as a rule, i try and find some videos to show that relate to our theme. it is hard to get the kids to make one video each week, so i use our handy friends at youtube. plus, someone has already done it, why create the wheel. i liked this video, but for added spice i am throwing in this one.
Youth Ministry
eikon
map virginity loss
interesting.. a map showing the average ages people are loosing their virginity via furfy. tip ypulse. i found it somewhat interesting to see the youngest and oldest regions. my explanations circled around cultural norms of marriage to life stage milestones, like driving ages.. hmmm
i would have thought there to be younger ages. i suppose there is a decent population averaging out those crazy cases you hear about on news sources or jerry springer.
no more mission trips
i don’t know about you, but i started two or three years ago to stop calling our youth short term mission trips.. "mission trips".. the idea that being missional is not a trip but a lifestyle. so we call them, or try to start the shift of calling them, mission experiences. it may be silly, but i like the idea of experiencing an intense life of missions for a short term where we experience relationship, work, outreach, pushing our own limits.. with the hope of developing a missional life.
one of the feature videos this week at work of the people is naming them "friendship trips".. i can like that too
vacation thoughts : the plane conversation
on our ride home from our vacation yesterday erin & decided to take two aisle seats instead of sitting in chairs next to each other. since the rows were a little offset i had a delightful conversation with some guy.. one part of the conversation i was surprised by.
us: where you heading? raleigh / nashville
me: what do you do in raleigh?
him: i teach kids tennis. it’s great, i get a lot of time to influence and shape kids as a teacher would, but i get paid better.
me: cool, do you teach at a club?
him: no i have use of a large public facility.
me: nice. (ensuing small talk of my tennis employment year)
him: what do you do in nashville?
me: i am a youth pastor.
him: oh, so you totally get what i do. it’s a lot the same.
me: (kinda surprised) yeah, i suppose so
the general response in telling someone that you are a youth pastor is the empty "that’s great" with some formulated opinion that person has on the falling of today’s youth, sometimes it is the confused "oh" (with a face sizing up & saying, what am i supposed do with you now?), or the ever wonderful "what are you going to do when you grow up" or "so are you going to be a real pastor one day?" this was the first time i have encountered someone who felt that they understood & i understood completely what it means to work with kids in a manner that hopes to shape and form their future selves.