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Tag Archives: Community Building

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3 Ways to Not Only Survive but Thrive On a Low Ministry Budget

By | July 6, 2010

So you have a great group of teens and you are psyched about how God is moving. But there’s just one catch: you have a low budget and don’t know how to keep up with other ministries that have all the bells and whistles. Well…don’t worry, do something about it. I keep hearing from Catholic youth leaders that they have a small budget or that their budgets have been cut. Most parishes operate on a budget that starts in July. If you find yourself in a situation where your budget has just been cut or you have always operated on a small budget – here are 3 ways to not only survive but thrive with less budget dollars:

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Give Without Remembering – Receive Without Forgetting

By | July 2, 2010

I recently got an email from friend with the tag line – “Give without remembering – receive without forgetting”. I love this as it captures the heart of a servant and our need to give without anything attached, no desire for future favors or ever being recognized as a giver. It also reminds us that we are to be grateful for all the blessings we receive.

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10 Things That Will Kill The Mood of a Youth Meeting

By | May 26, 2010

Want to make sure that you don’t kill the mood at your next youth event> Check out these 10 things to avoid….

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Are You a Bringer?

By | May 12, 2010

In the Catholic youth ministry world, there’s often a big difference between the bringers and everyone else. The bringers carry somebody or something. They seek or form community and make things happen. It’s not unusual to go to the smallest parish and find someone serving teens there who isn’t small at all. Sometimes, this is an unpaid servant, someone that’s inherited or acquired their mission out of necessity. Anyway, you can’t just say you’re an bringer and be one. It takes a lot of prayer and surrender to be a real bringer!

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Glimpses

By | April 22, 2010

- seeing the teen, who didn’t want to “get into it” because he was forced by his parents to go on retreat, standing in a large group of teens praying with his hands raised!

- hearing your DRE walking by your office humming the tune from the closing song at Teen Mass last night!

Human Bingo Game

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Goal of the game: Be the first person to find someone that fulfills the need of each box on your bingo sheet and write that person’s name in the boxes. Give to the youth minister and then make sure that the person in the room can prove fulfillment of the need in front of everyone. Ministry Applications: Welcoming new teenagers Community Building Getting to know each other Teamwork Cannot succeed unless you have the help of other people Just plain fun Human Bingo Game

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An Instant Message Your Core Team Needs to Receive

By | February 24, 2010

G. K. Chesterton once said ““I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Sometimes we get our schedules so full that we forget to thank the people who are key to this ministry to teens. Do your Core Team members know your thanks? Take a minute to drop what you are doing and text, email or IM your Core members individually a quick note of thanks. Let them know we couldn’t reach the teens and families we reach without them.

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How Much Time Does It Take to be an Effective Youth Minister?

By | February 19, 2010

The most valuable thing you can give to teens is your time. I see a lot of youth leaders excited to serve teens, but get overwhelmed by the amount of time it actually takes to be effective as a youth minister. “The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.” – Norman Vincent Peale

Life Night

Be My Valentine

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Goal The goal of this Life Night is to have a Valentine’s Day social to build community and fellowship. This night will also give a brief overview of St. Valentine and the virtue of charity. About this night There’s love in the air—must be Valentine’s Day. This is a social Life Night to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This Life Night is intentionally written to be very simple. Be sure to plan in advance and enlist help from parents and other volunteers. The Life Night begins with a brief explanation

Life Night

Are You Cereal?

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Goal for the Life Night:
 The goal of this night is to build community among the teens, and have fun playing games and eating cereal. Life Night at a Glance: Social Life Nights are an important part of semester planning. Not only do they break up the semester theme, they help build community within the group. Social Nights also give the Core Members and youth ministers an opportunity to practice relational ministry. This social night is easy to create and pull off, even those with limited funds. Who