I just want to take a second to point out a couple of newish things on this blogspot. To the right of this post you will see a few boxes. The first box you see is titled Follow by Email. It's pretty self explanatory. If you enter your email address and click submit, you will receive an email each time we post a new blog. I highly recommend you do this because this is one of my main forms of communication, especially to parents.
If you look down a ways on the right hand column you will see a box titled More blogs/resources. Right now I only have one blog that is linked. That blog is by Tim Elmore. Tim is a prophet of our times. He works with students and can see trends that many people might miss. I subscribe to his blog, and I encourage all parents, teachers, coaches, and youth workers to subscribe to it as well.
Also, if you have Facebook, make sure to "like" KLMC Youth. After liking our page, allow your cursor to hover over the button at the top of the page that says "liked." Some options will appear as you hover over the button, one of them being "get notifications." If you click on that you will receive notifications every update we post.
I hope you guys will take advantage of our lines of communication. These are the best way to stay in touch with the youth ministry.
-Norm
Friday, January 24, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Expert Teaching: Social Media
This is the second edition in our "Expert Teaching" series. If you missed the description of what this series is, check out the first edition by clicking here. This teaching comes from HomeWord.com, and organization that I have a lot of respect for. How have you seen this played out in your teens? What steps have you taken to battle what is being talked about? Let me know in the comments section.
Social Media 101: Time and Place
By HomeWord.com
Sure, your teen wants to stay connected to friends and peers using social media. That’s a given. But research is telling us that using social media after bedtime and in your teen’s bedroom are neither the right time nor place. In fact, these are just plain lousy for your kid’s well being.
Over the past few years, as research on teens and technology has advanced, it has been revealed that when teens take their technology devices to bed with them, some unhealthy things happen. Primarily, they get less sleep. Teens are already notorious for being sleep deprived, and tech in the bedroom has only made the situation worse.
“One of the biggest culprits for inadequate and disturbed sleep is technology,’ said psychologist Jennifer Vriend, lead author of a new study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. “Many teenagers sleep with their phones and they are awakened regularly by it ringing or vibrating throughout the night when they get a text, email or Facebook message,” she said.
An additional consequence of a teen’s lack of sleep is that they are more likely to perform worse academically. A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teens who go to bed late had a worse cumulative grade point average (GPA) at high school graduation and more emotional distress in the college years and beyond than teens who go to bed earlier.
Parents cannot force their kids to sleep. But aiding and abetting kids to sleep less by allowing them to use social media after bedtime is a sure prescription for creating problems.
One last note: research shows the same issues are also created when allowing televisions, computers, gaming consoles and devices in teen bedrooms.
Social Media 101: Time and Place
By HomeWord.com
Sure, your teen wants to stay connected to friends and peers using social media. That’s a given. But research is telling us that using social media after bedtime and in your teen’s bedroom are neither the right time nor place. In fact, these are just plain lousy for your kid’s well being.
Over the past few years, as research on teens and technology has advanced, it has been revealed that when teens take their technology devices to bed with them, some unhealthy things happen. Primarily, they get less sleep. Teens are already notorious for being sleep deprived, and tech in the bedroom has only made the situation worse.
“One of the biggest culprits for inadequate and disturbed sleep is technology,’ said psychologist Jennifer Vriend, lead author of a new study published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. “Many teenagers sleep with their phones and they are awakened regularly by it ringing or vibrating throughout the night when they get a text, email or Facebook message,” she said.
An additional consequence of a teen’s lack of sleep is that they are more likely to perform worse academically. A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teens who go to bed late had a worse cumulative grade point average (GPA) at high school graduation and more emotional distress in the college years and beyond than teens who go to bed earlier.
Parents cannot force their kids to sleep. But aiding and abetting kids to sleep less by allowing them to use social media after bedtime is a sure prescription for creating problems.
One last note: research shows the same issues are also created when allowing televisions, computers, gaming consoles and devices in teen bedrooms.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Branded: Unselfish
Isn't true, fair or unfair, that sometimes Christians have a negative brand? If not by people that you know, sometimes, then by our culture? Some people just assume that Christians are going to be self-righteous, judgmental, close-minded, or boring.
But that isn't what this is supposed to be about. In fact, I think that Paul may have been dealing with the same ideas and misconceptions about what Christianity was in his day. He urges us to live unselfishly, to look out for others needs before our own. We don't do that to gain a good reputation for ourselves, but to show the love of Christ to others.
Bottom Line: Together we can care for others. That's our calling as Christians. We are called to look at the needs of other people and to take action. But sometimes that's difficult. This is what we'll be talking about at VIBE this week: How can we care for others. Hope to see you at VIBE, Sunday, 5:45 pm slow, 6:45 pm fast.
But that isn't what this is supposed to be about. In fact, I think that Paul may have been dealing with the same ideas and misconceptions about what Christianity was in his day. He urges us to live unselfishly, to look out for others needs before our own. We don't do that to gain a good reputation for ourselves, but to show the love of Christ to others.
Bottom Line: Together we can care for others. That's our calling as Christians. We are called to look at the needs of other people and to take action. But sometimes that's difficult. This is what we'll be talking about at VIBE this week: How can we care for others. Hope to see you at VIBE, Sunday, 5:45 pm slow, 6:45 pm fast.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Branded: Week 1 Recap
We just wrapped up the first week of our new series called Branded. Everyone and everything gets branded. A brand is simply what you're known for. The challenge last night was to figure out what our brand should look like, because we represent so much more than ourselves. When people see church-goers out in the community, they expect something. There is a label, a brand, put on someone who goes to church.
We represent someone much bigger than ourselves. We wear Christ when we leave church. What we do, what we say, and how we treat people will say a lot about what we believe about Jesus. People will start to get an idea of who Jesus is based on our actions. The question is, do our words and actions really reflect who Jesus is, or are people getting the wrong impression?
Great organization work together to accomplish a goal or mission. The people in great organization are all pulling in the same direction. They aren't playing tug-of-war with each other. They agree on something, a specific action or behavior, and they keep each other accountable for what was agreed on. This is what Paul had to say in Philippians 2:1-2:
We ended VIBE last night by having students write down what they want our group to look and act like. Most of the words that were used had to do with love, family, and kindness. There was agreement in what was written. That's who we want to be as a group. Now we are going to work towards that goal.
-Norm
We represent someone much bigger than ourselves. We wear Christ when we leave church. What we do, what we say, and how we treat people will say a lot about what we believe about Jesus. People will start to get an idea of who Jesus is based on our actions. The question is, do our words and actions really reflect who Jesus is, or are people getting the wrong impression?
Great organization work together to accomplish a goal or mission. The people in great organization are all pulling in the same direction. They aren't playing tug-of-war with each other. They agree on something, a specific action or behavior, and they keep each other accountable for what was agreed on. This is what Paul had to say in Philippians 2:1-2:
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind."This is the kind of life that Paul expects from people who bear the name of Christ. We share a common experience, we understand love because of Christ's love for us, so as a group we should be pulling in the same direction. We should be able to come together and understand our common mission, even if we have different ideas of what that looks like.
We ended VIBE last night by having students write down what they want our group to look and act like. Most of the words that were used had to do with love, family, and kindness. There was agreement in what was written. That's who we want to be as a group. Now we are going to work towards that goal.
-Norm
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Devotion: A Great Work
Nehemiah is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He had a passion for God that I long for. He was alive during a time that Israel was held in captivity. He didn't live in Jerusalem, but He understood that Jerusalem was the place that God had set apart for Himself. It was an important city because God resided there. Word came to Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem had been destroyed, so he sought special permission from the king to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls.
Upon hearing about the renovations, Israel's enemies were not too happy. They often tried to thwart the progress, but Nehemiah was determined. At one point his enemies sent him a letter asking him to meet at a certain place. They had planned to harm Nehemiah. His response is what I want to focus on:
My prayer is that I could be more like Nehemiah. I pray that I would 1) be able to clearly see God's call in my life, 2) have the courage to follow the call, and 3) not be discouraged when negativity swirls around my call. I pray that I can fix my eyes on Jesus so that when the Enemy tries to get me to focus elsewhere I can say, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down."
Let's make this our prayer for 2014, that we would hear the call of God, follow the call, and fix our eyes on Jesus through it all.
-Norm
(Hat tip to Adam Sharp, Vineyard Student Union, for getting this idea rolling)
Upon hearing about the renovations, Israel's enemies were not too happy. They often tried to thwart the progress, but Nehemiah was determined. At one point his enemies sent him a letter asking him to meet at a certain place. They had planned to harm Nehemiah. His response is what I want to focus on:
"So I sent messengers to them, saying, 'I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.'" (Nehemiah 6:3)Nehemiah was convinced that his work was the right thing, the thing that God had called him to do, and he wouldn't stop for anybody. He wasn't going to let his enemies get to him. He wasn't going to be discouraged by all of the chatter and negativity that swirled around his work.
My prayer is that I could be more like Nehemiah. I pray that I would 1) be able to clearly see God's call in my life, 2) have the courage to follow the call, and 3) not be discouraged when negativity swirls around my call. I pray that I can fix my eyes on Jesus so that when the Enemy tries to get me to focus elsewhere I can say, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down."
Let's make this our prayer for 2014, that we would hear the call of God, follow the call, and fix our eyes on Jesus through it all.
-Norm
(Hat tip to Adam Sharp, Vineyard Student Union, for getting this idea rolling)
Monday, January 6, 2014
Expert Teaching: HomeWord.com
Hey guys. We're starting a new weekly post which will highlight expert teaching from different ministries. Most of this training will come from Download Youth Ministry. They have partnered with several organizations and have access to some of the best teachers in the world.
Today's edition is from HomeWord.com. I first learned about HomeWord when I went to a breakout session at National Youth Workers Convention that was led by Jim Burns. Jim has been in youth ministry since the beginning of time (or something like that). His organization, Homeword.com, is focused on helping families connect and grow closer together and closer to God. I encourage you to check out the website. There are so many great resources available for parents and youth workers. So, here is some training from the good folks at HomeWord.com.
5 New Year’s Resolutions Your Family Can Live With
By HomeWord.com
It’s been said that a New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. Maybe this is why many people don’t participate in the annual ritual. One survey found that 55% of Americans either never or only infrequently set New Year’s resolutions and that only 8% of Americans are always successful in keeping their resolutions. With odds like that, why bother?
So, what if we reset the “resolutions” bar at a reasonable height? It just might make a difference. With the right attitude going in, the following five “just for today” resolutions can help to get your family’s 2014 off to a positive start. Whether you try one or all, these are resolutions that most everyone has a good shot of accomplishing – something that your family can live with. As you succeed, you might even end up incorporating some of them into your family life and identity.
Five Resolutions for 2014
# 1: Just for today, I resolve to pray. This doesn’t have to be difficult. Sometime during the day, just say a short prayer. Thank God for something, or praise God for something, or tell God you love Him, or confess something to Him, or ask Him for something, or ask Him for something for someone other than yourself.
# 2: Just for today, I resolve to say, “I love you” to someone. It’s really not hard, and if you try, you really can find the moment it takes to say it, email it, text it, or show it. There are few sayings more powerful in the life of another than these three little words.
# 3: Just for today, I resolve to appreciate the world around me. Take a moment or two to smell the roses, or look at the blue sky (or clouds, or rain, or snow, or ocean, mountains, trees… you get the picture) and let the beauty of the world God created roll over you.
# 4: Just for today, I resolve to read from the Bible. No length requirements and no reading plan here. Today, just take some moments to read something from God’s word. Whatever you do here, it will be good for your life and your soul (See Psalm 119:105).
# 5: Just for today, I resolve to spend some time with my family. The breathless pace we live life is breaking families apart. So today, give your family the gift of your presence. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just make some space in your day to be with your family.
Today's edition is from HomeWord.com. I first learned about HomeWord when I went to a breakout session at National Youth Workers Convention that was led by Jim Burns. Jim has been in youth ministry since the beginning of time (or something like that). His organization, Homeword.com, is focused on helping families connect and grow closer together and closer to God. I encourage you to check out the website. There are so many great resources available for parents and youth workers. So, here is some training from the good folks at HomeWord.com.
5 New Year’s Resolutions Your Family Can Live With
By HomeWord.com
It’s been said that a New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. Maybe this is why many people don’t participate in the annual ritual. One survey found that 55% of Americans either never or only infrequently set New Year’s resolutions and that only 8% of Americans are always successful in keeping their resolutions. With odds like that, why bother?
So, what if we reset the “resolutions” bar at a reasonable height? It just might make a difference. With the right attitude going in, the following five “just for today” resolutions can help to get your family’s 2014 off to a positive start. Whether you try one or all, these are resolutions that most everyone has a good shot of accomplishing – something that your family can live with. As you succeed, you might even end up incorporating some of them into your family life and identity.
Five Resolutions for 2014
# 1: Just for today, I resolve to pray. This doesn’t have to be difficult. Sometime during the day, just say a short prayer. Thank God for something, or praise God for something, or tell God you love Him, or confess something to Him, or ask Him for something, or ask Him for something for someone other than yourself.
# 2: Just for today, I resolve to say, “I love you” to someone. It’s really not hard, and if you try, you really can find the moment it takes to say it, email it, text it, or show it. There are few sayings more powerful in the life of another than these three little words.
# 3: Just for today, I resolve to appreciate the world around me. Take a moment or two to smell the roses, or look at the blue sky (or clouds, or rain, or snow, or ocean, mountains, trees… you get the picture) and let the beauty of the world God created roll over you.
# 4: Just for today, I resolve to read from the Bible. No length requirements and no reading plan here. Today, just take some moments to read something from God’s word. Whatever you do here, it will be good for your life and your soul (See Psalm 119:105).
# 5: Just for today, I resolve to spend some time with my family. The breathless pace we live life is breaking families apart. So today, give your family the gift of your presence. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just make some space in your day to be with your family.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
New Series: Branded
Branding-it's everywhere. You can't turn on the TV or drive down the street without seeing hundreds of ads and billboards. Companies spend millions of dollars trying to shape how YOU see THEM, developing their brand. But what about the Church? What are WE known for? Philippians chapter 2 has a lot to say about the way we love others. As we unpack this chapter, we discover that our love for people, both inside and outside the church, ultimately determines what we are known for-our brand.
Bottom Line Session 1: Together we can do more. We're going to be looking at what we can do to shape our brand, because we ultimately represent something and Someone greater than us.
Our first session will be at VIBE this Sunday night, January 5 @5:45 pm slow time/6:45 pm fast time. Check out the series bumper video here.
Bottom Line Session 1: Together we can do more. We're going to be looking at what we can do to shape our brand, because we ultimately represent something and Someone greater than us.
Our first session will be at VIBE this Sunday night, January 5 @5:45 pm slow time/6:45 pm fast time. Check out the series bumper video here.
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