Month: October 2006

In today’s new episode of On the Poddy we talk with our Kiwi friend (Megan) about preaching in church. She spoke of the fluffy topical preaching she grew up with compared to the practise at our church. I love the diet we get at church. Typically we work through a book of the Bible during the school term and during the holidays we will have topical/different sermons. I personally think that that is the best diet for a healthy church. What’s your church like??

In youth ministry I think we need to think in a similar way. The temptation is to give too much weight to ‘topics’. However, in the last 2 years, I’ve spoken 5or6 times on sex stuff as it has occurred in the series’ we’ve been doing.

What does a typical year look like for your youth ministry? (re: what you preach through etc…)

Some idiot broke into Row’s parents’ car today during their day off while enjoying a picnic with some friends from England. Row’s handbag was in there – so her wallet is gone (and all the junk in there!) as well as her phone and Bible. This arvo we have been ringing banks and telephone companies to cancel stuff and so forth. I left one of the lunchtime groups today early to go make phone calls etc… upon driving home I was secretly hoping someone would be there so that I could bash them up!!

Thankfully for them (and me) they weren’t!

I pray that they would read Row’s Bible.

I pray that I would take Jesus’ words seriously.

Row is introducing me to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. We are watching the BBC miniseries together. I have fought it off for many years and now I have finally succumbed. Row has for a long time been in love with Mr. Darcy – I am now falling in love with the delightful Elizabeth Bennet!

Elizabeth Bennet is “[t]he 20-year-old second sister, and the protagonist of the story. She is her father’s favourite and inherits his intelligence and wit. She is generally regarded as one of the most endearing and popular female protagonists in English literature.” (From here)

Endearing. She is a dish!!

What do you think???

Girls are more than welcome to comment too… but not too much from the P and P fans who got here based on their daily google search for new content on their cult movie!

New feature of eternal weight of glory. These will happen irregularly when I can’t think of anything to say.

Question: Where is the gnome?
BIG prizes on offer…

Yes I know it’s Saturday… but here is the latest Prayer Friday. Thanks for praying. Would love to know how to pray for you.

Praise:
>The safe arrival of my new nephew
>The Mariners beating Sydney FC last night!

Prayer:
>Term 4 of ccecyouth
>Discipline in life and ministry
>Please pray for Brie Vink who has not been well and is in hospital in Bunda. She has probably had malaria. (Child of one of our link missionaries)

I have a new design for this blog. What do you think? Still got a couple of things to do… but spent some time playing with it today while Row was hanging out with friends. Suggestions?

I love youth ministry. There are two key elements to youth ministry. God. Teenagers. Loving youth ministry involves loving teenagers (the ‘youth’ bit) and loving God (the ‘ministry’ bit). I love teenagers. I love God.

It’s my hope that this blog would include some of my insights and experiences of youth ministry as well as comments from others with a love for God and teenagers.

A CALL: If you know of any bloggers who are involved in youth ministry and/or keen to talk about it – send them my way!!! I’m particularly keen for those in the Australian context… but not exclusively.

MY YOUTH MINISTRY POSTS:
I will keep updating this when new ones come

• 06FEB07 Youth Ministry: Leaders fighting Lust
• 15JAN07 Youth Ministry: Summerfest 2007
• 22DEC06 Youth Ministry: 12 days until Christmas
• 20DEC06 Youth Ministry: Web Re-launch
• 29NOV06 Youth Ministry: Wedding Podcast
• 28NOV06 Youth Ministry: The Real Thing blog
• 22NOV06 Youth Ministry: Emo Evangelism II
• 16NOV06 Youth Ministry: Emo Evangelism
• 06NOV06 Youth Ministry: ccecyouth youtube news 2
• 31OCT06 Youth Ministry: Happy Reformation Day Podcast
• 31OCT06 Youth Ministry: New Blog – The Youth Vanguard
• 30OCT06 Youth Ministry: YouTube and MySpace
• 24OCT06 Youth Ministry: Halloween and Reformation Day
• 19OCT06 Youth Ministry: What not to do
• 18OCT06 Youth Ministry: Preaching
• 26SEP06 Youth Ministry: Online Lectures
• 14SEP06 coast youth REVOLUTION
• 13SEP06 Church Staffing: Lawn mowing principle
• 06SEP06 School Ministry: people tried to get Jesus stoned
• 04SEP06 John Piper: A Challenge to Young People
• 31AUG06 Youth Ministry: Don’t drag dead possums
• 28AUG06 Church Planting: GO or STAY
• 21AUG06 Surprise party, RICE & Mariners
• 18AUG06 New Website
• 15AUG06 Youth Ministry: MySpace
• 10AUG06 Youth Ministry: Sex Talks
• 02JUN06 False Community
• 17MAY06 Emerging Church
• 08MAY06 Is Jesus ‘da bomb’!??

So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (1Thess 2:8 esv)

G’day Kids. In this space only a couple of days ago I threatened to leave the blogiverse unless 17 different people commented on my post. Well… with the comment of my brother I reached 17 different people (with a total of 43 comments all together… and believe it or not 17 of them were me!!). Thanks to the 17 of you for contributing…Let the blog roll on…

Tonigh Row and I went out for dinner with her parents at Erina Fair (big prizes on offer for guessing the food establishment)… and lo and behold we were given table number 18… so close to our magical number 17! We did, however, get number 17 for our dessert order (but I think Row arranged that!).

THE MARINERS: are playing vs Bling FC tomorrow (Friday) night (the picture in the middle of the collage is Mariners logo made out of some lego block things!). Kick-off is 8pm. I’m going. Do you want to come? Send me an sms or email… we’ll probably have a BBQ at my place b4 hand.