The Download Youth Ministry Blog/
22 Jan 2024

Coming Soon: Spinning Wheels!!!

By |2024-01-22T07:21:02-08:00January 22nd, 2024|Sidekick Hero Blog|1 Comment

Ok, so… I just made a video for our Sidekick Beta Crew about a feature that is going to be dropping VERY soon for everyone, but I’m just too excited to keep this a secret. Sure, I’ll post a full walkthrough after the feature is officially released, but I just want you to see what you can expect to see on your Sidekick dashboard in a few days…

Oh, and one more thing… I’m not 100% sure that I’m actually supposed to post this… so let’s just call this an instance of asking for forgiveness instead of permission… 😂

If you can’t tell by the video, I’m just a tad bit (ok, maybe that’s a slight understatement) excited about this new feature… and I can’t wait until we can make it available to everyone!

In the meantime, just don’t tell anyone that I posted this, ok? Thanks.

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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22 Jan 2024

Nurturing Health in Youth Ministry Teams

By |2024-01-22T14:51:25-08:00January 22nd, 2024|Leadership|2 Comments


In the dynamic world of youth ministry, volunteers are the heartbeat that keeps the mission alive. It’s not merely about filling roles; it’s about finding the right individuals for specific roles, about how people “feel” when serving on our teams, and if they feel like they know what they are doing when they show up. The journey towards a vibrant and impactful ministry team starts with pursuing clarity before pursuing people.

1. Pursue Clarity Before Pursuing People

Effective leadership begins with a clear vision. Before diving into recruitment, take the time to define your mission, goals, and the specific needs of your youth ministry. When you have a crystal-clear vision you can make crystal-clear asks. You can identify the right volunteers who align with your objectives.

The adage “Leaders who know how to win, win” holds in youth ministry. Set clear targets for your team, outlining specific roles and responsibilities. This clarity not only guides your volunteers but also enhances the impact of your ministry.

2. Creating a Vibrant Team Culture

Beyond simply filling volunteer spots, creating a vibrant team culture is essential. It’s about fostering connections and building a sense of community among your volunteers. They become more committed and engaged when they feel connected to the mission and each other.

Host regular team-building activities, both within and outside of service hours. Encourage open communication and celebrate successes, big or small. A team that shares a strong sense of community is more likely to weather challenges and stay dedicated to the cause.

Here is an example of what I like to do:

  • Connect Weekly: Instead of trying to touch base with everyone every week, I encourage setting up weekly one-on-one sessions with leaders. Aim to connect with your crew individually every 4-6 weeks, fostering deeper relationships.

  • Gather Monthly: Designate a consistent date, perhaps the last Wednesday of the month, for a casual get-together. It could be a trip to In-N-Out or a similar outing after services. Initially, it may start slow, but as leaders engage, it will naturally grow into a valuable time for bonding. Informal ministry discussions are likely to occur in this relaxed setting.

  • Train Quarterly: Dedicate intentional quarterly sessions for training that focus on collective improvement. This includes team-building activities, learning sessions, and, of course, enjoying some good food together. Striking a balance between training and fun ensures growth and camaraderie within the team.

3. Effective Leadership: Being Available When It Counts

Leadership isn’t just about showing up; it’s about being available when it truly counts. Delegation and purpose are the cornerstones that empower leaders to be fully present during crucial moments. As a youth pastor, setting up your team for success is part of your leadership responsibility.

Delegate tasks based on individual strengths and skills. When your team feels equipped and confident in their roles, it frees you to be available for mentorship, guidance, and support during key moments. Successful leaders know how to empower their team, allowing everyone to contribute their best.

4. The Vital Elements of Health in Ministry Teams

In the pursuit of a thriving ministry team, focus on nurturing four vital elements: clarity, defined wins, community among leaders, and effective delegation.

Clarity: Clearly define your mission and communicate it consistently. This clarity guides your team’s efforts and fosters a shared sense of purpose.

Defined Wins: Establish clear goals and celebrate victories. Recognizing and appreciating your team’s accomplishments reinforces their commitment to the ministry.

Community Among Leaders: Build a supportive community among your leadership team. Encourage collaboration, open communication, and a sense of belonging.

Effective Delegation: Delegate tasks strategically, ensuring each team member plays to their strengths. This not only maximizes efficiency but also fosters a culture of trust and empowerment.

Youth pastors, remember that your volunteers are not just contributors; they are valuable partners in the ministry journey. By prioritizing clarity, building a vibrant team culture, and being available when it counts, you set the stage for a healthy and impactful ministry. Focus on these vital elements, and watch your youth ministry team thrive!

– Justin

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19 Jan 2024

Sidekick: Adults Love It Too!

By |2024-01-19T08:36:57-08:00January 19th, 2024|communication, Sidekick, Sidekick Hero Blog, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Technology|3 Comments

It’s no secret that when we created Sidekick, we had youth workers in mind (they are our favorite, of course!), but recently, my wife (Cathy) and I were asked to teach a course at our church called Intentional Parenting (based off a book by the same name we wrote back in 2018). We had an idea that the course would be popular, but we had no idea we’d have hundreds of parents seeking advice each month! It’s been a whirlwind, to say the very least!

After seeing how much students love the new interactive features (such as live voting) in Sidekick, we decided to see if adults would feel the same way, and—spoiler alert—THEY ABSOLUTELY DID!

For the past few sessions, throughout the teaching, we’ve been sprinkling in questions like this:

(click image to enlarge)

(click image to enlarge)

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And, even though we knew it would be a hit, we were BLOWN AWAY by the response! Cathy and I have taught this curriculum in many different settings over the years, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is the most engagement we’ve ever seen with a group of parents!

Here are a few things I’ve noticed about the parents in our course since we started integrating Sidekick Live Polls throughout our teaching content:

  1. They are more attentive – Since they know I might ask another question at any time, I genuinely think they pay more attention to the material we are presenting.
  2. They’re having more fun – I can’t even tell you how much I love their response when the “Show Live Results” feature is enabled. It’s not uncommon for people to cheer as the results come rolling in!
  3. They’re more likely to come back – I don’t need a lot of research (although it certainly is out there!) to tell me that people who enjoy an experience are more likely to come back a second, third, or even fourth time. That’s EXACTLY what we’re seeing right now with Intentional Parenting.
  4. They’re more likely to bring their friends – I’ve seen this in youth ministry over and over again, but this is one of the clearest examples of this happening with adults I’ve ever seen. Couples who attend one session are inviting their neighbors. Plain and simple: People want to attend engaging events.

Now, before I close out, there’s one more really important thing that I realized during our most recent course. It’s in the picture below. See if you can figure out what I’m talking about:

(click image to enlarge)

It’s right there at the bottom of the screen. I’ll zoom in to help:

(click image to enlarge)

During the session, I asked what grade parents would give themselves based on how well they show affection to their children. And 5% answered that they would give themselves a big ole F. I can say with 100% confidence that most of those parents would never have admitted this if they weren’t able to answer anonymously.

You see, Sidekick doesn’t just promote engagement, it gives people the chance to be honest without facing immediate judgment. You can absolutely be sure that the next words out of my mouth after this poll were different than they would have been had we not done the poll. Because of what we learned with this poll, I was able to pause and tell those parents that they aren’t alone and that simply by attending the Intentional Parenting course, they were already taking steps in the right direction. I’m not going to say it solved all of their problems, but you could actually feel the sense of relief in the room.

And none of this would have been possible without Sidekick.

Blessings,

Doug

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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12 Jan 2024

Casting a Vision: Empowering Volunteers to Transform Young Lives

By |2024-01-08T08:41:30-08:00January 12th, 2024|Leadership|0 Comments

Casting vision for recruiting volunteers isn’t just about filling roles; it’s about painting a compelling picture of how their involvement can shape the destiny of young hearts. Often, younger leaders find themselves seeking guidance on how to effectively communicate this vision. Here are some practical strategies to cast a vision that inspires, empowers, and transforms within youth ministry:

Storytelling: Narrating Impact and Transformation

Stories resonate deeply. Sharing instances where volunteers impacted a young person’s life amplifies the tangible outcomes of their service. These stories bridge the present to a future where volunteers become catalysts for lasting change.

On weekends, as I engage in conversations with people, I make it a point to have a few ‘back pocket’ stories of leaders who have experienced life changes by serving themselves. These stories serve to help other adults realize the impact God can have on them as they endeavor to influence others. They’re quick anecdotes I can share amidst conversations.

Clarity of Purpose: Defining Goals and Objectives

A clear vision breeds commitment. Articulate the ministry’s purpose, goals, and the role of volunteers in realizing these objectives. Define how each individual contributes to the larger narrative of transformation.

One of the most significant mistakes we can make when addressing potential leaders is to say, ‘Just show up on Wednesday, and we’ll immediately get you involved.’ Unfortunately, I often witness this approach, and it’s truly alarming to me. It’s a disservice to those considering leadership roles. It’s crucial to properly prepare them, providing a clear understanding of what they’re committing to rather than throwing them in without guidance.

Vision Casting Events: Shaping the Bigger Picture

Events propel vision. Host gatherings solely dedicated to casting vision. Illustrate the impact of volunteering and showcase the opportunities available for those interested in joining.

One of our ministry practices involves hosting leader training nights wherein we cancel the ‘youth group’ session, giving the youth the night off. However, we extend invitations to all our leaders to join us for an evening of enjoyable activities, training sessions, and casting visions for the upcoming season. I appreciate this approach because it doesn’t add another night out for our leaders; it aligns with a night they’re already accustomed to attending.

Consistent Communication: Enabling Connection

Communication maintains enthusiasm. Regularly update volunteers on wins, challenges, and ongoing needs. Sharing success stories fosters motivation and a sense of belonging.

Involve Them in the Vision: Collaborative Leadership

Collaboration fosters ownership. Encourage volunteers to share their ideas and feedback. Involving them in decision-making processes strengthens their commitment. You can effectively address two needs by allocating time during leaders’ gatherings to plan for ongoing activities in your youth ministry, seeking their insights, and involving them in the planning process while they are all present.

Consistent Follow-Up: Sustaining Commitment

Consistency affirms dedication. After recruitment, maintain regular contact. Celebrate achievements, address concerns, and offer continuous support.

By integrating these strategies, youth leaders can effectively cast a vision that not only inspires volunteers but mobilizes them to actively engage in transforming young lives. It’s about creating a narrative where every volunteer becomes an integral part of the discipleship journey, influencing and changing eternity, one young heart at a time.

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9 Jan 2024

Sidekick Poll to Kickoff our “So You Got a Phone for Christmas” Junior High Series

By |2024-01-12T14:31:48-08:00January 9th, 2024|Sidekick Hero Blog, Youth Ministry Ideas|7 Comments

This week, we kicked off a brand new series in my junior high ministry – So You Got a Phone for Christmas – a series to help students think through a biblical lens about the newfound technology in their pocket. The point was that the whole world—every thought, every person, good, bad, and UGLY—are now just a tap away. It was fun to kickoff the series, and in the coming weeks, we’ll cover what we listen to, what we watch/stream, and what we post/comment/share.

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To kickoff the series, in my first message called Screens Are Everywhere, I started things off with a Sidekick poll so we could put all of the new iPhones to the test. Just how many screens do you have in your house/world? The answer may shock you!

It sure did for me! We have 5 services, so the answers were slightly different in each service, and of course not everyone in JH has a phone, so it’s not scientific, but it sure was fun!

I can’t believe I did this, but I also showed my “Screen Time” to be honest with students about how adults deal with these same issues as well.

Sidekick makes it so easy to takes phones … remember, our students digital natives and have never known life without them 😳 … and embrace them to help students engage with the message even more. Already excited for next week!

Josh

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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8 Jan 2024

What to Do When Facing a Tough Meeting

By |2024-01-08T08:19:20-08:00January 8th, 2024|Leadership|0 Comments

We’ve all been there. Or we’re going to be there very soon. A situation comes up that we know will require a really tough meeting. Or we get the dreaded email to report to the pastor’s office without any context or warning. How do you deal with difficult meetings?

Pray

If you know that a tough meeting is coming up, spend some dedicated time in prayer about it. God knows our anxieties. He cares about them. He wants us to tell him what we’re anxious about because he cares for us. I find that to be incredibly comforting. Especially if I know I’m about to walk into a difficult meeting.

Focus on facts 

With really tough meetings, there can be a lot of emotions. Anger. Sadness. Confusion. Frustration. It can be really easy to get into the moment’s emotions and forget what is going on or what the meeting is about.

Do your best to focus on the facts of the meeting and refer back to them if you feel like you get off track. 

Listen more than you talk

Whether or not you called the meeting or are the subject of the meeting, it will be really important to listen. Even though it’s important to focus on facts, listening to the emotions and recognizing them will help you ensure the other party knows you are Listening to them and that you care for them.

If you are the source of the meeting, it can be tempting to defend yourself. Do your best to ask questions that show you are listening and want to understand what is happening.

Be clear

Don’t allow yourself to think that being vague will soften the blow of any tough news. It will only add to hurt feelings if you do not communicate clearly. Be concise and be very clear about what is happening. Asked to make sure you understand and are understood.

Make a plan

At the end of the meeting, make sure you create a concrete plan for moving forward or understand the plan. Repeat it back and write it down. Make sure everyone understands what the next steps are. If you leave tough meetings without knowing what’s next, it can create confusion.

If you write it down, you can send it in an email to everyone at the meeting to ensure there’s no confusion and that everyone knows what the next proper steps are.

Pray again

Meetings like these are always really tough. Invite God into every single moment! Thank him for the chance that you get to minister when things are tough and that he cares for you when ministry is really hard.

We’re praying for you here at DYM! Thank you for all that you do.

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5 Jan 2024

Shifting Focus in Youth Ministry: Prioritizing Discipleship Over Spectacle

By |2024-01-15T11:13:16-08:00January 5th, 2024|Leadership|3 Comments

In the world of youth ministry, we often find ourselves balancing between what seems spectacular on the surface and what truly fosters long-term spiritual growth in our students. It’s a delicate dance—one that involves reevaluating our strategies, being willing to shift gears, and prioritizing substance over spectacle.

Recently, we made a decision that might seem counterintuitive to some. We chose to cancel one of our biggest events, an event that seemed impressive, drew large crowds, and generated significant buzz. Yet, upon closer examination, we realized that the expected fruit, the lasting impact we envisioned, wasn’t materializing as we hoped.

Why did we choose to take this step? The answer lies in our deep commitment to discipleship.

As leaders in youth ministry, our ultimate goal is to nurture and equip young hearts to become lifelong disciples of Christ. While flashy events may draw attention, our core mission is to instill a genuine, lasting faith in our students—one that extends beyond momentary excitement and into a lifelong journey with Jesus.

Our decision to cancel the event isn’t a step backward; it’s a leap forward in our approach to discipleship. We’re making a deliberate shift toward a more intentional and impactful strategy: focusing on making disciples who make disciples.

Enter “Catalyst groups.” This 10-week strategy isn’t about grandiosity or outward showmanship. Instead, it’s about the heart transformation and equipping students to actively engage in the Great Commission—to go and make disciples of their peers.

The essence of these Catalyst groups lies in fostering deep, meaningful relationships among students. It’s about creating spaces where discipleship isn’t a one-time event but a continuous journey. Here, students learn to walk alongside one another, to wrestle with questions, to explore faith, and to ultimately share the love of Christ with their peers.

Our church has already implemented this approach with our core leaders, and we’re extending an invitation to our core students to engage in this curriculum, led by their youth leads. The curriculum is designed to equip them with the skills to ‘go and make disciples’ themselves covering the vision of disciple making, characteristics of a disciple maker, evangelizing, establishing relationships, equipping them how to share, exporting it into our lives and helping them make a plan and empowering them to take it to their friends. 

After completing this training (ideally in groups of 3-8 at each campus), we’ll provide three tangible and achievable next steps to support their efforts in doing just that. Currently, I have two steps finalized and am still refining the third: 1) Serve kids if you’re not already engaged in service. Take on leadership of a younger group and mentor them. 2) Initiate a Bible study before/after school/practice with friends who aren’t involved in church. And 3) To be announced.

These steps aim to empower students to embrace evangelism and discipleship personally, allowing them to take practical steps toward implementation.

While the decision to cancel a significant event may raise eyebrows, we firmly believe that the impact of empowering students to disciple their peers is immeasurable. It’s about equipping them with the tools, resources, and most importantly, the heart to genuinely reach out and share the Gospel within their spheres of influence.

We understand that this shift might not be as visually striking or immediately impressive as a big event. However, the true value lies in the lasting change it can bring about in the lives of our students and their peers.

As we embark on this new journey of prioritizing discipleship, we anticipate challenges. It won’t be a straightforward path, and the results might not be immediately apparent. But we’re willing to embrace this challenge, knowing that the investment in nurturing disciples who actively disciple others is worth far more than a momentary spectacle.

The decision to cancel a major event isn’t a setback—it’s a strategic move toward building a youth ministry centered on the core principles of discipleship. It’s a commitment to investing in the future, nurturing young leaders, and empowering them to impact their generation for Christ.

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3 Jan 2024

New Feature Alert: Uploading Your Own Videos to the Sidekick Servers

By |2024-01-03T15:01:53-08:00January 3rd, 2024|Sidekick Hero Blog|5 Comments

I know Christmas was only 2 weeks ago, but it feels like Christmas 2024 has arrived a little early!!

The Sidekick team is THRILLED to announce a MAJOR NEW UPDATE to the way you add all kinds of media (and specifically VIDEO!!) to slides in your Sidekick presentations.

First, we’ve introduced a much more user-friendly way to add Text, Media, and Voting to your slides:

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Second, we’ve added the ability to add your most recently-uploaded images to new slides:

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We’ll be posting more about these two features in the coming days, but for right now, I want to focus on the update that I’m most excited about:

YOU CAN NOW UPLOAD YOUR OWN VIDEO TO THE SIDEKICK SERVERS!!!

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That’s right! In addition to being able to add videos from Youtube and Vimeo, you can now upload your own videos directly to the Sidekick servers! That means it’s easier than ever to add videos for countdowns, announcements, worship lyrics, worship backgrounds, bumpers, and message illustrations!

Check out the video below to see it in action, or keep scrolling to see step-by-step instructions.

Uploading Your Own Videos to the Sidekick Servers

As far as the amount of image and video storage available for each account, there are different levels based on your subscription. Here’s a handy table to help:

Sidekick Essential

  • Included with DYM Gold Membership or Coleader Premium Subscription
  • 50 GB Image File Storage
  • 5 Minutes Max Video Length (per video)
  • 250 Minutes Total Video Storage

Sidekick + Phones (50 Connections)

  • Included with DYM Gold+ Membership or Coleader Premium+ Subscription
  • 100 GB Image File Storage
  • 60 Minutes Max video Length (per video)
  • 1000 Minutes Total Video Storage

It’s really that easy! Thanks to the most recent Sidekick update, you can now upload your own videos directly to the Sidekick servers. That means that you no longer have to worry about video files not syncing between computers or losing that thumb drive that you (almost 🤦‍♂️) always carry around in your backpack (…don’t act like this only happens to me.).

We’ll be posting more about some other new features in the coming days, but in the meantime, feel free to keep exploring Sidekick! And if you have any ideas for features that you think we should work on next, you should head over to our Feature Suggestion Page by clicking the button below:

Request a New Sidekick Feature!

That’s all for today, but if you’d like to see the other blog posts in the “How Do I…?” series, you can do so here: How Do I…?

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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3 Jan 2024

Adding Songs to Sidekick via SongSelect

By |2024-01-02T09:54:05-08:00January 3rd, 2024|Sidekick Hero Blog|0 Comments

One of the things I have always dreaded about making the slides for youth group each week was typing in the lyrics for songs. Not only did I not enjoy typing out every word of a song, but without fail, I always ended up with at least one typo (even though I double and triple-checked!).

Thankfully, those worries are now a thing of the past, thanks to CCLI SongSelect integration in Sidekick! Now, with just a search and a few clicks, I can add the lyrics for any of CCLI’s 100,000+ songs to my presentation!

Connecting your Sidekick account to your CCLI SongSelect account is super simple! To find out how, just watch the video below, or scroll down to see step-by-step instructions.

Connecting Your CCLI SongSelect Account to Sidekick

Adding a Song to Your Sidekick Presentation

It’s really that easy! Thanks to Sidekick, you’ll save yourself countless hours of typing. Plus, you’ll keep all of those accidental typos from causing a distraction during your worship services (wait… other people do make typos, right? Please tell me that it’s not just me?!? 😄).

If you’d like to see the other blog posts in the “How Do I…?” series, you can do so here: How Do I…?

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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29 Dec 2023

Meet A Sidekick Hero: Jim Purtle

By |2023-12-29T08:21:01-08:00December 29th, 2023|Sidekick Hero Blog|0 Comments

From Doug:

Jim has been a loyal friend of DYM for years! He’s got a pastoral heart that comes alongside DYM for our events and also has editing chops and helps us with our DYM pipeline. He’s continually voted as one of the DYM-staff-favorites (although we don’t really vote). He is the Youth Pastor at El Dorado Springs Church of God (Holiness) in El Dorado Springs, MO, where he has served for 21 years (dang, that’s hero status). He and his wonderful wife Cindy have 4 children and their hands full.

(click image to enlarge)

Jim Purtle here, I’ve loved the new Sidekick Live Voting feature, but realized it would be even more fun with a big audience. For our little church, one of the biggest crowds of the year is at our Christmas Eve service (which is attended by around 500 people), so at this year’s Christmas Eve service, we used Sidekick to help with the pre-show before the service started. It was so much fun!

Here’s the setup:
We had a gingerbread-house-decorating contest on the stage, with four pre-selected couples competing for the top prize. We bought the gingerbread houses premade with no decorations, and then we put all the decorating stuff on a table off the stage. The contestants had to run to the table, grab the decorations, and decorate their house the best they could in under three minutes (It was hilarious!)

(click image to enlarge)

We put cheap colored plastic tablecloths on the four tables and matched them to Sidekick’s first four default voting colors: blue, green, red, and purple. (It was handy that those default colors were pretty Christmas-compatible!) Then we put another matching tablecloth under each table as a drop cloth for easy cleanup of any mess at the end of the game.

Note From Doug:
JIM YOU ARE AN ABSOLUTE GENIUS! I LOVE THIS CREATIVITY!

My wife Cindy was hosting the game with Ryan, a guy who graduated from our youth ministry last year. Ryan always hosted games when he was a high school student, so we drafted him when he came home from college to host our pre-show. As always, the hosts and their interaction with the contestants is so important!

We were running a game timer countdown just on a laptop sitting on a table where they could all see, and then we used up our big screens in the room for other stuff! (I used DYM’s Candy Cane Snowflakes countdown, starting at 3:00, because the numbers were huge enough to make up for the small screen we were playing it on.)

On that note, here’s how we did screens and voting:

We have a screen setup that seems to be pretty common to a lot of churches: three large front screens, with separate content on the two side screens vs. the center screen.

So we did…

  • Live camera shots of the teams decorating their gingerbread houses on the two side screens, and…
  • The Sidekick Live Voting graphic on the main center screen.

(click image to enlarge)

Since our church is primarily senior-citizens, when the hosts introduced Sidekick’s QR code and the concept of Live Voting, I ran up, pulled out my phone, and showed people exactly how to do it.

Here’s what I actually said (while demonstrating):

“Open your camera, and zoom in on that black and white symbol thingy. DON’T take a photo. Instead, wait until a little link pops up on the screen by the QR code, and tap that. If you’re having trouble, ask a teenager to help you.”

And our hosts made sure to emphasize:

“You only get to vote once, so make sure you’re happy with your vote before you send it!”

We counted down, kicked off the chaos, and took votes. It was so much fun! I can’t wait to find other creative uses for Sidekick in 2024!

Here Are A Few Quick Notes That Might Help Someone Else Who Wants to Do Something Similar:

  • Even with our elderly crowd, we had a strong voting response, and people LOVED seeing their vote tally before their eyes!
  • The option to show the QR code full-screen was very useful for the larger room.
  • If I had it to do again, I’d make sure the color-coded tables were in the same order as the vote graphic (rookie mistake 🤷‍♂️).
  • I got the new DYM Platinum Membership the week before Christmas. It gave me all the live voting capacity I needed on Sidekick, plus literally everything I need for my program budget, volunteer training, and parent seminars for the entire year. They aren’t paying me to say this, but I highly recommend it.

Happy New Year! If you haven’t poked around on this blog yet, I recommend that too–so much to learn from other youth workers!

Blessings,

Jim

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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