Let Youth Dream God Sized Dreams!

I have just returned from the Prelude Gathering of Youth Pastors hosted by Mike King and Chris Folmsbee.

One of the powerful times was when a young woman, age 15, talked about the organization that she founded after viewing the movie Amazing Grace and praying for God’s guidance. She is an amazing young woman. So here is a summary of the lessons from Sally Rymer organizer of Clapham Sect Phase 2 http://www.csp2justiceseekers.com/

CSP2 aims to equip young people and those who work with them with the tools necessary to fight modern day slavery in their own communities and around the world.

1. Start with spiritual transformation. Teaching young people to get close to God is critical.

2. Discipleship is believing and doing.

3. Make ministry a safe place for dreams and ideas

4. Personal relationships are the key. Please don’t segregate us from adults of all ages. We learn discipleship through relationships.

5. Be an encouraging voice to youth and their dreams.

6. Pray with them, side by side, not just over them or for them.

7. Don’t be afraid to enter troubles, side by side, with the youth.

8. Celebrate with them what God is doing in their lives.

9. Don’t let youth passion and ideas dry up. Keep them accountable. Youth have short term vision. Help them live through their dreams long term.
Ways to support students with dreams-

1. Keep them connected and involved in spiritual disciplines. God pours into me so I can pour into the world.

2. Help them find the resources and connections they need to live it out.

3. Talk it through with them step by step. Help them see the practical application of the dream.

4. Help them set short and long term goals.

5. Keep them dreaming.

WOW the dreams of a young person. I hope you are helping your young people dream dreams and live out God’s call.

LOGOS Explores New Children’s Ministry Solutions

Today’s world demands new approaches to children’s ministry

The notion that children need love, support, and guidance in order to grow into productive adults and disciples of Jesus Christ is not a new concept. What is new, however, is the degree to which today’s society and culture are all affecting this natural growth process…even threatening it. Factors and conditions such as…

- increasing insensitivity to violence and crude behavior in the culture,

- sexualization of the young in the media and consumer products,

- direct marketing to children,

- changing family structures and life styles, and the barrage of messages and information that besiege
kids - constantly in their connected lives (e.g., cell phones, computers and televisions)

…all seem to make it more difficult for children to grow-up healthy today and in a meaningful relationship with their God.

While conditions may be changing, the fundamental need that children have for connectedness and to be in relationship with supporting adults has not changed. In fact, recent studies have verified that this need is still a critical element in the developmental process. Many churches are discovering that fulfilling this requirement in today’s culture is not such an easy matter. Postmodernism, with its emphasis on relative truth rather than doctrine and personal experience as opposed to established tradition, has rendered many previously successful disciple-making approaches inadequate and not-at-all-compelling to either kids or their parents. New solutions in children’s ministry are needed now if we are to provide the support and guidance that kids really need.

At The LOGOS Ministry, this sense of urgency is leading to action. LOGOS is currently in the midst of a campaign to bring regional leaders in many of the major denominations together to discuss the need for effective children’s ministry and a course of action for solution-making. We have introduced a series of free denominational events, called From Urgency to Action, to highlight the critical needs of children today, to introduce a model for enhancing children’s ministries, and to invite partnership with ministry leaders.

LOGOS is committed to working with churches to develop new ministry methods, techniques, and tools that will work in today’s environment. In fact, our new LOGOS@Home resource provides a flexible framework and set of tools for parents to take an active, even primary, role in supporting the spiritual growth of their children. Already, we are seeing that various church groups, individual ministry leaders, and families are discovering new ways of using LOGOS@Home to meet their unique needs.

We may be living in a new world that challenges us in new ways, but we must never lose sight of a timeless commitment – to raise our children as Christ’s own.

We Remember Virginia Tech

This day, at the one year anniversary, we remember the 32 who lost their lives at Virginia Tech University. Please take a moment to spend some time today in silent remembrance as well as prayer for the families, students and staff of VTU.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WE REMEMBER

Spiritual Wholeness Helps Happiness and Healthiness

Did you know that your work with children is a major contributor to a child’s overall health and happiness? A recent article in USA Today (read it here, “Spirituality a big part of kid’s happiness”) indicated that a study completed by the University of British Columbia shows a direct connection between spiritual formation and overall happiness in the life of children. While this is great news, it certainly isn’t a surprise to us at The LOGOS Ministry. It is why we believe that a balanced ministry that ministers to the whole child is critical for the church today. Over and over again, we can see the immediate benefits of balanced ministry. Search Institute research tells us that spiritual formation is critical to lowering at risk behaviors. The Hardwired to Connect Study tells us that we are hardwired for relationships that are both personal and spiritual and these relationships have a definite positive influence on the children.

From all of this, we discover how important spiritual formation is for our children. Not only does it make an eternal difference but it makes a definite difference in their lives today, So why wouldn’t we want to make sure that we do all we can to offer our children and youth a life that is happier, safer, more connected, and healthier as well as eternally focused?

Why Children Go to Church?

Last week, I offered a podcast from the perspective of teenagers on why they committed to going to church each week in the midst of the busyness of their lives. This week, I offer the written words of a 1st grader given to me on a recent trip. This young boy, who is gifted with words for his age, expresses the feelings of many. He expresses what means the most to him about his midweek LOGOS ministry which he attends faithfully.

“My Life in LOGOS

I love LOGOS! I like table time. I sit with my friends and we eat good food. In rec, we learn new games. I learn to be a good sport. I like Bible time. We study about Jesus and how he loves us. He did many wonderful things called miracles. My favorite part of LOGOS is choir. I love to sing praises to God. It is a small gift I can give to Him. LOGOS helps me to grow up in a good way. That is why I love LOGOS.” by Daniel

What a blessing that even in first grade, a child has a great desire to praise God, be in relationship, learn and become a disciple. The messages over these two weeks have pointed out that young people from 1st to 12th grade are not looking for pure fun and play but truly get engaged when meaning , purpose and discipleship are a part of their church experience. I was given a framed copy of this which now hangs on my wall as a constant reminder of welcoming the children. Thank you Daniel!

May God continue to bless your practical, purposeful and impactful ministry with young people.

Why Youth Go to Church?

I went to interview a group of youth about their involvement in LOGOS and LOGOS Summer Conferences. Listen to this group of teenagers share why they set aside time each week to attend a weekly LOGOS ministry and the week long LOGOS Conference in the summer. They share their excitement about coming together in this relational ministry and what it means to them and their faith. I was completely surprised by the depth of their answers. The real reasons why they gather each week comes through loud and clear. They want relationships, a place to ask questions and seek answers, spiritual growth, an accepting environment, a place to belong and a gathering where they can be themselves and of course it has to be engaging and fun. What a great way to measure our own effectiveness in ministry with youth. It sounds like they are asking that ministry be practical, purposeful and impactful. What also came through loud and clear is that they don’t want to be talked at and they want a lot more than just fluff. Listen to the excitement as they share why they come to church each week.

Why Youth Go to Church Podcast

Are We Raising Children to Be Easter People?

As I have thought about our role in leading, raising and mentoring children, I have been wondering, especially at this time of year, whether we are raising our children to truly be Easter people. There are some characteristics of Easter people that I think are critical for us to pass on to our children in both word and role modeling. Some of those characteristics that come to mind are as follows. Easter People are:

1. People who live with new abundant life. (John 10:10)
2. People who live with the promise of the resurrection. (Romans 6:5)
3. People who live with faith and hope. (Hebrews 11:1)
4. People who rejoice always, pray constantly and give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-1
5. People who live as obedient disciples. (2 John 1:6)
6. People who are willing to sacrificially take up their cross for the sake of Jesus. (Matthew 16:24)
7. People who are filled with abundant love for God and other people. (Mark 12:29-31)
8. People who are filled with joy. (Acts 14:17)
9. People who put Jesus as Lord (Ruler, King, Number 1) in their lives. (Romans 14:
10. People who live out their faith daily. (James 2:17)

Are we raising our children as Easter people? What other things would you add to this list that the Bible says is critical to be an Easter person?

Leading Children through Action

It is clear to me that the book of James says it is up to us. In James chapter 2 we read, “What good is it if you have faith but do not have works?”

How can we expect young people, our children- God’s children, to be a part of the church, to grow in their faith, to have a saving relationship with God if we are not doing the work it takes to make this happen today.

What good is it to say, “oh things would be so much better of if young people came to church” or, “if only young people today had faith and morals” but we aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. We aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to reach out, bring them in and help them.

We can complain about all of their behaviors, we can complain about their disrespect, we can complain about their absence from the church not to mention music, movies and other media but if we aren’t willing to be the agents of change nothing will be different. In his book Helping Our Children Grow in Faith, Robert Keely shares in his research that one of the key problems we have is “adults are not willing to work hard enough to make worship accessible for children.” In other words, we don’t want to sacrifice our wants, desires and conveniences to welcome the child.

I am convinced that our faith and our desires to pass that faith on to the next generation are absolutely dead and meaningless if we are not willing to take the action necessary to do something about it.

What about you? Are you doing whatever it takes to make sure the church you attend is wide open to the young in your community?

“So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Mentoring Kids Makes a Difference

The words below are written by a 15 year old girl who wrote this journal in response to her daily devotions.  She has given us permission to share them with you.  It is a good reminder of the way we should approach our life and relationship with God:

OVERCOME 

You are an over comer. God has destined you and created you to overcome. You have been given the gift of overcoming. For He has already overcome. He has won. He has power over death, and He wants you to live with Him as He lives. He wants you to carry out His image. The image that screams Overcome. Overcome sin, fear, and failure. That doesn’t mean you will always succeed but you will always be able to overcome. You will see who you can be and what you need to do to get you there. It may be as simple as talking to God, spending time with God. But, I promise you that you will overcome whatever it may be that you feel is holding you back, preventing you from starting, or tying you up. It says in John 15 that you are the branches and He is the vine. That means if you remain in Him, you will be an over comer. It is a step by step process to which you can get to this overriding state.  As the dictionary reads “to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conquer; defeat: to overcome the enemy.” You are destined to overcome to see for yourself who you really are. Remain in Him and you will see Him within yourself. Remain in Him and you will have his attributes. Be cognoscente of the fact that you are His. You have a journey ahead of you. A plan, if you seek Him whole heartedly.  God has an immeasurable amount of love for you. How could we expect the least of it? Don’t think for a second that His best won’t reach you because you are His. You have been chosen as a Child of God, to be used by Him and for Him to do great wonders. You are his Hands and Feet. Overcome. Let go of the fear, the struggle, the pain, and the loss. Overcome. Let go and let God. Let Him work through you. The destiny of overcoming will show the world who God truly is. Live it out. The reason why I think it is your destiny is because of the fact that once you have overcome and become free in His name, you have become usable. God will use you in unfathomable ways to touch you and His fellow children. Overcome. Know that you have peace and love and grace flowing in your direction every day. Overcome. Begin to realize that you can do anything through Christ Jesus who gives you strength (Philippians 4:13). What are you facing today? What can be done about that? Overcome. Overcome with strength, perseverance, goals, and Jesus who supplies all those things. Take that step of faith today and reach out. You will get the better of it. You will defeat the enemy. How do I know? Jesus did. He never gave into sin once. Yet, since we are human we do sin. However, what is holding you back from not making the same mistake over and over again? Whatever gets you day in and day out….Don’t give into it today. Don’t settle your standards for anything less. Don’t think that today will be just an ordinary day with the same troubles. It won’t be. We have no clue what is in store for today. But rather rejoice for the strength that we know we can receive today. Become that over comer today and don’t settle for mediocrity. Don’t settle for mediocrity because we don’t have a God of mediocrity. We have the everlasting God. “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary.”(Isaiah 41:2). May you not either. May you not grow tired or weary because He will supply your strength. Better yet, He is your strength, your hope, your goal, your desire, your want, your need, your care, your supplier, and your EVERYTHING. You CAN Overcome!

Here at The LOGOS Ministry, we know that ministry with young people, cross-generational relationships and a weekly balanced ministry where young people learn God’s word and then are given the opportunity to live it out truly does make a difference.

Reasons to be Childlike

This blog come from Perry Noble the Pastor of NewSpring Church. It is a great lesson for all of us.

Four Reasons I Want To Be Childlike

“I am beginning to see why Jesus instructed us to have faith like children. I began to wonder the other day–what would my relationship with God and others look like if I approached it like a child?

#1 - I Would Have Less Stress In My Life!

One of the most difficult passages on Scripture for me to read and apply is Matthew 6:25! (Did I hear an Amen?) We all worry–but…

My daughter, when I’m holding her–doesn’t worry about a thing. She isn’t afraid when I throw her up in the air because she knows I will catch her.

WOW–what if I continually trusted God like that? What if I knew, that no matter what happened, He would always be there to catch me?

#2 - I Would Have More Joy!

Whenever I walk into my daughter’s room to wake her up in the mornings she always greets me with a smile–ALWAYS. AND…sometimes she even begins to laugh and does a swimming motion with her arms and legs…it’s really quite a sight to see. My point it–she ALWAYS has joy!

What if I were like that? What if I always had joy in the presence of God? I have discovered that we either are full of joy in His presence–OR–we try to hide from Him. (There is a story in the Bible about that!)

What if I truly recognized who God is–that He is holy and that every intention He has for me is ultimately going to be made beautiful in His time? (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The result–joy–which according to Nehemiah 8:10 is my strength!

#3 - I Would Be More Forgiving!

One of the things that I have to be very careful of is having a negative and bitter attitude towards other people…it’s hard, isn’t it?!?!?!

BUT my daughter–she is very quick to forgive. Recently she had a pretty bad cold and, as a result, have an abundance of snot just flowing out of her little nose.

I discovered something during that time–she DOES NOT enjoy having her nose wiped!!! Talk about a meltdown! Seriously–she would scream and kick her little arms and legs–but, usually after about three seconds after the “torture” was over–she was all smiles and giggles again.

What if I were more like that? What if, whenever someone hurt me, I did acknowledge the pain, but then I moved on and didn’t always bring it up–either to them or to others? I would be a better person, we all would! (Ephesians 4:32)
#4 - I Would Not Fear Losing God’s Love

Something I’ve always wrestled with since becoming a Christian is that how can God love me–even when I mess up.

BUT–this past Sunday God taught me an unforgettable lesson. I was holding my daughter in the air and laughing when…she spit up–IN MY MOUTH! Seriously–it was gross. I almost gagged–in fact, I am about to gag right now just blogging about it.

BUT–when it had passed–I began to laugh out loud, and so did she (and so did my wife!) She didn’t fear for one second that, just because she spit up on me, that I was going to stop loving her! One thing about my little girl–she does not fear my love–she knows it’s unconditional.

What if I were like that? Would it impact the way I live? Would I be more real with God instead of feeling like at times I need to perform for Him. Scripture says in Romans 8:38-39 that we can NEVER be separated from His love–and I think I am beginning to finally understand that more and more.”

Thank you for that message Perry. What an important lesson for those of us who work with children to understand and live out. Here at The LOGOS Ministry we not only believe that ministry with children is crucial but even more important are the relationships that are built. These relationships allow for joy, blessings and learning from each other. What have you learned from children recently?