In this blog I'm going to be starting a short series looking at how we can live a life that honours Jesus in every area. Whether at school, work, with friends, playing football or even what we're eating we are called to do it for God.
Colossians 3:17 says:
'And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of
the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.' (NIV)
This is one of those things that is easy to say but not always so easy to do. Whether you have been a Christian for years or just a few weeks, getting God into every area of your life can be tough. Despite it being tough though, I think it is important that we put the effort in and aim to more Christ like.
One area that I have always struggled with is my health and looking after my body. I'm a big fan of food and have always struggled with weight. It is only recently though, that I have seen the importance of allowing God to work in this area of my life. God wants us to look after ourselves:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:
'Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within
you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought
with a price. So glorify God in your body.' (ESV)
Lately I have seen the importance of not over eating, and it has given me a desire to do something about it. I was initially inspired by seeing my Mum lose some weight and how it impacted her life. It has brought me to the stage where I want to get in shape for a few reasons.
1) For health reasons, I was at a dangerous weight and it is not good for my body.
2) For my self-esteem, I have never been happy with being over weight and it has definitely impacted my confidence.
3) For my role as a Youth Minister, I want young people to know the importance of looking after themselves and being confident in themselves and I can not do this with integrity if I'm not living it out myself.
4) Finally and most importantly: God! I want to look after myself because God has created me and wants the best for me. The least I can do is look after the body He created.
I have lost 3 stone and 10 pounds so far and still have a way to go, but however long it takes I am confident I'm doing it for the right reasons and not because of other people or the media's opinion.
Looking after ourselves is not just about weight though and I think that consumption of alcohol, drugs and various other vices can cause serious damage. The way the world looks at sex and encourages people that it's fine to have sex with anyone is another way people don't look after their bodies. It encourages us to take something that God has made so precious and trample all over it.
Looking after the spiritual side of who we are is massively important too! Prayer, Bible, having loving people around us and having community through church are all essential to help us grow but also these things help us to keep looking after ourselves. I want the young people I work with to understand that our lives are a
gift and whilst God wants us to have fun, He also wants us to look after ourselves in every way.
This blog isn't about trying to make you as the reader feel guilty every time you have a mars bar, but instead I want people to understand how God wants us to look after ourselves. It's not always easy and that is why we need accountability from friends and family. I know I could not have lost as much weight so far without my wife and other people supporting me.
Thanks for reading and please feedback on here or through Facebook if you have any thoughts on this blog.
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Summer highs - how long do they last?
Once again, a massive thank you to everyone who has read my blog and thank you for those have given feedback. Please do get in touch if you have any comments on what I write.
In this blog I am talking about something that has been close to my heart recently, something that can be a both a massive support and at times also a massive challenge to those who do youth work. The topic is summer camps.
Whether it be Soul Survivor, New Wine or one of the many different CPAS or Scripture Union camps, there are plenty of different opportunities for young people to meet their peers and learn more about Jesus in between crazy games and staying up later than anyone really wants to!
All of these offer different programmes and different ways to discover more about Jesus, but which, if any, are most effective, and how do they prepare young people as they go home and back to their day to day lives?
I have been involved with a number of different Christian based summer activities over the years, but I am by no means an expert on the subject and as always this blog is about my thoughts and what has worked for me and the young people I have met over the years.
I have been to Soul Survivor just short of 10 times and every time I have been I have been inspired by seeing thousands of young people come together to worship our Almighty God and seeing amazing things happen in His presence. Every year hundreds come to know Jesus and that is a massively powerful thing.
However, in terms of discipleship I think the 'big festival' model faces many challenges. With so many young people in one place it is tough to provide follow up support for those that attend, which is an understandable dilemma.
I have found that the CPAS Ventures camp that I have been blessed to be part of over the last few years provides a very different atmosphere for young people. For one it is a lot smaller, meaning that the ratio of youth to leaders is smaller. In terms of discipleship for the teenagers that attend there is always a leader who is willing to chat, pray and support them throughout the week and often after everyone goes home leaders keep in touch and provide support through out the year.
I'm not trying to ask the big events & the smaller camps to compete here, but to get us thinking about what each is aiming to achieve. I believe that both environments have huge benefits. It is invaluable for young people to see that they are not on their own in their faith in this world and what better way than to see 10,000 of their peers worshiping together. At the same time, having more leaders willing & able to invest in you non stop for a week (& hopefully beyond) can be such a precious moment in the development of faith.
Something we need to be aware of with any big activity, whether it be summer camps, festivals or youth weekends is the danger of providing a massive 'high' and then going back to 'normal' life and realising life outside the Christian bubble is hard.
This is where there must be follow up of some kind. Youth leaders need to be willing to carry on the amazing work done at these events: being more open in prayer and worship, trying new things, giving God space to do what he wants - these are all things that happen regularly at the big summer events and are things that need to form a regular part of our youth work so that our young people have the freedom to discover God all year round in ways that work for them.
Unfortunately, this year, I cannot make it to Soul Survivor, but do have the pleasure of leading on a CPAS Venture called @Brymore. I am excited about what God has planned for the young people that are going including 8 from Guiseley Baptist Church.
I want them to experience God in new ways at @Brymore but not just during that week. I want to provide opportunities for this to happen throughout the year. It will never be easy to be a Christian and there will be highs and lows throughout our lives but we can work to make the highs more meaningful and the lows more manageable.
In this blog I am talking about something that has been close to my heart recently, something that can be a both a massive support and at times also a massive challenge to those who do youth work. The topic is summer camps.
Whether it be Soul Survivor, New Wine or one of the many different CPAS or Scripture Union camps, there are plenty of different opportunities for young people to meet their peers and learn more about Jesus in between crazy games and staying up later than anyone really wants to!
All of these offer different programmes and different ways to discover more about Jesus, but which, if any, are most effective, and how do they prepare young people as they go home and back to their day to day lives?
I have been involved with a number of different Christian based summer activities over the years, but I am by no means an expert on the subject and as always this blog is about my thoughts and what has worked for me and the young people I have met over the years.
I have been to Soul Survivor just short of 10 times and every time I have been I have been inspired by seeing thousands of young people come together to worship our Almighty God and seeing amazing things happen in His presence. Every year hundreds come to know Jesus and that is a massively powerful thing.
However, in terms of discipleship I think the 'big festival' model faces many challenges. With so many young people in one place it is tough to provide follow up support for those that attend, which is an understandable dilemma.
I have found that the CPAS Ventures camp that I have been blessed to be part of over the last few years provides a very different atmosphere for young people. For one it is a lot smaller, meaning that the ratio of youth to leaders is smaller. In terms of discipleship for the teenagers that attend there is always a leader who is willing to chat, pray and support them throughout the week and often after everyone goes home leaders keep in touch and provide support through out the year.
I'm not trying to ask the big events & the smaller camps to compete here, but to get us thinking about what each is aiming to achieve. I believe that both environments have huge benefits. It is invaluable for young people to see that they are not on their own in their faith in this world and what better way than to see 10,000 of their peers worshiping together. At the same time, having more leaders willing & able to invest in you non stop for a week (& hopefully beyond) can be such a precious moment in the development of faith.
Something we need to be aware of with any big activity, whether it be summer camps, festivals or youth weekends is the danger of providing a massive 'high' and then going back to 'normal' life and realising life outside the Christian bubble is hard.
This is where there must be follow up of some kind. Youth leaders need to be willing to carry on the amazing work done at these events: being more open in prayer and worship, trying new things, giving God space to do what he wants - these are all things that happen regularly at the big summer events and are things that need to form a regular part of our youth work so that our young people have the freedom to discover God all year round in ways that work for them.
Unfortunately, this year, I cannot make it to Soul Survivor, but do have the pleasure of leading on a CPAS Venture called @Brymore. I am excited about what God has planned for the young people that are going including 8 from Guiseley Baptist Church.
I want them to experience God in new ways at @Brymore but not just during that week. I want to provide opportunities for this to happen throughout the year. It will never be easy to be a Christian and there will be highs and lows throughout our lives but we can work to make the highs more meaningful and the lows more manageable.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Parental Guidance
Thanks again for the feedback and response to my second blog. Sorry this one has taken a bit longer to come around, but I want to make sure I am writing blogs that are relevant to my ministry and not just filling the page.
This blog is all about the importance of parents and how building relationships with parents is key to having a successful youth ministry. It's something that can often make me feel out of my comfort zone but it is still something that I need to do, and that I want to do well.
Exodus 20:12 says: 'Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.' (NIV)
It's not only here that the Bible talks about respecting parents and the importance of keeping a strong relationship with them. Because of this, it is something that I encourage my young people to do, and something that we make sure we cover in youth groups. It's not an option, it's an essential!
I want a youth ministry that offers young people as much support as they need, to encourage them, to challenge them and to help them move forward in their faith. However, that is not something that happens over night and it certainly does not work if we do not build relationships with both young people and their families.
As a youth minister I see the young people for a few hours, where as parents see them a lot more than that. It's imperative that we are willing to work together in supporting young people and helping them grow as much as possible.
For me this means that I want to have regular conversations with parents, whether it be on a Sunday morning, after a youth group, meeting for a coffee or visiting them in their homes. I want people to be able to come to me if they have ideas or concerns and this is unlikely to happen unless we can build a relationship of trust.
One thing we are doing at Guiseley Baptist Church is starting to have regular parents meetings, and we had our first one in May. These are an opportunity for parents to come and hear all about what is going on in the youth ministry as they don't alway hear it from the young people. It is also a chance for them to ask questions and give suggestions about things as I want their voices to be heard - I know I don't always get everything right.
Hopefully building relationships with parents will lead to better understanding between all parties which can have a huge impact on the church. I am not in youth ministry for personal gain but instead to honour God and serve young people. Over time I have learnt it is just as important to serve parents too and support them in anyway that I can.
To have a youth ministry that is successful I think it's essential to partner with parents, young people, the youth team and God. This way we can further the Kingdom as a stronger team with the goal of changing people's lives through the love of Jesus.
This blog is all about the importance of parents and how building relationships with parents is key to having a successful youth ministry. It's something that can often make me feel out of my comfort zone but it is still something that I need to do, and that I want to do well.
Exodus 20:12 says: 'Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.' (NIV)
It's not only here that the Bible talks about respecting parents and the importance of keeping a strong relationship with them. Because of this, it is something that I encourage my young people to do, and something that we make sure we cover in youth groups. It's not an option, it's an essential!
I want a youth ministry that offers young people as much support as they need, to encourage them, to challenge them and to help them move forward in their faith. However, that is not something that happens over night and it certainly does not work if we do not build relationships with both young people and their families.
As a youth minister I see the young people for a few hours, where as parents see them a lot more than that. It's imperative that we are willing to work together in supporting young people and helping them grow as much as possible.
For me this means that I want to have regular conversations with parents, whether it be on a Sunday morning, after a youth group, meeting for a coffee or visiting them in their homes. I want people to be able to come to me if they have ideas or concerns and this is unlikely to happen unless we can build a relationship of trust.
One thing we are doing at Guiseley Baptist Church is starting to have regular parents meetings, and we had our first one in May. These are an opportunity for parents to come and hear all about what is going on in the youth ministry as they don't alway hear it from the young people. It is also a chance for them to ask questions and give suggestions about things as I want their voices to be heard - I know I don't always get everything right.
Hopefully building relationships with parents will lead to better understanding between all parties which can have a huge impact on the church. I am not in youth ministry for personal gain but instead to honour God and serve young people. Over time I have learnt it is just as important to serve parents too and support them in anyway that I can.
To have a youth ministry that is successful I think it's essential to partner with parents, young people, the youth team and God. This way we can further the Kingdom as a stronger team with the goal of changing people's lives through the love of Jesus.
Monday, 18 March 2013
Fighting for the Kingdom of God
Thanks for the great response to my first blog, it's good to know that it spoke to and was helpful to some people.
This week's blog is another one that has come around from thoughts that have really been on my mind recently. It stems from seeing our young people battle against a world that is more and more coming to the conclusion that it does not need God anymore.
The world is not an easy place for anyone to be a Christian, but the more I look at the world the more I think it is an even bigger danger for youth that want to follow Jesus. Peer pressure to be involved with drugs, sex and alcohol amongst other things alongside the belief from a lot of people that church is judgmental and not willing to change, means that young people are in a battle on a daily basis, one that as a youth minister I can't ignore.
This video is amazing, and it really sums up what i'm trying to write about in this blog. We live in a world where there are 2 kingdoms, a kingdom of darkness and a kingdom of light - one good and one bad. It's a battle that Jesus will win, but until he comes again we have a fight on our hands.
I want all young people to live in the kingdom of light and that is why I do my job. It's a massive challenge though and we can't expect young people to do it on their own.
I wrote my dissertation for uni on this subject (please get in touch if you want a read) and my passion to serve young people in this area has not changed. School seems to be one of the hardest places for young people to be a Christian and to be who God wants us to be.
It seems that the world has got to a place where condemning other religions and beliefs is a definite no go area, but dishing out criticism of Christianity is fine. I'm not in anyway suggesting other religions should be laughed at but surely it's not OK for schools and other people to be belittling Christianity - all that does is make it acceptable and therefore creates an environment that has no respect for people's beliefs. Christianity should be treated with as much respect as other religions - not forced on young people but taught in a way that lets young people make their own decisions.
I know growing up for me, school was not a fun place to be a Christian and I hid my faith, it's even harder for young people now and I want them to be able to stand up and fight for what they believe.
It's not a case of giving up all hope though, it's a case of standing by each other as men and women of God and providing support as much as we can.
At GBC we want to provide opportunities for young people to meet together and talk about the big topics in life and how they affect them on a daily basis. To create a community where young people can be discipled and then go out in to the world confident in their faith and confident that they are not alone. That's what has brought us to putting on Easter Eve, which will give the chance to find out more about what Easter is about and just how much of an impact Jesus' death has on the world, because it means a lot! Jesus died so that we can be forgiven and we can live out our lives without condemnation. It doesn't make the battle easy, but knowing what Jesus did means we have a reason to fight against the kingdom of darkness.
This week's blog is another one that has come around from thoughts that have really been on my mind recently. It stems from seeing our young people battle against a world that is more and more coming to the conclusion that it does not need God anymore.
The world is not an easy place for anyone to be a Christian, but the more I look at the world the more I think it is an even bigger danger for youth that want to follow Jesus. Peer pressure to be involved with drugs, sex and alcohol amongst other things alongside the belief from a lot of people that church is judgmental and not willing to change, means that young people are in a battle on a daily basis, one that as a youth minister I can't ignore.
This video is amazing, and it really sums up what i'm trying to write about in this blog. We live in a world where there are 2 kingdoms, a kingdom of darkness and a kingdom of light - one good and one bad. It's a battle that Jesus will win, but until he comes again we have a fight on our hands.
I want all young people to live in the kingdom of light and that is why I do my job. It's a massive challenge though and we can't expect young people to do it on their own.
I wrote my dissertation for uni on this subject (please get in touch if you want a read) and my passion to serve young people in this area has not changed. School seems to be one of the hardest places for young people to be a Christian and to be who God wants us to be.
It seems that the world has got to a place where condemning other religions and beliefs is a definite no go area, but dishing out criticism of Christianity is fine. I'm not in anyway suggesting other religions should be laughed at but surely it's not OK for schools and other people to be belittling Christianity - all that does is make it acceptable and therefore creates an environment that has no respect for people's beliefs. Christianity should be treated with as much respect as other religions - not forced on young people but taught in a way that lets young people make their own decisions.
I know growing up for me, school was not a fun place to be a Christian and I hid my faith, it's even harder for young people now and I want them to be able to stand up and fight for what they believe.
It's not a case of giving up all hope though, it's a case of standing by each other as men and women of God and providing support as much as we can.
At GBC we want to provide opportunities for young people to meet together and talk about the big topics in life and how they affect them on a daily basis. To create a community where young people can be discipled and then go out in to the world confident in their faith and confident that they are not alone. That's what has brought us to putting on Easter Eve, which will give the chance to find out more about what Easter is about and just how much of an impact Jesus' death has on the world, because it means a lot! Jesus died so that we can be forgiven and we can live out our lives without condemnation. It doesn't make the battle easy, but knowing what Jesus did means we have a reason to fight against the kingdom of darkness.
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Welcome...
Hello,
This blog comes with the idea that I want to talk about my vocation in youth ministry and use it as a tool to tell people how things are going and how God is working through the youth work at Guiseley Baptist Church. I can't promise you a highly academic insight in to the world of teenagers and what goes on in their lives but I can promise my honest views of things and updates on how things are going in the ministry.
Disclaimer: my spelling and grammar is definitely not not my strong point, so apologies to those that it offends...
Here we go...
I have been at GBC for 6 months now as the youth minister and my role here is really starting to take shape as we work out what God wants to do and how that is going to look over the next few weeks, months and years.
One thing that God has been speaking to me about over the last few weeks is about our call to serve Him in all areas of our lives, one that whilst exciting can some times appear restrictive if we look at the bible as a set of rules and regulations. However I have felt God pushing me towards John 10:10 and the call to live life to the full.
John 10:10 says: 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.' (NIV)
Reading this verse shows me that God does not want us to feel restricted, but instead wants us to live a live of abundance, a life that delights Him, a life that is full.
This is what I want my youth ministry to be like, I want the young people I work with to see that God is not a boring God that holds us back but instead is a God that wants to use us to do amazing things. In terms of doing this practically we have been trying to make the youth ministry accessible to all people so that they can hopefully see us living our lives in positive ways and see that God does not hold us back but instead gives us new life.
We have done this my trying to be more open and welcoming with the youth work at GBC. We had a really great movie night where we chilled out, chatted, ate some food and watched a movie. It was a great opportunity for young people to bring friends along too and get to know the team and other people their age. These sorts of things are what we want to happen more often so that we can provide safe environments for young people to come along and bring friends knowing that we are not going to try to force Jesus and the bible on them.
I want the youth ministry to be about building relationships with young people and meeting them where they are at, through this we can show them the love God and how a life with Him can be a life to the full.
Thank you for reading.
Ben
We've got loads of things coming for the youth at GBC, such as an Easter sleep over, more movie nights, trips bowling and laser questing and loads more. Get in touch if you want any more info.
This blog comes with the idea that I want to talk about my vocation in youth ministry and use it as a tool to tell people how things are going and how God is working through the youth work at Guiseley Baptist Church. I can't promise you a highly academic insight in to the world of teenagers and what goes on in their lives but I can promise my honest views of things and updates on how things are going in the ministry.
Disclaimer: my spelling and grammar is definitely not not my strong point, so apologies to those that it offends...
Here we go...
I have been at GBC for 6 months now as the youth minister and my role here is really starting to take shape as we work out what God wants to do and how that is going to look over the next few weeks, months and years.
One thing that God has been speaking to me about over the last few weeks is about our call to serve Him in all areas of our lives, one that whilst exciting can some times appear restrictive if we look at the bible as a set of rules and regulations. However I have felt God pushing me towards John 10:10 and the call to live life to the full.
John 10:10 says: 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.' (NIV)
Reading this verse shows me that God does not want us to feel restricted, but instead wants us to live a live of abundance, a life that delights Him, a life that is full.
This is what I want my youth ministry to be like, I want the young people I work with to see that God is not a boring God that holds us back but instead is a God that wants to use us to do amazing things. In terms of doing this practically we have been trying to make the youth ministry accessible to all people so that they can hopefully see us living our lives in positive ways and see that God does not hold us back but instead gives us new life.
We have done this my trying to be more open and welcoming with the youth work at GBC. We had a really great movie night where we chilled out, chatted, ate some food and watched a movie. It was a great opportunity for young people to bring friends along too and get to know the team and other people their age. These sorts of things are what we want to happen more often so that we can provide safe environments for young people to come along and bring friends knowing that we are not going to try to force Jesus and the bible on them.
I want the youth ministry to be about building relationships with young people and meeting them where they are at, through this we can show them the love God and how a life with Him can be a life to the full.
Thank you for reading.
Ben
We've got loads of things coming for the youth at GBC, such as an Easter sleep over, more movie nights, trips bowling and laser questing and loads more. Get in touch if you want any more info.
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