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5 Oct 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 8

By |2021-10-05T01:04:33-07:00October 5th, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|9 Comments

Weekend Teaching Series: Fact or Fiction (series kickoff, week 2 of 5, Tammy speaking)

Sermon Synopsis: This week Tammy went after the topic of if the Bible can be trusted or not. As Christians we center our lives and worldview around this book – so how do we know it’s true and where did it all come from? Those are some big questions that our junior highers will ask (honestly most of them aren’t right now) but want to build and apologetic-based view of the Scriptures as a foundation for the questions and doubts that will arise in the future.

Service Length: 65 minutes

  • Key Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This week we played two DYM games – one was a huge hit – the Marvelous Marvel Emoji Hunt is an easy winner and really had some clever questions. I was a fan … and all of our students love Marvel movies for sure! And the other game was fine (I should have taken it to the next level) called Whatchu Know About Watermelons? game that worked but didn’t have the same pop of some other games we’ve played. If I had given it more thought, I would have had some free watermelon for everyone, or given a giant watermelon as a prize for the winner. THAT would have been hilarious. Next time!

Student Involvement: This week we continued to see students run the tech booth, lights, sound and even had a couple students greeting. Also, turning the room between services is presenting an opportunity to have other students serve getting their hands dirty as well. Man, junior highers sure can leave a mess behind!

Favorite Moment: I was off this weekend … so that was my highlight. Honestly, being able to trust someone else with the stage is so refreshing in and of itself. It isn’t easy being gone, but knowing a solid communicator is there and the heart of youth group is fully present makes me confident I can be away and get some time for myself, too!

Up next: Fact or Fiction (week 3 of 6, Josh speaking)

14 Sep 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 7

By |2021-09-14T09:22:34-07:00September 14th, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|4 Comments

Weekend Teaching Series: Fact or Fiction (series kickoff, week 1 of 5)

Sermon Synopsis: This week was our summer camp reunion service, so it was packed and it was fun. We played the full summer camp video and had an absolute blast swapping stories and checking out the cast of the kid that broke his arm. Doh! We also had baptisms for the first time in 2 years, so the message this week was on baptism, why we do it and why it is important. We haven’t had any type of baptism class in a while, so I just decided to bring to the weekend to start our new series. It was incredible – 40 students got baptized this weekend. NUTS! Felt like literally years worth of baptisms in one evening … my heart is full!

Service Length: 64 minutes + baptisms

  • Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 2:17

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We had some FUN this week – it was our week after summer camp so pushed all in with SEQUELS weekend! We played the super popular Ancient Artifacts Volume 3, which is now become a hilarious way for leaders and students to connect over long lost technology questions, and after a round of Impossible Shots for the new students visiting for the first time, played another great game that ends a trilogy. Copycats 3 is a hilarious game where students have to try to best reenact the silly cat .gif on the screen in front of them – the crowd votes for the best one. The game isn’t QUITE as good as the originals, but still did super well with our junior highers and would highly recommend!

Student Involvement: This week we had a full compliment of student greeters, the student band and kids moderating the online chat and running streaming. They’re doing an amazing job!

Favorite Moment: This week we had our highest attendance post-covid (or maybe it’s mid-covid, who knows at this point). GREAT seeing students come back, the momentum from summer camp and summer, we’re off and running again. YEAH!

Up next: Fact or Fiction (week 2 of 6, Tammy speaking)

8 Sep 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 6

By |2021-09-06T23:52:50-07:00September 8th, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|2 Comments

You can download the weekend program
here to see if how we do it is helpful for you or
inspires you when you create something for your students!

Weekend Teaching Series: What I Wish I Knew in Junior High (series finale, week 6 of 6)

Sermon Synopsis: This week was the conclusion of our big summer series and the week before Summer Camp. It was a great weekend, lots of momentum and excitement for the week ahead of camp. Spooner taught on her junior high experience, capping off a great series that may become and annual event. She talked about the core of who we are on the inside – using the analogy of the earth’s crust, the core, etc. She had a ton of stories about her life in junior high, and it was a solid finale for our summer series!

  • Service Length: 62 minutes
  • Key Scripture: Philippians 4:5-9

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: Say What You See was a fun game we played this week, kinda of a puzzle game that kids seemed to really like. We played it “king of the hill” style so one contestant gets a chance to answer the screen first, if they get it wrong or don’t know, the audience gets a shot. Very fun, kids loved it. Our second game we played Name That Burger, which is a super simple game where it shows a burger on the screen and you have to identify where it came. Sounds simple … but it was pretty hard. See my review on the product page for more info on how I would improve the game if you want to play it in your youth ministry, too.

Student Involvement: This week we had a full tech team of junior high students and they ran Sidekick.TV for both the Pick Me [to pick random a student who checked in for the service] and Wheel of Destiny [to select their prize]. They also ran the live stream service completely with students on camera, lights, sound and the switcher. SO proud of them!

Favorite Moment: This week was our new Huntington Beach youth pastor got to share on stage for the first time. Spooner has been working with our JHM team this summer to get the “Mariners Youth Ministry DNA” before heading to HB to lead their youth ministry. This will be the pattern moving forward as new congregations (some churches called them campuses) and Spooner CRUSHED this summer and set the bar super high for future youth ministry leaders at our new congregations!

Up next: Fact or Fiction (series kickoff, Josh speaking)

7 Sep 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 5

By |2021-09-06T19:12:05-07:00September 7th, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|0 Comments


Weekend Teaching Series: What I Wish I Knew in Junior High (week 5 of 6)

Sermon Synopsis: This weekend Mandy spoke about her junior high years and focused in on identity. She talked about all of the things she valued and didn’t value, and how she also felt sometimes that way about herself. She had a TON of ways to engage students, had some funny pictures of her as a junior high student (always a win). She works hard to create  lots of touch points and self-deprecating humor in her message, and could become a regular on the list of people who speak. So fun!

  • Service Length: 62 minutes
  • Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This week we played a SUPER game called Olym-Pics – where you are shown a picture and have to determine if the sport was/is really in the Olympics. They were just plausible enough to really fool a bunch of students and this was the hit game of the weekend. Perfect for the Olympic season and serious fun/chatter had by all. We also played a few quick rounds of 4 Corners Olympics Trivia which was good as well, got kids moving and in the Olympic spirit.

Student Involvement: This week we had 3 student greeters! Yeah, progress!! As always we also had a full tech team of junior high students and they ran Sidekick.TV for both the Pick Me [to pick random a student who checked in for the service] and Wheel of Destiny [to select their prize].

Favorite Moment: I’m a sucker for the Matt McGill sports instructional videos – they’re 3-4m of awkward fun – people think they were made recently and given this amazing late 90s vibe … but they’re actually FROM the late 90s and preserved perfectly. Stupid fun, and I’m here for it.

Up next: What I Wish I Knew in JH (series finale, Spooner speaking)

2 Sep 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 4

By |2021-09-01T00:21:15-07:00September 2nd, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|1 Comment

Weekend Teaching Series: What I Wish I Knew in Junior High (week 4 of 5)

Sermon Synopsis: This weekend we continued the What I Wish I Knew with our worship leader Bella Johnson talking about storms from her junior high years and the pressures on a young woman when she was growing up. It was a great message from her story that invited all students to realize that Jesus is with them in their boat and cares for them as the navigate the waters of their junior high years.

  • Service Length: 61 minutes
  • Key Scripture:

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This week we played a couple really fun games First up was Summer Games trivia getting ready for the Summer Olympics and also played the inspiring Matt McGill Sports Instructional Video each week (the 3 pack is just $1 and hilarious, cheesy, nuts) into our crowd favorite … Head, Shoulders, Knees, Cup. It’s SUCH a simple game and yet so perfect. We’ll play it again at Fall Kickoff for sure!

Student Involvement: This week we had a full tech team of junior high students and they ran Sidekick.TV for both the Pick Me [to pick random a student who checked in for the service] and Wheel of Destiny [to select their prize]. I’m proud of our tech students, they’re doing a GREAT job and even started their own Instagram, too!

Favorite Moment: This weekend the church janitor revealed his next creation – a Summer Camp promo animated video! He previously made the amazing Llama Countdown video (now available on DYM as well) and it made me SO proud. He’s SO talented! I’m hoping his stuff blows up on DYM and he can support himself someday with just his amazing creativity. I loved it! Easily my favorite moment of the week.

Up next: What I Wish I Knew in JH (week 5, Mandy speaking)

31 Aug 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 3

By |2021-08-31T23:16:35-07:00August 31st, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|1 Comment

 

Weekend Teaching Series: What I Wish I Knew in Junior High (week 3 of 5)

Sermon Synopsis: This weekend I had my favorite guest speaker come teach at our 5 services … DYM co-founder and our youth pastor at Mariners, Doug Fields! He taught a simple statement, “What I Wish I Knew in Junior High – serving is better than sitting” and taught students about serving. He shared some great pictures from his junior high years and how serving has shaped his life. It was a great talk that ended in an application where students could fill out a response card to serve in 4-5 areas of the church. So good!

  • Service Length: 64 minutes

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: This week we used the sequel to the popular Where’s the Ball game and this was soccer edition and it crushed. Some questions are stronger than others but they’re all great and some are so unlikely they elicit a laugh. This week in the first game slot we played Where’s the Ball: Volume 2. Again a total blast – the ingenuity of youth workers never ceases to amaze me! We also tried something new in the 2nd game slot – a new DYM discussion-focused resource called Space Thoughts. I think the element got better through the course of the weekend services, but the idea wasn’t really a game with a prize, but for students to get to know each other better in circles and friendly debate some fun questions.

Student Involvement: This week we had a full tech team of junior high students and they ran Sidekick.TV (which is included in DYM’s gold membership) for both the Pick Me [to pick random a student who checked in for the service] and Wheel of Destiny [to select their prize] – we also had a couple students greeting at a few of the services, something we’re really trying to build up in the fall.

Favorite Moment: This weekend the church janitor revealed his next creation – a Summer Camp promo animated video! He previously made the amazing Llama Countdown video (now available on DYM as well) and it made me SO proud. He’s SO talented! I’m hoping his stuff blows up on DYM and he can support himself someday with just his amazing creativity. I loved it! Easily my favorite moment of the week.

Up next: What I Wish I Knew in JH (week 4, Bella speaking)

26 Aug 2021

Mariners JHM Weekend in Review: Volume 2

By |2021-08-24T00:53:35-07:00August 26th, 2021|josh griffin, junior high, junior high ministry, Mariners Youth Ministry, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|0 Comments

Weekend Teaching Series: What I Wish I Knew in Junior High (week 2 of 5)

Sermon Synopsis: Holiday weekend! When the 4th of July happens on a Sunday … argh. Painful! But … we managed and ended up with a solid weekend. My “wish I knew” from junior high was about trust, and how we are constantly trust-building or trust-busting with our parents. Told some fun stories from my teen years and used a tall Jenga set as an example of trust being difficult to build and maintain but so simple to lose. Students easily resonated with the object lesson, and I felt like it really help carry the talk.

Service Length: 66 minutes

Element of Fun/Positive Environment: We introduced our students to a brand new game on Download Youth Ministry – Where’s the Ball?  simple game where students have to guess which ball is the real one from funny Photoshopped pictures of athletes playing various sports. It is SUCH a simple concept and yet … totally crushed. Kids loved the game, some were easier than others but helped them stay in a bit longer which is OK as well. As always we welcomed in new students with the Impossible Shot, and also played a fun game with no real answers called In My Opinion: Summer Edition from one of my good friends Todd Pearage. Kids played along, we had some watching live online as well, and they could put their answers in the chat. All in all solid program, made super easy by DYM. Not sure how I ever did youth ministry before them!

Music Playlist: Let Go, Lion and the Lamb

Favorite Moment: I had to “find my talk” – it wasn’t coming together super well but we have 5 services over the course of the weekend, so was able to kind refine it on the fly and felt like it was finally good by the 4th try. Hey, it happens! And it sure did this weekend.

Up next: What I Wish I Knew in JH (week 3, Doug speaking)

4 Jun 2020

The Death of a Calendar

By |2020-06-02T19:30:18-07:00June 4th, 2020|Youth Ministry Resources|1 Comment

If you’re anything like me, planning isn’t just a thing you do, it’s part of who you are. One of the best days of my year is the day I get to hang a new wall calendar up and start planning the next year’s events. So you can imagine my disappointment and I’m sure many of you relate to the heartbreak I felt as recent global events rendered much of my planning moot.

DYM and other great ministry resources jumped into action as we all had a massive shift in plans and needed to change much of what we do on a dime. And while that’s amazing and it certainly helped me and my ministry – hello Zoom games (#goldmemeberperks); it didn’t change that much of my beloved plans had been canceled or changed so drastically they are practically a new event (online camp for example). So what’s a youth pastor to do when her amazing super planned color coded summer gets wiped out by things entirely out of her control? I’m glad you asked, because I made a plan:

1 – Grieve. That’s right, I said it. We’re allowed to be disappointed, bummed out and even mad that we don’t get to do ministry how we planned or wanted to. We didn’t expect it, and neither did our students. They’re upset, and disappointed – many didn’t get a graduation ceremony or party for that matter. Our group outings, camps, and conferences have been canceled, tweaked or turned digital. It sucks. It’s ok to be upset and to show students they’re allowed to be upset at life right now.

2 – Expect God to do something big. Scripture shows us time and time again that God can and does huge amazing things in light of what looks like tragedy or massive deviation from plans. I could be wrong, but I doubt Job planned to have his life turned upside down, or Paul was hoping he’d end up shipwrecked. But we serve a big God, who has a habit of doing big things through what we think are the worst of times. So pray, wait, hope, expect God to show up in big ways. Maybe for some of you, you’re already seeing that, how awesome!

3 – Embrace the change. Many of us are already doing this – rock on! Maybe this is the chance for you to up your social media game, maybe it changes how we do discipleship, maybe it gives you new avenues of ministry like snail-mailing cards to students and leaders. Whatever your new everyday ministry looks like, embrace it, God may do something big through it.

I’m typing to myself in writing this, as this has become my daily struggle and goal over the past few months. As someone who lives by a calendar this has been a trying season in my ministry but it has created some unique opportunities for growth and relationship. Grieve when appropriate, expect the amazing, embrace the changes as they come.

Alyx Greenwood

I’m the youth pastor at Marysville Christian Church in Marysville, OH and a graduate of Kentucky Christian University (Go Knights!). When I’m not hanging out with students I love to hike and hammock, pretty much anything outdoors! I think I may be the only youth pastor to hate pizza and I that middle schooler students could rule the world if they didn’t have an early bedtime.

3 Jun 2020

Reinflating Student Ministry after Covid 19

By |2020-06-02T19:19:37-07:00June 3rd, 2020|Youth Ministry Resources|1 Comment

Remember when you knew how to do youth ministry?

Like, you really could “blow it up,” so to speak.

Before “coronavirus,” youth ministry was this amazing balloon that we’d inflated, decorated, wrote on and bounced around. We went to conventions to discover materials we could use so our balloons last longer. Experts showed us how to take boring, skinny sacs and twist them into memorable shapes our kids would want to keep. We’d laugh in professional circles when someone let a little air out of our balloons and they made that crazy fart noise.

Man, that fart noise… classic youth ministry.

Then it all popped.

Loudly.

Globally.

Spiritually.

We pivoted, brainstorming ways to bounce air around in a new way. We scrambled to reconstruct our balloons digitally, but not as many students were interested in virtual mylar and rubber. And soon we realized the goal was never to bounce around air and hold a student’s attention with color and fart noises, but to offer oxygen for their soul, showing them how to inhale and help everyone in their lives do the same thing.

Still with me on the metaphor? I’d like to offer what might happen next.

  • Option 1: We’ll go back to balloon making. You hear this when students, parents and leaders (maybe even yourself) ask, “When can we go back to how things were before?” Some of this may be healthy, like the unique community we experience being around other believers in person versus a Zoom chat. But my sense is the greater pull is toward what we’re used to versus what’s most beneficial. In my experience, teenagers are bigger traditionalists than even senior citizens.
  • Option 2: We’ll do something new, but keep a whole lot of balloons in the background. We love the word “both,” don’t we? For example, should ministry be fun or meaningful? “Um… both.” I don’t necessarily disagree with this, but let’s not assume it’s the right answer. Sometimes we overwhelm with fun because we don’t want our content to dryly choke students when they consume it. But again, sometimes the balloons in the background can overtake the foreground. What if our first move back to youth ministry in person will get this wrong? What if we don’t have to assume the Bible has to be relatable, but will own that it already is, and find a way to communicate that, front and center?
  • Option 3: We’re going to launch something in community. Those opinionated students, volunteers and parents in our ministries? I’m bringing mine together for a one-time brainstorming time, making sure to call it that and avoid words like “committee” or “steering team.” I simply want to hear what they’re thinking, like how some students don’t want to maintain physical distancing because they think it communicates a lack of warmth. But I’m also loading into those meetings some of our medical professionals who serve in our church so they can do the safety talk for me. Having these behind-the-scenes conversations first can haggle out the weird stuff.Because I believe in this next season a large portion of our student and adult leaders will struggle with leading. Fatigue is everywhere, and so we need to strengthen our inner core with values and steps that we’ll agree on. Maybe in doing so the next balloon won’t just a bouncy party kind, but a hot air balloon that can elevate us beyond anything we’ve ever done before.

How are you navigating these tensions?

I’d love to hear not just what you’re conclusion, but what you’re asking.

—-

Tony Myles is a real guy on a real journey following a very real God. A national speaker and author of more than a dozen books, his latest release “If… What If?” was co-written with his son to help students and parents journey through the Bible and life together.

Tony’s served as a senior pastor, staff pastor, ministry mentor and church consultant. He oversees and leads the multi-site student ministry of Riverside Church in Big Lake, Minnesota where he regularly invests into leaders, families, and teenagers.

Tony and his bride Katie have been honeymooning for more than 25 years and have three kids from elementary age to college. If it’s a really good day, you’ll find him sipping on a fruit smoothie while playing video games with his family.

12 Mar 2020

How to Hold Youth Group If You Have to Cancel for Coronavirus *COVID-19

By |2020-03-16T12:46:41-07:00March 12th, 2020|Teaching/Programming, Technology, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|2 Comments

This week many churches are making the tough decision whether to hold services or not — even in the church where I (Josh) serve, we’re making decisions today that determine the plan this weekend and probably our local church gatherings for the next 30 days. With high profile systems like the NBA and many colleges and universities canceling events, there will be enormous pressure to put church gatherings on hiatus as well. While this may be frustrating to some and relieving to others, there’s no doubt among followers of Jesus that gatherings are essential to their faith and walk with God.

So what do you do when you CAN’T gather? For centuries the church was unable to have large-scale gatherings because of persecution. Only in recent times is the regular gathering of the church a reality. So what do we do in the case of a pandemic like this? How do we hold the value of community and “breaking bread” when the very gathering together brings significant risks to our people?

 1. Gather together online
There are more powerful tools than ever to help you gather online. I would suggest YouTube.com first. They have the best tools and are built for community, chat, replays and voting. It’s also one of the key places where your students already are, so it makes it easy to point them to your channel and go live at the service time and/or times you normally meet. I think Instagram is a GREAT option as well, potentially even easier, and the “request to join” allows  others to appear on screen as well and share or sing or win an online game. You can look into others like Zoom but your students don’t have those apps or tools installed already and it is out of the “digital ecosystem” they frequently use.

2. Keep it fun
Download Youth Ministry is uniquely positioned to help you create a super fun online service. We have thousands of screen games you can use in person or online, as well as tons of social media resources and much more to help you keep it fun as well as meaningful. In a time of fear, isolation and frustration, it’s a great opportunity to have some fun and relief from the tension in a time when everyone is stressed and scared. Remember, DYM isn’t ONLY about having fun, it can certainly be a powerful tool in a time of trial and pressure.

3. Remember this is an incredible opportunity to really pastor
In a time like this, there is also a chance to really pastor students well. Love ones who get sick, care for students who lose someone they love, the fear surrounding it all, creates a GREAT opportunity to reach out and love well! You can still text, call, send messages over social media, and encourage students even when you aren’t in the same room! This is THE time to show up … even in a culture where we can’t necessarily physically show up

Another idea — kinda random I know — but I just bought www.youthgrouplive.com and am thinking about doing an online youth group 5-6 times this weekend: a youth ministry program/service for the whole country. Would that be helpful to you? Let me know in the poll below:

[crowdsignal poll=10519354]

And finally — for what it’s worth — my mom has a pre-existing lung condition and is 72 years old, so I really do take this one in particular very seriously. To speak frankly, she won’t make it if it the virus spreads to her. So if you’re gathering, be safe and smart, and remember to wash your hands and dab your sneezes. It helps her — and all of us.

So welcome to your new role as an online youth pastor — your students live in this space, and God has given us an incredible calling and opportunity even in the face of adversity.

Blessings,
Josh Griffin

PS: Grab a Hand-washing 101 freebie video here as well.

PSS: We also just recorded a spontaneous podcast on the subject once our church cancelled for this weekend. We planned to talk about youth ministry mission trips but this went sideways, and for the better. It’s a great very open, fluid and raw conversation. Listen now!

PSSS: We’re in this together – grab a ton of DYM freebies and articles and podcasts to help during the pandemic.

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