Stop the Madness

It is a mad and crazy world that our young people are growing up in today. In light of the recent events at the mall shooting in the Omaha area, we are re-offering our booklet Terror and Tragedy: Responding to our Children and Youth. It will give you tools for helping children and youth deal with the craziness, violence, uncertainty and worry that is all around them.

Download the Terror and Tragedy booklet here

Relationships and Technology

How do we build relationships with children and youth in today’s world? A major component of the answer to that question is to be relevant to their world. See our prior blog. In 2005, the Board of Directors of The LOGOS Ministry created the initiative for the ministry to create new ways to be relationship focused while at the same time being technology based. We unveiled it as the High-Touch and High-Tech approach to ministry. Questions were raised and dealt with about the partnership of these two initiatives. How can one focus on relationships while moving to a greater use of technology? Doesn’t technology interfere with relationships? Of course we believe the answer to this latter question is no it doesn’t have to, it actually can build those relationships up. And so that is how we have moved forward in the last two years. A week ago, the 5th largest church in the country, LifeChurch, blogged about the exact same thing. In fact, Craig Groeschel, the lead pastor, put it this way,

“Higher Tech and Higher Touch

In my opinion, the church that doesn’t use technology to reach people is missing one of the greatest opportunities of our generation. The church will unquestionably continue to grow in its use of technology.

As the church becomes more high-tech, we should become even more intentional about being high-touch.”

This is exactly the premise we have been working under these last couple of years. It is why we blog, podcast, have training webinars, email updates, video updates and community pages.

Craig goes on to say, “When talking about high-touch relationships, you might think I only mean relating “face-to-face” relationships. Actually, I mean more than that. We can be very high-touch (or very low touch) in relationships using technology.”

So, we continue to look for ways to build our relationships not only through our in-person regional network but also through technology. That is why in the coming year you will continue to see the release of new webinars, more community pages and other ways to stay connected.

Which makes me wonder, how are you using technology to reach your children and youth in ministry? Share your thoughts and ideas that might benefit us all.

Youth, Children and the Church

Watch this video post and ask yourselves, what does this mean for the church? What does it mean for the way we offer ministry to youth and to children. What, if anything, does it say to us about the future of our ministry? We want to hear from you!

Why Online Learning?

Arbitron and Edison Media Research have released a new study that shows in the last few years, the internet has passed radio as an essential medium for daily life and it is not far behind television. In fact, for those 45 and younger, the internet exceeds TV, but for those 45 and older, television still ranks as number one. These statistics and others like it have led us to examine what we do here at The LOGOS Ministry, such as blogging, podcasting, and our online library. Now perhaps you have heard that The LOGOS Ministry is going to start online learning in the form of webinars as a part of our overall training package. In less than two months, on September 1st, we will be rolling out a group of webinars based on our Powering UP! workshops. A sample of this style of learning is already available on our website and can be found here at Introductory Webcast.

We would like to hear what you think about this opportunity! To facilitate this conversation, here are some benefits that we say will be advantageous for learners interested in The LOGOS Ministry training. Remember, benefits may vary depending on the teaching approach. The perception of whether something is a benefit or a challenge is based on learning style and learner needs. However, below is a list of the most common things learners have listed as benefits of online learning:

1. Allows the learner to study when and where they are most productive.
2. Allows the learner to update his/her skills without interruption of career or personal commitments.
3. Allows for the tailoring to individual schedules.
4. Opens the door of opportunity to those that could not attend an in-person training event.
5. Allows the integration of Internet resources.
6. Is cost-effective for the learner and their organization.

Some studies have shown that online learning has a high degree of effectiveness. So, do you think online learning is beneficial? What obstacles might exist and how can they be overcome?

Listen to our podcast: Using Technology and On-line learning in Ministry 

Extending Children’s Ministry into Mission

A balanced ministry approach will eventually result in “going out” to serve others.

One of the fundamental building blocks at LOGOS is the notion of balanced ministry. That is, a ministry that comprehensively addresses multiple aspects of Christian nurture on a concurrent basis. For LOGOS, this occurs along two key dimensions. First, we address the child’s heart, body and mind with our multi-part program approach. The whole child is ministered to in an integrated way in order to produce the most effective nurturing result. Secondly, LOGOS emphasizes both learning and practicing the faith to facilitate the child’s growth into discipleship as an active process of development.

In this context then, mission represents the next step in extending the nurturing and growth of children by shifting the emphasis from the ministry serving the kids themselves to helping them learn to serve others. This is one practical way for children to see their role as young disciples whom Christ directs to “go out” and be of service to those in need. The powerful lesson of service, learned at a young age, can then be built upon and reinforced over time as young Christians grow to become tomorrow’s church. To support this effort, LOGOS is now including training for church leaders on how to include a mission component in an overall children’s ministry model.

But that’s not all! The LOGOS Ministry is also “on a mission.” We are going to be serving John Knox Presbyterian Church in Youngstown, OH during the week of June 11th by painting, cleaning and doing some minor repair work around the church. Follow our preparations and our day-to-day experiences at John Knox by checking in with the LOGOS staff at our new mission website www.myspace.com/logosmission. Visit the site often and leave us a message…or a prayer.

Listen to our podcast: Mission and Ministry are Key

Kids Still Want In-person Relationships

Despite the rise of e-mail, cell phones and instant messaging, kids prefer face-to-face contact with others

A recent study compiled by Alloy Media & Marketing and Harris Interactive found that the vast majority of “tweens” (8 to 12) prefer to talk with friends in-person. The survey covered 1,487 kids (8 to 1 in a nationwide poll that assessed the group’s communications habits and preferences.

Despite the continuing rise of technology-based communication options, 81% of the “tween” group chose in-person communications over instant messaging, e-mail, and cell phones as their preferred method. This preference was somewhat weaker for the 13 to 18 age group (53%), but did show that face-to-face contact still rules. The study also identified a trend that continues to emerge. That is “online-only” friendships in which kids establish relationships with others whom they never actually meet in person, but with whom they sustain ongoing communication.

At LOGOS, we have always felt that relationships between children and teens – and between kids and adults - represent a timeless and powerful human need. Relationships are also at the center of effective ministry. For ministry leaders, we say, “Make the most out of the in-person time you have with kids. Build trust and establish a sustainable relationship that will allow you to communicate effectively with them in any, and all, ways.”

Blogs are a Part of our Culture!

Weblogs, or “blogs”, are currently read by about 25-30% of Americans…and by a much greater percentage of American teens.

Blogs are increasingly becoming a central element in the social fabric of our culture, and are certainly an important part of the lives of many teenagers. Current estimates indicate that MySpace.com has 20 million young subscribers, Xanga has about 8 million and LiveJournal has 7 million. Technorati.com, the blog monitoring service, is currently tracking nearly 2,400 Christian-themed blog sites. These numbers are growing monthly and young people are flocking to them as places to share openly their feelings and ideas…voices seeking an audience and to be part of a community. In some cases, the messages are painful and uncomfortably candid, mirroring the reality of the teenage experience.

LOGOS sees this trend as providing another channel for kids to establish relationships with others that they can “…relate to and communicate with.” This is a fundamental need in many of us, and particularly with teens. The LOGOS Ministry has always been based upon solid, Christian relationships between teens and with adults…and ultimately with God through Jesus Christ. We understand that kids want relationships and need to communicate and share. At LOGOS, we say, “…let’s plug into that need with a responsive ministry that delivers genuine relationships the old-fashioned way – in person.” Blogs are fine and may be effective reflections of our times, but they shouldn’t replace the warmth of human interaction that has been, and will always be, needed by all of us. In recognition of our “both/and” society, LOGOS sees that there is a valid need for both blogs and personal relationships in today’s youth culture.