and you might face the temptation to quit before finishing. However, for your new filing system to achieve the intended purpose of making life easier you must see the process through to the end. Once you have completed the initial task of organizing and setting up a user-friendly filing system, it is simply a matter of filing your new materials regularly.
A few hints and tips:
These hints and tips might make your "filing" life a little easier . . .
- Use staples instead of paper clips whenever possible. Paper clips take up more room than staples and can cause filing and retrieval to be more difficult.
- If you save relevant articles, consider cutting out the article and writing the necessary bibliographical info on the article rather than saving the entire magazine or newspaper. Clipping the articles help you avoid "space gobblers" who can quickly eat up your filing space.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Bolts & Nuts: The Basics of Youth Ministry
Ever wonder about the secret ingredients of a successful youth ministry? Then you will want to listen to a free audio training resource by Dr Frank Hamrick.
Dr Hamrick discusses thirteen principles of a biblical philosophy of ministry in the audio recording, Bolts & Nuts: A Unique Look at the Basics of Youth Ministry. I believe the "Bolts & Nuts" CD should be required listening for anyone involved in youth ministry and youth Sunday School. It presents powerful Bible-based teaching seldom heard in Apostolic/Pentecostal youth leader or Sunday School teacher training sessions. Whether you're a veteran or someone just starting out, the information Dr Hamrick presents will challenge you and help you focus your ministry on what is most important.
Check out this free offer from Positive Action for Christ, a publishing house specializing in youth curriculum for fundamental churches. Click on the "Free Stuff" link on Positive Action's homepage to find the free CD offer, the accompanying listening guide, and free samples of their curriculum offerings.
Please be advised that the materials offered by Positive Action for Christ does not necessarily embrace certain Apostolic/Pentecostal/Oneness beliefs; however, they do offer some excellent basic Bible lessons that are ready to use with little or no tweaking. I believe you will find many useful resources at Positive Action for Christ.
Dr Hamrick discusses thirteen principles of a biblical philosophy of ministry in the audio recording, Bolts & Nuts: A Unique Look at the Basics of Youth Ministry. I believe the "Bolts & Nuts" CD should be required listening for anyone involved in youth ministry and youth Sunday School. It presents powerful Bible-based teaching seldom heard in Apostolic/Pentecostal youth leader or Sunday School teacher training sessions. Whether you're a veteran or someone just starting out, the information Dr Hamrick presents will challenge you and help you focus your ministry on what is most important.
Check out this free offer from Positive Action for Christ, a publishing house specializing in youth curriculum for fundamental churches. Click on the "Free Stuff" link on Positive Action's homepage to find the free CD offer, the accompanying listening guide, and free samples of their curriculum offerings.
Please be advised that the materials offered by Positive Action for Christ does not necessarily embrace certain Apostolic/Pentecostal/Oneness beliefs; however, they do offer some excellent basic Bible lessons that are ready to use with little or no tweaking. I believe you will find many useful resources at Positive Action for Christ.
Friday, March 9, 2007
The One Witness
(Here's a short story that I wrote several years ago. Makes an excellent discussion starter or a sermon/lesson illustration.)
The courtroom grew still as the defense stood to call their first witness. Moments earlier, the prosecuting attorney had hurled accusations at the defendant. In a clear voice filled with anger and hatred, the plaintiff’s attorney had laid out the charges. He had done a brilliant job of presenting the case, and had been shrewd in presenting and questioning his witnesses. It seemed as if he had already sealed the case.
The atmosphere was growing more tense by the moment. “How can anyone defend such charges and refute such evidence?” I asked myself. “What? One witness? One is all the defense is going to call? They must be out of their minds.”
Panic hit me like a freight train when I heard my name. They were calling me to the witness stand. I was going to be that one witness. I felt helpless and wanted to run, but knew I could not. Obediently, I struggled to rise as the weight of reality increased by the second—I am the only witness the jury will hear, and my life will be the only evidence presented.
Everything began moving in slow motion as I started my long journey to the witness stand. All eyes were on me, and the silence in the courtroom was deafening. An occasional squeak from the wooden floor accompanied my journey to the witness stand. Its echo reverberated loudly throughout the courtroom. I could feel the defendant’s eyes watching every move I made. I longed to return his gaze, but doubt and fear swept away the courage to do so. I struggled with my feelings as my thoughts ran wild. “His future is in the hands of this jury, and I am the only witness…Can I turn the tide of opinion...What if I am not a good enough witness?”
I entered the witness stand, slowly drew back the chair, and sat down. Cautiously I glanced toward the defense table, and beheld eyes filled with love and compassion. For some inexplicable reason, the judge broke the deafening silence by slamming his gavel against his desk. Or did he?
Startled, I sat up and slowly recognized the familiar sounds of a thunderstorm. Relieved, I fell back on my pillow and listened to the steady rhythm of the ceiling fan with its occasional squeak. Thankfully, it was only a dream, but I could not get away from the question: “If I were the only witness in a case against Jesus, would my witness be credible enough to convince anyone of His life changing power?”
The courtroom grew still as the defense stood to call their first witness. Moments earlier, the prosecuting attorney had hurled accusations at the defendant. In a clear voice filled with anger and hatred, the plaintiff’s attorney had laid out the charges. He had done a brilliant job of presenting the case, and had been shrewd in presenting and questioning his witnesses. It seemed as if he had already sealed the case.
The atmosphere was growing more tense by the moment. “How can anyone defend such charges and refute such evidence?” I asked myself. “What? One witness? One is all the defense is going to call? They must be out of their minds.”
Panic hit me like a freight train when I heard my name. They were calling me to the witness stand. I was going to be that one witness. I felt helpless and wanted to run, but knew I could not. Obediently, I struggled to rise as the weight of reality increased by the second—I am the only witness the jury will hear, and my life will be the only evidence presented.
Everything began moving in slow motion as I started my long journey to the witness stand. All eyes were on me, and the silence in the courtroom was deafening. An occasional squeak from the wooden floor accompanied my journey to the witness stand. Its echo reverberated loudly throughout the courtroom. I could feel the defendant’s eyes watching every move I made. I longed to return his gaze, but doubt and fear swept away the courage to do so. I struggled with my feelings as my thoughts ran wild. “His future is in the hands of this jury, and I am the only witness…Can I turn the tide of opinion...What if I am not a good enough witness?”
I entered the witness stand, slowly drew back the chair, and sat down. Cautiously I glanced toward the defense table, and beheld eyes filled with love and compassion. For some inexplicable reason, the judge broke the deafening silence by slamming his gavel against his desk. Or did he?
Startled, I sat up and slowly recognized the familiar sounds of a thunderstorm. Relieved, I fell back on my pillow and listened to the steady rhythm of the ceiling fan with its occasional squeak. Thankfully, it was only a dream, but I could not get away from the question: “If I were the only witness in a case against Jesus, would my witness be credible enough to convince anyone of His life changing power?”
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