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Author Archives: Kevin Hickey

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I Can’t Afford That!: Tips for Fundraising

2011-12_Fundraising

You just signed up for that big summer trip, collected deposits, made parents sign their life away and that they promise to pay the trip amount – now how do you fundraise for it? First of all, you did collect deposits, right?

Big events, mission trips and camps can be expensive and not all of your teens and/or youth can pay directly out of pocket. So we turn to fundraising. I can tell you, there are hundreds of ideas for fundraisers (and variations of those fundraisers) and I’ll address those in another blog soon. However, I also want to share some lessons I’ve learned about fundraisers.

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There is No Such Thing As “Over-Communicating”

You can never over-communicate with your Core Team, your pastor, the parish staff, other members of the youth staff, the teens, parents, etc. We kind of laugh about youth ministers and communication, but the truth is: if we want people on our side, we have to communicate more.

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I Didn’t Have a “Clue”

Last night I was blessed to go to an Edge-style Night at a local parish in Atlanta, GA. From the moment I showed up, I was reminded why I love working with middle school youth. I was a stranger to them, yet they welcomed me as if they had known me for a long time. It was fun to see them buzzing around from place to place. However, one young man quickly stood out to me. As soon as he entered the room, I could tell he didn’t quite know where he belonged in the group.

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The Case for Edge Ministry

I am excited to say that middle school ministry is one of the fastest growing ministries today. When I first began in ministry 15 years ago, there were very few parishes doing middle school youth ministry. However, this year alone, more than 200 parishes have begun implementing the Edge. Why is middle school youth ministry growing so fast? Here are a few thoughts

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Edge Nights Part IV: Send Them on Their Way

Be sure to give plenty of time for the Send portion of your Edge Night. When I was leading my Edge program, there were some nights the youth came back in the room and we barely had time to say a closing prayer before parents were texting their child to come outside. Just like the Gather, the Send does not have to chaotic; rather it can be a great time to pray with the youth in your group and lead and challenge them for the upcoming week.

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Edge Nights Part III: Break It Open

You’ve come to the critical part of the Edge Night – small groups. For some Core Members, this is the part that scares them the most. However, with the right tools and training, it can be the most fruitful. Small groups are the time for the middle school youth to “break” open the theme for the night and find out how it relates to their lives. This particular blog is in two parts: a) thoughts on the Break; b) small group dynamics.

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Edge Nights Part II: Proclaim the Truth

You’ve herded them in, stuck a nametag on them, welcomed them, sung a moving rendition of “Happy Birthday,” and now its time to get their attention. I’m talking about the middle school youth, of course. Getting and holding the attention of all the youth in the room seems like an impossible task (and very well could be). However, there are some things you can do to make sure your Proclaims are well delivered, get across the right message, and engage the youth.

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Edge Nights Part I: Gather Them In

The beginning of an Edge Night may seem like giant ball of chaos and energy. There are middle school youth running around, parents demanding a few moments of your time, Core Members calling to say they are running late, and the projector just burned out – this seems to be a recipe for disaster, not relational ministry. Here are some tips to help start your Edge Night on the right foot while maintaining your sanity:

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“Finding Yourself in Scripture:” Find It In Your Middle School Ministry

One of my favorite days in youth ministry (besides the times of amazing relational ministry, of course) was the day the delivery truck pulled up to the front door of the office and the newest Edge Support Box arrived. I loved tearing through the box and seeing what kind of cool toy… I mean resources… were included. For me, it was like Christmas morning.

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Middle School Youth and Theology of the Body

Have any thoughts about how to implement Theology of the Body? Share your ideas in the comment section below. Let’s begin a dialogue on how to reach more middle school youth with the truth of our Catholic faith.