Category Youthmark Stuff

Get In The Game

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

As we approached the church for a youth leader lunch I remember being greeted by a guy who seemed somewhat familiar, maybe I’d seen him at some other regional gathering? He pointed us in the right direction and I thought it was nice that either the organization or the church was nice enough to send out a greeter to make sure we all knew where we were going.

After about 30 minutes of sharing lunch with my Seattle-area youth leading friends the greeter from outside popped up and introduced himself as Greg Stier, the President of Dare2Share (the organization hosting the lunch and training).

Flash forward about seven or eight years and I’ll tell you that the greeter/speaker Greg Stier I remember from that day is the same Greg today; furthermore the organization he leads, operates with the same humility he demonstrates by being the door-greeter at their training events.

I was in Florida all of this last week, I had several meetings with other organizations and was scouting for a few mission trips Youthmark has coming this spring and summer. Knowing that I was going to be in town I decided to double up and check out the Gameday tour for Dare2Share. Arrangements were made for me to not only attend but to serve behind the scenes for D2S. From set-up to tear-down, I’ll have you know that the team of employees, talent, speakers and volunteers were there for one-reason: to serve teens, leaders and one another so that the gospel is heard, taught, trained and sent!

Something we introduced last year through Youthmark, called “Speed Witnessing” was adopted by D2S as “Speed Training” for this years tour. And though I was excited to see this, I can tell you any “proud” moment I had for that was morphed by the pride I felt for the body of Christ serving together to put on a training conference that was so rich in content, so practical in application and 100% focused on Jesus and the good news he gives by grace alone through faith.

It truly was an honor to partner with Greg, Zane, Prop, Brenton Brown (and band) and scores of “others” that were never seen. From security to finance, from tech to talent, there was absolutely no pretentiousness or rank. Humility, grace and a sense of purpose permeated all that was done. All the parts were needed and though many in the crowd see the “personalities,” the personalities see “team.”

If you are a Youth Leader within a days drive of one of the remaining D2S conferences this year, you really ought to consider bringing your group to the event. And if you’re a Dare2Share alumni from the last couple of years, check out their new Lead The Cause University this summer. I am super pumped about this because my good friends, Everfound are leading worship at LTCU and then next year for the 2013 “Follow” tour by D2S. So fun to see my friends partner together in ministry (and selfishly, I am excited, because Dare2Share is coming back to Seattle for Follow).

Greg, thanks for being courageous in the faith, serving teens, youth leaders and the kingdom through humble and relentless leadership and thank you for taking the time with every student or adult who wanted to talk… those small times of “greeting” really do make a difference!

Grace,

Brian

Long Term Vision for a Short Term Mission

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Runners (especially those of the marathon type) I have three words for you: You. Are. Crazy. I have no desire to EVER run a marathon, I greatly admire those of you who do (like my friend and fellow Youthmark-er, Kirk). Though I joked you’re crazy, the reality is, the vast majority of you are very wise! The way you go about doing a marathon is the way I believe youth ministries should practice the art of a short term mission trip.

The Marathon Starts Months Before the Actual Marathon Starts.

Kirk began training for his last marathon several months before he reached the start line of his 26+ mile journey. Likewise, mission trip preparation on every level should start several months before the actual trip. Out with the “sign-up and show up” mentality too many Youth Pastor employ. Whether you’re organizing your own trip, doing a turn-key organizational led trip or a combo, the trip itself may be well planned, but endurance and momentum are built well before the trip.

The Marathon is More Meaningful When Done Together.

Most runners enjoy running with someone (setting the pace for one another), but in addition having someone on the sides cheering them on, nourishing them with energy found through food, drink and encouragement does a world of good for those participating in the run. Likewise, on a short term mission, intentional partnerships with teammates, prayer partners (and prayer parents) back home and the nourishment of guides studies setting the pace will serve as soul-nourishing goodness.

Stretching Out After the Marathon is the Wise Way!

Stretching after the finish line can prevent a future soreness that may exist after a long-run. Missions often feel like a long-run and like a marathon, the spiritual muscles need to continually be worked out. However, all of the pre-race structure you felt leading in to a trip is a lot harder to sustain post-run (or mission)

Now What?

Because I am not a runner I cannot speak to the myriad of other similarities a runner  may blow me away with. However, I can say that I am just (if not more) passionate about the 51 weeks of life surrounding the mission trip as I am the actual mission trip. I believe it is time that we start seeing and treating mission as a full-time, right-here and over-there proposition. Our training is not just for a trip, it’s an investment into current and future mission (in “Jerusalem” all the way to the “Ends”). Some things to consider:

  1. Caution: Don’t be Lazy: Some of us don’t see training as a time-option. We’re “busy” so doing anything besides sign-up/show-up seems like it’d take too much time– you’re wrong! There are ways to incorporate your training into every aspect of your youth program.
  2. Wake-up: Some have every intent of including parents, prayer partners and guided devotionals, but you’re unaware of how easy it could be to solicit these partnerships.
  3. Financially Cautious: The mission may already feel like it costs a lot. I can tell you investing in something that lasts just weeks may serve as the nourishing grounds for something that extends an eternal lifetime!

There are other orgs out there doing some of this, but I am very proud to say that Youthmark has thought of ALL of this (and more). We want to see students equipped to reach out in all directions so that the end goal can be reaching his or her campus, club, community and church with the gospel of Jesus! We want to train you and your group for Mission51. Please check us out in order to dig-in for a far-greater preparation for what is ahead! Whether you have a trip or just need some materials for before, during and after, we’d love to partner with you (info here).

Grace,
Brian

Connecting The Ministry Dots

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

[The following is a post I wrote for Youthworkers.net, it appeared here on Monday, January 22]

My three year old son is consistently drawing and coloring pictures for us to display on the fridge. Couple that with his growing ability to count and I believe he is about ready to take on the “connect the dot” exercises. C’mon, you remember those gems, don’t you?

As a much-older than 3 year-old, I still like connecting the dots. As a local Network Leader, I love connecting the dots with ministry leaders in our area. I do believe the Christian world can be better connected so we can see a complete picture of the gospel lived out in our picturesque world! We truly can be better together!

My own personal and ministry dots connected recently when one of my local Youth Leader Networks was invited to have our lunch at Adelphia Bible School. This was a brilliant move by the school and one that has already led to many ministry dots being connected.

My thought is that a silly little lunch will lead to many ministry dots connecting for a long time. Additionally, I bet our network is not the only one that could benefit from this sort of relationship–thus this blog post to get your juices flowing!

The following is just a sampling of the dots I have already seen connected:

  • Adelphia students need and want to get out of the Christian College bubble (if you went to a Christian College, you know EXACTLY what I mean). Well at Adelphia, many of the students serve as interns or on the volunteer staff for the Youth Pastors/Ministries represented by our network.
  • Youth Pastors are consistently asked about colleges and universities, having the Youth Pastors on their side is a wise move by the college.
  • As I mentioned, this was a bonus ministry-dot connection for me personally, I am a consultant for the college and the school is doing their year-end mission trips through my organization, Youthmark. Well, because of this lunch, it looks likely that one of the local Youth Ministry interns is going to help lead one of these missions so that he can gain valuable experience to help propel his future career as a Youth Pastor.
  • Adelphia plans to expand the ministry dots by inviting these local Youth Pastors to speak into the lives of their students through future seminars and trainings.

Bring it home:

  • Is there a Christian College or University in your area that you could work out a relationship like this?
  • Perhaps you represent a Christian College, what would it look like for you to reach out the local Youth Pastors and provide a great place for a meal (or coffee) and just see where the ministry dots may connect.
  • Colleges are not the only avenues to explore, think of the ministry-dots you can connect with a camp, a community center or local coffee shop! 
I am ready to see a grown-up version of Connect-The-Ministry-Dots create a beautiful picture of the kingdom come!
Grace,
Brian

Happenings.

Brian Aaby Leave a comment

Thank you for your patience. My little-over one month hiatus from blogging has been a very good thing. It gave me the opportunity to rethink what I want to do with the blog, consider how often I want to post and determine how much time I should put into blogging. So, there are some small changes to be had and some big changes as well.

But before we restart, much has happened over these last 5 weeks, so let’s begin with the happenings:

  • December 12 to January 19 happened.
  • I finished a book (writing… don’t start thinking I read one)!
  • Christmas happened… and it happened to be AWESOME.
  • Speaking at an Oregon winter camp happened.
  • A new year happened.
  • I happened to then speak in Arizona for a few days.
  • Justin Bieber got a tatoo.
  • Elisabeth and I happened to speak at Adelphia Bible School for a week.
  • Halle’s Happy Birthday happened. And Elisabeth’s family happened to be here for said birthday.
  • More. People. Happened. To. Write. One. Word. Sentences.
  • A “Winter Extreme” just happens to be melting right now.
  • I ate a dish filled with Garbanzo beans. That just happened.
  • Oh, January 20th just happened too.

As for what will happen?

I plan to be more focussed this year when blogging. This will probably translate to fewer posts, but with more purpose. I’m not looking to just generate content and post because it’s been awhile, but to post because it’s an overflow of my passions.

I’ll look to give some insights into my faith. Glimpses of my family. Do some utterly stupid posts just for fun and of course share a lot about the stuff that brings in our finances (had to work in another word that started with “f”). I love Jesus, my wife and kids, laughter and working within the student and mission ministry field. So, expect that stuff to dominate the blog!

Blessings on our 2012!

Grace,
Brian

(SMS) Top Ten Reasons To Network

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

I’ve been asked to be a regular contributor to youthworkers.net and provide some original content for their site. I’m excited about this opportunity and believe in what they’re doing. With that said, I’ll still bring that content over to this site as well… I’ll just let the content “debut” over on that site. Here it is at youthworkers.net.

But, if you didn’t click that, you can read part one of the Top Ten Reasons To Network below.

Student Ministry Leadership in many ways is a culture in and of itself. I love being a part of this unique and diverse tribe! I am a firm believer that we (Youth Leaders) are better together. In nearly 20 years of being “in charge” of a variety of ministries (church and parachurch) I have found great value and blessing in being connected to other youth leaders through gatherings of all sorts– local, national and virtual.

Though all three avenues of networking exist, the one that I value and push the most is the local network. Over the last 15 years of ministry, the local network has very much been a refuge, resource and sometimes a prime ministry outlet. If you’re reading this  and don’t feel connected, please consider linking up with others in your area…perhaps you will experience something similar to my top 10 reasons I network.

Ten: Events – I think the “knock,” or reason some have chosen to not network is that they feel networks are always trying to do something together. I have NOT found this to be the case. Our groups have rarely done “all group” events–our meetings rarely are driven by an agenda to “do” things together. However, we’ve seen lots of partnerships (two to three groups) take place as a result of like-mindedness discoveries (i.e. three groups doing an all-nighter together).

Nine: Food and Beverage – Not going to lie, I have eaten well and enjoyed some good coffee at network gatherings. Just calling a spade a spade, networking has given me a good chance to feast.

Eight: Camps and Retreats – Over the last few years I have seen some of the best camps and retreats be prayed up, planned out and delivered as a result of the collaborative efforts of folks in our networks. For instance, one network I am a part of has two different winter retreats, the more pentecostal churches all link up and the less charismatic churches do a different one- but many ideas are shared all together as the planning is done! It’s a sweet gig that leads to two gigs!

Seven: Social – Of course the meetings are somewhat social, but the gatherings have brought about deep friendships, some of these friendships have gone far beyond the ministry connection as we socialize together with spouses and families and “do life” together (including babysitting swapping)!

Six: Spiritual/Ministry Retreat – Youthmark has a retreat called “Glean” that is specifically for Youth Pastors and Spouses. These getaways truly serve as one part marital retreat, one part ministry enhancement and many parts social! Gleaning is an old testament principle of leaving 10% of your best crop for others in need to glean from. At these retreats we bring our best 10% and share ideas for ministry, marriage and life! I have been honored to lead a couple of these for my own networks!

Let’s hit the pause button for now as you digest, dream and think through how networking has or can benefit you. If you are not involved in a network, I think these first five give you enough reason to jump onboard, but if you are still not convinced, stay tuned and we will go live with the top five on Monday!

Grace,
Brian

Has Anyone Modeled Evangelism To You?

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I get really excited about the Spring! Though we are five months away from our retreat season, we are busy putting together the framework for our 2012 tour.  The Mission51 Retreats give us the opportunity to train all who attend our Spring Retreat in the area of life-evangelism. We truly believe that mission is not a trip. Though trips are great, I believe that the other 51 weeks of life beyond the mission is where the real work of mission takes place (for both the sending team and the receiving communities).

In the spring of 2010 our theme was “Live and Love Loudly” for our Mission51 retreat. We focused on the first letter from Paul to the church at Thessalonica. It’s a great letter and it gave me some fun ideas. One of those ideas I will give you as a “freebie” to use in your youth group, small group or just for personal thought!

The video below was used to help set that stage for evangelism training. When we hear the word “evangelism” or “share your faith” we see many begin to squirm. Quite simply, people are afraid to share because they fear failure and rejection. But the reality is, their fear and failure stems more from a lack of model than anything else.

Who has modeled witness to you? Who have you learned from when it comes to evangelism?

For those who haven’t had it modeled to them, I invite you to find a mentor. For those who are active, I invite you to teach others.

With a very small budget, a decent camera and some very low-paid (read: “no-paid”) actors and some okay editing equipment we put together this little piece we call “read, daddy.”

Grace,

Brian

Would This Really Happen?

Brian Aaby 2 Comments

Picture this:

After much prayer a dedicated, Jesus-loving family decided to move overseas to become missionaries with the hopes of sharing the gospel with any and all in this foreign land. They moved to their new community, invested in new furniture and prepared their living room for the folk they planned to be there. Missionary-man rented space in an office for dedicated times of prayer and study of the Word. While mom home-schooled the children, dad  commuted to the office where he studied evangelism and met with the three or four young missionaries he was brought in to train. The office space was conveniently located near the city center where thousands would gather daily to eat lunch in the city-park. 

Though their house was open for dinner every Tuesday and Thursday evenings, the three or four younger missionaries were the only ones to show up. Months passed. The missionaries grew close to one another and really began to understand the theological basis for evangelism and discipleship. Most Thursdays their prayer time was interrupted by the loud noises coming from the kids and families at the nearby “park nights” sponsored by the government. 

The Obvious Questions:

Why didn’t the missionaries eat lunch with the people gathered near the office?

Why didn’t the missionaries participate in the park-nights?

Why did they call themselves missionaries?

The Unfortunate Reality:

The above story looks/feels too much like what may be happening in the youth ministry realm. Many Youth Pastors/Leaders (and churches, to be quite honest) have gotten away from the most obvious mission field that is in our own backyard–The campus!

I published a post a couple weeks ago about the areas of ministry I believe many in student ministries have gotten away from. Just a few days later I flew to Kansas City to attend a Campus Alliance gathering of about 45 Youth Ministry leaders (presidents of youth ministry orgs/denominations) to tackle the subject of reaching the 67,000+ U.S. campuses (middle school/high school) with the gospel. This was a rich time of prayer, partnership and planning.

It will be worth nothing if we don’t do anything about it!

Part of the Solution, Not Just Naming the Problem:

Many have rallied around the books and movements that name and blame the church (and youth ministries) for our shortcomings/problems, but rather than just naming them, I want to see us take action to change the blame-game and get back on the actual field! This is what I am committed to. This is what Youthmark is committed to. Are you (and your ministry) going to commit yourself to sharing the ONE hope we have?

I am committing Youthmark to this alliance with other ministries who are committed to reaching the campuses of America with the good news of Jesus. We are committed to not just “living” it, but loving the people on these campuses enough to share (with Word and actions) about Jesus and his plan of redemption.

Politics can help us with some temporary changes in law and standards. Government may help the homeless for a short time. Humanitarian aid may give short-time sustainability to thousands in need after a disaster… but Christians should give long term, even eternal relief through the gospel. The gospel lived out brings physical, emotional and spiritual solution.

Youthmark is committed to what we call Mission51. Though we are short term mission sending organization, our heart beat is for training for the 51 weeks beyond the one-week venture. Where is Mission51?

Campus. Club. Community. Church.

Youth Leaders and organizations, the mission field is the campus! It is in our back yard. There are over 67,000+ of these centers around the country and you are the shepherd for those who can and should be the best missionaries in the United States! We should gather, we should train and we better release our missionaries (students) to this HUGE mission field. But they need to know they aren’t going alone! May they go with prayer, may they go prepared and may they go partnered!

I am honored to be a partner with Campus Alliance!

Grace,

Brian

Conferences, Connections, Churches and Chapels…

Brian Aaby 1 Comment

Like any good Pastor I am sticking with a single letter theme for this post. The last week of my life has been bombarded by Christians of every kind, here is a quick review of my Thursday to Thursday and all the different C’s I was able to experience.

Conference: I attended the National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) by Youth Specialties in San Diego. I would guesstimate that I have been to 10 different NYWC’s in my life and this one was certainly one of the best. A few of the things that stood out to me and what made it so sweet from my perspective:

  • Lower cost: More “teams” participated because YS made it more affordable.
  • Diverse, but less “controversial” speakers: All who spoke appeared humble and weren’t looking to just push the envelope but actually deliver a message that would equip, encourage and spur on those who are working with youth.
  • Friendship: I was personally blessed by growing deeper in conversation with many across the nation that I can call “friend.” I appreciated spending time with the likes of Eric, Lars, Mark, Jeremy, Sean, Tim, Mindi, Jeff (two of them), Jim, Len, EJ, Ryan and several others that I am certainly forgetting right now.
  • Partnerships: It is really fun to dream together as to “what can be” when people with a kingdom mindset gather. I look forward to seeing how Youthmark may partner with others who are passionate about seeing lost people trust in Christ!

Connections: Alon Banks (Youthmark and National Network) and I drove north on Sunday evening to meet with Hope Partners International on Sunday Night and Monday  (all day). We are so excited about what HPI is doing and enjoyed talking through the next steps of our partnership with them. It will be amazing to see what God does as prayers are lifted, financial constraints are shattered and the harvest workers are unleashed on some impoverished areas!

I was blessed to have Elisabeth fly down to SoCal on Monday and spend Tuesday and Wednesday with her talking to Spire Resources (our publisher) about several projects! I am so proud of my wife and love partnering with her on some new endeavors!

Church: On Tuesday I was able to meet with a large church in Southern California and do a brief consult about some student ministry visioning! It was a great meeting! I firmly believe this church “gets it” and doesn’t want to entertain students, but wants to see their students equipped to reach out with the gospel!

Chapels: On Wednesday afternoon I took a quick flight over to Phoenix to speak on Thursday at Scottsdale Christian Academy. SCA is our first Christian School partnership for Youthmark. This is the second time I have spoken for this school (I spoke at a retreat with them in August). I enjoyed seeing some familiar faces and look forward to seeing Scottsdale transformed through these students and staff!

My 5th C I’d like to add is the word CRAZY. Now that I have returned, I immediately turn around and speak three times at MissionsFest Seattle this weekend and end the weekend by welcoming in the initial Adelphia Bible School Class! I’ll be speaking twice at orientation on Sunday! Great stuff, but a crazy schedule!

It is so good to be back with my family, though it was just a week (my longest trip in a long-long time) it felt like way longer! So good to love on my family! Speaking of family, I have to conclude this post, Will and I have an appointment to wrestle!

Grace,

Brian

LIFT- Concert :: Worship :: Training in PDX!

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Ahhh yeah! It was highly successful in the greater Seattle area, so why not give it a go in Portland? Spread the word for this great one-evening training event that includes great worship and a kickin’ concert with Everfound! LIFT is back!

If you went to the Seattle event, be sure to pass the word on to anyone from Centralia (North) to Eugene (South). We’d love to see Christ LIFTed in Portland with groups from all around! Mission51 is the key, we want people sharing the gospel not just on the one-week mission, but the 51 weeks beyond the week long experience.

Check out the Facebook event page and get others invited to the Sunday, October 16, 6pm LIFT event!

Grace,
Brian

SMS: 10 Suggestions for Christian Camps

Brian Aaby 6 Comments

Over the last several months I have spoken at about 10 different Christian Camps, couple that with many years of being a Youth Pastor and experiencing a myriad of other camps, I feel qualified to write this email on behalf of the Youth Leaders (and churches) you serve.

The reality is, most camps have many great qualities, every single one of these recent camps I have visited and almost every camp I have used in the past (church and Youthmark) certainly aspires to be Christ-honoring in what they do! Thank you for that!

This list is simply a list of some things I think camps can and should do to possibly improve your overall approach. Note: Some of these are listed because they are glaring weaknesses, whereas others are listed because I saw it done at a camp and I think all others should jump on this train):

  1. SIGNAGE! It should be obvious where a group should go the second they pull in to camp. Furthermore, I think you should have a greeter specifically assigned to meet the group leader in the parking lot and give them the arrival instruction (this means consistent communication before the trip and even in commute so they know when they’ll arrive). Every Group leader needs to know: Where do we go from here?  where is the closest bathroom ? And where is my team meeting after we get them to cabins?
  2. LANDING ZONE! I think camps should have a covered area to unload busses, vans, etc. There’s nothing worse than unloading in the rain in the dark. Your “Landing Zone” can be well lit, covered and perhaps with good signs, can be the obvious place for your greeter!
  3. LANDSCAPING. Seriously, first impressions are lasting impressions. Camps who care about their grounds communicate that they care about their clients. I understand students may “mess up” the field with their crazy games, but you can have some flower gardens, walkways and sitting areas that aren’t play areas and the beauty will speak loudly about the camp.
  4. CHEAP BUT QUIRKY CONSTANTS. This may seem weird, but your cafeteria being stocked with a cereal station, toaster w/ bread and a lunch & dinner salad bar may make a world-of-difference for your clients. Even if the prepared food isn’t to my liking a bowl of cereal or a good green salad is a welcomed alternative.
  5. NO MORE NICKLE AND DIMING! I love it when I get to a hotel and read in the bathroom that if I forgot my toothpaste the hotel will be happy to supply me with that or virtually ANY toiletry I forgot. This is not what I am advocating for the camp (though it’s a nice touch), but several times this summer I was told that the camps charged extra ($5 a night) to supply linens (sheets and towels) for the speaker. Seriously?  Help the group leader treat his/her speakers, pastors and speakers well by having some of those things as standard with the contract.
  6. WiFi.  Yes, you should have it. Yes it should be free. Leave it to the user group to police how they want to use it (perhaps even give them the option of turning off routers in meeting areas).
  7. THINNER ISN’T A WINNER! Ultra-thin toilet paper is not the best cost saving move. If you can see through it, don’t buy it. Enough said.
  8. GREEN “REFUGE” ROOM. A room for “leadership” to grab a 5-10 minute break, an ice-water or hot coffee goes a long way toward making a lasting impression. Think “cafe” feel with no/low cost. Free brewed coffee or tea is great but don’t feel it is a must, sometimes just a quiet room with a “living room” feel for a Youth leader to grab a few minutes of rest is a big deal. I have seen it where the “Green Room” had a stocked fridge and a simple “donation box” on top of the fridge-great idea!
  9. IMPRESS THE LEADER, SPEAKER AND BAND. This one can sound extremely selfish, but honestly, if you impress me as the speaker or if you impress the Group Leader we are likely going to be the ones who become your spokespeople when we leave the camp. I tell people ALL THE TIME about great coffee shops and restaurants, don’t think that it is any different when it comes to camps! Go out of your way to make sure the leader is happy, the band is taken care of and the speaker is comfortable! I was so impressed this summer when one of the camps gave my wife a Golf Cart for her and my kids to get around! Believe me we let people know about this!
  10. PRAY TOGETHER & CELEBRATE SPIRITUAL VICTORIES! I wish all of the camps I have ever used took a greater interest in the actual ministry they were helping to facilitate. I’ve gotten “we’re praying for you” messages before and after camps, but never once have I been asked “how can we pray for you this weekend?” I think a spiritual partnership and interest in the agenda and ministries planned will go a long way for future partnerships! Have your guest services person pop in to the back of the service, worship with the group from time to time or even interact with campers… partnership is impressive!
Anything you as a youth leader want to add?
Don’t hesitate to pass this on to the camps as well. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll get some more input and one day write a post from the camps perspective on 10 things they’d like guest groups to know… I can guarantee they would say something about the leftover sock that is left in each cabin!
Grace,
Brian