I read through Andy Stanley’s Next Generation Leader this past week and was very impressed. Andy, Pastor of North Point Ministries in Atlanta, GA, wrote this book to help the upcoming generation of young ministry leaders. Leading a young and vibrant group of churches has provided Andy with a wealth of experience and knowledge that he seeks to pass on through this book. In the book, Stanley suggests that you focus on 5 essentials for leaders: Competence, Courage, Clarity, Coaching, and Character. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Resources’ Category
Twitter Toolbox
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
As a result of my iPhone, I have been spending more time on Twitter. While I have always enjoyed using Twitter to keep friends and family up to date on my life, my recent spike in usage has found me enjoying Twitter in other areas. For example, I have loved the articles and websites that people provide, especially @guykawasaki and @michaelhyatt. Big name pastors (@RickWarren & @MattChandler74) and leaders (@JohnCMaxwell) provide inspiration and encouragement in 140 characters or less. News feeds like @CNNbrk provide breaking news as it happens (just don’t rely on Twitter as a primary news source). The local amateur soccer team has a Twitter account (@OceanCityBarons), allowing me to find out the score to their away games. (more…)
Blessing Others in Ministry
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
Earlier this week I received the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium. For free.
I was given CS3 after entering a drawing on ChurchCrunch. A reader of that blog recently upgraded and wanted to bless someone else in ministry.
After receiving the gift in the mail, it made me think about blessing others in ministry. Whether it is a gift, a donation, helpful advice, or just some much needed encouragement, blessing others in ministry is an excellent way to build a Kingdom mindset. Over the next week, this blog will take a deeper look at blessing others in ministry.
(image by shereen84)
Local Library
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009A city’s local library is typically the most underused public resource. Thousands of books, magazines, DVDs and other sources of information are freely available to any citizen, yet most people rarely enter through the doors. Here is some advice on how to take full advantage of your library’s resources: (more…)
Book Review: Inside the Mind of Youth Pastors
Monday, July 13th, 2009
Inside the Mind of Youth Pastors by Mark Riddle is a helpful guide for church leaders to the inner workings of youth ministry and youth pastors. This book is divided into two sections: one for Youth Pastor search committees, and another for Senior Pastors. The first section deals with how to go about filling your Youth Pastor vacancy. Riddle challenges church leaders to rethink their entire philosophy of church and youth ministry. This is done to help a church end it’s cycle of hiring a warm body, instead of hiring someone that truly fits the ministry. (more…)
iPhone Apps for Youth Workers
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009Two weeks ago I took the plunge and got an iPhone 3GS. Frustrated with my previous smartphone, I had high hopes for the iPhone. The iPhone, with it’s plethora of free and paid apps, is a great productivity tool for youth pastors. It can help you stay connected to students, keep track of finances, instantly write down sermon or game ideas, and even keep you from getting lost on your retreat. (more…)
Evernote for iPhone
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009As I have said before, Evernote is a must-have program for youth workers. This free note taking program provides instant access to all your notes from any Internet-capable computer in the world. Even before the iPhone, I thought that Evernote was an amazing program. And then I got an iPhone.
The Evernote iPhone app was the first one I downloaded for my phone. This free app allows you to access your notes from anywhere on your phone, allowing you to rely less and less on paper reminders. You can also create new notes, which allows for instant capture of your ideas.
Just yesterday I saw an outdoor game that I thought would be excellent for Junior High students. Within 2 minutes, I had the game saved on Evernote, including a description of the game, potential usage, and a picture of the game.
The crew over at Evernote is doing a fantastic job with their desktop client and iPhone app. And with both products being free, how can you possibly go wrong? This software is a must-have for any youth worker looking to get orvanized and have control of their information.
The series Youth Pastor Toolbox discusses tools of the trade for youth ministry. A new “Youth Pastor Toolbox” will be posted every Tuesday.
