Tuesday, January 31, 2012

6 ways to be a BETTER staff member

Every leader on every church staff looks around and can see problems at the church they serve because they have an behind the scene view that not many others have. If you have problems where you serve now you are normal just like everyone else in the church world. I know we spend a ton of energy trying to help our churches improve but what if we took time to help ourselves get better at what we do. If every staff member at our church worked to be better I can guaruntee our church would begin to sense the difference. Many times when it comes to change we simply need to start by looking in the mirror. If you want to be a better staff member, add value.
  • solve problems / Last week one of our staff took a problem that was not her problem, sat down at her computer, took time to think, and found our team a solution. When a staff member solves a problem in their ministry or another they help everything improve. See a problem, then stop complaining and work on a solution.
  • encourage / The people around you need to be encouraged. It doesn't matter if you lead worship or not, when you see someone excell on stage tell them. If your pastor makes a great leadership move, thank them. If your volunteers excell on a Sunday, write thank you cards or send emails! Even when things are not going well be an encourager!
  • take responsibility / When things go wrong or do not work and it's in your ministry then own it. Don't hide and don't blame. Taking resposnibility helps establish a culture where it's OK to try and fail but never OK to not get better.
  • pastor your team / When you see people around you hurting or needing direction then be brave and help out...that is pastoring. You are called to care for God's people so never be afraid to take the time to care. Don't wait to be asked just step in and love on people.
  • be a prayer warrior / Why do we expect God to bring hope and healing to our city when we are not praying for it. As a staff leader you should be praying for God to advance His Kingdom through your church every day. Don't complain when you have spent no time in prayer about a situation. PRAY!
  • cast vision / Every chance you get cast the vision of your church and the ministry you lead to others. People will never catch the vision if we don't help them catch it.

Monday, January 30, 2012

getting a fresh perspective

This past Sunday our team at Grace Community partnered with Cross Point in Nashville and sent each other staff (with families) to be secret shoppers for the day. Of course we all kept it quiet and we showed up at each others campus to experience the environment as a guest. We have hired secret shoppers to come and visit our church before and give us feedback but this is the first time we partnered with another church to give feedback. We are working up our reports for each other but I think this idea is a great way for churches and ministries to get honest feedback on programing and really it cost us nothing but the time of each staff member (or volunteer if you choose that route). After going through the process here are a few things that make it work if you want to give it a try...
  • Partner with a church you believe in. // This is a big deal...if you want feedback that is helpful partner with a church who has a shared mission and shared vales. It does no good to get feedback from people who already don't believe in the mission, strategy, and structure of your church. Our churches can learn from each other because we respect and believe in each other.
  • Partner with a church outside your city if possible. // You will get better feedback when you have people come from outside your city or ministry target. People in the same city might feel bad for comparing environments as they worship with your church. This process is not personal, it's just simple evaluation and feedback.
  • Make sure you bring a family. // It's just as important to know how kids are experiencing worship as it is to know how your gathering for adults comes across. Most families will choose a church based on how their kids do in the kids programing. Make sure you are able to get feedback from that area as well as "big" church.
  • Get there early so you can see every part of the environment and not be rushed. // Make sure you get there in time to not rush, to walk slowly, to ask questions.
  • Participate, watch people, and take notes. // Make sure that you think critically and try to participate and worship at the same time. You are a guest for a few hours and not a staff member. Think like a guest!
Our family enjoyed the experience and my kids got dessert at lunch out of the deal at Noshville! Maybe partnering with another church to get feedback on your environment might be what you need. Give it a shot.


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Empower volunteers to make your ministry BETTER!

Chances are you have a ton of volunteers or potential volunteers in your church who can help you take your ministry to the next level. We have learned we get better when we allow people to bring their expertise into our environments and help us improve. I'm betting you have volunteers who do incredible things at work every day who need to be empowered to speak into the direction of your ministry on Sunday. Tim Cribbs is an incredible teacher but on Sundays he has totally revamped and inspired our set up team in our preschool ministry. David Blevins owns and runs a local Chick-fil-A during the week but on Sunday he helps us make our check in process for families work better. What I love about serving with volunteers who are great leaders is that they are willing to help us get better. Start giving your volunteers a voice. Start allowing them to make suggestions and changes. Empower them to use the gifts God allows them to use at work each day with us in the church. Empower more volunteers to lead and the synergy will help your ministry get better.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Can Student and Children's leaders unite?

Why don't student and children's pastors get along? I think most of it stems from the fact that we are not in the same room enough, sitting at the same table, and dreaming about the same things. I think now more than ever it's time for children's leaders and student leaders to unite in our effort to make disciples. I serve with one of the best children's pastors in the country and one of the reasons why we work well together is because we understand each other and the direction of the ministries we lead. When children's ministry is flourishing then I see more teens enter our middle school ministry ready to take the next step. When the student ministry is thriving then our kids team has more amazing teen volunteers to mentor children. What our churches need are more staff and volunteers fighting together to reach the next generation...working together through preschool, children, middle school, high school, and college. If that's going to happen we better get in the same room, get to know each other, share our resources, and pray hard. What our enemy wants is more division and more turf battles. Family Ministry is about coming together and doing more as we partner with each other and with families. Set a date, get in the same room, and dream together. It's time to unite!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

5 books every student pastor should read.


A good friend emailed me and asked what were a few must read books for student pastors. I made the list for him and emailed him back and then realized I have never put that list up here on the blog. I limited this list to 5 must read books but there are hundreds of great books out there that have helped me be a better pastor to teens and families. If you lead a student ministry these five books are going to help to lay a foundation for a great ministry. Hope you will check these out...
1. Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry, Doug Fields
2. Think Orange, Reggie Joiner
3. Sustainable Youth Ministry, Mark DeVries
4. Messy Spirituality, Mike Yaconeli
5. Next Generation Leader, Andy Stanley

There are my top 5 reads for student pastors. What would you add to the list? What are your top 5? Make sure and share them here or on your blog. Ready, set, read.

Monday, January 23, 2012

What most leaders need more of...

Most leaders I know need more friends. I am amazed how many student and children's pastors are out there serving in isolation. Why? Maybe we feel like because we are in ministry we feel we have to be guarded. Maybe we feel like we are too busy for people who are just "friends." Maybe we are so immersed in our responsibilities that we can't see there is an entire world outside our own church bubble. This week at Grace Community we talked about our need for community and my pastor (and one of my true friends) Chad Rowland shared this verse from I Kings when the prophet Elijah isolated himself from everyone...

And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you." (1 Kings 19:7 ESV)

Just like Elijah, the journey you are on is too great for you also to do alone. Chad reminded me Sunday that when we are alone we choose to make choices that we would not make if we were connected to healthy friendships. You don't have to do ministry in isolation. You need real friends around you who are going to be there no matter what. I know many of you have served in isolation for so long you don't even know where to start. Here are a few places to begin...
  1. Plug into or lead a small group. // This is a big one. You need to be in a small group with people who have nothing to do with your ministry. Some of my best friends are in community group with me and they help me stay connected with others who are outside my ministry bubble.
  2. Connect with a key volunteer or staff member. // I serve with several guys on our staff that are great friends. I also have friends who are volunteers here at church. When we hang out we do lots of stuff that have nothing to do with church. That is why we are friends. We play golf, watch sports, and talk support each other through life. That's what friends do.
  3. Connect with an organization outside your church. // Coach your kid's basketball or soccer team. Volunteer for another organization in town. Do something that helps you connect with normal people outside your church world. It's good to have friends who have nothing to do with your church. I promise.
  4. Connect with leaders in your town in other churches. // There are leaders serving in other churches in your town who are looking for healthy relationships also. Your needed friendship might come from the church down the street.
  5. Connect with leaders from across the country. // You never know the friendships you might make as you network. Leverage social media to connect with others and get to know people across the country. Conferences get way better when you are connecting with friends.
Don't serve in isolation. Make sure you are striving to stay connected to people you call friend!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

INNOVATION demands RISK

If you want to lead a church, non-profit, or ministry that is innovative you have to learn to embrace the risk that comes with it. I would say we have a very innovative environment here where I serve and it's because we have learned to endure the risk that comes with innovation. Being innovative demands experimentation. Experimenting will lead to both success and failure. Innovation always leads to change and I'm not sure if you have learned this yet but people don't always enjoy change. I could list off tons of things our team has tried in our desire to innovate. Some things went well and others we will never do again. We tried...innovation happens when we are willing to try. There is no safe place to hide when we innovate. Our hope to find a better way to accomplish our goals, communicate our message, to solve a problem means we are going to have to take risks. Sometimes things are going to work and that is what makes the risk worth it.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

You don't get to "choose" your calling

Sorry to tell you this and frustrate your plans but you don't get to choose your calling in life. By calling I mean that deep rooted passion that makes us sing when we do the work we do. Some of us are called to be bankers, teachers, painters, writers, missionaries, social workers, builders, consultants, soldiers, fire fighters, accountants, pastors, and architects. You name it, our God places a calling on the lives of people to make it, create it, and shape it for His Glory. God made us and gave us a passion deep inside that will guide us as we try to make a difference in this world of His. Recently I have heard people say they chose to pursue ministry...to somehow become through education or hard work a minister working in the local church. When I look around at our staff I see a group of people who tried to do other things with their life but God would not let us go. Many of us wanted to be coaches, teachers, counselors, business owners, politicians, veterinarians, and dentists but God had a calling on our life that would not let us go. All of us can tell you when God gave us that call. We did not pursue this as a choice, God came after us. Maybe the problem with the church world is that we have too many leaders who chose ministry as a career? How do you know if you are called to do something with your life? Here are a few things to consider...

Our calling flows from God : No prophet, king, disciple, or apostle in Scripture chose their calling...it was given by God. Just go read the Bible and see how God called people to use their life. It's pretty clear that God takes care of this process. I can look back and tell you the moment God called me to serve the local church. I also know when God made it more clear and gave me my next step. It's all about God not me. I did not want to work in the church, God called me to it. I know Christians in other fields who will tell you the same thing. Our calling flows from God.

God will use people to confirm our calling : When God gives someone a calling, a mission He uses other people of God to come around and confirm that call. (sometimes it comes from people who are in authority and sometimes it comes of people on the fringe) When we are called by God then He will open up the doors for us to fulfill that calling. Do you get the idea here? A calling is about God and not about us. It's about His glory and not our own. If you are called by God He will bring others into your life to confirm and encourage that calling.

God will refine your calling : Over time God will refine you and your understanding of the calling He has placed on your life. God will give us what we need to move forward in His calling and then he will refine us as we go. We are never done growing or learning and God is never done shaping and molding us so we can fulfill our calling. We have to be faithful with the small things God gives us so He can give us more. Be fully present where you are right now because God knows what is next.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Win 2 tickets to Orange 2012

My friends at Worlds of Wow are giving away 2 tickets to the Orange conference. I love the team at Worlds of Wow because they help churches maximize their next generation space with great decorating that will help grab attention! If you have a budget for your space and you need a design partner then this is an organization you want to check out. We have details below so you know how to WIN! Give it a shot and go win some free tickets to an amazing conference. Our team will be there and we hope you will too!

WIN 2 TICKETS
TO THE ORANGE CONFERENCE

Worlds of Wow is all about fun, so we're hosting a Facebook contest and giving away two tickets (a $638 value!) to The Orange Conference! This year's conference theme is "GAME CHANGERS", so our contest is for your children's ministry to show or tell us about the GAME CHANGER that will rock their ministry in 2012.

2 WAYS 2 PLAY

This contest is only on our Facebook Fan Page, so here's how it works: 

1) Tell us on our Worlds of Wow Facebook page what GAME CHANGER your children's ministry team will be doing in 2012!

OR

2) Share a photo on our Worlds of Wow Facebook page showing you/your team wearing or holding something orange!
  
BONUS!! If you do BOTH, you DOUBLE your chances to win!! 

Monday, January 16, 2012

our ideas can't compare to God's plan


Daniel and Emily Doss are my friends. I am posting this because I watched Daniel and Emily go through the experience of wanting kids, not being able to have kids, and choosing to work through the process of adoption. I had the joy of watching Manny become their son and it was and still is amazing. I will not say a ton about that process but I can promise you that our ideas can't compare to God's plan. Daniel and I did many camps together, we served at 2 churches together, and we spent tons of time dreaming about the future. Looking back we know God's plan is better. Hope this video inspires you to rely on God a little more today. Not sure what you are facing but trust me, God is not giving up on you. Check out Daniel's music on iTunes and if you need a worship leader for an event you need to book the Daniel Doss Band.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Courage

Joshua 1:6-9 (NLT)
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.
7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” 


Needed to read this today, maybe you need it too. This week I have been processing courage, what it means, why we need it, where it comes from. I have been reminded that courage is not the absence of fear but rather being willing to do what is right in the middle of fear. In the Bible Joshua knew what he had to do and still God reminded him to be strong, to be courageous, to trust Him, and stay focused. Joshua would face many challenges and at the same time God promised to be with him.

When you know what God has called you to do have courage and do what you need to do even when faced with fear. That is the place God will show up.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

You Lost Me...a must read for next generation leadership

After reading You Lost Me by Dave Kinnaman and spending a week with college students at Passion 2012 I find myself more determined to help churches understand that college students and young adults are not leaving their faith but instead leaving churches all across America who exist to protect traditions. Is there anything wrong with traditions...No. Is having a mission to make the next generation conform to the ways of the past generation working...No. Churches that are reaching young adults and young families are willing to shape their strategy (not theology) in a way that connects with young adults and young families. These churches are asking the older generation to unite in a mission to pass on faith to the generations to come, sounds like this familiar scripture...

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT

With all that said, this is a must read book for every leader working with the next generation. The tide is shifting and will continue to morph and change with every generation. Will churches be willing to listen and adapt? Will kids, student and college ministries rise up to meet the needs of this generation? Here are a few quotes from the book...
  • But disciples cannot be mass-produced. Disciples are handmade, one relationship at a time.
  • The dropout problem is, at its core, a faith-development problem; to use religious language, it’s a disciple-making problem. The church is not adequately preparing the next generation to follow Christ faithfully in a rapidly changing culture.
  • The faith journeys of the next generation are not monochromatic or one-size-fits-all. Every story matters. And every type of story matters. 
  • The next generation is caught between two possible destinies—one moored by the power and depth of the Jesus-centered gospel and one anchored to a cheap, Americanized version of the historic faith that will snap at the slightest puff of wind. Without a clear path to pursue the true gospel, millions of young Christians will look back on their twentysomething years as a series of lost opportunities for Christ.
  • Is it possible that our cultural fixation on safety and protectiveness has also had a profound effect on the church’s ability to disciple the next generation of Christians? Are we preparing them for a life of risk, adventure, and service to God—a God who asks that they lay down their lives for his kingdom? Or are we churning out safe, compliant Christian kids who are either chomping at the bit to get free or huddling in the basement playing World of Warcraft for hours on end, terrified to step out of doors?
I made more notes from this book than any other book I have read on my Kindle. Our staff is getting ready to process this together at Grace Community Church. I hope you will take time and check out You Lost Me. This book has the potential to shape how we engage this generation of kids, teens, college students, and young adults.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Lessons from 16 years of marriage!

Chelsea and I just celebrated 16 years of marriage. I know it's crazy. We got married in college and were both 20 and it was the best thing that ever happened to this dude. The past 16 years have been an amazing journey as we have grown up together. We spent 7 years without kids and enjoyed every minute of that time. We also have 2 amazing daughters now that amaze us every day. We have survived college and grad school and at least one of us hopes to never go back (me of course). We have experienced amazing highs and unbearable lows as we have tried to honor Christ with our lives. On top of all of that we have had the privilege of serving 5 churches filled with incredible people. I am so blessed to have been given 16 years with Chelsea Bayne! After 16 years even a man can learn a few things so here are a few lessons I have learned...
  • Communication is the secret sauce in marriage. / Communication leads to intimacy and trust. Guys you better learn to communicate if you want a marriage that works for the long haul. 
  • Marriage is better when I do my part around the house. / This took a few years but our marriage is better when we partner with work around the house. This is our home, we need to make it the best it can be together.
  • Enjoy every moment, there are no guarantees. / I have watched too many of my friends watch their spouse face sickness, military deployments, and crazy accidents that turned everything upside down. Every day is a gift. 
  • Have fun. / dates matter, vacations matter, laughing matters, accomplishing goals matters...have fun being married. Life is too short. 
  • Pursue Christ together. / Jesus....chasing after Jesus solves so many issues that come up in marriage. Serving together, praying for each other, studying the Bible, living out the teachings of Jesus...that makes a difference in marriage. 
  • Parent as a team. / Working together to parent makes sure your kids get the best of both of you. Parents who unite have a better shot of raising healthy kids. 
  • Dream big dreams. / Goals put some adventure into the ordinary. Goals also helps us maximize our time and resources. We want to make sure we accomplish great things together. 
  • Drop the American dream. / New cars, bigger houses, and more stuff don't lead to a better marriage. We are trying to work hard to not fall into that normal trap...it's happening all around us so it's hard to avoid. 

Monday, January 9, 2012

create a memory...

When you're planning your next worship gathering, event, or camp think about how you can create a moment or a memory in the middle of the service. At our Christmas Eve services our tech team worked hard to take our environment to the next level. Toward the end of the service they made it snow. The pictures above says it all. Look at the expression on those faces. That's a memory! So proud our team went out of their way to make it happen. I know it's impossible to create this kind of experience every week but go ahead and dream a little...see what you can pull off. We serve the God who created creativity so why not use it to bring Him Glory in the church. Go ahead, help people make a memory.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

College students are not leaving the church, just your way of doing church

I read all the books and look at the statistics about this generation and honestly what I read does not match up with many 18-25 year olds I meet. I'm here at Passion 2012 and I am watching and listening to them and it is clear to me that college students are not ready to leave the church, just ready to do church in a new way. Many of those kids who supposedly dropped out of church just stopped going to church out of obligation and connected with on campus ministries that are reaching college students. Every week at Grace Community we watch these college students that get trashed in the media and many christian circles serve, give, and plug into our church. We watch high school students that leave our church for college go to their city and find a place to plug in and then come back on breaks to serve. Maybe it's our churches that are broken and not this generation. I promise, if you do not design your church environment and strategy with the college and high school student in mind you will not reach them. It's not their fault so many churches are more focused on keeping the status quo rather than making disciples. Here are a few things I know for sure about this generation of 18-25 year olds.

  1. They want us to teach them God's Word / in a world that is full of deception this generation is begging for someone to stop selling them half truths and empty promises. It may take them time to integrate God's truth into their daily life but they are begging for clear direction.
  2. They want to be part of the solution / this generation is ready to bring healing to this broken planet, not just talk about it. This week I have watched college kids give over 1 million dollars in 2 days to fight the global epidemic of slavery. They are ready to serve, give, and go right now and they will not wait for our permission.
  3. They are abandoning the American dream / their american dream has already been broken and they are ok with it. This generation is ready for a new dream.
  4. They know they are broken / they know they are broken and every day more and more of them hit the bottom because of their search for instant gratification through porn, empty relationships, drugs, and alcohol. They get it...this is not working and it's not working for many of the older adults that surround them.
  5. They are ready to plug into your church / yes I said it, they want to plug into your church. They will come when they know it's ok to come as the broken people they are and search for healing and community. We watch it happen every week at our church and I know it is happening all over the world in churches that are willing to be havens for the next generation.
  6. They demand to participate not just sit and listen / if you want to reach the next generation then be ready to allow them to shape and mold the church that belongs to them anyway. The church has to be shaped by the young not the old. We have to be willing to allow this generation to have a seat at the table.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Passion is doing a few things right...

I have learned so many things over the past 10 years watching the Passion team lead and invest in the next generation of young adults. This year is no different. I am being challenged to process what serving and inspiring this generation will look like in the years to come. When you serve teens and college students you have to always be looking ahead, planning ahead, and yes, praying ahead. There are so many things Passion does right. Here are a few things Passion is doing right when it comes to investing in the next generation.

  • Embracing the big and small / Passion understands the importance of the gathering and small group and manages the tension that comes from needing both. These guys do an amazing job with creating worship and teaching experiences. They also create space and time for small group relationships. Both are needed for life change.
  • Striving for excellence / From lighting, to volunteers, to communicators, to sound, to venue, the team at Passion strives for excellence. It has nothing to do with extravagance and everything to do with excellence. This team understands how to create an environment where students want to be and pushes systems to help people have a great experience.
  • Going to the campus / Passion strives to take their message to the college campus so they can reach students where they are at. Every Passion event is preceded by a campus tour. Conferences are not the goal. Seeing college students honor Jesus with their life is the goal. Students will live their faith out on a campus not a conference and Passion gets that.
  • Clearly teaching truth / At every level Passion teaches God's Word with clarity. For many college students they have never heard the Bible preached in a way that connects with them and Passion shines a bright light on God's truth every year and at every event.
  • Empowering female leaders / I am a dad of two daughters and I will never accept the way the traditional church has limited the ministry of women in the Kingdom of God and local church. Passion empowers young woment to dream big dreams and find a way to make a difference. From teaching to worship leading to mission work to leadership in the church, Passion helps young woment look to make an impact.
  • Helping college students make a global and local impact / Every Passion event is connected with spreading the gospel and brining light to a dark world. You can't attend a Passion event and not hear about spreading the gospel and brining justice to a broken world globally and locally. 
  • Willing to change when God leads / The team at Passion seriously follows the lead of the Holy Spirit and takes huge risks for the Kingdom of God. I have friends who have seen the inside of this organization and the obedience to the leadership of God is breath taking and frightening at times.

4 reasons to bring students to Passion

Hanging out here in Atlanta with some college and high school seniors from Grace Community Church and about 40,000 others at Passion 2012. This year is special for me because I am here helping Brandon Reed who leads our college ministry...I get to be a volunteer! This is my 4th time to experience Passion and in 4 times I have never experienced anything quite like it. It's hard to explain what worshipping with that many other 18-25 year olds is like. There is an energy and hope here that is amazing and it flows from the central focus all week being nothing other than Jesus. This week I'm going to process some thoughts I have about high school and college ministry but I thought I would start this week with a few reasons you might want to bring some college students and high school seniors to Passion...well how about 4 words that come to mind!
  1. Hope / This is kind of selfish for those of us who are leaders but Passion will give you hope. Hope that what you do matters. Hope that this generation is making a difference. Hope that Jesus is changing lives. The generation we are investing in is ready to lead the church and make a difference. Every time I get to Passion I am reminded of what God is already doing.
  2. Direction / Every time I have come to Passion I have watched students get direction from God on what is next for their life. In a season of life where there are so many questions and risks it's amazing to watch God direct. Things change in life when God starts pointing the way for students.
  3. Focus / There is one focus here for 4 days...Jesus. Watching this many people be consumed with Jesus is just a little slice of what heaven will be like. Eternity, consumed with Jesus.
  4. Community / Because community group is a part of the Passion experience students get a chance to connect with other students from all across the country. Watching students realize they are not alone is amazing. Watching students process what God is doing in the context of small group is priceless.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Hello 2012 and a look back at top 6 posts of 2011!

Happy New Year everyone! I love January because it gives everyone a chance to start over, gain a new perspective, and make some needed changes. This is a new year and it's possibilities are endless. Chelsea and I have some big goals for our family and I bet you do too. We also have some big ministry goals for 2012 and we are trusting God to do great things. I hope you have had a great New Year's day and that God helps you accomplish what you set out to accomplish in 2012. With the new year here I thought it would be a good time to look back at a few of my most popular posts in 2011. Here they are ranked in order. Thanks for reading my blog and I hope it's a continued encouragement in 2012.
  1. Are you empowering teens to serve AT CHURCH?
  2. my new job 
  3. worship planning for student ministry
  4. A few things I wish someone had told me at age 23 
  5. getting an outside perspective 
  6. Can parents trust your ministry?