The idea of Jesus as a comedian might seem a little unusual, even heretical or disrespectful. But the more I read the Gospels, the more firmly I conclude that Jesus was probably the most effective user of humor and comedy than any communicator who’s ever walked the planet.

I also believe that Jesus was one of the most fun leaders in history. While not necessarily obvious in the....
read more]]> As a stand-up comedian, one of the questions I’m constantly asked is, “Who is your favorite comedian?” I have many to choose from, but my answer is somewhat out of the ordinary: Jesus Christ.

The idea of Jesus as a comedian might seem a little unusual, even heretical or disrespectful. But the more I read the Gospels, the more firmly I conclude that Jesus was probably the most effective user of humor and comedy than any communicator who’s ever walked the planet.

I also believe that Jesus was one of the most fun leaders in history. While not necessarily obvious in the Gospel text, I believe that crowds followed Jesus everywhere because, among other reasons, Jesus was fun to be around.

These two facets of Jesus’ personality—his use of humor and his fun nature—challenge me as a youth minister and youth ministry consultant, since one of the most pressing questions facing youth ministry practice is about the place of fun and entertainment in it.

I’m a firm believer that the way Jesus used humor and fun can be a model for us. If we can embrace how Jesus used humor and fun and apply it to our own contexts and circumstances, I believe we’ll find an amazingly positive expression of the gospel and faith as we seek to share and communicate the good news with people—especially young people.

So let’s look at these often unsung facets of Jesus’ nature to see if we can find some ideas for an appropriate theology of fun in ministry.

Jesus Invented Humor

Jesus was likely a very funny guy with a most amazing grip on humor. After all, he invented humor. Since we’re made in the image of God—and laughter and humor are profoundly important parts of our makeup—I would guess that in their relationship, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit probably have a good laugh together every now and then.

For some people, though, the idea that Jesus might have cracked a smile—let alone laughed—is foreign. Interestingly, I’ve found this to be true among teenagers of nominal Christian families who attend worship usually at Christmas and Easter, for weddings, baptisms, and confirmations, and for occasional special events. After studying our very serious images of Jesus—in our churches particularly—it’s no wonder. I’m not saying these images are wrong, or that there’s no place for images of a serious Jesus. I cannot imagine, for example, Jesus laughing on the cross, even though he knew in that moment victory over sin had been won.

But to think that Jesus never allowed the sides of his mouth to curve upward, or that he always held back a “ha!” from springing forth from his lips, just doesn’t make sense to me. In my state, Queensland, a 30-minute Christian Religious Education lesson per week is given to all students from first grade to graduation unless parents request that their child not attend. At times I’ve shown students the Sermon on the Mount segment from the Gospel of Matthew in the Visual Bible series. In it, while Jesus shares the Beatitudes, he waltzes around the crowd, laughing with them, vividly explaining who is blessed, and at one point pours the entire contents of a water skin over Peter’s head. But when I ask the class to respond to what they’ve just seen, often non-churched, non-Christian young people say things like, “That’s how I imagine Jesus would have acted, but you wouldn’t know it from most of the churches you go to.”

I have some copies of line drawings of Jesus in the company of various people: Jesus is cuddling a baby, helping a toddler learn to walk, embracing two young girls, having a tickle fight with some children, and so on. In each of these pictures Jesus is smiling—and in some cases, laughing. While the drawings are among my favorites of Jesus, I’d be lying if I told you they never make me feel a little uneasy. And that makes me wonder if we’ve forgotten, glossed over, or just stopped hearing some parts of the Gospel narrative.

It’s in the Book!

The three synoptic Gospels describe the Pharisees’ criticism toward Jesus for having dinner with tax collectors and sinners at Matthew/Levi’s house, himself a tax collector (Matt 9:10, Mark 2:16, Luke 5:30). Matthew and Luke record Jesus making sure his opponents knew that he knew what they thought of him: “…they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners”’” (Matt 11:19; Luke 7:34). And the catalyst for three of the most well-known parables—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son—is further criticism from the Pharisees as they witnesses more tax collectors and sinners gathering around Jesus. But what is Jesus’ response? Not only to welcome them, but to eat with them also (Luke 15).

Jesus knew who the tax collectors and sinners were (i.e., prostitutes, publicans, and so on). While Jesus’ willingness to accept them, love them for who they were, and welcome them was a major draw card for these people, one of the things that probably made them enjoy Jesus and his ministry as well was his ability to just have plain good fun, enjoy life, and a laugh. As one commentator notes, to be called a glutton and a drunkard means that Jesus must have been seen consuming some food and having a drink or three!

This, of course, begs the question: When we’re involved in ministry with young people, are we fun to be around?

I don’t advocate entertainment-focused ministry, particularly when doing so either leaves no room for developing discipleship, nor when it’s used as bait to reel in people under false pretenses. Instead I advocate relational ministry, mainly because it’s the model Jesus employs. We should challenge and raise the bar as we encourage young people to engage in relationship with God and grow as disciples. (See Mark 10:17-22 as a great example of Jesus doing this.)

But in being relational with the young people I work with, am I allowing them to see the abundant life and fullness of joy I supposedly receive from following Christ? Am I representing Jesus as someone they would want to be around? If not, I’ve lost a part of the essence of being a Christian.

Open-Mic Christianity

A wonderful illustration of this is when I enter what comedians call open-mic nights. An open mic lets new comedians get noticed and more established ones, like me, hone new material. Open-mic nights are often held in clubs and pubs. It goes without saying that as a “clean” comedian who talks a little about God, church, faith, and the Bible in his set without resorting to profanity, I stand out. Yet rarely does an open-mic night go by when an audience member doesn’t ask something like, “Hey man, you were funny, but you didn’t swear once! Why?”

In talking with these people, their questions stem from not only seeing my joy and ability to have fun, but also figuring out during the set (either due to my not swearing or some of my topics) that I must be a Christian. They can’t comprehend how fun and laughter—and the ability to laugh at oneself and some of the weird things we do as Christians—can go hand-in-hand with Christian faith.

This brings me to the other part of Jesus’ personality—he not only was fun in his actions, he was fun with his words. When people laugh, they relax. Laughter tends to lower barriers. In fact, comedy can help create an atmosphere of acceptance regarding what the comedian is discussing. So when we talk about faith issues—and do so using comedy—people are more likely to accept and listen.

Jesus was a master at this. As an example, take the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. In order to test Jesus, an “expert in the law” asks the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” After Jesus gets the “expert” to state the answer himself—to love God and love your neighbor—the “expert” seeks to justify himself by asking, “Who is my neighbor?”

We then see Jesus tell the story we’ve all heard in Sunday school. But what we miss with our Western, 21^st-century mindsets is that the parable of the Good Samaritan would have been a joke to the Palestinian, first-century mindset! The very idea that a Samaritan would have done any of the things the story purports would have been a riot. I can imagine Jesus getting to, “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was; and when he saw him he took pity on him,” only to have his audience burst into guffaws of unbelief.

And I can imagine the laughs continuing with each line—“tag lines” we call them in comedy: “He bandaged his wounds (laughter); pouring on oil and wine (laughter); then he put the man on his own donkey (laughter)…” and so on.

And I can imagine Jesus getting to the end of the story where the Samaritan gives instructions to the innkeeper—stopping as the crowd begins to applaud and laugh harder than they had in a long time. When the laughter dies down, though, Jesus has one more thing to say: “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor?”

And I can imagine the nervous chuckles as the crowd looks at each other as if to say, “You mean, he wasn’t joking?” And as they wait for the “expert” response, I can imagine that something dropped into their hearts—a message about loving your neighbor that they never would’ve listened to save for Jesus’ use of humor. They were drawn in with their guards down and subsequently heard a truth that would their lives forever.

Earning the Right To Be Heard

Comedy and humor have an amazing way of creating a vessel through which even the hardest of instructions can be “heard.” This was evident with court jesters of medieval times, among the most powerful people in their kingdoms. By disguising their comments, thoughts, and opinions in song and jokes, court jesters could say things to royalty for which anyone else would have been executed! The difference was that the kings and queens were probably laughing far too hard to care, only realizing later what the jesters had meant. And by that time the kings and queens probably had time to reflect and realize that the jesters were, in fact, correct.

Jesus was a master of fun and humor. He was a joy to be around. When he spoke, he did so in a way that made people laugh and therefore listen. And both of these facets of Jesus’ personality point us to some clues, I believe, in successfully working with young people—helping them to see that life is, in fact, fun. That Christianity isn’t about dullness and straight faces. And that communicating in fun ways plays an important part in a healthy and balanced expression of Christianity and Christian issues.

This is not about sugarcoating the Christian message or advocating bait-and-switch evangelism; it’s about communicating, through our lives and ministries, the same spirit of fun and laughter that I believe Jesus presented to all who came into contact with him.

If Jesus was, as Philippians 2 tells us, fully human and fully divine, then seeing Jesus as a fun person and, even more, a master of comedy, is not only plausible, but essential.

Mark Gladman has served as the youth and young famlies minister at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Mt. Gravatt, a youth ministry consultant for the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, and the chaplain at Brisbane Youth Detention Centre in Queensland, Australia. He’s also a stand-up comedian and freelance writer. Find him online at http://www.thegladman.bigblog.com.au

When I was a full-time youth minister, I sought to teach kids to love Jesus, read the Bible as much as they could, and consider how their faiths affected their actions. Like most youth workers, I suppose.

But if someone had asked me eight years ago if I were teaching Christian doctrine, I probably would’ve shaken my head knowingly and—with a deep sigh suggesting all the hard work of guiding youth—answered, “No, we’re not there yet.” (And then I would’ve locked myself in my office and frantically researched the teaching of doctrine.)

Doctrine. It sounds....
read more]]> Lessons from the Master of Humor and Fun

When I was a full-time youth minister, I sought to teach kids to love Jesus, read the Bible as much as they could, and consider how their faiths affected their actions. Like most youth workers, I suppose.

But if someone had asked me eight years ago if I were teaching Christian doctrine, I probably would’ve shaken my head knowingly and—with a deep sigh suggesting all the hard work of guiding youth—answered, “No, we’re not there yet.” (And then I would’ve locked myself in my office and frantically researched the teaching of doctrine.)

Doctrine. It sounds so “church history-ish,” so full of complicated theological ideas that basically boil down to Jesus is Lord, Scripture is the inspired Word of God, and one day we’ll all be resurrected to new life in God’s heavenly Kingdom. Isn’t that at least the gist of what I taught those students somewhere between the soup kitchens and the ski trips? Oh, if I could do some things over again.

The adolescent years are actually a fertile time to discover and wrestle with doctrinal teachings. When their formative minds are struggling to know what to believe and how to assert their intellectual capabilities, discussing Christian doctrine can be a good way of teaching youth how to “work out their salvation with fear and trembling.” And learning the ways Scripture and tradition have articulated the tenets of our faith is a viable vehicle through which our postmodern young people can learn that, as Christians, they’re grafted into an already-existing narrative and they’re invited to take up a part in the ongoing story.

‘That We May Know the Truth’

The writer of Luke’s Gospel begins by stating the book’s goal: That we may know the truth about the “events that have been fulfilled among us.” I find this a helpful way to grapple with the purpose of doctrine. In the broadest sense doctrine is about setting faithful boundaries and providing people with a framework to think about the tenets of the Christian faith. How do we understand God, humanity, Christ, and Christ’s work? How do we understand the role of the Holy Spirit and the purpose of the church? What is God’s vision for the world, and what are we to expect when God’s Kingdom fully reigns? These are all questions reflected upon through various church doctrines.

Let’s not confuse church dogma with church doctrine—there’s a notable distinction between the two. Dogma is the church’s teaching about the agreed-upon basics of the faith, undisputable and necessary for an accurate understanding of Christianity. Doctrine is teaching that explains church dogma but theoretically is still open for discussion. For example, the idea that Christians are saved by God’s grace is a dogma of the church, but there are different interpretations of what that entails. Therefore various denominations may offer nuanced doctrines regarding salvation. Some may stress the role of human works while others may stress God’s predestination of who will be saved, etc.

Identity Formation

Although there may be different ideas about what constitutes a particular doctrine—even if we don’t agree with certain doctrinal tenets—there’s still much to gain from the study of doctrinal developments. Doing so helps us understand the theological processes of our church fathers and mothers. Liken it to the significance of knowing where you come from even if you find you have no desire to live there.

In this sense understanding and reflecting upon doctrine plays an important role in our identity formation as Christians. Doctrine forces us to turn to Scripture and tradition and engage in dialogue not only with one another but also with the saints who’ve gone before us, the cloud of faithful witnesses. We learn and are reminded that, as Christians, a particular narrative forms us that’s been tried and tested by both Scripture and tradition. Different faith traditions may emphasize different doctrinal points, but the doctrinal foundations remain the same—the story of God’s work in the world and the salvation of humanity through Jesus Christ.

Theological Formation

Doctrine helps us to understand the tenets of Christianity that make us a unique community of people, distinguishing us from everyone (and everything) else. The Western world we inhabit has pressed us to be children of the post-Enlightenment era, teaching us that human reason and autonomy are the lay of the land. Naively taking this for granted, we too teach our youth to be independent individuals who think for themselves and avoid following the crowd. But Christians do follow a crowd—the community of faith and the body of Christ. And we give up our autonomy in imitation of Christ, seeking to be in communion with God.

If your students believe studying doctrine is only for stuffy academics or an endeavor only adults are interested in, ask them for their ideas on a few of these subjects: how the world was created, what the purpose of human life is, what happens when they die, why it’s important to act fairly and to think of others before themselves. Your students’ thoughts on these issues are part of what encompass their own theological perspectives—indeed their doctrinal beliefs. Knowing the latter will go a long way in debunking the idea of doctrine as a far-off concept.

In addition, awareness of church doctrine should help young people shape more faithful theologies. Coming to terms with various Christian doctrines helps us to know and to better articulate what we believe about the “events that have been fulfilled among us.” And if we know what we believe, then we’re better able to discern between faithful thoughts and actions that witness to our beliefs and those that don’t. Our eyes are more open to the competing belief systems that vie for our hearts and minds and nefariously mimic Christian truths. Leo Tolstoy, the famed 19^th-century Russian novelist and educator, wrote this about church doctrine while contemplating the horrors of war that his fellow countrymen performed in the name of Christ: “I have no doubt that there is truth in the doctrine; but there can be no doubt that it harbors a lie; and I must find the truth in the lie so I can tell them apart.”[1]

Discerning the Truth from the Lie

As we struggle to discern the truth from the lie, we’re struggling to know God. St. John of Damascus might support this important aspect of doctrine. A seventh-century orthodox mystic, John is known for, among many things, the idea of the via negativa (the way of negation). This idea suggests that knowing who God is lies in knowing who God is not. In other words, as finite beings we can never fully know the infinite God, but we can learn of God by ruling out what we discern God is not.

What does this have to do with doctrine? Studying and reflecting upon different doctrines help us in that search to know God. As we learn more about the tenets of particular doctrines, it helps us reflect on what those tenets have to do with our faith in Christ and our love for God. Therefore, when studying doctrine, the means are not merely the path to the end but are also part of the end: What are the practical implications of thinking through St. Basil’s doctrine of the Trinity? How can understanding the biblical teachings of the Spirit affect the way we live our lives and the way we worship? What can we learn about God’s justice by seeking to understand Anselm’s doctrine of atonement? What does St. Cyril have to teach us about Christian redemption through his Christological doctrines?

The more we know of and affirm these doctrines—and encourage our students to do the same—the more readily we all might boldly proclaim that we believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. That we believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, and who suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, and who descended to the dead but on the third day rose again, and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. That we believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Renowned theologian, Karl Barth, put it another way in Vol. 1/2 of Church Dogmatics: “If the Yes does not in some way contain a No, it will not be the Yes of a confession. If we have not the confidence…to say damnamus [what we refuse] then we might as well omit the credimus [what we believe].”

Enuma Okoro directs the Duke University Center for Theological Writing and serves as a spiritual formation leader for Duke seminarians. She’s a first generation American raised in the USA, Africa, and England, and she leads workshops and retreats for young people on Theology & Poetry, Art as a Mirror for the Divine, Writing as a Spiritual Practice, and Engaging the Spiritual Disciplines for Discernment.

A few years back, a ministry colleague came into my office, took one look around and scoffed, “Maybe we should meet in my office!”

Although I was aware of the mess, I didn’t realize the piles of garbage on my desk and around my office felt chaotic to others. After the meeting, I reentered my office with a new eye.

Most of the piles consisted of youth ministry products that I’d received from one company or another. I believed all of this “stuff” would be helpful to me at some point in the future; what I didn’t....
read more]]> A Road through the Resource Pile

A few years back, a ministry colleague came into my office, took one look around and scoffed, “Maybe we should meet in my office!”

Although I was aware of the mess, I didn’t realize the piles of garbage on my desk and around my office felt chaotic to others. After the meeting, I reentered my office with a new eye.

Most of the piles consisted of youth ministry products that I’d received from one company or another. I believed all of this “stuff” would be helpful to me at some point in the future; what I didn’t realize was that all of the products in the world can’t be put to good use without some system of evaluation.

If you’re a typical youth pastor, your mailbox, e-mail, and voicemail fill up each day with product advertisements for upcoming events, games, fundraisers, books, catalogs, mission trips, concerts, counseling helps, DVD curriculum, Bible studies, and small group and leadership resources.

While the church administrative assistant screens the mailed items for me (otherwise I’d spend hours just sorting and trashing), and I delete most of the e-mails and voicemails, occasionally a catalog or advertisement catches my eye and I wonder, Is this something I should do with my students?

A few weeks back I received one of these flyers—this time about a summer beach camp. Although I’ve seen this particular flyer several times over the years, that morning I fell into wonderland: Wouldn’t it be great if… I was jarred out my daydream after what seemed like just a few seconds—except the clock told a different story: I’d just spent 15 minutes wondering about something that our youth group wasn’t even going to be involved in, and I delayed working on matters that truly needed my attention.

To combat these tendencies of mine, I’ve developed over the last few years a general system for sorting through all of the materials that bid for my attention. It’s not a foolproof system, but it certainly makes my life as a youth pastor more orderly. (Although there are several steps listed here, don’t get caught up in my list. Use this list as inspiration for creating an effective method that fits your personality and ministry structure.)

The Calendar

I know some of us youth workers feel trapped by our calendars, but the truth is that our calendars are important ministry tools. They don’t just tell us what’s happening in the next several months; they show us where God is leading our ministries. Keeping our calendars handy as we’re looking through our resource advertisements is a lot like a skilled craftsman choosing just the right tool.

So before you even approach your pile of ministry fliers, have your upcoming events calendar in front of you. Doing that will serve as your primary filter by which to discern which advertisements are important and which ones get tossed.

Then look over your calendar of events, curriculum plans, as well as your church’s worship calendar, before sorting through e-mails, snail mail, and voicemail. Familiarize yourself with what’s happening in the next week, month, quarter, and six months. (But don’t get distracted by events beyond the six-month mark…you’ll be getting plenty of product ads long before you begin planning those.)

Keep an Eye on Gaps and Holes

Sometimes these anxiety-producing dead spaces show up in plans for a retreat or a quickly approaching service project. But too often they’re in our sermons or teaching times—set to start in only hours. As you study these gaps and holes, what ideas or resources are needed to fill them? Answering this question will provide the best guidance for effectively sorting your mail as well as keeping your mind focused and heart centered on your ministry priorities. It will also create some space for the Holy Spirit to inspire you while you sort through some of the amazing ideas, products, and ministries advertised in your mail.

Okay, I can hear the objections already: “I’m already totally overwhelmed. Gaps? What gaps? Are you kidding?” Your ministry pace is probably making you miss the forest for the trees. Not only should you place your programmatic events on your calendar, but also you should pencil in time for personal and spiritual renewal on that schedule as well—therefore pay close attention to the spiritual resources coming at you. Remember, your calendar serves as a future-pointing journal. It’s directly reflective of what your life will be like one day, one month, and one year from now. By taking some time to look for the gaps, you’re creating a formative plan for your journey and your ministry over the next few months.

Grab the Recycle Bin

After you’ve taken the latter two steps, now you can begin sorting through the mail. If the topic of the mailing doesn’t match an upcoming plan or won’t fill a gap, throw it in the recycle bin. If something catches your eye, or you think it might fit, don’t read it…set it aside (in a nice pile!). You’ll sort through this pile in a second. The key is to toss the superfluous product ads now that don’t match your priorities.

Last January I walked into a fellow youth leader’s office across town. As we chatted, I couldn’t help but notice two large piles of catalogs on his desk. Interrupting my buddy, I exclaimed, “Wow, that’s a lot of junk piling up there!” (Yes, it was my turn to drop a hint!)

He replied, “There are so many great things in these catalogs, and I don’t want to lose track of them.” But it only took just another second for him to realize that he’d already lost track of the ideas and resources in these catalogs. So I offered to help him carry the two very large piles to the recycle dumpster across the parking lot from the office. It took us two trips to carry all of it! At that moment the best thing he could do was recycle it all.

The same principles work with e-mail and voicemails, too. Don’t be afraid to hit the delete button.

The 30-Second Separation

With the “read later” pile you’ve created (or “read later” e-mail folder), it is time to create two separate piles. One pile is for the short-term resources—those that will be coming in the next two months. The second pile is for midterm resources—those that will occur three months to six months out. In order to do this, you’ll need to quickly sort through the pile, spending no more than 30 seconds on each resource ad. This will also serve as another filter to determine if a resource is worth keeping or trashing. If after 30 seconds you’re not interested or can’t think of an immediate application, put it in the trash or recycle it. This should eliminate all but a few items.

Keeping the short-term pile separate from the midterm pile will help you prioritize things. You see, often I’ve set aside three hours to work on the upcoming prayer service for my students (which is happening in just three days) just to find myself emailing a parent about money due for an event three weeks away. Why? Because both items are sitting right in front of me. However, if I create two separate areas, I can keep my mind focused on the task at hand rather than stray to an irrelevant item.

Connect the Dots

With remaining short-term items, circle key words or phrases that have stoked your imagination. Use sticky notes to write short thoughts about how you might use each of the items in the ads, and then place the ads in a folder with the upcoming activities or teaching schedule. (Or flag electronic files with notes that will remind you of their potential value to you.) Then connect them to your calendar—schedule a specific time to work on ways to connect these potential activities or resources to events.

With remaining midterm items, spend another 30 seconds evaluating. If you’re still interested in them, place the ads in appropriate folders and look at them when the activity gets closer. If you’re not still interested in them, get rid of them! Like my 15 minutes of daydreaming mentioned previously, we all can become bogged down imagining the “what-if” events on a day-to-day basis. But rather than wasting time daily with such ponderings, set aside a half day once a month or once every few months to think about such things. Not only does this step keep your desk clean and your inbox manageable, your whole organization and ministry will improve as a result.

In fact, you’ll find in a short period of time that you have more energy for upcoming events, more ideas for upcoming teaching plans, and more time for people because you aren’t constantly searching for another idea. Instead you’ve already given the upcoming events or teaching times some attention just by looking through your calendar, discovering the gaps, and connecting various resources to them. To say nothing of the fact that doing the latter makes you more organized. So when a supervisor, elder, or parent asks if you’ve done anything about the upcoming event, you can answer that you found a really great resource and are exploring how to best connect it with the students.

Don’t Let the Garbage Pile Up

Don’t attempt to open your e-mail or snail mail, or check your voice mail, unless you have 10 to 15 minutes to dedicate to such a task. If you don’t have that time—and you went ahead anyway and got into the latter “piles”—the garbage can accumulate quickly and become out of control. If all of your messages remain in your inbox instead of appropriately filed into other folders, your electronic life will become as big of a mess as if all of your paperwork were in one huge pile on your desk.

When you do finally check your e-mail, snail mail, and voice mail, immediately sort through it. Otherwise your desk will be a mess, your e-mail will get out of control, and your voicemail will give the “mailbox is full” signal to those wanting to leave a message. Don’t worry about lost ideas—a new idea or product will show up in your box tomorrow or next week. (You know that’s true; that’s the essence of this article, after all!)

When the garbage does pile up like it did for my youth pastor friend and did for me many times over the years, ask for some help. The garbage on your desk is probably a good indicator that the trash is piling up inside your life as well. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to just start pitching things in the trash. Not only will this lighten your burdens, but also it will serve the very needed function of creating new space in your life and on your desk.

Believe it or not, God is at work in our mailboxes. The Spirit can provide an immense amount of inspiration and even speak to us through these resources. However, in order for these tools to be most effective, we must prepare ourselves. We can do this by keeping our mind on our upcoming programs and our hearts on what our students need. The best road through all of these resources is creating a plan to sort, keep, and toss.

Justin Spurlock serves as family life coordinator at Christ United Methodist Church in Deerfield, Illinois. He and his wife, Sarah, live in Hyde Park outside Chicago. He received an M.A. in Organizational Leadership, and he attends McCormick Theological Seminary, pursuing a joint M.Div./PhD and ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Over the past decade, Justin has served in a variety of denominations and a number of different roles working with teenagers—teacher in a Christian school, youth pastor, and volunteer.

I know that the usual definition of this term is someone who leads the musical performance during a church gathering. I’m not refuting that. But I’m wondering if we can get to a deeper meaning than just during services. Here are some thoughts.

Living a Connected Lifestyle

Worship leaders are responsible for living a response lifestyle. If we don’t pray, if we don’t listen and hear, we have nothing to lead others into. In a video about Rich Mullins, Michael....
read more]]> It’s a good thing for us to define the idea of worship leader. On second thought, maybe we just need to rethink it.

I know that the usual definition of this term is someone who leads the musical performance during a church gathering. I’m not refuting that. But I’m wondering if we can get to a deeper meaning than just during services. Here are some thoughts.

Living a Connected Lifestyle

Worship leaders are responsible for living a response lifestyle. If we don’t pray, if we don’t listen and hear, we have nothing to lead others into. In a video about Rich Mullins, Michael W. Smith said something like this about Rich’s music…

It was like he would go into places that you couldn’t see, into the darkness, and he would go and meet with God. Then he would come out of the darkness and write about what he saw and heard.

Unlike the rest of her family, Candice is not so sure about Christianity. Her fierce independence makes it difficult for her to simply accept....
read more]]> Candice is a ball of energy who loves life, laughter and fun. Her friends are an eclectic mixture of people: jocks, nerds, Democrats, Republicans, homosexuals, atheists, Buddhists and Christians of all traditions. She’s the middle child in a churchy family. Candice’s older sister is your typical church kid, who—though not yet 20—knows she wants to become a pastor. Candice’s younger sister is a champion of service, volunteering weekly at our church’s English as a Second Language ministry.

Unlike the rest of her family, Candice is not so sure about Christianity. Her fierce independence makes it difficult for her to simply accept what others tell her to believe. For Candice to believe something, she must wrestle with it herself, carefully and logically examining an issue from all sides before reaching her own conclusion.

It’s a trick question. Both are flawed ways of working with parents. The role of parents is not to align with your vision for their teens. You need each other, but often there are barriers youth pastors unintentionally set up that keep partnership from happening.

I often hear one of these two statements from youth workers:

1. “Most of the parents in my ministry don’t know where their kids are during the day, and they don’t care.”

Parents who’ve checked out of their teens’ lives still have a....
read more]]> In your ministry, are the parents advocates or barriers for accomplishing your vision for teens?

It’s a trick question. Both are flawed ways of working with parents. The role of parents is not to align with your vision for their teens. You need each other, but often there are barriers youth pastors unintentionally set up that keep partnership from happening.

I often hear one of these two statements from youth workers:

1. “Most of the parents in my ministry don’t know where their kids are during the day, and they don’t care.”

Parents who’ve checked out of their teens’ lives still have a greater impact on the lives of their kids than you do as a youth pastor. Certainly with an inordinate amount of time and energy of investing in this teen, you can begin to counter this self-defining sense of abandonment. But you are not the cure, and often, absent parents are not the enemies we think they are.

Frankie, who’s as dependable as the Energizer Bunny, is applying for a job at the local drive thru. He’s pumped. You’d hire him in a heartbeat. You peek at his application. Fabian’s handwriting looks like hieroglyphics.

It’s open-mic night at youth group. The topic is explosive and should ignite discussion like firecrackers. But due to their limited vocabulary, your teenagers communicate with shoulder shrugs....
read more]]> Okay, so you have the big outreach event. Jamal, a 17-year-old hoops star, becomes a Christian. Then he shows up at your Bible study. You ask him to read John 3:16. His fluency compares to a second grader’s.

Frankie, who’s as dependable as the Energizer Bunny, is applying for a job at the local drive thru. He’s pumped. You’d hire him in a heartbeat. You peek at his application. Fabian’s handwriting looks like hieroglyphics.

It’s open-mic night at youth group. The topic is explosive and should ignite discussion like firecrackers. But due to their limited vocabulary, your teenagers communicate with shoulder shrugs or “Ya know what I’m saying?”

These simple acts are but a few of the ways in which people “go green,” seeking to preserve and improve the environment. But these aren’t just green habits, they’re also holy habits, ways in which Christians show their love for God and neighbor and express their Christian discipleship.

Holiness Habits

Holiness is bringing one’s life in line with God’s will. Often holiness is manifested through habits such as prayer, worship, sacraments, Scripture study, and accountability to....
read more]]> Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Ride your bike to school. Take reusable bags to the grocery store. Recycle. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.

These simple acts are but a few of the ways in which people “go green,” seeking to preserve and improve the environment. But these aren’t just green habits, they’re also holy habits, ways in which Christians show their love for God and neighbor and express their Christian discipleship.

Holiness Habits

Holiness is bringing one’s life in line with God’s will. Often holiness is manifested through habits such as prayer, worship, sacraments, Scripture study, and accountability to a Christian community. These habits enable us to stay focused on God and help us live our lives in accordance with God’s desire for humanity.

Recently we welcomed a new batch of sixth graders into our middle school ministry. This is an annual June ritual, one we anticipate and get excited about each year. While we are sad to see eighth graders move up, the energy and enthusiasm the new class brings is a real pick-me-up. Unlike the eighth graders, who are hungry for high school, the newbies want to be there. Watching their eyes is a thrill.

One of our new girls’ names is Hannah. She’s a really sweet....
read more]]> At the risk of appearing behind the curve on tween trends, I’d like to tell a story.

Recently we welcomed a new batch of sixth graders into our middle school ministry. This is an annual June ritual, one we anticipate and get excited about each year. While we are sad to see eighth graders move up, the energy and enthusiasm the new class brings is a real pick-me-up. Unlike the eighth graders, who are hungry for high school, the newbies want to be there. Watching their eyes is a thrill.

One of our new girls’ names is Hannah. She’s a really sweet kid, and on the first day she talked to me, I noticed some colorful, elastic bands on her wrist. I asked about them, and she told me they were called Crazy Bandz then took one off and showed me that this was no ordinary bracelet. The one she showed me was shaped like a cat. Then she put it back on her wrist. Then she took it off again. Still a cat! I was impressed. So I asked questions.

One reason for that “physicality” is obvious. The gospel writers wanted to demonstrate that Jesus was raised from the dead as a living, breathing, eating, walking and talking presence. Clearly there were some unique elements to this—for instance, he seems to have moved in and out of physical space in non-typical ways. But the predominant story is his physical presence, a presence that has....
read more]]> In the season between Easter and Advent, I have been living with the stories of Jesus’ appearances after his resurrection. One of the things that strikes me each time I read them is their sheer physical quality.

One reason for that “physicality” is obvious. The gospel writers wanted to demonstrate that Jesus was raised from the dead as a living, breathing, eating, walking and talking presence. Clearly there were some unique elements to this—for instance, he seems to have moved in and out of physical space in non-typical ways. But the predominant story is his physical presence, a presence that has made all the difference to us, his followers, throughout the centuries.