My friend, Ben Arment, is the creator of STORY Chicago, a world-class conference for creatives, and announced the launch of his all-new website for STORY today. I actually got to peruse the site before the launch... as I logged on yesterday, a day shy of the premiere and enjoyed checking things out before the rest of the world. :) Now you can check out the site too [here] -- it's LIVE!
Labels: Church, Conferences, Creative, Leadership, Marketing, Resources, Site Shout
Win a FREE Ticket to the Orange Conference!
13 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 3/22/12 at 8:05 AM.
I've really enjoyed attending the Orange Conference and I'm very excited to be a part of it again this year... and I want YOU to join me! I thought it would be fun to giveaway a FREE registration to the conference. You can win it here! (see details below)
Here are the details of the Conference:
Date: April 25-27, 2012
Location: Gwinnett Arena - Atlanta, GA
Here's how you can win the FREE registration in two-easy steps:
Step 2: Comment on this post and share in one sentence why you want to attend the Orange Conference. ((Link to your twitter status or Facebook status in the post!))
Please note:
Tweet this: RT @terracecrawford: Win a FREE ticket to the Orange Conference! www.bit.ly/wintickettoOC #thinkorange #kidmin #stumin
Share this on Facebook: Win a FREE ticket to the Orange Conference! www.bit.ly/wintickettoOC #thinkorange #kidmin #stumin
Step 2: Comment on this post and share in one sentence why you want to attend the Orange Conference. ((Link to your twitter status or Facebook status in the post!))
Please note:
*The deadline to enter is Tuesday, March 27th at 5:00PM EST. I'll use random.org to determine a winner (your # will be based on the order you comment in) and the winner will be announced via Twitter just after 5.00PM EST on that same day.
*Airfare and hotel accommodations are NOT part of the giveaway. The "winner" receives one FREE registration to the Orange Conference.
*Only one entry (comment), per person, will be accepted.
*Entrants must follow both steps (Step 1 and Step 2 -- as outlined in the post).
Labels: Conferences, giveaways, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
The Summit: A New Event for Youth Workers
0 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 3/16/12 at 11:03 AM.
Have you heard of the Youth Cartel? It's a new youth organization led by two of my youth worker friends, Mark Oestreicher and Adam McLane. You really need to check out their website to learn about all of the things they offer, but one of the really cool things they are doing is putting together some great gatherings for youth workers.
Recently announced on their blog is a great, new event called "The Summit." It's a two-day gathering of youth workers to learn and dream together and its happening this November in Atlanta. I encourage you to check it out, visit the site often -- as new speakers are being added periodically -- and register!
I'd also encourage you to check out this quick promo video. Lean in... and listen to the bearded-Marko:
Recently announced on their blog is a great, new event called "The Summit." It's a two-day gathering of youth workers to learn and dream together and its happening this November in Atlanta. I encourage you to check it out, visit the site often -- as new speakers are being added periodically -- and register!
I'd also encourage you to check out this quick promo video. Lean in... and listen to the bearded-Marko:
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
Here are some great highlights from the National Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Louisville! [Click here] to check out the new website and to register for next year!
Labels: Conferences, Video, youth ministry, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
JON ACUFF
- Jon Acuff runs a well known blog, StuffChristiansLike.net
- So excited I got to present with him this weekend!
- He started out with some "Jesus Jukes" satire from his blog.
- Why do we allow 1 negative comment to ruin 1,000 compliments? (I personally did that this weekend -- ugh!)
- Who is attacking your ministry?
- Who doesn't like you? (We can normally think of 'that' person right away)
- Why do we react to vanity? (Gave example of Twitter spam: "Did you see the awful things said about you in this video???")
- Whatever you do that is 90% perfect and is shared changes lives...
- Many times when we give 100% and don't share it goes nowhere.
- The drive to be a Christian celebrity is the worst drug.
- God is not surprised by the ministry you are doing now (no matter how large or how small it may be)
- God wants us to know that He knows our name... THERE'S YOUR FAME!
- We believe that if people find out who we are, they will only abandon us.
- What is fear afraid of?
- Do you listen to the voice of comparison?
- Never compare your beginning to someone else's middle. (I love that!) For instance, don't compare your ministry (especially if you are only 2 years deep into ministry... to someone who has done ministry for 20 years)
- What are your voices saying?
- Sometimes when God is quiet we think we have failed!
- Did you notice in the story of the prodigal son that the father didn't say one word to the son who returned home? He only called for a celebration! We need more celebration.
- The work YOU are doing is critical!
- Listen to the one, true voice -- the voice of God!
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
CRAIG GROSS
- Craig is the founder of XXXChurch.com
- He started off with a story about how his family was robbed once.
- His family responded to this by adding alarms, traps (ok, made that one up), etc...
- John 10:10
- The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy!
- Craig suggests that we let our sin write a letter to ourselves. Wow, that's deep!
- He shared a video - "Letter from an Addiction"
- Don't wait until you are sitting in rehab to make necessary changes in your life!!!
- Responses to addiction:
- -- Change your belief about yourself.
- -- Be a better truth teller.
- -- Protect yourself
- -- Change your belief about God.
- Think about your addiction (or obsession) in these terms: Do you want your wife and kids to be taken? Do you want to lose your job?
- If you don't work hard to fight your addictions and the sin in your life you don't stand a chance!
- Craig invited Jeffuhson Bethke to the platform to recite his spoken word piece, "Sexual Healing."
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
Here's a little promo video for next year's Simply Youth Ministry Conference. Hope you can join us in INDY! Check out the [new site] that just launched! Registration now open!
You in? Leave your name and a link back to your blog!
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
FRANCIS CHAN
- The investment of my youth pastor was monumental.
- No one probably knows this guy but he dug deep and poured into me!
- He understood "discipleship."
- He got fired from his job because of his "numbers." He chose to focus on discipleship.
- We all need to get realllly focused.
- Francis told a story about a drugee he witnessed to for a while, named "James."
- He told how God worked on James without him.
- It's ALL up to God... it is HIS power that works in us!
- Psalm 27:4
- We are not good "dwellers." ((see Psalm 27:4))
- If I got a transcript of your prayer for the last month would it be full of distractions?
- Are you in love with Jesus?
- John 15
- I'm a simple man.
- People try to talk us out of our faith...
- Remember when you were a kid and you heard Bible stories and just believed?
- Do you really believe John 14:12?
- "Whatever you asks in my name I will do," says Jesus.
- Do you ever get squashed down about what you can't do?
- Talk to God! Ask in faith! Believe!
- Do you believe this book (holds up Bible) literally?
- As you look at kids in the face, don't forget the supernatural... believe the book!
- Have the faith of the centurion! Remember that guy? He said "Jesus... you can just say the word and he will be healed!"
- What would happen if we had that kind of faith?
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
Watch the Simply Youth Ministry Conference LIVE!
1 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 3/2/12 at 7:56 AM.
If you can't join us in Louisville this weekend, I encourage you to watch the LIVE stream of the conference, beginning at 4:30PM later today. You can catch all general sessions plus some action going on between 1-6PM on Saturday and Sunday!
If you're at the conference, I'd love to meet you. I'm doing a few workshops also and would love to see your face. Just look for my name on the infamous "yellow sheet" to get the times and locations.
Labels: Conferences, Media, Resources, social media, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
groundSWELL Conference (with Teen Speakers!)
0 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 11/30/11 at 8:48 AM.
I'm a firm believer in student-led ministry and I believe youth workers need to coach students (and give them opportunity) to speak to their peers... so I'm very excited to share this announcement with you today.
My friends at Leadership Network have created a number of really great online conference experiences since their first Nines event a few years ago. Their most recent offering is called "groundSWELL: the church of tomorrow speaks today" and I'm excited about it -- primarily because ALL of the speakers will be 13-19 years of age (that's right, ALL teenagers!).
This online experience will be held in early 2012 and details are still forthcoming, but you can nominate a teen speaker using [this online form] right now.
I've already taken the liberty of nominating someone I know who would make a great addition to the speaker list. Can't wait to hear from these students!
Labels: Conferences, Creative, Leadership, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
Labels: Conferences, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
In the last couple of days I caught up with my friend, Greg Stier (founder and president of Dare 2 Share), and asked him a few questions regarding his new webinar, Evangephobia. Here are 5 quick questions I asked him, followed by his responses:
1. What is Evangephobia?
It’s an interactive webcast about sharing our faith and its role in youth ministry. Hundreds of youth leaders from across the nation will explore some of the most common fears surrounding evangelism, learn how it can help accelerate spiritual growth in their teenagers, and discover simple steps they can take to make it fit within their current youth ministry context.
2. Who should participate in this webinar you are offering?
This is especially designed for youth leaders who are a little (or a lot) freaked out by evangelism. Street preachers, bull horns and not-so-awesome awkward moments are not what Biblical evangelism is all about. If you agree and want to discover what a Scriptural brand of outreach looks like then this webinar is for you. All youth leaders are welcome. This includes full-time, part-time and volunteer leaders who influence youth spiritually, especially within the context of the local church.
3. Why should people watch\participate?
Too many times evangelism has been delegated to a "professional" or relegated as a relic of a by-gone era when evangelism “worked.” But the gospel is still “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16) and we must help our teenagers share this timeless message in an effective way. When we do the kingdom of God advances both internally and externally. It advances internally in the hearts of our teenagers as they begin to own their faith as a direct result of articulating it (Philemon 6.) The kingdom advances externally as youth leaders witness God building their youth ministries with new believers who came to Christ as a result of peer-to-peer evangelism among their teenagers. Evangephobia will help youth leaders conquer their fear of evangelism and equip them to begin to reap the benefits of building a youth ministry driven by the very cause of Christ, “to seek and to save what was lost” Luke 19:10.
4. What are some takeaways/tools/resources people will have after participating?
Youth leaders will leave with some practical and effective ideas that they can begin to put into practice right away to increase the temperature of evangelism in their youth groups. They will also receive a free tool that will come to them bi-weekly which will help them continue to improve this value in the context of their youth ministries.
5. Are you (as a national leader) seeing anything work really well (ie: in approach, etc.) in the arena of evangelism among youth groups today? And what do you hope this webinar will accomplish?
Yes, youth groups that approach evangelism as a lifestyle or cause as opposed to a program or a meeting are exponentially more effective at evangelism than those who don't. The youth groups I have seen that are really thriving evangelistically are the ones where the youth leaders are leading the way in their own lives. Their passion for the lost seeps down into the core of the youth ministry's DNA. At this point evangelism is no longer a program but a paradigm, a way of seeing the world and living our lives. What’s great is that the youth leader doesn’t have to be “good” at evangelism. They just need to be seeking to authentically live this value out in their lives for their teens to make it a priority as well.
I’m hoping this webinar will help youth leaders do just that.
Don't miss Dare 2 Share's next webinar Evangephobia LIVE tomorrow, June 28th, 12PM-1-PM (EST) or on August 9th, 12PM-1PM (EST). Sign up now at www.Dare2Share.org/evangephobia .
Additionally, I'd highly recommend you check out one of Greg's newest resources for Youth Ministry, Reach Out, Don't Freak Out... a DVD Curriculum designed to help your students step out of their comfort zones and share their faith!
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors
Brand-New Camp for Middle School Workers!
1 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 6/10/11 at 7:06 AM.
I had a great time catching up with my friend, Marko (Mark Oestreicher), recently and we chatted about one of his latest creations... a brand-new conference for Middle School workers! It's actual name is the "Middle School Campference." He's so brilliant that he made up a new word!
Anyways, check out the video, the website, and sign your team up to go!
[ps] I learned a few things here (a part from the campference talk):
1. I'm not a good camera man.
RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]
Anyways, check out the video, the website, and sign your team up to go!
[ps] I learned a few things here (a part from the campference talk):
1. I'm not a good camera man.
2. It appears I am obssessed with Marko's beard from the camera shots. I mean, its a nice beard and all...
3. I never remember to put my seat belt on when I'm a passenger. I just don't. Don't judge me.RSS Subscribers: there is video [here]
Labels: Conferences, Creative, Resources, Youth Pastors
Big News: Doug Fields Joins the YS Team!
1 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 6/8/11 at 6:47 AM.
I think this year should be themed "expect the unexpected." God is moving ... and I sure hope I can keep up. More big news out of the Youth Specialties headquarters this morning... Doug Fields has joined the YS team!
Here's a quick video of the announcement:
Here's a little background straight from the press release:
"Fields served as youth pastor at Saddleback Church in Southern California for 18 years. Doug resigned in 2009 to focus on the growing demand of global youth ministry opportunities. He joined his mentor, Jim Burns, at Azusa Pacific University's HomeWord Center for Youth & Family where he teaches youth ministry and hosts his summer Student Leadership Conference for teenagers.Essentially, Fields is returning to his roots at Youth Specialties. In 1986, Doug began a 20-year relationship with YS where he was a primary speaker and one of Youth Specialties' most prolific authors (including the best-selling Purpose Driven Youth Ministry). His early days with YS ignited his passion to launch Simply Youth Ministry from his family garage. SYM grew quickly and larger than Doug's desire to lead, manage and operate. Passionate about his own family and the local church he served, he looked for someone to take over the SYM operations. In 2006 Doug merged Simply Youth Ministry with Group Publishing to better manage what had become a leading brand in youth ministry resources."
When commenting about the decision, Fields said, "I was so happy that Group embraced 'my baby' and helped make it healthier. Now, 5 years later, I'm still very pleased that SYM has a great home! I know they'll continue to flourish even though I'll no longer be leading it." He continued by saying "I'm indebted to the years YS invested in me when I was a young youth worker and the thought of returning to invest in a new generation of youth workers makes me come alive. As I listened to Mark Matlock's plans for the future of YS my excitement only increased. I believe my gifts can compliment Mark's leadership and direction. I am very impressed with Mark's heart, passion, and vision for Youth Specialties. I'm honored that he's excited to work with me and look forward to partnering with him to resource youth workers around the world. Mark is the type leader I want to align with... YS is in great hands!"
Well there you go. Sounds like a HUGE win\win to me.
Labels: Church, Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors, Youth workers
The National Youth Worker's Convention Site launched just a few days ago. You can check out the new site and get registered [here]Here's a few quick thoughts on this year's NYWC:
- The conference is shorter, cheaper, and more awesome. Those qualities are definitely appealing to any conference goer.
- I'm excited to see a few new faces on the speaker list
- I think going from 3 conference locations to 2 will help the Youth Specialties (YS) team focus their energy on producing a bigger, better conference (not that it wasn't already) for attendees.
- I'm excited about Mark Matlock's new role as executive director of YS. I thought it was interesting to see that he's not listed as a "big room speaker" (even though he may --rightfully-- be speaking there) but he's listed as a seminar speaker. This sorta thing speaks volumes to me (it's a good thing!).
Labels: Conferences, Youth Pastors
#Orange11 Speaker Notes - Perry Noble
0 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 5/2/11 at 8:08 PM.
What you do TODAY will matter TOMORROW.
- Many of us tell ourselves that what we do doesn't matter.
- No one just signs up to do youth and children's ministry
- When you have dreams about punting children its time to get out of ministry!
- You are not "just a children's worker" or "just a youth worker"
- In the feeding of the 5,000 in the Bible, who is the hero? The hero of the day is the unnamed person who packed this kids lunch.
- Teach kids to recognize Jesus.
- Some of the most messed up kids are church kids, because they don't recognize Jesus.
- We try to teach our kids good moral behavior and end up separating the good kids from the bad ones.
- Maybe lost people act like lost people. We should not expect lost people to act like believers.
- Teach kids to trust Jesus.
- Kids are taught they are an accident, not a creation of God.
- It's a lie to tell kids they can do anything they want to do if they just believe in themselves (ie: people who audition for American Idol)
- The truth is kids are created uniquely by God and He as a plan for their life. They need to surrender to Jesus and pursue his plan and not their own.
- We need to release kids to Jesus.
- There have been more church splits over the church van than anything else.
- There's too much fighting and competing in the church today.
- We are not responsible for reaching the next generation...
- We are responsible for teaching kids to recognize Jesus and equipping them to reach their generation.
- This post contains my notes from the general session at the Orange Conference.
Labels: Conferences, Resources
When you become a "spotlight leader" everyone wins!
- A new perspective is often needed to see clarity
- Those of us that work in the church are good at a lot of things but we are not very good at developing leaders
- No one wants to be identified as a self-perservation leader
- A spotlight leader is one who puts others in the spotlight
- 3 general categories of a spotlight leader: (1) they are secure (2) they are dedicated to searching (3) they are servants.
- Jim Burns said to Doug "I want you to focus on your writing so that you literally make my books irrelevant."
- A leader makes conscious decisions
- A spotlight leader will make decisions at their own expense to push others into the spotlight
- Why can't we tweet failures and struggles? Nobody shares that stuff. Church leaders should tweet honest stuff.
- The problem is that we have believed the lie that bigger is better.
- So many leaders today have a depth of insecurity that they constantly feed
- A spotlight leader looks around at those in their influence and helps them to not only discover what is good in them but helps them to make it great
- People around you are just waiting to be discovered
- Who are you threatened by? Do you have the desire to see anyone become more successful than you?
- Servants are rarely ever recognized
- Why do we see other ministries as competition?
- When you become a spotlight leader everyone wins!
- This post contains my notes from the general session at the Orange Conference.
Labels: Conferences, Resources
#Orange11 Speaker Notes - Andy Stanley
2 Comments Published by Terrace Crawford on 4/27/11 at 9:04 PM.
What you do and who you are is extremely important in the Kingdom of God!
- The church is a movement
- How is it this movement continues to spread?
- 1/3 of the world's population believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
- When the church first formed you had masters and slaves worshipping together
- The thing that compelled people was this unique morality... this compassion
- Christianity taught that everyone was made in the image of God
- Pagans looked on at this radical movement with awe
- He quoted a writing from Emporer Julian, citing "Why do we not observe that is their charity to strangers and their pretended holiness of their lives that have done the most to increase the spread of Christianity."
- We are stewards of the message of ETERNAL life but we are also stewards of the message of a BETTER life.
- The church is more important than you'll ever imagine... and you are a part of it
- We think being nice is human nature.
- It is not natural to be kind, or give a percentage of your money away, or to forgive...
- What is natural is adultery, lying, stealing, etc.
- The church brought a new normal to the world and it began to stamp out paganism
- Galatians 5:16-19 (Human nature)
- We need to take the teachings of Jesus and live that in such a way that people are moved by it
- We live in a broken world but God has come to restore the broken. We are to shine spotlights on this.
- Galatians 5:22-25 (Fruits of the Spirit)
- All of the laws of our land are to protect us us against human nature
- Look at the last line of this scripture (regarding the Fruits) "against such there is no law."
- Even unbelieving historians say the only way to explain the rise in Christianity is through morality
- What would happen today if the church disappeared?
- Jesus said that we would be known by our "love."
- Adrian Rogers was once questioned on an airline why he was reading the Bible. His reply "The Bible has the solution for sin, sorrow and death."
This post contains my notes from the general session at the Orange Conference.
Labels: Conferences, Youth Pastors
If you can't make it to the Orange Conference don't worry... we've got you covered! The backstage site just launched. You can follow the LIVE stream [here].Also, you will be able to follow the action if you catch the twitter stream, #Orange11
I'll be LIVE blogging throughout the conference, so I encourage you to subscribe to my feed. I also encourage you to check out these notable bloggers that will be covering the experience as it happens as well.
Labels: Conferences, Youth Pastors
A couple of years ago I had never heard of Orange. I mean, I like oranges... but this is a conference we're talking about. Actually, more than that. It's thought leaders, curriculum, resources, and more.Then, I started talking to some of my closest friends in ministry... who happened to be some of those very leaders and I realized that I had been oblivious to something unique. I mean, some of my friends plan their calendars around Orange for crying out loud! No kidding.
I've been asked by the coordinators of Orange to do some LIVE BLOGGING during the event and I'll be sharing my experience with readers all over the world. This means I'll be blogging my thoughts, experiences and yes, even some backstage interviews with the speakers and presenters.
I'll be headed to Atlanta at the end of April. Won't you join me? Take a look at the experience from 2010 in the video that follows and see what you're missing out on.
And [enter here] for your chance to win FREE AIRFARE & REGISTRATION to the Orange Conference!
Labels: Conferences, Resources, Youth Pastors
