#1 Top Post of 2013: My Journey as a Youth Communicator [How I Went from High School Senior to National Conference Speaker]

The #1 top post on Youth Speaker's Coach in 2013 was this one:

My Journey as a Youth Communicator [How I went from high school senior to national conference speaker]

Thanks for being a faithful reader of the Youth Speaker's Coach blog in 2013. Great things are in store for 2014!

Top Posts from 2013: #2 - 10 Questions with SpringHill Camps Retreats Director, Eric Woods

#2 top post of 2013 can be found here:

10 Questions with SpringHill Camps Retreats Director, Eric Woods

Top Posts of 2013: #3 - 7 Storytelling Secrets from the Movie, Gravity

#3 on the list of top posts from 2013 was this one:

7 Storytelling Secrets from the Movie, Gravity

Enjoy!

Listen in on our COHORT Conference Call from Yesterday

Had a great December conference call with our communicator's COHORT yesterday on the topic of Exegesis for Youth Pastors.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE CALL.

Be sure to join us on Thursday, January 16, 2014 when Saddleback's High School Pastor, Josh Griffin, shares his communication wisdom in the upcoming Master Class.

CLICK HERE to register for the COHORT for FREE and don't miss out on the call with Josh Griffin on Thursday, January 16.

Move with Purpose

The following is an excerpt from the book, How to Become a Youth Speaking Ninja.

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MOVE WITH PURPOSE

Too often, youth pastors don't practice their movements or blocking for a message. This leads to haphazard pacing, rocking, or statue-like posture that ultimately distracts from the content. It is worth an extra twenty minutes of preparation time to walk-through your message at least one time.

At a minimum, take at least the time necessary to time to determine where you will stand and how you will move as you share your stories and illustrations. Always move with purpose. Too often, youth communicators think that pacing back and forth adds energy to their talk. All it does is distract the students from hearing the content that is being shared. Their brains are trying to sort out all of the movement that they're seeing on stage and it distracts them from actually listening and processing what is being said.

REHEARSE YOUR GESTURES

Simply put, a gesture is a movement of the body, head or hand that adds emphasis or color to the spoken word. You use gestures all of the time during informal communication and so do your students. Take the time during your message rehearsal to work through specific gestures that you will use to add emphasis while speaking to the students from the platform. 

Too often, youth speakers are unsure as to what to do with their hands and they awkwardly put them in their pants-pockets for the duration of the message. On other occasions, they may find themselves over-gesturing by waving their arms wildly trying to dissipate all of the nervous energy. If you find yourself in either of these scenarios, relax and rehearse your gestures.

Gestures are probably the most expressive form of nonverbal communication a youth speaker can use. No other kind of physical action can enhance your message in as many ways as gestures do. When you employ intentional gestures in your message they:

1. Clarify and support your words. Gestures strengthen the students' understanding of your verbal message.

2. Dramatize your ideas. Together with what you say, gestures help paint vivid pictures in your listeners' minds.

3. Lend emphasis and vitality to the spoken word. Gestures convey your feelings and attitudes more clearly than what you say.

4. Help dissipate nervous tension. Purposeful gestures are a good outlet for the nervous energy inherent when speaking to youth.

5. Function as visual aids. Gestures enhance students' attentiveness and retention. 

6. Stimulate audience participation. Gestures help you indicate the response you seek from the students.

7. Are highly visible. Gestures provide visual support when you you're addressing a large number of students at one time and the entire group may not be able to see your eyes.

CLICK HERE to check out How to Become a Youth Speaking Ninja for Kindle.

10 Essentials: #5 - Pray Away Your Pride

When considering the 10 Essentials of Getting Hired as a Youth Pastor or transitioning in student ministry, the primary step, as well as the foundation throughout the process, is to pray away your pride.

As you spend intentional time in prayer, God is able to both shape your heart and character as well as open and close the right doors for your next season of ministry.

Take a look at this story from the life of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:6-10):

6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul[c] had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

I have seen God do this over and over again as I have transitioned from one ministry to another. There have been doors that seemed to be wide open, then after a long season of prayer, those doors miraculously got slammed in my face. Then, just a miraculously, a new door of opportunity would open up in it's place.

Don't be discouraged if you find yourself in a season of waiting and prayer. It is better to wait on the Lord for His next opportunity for you, than to step through the wrong door. Look at how Jesus is described in Revelation 3:7-8:

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

Remain faithful in your current season of seeking Him, and He will open the right door at the right time.

Check out the previous posts of the 10 Essentials of Getting Hired as a Youth Pastor:

#4 Monitor Your Myspace

#3 Figure our Your Philosophy of Ministry

#2 - Determine Your Doctrine

#1 - Refresh Your Resume

10 Essentials to Getting Hired as a Youth Pastor

FREE Illustration of the Month (Christmas Edition) [VIDEO]

What Christmas is all about... courtesy of Charlie Brown Christmas.

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling

These rules were originally tweeted by Emma Coats, Pixar’s Story Artist. 

1.You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

2. You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.

3. Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.

4. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

5. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

6. What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

7. Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

8. Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.

9. When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.

10. Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.

11. Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.

12. Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

13. Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.

14. Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.

15. If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

16. What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.

17. No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.

18. You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.

19. Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

20. Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?

21. You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?

22. What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

Looking for a Speaker in 2014?

The 2014 speaker calendar is now open for late spring, summer and fall engagement booking. If you are interested in booking Matt Maiberger for a retreat, camp, conference or workshop next year, now is the time to lock-in your dates.

Here is a video of Matt speaking at the Christ in Youth (CIY) MOVE student conference this past summer:



MOVE13 NE Day2 PM Matt Maiberger from MOVESermons on Vimeo.

Interested? Fill out a Speaking Request Form HERE...

Here are a few reviews:

“What impressed me about Matt is his love for the young people and his ability to communicate God’s Word very effectively. His ability to keep their attention and get the point across through visual illustrations is incredible.”
-John States, Director of Recruitment Services, Summit Christian College

“Matt was very straight forward and to the point. Really is what these kids need today. No beating around the bush. The messages also meant something to each kid.”
-Montana Youth Sponsor

“Matt was great. Along with great sermons his attitude and humility in life spoke to me and many others throughout the weekend. He was great. His object lessons were great as well.”
-South Dakota Youth Leader

“His messages were vibrant and memorable, students still mention what they heard at camp even after months have now gone by.”
-Jon Alsdorf, Senior Pastor, Durango Christian Church

MATT MAIBERGER BIO:

Matt Maiberger has been involved in student ministry for over twenty years. He has been married to his amazing wife, Amy, for over sixteen years and they have three children.  Matt has had the honor of serving in small, medium, and megachurch-sized student ministries. He and his family currently reside in Fort Collins, Colorado where he is the Associate Pastor of Life Church.  

Through the ministry of Youth Speaker's Coach, Matt enjoys working with youth pastors to sharpen their communication skills with students and help equip them to go from being average youth speakers to becoming great youth communicators so that they have significantly improved impact and influence for the Kingdom of God in the lives of students.

10 Essentials: #4 Monitor Your MySpace

Who uses MySpace anymore?

Exactly.

It's time to update your personal brand online.

Should your resume be selected for review or you get chosen for an initial interview, you need to ensure that your online presence is a true reflection of both your ministry credentials and your personal character.

In a recent survey (see the original article here) over 70% of job candidates are rejected due to what they have posted online. When it comes to applying for a ministry position, my hunch is that the percentage may be even higher.

Here's how you can update your online brand:

1. Google yourself immediately.

This is what potential employers are going to do first. See what comes up in the search results.

2. Check your work and education history.

It had better line up with what you have in your resume. Refresh your Linkedin profile to be sure. If you claimed to attend a particular university or worked at a certain church, all of this information will most likely be available to anyone online. If you make stuff up (you would be surprised at what some people will do to try to get a new ministry position), you will be found out.

3. Remove unwanted pictures on Facebook.

Nothing will get you removed from the candidate pool faster than those pictures from Spring Break '09.

4. Create a personal blog or webpage.

Be sure to include message videos, an online resume, ministry pictures, or even sample ministry systems, documents and templates that are relevant to the positions you are applying for.

Google yourself. What are you waiting for?

Here are the previous posts in this series:

10 Essentials to Getting Hired as a Youth Pastor

#1 - Refresh Your Resume

#2 - Determine Your Doctrine

Make Your Message Stick [INFOGRAPHIC]

This infographic is based on Chip & Dan Heath's classic leadership book, Made to Stick.

Blog Vacation

Youth Speaker's Coach is on a "Blog Vacation" for Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

See you on Tuesday, December 3!

10 Essentials: #3 Figure out Your Philosophy of Ministry

On the journey of transitioning in student ministry, you would be remiss to not take adequate time to "Figure out Your Philosophy of Ministry."

Your ministry philosophy is the "why" (and sometimes "how")of student ministry. What motivates you to do ministry? Is it a desire to "reach and save the lost" students? Is it to "make disciples" of all students? What about "serving the needs" of students? Determining the answers to these, along with numerous other, philosophical questions, will help direct you to a church that shares a similar ministry-DNA.

Should you end up ministering to students at a church where your ministry philosophy is significantly different than that of the leadership of the church, you are headed for deep trouble.

Here is a non-exhaustive short-list of areas that you need to think through philosophically:

-Evangelism

-Small Groups

-Worship

-Discipleship

-Shepherding

-Spiritual Gifts

-Centrality of the Gospel

-Social Justice issues

Dedicate a few hours (or a few days) to determine your philosophy of student ministry. Once you begin to flesh it out, write it down and save it somewhere that it can be easily retrieved (like Evernote) during the application/interview process. During a well-thought out student ministry interview you will most-likely be asked ministry philosophy-related questions.

Read the first article in this series, "10 ESSENTIALS TO GETTING HIRED AS A YOUTH PASTOR."

The Science Behind Silent but Deadly Farts [VIDEO]

Need a great middle school service opening video?

Here it is... The Science BEHIND (pun intended) Silent But Deadly Farts:

NASA's Advice on Asteroid Hitting the Earth: Pray (FREE ILLUSTRATION OF THE MONTH)

This month's FREE illustration of the month originally appeared as a Telegraph news article on March 20, 2013. Use a quote or an excerpt from this article the next time you speak on the topic of prayer!

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Nasa's advice on asteroid hitting Earth: pray

Mr Bolden told US lawmakers that prayer was all that the US or anyone could currently do about unknown asteroids and meteors that may be on a collision course with Earth.

An asteroid estimated to be have been about 55 feet (17 metres) in diameter exploded on Feb 15 over Chelyabinsk, Russia, generating shock waves that shattered windows and damaged buildings. More than 1,500 people were injured.

Later that day, a larger, unrelated asteroid discovered last year passed about 17,200 miles (27,681 km) from Earth, closer than the network of television and weather satellites that ring the planet.

The events "serve as evidence that we live in an active solar system with potentially hazardous objects passing through our neighborhood with surprising frequency," said Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Texas Democrat.

"We were fortunate that the events of last month were simply an interesting coincidence rather than a catastrophe," said US House of Representatives Science Committee chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican.

Mr Smith called a hearing on Tuesday to learn what is being done and how much money is needed to better protect the planet.

Nasa has found and is tracking about 95 percent of the largest objects flying near Earth, those that are .62 miles (1 km) or larger in diameter.

"An asteroid of that size, a kilometer or bigger, could plausibly end civilization," White House science advisor John Holdren told legislators at the same hearing.

But only about 10 percent of an estimated 10,000 potential "city-killer" asteroids, those with a diameter of about 165 feet (50 meters) have been found, Mr Holdren added.

On average, objects of that size are estimated to hit Earth about once every 1,000 years.

"From the information we have, we don't know of an asteroid that will threaten the population of the United States," Mr Bolden said. "But if it's coming in three weeks, pray."

In addition to stepping up its monitoring efforts and building international partnerships, Nasa is looking at developing technologies to divert an object that may be on a collision course with Earth.

"The odds of a near-Earth object strike causing massive casualties and destruction of infrastructure are very small, but the potential consequences of such an event are so large it makes sense to takes the risk seriously," Mr Holdren said.

About 66 million years ago, an object 6 miles (10 km) in diameter is believed to have smashed into what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, leading to the demise of the dinosaurs, as well as most plant and animal life on Earth.

The asteroid that exploded over Russia last month was the largest object to hit Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 Tunguska event when an asteroid or comet exploded over Siberia, leveling 80 million trees over more than 830 square miles (2,150 sq km).

Source: Reuters

10 Essentials: #2 Determine Your Doctrine

As you prepare to begin applying for various student ministry positions across the fruited plain, it is well worth your time to take a few hours a determine which doctrinal issues are "non-negotiables" for you in a church.

Here is what an average evangelical church's doctrinal Statement of Faith might look like.

What would your statement of faith look like? Be sure to include anything that you feel is not negotiable. There is no need applying to a church where you disagree on your doctrinal absolutes. You will end up being miserable.

As you determine your doctrine, you may also want to take some time what issues are in your personal Spectrum of Theological Truth and Error.

The primary reason for determining these issues BEFORE you embark on the application process is because the last thing you want to do is find yourself serving in a local church where you disagree with the leadership on non-negotiable doctrinal issues. Which issues are just a matter of opinion? Which issues would you "fall on your sword" to defend? What would doctrinal heresy in a church look like?

All of these are important questions to think through as you navigate this essential in the youth ministry job-search process.

Read the first article in this series, "10 ESSENTIALS TO GETTING HIRED AS A YOUTH PASTOR."

Cohort Call (Nov '13) Blocking, Movement & Gestures

The Cohort conference call for November is in the history books. The discussion this month centered around the topic of "Blocking, Movement and Gestures." Check out the recording of the call by clicking here.

Want to get plugged into the Youth Communicator's Cohort?

Click here for more information.

JOSH SHIPP: 3 Things Every Speaker Should Un-Learn [VIDEO]

Here's some youth communicator wisdom from Youth Speaker University Founder,  Josh Shipp:

10 Essentials: #1 Refresh your Resume

If you are considering transitioning to a new student ministry, the first essential task you will need to embark upon is to Refresh your Resume.

The role of your resume is to simply get you the initial interview. No church or ministry will hire you solely based on the information presented in your resume; however, your resume can potentially be a stumbling block to keep you from getting that first initial interview. 

Here are a few steps to ensuring that your resume accurately and concisely portrays your background, education and experience in an engaging way that draws the reader in and entices them to pick up the phone to call you and find out more about you:

1. Begin with a template.

There are literally millions of templates on the internet that you can use as a basic framework (both structurally and graphically) to build your resume with. Try to select a template that is aesthetically appealing without being overly distracting. You want the reader to choose your resume out of the stack because it STANDS OUT FROM THE NORM. 

Here is the sample template of my most recent resume.

Note that it's simple, graphically-appealing and only one page long (with tear-off references on page 2).

While there are numerous other templates on the internet that are probably much more attention-grabbing, this one has historically proved itself to be different enough from the norm that it causes a first-glance reading.

Once the reader selects your resume to read, you only have 8 seconds to communicate your information in a way that gets them to select you for further inquiry.

2. Get the facts right!

Nothing will destroy your credibility more than lying or exaggerating on your resume. Should you move far enough in the interview process, all of your references will most likely be called. All of your background, experience and education will probably be fact-checked for accuracy. As you are refreshing your resume, double-check your statistics with reality. If your student ministry only had 30 students, don't say that it had 170. You will be shooting yourself in the foot... and lying as well.

3. Present RELEVANT work/ministry experience in order of relevance.

You don't need to list that you worked at McDonald's during high school 15 years ago. It takes up valuable space on the first page of your resume that could be used instead to describe what you accomplished during your previous ministries. 

Also, when listing work experience, don't list it chronologically. List your most relevant experience FIRST.

4. Keep the whole thing to one-page.

Unless you are applying for an academic position, your resume should only be one page. That's it. In the resume world, brevity wins over long-windedness every time. Again, you only have 8 seconds to make your point. Use the second page of your resume to list references.

If you missed the first post in this series, here is the list of the 10 Essentials to Getting Hired as a Youth Pastor.

This is Your Teen on Drugs [INFOGRAPHIC]

Here is a great resource to use with parents when discussing the issue of teenagers and illicit drug use (includes alcohol and tobacco).

Original link: http://www.columnfivemedia.com/work-items/infographic-this-is-your-teen-on-drugs

Youth Speaking Ninja Halloween Tip

This tip from How to Become a Youth Speaking Ninja is like a great halloween costume... Just enough detail to get the point across; but, not so much that no one can figure out what you're dressed up as:

YOUTH SPEAKING NINJA HALLOWEEN TIP:

When in doubt, leave it out. If an illustration or story doesn't fit with your main theme, leave it out of the message. Don't try to cram a funny story in just because you think it will give you laughs. 

10 Essentials to Getting Hired as a Youth Pastor

If you are in student ministry (or want to get into student ministry), chances are you will face TRANSITION (and probably more than once).

Finding a new youth ministry job can feel like an incredibly daunting, frustrating and hopeless task. While transitions in ministry require a lot of faith, risk, courage and stamina, you can position yourself to minimize the grief and increase the hope.

Over the next number of weeks, you will have the opportunity to examine each of these 10 essentials in detail (including helpful examples, ideas, templates and such).

Here is an overview of the 10 essentials to getting hired as a youth pastor:

1. Refresh Your Resume

The role of the resume is to get you the initial interview.

2. Determine Your Doctrine

What are to your essentials and non-essentials? 

3. Figure out Your Philosophy of Ministry

Your ministry philosophy is the "WHY" of ministry.

4. Monitor Your MySpace

Who uses MySpace anymore? Exactly. What is the personal “brand” you are portraying of yourself online?

5. Pray Away Your Pride

Not your will... His will. Watch God open and close the doors in the midst of the process.

6. Ask Before You Apply

Be selective. If you don’t think you’d be a good fit, don’t apply.

7. Network like Nobody Else

Do you want to know the dirty little secret of getting hired into a new student ministry? Network.

8. Investigate Before You Interview

The Boy Scout motto says it best, “Be Prepared.”

9. Turn the Tables

Interview the prospective church/ministry during the interview.

10. Consider the Offer Carefully

Just because you receive an offer, don’t respond too quickly.

Get ready to examine each of these essentials in detail over the next several weeks. If you are anything like a number of the youth pastors I connect with each month, you may be in the midst of considering a transition RIGHT NOW. If so, send me an email at mattmaiberger@gmail.com and share your story. I’d love to pray for you. Don’t worry… it’s 100% confidential.

John Cleese on Creativity [VIDEO]

Here is a clip of John Cleese discussing humor, seriousness, and solemness. Well worth your two-minute investment:

This is Now Officially a Best-Selling Book on Amazon

Last week, the Kindle book, How to Become a Youth Speaking Ninja, became a #1 Bestseller in Amazon.com's Kindle preaching category (it also climbed to #2 in the youth ministry category). It's officially a #1 Bestseller!

YOU CAN PURCHASE THE BOOK BY CLICKING HERE!

5 Reasons You Need to Start Networking NOW!

Networking and building relationships with other youth workers, church members, people in the community, and pastors is essential to expanding your influence and growing your ministry. Here are five reasons you need to start networking today:

1. You need the encouragement.

Youth ministry can sometimes feel like the loneliest job on the planet. No one understands you. You feel like your Senior Pastor doesn’t understand the extra hours you give and parents think all you do is watch YouTube videos and eat pizza all day. Take the time to connect with other youth pastors in your community on a monthly basis. They get it. They are just like you.

2. You need more volunteers.

When you take the time to build relationships with the parents in your ministry as well as other adults in your church, it is as if the heavens open up and God pours volunteers into your student ministry. The vision that the Holy Spirit has put in you to reach young people will come out in conversation. Most folks are looking for ways that they can serve but they don’t know how their gifts fit. When they catch the vision and see how they can partner with you, they will jump on board. Psalm 110:3 states, “Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power...” (NASB).

3. You need more speaking opportunities.

Networking with other ministries, leaders and churches across the United States will naturally lead to more opportunities for you to speak. The next time you are at summer camp or youth conference, break out of your comfort zone and get to know the other youth leaders who are there with their youth groups. You never know when a little networking will lead to a new opportunity.

4. You need more resources.

Not enough money in your youth budget? Taking the time to connect with other adults in your church or community (outside of your student ministry) can lead to great financial provision. There are many Christians (and even some unbelievers) who God has positioned to parter with your student ministry financially. One of the best ways to tap into that provision is to build relationships and share the vision.

5. You need a new ministry.

Want to know the dirty little secret of finding a new ministry? Network. As you go through the process of searching for where God is calling you next, most of the time, the churches who will extend you a job offer are those who know you. Friends in ministry and life can connect you with churches that are searching. Stop looking at churchstaffing.com five times a day or uploading your resume to Vanderbloemen. It is typically WHO YOU KNOW, not what you know (or your experience/credentials), that will land you in your next ministry.

Pastor Richard Crisco Coaches the Cohort on Growing in Your Relationship with Jesus as a Youth Pastor

What an incredible conference call!

The Youth Communicator's Cohort was blessed to host Pastor Richard Crisco on the call last week. Here is a recording of his training on "Growing in Your Relationship with Jesus as a Youth Pastor."

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OCTOBER'S COHORT CONFERENCE CALL

Simply incredible content.

Want to join the Youth Communicator's Cohort?

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE COHORT!

FREE Illustration of the Month (October Edition)

This month's FREE illustration, comes to you courtesy of a YouTube viral video classic. It's the Grape-Stomping News Reporter FAIL:

10 Questions with SpringHill Camps Retreats Director, Eric Woods

Have you ever wondered what it's like to program retreats for thousands of middle and high school students each year? 

Have you ever been curious as to what it takes to become one of the speakers who headlines those type of events?

Recently, Youth Speaker's Coach interviewed the Retreats Director at SpringHill Camps, Eric Woods.

Here is what he had to say:

How did you get connected with SpringHill Camps?

As a high school student, my youth pastor took a small group of student leaders for some intense discipleship and training. It was where I first was challenged to listen for God, and where I distinctly remember hearing from him for the first time. It’s where I was baptized, and where I baptized my wife. And later, as a campus minister, we brought hundreds of college students here every fall for a retreat. 

Now, I’m here helping facilitate those kinds of life-changing experiences for about 30,000 guests every year. Wow.

What are the top 3 tips you would give to youth pastors who are trying to improve their communication skills with students?

Practice. It’s probably the single most important thing you can do. Speak every chance you get: offer to do breakout sessions at retreats, fill in for the pastor on holidays, and address community groups. The more you speak, the better you’ll get at it.

Listen voraciously.  Listen to great speakers, to their timing, their voice, and their pace. But you should also listen to lousy speakers; you’ll learn a lot from them too.

Seek feedback. Most people just getting started at speaking don’t recognize the little things they’re doing that distract from their message. Ask people what they noticed about your delivery and your content. If you’re only getting kudos, you’re asking the wrong people.

What has changed in student ministry over the last 20 years that youth pastors and speakers need to take into consideration when speaking to youth?

We’re not starting from a common place. You used to be able to assume that students knew what the Bible said and believed it was authoritative. But we’re living in a post-Christian world, where these assumptions mean we will miss connecting with the students who need our message the most. 

Brock Morgan’s new book, Youth Ministry in a Post-Christian World, will open your eyes to this new reality.

How has SpringHill altered their approach to programming with students over the last 15 years?

The core of our teaching at summer camp still happens around the campfire, in the context of the small group and personal, loving and caring relationships. We don’t hire speakers. We tell stories from stage and then equip our counselors to share their own stories of God at work in their lives. It’s powerful.

The biggest change has been in our pre-teen retreat series. We recognized that in the context of a 40-hour retreat, where we weren’t providing trained counselors (they were volunteers coming with the churches), we needed a speaker to hit home the content from the stage. There’s a whole new world of speakers rising up who understand the mind of a pre-teen and how to communicate with them.

What are the 3 characteristics that make for a great youth speaker?

Connecting with students is the most important. I can usually judge the spiritual impact of a weekend retreat by how many kids are lined up after a session to talk with the speaker. The longer the line, the more they’re being affected by the word.

Flexibility is a close second. I want our speakers to come prepared, but I also know that some of the best moments at camp have come when a speaker changed course based on the needs of the particular group of students who happened to be there that weekend.

Genuineness. Students see through canned stories. A speaker who hasn’t spent time with students off the stage in twenty years will seem stale and out of touch to students. It doesn’t matter what he says, no one is listening anymore.

What makes SpringHill Camps unique among all of the other camps available to students across the United States?

We make our own snow. Seriously. On a recent tour of our property, one of our guests said he almost “fell out of the van” when I said that. And it’s the integration of that kind of crazy fun you can’t have in your own backyard and the content that’s coming from stage that’s truly life-transforming. The message doesn’t end when a student leaves the auditorium… it’s only just beginning as he laughs and plays alongside his youth pastor and the adult leaders from his church.

How does a youth pastor or youth communicator become a speaker with a camp like SpringHill? Advice?

It’s important to remember that your first paid speaking gig is probably not going to be at my camp. The stakes are just too high for me to put most people on stage without a track record. That said, I’m looking for five things: you to show up pretty high on a Google search, references from people I know and trust (not your senior pastor), a statement of faith, a video of you speaking in front of the largest group of students you can muster, and that you know something about us. You can read more about these five things on my blog post How to get me to hire you… as a speaker.

How does SpringHill Camp deliver coaching and feedback to the speakers on the speaking roster?

I’m pretty up front with what I’m looking for in a speaker. About 4 to six weeks before an event, I’ll send a packet that describes the theme, what the content of each session will be, and what I’m expecting from each message.

Some things require a face-to-face conversation, like how we’ll handle the invitation on Saturday night, and how you should (or shouldn’t) talk about the books and t-shirts your trying to sell.

Besides that, I’m usually in the green room after each session, so my speakers know right away if I have any concerns or advice.

What is the "secret weapon" of communicating to students?

Honestly? You have to have something to say. If you go up there and aren’t passionate about your message, if you’re telling stories from twenty years ago, and if you stammer through your application, you won’t be coming back.

Some of the greatest preachers in history stood at a pulpit and read a manuscript. If you can pull that off with passion, go for it. But most of us will do better to speak from our well-prepared hearts.

What do you specifically pray for the students who will attend your retreats this year?

I pray three things: that they would be moved closer to God, that their relationships with the students and adult leaders they see every week would be strengthened, and that they would be changed in some way. Everything we do is designed around making those three things happen, but we know (John 15:5) that apart from God we can do nothing.

Eric Woods is the Retreats Director at SpringHill Camps, one of the largest Christian camps in the country. Before he joined the world of retreats and camping, he was a campus minister with a large, non-denominational campus ministry serving Central Michigan University.

SpringHill Camps is a non-profit Christian camp and retreat ministry with locations in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Their mission is to create life-impacting experiences that enable young people to know and to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Eugene Peterson has a Thing or Two to Say to the American Church

Here is an excerpt from The Pastor by Eugene Peterson. In this excerpt Peterson is responding to interview questions from The Wittenburg Door:

DOOR:  “So spiritual direction is a slow process that looks idle and inefficient.”

PETERSON:  “It’s subversive.  I’m a subversive, really.  I gather the people in worship, I pray for them, I engage them often in matters of spiritual correction, and I take them on two really strong retreats a year.  I am a true subversive.  We live in a culture that we think is Christian.  When a congregation gathers in a Church, they assume they are among friends in a basically friendly world (with the exception of pornographers, ect.).  IF I, as their pastor, get up and tell them the world is not friendly and they are really idol worshippers, they think I’m crazy.  This culture has twisted all of our metaphors and images and structures of understanding.  But I can’t say that directly.  The only way that you can approach people is indirectly, obliquely.  A head-on attack doesn’t work.  Jesus was the master of indirection.  The parables are subversive.   His hyperboles are indirect.  There is a kind of outrageous quality to them that defies common sense, but later on the understanding comes.  The largest poetic piece in the Bible, Revelation, is a subversive piece.  Instead of being a three point lecturer, the pastor is instead a storyteller and a pray-er.  Prayer and story become the primary means by which you get past people’s self-defense mechanisms…

If the church member actually realized that the American way of life is doomed to destruction and that another kingdom is right now being formed in secret to take its place, he would be pleased at all.  If he knew what I was really doing and the difference it was making, he would fire me.

True subversion requires patience.”

DOOR:  “This sounds so… well … opposite of what most people think a successful pastor should do.

PETERSON:  “Pastors should not give people what they want just because it brings in customers–which it does.  The biggest enemy to the Church is the development and proliferation of programs to meet people’s needs.  Everyone has a hunger for God, but our tastes (needs) are screwed up.  We’ve been raised on junk food, so what we ask for is often wrong or twisted.  The art of spiritual leadership is not to tell people that they can’t have what they want, but to give them something of what they’ve asked for and not let it go at that.  You try to shift the dimensions of their lives slowly towards what God wants.”

4 Questions to Creating a Goal Statement for Your Ministry

Recently, I have been studying how to create a goal statement for an organization, non-profit, business, or ministry...

Here is the first draft of the goal statement I am crafting for my role here at Youth Speaker's Coach:

"I work with youth pastors to sharpen their communication skills with students and help equip them to go from being an average youth speaker to becoming a great youth communicator so that they have significantly improved impact and influence for the Kingdom of God in the lives of students."

As a springboard, I borrowed the statement-template from four questions that were asked by coaching expert, Christian Mickelsen:

#1. Who do you work with?
#2. What is their biggest problem?
#3. What do you do to help them?
#4. What result do they end up with?

What is the goal statement for your ministry?

New Book "business card"

Just got these book "business cards" in the mail from Vistaprint. I am participating in the Thirsty Generation conference Leaders' workshop next weekend in Loveland, CO, October 18-19 and they are promoting my book. Since it is only available on Kindle, I came up with these cards as a means of promotion. Workshop participants take a card and can scan the QR code to go right to the book's page on Amazon.

What Does the Fox Say? (Viral Video)

In case you have been out of the country, on a mission trip in the jungle, without access to the internet... Here is the video that has taken the internet by storm in the last few weeks. Students ask to watch it weekly.

I give you, "What Does the Fox Say?":

7 Storytelling Secrets from the Movie, GRAVITY [spoiler warning]

[*spoilers ahead... You’ve been warned]

I just returned from watching one of the most riveting movies to hit the silver screen in years, GRAVITY. The film stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

The majority of the movie is set in orbit around planet earth. It primarily features two astronauts (Clooney & Bullock) battling the elements of outer space trying to get back to Earth.

Here are 7 secrets to effective storytelling that were used in the film that you should use the next time you get up to speak to students:

STORY - Keep it central.

It would seem like a no-brainer that a “story” should be central to storytelling; however, many youth pastors forget the essence of story when they communicate. A good story has a beginning, middle and an end. Be careful not to detour from the central storyline and rabbit trail. Gravity does this extremely well throughout.

SENSES - Engage them.

Throughout the movie, there are numerous scenes which depict both the below-freezing temperatures and the deafening silence of outer space. Engaging the five senses of students while telling a story is crucial to drawing them in to experience the story with you.

SILENCE - It is golden.

Don’t be afraid of using dramatic pauses and silence when storytelling. Gravity has multiple moments during which there is absolutely no sound. Instead of distracting from the story, it pulls you in even more, while building anticipation of what will come next. Be intentional about using silence as a tool when you communicate.

SUSPENSE - Build it throughout.

What good is a story that looks like flat-line and is boring? This film brilliantly executed both building and releasing tension at just the right moments. The next time you communicate, deliver just enough suspense to draw students in, and be sure that your story includes the payoff in a rewarding way.

SANDRA BULLOCK - Queen of facial expressions.

Much of this film is spent in close-up shots of Bullock’s character in challenging and emotional situations. She is able to express the right emotion for her character in each heart-pounding situation. Be sure to match your facial expression with the emotions in your stories.

SURPRISE - The twist you never saw coming.

There is a scene in the movie where Sandra Bullock’s character has given up all hope and has resigned herself to die, alone in space. At that moment, Clooney’s character miraculously returns, lighten’s the mood,and gives wisdom for how Bullock’s character can get out of this “end-of-the-road” situation. As it turns out, this twist that everyone saw coming, gets twisted again and it’s all in Bullock’s head... Clooney’s character is actually dead. I found myself saying, “No way!” When you utilize surprise during a story, there is actually a chemical release that occurs in a student's brain that helps them remember the story better.

SHORT - Less is always more.

Gravity’s run-time is just over 90 minutes. Relatively short for a feature-length film nowadays. Brilliant move on the director’s part to tell the story and leave it at that. No extra detours. No flashbacks. Just the story. Try to keep your stories short and moving forward. Your students will thank you for it.

5 Reasons You NEED to Hire a Speaker for Camp Next Year (updated)

Just finished a week of camp and wondering if you should hire out the speaking next year? Here are five reasons you SHOULD consider hiring a youth speaker for your next event:

1. Your students need to hear a different voice.

The students in your ministry hear you... a lot. Bringing in an outside speaker allows your students to hear a different voice.

2. You want your event to be memorable.

Many times, outside youth speakers share messages that your students will never forget. Think back to memorable speakers you heard when you were a teenager. Which messages do you remember? Hiring an outside speaker can take your camp from good to great.

3. A speaker can say things that you cannot.

Utilize your camp speaker to share hard truth. They are there for the week and then gone. Students will sometimes be more open to hearing hard truth from an outsider than from you.

4. A seasoned youth speaker can reinforce your vision.

Ask your camp speaker to take time to share your student ministry vision in a creative way. A strong youth communicator can deliver your vision in a new and creative way that your students will remember.

5. You will reach a different genre of students.

John Maxwell's law of magnetism states that we attract those who are like us. The same law applies to youth communicators. Students who are most like you will connect with you the most when you speak. When you bring in an outside speaker, you broaden the different types of students who will be reached at your event.

Interested in having Matt Maiberger speak at your next event? CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION...

Take a look at 4 reasons you SHOULD NOT hire a speaker for camp next year...

Nancy Duarte & The Secret Structure of Great Talks (TED Talk Video)

If you have not watched this TED Talk classic, you a missing out on one of the best message structure videos out there. Viewing it should be a pre-requisite for every youth worker, youth pastor and youth speaker who communicates to students. Check out Nancy Duarte's famous talk below:

The Changing Landscape of Teens and Social Media (Infographic)

If you've been around students for the last year, you realize the truth of this statement: Teens are no longer using Facebook as their "go-to" social networking app.

Use this to illustrate teen social media usage at your next parent meeting.

Check out the data below:

Thanks to Jolie O'dell & NextAdvisor for this infographic.

See her original blog post HERE.

Do you want to be a GUEST Blogger?

Youth Speaker's Coach is looking for a few Guest Bloggers to join our blog-writing crew. If you have some practical communication, speaking or preaching advice for those who speak to students, we would love to publish your original thoughts and ideas (posts between 500-1000 words) here on YSC.

Just send me an email at mattmaiberger@gmail.com and with your guest-blog post submission!

3 Quick "C's" to Upping Your Communication Game with Students Immediately

Want to improve your communication skills with students for next week?

Try implementing these 3 quick tips to up your game immediately:

1. Contact

As in better EYE CONTACT. Start using the 5-second-rule and improve your eye contact. Engage a specific student with 5-seconds of eye contact. Then, break eye contact and connect with a different student in the room.

2. Content

As in strong, BIBLICAL CONTENT. Add in an "illustrated Bible story" next week. Get students up front with you and have them act out the Bible story while you narrate it.

3. Connect

As in CONNECTING THROUGH STORY. Intentionally "tell" your stories next week. Engage the students' five senses in the story. What did it look like, smell like, sound like, feel like and taste like? Use a couple "character voices" in the telling your stories.

Interested in more practical tips to becoming a better youth communicator? Check out the new Kindle book, How to Become a Youth Speaking Ninja. 

First Cohort is in the History Books!

The Youth Communicator's Cohort held it's first conference call for 2013/2014. It was great! The group discussed Message Outline & Structure.

Want to listen in to the first call?

CLICK HERE to listen in...

"To Boldly Go Where No [Youth Pastor] Has Gone Before"

Beginning today, 40 youth pastors, youth speakers and youth workers are beginning a nine month journey to sharpen their communication skills for students, accelerating their growth as leaders in God's Kingdom and boldly go where no youth pastor has gone before. Never before has this specific group of leaders, from all over the United States, gathered for this purpose.

Thus begins the 2013/2014 Youth Communicator's Cohort!

Please be in prayer for this cohort of kingdom workers as they conference call together this afternoon.

Ready to jump in to the Cohort with both feet?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO JOIN!

3 Reasons You Should Call in to The Cohort

The 2013/2014 Youth Communicator's Cohort begins THIS THURSDAY, September 19. There are over 35 youth pastors, youth speakers and youth workers poised to begin 9 months of intensive communication coaching and encouragement. 

Why should YOU join them?

1. You need the encouragement.

Ministering to students can be discouraging. You have one of the toughest jobs in the church. Many times you feel undervalued, over-extended, and unappreciated. Sometimes, we feel that way too. Take the time to invest in your spiritual and emotional health as a youth pastor. We are here for you.

2. You want to improve your communication skills.

Whether you consider yourself a seasoned communicator or beginning novice, we have youth speakers from most regions of the country and all skill-levels. You will find great skills sharpening, coaching and training among your student ministry peers. Invest the time in your communication growth and YOU WILL IMPROVE!

3. It's FREE.

Over the next 9 months you will receive communication coaching and training that is normally valued at over $899. Act now - and it is FREE! We believe in your ministry and we believe in what God has called you to do. All it takes is an investment of your time each month. We believe in YOU!

Ready to take the plunge?

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE...

Here's what you will learn:

Cohort members benefit from monthly training on the following topics, plus communication "Master Classes" facilitated by seasoned student ministry veterans like Pastor Richard Crisco, Saddleback HS Pastor Josh Griffin and Student Ministry Expert Josh Mayo:

SEPT 19:  Message outline and structure

OCT 17:  MASTER CLASS with Pastor Richard Crisco

NOV 14:  Blocking, movement, and gestures

DEC 12:  Biblical Exegesis

JAN 16:  MASTER CLASS with Saddleback HS Pastor, Josh Griffin

FEB 13:  Refining your message

MAR 13:  MASTER CLASS with Youth Pastor & Student Ministry expert, Josh Mayo

APR 17:  Improved Illustrations/Storytelling

MAY 15:  Openings & Closings

It's not too late to join over 35 of your fellow youth pastors, youth leaders and youth speakers from around the nation for an unforgettable journey of youth communication coaching, encouragement and training in this monthly communication-centered conference call.

REGISTER BY CLICKING HERE...

FREE Illustration of the Month (100 Great Quotes on Prayer)

This month's free illustration is a list of great quotes on prayer.

Enjoy!

100 GREAT QUOTES ON PRAYER

1. "You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed."  A.J. Gordon

2. "God does nothing except in response to believing prayer."  John Wesley (Famous evangelist who spent 2 hours daily in prayer)    

3. "Prayer strikes the winning blow; service is simply picking up the pieces."  S.D. Gordon

4. "One should never initiate anything that he cannot saturate with prayer."  

5. "The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray." S.D. Gordon 

6. "If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.  Martin Luther

7. "The most important thing a born again Christian can do is to pray." Chuck Smith

8. "Prayer does not change the purpose of God.  But prayer does change the action of God." Chuck Smith 

9. "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." Sidlow Baxter

10. “God shapes the world by prayer. The more prayer there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces of against evil …” E.M. Bounds

11.  “Prayer is where the action is." John Wesley

12.  "Satan does not care how many people read about prayer if only he can keep them from praying. Paul E. Billheimer

13. "0h brother, pray; in spite of Satan, pray; spend hours in prayer; rather neglect friends than not pray; rather fast, and lose breakfast, dinner, tea, and supper - and sleep too - than not pray. And we must not talk about prayer, we must pray in right earnest. The Lord is near. He comes softly while the virgins slumber." Andrew A. Bonar

14. "Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees." Corrie ten Boom

15. "Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." E.M. Bounds

16. "The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." E.M. Bounds

17. "God's cause is committed to men; God commits Himself to men. Praying men are the vice-regents of God; they do His work and carry out His plans." E.M. Bounds

18. "The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not!'" (J. Hudson Taylor) 

19.  "No learning can make up for the failure to pray. No earnestness, no diligence, no study, no gifts will supply its lack." E.M. Bounds

20. "The little estimate we put on prayer is evidence from the little time we give to it."  E.M. Bounds

21. "It is necessary to iterate and reiterate that prayer, as a mere habit, as a performance gone through by routine or in a professional way, is a dead and rotten thing."  E.M. Bounds

22.  "Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees."  William Cowper

23. "If the church wants a better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has."

24. "Seven days without prayer makes one weak."  Allen E. Vartlett

25. "Prayer is the real work, Evangelism is just the mopping up."

26. "You may as soon find a living man that does not breath, as a living Christian that does not pray."  Matthew Henry

27. "Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer."  John Bunyon

28. "He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life."  William Law

29.  "Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance, but laying hold of His willingness."  Martin Luther.

30. "There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God." Brother Lawrence

31.  When asked how much time he spent in prayer, George Muller's reply was, "Hours every day. But I live in the spirit of prayer. I pray as I walk and when I lie down and when I arise. And the answers are always coming."  Source Unknown.

32. “The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.  He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”  Samuel Chadwick

33. “I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.”  Charles Spurgeon

34.  “The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.”  Andrew Murray

35.  "If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.” (Robert Murray McCheyne)

36.  “One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller’s funeral the last one was saved.”

37. On persevering prayer: "I look at a stone cutter hammering away at a rock a hundred times without so much as a crack showing in it.  Yet at the 101st blow it splits in two.  I know it was not the one blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

38. "Eighteen-year-old Hudson Taylor wandered into his father's library and read a gospel tract. He couldn't shake off its message. Finally, falling to his knees, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Later, his mother, who had been away, returned home. When Hudson told her the good news, she said, "I already know. Ten days ago, the very date on which you tell me you read that tract, I spent the entire afternoon in prayer for you until the Lord assured me that my wayward son had been brought into the fold." Our Daily Bread, July 19, 1989.  [Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was a famous missionary in China.  He was founder of theChina Inland Mission which, at his death, included 205 mission stations with over 800 missionaries, and 125,000 Chinese Christians.  He spent 51 years in China]. 

39. Spurgeon's "boilerroom." Five young college students were spending a Sunday in London, so they went to hear the famed C.H. Spurgeon preach. While waiting for the doors to open, the students were greeted by a man who asked, "Gentlemen, let me show you around. Would you like to see the heating plant of this church?" They were not particularly interested, for it was a hot day in July. But they didn't want to offend the stranger, so they consented. The young men were taken down a stairway, a door was quietly opened, and their guide whispered, "This is our heating plant." Surprised, the students saw 700 people bowed in prayer, seeking a blessing on the service that was soon to begin in the auditorium above. Softly closing the door, the gentleman then introduced himself. It was none other than Charles Spurgeon. Our Daily Bread, April 24.

40. "Prayer does not influence God. Prayer surely does influence God. It does not influence His purpose. It does influence His action."  S.D. Gordon

41. Prayer "is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings."  Chrysostom 

42.  "Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings him into active aid."  E.M. Bounds 

43. Prayer should not be regarded "as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty."  E.M. Bounds 

44.  "I never prayed sincerely and earnestly for anything but it came at some time; no matter at how distant a day, somehow, in some shape, probably the least I would have devised, it came." Adoniram Judson 

45. "Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need as a burden we must lay upon God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as acutely as our own. To make intercession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them." John Calvin 

46. "We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." Oswald Chambers 

47. "Faith in a prayer-hearing God will make a prayer-loving Christian." Andrew Murray

48.  "The battle of prayer is against two things in the earthlies: wandering thoughts, and lack of intimacy with God's character as revealed in His word. Neither can be cured at once, but they can be cured by discipline." Oswald Chambers

49. "Prayer breaks all bars, dissolves all chains, opens all prisons, and widens all straits by which God's saints have been held."  E. M. Bounds

50. "A life growing in its purity and devotion will be a more prayerful life."  E. M. Bounds 

51.  "Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer."  E. M. Bounds 

52. "Prayer is the acid test of devotion."  Samuel Chadwick 

53. "As is the business of tailors to make clothes and cobblers to make shoes, so it is the business of Christians to pray."  Martin Luther 

54. "Prayer is my chief work, and it is by means of it that I carry on the rest."  Thomas Hooker, Puritan 

55. "The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer."  Leonard Ravenhill

56. "We can do nothing without prayer. All things can be done by importunate prayer. That is the teaching of Jesus Christ".  E. M. Bounds 

57. "Prayer wonderfully clears the vision; steadies the nerves; defines duty; stiffens the purpose; sweetens and strengthens the spirit."  S.D. Gordon 

58. "The secret of all failure is our failure in secret prayer." The Kneeling Christian 

59.  "...True prayer is measured by weight, not by length. A single groan before God may have more fullness of prayer in it than a fine oration of great length."  C. H. Spurgeon

60. "If you want that splendid power in prayer, you must remain in loving, living, lasting, conscious, practical, abiding union with the Lord Jesus Christ." C. H. Spurgeon 

61. "Little praying is a kind of make believe, a salve for the conscience, a farce and a delusion."  E. M. Bounds (Emphasis added)

62. "The word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong."  E. M. Bounds 

63. "If the spiritual life be healthy, under the full power of the Holy Spirit, praying without ceasing will be natural."  Andrew Murray 

64. "We do not pray at all until we are at our wits' end."  Oswald Chambers

65. “The great people of the earth today are the people who pray!  I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor those who explain prayer; but I mean those who actually take the time to pray. They have not time. It must be taken from something else. That something else is important, very important and pressing, but still, less important and pressing than prayer. There are people who put prayer first, and group the other items in life's schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God in winning souls, in solving problems, in awakening churches, in supplying both men and money for mission posts, in keeping fresh and strong their lives far off in sacrificial service on the foreign field, where the thickest fighting is going on, and in keeping the old earth sweet a little while longer.”  S.D. Gordon (Emphasis added)

66.  “Up in a little town in Maine,things were pretty dead some years ago. The churches were not accomplishing anything. There were a few Godly men in the churches, and they said: 'Here we are, only uneducated laymen; but something must be done in this town. Let us form a praying band. We will all center our prayers on one man. Who shall it be?' They picked out one of the hardest men in town, a hopeless drunkard, and centered all their prayers upon him.  In a week, he was converted.  They centered their prayers upon the next hardest man in town, and soon he was converted.  Then they took up another and another, until within a year, two or three hundred were brought to God, and the fire spread out into all the surrounding country.  Definite prayer for those in the prison house of sin is the need of the hour.”  Dr. R.A. Torrey

67. “Therefore, whether the desire for prayer is on you or not, get to your closet at the set time; shut yourself in with God; wait upon Him; seek His face; realize Him; pray.”  R. F. Horton

68. “Time spent alone with God is not wasted.  It changes us; it changes our surroundings; and every Christian who would live the life that counts, and who would have power for service must take time to pray.”  M.E. Andross 

69.  Make time to pray.  “The great freight and passenger trains are never too busy to stop for fuel. No matter how congested the yards may be, no matter how crowded the schedules are, no matter how many things demand the attention of the trainmen, those trains always stop for fuel.”  M.E. Andross

70. “There is no other activity in life so important as that of prayer. Every other activity depends upon prayer for its best efficiency.”  M.E. Andross

71. “…the man on his knees has a leverage underneath the mountain which can cast it into the sea, if necessary, and can force all earth and heaven to recognize the power there is in 'His name.'”  M.E. Andross

72. When prayer has become secondary, or incidental, it has lost its power. Those who are conspicuously men of prayer are those who use prayer as they use food, or air, or light, or money."  M.E. Andross

73. "If the Christian does not allow prayer to drive sin out of his life, sin will drive prayer out of his life. Like light and darkness, the two cannot dwell together."  M.E. Andross

74. "We must begin to believe that God, in the mystery of prayer, has entrusted us with a force that can move the Heavenly world, and can bring its power down to earth." Andrew Murray

75. "...[the] power of prayer can never be overrated. They who cannot serve God by preaching need not regret. If a man can but pray he can do anything. He who knows how to overcome with God in prayer has Heaven and earth at his disposal." Charles H. Spurgeon

76. "Prayer is a spiritual law which cooperates with the mind of God. It has more in it than merely petition. It clothes itself in reality and power, with the force of God Himself. It is an attitude of spirit and mind. Language is secondary in true prayer." Gossner.

77. “What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use— men of prayer, men mighty in prayer"  E.M. Bounds

78. "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work."  Oswald Chambers.

79. "It is not enough to begin to pray, nor to pray aright; nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray; but we must patiently, believingly, continue in  prayer until we obtain an answer;  George Müller

80. “Those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer.” R. A. Torrey

81. “Prayer can never be in excess.” C. H. Spurgeon

82. “The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says ‘Amen’ and runs away before God has a chance to reply. Listening to God is far more important than giving Him our ideas.” Frank Laubach

83. "Time spent in prayer will yield more than that given to work. Prayer alone gives work its worth and its success. Prayer opens the way for God Himself to do His work in us and through us. Let our chief work as God's messengers be intercession; in it we secure the presence and power of God to go with us." Andrew Murray

84.“Yes, worship of the loving God is man’s whole reason for existence.” A.W. Tozer

85. “The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.”  A.W. Tozer 

86. "We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power.  We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results."  R. A. Torrey

87. "Prayer is not learned in a classroom but in the closet."  E. M. Bounds

88. "Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is its most essential part."Andrew Murray

89. "Prayer is weakness leaning on omnipotence."  W. S. Bowd

90. "Our prayers lay the track down which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails."  Watchman Nee

91. "Whole days and weeks have I spent prostrate on the ground in silent or vocal prayer."  George Whitefield (Great  Evangelist during American Revolution era, during the  First  Great  Awakening in  America)

92. "I ought to pray before seeing any one…Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: ‘Early will I seek thee’…I feel it is far better to begin with God-to see His face first, to get my soul near Him before it is near another." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne

93. "There is no power like that of prevailing prayer, of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat of blood.  Add to this list from the records of the church your personal observation and experience, and always there is the cost of passion unto blood.  Such prayer prevails.  It turns ordinary mortals into men of power.  It brings power.  It brings fire.  It brings rain.  It brings life.  It brings God."  Samuel Chadwick

94. "The main lesson about prayer is just this: Do it! Do it! Do it! You want to be taught to pray. My answer is pray and never faint, and then you shall never fail…" John Laidlaw

95. "A man who is intimate with God will never be intimidated by men."  Leonard Ravenhill

96. "Prayer is the secret of power."  Evan Roberts

97. "Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power."  Hudson Taylor

98. "Where there is no vision of eternity, there is no prayer for the perishing."  David Smithers

99. "Prayer is buried, and lost and Heaven weeps.  If all prayed the wicked would flee from our midst or to the refuge." Evan Roberts

100. "Ministers who do not spend two hours a day in prayer are not worth a dime a dozen - degrees or no degrees."  Leonard Ravenhill