Gotta Do whatcha Gotta Do

So last weekend, my Jeep’s driver side window wouldn’t roll up. It’s been a few weeks of crazy stuff happening in our lives and our cars haven’t helped. We’ve had plenty of car trouble in the past. We know that it’s only a season, but sometimes these problems just seem to pile up. Not to mention, you are a youth pastor. It’s not like you are in this thing for the money. So I thought I would give you some insight into some things that I use pretty regularly to help with some problems with cars and appliances in your home to save you a few bucks.

I used some of these to fix my power window that wouldn’t roll up as well. Saved me about $200-$300 by DIY instead of taking it to a shop.

Check out these resources:

RepairClinic.com

RepairClinic.com is an incredible resource that my dad turned me on to. It’s a database of all kinds of appliances. Complete with diagrams of the device and commonly seen problems it’s a great site to frequent if your appliances are giving you some issues.

They also point you to where you can find the parts and sometimes have videos showing you how to do certain repairs or fixes.

Great, Great Resource!!!

CarComplaints.com

This site is a funny site to visit when something isn’t wrong with your vehicle!! This site is good because it does two things really well.

1. Encouragement – it’s always good to know that someone else is having problems as well and it’s an encouragement to see some of the problems that people are dealing with and remember that your problems could always be worse.
2. Common Problems are highlighted – You can discover things about your car that are common breakdowns. For instance, we recently bought my wife a 2008 Honda Accord. It’s a good car and has a great resale value. However, there are some problems that we figured out really quickly. One big one is that the rear brakes wear down twice as fast as the front brakes!! Normally the rear brakes last twice as long as the front brakes. Good to know so you can save some money by replacing them with different types of brakes and also go to a place that gives you a lifetime guarantee brake job.

YouTube

1AAuto's Youtube Channel

This might seem like second nature to you, but YouTube has a ton of resources on DIY repairs. Just search for your vehicle and the problem that you are having. Then you will see a bevy of videos to help you find your problem and repair it.

I used a video from 1AAuto’s channel to replace my power window this past weekend. It was much easier than I thought and saved me about $200-$300 by not going to an autoshop.

I hope that you can use some of these resources to help you save a bit of money.

What are some resources that you use to save some cash money?

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Picture taken from a Go-Pro

This is a guest post from my co-worker and friend, Chris Brank. Besides being a phenomenal influence on our students, Chris runs a side business that you can check out at chrisbrankfilms.com and his blog at chrisbrank.com

You need a GoPro for Your Ministry.

And here’s four reasons why:

BUT FIRST…what is a GoPro?  Well, it’s very small. It’s waterproof. It’s 1080p at 30 frames per second or 720P with 60 frames per second for slow-motion stuff. There are a million attachments to put it on anything..bikes, surfboards, helmets, cars. People have dropped them out of airplanes and they hit the ground still recording. It has a beautiful, ultra wide fish-eye perspective…in fact, 5 different settings of fish-eye, depending on how wide you want to go!  You can get a screen to go on the back so you can see menus and see what you’re shooting. It’s very awesome.

Now, here’s those reasons:

1) It’s super cheap. I got the Motorsports edition on Amazon plus a screen, surf-mount, and tripod adapter for under $350. And you know what’s crazy? In the video I’m about to link to, I shot with a GoPro and a Canon 7D with a L-quality lens…and if you just casually watch, you won’t be able to tell the difference. Just know I didn’t take the 7D underwater!  http://youtu.be/_ghPVix68hY (PS, I colored the 7D footage, but didn’t even have to color the GoPro footage because it already had the saturated vintage feel that I wanted!)

2) It really does have a completely waterproof / shockproof casing. I’ve never been afraid to take that thing anywhere!  Mud, sand, snow, it just rocks it out. Lauren Germann, the Elementary Production Coordinator at Brookwood, just took it to their “So Long Summer” event at a local waterpark. Check out her highlight reel: http://youtu.be/XqUHm_6vTvU

3) It’s crazy easy to use. There are two buttons.  It takes approx. 15 minutes to memorize the instruction manual…then you are good to go!  In fact, during Adventure Week (the VBS at Brookwood Church) I handed to a student (Mary Erny) and she carried it around all week with no prior experience and put together this video in iMovie:  http://youtu.be/oHfbnBlRafs

4) Just look over the previous three reasons again.

Now, one quick thing before I wrap that you need to know: Do not expect good audio quality. Especially with the waterproof case…it protects everything from getting to the camera, including sound!  Without the case, it’s not horrible, but I rarely use the audio.

Get one, and put together some videos with angles that were just impossible before now. Hand it to students, take it on trips, throw together a million highlight videos. And throw IT everywhere!

Want to buy a GoPro for your Ministry? Here is where we say buy it. GoPro HD Helmet HERO Camera(affiliate link)

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We have some of our Community Groups on Wednesday night for our 5th and 6th graders. It’s difficult to program for this timeframe for multiple reasons.

• We have tons of adult classes going on, so our pool for volunteers is smaller.
• Preteens have been in school all day, they are ready to rumble (know what I’m sayin)
• It’s 1.25 hours if they follow schedule. Sometimes it ends up being 2 hours for some preteens.

So I’ve been struggling to program for this time. Honestly, on a good night we are getting 15 minutes of conversation with they boys and 20-25 with the girls. So I need at least 40 minutes of time to program for our students.

What we have are iPads, some board games, and recreation materials. The season makes it tough for outdoor activities because of how dark it gets early in the night. Tomorrow we are going to set up tables in the room with a few more board games and pray it works.

Here is what we’ve tried:

• Football (lights and projectors in the room, not such a good idea)
• Ninja
• Duck, Duck Goose (worked suprisingly well)
• iPads every week

So I’ve got some resources that I go to often like YouthLeaderStash that have great game ideas. But I’m looking for some favorites for our preteens.

So I need some help.

You’ve got 40 minutes with 40 riled up preteen boys and girls. What would you do?

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Here are a few pics from their site.

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Seriously! Every feel alone in ministry? Wish you knew someone nearby to have a coffee and just communicate about struggles, victories, and the crazy student team (o, wait that’s me too :p ) Then you need to join Imakidmin.com and connect with those just like you. Don’t sing it bring it. It’s time to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Invest in those around you.

Have you signed up yet?

What are you waiting for?

PS – if you are in Children’s Ministry at Brookwood you need to do this. Consider it a must do, just sayin.

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This curriculum is geared towards 7th-8th grade students and is geared towards the confirmation type of service for students.

Here’s a sample of one of the video lessons:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARdwIWDnE90

I think the graphics and content of the 2 video lessons that I saw were pretty awesome. Especially for preteen ministry. I’m thinking my 5th and 6th graders would eat those videos up. They are humorous and are filled with great content aimed towards answering some of the questions that students have about faith.

The activities in the sample seemed to miss the mark a bit. Thumb wars and graffiti wall could be accomplished outside of the material provided and would fit better in a younger context. However, there was a cool activity that could apply to that age group called tower races. It seemed to match well with the content and I know my students would get into that.

Would this work for a Sunday morning in our context? Definitely not. But, if you do a more small group centric midweek program, then this could work effectively in that environment as well.However, if you have a class set aside for Confirmation or basics of faith class, then this is something I would definitely check out for 4th-6th graders.

I feel like the price point is right on as well. DVD with 40 sessions for $50 I think is a great deal.

You can find out more about the re:form confirmation curriculum on the SparkHouse website.

Or check out some sample vids on their youtube page.

Have you checked out re:form? What do you think of their stuff?

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Just “c o l o r” it !, originally uploaded by ! آحــآسـيس.

This is meant to be a beginner’s guide to creativity. For peeps, that ask themselves the question, “How can I be more creative?” So it’s quite possible that you creative person might be underwhelmed by this list and for that I apologize, but please contribute in the comments to help everyone be more creative with out thoughts.

Well it’s one of the things that I pride myself on. I absolutely love the time where there is no box and we are going to create something wonderful. But maybe, you aren’t thinking that. You are thinking this is one of the times that you loathe. I can get that, some of my best friends hate out of the box thinking. But in order for us to understand one another better and maybe you are just looking for some inspiration. Here are a few ways to be more creative.

1. Take and View Pictures- 

Flickr is a great place to start. They have an explore feature that allows you to see some of the best photos uploaded. It’s a great feature and it’s where I find most of the photos for jcisonline.com. Even find a blog that has some awesome pictures on it. For instance, Jared Erickson, who is a designer that always has killer pictures of furniture and creative brands like this one, Nathaniel Cooper.

2. Go Outside-

I know this may seem weird, but to me, being outside is one of the most creative places I can be. Now don’t plan an activity outside just be outside and take it in. The smells, the colors, the animals, and plant life. Just observe. Nothing better than observing the most creative Creator

3. Watch Youtube and Vimeo-

A couple of my favorites are Mysteryguitarman and Nice Type channel on vimeo. Check their stuff out, I’m sure to give you some great ideas.

4. Pandora- 

I absolutely love Pandora. Listening to Music is big for most people, but Pandora will tell you about the artist and will also link you to the lyrics of the song. Both have given me loads of creative energy.

5. Talk to People-

As much as I love technology and there are so many other ways to use it to be creative, there is no substitute for talking to people. I’m not talking small talk. I’m talking Real Talk. Talk to them about how they met their spouse, how they came up with their kids’ names, or if they have any pets. Get them to tell you stories, not just facts.

These are just a few ways that I get some creative juices flowing.

How about you? What do you to get inspired?

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You can also buy their full album from Amazon for only $7.99 by clicking this link:
Meet The Rizers

You guys know of any other music like this out there?

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“I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior.”

John Wooden is one of my favorite people to read about for so many reasons: Basketball prowess, incredible active life of faith, poured into young people, His incredible relationship with his wife, incredible balance between excellence in industry and excellence at home, etc. Since his wife Nellie passed away, on the 21st of every month he visits her grave and writes her a love letter and puts it into an envelope that he adds to the stack on the pillow that his wife slept on while they were married. John Wooden is someone that I look up to from afar and I read everything that involves him. The world lost a great one yesterday, but he is in a much, much happier place now.

So today I posted his pyramid of success and I will leave you with this:

John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed, given to him by his father Joshua upon his graduation from grammar school:

* Be true to yourself.
* Make each day your masterpiece.
* Help others.
* Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible.
* Make friendship a fine art.
* Build a shelter against a rainy day.
* Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings every day.

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No human thing is of serious importance.
Plato (427 BC – 347 BC)

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