JCISONLINE – Resources for Tween and Preteen Ministry

Pencil Vs Camera – 12, originally uploaded by Ben Heine.

You know that in your student ministry and preteen ministry and children’s ministry, things get mundane. It’s easy to fall into the mundane trap.

Something you should know about me: I hate email. I’m 24, email was like old school when I was in high school and college. We were texting and facebooking each other and you emailed your family or teachers.

So I hate email. However, it’s the best way to communicate to volunteers and parents.

I thought that I would rebel early on and just call people. Too much time, couldn’t talk to everyone.

Then I tried to text/facebook everyone. Volunteers weren’t catching on to either of these and it was just wasted time.

So I started emailing them. The emails would go like this….

Bleh, bleh, bleh, info for the week, bleh, bleh, how can I pray for you?
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It was literally the most awful emails anyone could ever send. I hated writing them and I’m sure people hated reading them.

But over the last month and a half. I decided I was going to have a little fun.

Every piece of info, I decided to make fun to read. It would include a joke or something personal about myself. Then I would talk about something else.

I applied a lot of what you see on this blog in my email writing. Short paragraphs, > 3 sentences per, and something enjoyable.

Honestly, it’s been a blast just to write them. They take 3x as long but man they are fun. Crazy thing is, that volunteers across our student ministry have loved them.

I mean when was the last time you had a volunteer say this, “I love getting your emails!” Seriously, I never could have imagined.

Is that the most important part? No. The best part is that people are reading the emails and coming prepared. They seem as if they are happier about learning the info.

This honestly is just the tip of the iceberg. I’m looking at revamping a ton of other things in Switch to add some fun.

Worship
Games
Message
Small Group
Promotion

All just to keep them from becoming mundane for me or the people that are consuming them.

So what is it for you that has become mundane? How can you revamp it and bring something new to the table?

BTW if you haven’t taken a look at Ben Heine’s pics, you should click here to check his blog.

christmas tree, originally uploaded by IvanJankovic.

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope that you have a wonderful time with family and friends.

Happy Halloween – Dallas [EXPLORED!], originally uploaded by CrumpJ.

Hope it was as awesome for you as it was for me…

Any Halloween costumes that you just had to talk about?

Greenville Downtown, originally uploaded by Arun_U.

Something that I’ve struggled with in my time here in Greenville/Simpsonville Sc area is really embracing the local scene. Before I moved here, I spent my entire life in Memphis, TN. The music, the food, and the sports (specifically the basketball) are things that I miss greatly.

But God has really been moving in my heart about really letting some of those things go. It’s much harder than I ever thought. Allowing myself to love another city as much or more than I love my hometown. But in order to be more effective and genuine it’s a step that God is leading me through.

Now that we are looking for a house, taking another step in our family’s story, I am learning that I haven’t embraced the beauty of the Greenville community like I should. So in the next few weeks, I hope to do some of the things that make Greenville and Simpsonville unique.

We have a bro trip planned for camping.
I want to hike with my wife up into the mountains.
I want to experience some of the waterfalls that this community is known for.
I want to eat some local food. (still won’t replace Memphis BBQ :p )
I want to sit in one of the most beautiful downtown areas ever.

All in the month of October. So let me ask you this:

What makes your city unique? What is your favorite part?

First the frustration…then came the anger…, originally uploaded by JDTX63.

You know in my life, this is something that I battle so often. I battle frustration. Frustration with my accomplishments or lack thereof, frustration with my attitudes, and frustration of just not being “Where I should be”

It doesn’t get easier is the advice that I’ve heard the last few weeks. That’s true.

My life has always been about a plan to get things done. My plan has changed multiple times. When i met my beautiful wife, when God told me to move to SC, when I started working at Brookwood and again since I’ve moved into the position of 5th and 6th grade director.

I love what I do. But some times it’s just frustrating missing the bigger picture. It’s my own attitude and desires that get in the way so often. But then I read verses like this and it comforts me:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NLT)

God transform me. You have so far and I pray that you continue to do so. For those reading this today, I pray that they begin to let go of their life and hand it to you and just be open to your guidance. Lord change us, lead us, and use us.

Hi Res Reedy Falls, originally uploaded by RandomConnections.

I’ve been not blogging for the past two weeks, purely out of busyness and lack of internet. My iPhone is jacked up and has some issues when I go out of town. And as much of an Apple fan as I am, it really upset me and it has nothing to do with AT&T at all.

Done with that soapbox… The week of 14th-18th of June was our Adventure Week program and last week I was on a mission trip to Bluffton, SC with our high school ministry. It was a great opportunity to learn about leading trips like this, and also a great chance to see students being involved in ministry. It’s been a beautiful two weeks.

Anyway, glad to begin getting in a routine again. And I have a lot of posts coming up this week trying to recap and go over a lot of our “VBS” thoughts and processes and a few things that have been on my heart that we talked about on the mission trip or in general in my life.

A lot of stuff going on. Hope your summer is going well and that everything is kicking this summer in your ministry and family.