The October issue of GC2 equipper (click here to download) addresses the relevant topic of pastoral burnout. The principles addressed in this issue apply to all types of ministry leaders, pastors included.
9/26/2008
Avoiding burnout
The October issue of GC2 equipper (click here to download) addresses the relevant topic of pastoral burnout. The principles addressed in this issue apply to all types of ministry leaders, pastors included.
9/17/2008
Riding the tricky waves of evangelism in a post-modern culture
For an excellent article by Greg Stier on reaching out with the gospel to post-moderns, click here. The article, titled "Surfing Lessons" is from The Journal of Student Ministries, one of my favorite youth ministry journals.
9/06/2008
Generations ministries seminars
I'm in Winnipeg, Canada this weekend to conduct two Generations Ministries seminars
The first is called Connection. It helps ministry leaders and others provide Spirit-filled, transformative environments within which children and teens discover and live into the connection they have with God in Christ.
The other seminar is called Grace-based parenting. It helps parents, grandparents and guardians rear children in ways that work in the flow of God's grace in Christ.
Feel free to contact me if you'd like to host either of these seminars in your area.
Ted.Johnston@wcg.org
Ted.Johnston@wcg.org
9/02/2008
Teach teens to "just say yes"
The Fuller Youth Intitute (FYI) Sept. 2008 ejournal notes that "just say no" sexual abstinance pledges are typically ineffective. This is not to say that such pledges are bad, but a "just say yes" approach may be more effective.
The research shows that virginity pledges do delay sexual intercourse. But the delay of first sexual intercourse is only about 21 months, with the average age being 18.8 for pledgers and 16.11 for non-pledgers. Approximately 75% of teens who make a promise to God, family, friends, future mate, and future children not to have sex before marriage DO NOT succeed in keeping that promise. What’s worse, those who take such pledges are less likely to use a condom at first intercourse, and are more likely to engage in other sexual behaviors (i.e., oral sex, anal sex). This research suggests that efforts to help teens “stay pure” might be too focused on avoiding specific behaviors and not focused enough on a deeper transformation of hearts and attitudes toward their God-given sexuality.
FYI suggests that instead of using statistics or fear to get teens to “just say no,” we should give them a vision for the benefits that happen when they “just say yes” to God’s "YES" to them. Remind teens that their hormones are God's good gift to draw them into the joys of married life. In that context, the idea of abstinance from sex until marriage can be addressed.
FYI suggests coupling an absitance pledge with a more significant ritual on a retreat or at a special gathering that involves moms and dads. In this ritual (here defined for girls), give the girls a camera so that they can see their purity through a new lens, or a pocket mirror inscribed with the words “God’s Image” to remind them each time they open it that their worth comes not from their sexuality but from God’s image residing in them.
In conversations with teens about abstinance, rather than focusing on “how far is too far” (which sounds rather empty to most teens), it is more productive to help them shape a new perception of their God-given sexuality that helps them integrate that sexuality with the rest of life (including their spirituality) so that they can be helped to set wise boundaries with their bodies before they even enter romantic relationships.
The research shows that virginity pledges do delay sexual intercourse. But the delay of first sexual intercourse is only about 21 months, with the average age being 18.8 for pledgers and 16.11 for non-pledgers. Approximately 75% of teens who make a promise to God, family, friends, future mate, and future children not to have sex before marriage DO NOT succeed in keeping that promise. What’s worse, those who take such pledges are less likely to use a condom at first intercourse, and are more likely to engage in other sexual behaviors (i.e., oral sex, anal sex). This research suggests that efforts to help teens “stay pure” might be too focused on avoiding specific behaviors and not focused enough on a deeper transformation of hearts and attitudes toward their God-given sexuality.
FYI suggests that instead of using statistics or fear to get teens to “just say no,” we should give them a vision for the benefits that happen when they “just say yes” to God’s "YES" to them. Remind teens that their hormones are God's good gift to draw them into the joys of married life. In that context, the idea of abstinance from sex until marriage can be addressed.
FYI suggests coupling an absitance pledge with a more significant ritual on a retreat or at a special gathering that involves moms and dads. In this ritual (here defined for girls), give the girls a camera so that they can see their purity through a new lens, or a pocket mirror inscribed with the words “God’s Image” to remind them each time they open it that their worth comes not from their sexuality but from God’s image residing in them.
In conversations with teens about abstinance, rather than focusing on “how far is too far” (which sounds rather empty to most teens), it is more productive to help them shape a new perception of their God-given sexuality that helps them integrate that sexuality with the rest of life (including their spirituality) so that they can be helped to set wise boundaries with their bodies before they even enter romantic relationships.
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