I write the Spilled Salt blog. To find more about me, go to the topics on the YM page, click on the "Spilled Salt : Thoughts from Van Dop" topic link, and find the article "a little about me."
Like others, I don't use just one of the models, but use a mix of them. In my mind, if you run a program solely under one of these models, 'success' just might not be found. Different kids come out for different reasons. I know if I was to never have a 'just-for-fun' event, some of my kids would end up elsewhere, whereas if I never had small groups, I would loose everyone of my leaders. Here's a bit of a break-down of what goes on over here ...
1. Event focused
- Around once a month, or once every other month, we'll do something extra, be it a random game night, service projects, or worship night with other local youth groups.
2. Relationally-based
- I try to meet up with most of my youth for coffee or a coke. I encourage my leaders to also do the same, so that we can build relationships through the goodness of starbucks or tim hortons!
3. Small Group
- for the most part, this is our focus, we use small group ministry to teach the kids here. I would say it happens 80% of the youth nights. When there isn't a scheduled SG night, lower numbers show up. The hard part is of course finding curriculum suited to all ages.
Facebook is an ever so wonderful tool for connecting with those around us. When I first joined FB i was reconnected with my child-hood best friend, and with our small circle those child-hood friends, we all hung out for an evening.
You could say that my addiction to FB was fueled into flames at that point. I spent hours and hours searching for long lost friends, trying to rekindle lost friendships. Mostly all to no avail, but I refused to give up my quest.
I guess it came over time that I found that I was travelling down a road that I didn't need to go on, and then to focus on actual face-to-face connections - and develop those.
I love the fact that you posted those three signs of addiction - a plainly obvious way for others to see if they are travelling down that same road.
Social Networking sites can be so valuable, but they can be just as evil as they are valuable. The pendulum has swung too far in this direction, perhaps as youth pastors, parents, friends - as adults - we should strive to help to swing this pendulum back to a good balance between online friends and real human contact.
Perhaps this might be a good topic for another spilled salt.
Thanks Miranda for your thoughts. I encourage you to take your discoveries to your husbands youth group, and be a resource to help those who are travelling down the same road that you are.
So I'm pretty sure I remember who you are - and if I'm correct, we didn't go to high school together, although we did go to the same church during our high school years.
Thanks August for your comment, and thanks for the advice about saying "operator." Little tricks like that make all the difference. I admit that in these types of phone calls I would press random numbers and say random things, and eventually throw the 'machine' off, forcing it to direct me to a person.
I realized after I published this article that the commercial was for Rogers, not Shaw ... my mistake, but out here, most people recognize that there is little difference.
A youth pastor I work in the same area, with his wife are currently in Ethiopia, completing an adoption process of their new son! They are maintaining a blog about their journey through the entire process.
A recent entry strikes the same chord as this article, read about a similar perspective from where they are :: http://beugelblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-13th.html
a couple pages i use for YM games and general ideas ::
- http://www.thesource4ym.com/
- http://www.egadideas.com/ideas.asp
- http://www.youthpastor.com/
Posted in: Survey on Program Model
Like others, I don't use just one of the models, but use a mix of them. In my mind, if you run a program solely under one of these models, 'success' just might not be found. Different kids come out for different reasons. I know if I was to never have a 'just-for-fun' event, some of my kids would end up elsewhere, whereas if I never had small groups, I would loose everyone of my leaders. Here's a bit of a break-down of what goes on over here ...
1. Event focused
- Around once a month, or once every other month, we'll do something extra, be it a random game night, service projects, or worship night with other local youth groups.
2. Relationally-based
- I try to meet up with most of my youth for coffee or a coke. I encourage my leaders to also do the same, so that we can build relationships through the goodness of starbucks or tim hortons!
3. Small Group
- for the most part, this is our focus, we use small group ministry to teach the kids here. I would say it happens 80% of the youth nights. When there isn't a scheduled SG night, lower numbers show up. The hard part is of course finding curriculum suited to all ages.
Posted in: Spilled Salt: Thoughts from Van Dop
Facebook is an ever so wonderful tool for connecting with those around us. When I first joined FB i was reconnected with my child-hood best friend, and with our small circle those child-hood friends, we all hung out for an evening.
You could say that my addiction to FB was fueled into flames at that point. I spent hours and hours searching for long lost friends, trying to rekindle lost friendships. Mostly all to no avail, but I refused to give up my quest.
I guess it came over time that I found that I was travelling down a road that I didn't need to go on, and then to focus on actual face-to-face connections - and develop those.
I love the fact that you posted those three signs of addiction - a plainly obvious way for others to see if they are travelling down that same road.
Social Networking sites can be so valuable, but they can be just as evil as they are valuable. The pendulum has swung too far in this direction, perhaps as youth pastors, parents, friends - as adults - we should strive to help to swing this pendulum back to a good balance between online friends and real human contact.
Perhaps this might be a good topic for another spilled salt.
Thanks Miranda for your thoughts. I encourage you to take your discoveries to your husbands youth group, and be a resource to help those who are travelling down the same road that you are.
God Bless you and your husbands ministry!
Posted in: Spilled Salt: Thoughts from Van Dop
So I'm pretty sure I remember who you are - and if I'm correct, we didn't go to high school together, although we did go to the same church during our high school years.
Thanks for reading and replying!
Posted in: Spilled Salt: Contact
Thanks August for your comment, and thanks for the advice about saying "operator." Little tricks like that make all the difference. I admit that in these types of phone calls I would press random numbers and say random things, and eventually throw the 'machine' off, forcing it to direct me to a person.
I realized after I published this article that the commercial was for Rogers, not Shaw ... my mistake, but out here, most people recognize that there is little difference.
As for your '611' work - thank-you for that!
Posted in: Spilled Salt: Unspiritual
A youth pastor I work in the same area, with his wife are currently in Ethiopia, completing an adoption process of their new son! They are maintaining a blog about their journey through the entire process.
A recent entry strikes the same chord as this article, read about a similar perspective from where they are :: http://beugelblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-13th.html
.be blessed so that you might be a blessing.
Posted in: Spilled Salt: A Little About Me
my pleasure.
Posted in: SUGGESTIONS Please
a couple pages i use for YM games and general ideas ::
- http://www.thesource4ym.com/
- http://www.egadideas.com/ideas.asp
- http://www.youthpastor.com/