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: