"99 Thoughts for Youth Workers"

Josh Griffin has written a small book that is full of HUGE ideas and has the potential for GREAT impact. Josh is the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church in California and maintains a daily blog about ministry. His blog, www.morethandodgeball.com , is filled with incredible insights, hints, helps, and reflection about life and ministry. It is one of the blogs that I read every week. “99 Thoughts for Youth Workers” has taken many of the ideas Josh has presented on his blog and condensed it into short snippets to help the youth worker in various aspects of life and ministry.

There are a lot of aspects I really like about Josh’s new book. It is organized in a very clear and concise manner. It is laid out in short snippets, and grouped into topics making it flow clearly and allowing for bite-sized points to consider and digest. It is a very practical book and addresses not just ideas, but practical living as a youth worker – in various aspects of the job, but also with personal and family life as well.

“99 Thoughts for Youth Workers” is separated into four sections:

1) Vision and Leadership

2) Programs and People

3) Small Groups and Events

4) Everyday Ministry

These different categories also allow for a focused look at the various aspects of life within student ministry. I also love that throughout the book, on some of the “thoughts” Josh will ask some thought-provoking questions to help the reader meditate on the issue.

Just because something is small, does not mean it can’t carry a big punch – and that’s what “99 Thoughts for Youth Workers” did for me. It is both an encouragement and a convicting book at the same time. It has some great ideas to help me keep focused, to keep improving, to feel encouraged, and to share with others. And it is definitely worth more than the $4.99 price tag. Great book, great thoughts, and a great buy. In fact, just to make it even more with the money, Josh included an additional 14 thoughts for free – making it not just 99 thoughts, but 113 (and anyone who knows me and my website, pastor2youth.com knows how much I love FREE!) I would recommend anyone working in student ministry – full-time, part-time, volunteer, parent, professional, spouse, and even Sr. Pastor to buy and read this book.

Purchase the Book HERE

THE YM EXCHANGE
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DID YOU KNOW...

   1) That Pastor2youth.com's most accessed and most popular section of the website is the "YM Exchange" (The Tab to access it is located on the top right-hand corner of the website).

   2) The YM Exchange is filled with files you can download, including (but not limited to): Lessons, Powerpoing Games, Powerpoint Lessons, Powerpoint and Mediashout backgrounds, Articles, Discussion Starters, Object Lessons, Illustrations, Leadership documents... and MORE!

   3) Every file in the YM Exchange is available for you to download for FREE

   4) There are currently 3,826 Files available for FREE download in 29 different categories.

   5) These resources are submitted by other youth workers from around the world.

   6) YOU, too, can submit your resources to share and bless with others. It is as easy as clicking on the "Add Download" link in the top-center column of the YM Exchange. You, too, can bless others by sharing your resources.

   7) If you are wondering why you can't access the YM Exchange - you MUST be a registered member (which is FREE to do), and you must be logged in to do it. Otherwise you will get an error message saying you are not authorized to access that area.

   8) We need YOUR help to keep Pastor2youth.com growing and fresh with new ideas and resources. Please take a minute to see if you have something you could add to the YM Exchange and submit it. If you need help or anything, please email me at: ymexchange@pastor2youth.com

LIVE Curriculum

LIVE Curriculum
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We’ve created Live Curriculum as a cohesive, four-year plan for your small groupministry, using a 36-week ministry year. The lessons are designed to flow fromone topic to the next, and each year builds on the previous years. But we knowthat every ministry is different. That’s why we give you the option of takingit apart, shifting around the pieces, and using the lessons in whatever orderyou’d like. You can pick and choose which lesson you want to use when, if that’swhat works best for you and your ministry. It’s all good!

Youth leaders will experience a bountiful abundance of benefits. (Wasn’t that the name of an old hymn?) Because you’ll have your long-range plans locked down, you can devote more time to equipping your volunteers and building excitement in students about upcoming topics through creative promotions. And of course, you’ll save yourself countless hours of planning.

But wait! There’s more! You know what your small groups will be discussing six months from now, so parents will gain more confidence in your ministry, and along the way, you’ll provide them with resources to spark conversation and dialogue in the home. And if we’re serious about getting families involved in our youth ministries, how can you go wrong with that?

You save hours of planning time. Your leaders are trained and prepared to teach. Your students are active and involved. And their parents become your biggest supporters. That’s a win-win-win-win! (We checked; it’s legal to have that much winning anywhere and everywhere!)

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If I can help you out with any of this information, please don't hesitate to let me know.

     Keep an eye out for more E-Updates to come helping you make the most out of your onlline experience as you search for Youth Ministry material to help you. We are excited about some of the things in store in the near future!!!