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Helping Youth Workers to Keep Going
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Tuesday Nov 20, 2018
Tuesday Nov 20, 2018
Happy Thanksgiving from two turkeys with a podcast!
It's Thanksgiving Week -- one of our favorite weeks of the year, because it means the end of the fall youth ministry sprint and a chance to relax, spend time with our families, eat, watch football and take a nap. That, folks, is a good combination!
We just got back from the National Youth Workers Convention in St. Louis. Wow, what a great time! It was wonderful being with our "tribe" of youth workers from all over the country. It's like a family reunion without the crazy uncle and awkward third cousin. Oh wait...
Anyway, we had an absolute blast hanging out in the exhibit hall, meeting people and introducing them to this podcast. It's hard to believe we just started this thing in January--two joes from Maryland--and there we were with a giant banner like we were a legitimate thing!? What a privilege to meet so many faithful youth workers. Thanks for stopping by to say hi. We got some great material for a future episode, and we also discovered that people love llamas. A lot. A little insanely so, if you ask us. If you got a t-shirt, congratulations on your great luck rolling snake eyes of double sixes. If you didn't win, well, hey, thanks for playing and be grateful for your stickers.
In this episode, we thought it would be good to take some time to express our gratitude. It's easy to get grumpy (someone might use the word "pissy") and complain a lot. Sometimes we need it. It's good to vent. But more often, it's better to be thankful, to live and lead from a place of gratitude for the fact that we get to be youth workers, to love students, and to live this amazing life in a calling that is a joy and a privilege!
We are also thankful for YOU. We're only 10 months into this, and we are incredibly blessed for all the opportunities and relationships we've discovered along the path.
So put the headphones on and listen to this episode while you fall asleep for your Thanksgiving nap! It's Episode 34 -- Being Grateful!
Mentioned in this show:
You might want to binge watch this
https://www.netflix.com/title/80021955
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook!
Send us pics wearing your shirt!!
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
Tuesday Nov 13, 2018
"Measure twice; cut once." - Every Dad Ever
"The standard is the standard." - Mike Tomlin
"Lock-ins are the devil." - Youth Ministry Sherpas
What do Dads, successful NFL coaches, and healthy youth ministries all have in common?
They all have MANTRAS, defined as "statements or slogans repeated frequently." They are like rules for living, second-tier theologies, subtle truths that permeate everything we do. Mantras are stated, repeated (sometimes ad nauseam), and repeated again until they become a permanent part of the culture we are creating.
We have mantras too. In today's episode, Steve and Mathew reflect on some of the "Mantras" that are near and dear to us. Without really thinking about it (before today), here are some things we say all the time that have become a major part of our youth ministries. We didn't learn these in some textbook, although some are informed from Scripture. But they reflect our passions and our perspective. Some of them are theological truths; others more practical. All of them are deeply embedded in our unique youth ministry cultures.
What are your mantras? We'd love to know. Please share them with us on Instagram or Facebook.
You need to listen to this episode--no excuses--because, as Mike Tomlin says, "Excuses are the tools of the incompetent!"
Also mentioned:
Walt Mueller, Director for the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding and host of the Youth Culture Matters Podcast.
https://cpyu.org/
https://cpyu.org/resource_category/podcast/
Here's a sample of a Mike Tomlin press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFDvI--GAig
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Ladies and Gentlemen, by the time you read this, both hosts of the Youth Ministry Sherpas Podcast will be (gasp!) IN THEIR 50s!
Steve has been doing the senior adult swim for a few years already, but Mathew is just getting into the pool, turning 50 on November 1. And guess what? We're not dead yet! We might even have some gas left in the tank. It sure smells like it.
Anyway, the years sure have flown by. Seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Mathew's 40th birthday at a hotel in Pittsburgh during a Youth Specialties conference. Steve bought the margaritas; Mathew dissolved into a puddle of tears. It has been a good ride, my friend. But that's a story for another episode.
Anyway, it's amazing to look back and see how we've grown through each decade--from destroying kids in dodgeball and seeking legitimacy in our 20s, to pioneering and building healthy programs in our 30s, to hitting our stride and becoming more intentional in our 40s, to entering the "sage stage" in our 50s. It has been quite a journey, and our story is still being written (along with the prescription for that prostate medication).
We thought we'd use the occasion of Mathew's 50th birthday to reflect on what youth ministry was like through each decade of our lives. What did we learn? Where did we grow? What were the struggles and the joys of each stage? We share it all -- at least what we can remember.
What was this episode about again?
We hope you will hang in there long enough to make it to your 4th decade of youth ministry. Who knows; maybe there will even be a 5th? That's what the Youth Ministry Sherpas podcast is all about!
Episode 32--Hitting the 4th Decade (holy cow, we're old)!
In honor of #32:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHIXFKrrUhA
Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
Tuesday Oct 30, 2018
It's Halloween! It's also Episode 31. Is that a coincidence, or are there darker forces at work?
In this episode, Steve and Mathew share our stories of the times we were scared in youth ministry. We've both lost kids on trips (well, almost). We've both scared them as often as possible. And we both have crazy stories to tell. Steve's youth group used to meet in a haunted house (for real). For some reason he thought it was a good idea to terrify middle school girls with a re-enactment of Jesus raising a little girl from the dead. (It was worse than a scene from the Exorcist.) Mathew once hosted a Halloween party that was crashed by an inappropriately bulging Ninja Turtle and a risque Naughty Nurse. He also left his students on the hayride while he fled for his life from a costumed shotgun-toting maniac. Not our finest moments.
Oh well, we're not monsters, we're just knuckleheads. All that matters is that we get to eat all the candy leftover on Thursday.
So turn off all the lights and enjoy the spooky fun with Episode 31 -- Our Spookiest Episode Yet!
Yes, Steve's group actually met in a haunted house and there is a Ding's Dock
https://www.marylandhauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/landon-house.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUxtjPv-nU8
Mathew is right! There is a Ding's Dock. (Watch how you say it)
https://www.dingsdock.com/
Thanks to all the people mentioned in this episode who gave to our Indiegogo Crowdfunding Effort. See you at NYWC!
https://www.nywc2018.com/
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
"What's it like having your own children in your youth ministry?"
It's a question we've been asked frequently. The answer is: Challenging and Awesome!
Most youth workers get into youth ministry either before they have kids, or when their kids are small. Stay in it long enough, though, and you get to experience the challenges and joys of having your own kids in your youth ministry. Mathew has four kids -- two in college and two in high school. His time is running out. Steve has three kids, all of whom came through the ranks of his youth ministry and are now young adults. We'll both tell you, there's nothing better than having your own kids in your youth ministry.
Not that it's always easy. There were times when our kids felt the weight of expectations from others in the church, expectations which were unfair and unrealistic. And our kids were far from perfect. Mathew had to wrestle his oldest onto the middle school camp bus in front of a busload of living people (and a cemetery full of dead ones). Steve had to save his two oldest sons from beating the crap out of each other one night at youth group. (Imagine! Fighting over a girl!). Or imagine his surprise when he found out the kid who almost got his group kicked out of camp was his own son? (Actually, he wasn't surprised at all). But those incidents don't even begin to outweigh the tremendous blessings we experienced--and the memories etched on our hearts--during our years doubling as dad and youth pastor. We won a front row seat to the best show on earth--our own kids spiritual and leadership awakening. Plus we got to plan the whole youth ministry calendar around our family schedule for 12 years!
No, we wouldn't have traded it for anything. Honestly, we're not dealing real well with the end of it. That's why there may or may not be a few tears seeping through the mic if you listen closely.
Stories, mistakes, and wisdom for you as you start this journey, here in Episode 30 -- Your Own Kids!
Shameless Plug: Here's a Spotify playlist for Jonathan and Thomas Anderson: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JlDXatv8GnQRD7YfJAPdW
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Tuesday Oct 16, 2018
Every youth worker has one of those days when you feel like you are on top of the world--fresh on the trail and ready to conquer anything. This is the day we are capable, in control, and ready for whatever comes our way.
Notice we said "one" of those days. Because one is about all we get, it seems Most of the time we feel overwhelmed, lost, and completely in over our heads.
Just a few weeks before recording this episode, Mathew was literally lost in Yosemite valley while on a 5-day hike to Half Dome. Only a miraculous glimmer of his GPS signal saved he and his friend from a cold and potentially dangerous night in the California wilderness. There was a moment of panic and a sense that things were about to get real. That experience serves as the perfect analogy for what happens to us as youth workers. We are overwhelmed by the multitude of responsibilities of the calling we've chosen. We are burdened and overhelmed by other people's problems that we know and bear. And every now and then we get a phone call delivering news of a tragedy that forces us into terrifying places we are not ready to go. Only the Lord can provide the signal we need to navigate our way through the darkness.
This is an honest, sometimes painful episode from two guys who still feel like we have no answers for the things we face. Even after nearly 30 years of working with teens and families, we still get overwhelmed by the weight of it all. We are continually learning that our only hope is to trust that the Lord has chosen us for this time and place.
Grab your trail mix, your compass, and enjoy Episode 29 -- Lost and Overwhelmed.
If you want to hike Half Dome, stick to the plan!
https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Tuesday Oct 09, 2018
Well, a few weeks ago we said we were back. And we were, for two episodes. Then, unfortunately, we ran into some technical issues, lost two episodes we had recorded (they were good, we swear), and then we were out of town for a week. That's the bad news. The good news is that we were attending the Download Youth Ministry Conference (DYM200) in Orange County, California. It was amazing! We got so much swag we could barely close our suitcases, but moreso, we brought home some wisdom and encouragement to share with you.
In this episode, we talk about our experiences at DYM--the amazing people we met, the youth ministry greats who poured into us, the beach house we shared (shoutout to the #danapointcrew), and our photoshoot with a llama (finally!). We also share some of the lessons we learned, not really content, per se, but more about what it means to be in youth ministry. We learned how important is it to be part of the greater youth ministry tribe. We learned it's better to not be in a hurry to find or provide answers to the hard questions ministry brings, but allow ourselves to live in the tension of not really knowing what the answers are. We learned that it's normal to wonder about our own place in the youth ministry universe. And we learned that, in a career in which we can bear some heavy burdens, it's good to mix in a heavy dose of irreverence and silliness and not take yourself too seriously. And maybe do some good old-fashioned arm-wrestling, too.
All this and more in Episode 28 -- What We Learned from DYM.
Here are some links to check out.
Download Youth Ministry is the best and you should be a gold member.
https://www.downloadyouthministry.com/
Heather Flies is our favorite and you should not arm wrestle her.
https://joyousstrength.org/
Greg Stier is stronger than Heather, and he's also good at training students in evangelism.
https://www.dare2share.org/
The Dana Point Crew and our Beach Party House were Amazing
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2408035819223601&set=pcb.2408036062556910&type=3&theater
So was our llama photo opp!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2408035869223596&set=pcb.2408036062556910&type=3&theater
Mathew thinks he isn't a big deal, but he's in a really cool viral video that is nearing 1,000,000 views!
https://www.upworthy.com/this-football-coach-gave-his-team-something-to-believe-in-themselves?c=pop
#DYM200
#DYM
#downloadyouthministry
Mentioned in this episode:
#dougfields
#joshgriffin
#heatherflies
#marko
#jimburns
#duffyrobbins
#waltmueller
#gregstier
#armwrestling
#danapointcrew
Yes! There was a llama photobooth!
#lifewithfadi
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2408035869223596&set=pcb.2408036062556910&type=3&theater
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
Tuesday Sep 18, 2018
It's a good thing we were all perfect teenagers. It's a good thing we never made a mistake, got into trouble, or smashed a shopping cart against a light pole with our car. That's why we are such good and holy youth workers.
Okay, that's probably a lie. A huge lie. The truth is, we all mess up, and as teenagers we all made our fair share of mistakes. We moved on thanks to the grace of God and the kindness of people.
In this episode of the Youth Ministry Sherpas podcast, Steve and Mathew share a few (mild) stories of their idiotic younger days. (We edited out the really bad things because we don't want anyone to think less of us.) Steve shares his struggles with a recent real-life situation he still isn't sure he handled well (without giving away too much information), while Mathew shares his clever interrogation techniques gleaned from hours of watching Law and Order.
What do we do when students mess up? How do we go about restoring them? What is the posture of our heart? How do we deal with the fallout in our group, and in our church? Is it possible to find a balance between accountability and grace that follows the example of Jesus?
Each situation is unique. Each is messy. And each affords us the challenge of trying to navigate the circumstances to bring restoration and forward progress.
Now that you are an adult with a fully-developed cerebral cortex, we hope you enjoy Episode 27 -- When Students Do Dumb Things.
Recommended:
https://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-God-Recovering-Heart-Christian/dp/1594484023
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at YouthMinistrySherpas
#YMSherpas
Support our efforts to take our show to the National Youth Workers Convention in St Louis in November:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/youth-ministry-sherpas-podcast#/
Tuesday Sep 11, 2018
Tuesday Sep 11, 2018
What if the sole event in our youth ministry calendar was the Fall Kickoff? You know, we get everybody together for one big event in the fall, and that's it! A ridiculous thought of course. Which is why we tackle "Now What?" in today's episode of Youth Ministry Sherpas.
In our last episode, Steve and Mathew talked about the importance of kicking off well. But now that we've cast a vision for our dream, downloaded it to our leaders, and drawn others to our event, what do we do next? How do we keep it alive?
This episode was recorded the day after Labor Day. Mathew sent his kids back to school. Steve sent his wife back to kindergarten (she's a teacher, not a student). Steve also spent the hottest weekend of the century working on a project in his house after the AC broke. Maybe the house was revolting against the loss of the Green Bay green on the bedroom wall? No, it was probably more angry about the removal of the Hines Ward fathead. (The combination didn't make sense to us either)
Anyway, in this conversation, we unpack how to keep the dream alive. We have to continue to unpack it for people so they understand it better. We set some attainable goals and celebrate them along the way. We also have to continue using the language that will help us create culture associated with our dream. And in the end, we need to trust that God is working, even if it doesn't look like we hoped it would. It's probably better that way.
It's Episode 26 of the Youth Ministry Sherpas Podcast -- Now What!?
You can support our effort to get to the National Youth Workers convention in November by going here:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/youth-ministry-sherpas-podcast/x/19176110#/
Tuesday Sep 04, 2018
Tuesday Sep 04, 2018
After a six-week break for summer youth trips and vacations, we are excited to be back for the fall with a new season of Youth Ministry Sherpas!
First, we have some catching up to do. We've been all over the place since we last recorded. Steve spent a week in paradise (Jamaica) celebrating his 30th anniversary with his wife, and led a mission team to Greece, where he danced the Hokey Pokey and did his best imitation of the first land animal. Mathew took half the population of Maryland on his annual mission to Peru. The mission was a huge success, although Mathew failed in the one task he was given -- get a picture with a llama.
In today's episode, we talk about the indisputable seasonal aspect of youth ministry, and how important it is to kick things off well in the early fall. Fall is the time for big DREAMS. It's the time to create an event that's a big DRAW. And it's our opportunity to DOWNLOAD our dreams to our leaders and students so that we can see them come to fruition and fulfill the unique vision God has given us for this year.
We hope you have big dreams from God.
We have big dreams for our student ministries, and for our podcast. One of those is to get to the National Youth Workers Convention in St. Louis in November. You can support those dreams here:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/youth-ministry-sherpas-podcast#/
Here we go!
Speaking of new:
* Our new sound quality is brought to you courtesy of our new equipment and some technical help from our friend Ryan.
* Our new disclaimer is brought to you by the legal departments of our respective churches.
* Our new voice intro is brought to you by Steve's "Greek son, Stefan Vass, from the Streetlight Ministry in Athens.
"The dawning of man"
https://www.facebook.com/ethan.ferguson.3705/videos/2189627897984214/
In case you forgot:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokey_cokey