My Article In Rick Warren's Ezine...

This was written to apply to a broader audience, then just youth pastors, but you might like to read it anyway...

"Building A Ministry That Lasts"

The Month On Sex....

To continue my last post from below...

We would take every July and focus on the topic of Sex on each of our Wednesday night gatherings.

We would focus on things like:

• "Lies Of The Media"
• "Why To Wait"
• "How To Wait"

We'd end the month with an open discussion night.

We'd break the students into two groups - one with guys and the other with girls. These groups were led by adults of the same gender. The students were allowed to write down any question they had and we'd answer any ones that we thought were appropriate. (Some of the questions were crazy!!)

NOTE: We always sent a letter the month before to all the parents letting them know the topic we'd be talking on and that we'd be encouraging abstinance. That way the parents could decide whether they wanted their kids their or not!

I'll tell you one of the boldest things we did during the month of July for my next post. Stay tuned.

Sex & Drugs Every Summer...

Don't worry this post isn't encouraging either of these things!

I wanted to share with you something that I did with my youth group almost every summer.

I took a whole month on each of these topics: Sex and Drugs & Alcohol.

We took the month of July and talked about sex.
We took the month of August and talked about sex.

Why a month?

These are some of the major temptations that students face and think about DAILY - if not more! :)

We wanted to show them why to wait, how to wait and more.

We did some things that I think were pretty bold and unique.

I'll share them with you in the next couple of posts.

Expert Builders

Here's a theme verse for lasting ministries...

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)

"¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.



We need to let these words remind us that it's not us, our students, our Lead Pastor or any other person who is the judge of our ministry.

It's God and God alone. Only HIS opinion matters.

Let's build a lasting ministry for him.