Labels: Church, Communicating, Communicators, Hot Topics, Issues, Resources, Videos, Youth workers

I asked my friend, EJ Swanson, to share some tips on communicating with you. In this video EJ shares 3 tips that could help you become a better speaker:


Check out EJ Swanson's website [here]

Labels: Communicating, Communicators, Conferences, Video, Youth Pastors

A few months ago I felt God leading me to step away from the mic and hand it over to our teens. Specifically, I felt him leading me to help them tell their story.

Labels: Communicating, Youth Pastors

Powerful video to make you RETHINK how you are reaching students.
Quite possibly the best 7 minutes you'll spend all day.


RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]

Labels: Communicating, Communicators, Issues, Leadership, Technology, Videos, Youth Pastors

President Obama lost his presidential seal last night when he was speaking before an audience of women. As you'll see in the video, he didn't take it too seriously and even joked "they are sweating bullets in the back right now." Crazy things have happened when I've spoken too... power outages... people having seizures...props falling... but I can't say that we've ever seen something like this happen during a presidential address.

Oh wait, there was that flying shoe incident during Bush's speech a couple years ago!



So what crazy things have happened when you've been at the mic or podium?

RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]

Labels: Communicating, Communicators, Straight Up Funny

Mary Margaret is only 6 years old... and tells the story of Jonah. This video has only been viewed about 750 times online but its about to explode!


I may just book her for my next event... what you think?

RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]

via @LeslieNease

Labels: Communicating, Resources, Straight Up Funny, Videos, Youth Pastors

Someone asked me last week if I had ever GOOGLED my name? So I did. Here's what I found...

Labels: Communicating, Personal, Resources, social media

Got to sit down with my good friend, Tim Schmoyer, last month while in Kansas City and we decided to provide some tips on preparing messages. Check out this video, courtesy of StudentMinistry.org.


RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]

Labels: Communicating, Resources, Videos, Youth Pastors

Chad Swanzy is one of my favorite bloggers and the FIRST PERSON EVER to guest post on my site! You can check out his blog [here]. He's got a creative head on his shoulders and his heart beats for many of the same things mine does... including resourcing other leaders, which he does through a new site he launched [here].

A different style of preparing for a talk.

It’s tempting to think that doing a talk for students would be like a game of golf. If you’re lining up in the same stand, swinging at it with the same technique, and paying attention to the mechanics that at some point it would get easier… right?

It doesn’t. Like golf it can get very frustrating and bring a lot of pain instead of being a joy to participate in. The method below has helped a lot of people process through the mental clutter and frustration that we all feel when we want to be heard and have conviction about a topic we will bring in front of students. When you prepare for a talk you’re going to focus on two questions.

Why should I care about this topic?

This is the first and fundamental question that a speaker must answer well. This is part of the talk where the introduction gains the attention of the listener, story is built in a compelling way, and a destination is presented that is clear and simple to the student. In their heart they need to say, “I totally get that and I’m on board with where you are headed in this talk. I want to know what to do about it.”

So what do I do now?

The second part of the talk is where usually everyone has the potential to screw things up. You’ve work hard in the beginning to gain their attention, create desire toward a preferred end, and then you’ve got this awesome transition that brings with it a lot of temptation for you as a speaker. Here are the big pitfalls.

1. Do not think that you have to tell them every single thing you how about how to solve the problem. Give them one simple step first then describe the following step for when they are ready. Do not give them 7 steps in a cunning crafty acronym. It’s too much to absorb and if they feel they can’t even get past step two they will dismiss the solution all together.

2. Do not think that you have to get their attention just one more time. You’ve got them already in the palm of your hand. You’ve told a funny story or showed a clip to gain their attention, clearly defined a desired position, and proven that it’s a place they need to go to. Step right into the second question and answer it. You’re going to distract them with one more joke or one more story to reinforce the same thing you just got through saying.

Walk away.

Once you’ve moved them in an inspiring way by creating buy in toward the issue and given them one simple step, end it. Close and walk away. Don’t linger on convincing, compelling, or bantering on about what to do next. If your talk was twenty minutes 12-15 minutes would belong to the first question and 8-10 minutes would belong to the last question.

Want to write a guest post for TerraceCrawford.com? Email me.

Labels: Communicating, Resources, Youth Pastors

Communicating news to students and parents in ministry can be a real headache. I mean, if everyone used the same medium it would be easy... but its not the case. Some prefer email or facebook, others texts, and then you have a few that would rather you call them. Learning what is most effective for your ministry is key. My friend, Tim Schmoyer, led a workshop while we were at SYMC in Chicago on this very topic. Today I'm sharing the video from that seminar.

Labels: Communicating, Conferences, Resources, Technology, Youth Pastors

Labels: Communicating, Leadership, Resources

This summer I experienced something I never had before. I was speaking at a conference and in between sessions someone pulled me aside and asked if it was common for me to have "hecklers" show up at my events. Wha? I was floored by the question. The gentleman continued by telling me how a few people in a car literally drove by the venue shouting my name and was using profanity. Are you kidding me? These "hecklers" happened to drive by while the conference was on lunch break so the front lawn covered by a number of people. I begin to ask further questions - Are you sure you didn't just 'think' you heard my name? What did the car look like? Why ME? etc. Within minutes security was notified and the police literally began to patrol the neighborhood around the venue. Woah.Recently I appreciated hearing something Perry Noble (who has a personal assistant travel with him) say about this whole subject. I particularly liked a quote he mentions from Rick Warren. Listen for it... WAIT FOR IT. It's a solid word for dealing with your hecklers and critics.


[PS] I may start accepting applications for a "personal assistant."

Labels: Church, Communicating, Culture, Hot Topics, Issues, Leadership, Personal, Youth Pastors

One of my blogging friends, Kem Meyer, was just interviewed on The Harvest Show about her new book and talked about some of the things that the church needs a little help with. I resonate so much with what she says because I see some of the same issues. Take ten or so and watch this chit-chat.


Also, I did a little interview with Kem myself. Check it out [here].
RSS Subscribers: There is video here.

Labels: Church, Communicating, Hot Topics, Issues, Leadership, Resources

Introducing STORY. My friend, Ben Arment, has whipped up a first-of-its-kind experience for communicators of the Gospel - the greatest story ever told. It will be held on Wednesday, October 28 at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois.

Speakers include Donald Miller, Nancy Beach, Dave Gibbons, Ed Young, Stacy Spencer, Chris Seay and Mike Foster. A day of workshops will follow on October 29 at nearby Orchard Valley Community Church, featuring illustrators, designers, scholars, authors and communications experts. Register for the conference and enter to win 2 free trips to the Kilns - CS Lewis’ home in Oxford, England! Find out more at www.storychicago.com.

Labels: Church, Communicating, Conferences, Creative, Marketing, News, Resources, Youth Pastors

Ed Stetzer spent some time interviewing Andy Stanley about communication. Andy is hailed as one of the best communicators in the world and when you hear him speak you'd have to agree. His talks are compelling and one of my favorite things about him is that he always gives great application for the takeaway. His book "Communicating for a Change" is one of my favorites and has been most helpful in grooming myself as a speaker. In the five-part series on his blog Stetzer asked Stanley "if you could only give one word to young pastors about communicating what would it be?" Here is what he had to say:

"Show up every Sunday morning with a burden that is so heavy that you feel like you will die if you don't deliver it. And pray for that. Because if you don't have that, then you just have information. The people will put up with all kinds of a lack of excellence if there is an intensity and a burden that has to be delivered. And many times I have looked at my notes and thought, "Yeah, this might be helpful, but God, what's the thing I can't wait until Sunday morning to deliver? And I honestly can't wait for Sunday morning.

The other thing I always tell pastors, "If you preach from your weaknesses, you will never run out of sermon material."

For the entire series, check out part one, two, three, four and five here. Good stuff!

Labels: Church, Communicating, Communicators, Leadership, Resources, Youth Pastors

Every speaker needs a critic and a cheerleader. Sometimes its a rarity that you have someone that embodies both talents. I've learned to appreciate the critic because she keeps me humble and helps me think constructively at how I can improve. I've also learned to value the cheerleader because he keeps me encouraged and helps point out all the positives.

I'll never forget a guy named Matthew who use to be on my staff years ago. Immediately (and I do mean immediately) after I would finish speaking on stage he would seek face-to-face time with me to tell me what was wrong with my message. There were never any positives. He was my critic. Even though I wished he would point out the positives what he was giving me was a list of areas to improve. He helped sharpen me.

Meanwhile another staffer, Lisa, would catch me when the event was done and she would boost my ego. She would point out all the positives and help me see the victories that I needed to see. I think I could have literally walked on stage, spit on the front row, and she would have said "that was the best spitting I've ever seen. The audience, while wet, really seemed to enjoy it." Ok, thats a bit exaggerated and unfair to the cheerleader... but you get the idea.

Thank God for both.

((*Names changed to protect the innocent))

Labels: Communicating, Leadership, Youth Pastors

I joined a live youth ministry chat hosted by Tim Schmoyer today and we were talking about communicating. Later, I checked out the TED Conference that concludes this week in Long Beach, California and caught Bill Gates' talk. He did one of the most creative things I've seen yet. He apparently wanted to make his point stick so during his talk the he released a jar full of live mosquitos as he was presenting about how he is changing the world (specifically by tackling Malaria). "I brought some. Here, I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.”   Now THAT is memorable.

((Just a tip: If I'm ever in the audience and you are the communicator don't ever release snakes from the stage to make a point or I'm outta there.))

Click here to view his entire speech.

Labels: Communicating, Creative, Leadership, Youth Pastors

I love our current series at Crossroads. It's helping answer questions people are asking. The series, In God We Trust, has been a good one because it is prime example of the church scratching people where they are itching.

Yesterday we focused on trusting God with our money. The failing economy is the #1 topic at the water cooler and based on a survey last August it is also the #1 issue teens are concerned with too. Last week I was saddened to hear of the Home Depot and Starbucks closures and the layoffs at Granger - just to name a few companies\organizations who have been affected in this crunch. Under such circumstances sometimes our faith and trust is rocked. We experience a bit of a faith-quake. We have questions and are looking for God's answers.

I literally sat in our service yesterday and thought about how people are connecting with God through the message, receiving hope, and even though we do not claim to have all the answers, are receiving some biblical action steps for their lives.

As we lead our congregations I also think of the message of this video clip constantly as a reminder of just how much the Church needs to scratch the itch.



God help us to continue to be the church that you want us to be... a church of light, salt, and hope. Help us to not turn a deaf ear to those who are seeking after you.

RSS Subscribers: There is video here.

Labels: Church, Communicating, Culture, Hot Topics, Issues, Leadership, Youth Pastors

It's hard to believe that yesterday marked the 5 year anniversary of the passing of Mike Yaconelli. That man made a serious impact on the world. I know he made an impact on me. If you've never read his book "Messy Spirituality" you MUST. It was a picture into Mike's life and changed the way I looked at ministry forever. Love you Mike! We still miss you. Speak on!

Labels: Communicating, Youth Pastors

Think we should change that twitter bird to a dove?
Follow me on twitter here folks.
Thanks to Brad Ruggles for pointing this out.

Labels: Church, Communicating, Culture, Personal, Resources, Technology, Youth Pastors