I am so glad to be seeing this day (two organizations with a great history and that I am very fond of) - as Sonlife and YouthFront announce a merger!! Celebrate - and read the press release below.

Press Release Thursday, September 20, 2007—For Immediate Release

Sonlife Ministries Merging with YouthFront

Sonlife Ministries, Inc. has merged with YouthFront, Inc. effective September 1, 2007 in order to “maximize ministry effectiveness” of the two organizations. Formerly a Chicago-based ministry, Sonlife will relocate to Kansas City. For more than six decades, YouthFront has brought young people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ through camps, campus ministries, mission trips, creative programming, and leadership development. For nearly three decades, Sonlife has provided Christ-centered training for students and adult leaders through training seminars, conferences, and creative resources.

YouthFront President Mike King and Sonlife President Chris Folmsbee share a conviction that “the youth ministry community is pregnant with expectation and desire for fresh and innovative approaches to youth ministry that are both creative and also theologically and ecclesiologically sound,” says King. Folmsbee adds, “We see youth ministry paradigms shifting away from an overemphasis on programmatic/event-oriented and information-focused styles toward a more robust and holistic understanding of Christian formation. The need is greater than ever to guide young people in discovering how to live as Christ in all areas of their lives.”

YouthFront will continue its tradition of developing innovative youth ministry around the world through its commitment to the development of youth ministry philosophy, theology, and practice. Sonlife will continue to move forward as a church-assisting organization serving youth workers by facilitating networks; developing and providing training; offering coaching, consultation, and spiritual direction; and creating resources and programs for youth workers and students. Through the new YouthFront organization, all present Sonlife training and development programs for youth workers will continue, including Enroute, Shaping a Missional Community, Shepherding in a Culture of Change, Refresh, and Leadership of the Heart. All training experiences for students will continue, as well, including Merge, Awake and Reveal.

“This merger seems natural because of the alignment we have, not just between Chris Folmsbee and me, but also between the organizations that we have led,” says Mike King. YouthFront sees Sonlife’s innovation of a new wave of youth worker participation in training and formational experiences. Sonlife sees YouthFront as innovating new ways to do youth ministry and spiritual formation of adolescents. Consequently, merging together will allow each organization to realize greater ministry impact. Folmsbee states, “I am expectant that God is going to do amazing things through our coming together. I believe we will look back a few years from now to identify many things God has done to strengthen the church through the development of youth workers and students.”

For questions regarding this merger or to seek more information about the ministry of YouthFront and Sonlife, please contact Andy Garlich at 800-770-4769 or AGarlich@YouthFront.com

This July is the first time in at least 15 years that I have not traveled on a ministry trip. It has been nice to be home as peppers and tomatoes ripen in the garden and to stop for ice cream with the family. It has been odd, as well. For the past ten years I had spent at least one week at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore with Merge. It had been a time to catch up with friends and colleagues and to watch God at work in my life and the life of teens. I really miss the late night conversations, the laughter, the stories, facing challenges together, solving problems and celebrating victories (small and significant).

I was talking with a close friend yesterday. We were reminiscing and dreaming toward the future. He mentioned something that I have been considering. It was a great question. During the summer in youth ministry many of us find ourselves as spectators for part of our experience. We often find ourselves at camps, conferences and the like going through ministry experiences with our teens (while others lead the larger experience). We can often put on our “evaluation hat” as other adults present or speak or facilitate ministry among us.

How do we know when we come across those issues that we don’t like or that we would handle differently whether it is the result of a personal preference or a deep seated conviction?

– does it matter?
– do we discuss it with others?
– is the Bible the final arbitrator?
– is there a gut feeling? intuitive sense?

Love to hear of your experiences and how you wrestled or are wrestling with your inner critic this summer.

Just a little plug (and I guess in a sense self-promotion - YUCK!). If you receive The Journal of Student Ministries - check out this issues column entitled, “Re-culturing Youth Ministry.” I was privileged to co-write this month’s installment with Chris Folmsbee, the topic this issue was, “The Disciple as Wanderer.”

I have added a new menu item above (Downloads) - and if use that link it will allow you to download a pdf of the article I helped to author (just right click the link and you can save the document to your local machine).

Maybe in the days ahead I will come across other stuff to share up there.

If you haven’t subscribed to The Journal of Student Ministries, I would heartily encourage you to take the plunge. A great resource, with some challenging and helpful articles - don’t miss out on this publication.

Subscribe to The Journal!

I have a problem - many of you can probably understand or appreciate, I can never have too many books. There is always one more or another that is calling to be read. It really isn’t a serious problem, but I do love books. I love everything about them - I enjoy them in libraries, bookstores, and probably most of all stacked by my chair in the living room, and next to my bed! I don’t think I will ever be one to adopt reading books on electronic pads or listening to books on my ipod - I enjoy too much the feel of a book in my hand and turning pages!

I acquired three new friends in the past 12 hours. Well, to be truthful, they aren’t “new” friends - they are new works from old friends. I have acquired the following books:

Chris Folmsbee - A New Kind of Youth Ministry

Chris is the CEO and President of Sonlife Ministries and is already at work on his second book (tentatively titled, Story, Signs and Sacred Rhythms). I am looking forward to reading this book (besides Chris being a close friend, he is also a great resource for those working with youth in the church) - this is a book I have anticipated reading since it came out at the YS Convention in Cincy this past November, and one I look forward to reviewing. I have already scanned the contents and know I will be encouraging my church youth ministry team to go through it as we dream, pray and consider how to improve our ministry with/for youth.

Thomas Merton - A Book of Hours (edited by Kathleen Deignan)

This is meant to be a daily guide for leading a person in contemplative prayer over the course of a week with the pre-eminent 20th century spiritual guide, Thomas Merton. I have found Merton to be extremely challenging and often his writing has caused me to ponder a thought for days… and that is a good thing. The book is designed beautifully and has readings and prayers for prayer at Dawn, Day, Dusk & Dark for Sunday through Saturday.

A small taste: “I only have time for eternity.”

Think on that nugget from Merton for more than a second.

Dr. Bruce Demarest - soul guide (Following Jesus As Spiritual Director)

The third and final book came to my attention as a recommendation from a friend. It is right up my alley and the things that I am thinking about these days. It looks like a helpful and enjoyable read. What I have read so far is engaging and produces a lot of nods of the head and agreeable sounds.

A taste… (a bit more than Merton!)

As Christians we confess that Jesus the Christ is the fullness of God, come to us in human flesh to offer us the example of a life lived perfectly under the guidance and direction of God. As such, Jesus Himself is the perfect paradigm for completed humanity and the pattern for Christian ministry. Looking to Jesus as human beings we find answers to the questions and issues with which we all struggle. Looking to Jesus as disciples we find in Him the perfect pattern of how to minister grace to spiritual seekers.

Looking foward to gleaning more from these new books from old friends! Hope to share a full review of each of these selections with you!

Some of the things I have stumbled across or enjoyed over the past couple of days (or weeks):

A New Find!

a website a friend pointed me to called Godspace, it is the website of author Christine Sine;

from blogs on ministry

I have also been enjoying the blog by a fellow youth worker, Dan Mayes check out this post (I found it thought-provoking).

Bob Robinson has done two very intriguing posts on a new approach for sharing our faith and revealing God’s Kingdom - quality stuff!! Part One. Part Two.

Chris Folmsbee has written a unique take on how we represent Jesus, check out his post - Stealing or Revealing the Identity of Jesus;

Steve Argue asks the tough questions - and this post gets at the heart of; an important discussion that maybe you can work through in your youth ministry environment.

this is just cool stuff

will it be a trend? Life Church enter’s the world of Second Life… check it out.

Jim Hancock continues to “turn up” cool videos… this one is pretty amazing…

helpful

compare on those books you wanna buy - compare here

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Mark Riddle tagged me for a “Thinking Blogger” award.  And it actually comes with a little doo-hickey!

 Mark is someone I met at the Youth Specialties National Youth Worker’s Convention and is an amazing thinker.  A ministry I work part-time for has definitely been a benefactor of his keen insight and consulting skills.  I can confidently recommend his services (The Riddle Group) if/when your youth ministry is in need of helpful guidance.

 So now I am supposed to “tag” five other blogs for this award,  so in no particular order here I go:

1. Rustin Smith - Rustin isn’t a youth worker, but he is doing some cool sounding stuff in a church plant in Kansas City.  His posts are a mixture of real-life, sermon-material and fresh approaches to age-old issues - Check it out!
2. Chris Folmsbee - Chris is the President of Sonlife Ministries and author of a fairly new book, A New Kind of Youth Ministry.  Chris is a person in youth ministry I enjoy learning from and I can’t recommend highly enough.
3. Justin Ross - Justin is a youth pastor for a Presbyterian Church in Oak Harbor, Washington - I have recently begun to enjoy his blog, a daily read.  It is a great glimpse at his life, his learnings and stuff he loves (even beer!)
4. Brian Eberly - Brian is a youth pastor for a church called The Grace Place in Oregon.  Another fairly recent discovery - Brian has found a clear voice in his blog.
5. Monty - Monty, was a youth pastor (for 15 years or so, I believe he mentioned to me), but now has responded to a call to be a pastor in paradise.  Monty is a Nazarene pastor in Hawaii (Kailua Kona to be precise).  Monty has a wonderful and engaging writing style (check out his postings from Holy Week of this year - they are priceless!) that brings me back to his blog, again and again.  He also is a fellow freak for the 77’s, Daniel Amos, and a bunch of other great music!

So, I hope the new honorees enjoy their sparkling new award - and keep the love going.  You are each now obligated to reference the source of your Thinking Blogger Award (that would be your’s truly) and tag five more worthy recipients!

One of the most rewarding things I have ever done with students is to help them walk through the last week of Jesus life. In my last few years of working with students this has been a priority and a highlight. In that last week of His life - Jesus experienced a range of emotion - from the anger in the temple to the tears over Jerusalem; from the intimacy of being with friends in Bethany to the agony of the Garden with sleeping disciples; from the passion of praying for His friends to the amazing love of giving His mother to the beloved disciple - it was a profound, full and mysterious time.

I have approached it in a few different ways - by making stations for students to physically walk through the week (with props that coincide with the event and directions about things to discuss, pray about and/or practice). Another approach is creating a more corporate experience of reading different episodes from the last week of Jesus’ life interspersed with appropriate songs, prayers, and worship elements (washing feet, passing the peace, communion, lighting of candles, etc.). By the way Sonlife has a great resource for helping students walk through this week, called: Journey to the Cross. (Oh, did I mention they are currently giving it away as a free download!)

I would strongly encourage you to consider ways that you can help “immerse” your students into this powerful time. Help them encounter the emotion, the importance and the message of the last seven days of Jesus life. A beginning might be to isolate 5 or 6 episodes that speak to you - and then help create an evening that helps your students actively engage with those important stories in a meaningful fashion.

I am sure many of you have done this sort of thing. Maybe you can share some of your better ideas for observing Holy Week with your students providing all of us with some good ideas for next year.