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When you should use others resources
Is there a right time specifically to use ready-to-go resources? I think there are some key times in ministry where using someone else’s stuff is not just good for the youth worker 

When you need a break – you can only run so hard for so long before you simply need to stop creating for a while. Don’t be overzealous and push yourself toward burnout. When you need a break, grab a video lesson or a simple outline you can teach without pushing yourself as hard. You are human, and if you want to be helping students a year from now you need to make sure you’re preserving the margin you desperately need. You can do that by using great resources when you’re in exhausted.

When you want to develop someone else – if you’re going to have someone teach for the first time, it may be wise to provide them with a ready-to-go-outline so they can just concentrate on delivery. I almost never allow a person to speak a message they’ve also created themselves when asking them to teach for the first time. Too often it’s just too much pressure and a better idea is to hand them an outline with a simple instructions to make this your own.

When you’re in a rut – when your talks start to sound the same, when you’re predictable, when your creativity has run out. All great opportunities to change it up and pick up a resource that will help pull you right out. Sometimes it may not even be a lesson or curriculum that needs to be changed, but a simple game or element of fun can pull you right. Great resources help you get unstuck!

When you’re not the expert – if you’re teaching on something you have little or no knowledge about, that’s a perfect time to use someone else’s resources. Someone has done the difficult work of preparing an amazing message or curriculum on the End Times or the disciples or sexuality – you would be unwise to proceed further on your own.

Remember, you know your students best so you’ll be able to offer deeper insight any curriculum, so be sure to carve out a little time to contextualize and challenge the students that have been entrusted to you.

JG