That’s Tweetable!

February 5, 2013Brian Aaby 2 Comments

Today is a big day, I finally launched my first MailChimp campaign. It was a few weeks (well months) in the making as I put together a strategy that met a few essential criteria.

Give something and possibly get something (give insights, wisdom, experience and inspiration and in return we may see readers take advantage of resources that Youthmark or our partners offer, but do so at a rate they can’t get anywhere else)!
Contribute to a greater cause (I believe student ministry is three pronged- student, staff and leaders, my hope is that all the posts contribute to that three pronged focus and then see the fruit of unity in Christ can bring).
Less is more (though I won’t limit myself to 140 words or less on brianaaby.com, all posts in the TweetableYM brand will be concise, 140 words or less, proving that most of the time, less is more)!

We launched the TweetableYM (tweetable youth ministry) brand today. The TweetableYM branding consists of:

website (TweetableYM.com)
Twitter (@TweetableYM)
Facebook (facebook.com/TweetableYM)
Newsletter (sign up here)

Playing with the 140 character theme from Twitter, we are producing a resource (blog/newsletter) where all of the posts will be 140 words or less! Then connected to the featured (hash-tagged) post we’ll give links to additional writings and resources on that subject. In addition we will (most always) have a featured resource with an exclusive discount available ONLY to those subscribed to the newsletter).

Check us out on any/all of the above… be among the first 140 to subscribe, like and/or follow and you’ll be entered to win one of three Youthmark hoodies!

We appreciate you getting the word out, feel free to r/t this post, share on Facebook, etc.!

Grace,

Brian

An Open Letter to Senior Pastors

January 31, 2013Brian Aaby 4 Comments

NOTE: The below letter is not specific to any one pastor or a specific situation, rather, it stems from years of being a youth and associate pastor, a lay person in the church and now an elder.

Senior Pastors,

I admire you. You have chosen and been called to such a challenging position. Thank you. Though Hallmark likely created it, Pastor Appreciation Month is not often recognized the way that it should be and you’re not appreciated nearly enough.

You pour many hours into the Scriptures preparing your weekly messages but because you seek to meet the needs of your flock your study time is often cut short. You’re called upon to counsel, you’re asked to perform weddings and you’re expected to attend way too many fellowship lunches. You need to be at too many meetings and the one that you miss will NOT go unnoticed. I don’t envy your position, but I’m thankful you’re in it.

I hope you sense the sincerity of my above words. 99% of the Sr./Lead Pastors I have dealt with in my roles fit the above descriptions and I believe you need to hear more words of encouragement because your job is extremely difficult. I have a different form of encouragement for you as well… an encouragement to consider doing a few things I believe will help you and the people you care for. These suggestions may seem elementary, but please examine your leadership style and ask yourself and/or others if these things are true of you.

Collaborate: Your leadership is needed, but ownership in the values and convictions for the church will rarely come from your decree, rather by the discoveries of your leadership team (staff, elders, lay volunteers, etc.). Don’t tell them the direction, collaborate on the values and then lead them in the collective vision.

Develop: Steward your staff and your lay leadership well. The Rich Young Ruler walked away sad because he could not give away his riches to others in need. I believe a number of pastors would walk away sad if Jesus asked you to give away some of your gifted people (staff/leaders). Take the time (and allow your other pastors to take the time) to develop others under you with full knowledge that God may call them to be pastors, leaders and influencers to others elsewhere.

Get Unchurched: You spend 99% of your time with people who are or who think they are Christians. Many under your care have no idea how to bring Jesus into an everyday conversation. It won’t matter what you tell your people to say until they know that you’re being intentional about it too! I challenge you to fall in love with the lost, not just fall in love with the idea of the lost!

Again, I’m thankful for you and believe in you. My simple hope is that you’ll believe in us (your staff, your leaders and your congregants) a little more. Believe that we have good ideas and let us give them. Believe that we can be developed and give us the chance to mess up a bit and then catch us as we stumble. And last, believe in us enough to do life with us. Join us and set the example when it comes to loving and spending time with people who don’t yet know Jesus!

Grace,

Brian

Theology, Relief Pitching and Porn

January 29, 2013January 29, 2013Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Is this guy really going to blog about theology, pitching and porn?

Yep.

Let me start with the given. Many Christians would say they want to be more like Jesus! We sing it on Sunday, we ask for it in our prayers and we study how to do it in God’s Word. The process of becoming more like Jesus is called sanctification (theology reference, check).

Let me move to another (yet hidden) given. Many Christians are engaging in sexual activities that are directly affecting their spiritual activity and effectiveness. They’re looking at porn. They’re reading filth. They’re flirting with disaster and an adulterous affair may be in their future. Real relationships are getting rocked as unrighteousness runs rampant (Porn reference, check).

I received a text early on Sunday morning from our Lead Pastor. He was sick and asked me to come in out of the bullpen and provide some relief (Pitching reference, check). I was honored!

I decided to preach through 1 Thessalonians because it is chock-full spiritual morsels! I believe it is one of the most practical books in all the Scriptures as it provides a relational context of how we are to do “real relationships” with one another! From the foundation of a relationship with God through Jesus in chapter one, Paul touches on pretty much every sort of relationship throughout the letter (God, family, friends, mentor, romance, unchurched, idol and lost).

However, chapter four really caught my attention. Paul schools us in Theology 101 and teaches through the principles of justification (being declared righteous), sanctification (being made more like Jesus) and glorification (with Jesus in heaven). But get this, Paul makes a direct link between this theological triple play and purity.

Paul essentially tells the people that our sexuality and the sexual distractions play a large role in our sanctification process. What we do or don’t look at and act upon in the area of purity will directly relate to our ability to be more like Jesus. In other words, if we say (or sing) that we want to be more like Jesus we really ought to pay special attention to this specific area!

Books, films, music, TV, billboards, emails, websites and life are all throwing sex and sexuality at us from every angle. The simple, yet direct instruction I gave on Sunday was this: Stop it! Stop engaging in it. If you’ve trusted in Christ and are having an affair stop! If you love Jesus and are looking at porn, quit it! If you’re watching that or reading this and it’s causing you to lust, stop it!

But please hear this: his grace is enough! You’re not defined by those things that you must stop. If you’ve trusted in Jesus you’re now declared righteous. But as a child of the most High God, seek the help that you need. You can’t do it on your own. The world tells you to run, shun and shame, but God has sent the Rescuer, who is running to you and has already bore your shame. He desires for you to enter into real relationship with brothers or sisters who can help! Call that friend. Ask that pastor. Seek out the relative who is waiting to help you.

For the sake of your family. For the benefit of your marriage. For the betterment of your family and for the increase in the kingdom, make sexual purity part of the sanctifying work of Christ in your life!

Grace,

Brian

Finding the Entry Points into Spiritual Conversations

January 25, 2013Brian Aaby Leave a comment

I am not gifted in evangelism.

Though many of the speaking opportunities I am blessed with deal with equipping teens (or any age) with tips, strategies and tools for sharing our faith, I can honestly say that evangelism is not found at the top of any spiritual gifts inventory test I have ever taken.

Not #1, #2 or even #3 (most of the time it does fall around 4 or 5 though).

Though I am not gifted in it, I do it.

Likewise, though I am not gifted in mercy, I’m called to show it (Matthew 5:7). It would be wrong for me to show myself disobedient to what God has specifically called me to do. And yes, he’s called Christians to share our faith too (2 Tim 4:5). In fact, combining mercy in with evangelism makes for a pretty potent combo!

The cool part, I see God taking someone not-gifted and making me skilled. Like any area of my life, if I want to become better at something, I must learn and try. We become skilled through practice.

Don’t Sweat It– Just Find Your Entry Point!

My goal is to practice Real Life evangelism.

Conversational. Relational. Real.

So many of us just struggle with figuring out the entry point into a conversation. We struggle with moving from the surface to the soul. This is is certainly a risk, but one worth taking. For me, it was a Young Life leader moving the conversation from the weather to whether or not I understood what the camp speaker was talking about.

Take small risks in your conversations and see if it may just be the entry point into a real spiritual conversations.

We put together a poor-mans version of a Nooma-like video a couple years ago called Entry Points. See if this helps equip you or your group with the concept of finding the entry points into the life of a person who does not yet know Jesus!

Grace,
Brian

I Sat Next To “That Guy.” You Should Too!

January 21, 2013Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Two of my kids were recently down for the count with the bug. Because I am part of the leadership for our college-age group and because my wife is an amazing servant/mommy she volunteered to stay home and I made the trek to church with just my eldest daughter in tow. After a great time with the young adults I made my way into the church service…

Early that morning I had tweeted: “Many will attempt the ‘Love God’ part this am in our churches, but let’s also apply the ‘Love others’ portion! Risk a little & be real.”

… I walked into the auditorium with a sense of anticipation, with a desire to be obedient to the very thing God had placed on my heart, to love others.

As a solo-attender that day I could sit with another family, perhaps someone from my small group? I could look for a new family and go out of my way to make them feel welcome. Instead, I sat by a 40-something single man. A man I don’t know well, but have had some interactions with.

“Can I sit here?” I asked.

“Yes, please do!” He responded with an unsuspecting smile as he moved his Bible off of the seat he was sure would be unoccupied.

We worshipped together. We laughed at the same sermon-appropriate jokes from our Pastor. I skipped to different passages on my iPad while taking notes. He seemed more content reading the Scriptures off the the projected screens as we listened to our Pastor.

We were good kids, we didn’t talk during the sermon.

As the service concluded he turned to me and rocked my world with his words.

“Brian, thank you for sitting with me. You just raised my status a few points… I normally just sit alone.”

My perspective changed. I don’t know what it is like to be 40 something and single. This man does most things on his own. He eats most meals alone, shows up to small group alone and returns back home, alone. He longs for relationship (just as I do). But the difference, I can at least cover-up any look of loneliness by being with my family.

I just sat with him. Nothing more, nothing less. This “raised his status?”

It certainly didn’t have to be a 40-something single, there are any number of others that feel lonely. I know many teens struggling with their identity and sense of belonging. Young married couples without kids may feel different (and alone). I am sure several families come to church with the feeling of “lack of connection.” What about the widow or widower? And yes, even the church staff/pastors struggle– it seems everyone knows their name, but very few feel known.

‘Loving others’ this day meant sitting next to a single man. Today, not in church, the circumstance has changed, but the command from Jesus remains the same. Whether in church, in my Christian circle or out in my community, I desire to be more present and more aware. Today I will risk and look to love God and love others.

Grace,
Brian

Mission51: Real Life

January 16, 2013January 15, 2013Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Oh man I’m gettin’ a little giddy. The Mission51 Retreat season is only a couple months away!

In the last two or three years I’ve sensed a renewal in the hearts of many I’ve interacted with. It seems a lot of people are awakening to the spiritual needs of friends and loved ones, but then quickly get frustrated (or defeated) by their inability to share the truth with these loved ones.

It’s as if they’re saying “I know I am a Christian, I love Jesus, I know that I was saved by grace through faith… but I have no idea how to share that with others in a way that is not trite, not cheesy and is non-confrontational.”

I believe at the core, soft-hearted, passionate believers are asking, “how do I share the gospel in real life?”

This is our theme for the 2013 Mission51 Spring Retreat.

With the changes we’ve made and the partnerships we now have the Mission51 Retreat is now completely open to the masses! Any youth group is now open to sign up for the Mission51 Retreat and not just those groups affiliated with a missions trip. In addition to it being open to all, we’ve got some unique new things happening (see the video below).

We’ve even made it possible for groups to handle the registration online (click here).

Please take a minute and a half now and see the preview video for the Real Life Mission51 Retreat and spread the word to others in and around: Southern California, Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado and the New England States!

Grace,
Brian

UNBIASED Specific Mission Options!

January 8, 2013Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Over the last week I have been contacted by several churches and organizations in need of receiving a short term missions team. Perhaps you’re in the position to send a team?

Unbiased. That feels so good to write! In the past, as a Short Term Missions (STM) organization, I certainly liked, loved and admired my companions in STM’s, but there was always a small part of me that saw them as competition; so in a sense they were companiontition (see what I did there?) 🙂 No more! Now I get to truly partner with them!

Though Youthmark still has a few select places we send a few teams, our main focus in missions is to supply teams with all the Mission51 training and resources. We have a couple great partnering organizations (Youth Missions International and Verge Ministries), but we also have a number of churches that know where they are going or what they are doing who simply use our Strategy Plus package (or just the Mission51 Retreat).

Because Youthmark has served in so many places our reputation has grown so I am now fielding calls and email requests for towns/communities in need. This is VERY exciting because sometimes churches, youth pastors and groups simply need to know about the need before they rev up the engines to move!

Current Summer 2013 Opportunities: Maybe your group wants to respond?

1. Colorado Springs: I have relationship with an inner-city church in the Springs that serves low-income (even homeless) families through a mid-week camp/daycare. In addition, they have purchased mountain property that they are converting into a camp/retreat center. They need teams to come in for a one-week experience and serve the church and camp as counselors, cooks, recreation and craft directors! This opportunity is AMAZING! If they don’t have 3 or 4 teams they may not be able to pull of the 3 or 4 weeks of camps they think they can provide!

2. Oregon: I have received two requests from completely different locations in Oregon, but both want the same style of ministry for their understaffed churches. They’d love a team to come in and do VBS or Kids Sports Camp in the morning, then use the afternoon to build relationships and do some small projects but use the evening to do peer-to-peer ministry with the teens in town. One location is on the beautiful Oregon coast and the other is in warm and sunny Southern Oregon.

3. Sandy Relief/Children’s Ministry: Hurricane Sandy devastated coastal New York and New Jersey. I have been in contact with a fabulous ministry on the east coast that would love to have trained teams come in ready to do some renovation work on houses/building while also doing some heart renovation work with children and youth (tag-teaming with their day-center for their low income communities).

Please contact me if you’re interested in meeting any of these needs!

Grace,
Brian

BRIANAABY.COM

Some thoughts about: God, family, ministry & coffee.

Author Brian Aaby

That’s Tweetable!

An Open Letter to Senior Pastors

Theology, Relief Pitching and Porn

Finding the Entry Points into Spiritual Conversations

I Sat Next To “That Guy.” You Should Too!

Mission51: Real Life

UNBIASED Specific Mission Options!