Ron deVries
I work for Classis Alberta North as the Youth Ministry Consultant and have done so since 2007. I also serve as a Faith Formation Coach for the Denomination. Monique, my wonderfully supportive wife and I have been married since 1985. We have 2 incredible children, Amanda and Shawn. Amanda married Matt and Shawn married Roxanne, so now we have and share 4 incredible children. We are also grandparents to the cutest puppy you will ever meet, Doozer.
Posted in: Quiet Down: Lectio Divina in Youth Ministry
A few I have used were Psalm 23, sections of Psalm 139, and sections of Psalm 145.
Posted in: Quiet Down: Lectio Divina in Youth Ministry
I have had good experiences leading lectio with grade 9 students. I have led sessions with students as young as 12.
Posted in: #Social Media
Annika, I am adding the cuddlr app.
Cuddlr is a location-based social-meeting app for cuddling.
Find people near you who are up for a cuddle.
Have a cuddle with them.
No pressure.
Posted in: Preparing Ourselves for Short Term Missions
Thanks Jerry for that information. Very helpful.
Posted in: Enduring Songs - What Connects Them?
One that speaks to me is "When peace like a river". So powerful when you know the story connected to it. Thank you for writing this piece.
Posted in: Preparation Is Half the Battle
Hello Ken. At first I struggled with telling people or congregations that I pray for them, but from my experience when I do, there seems to be a sense of gratefulness and relief to know that "someone is in their corner" when at times it can otherwise feel lonely. When we walk alongside those in ministry (or in life), letting them know can often be that extra support they may need to carry on.
The other reason is a somewhat selfish one but it helps to keep myself accountable in this discipline of prayer. It is easy to not do it when I am the only one who knows.
These are only my experiences. Are there any who can suggest other thoughts on this?
Posted in: Eats, Shoots and Leaves
When I think about the "language" we use, one miscommunication that happens often is the "language" of expectations. And this doesn't just apply to Youth Ministry, (which is where I hear it most) but in all areas of church in leadership. Our job descriptions as we read them and the congregations expectations of Youth leaders might be very different and this causes considerable tension.
Posted in: Downton Abbey and the New Youth Ministry Guide
Thanks Jolanda.
Posted in: Youth Ministries Canada...It's Time
I think some of your comments are incorrect. YU does not oversee Gems and Cadets, rather they are all part of DYM (Dynamic Youth Ministries). Also, YU is really only a Junior and Senior High directed ministry with elements of conversations tied to other areas of ministry through tools like Compass 21. I believe that this may be important to the conversation. We certainly do not want to mislead anyone.
Posted in: How Prepared Are We For Change?
Thanks for your comments and observations Geoff.
Posted in: Donuts, a Dining Room Set and Red Paper Clips
Hi Shirley, thanks for your comment. There was no official name for the event. The weekend was hosted by Neerlandia CRC and the auction took place in Barrhead, Alberta. The planning team tried this event as an experiment to see if we could gather a few rural CRC's together for community building and outreach.