en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1941080 Comments by jmgreenhill http://www.studentministry.org/should-vision-be-top-down-or-grassroots/#IDComment115801425 I'm gonna sell out and still say both. I think personally a prefer the top down method partly because I can look at the entire need of the church (or in my case the youth ministry) I can see where the needs are and I'm constantly seeking where God is taking me. I've seen a lot of grassroots movements start because there is a perceived need and the people want to address it. That may be good and all but how does that affect what God is doing here as a whole. I mean it's great that you high school boys want to have a lock-in but how does that live in to our mission here in our area? Are lock ins bad? no (debatable..i mean really no sleep + caffeine + middle schoolers?) I think in the end I agree with most of the youth ministry books I've read that have stated to start the vision that you think God is leading you to and then work with church members to prayerfully refine it. You have ownership, they have ownership and the vision is more likely to gain momentum. Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:48:50 +0000 http://www.studentministry.org/should-vision-be-top-down-or-grassroots/#IDComment115801425 http://www.studentministry.org/i-was-fired-last-monday-afternoon/#IDComment113182044 Whenever I hear about someone going through this I wonder the same thing. Maybe it's because we spilled kool-aid on the Jones Memorial Carpet. Maybe it's because we don't typically like to dress up. Maybe it's because we dare to take risks on the population of the church that no one else will. Or perhaps they are just jealous because we get to do things like flamingo the pastor's yard and get paid for it. someone should really look into why youth pastor's see this the most. (although senior pastor's do too I'm guessing) Maybe that could be your "door"..ok maybe not. Take care. Wed, 1 Dec 2010 17:52:17 +0000 http://www.studentministry.org/i-was-fired-last-monday-afternoon/#IDComment113182044 http://www.studentministry.org/youth-missions-trips-intergenerational-church/#IDComment110482199 One of the things that I liked best when interviewing at my current church is their approach to missions. Almost all of the trips are intergenerational and they are all done with partners (meaning we go back to the same communities multiple times a year) I say most are intergenerational because the youth seem to dominate the summer trips bc they are the only ones that they can go on because of school. That makes it more lopsided but there are still a good number of adults that go... Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:48:31 +0000 http://www.studentministry.org/youth-missions-trips-intergenerational-church/#IDComment110482199 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/putting-bible-verses-on-weird-things/#IDComment108834045 That's like 1 Kings 12:10b "This is what you should tell them: 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins!" (HCSB) Every other translation says 'waist' but this version gets a lot of laughs Tue, 9 Nov 2010 15:27:37 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/putting-bible-verses-on-weird-things/#IDComment108834045 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/putting-bible-verses-on-weird-things/#IDComment108830573 The store Forever 21 used to put Bible verses on the bottoms of their bags. (they might still) I've had students use this to justify buying less than modest apparel. Usually I just respond by giving them a pack of TestaMINTS and telling them to memorize the entire pack before shopping again. Tue, 9 Nov 2010 15:03:57 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/putting-bible-verses-on-weird-things/#IDComment108830573 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/leaving-church-before-its-over/#IDComment108586746 we once had a service go over two hours because there were some...long winded... people there. They kept talking and talking. At the final hymn when everyone stood up, roughly 50 people just walked out. It was horribly embarrassing. This past Sunday the kid next to me paraded up and down the pew with a Bible on his head. I didn't look at him, but I could feel 400 eyes staring at my row. It was pretty awkward/ Mon, 8 Nov 2010 18:18:04 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/leaving-church-before-its-over/#IDComment108586746 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108005206 I like Flatfoot 56. My students like to turn on their version of Amazing Grace when adults are around to see the reaction. Fri, 5 Nov 2010 15:25:20 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108005206 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108005036 I had this same discussion with my wife. I walked her through some of the songs and she actually likes them now...well she likes them enough to tolerate when I play it! Fri, 5 Nov 2010 15:24:21 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108005036 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108004594 remember, polka is from the devil too! I love some Weird Al. Fri, 5 Nov 2010 15:21:12 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108004594 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108004184 My youth pastor once had an elder in the church approach him to remind him sternly that the "devil was in the beat". The odd thing was that we were about to go to a concert with Michael W. Smith and DC Talk. I really enjoy hardcore music. Project 86 is a great band with amazing lyrics. (which you will likely have to look up online). If any of you like that sort of thing, check them out on Youtube or something. Fri, 5 Nov 2010 15:18:51 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/listening-to-devil-music/#IDComment108004184 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/the-rarest-church-musician-of-all-time/#IDComment107793248 2 of the 3 churches I've worked at have had full pipe organs. They are ridiculously expensive at over $100,000 depending on how many pipes. I've even been to an service that dedicated the pipe organ. It's really odd to say the least, but people take it seriously. Thu, 4 Nov 2010 15:19:19 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/the-rarest-church-musician-of-all-time/#IDComment107793248 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/finding-out-justin-bieber-is-a-christian/#IDComment107375286 I remember coming home from High school and seeing it on the news. After that I could never walk around my school without some paranoid fear. Tue, 2 Nov 2010 16:25:04 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/finding-out-justin-bieber-is-a-christian/#IDComment107375286 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/the-person-who-starts-a-coughing-chain-reaction-in-church/#IDComment107170744 I love how people think that the doors at the back of the sanctuary/worship hall/ Cafa-gym-atorium are sound proof. You'll see them stifle the cough as they briskly walk to the back of the room and then once the doors close behind them it sounds like there's a dog fight outside. Dear congregation members, we can hear you well into the next building. If you have to cough, just cough. We're ok with it. It happens. Just make sure your next move is to pull out Purell. It will help increase the number of handshakes you get on the way out. Mon, 1 Nov 2010 13:59:51 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/11/the-person-who-starts-a-coughing-chain-reaction-in-church/#IDComment107170744 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3871/#IDComment106764699 We phone it in every Thursday. By that time we are so tired from time with the kids that it's Breakfast night. Last night we were too tired to make bacon....eggs and zuchini bread for the win!____seriously though. There's something about raising with an 18 month and a 6 month old that makes you collapse after they are in bed. Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:25:01 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3871/#IDComment106764699 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3908/#IDComment106593631 yeah, I've prayed for the sermon to end faster so I can get back to my office to set my roster. There's nothing worse then having to play your QB on a bye week because your pastor does a long benediction. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:46:44 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3908/#IDComment106593631 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3908/#IDComment106558401 I would bust out some Matrix like moves to avoid a spinning blade. Then the pastor would use it as a sermon illustration about avoiding temptation. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:59:53 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3908/#IDComment106558401 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3908/#IDComment106558282 This has to be the best gift of going first. I seriously do this all the time and I thought that people looked at me weird in church because I kept nervously glancing at the speakers. Well people probably still looked at me weirdly but at least now I know that my fear is rational! and to provoke your fears, the entire ceiling fell down in the Sanctuary of my former church. Praise God is was a weeknight and not a Sunday. Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:58:55 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3908/#IDComment106558282 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3903/#IDComment106399969 How is it that every Serious Wednesday is perfectly timed? Thanks man, I needed this in a bad way today. Wed, 27 Oct 2010 17:20:29 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3903/#IDComment106399969 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/me-cnn/#IDComment106235324 I agree with the two before me. There isn't an article on cnn (or any other site) that doesn't have comments dripping with hate. I thought it was a good article though. Thanks for being willing to put yourself out there. I think if people wrote hateful comments on my writings I would probably read it and then promptly break my keyboard over my monitor....all in the name of Christ of course. :-) Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:35:25 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/me-cnn/#IDComment106235324 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3896/#IDComment106193751 I'm going to be honest. I think that my kids are great. But since I'm a pastor I have a feeling that during their teen years I'm going to daily pray for the second coming of Christ. Is that a safe bet Mr. Acuff? Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:08:57 +0000 http://stuffchristianslike.net/2010/10/3896/#IDComment106193751