What about those hard to reach teens who you have asked multiple times to attend events. Have you ever reached that point where it just didn’t seem worth it and you felt like you needed to do something more direct to try and draw them in? Last night while talking to one of our amazing youth ministers in Wisconsin, I heard a technique that is working big time and has yet to fail when the teen agrees and follows through. Let’s call it – 4 Times And I’ll Never Bother You Again Here’s how it
On a recent visit to a local coffee shop to meet with a youth ministry friend, I was amazed to count that there were 52 people in the shop at 2 pm. Of the 52 people only my friend and I were having a face to face conversation. All 50 other people were sipping coffee and looking at their digital screen of choice. A good number were not just looking at one screen but 2 screens at the same time. People wanted to be together, but not necessarily interact with each other. Screens have started to completely
If there is one leadership skill that makes leaders stand out, it’s their ability to “work a room” or simply to step outside themselves and acknowledge most if not all people wherever they are. Recently while visiting a parish I asked a teen how he got involved in Life Teen? He simply looked at me and said, “Tony, one of the Core team members came up to me at our school during a basketball game and just started talking to me. At the end of our short talk he invited me to come to Life Teen.
Visit our new Edge Website: EdgeYouthMinistry.com
Goal of this Edge Night The goal of this Edge Night is to show the Church’s mission to evangelize and how each member of the Church is called to live out this same mission. Edge Night at a Glance The Catholic Church has a mission and obligation to evangelize. Evangelization is to proclaim Christ and His Gospel by word and testimony of life. Not only are the clergy and faith leaders called to proclaim Christ, but also each baptized person is given the role of a prophet to fulfill this
Law of Audio / Visual – After you spend hours editing your latest video the bulb on the video projector decides it’s time to die or the audio feed decides it’s time not to work resulting in a silent film portrayal. Law of Gravity – Any banner, sign, decoration or prop we attempt to attach with duct tape, scotch tape or string will inevitably fall at the most inopportune moment of our retreat or session. Law of Probability – The probability of our pastor walking in is directly proportional
The past few months I have attended numerous youth leader gatherings and inevitably fall to the temptation to compare myself to those around me. I look at some of my peers and think “they look like a youth leader, they have the look that teens will think is cool.” I know I’m not supposed to compare, but being a Catholic youth leader can be one of the most inadequacy inducing roles you can ever take on in life. It brings out the brightest talents and the darkest most insecure parts in the best
All of a sudden between innings the song “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber came over the loud speakers as I was sitting in the stands of a high school baseball game with a group of parents. By instinct I commented “Oh. it’s the Bieber!” I immediately drew the stares of my peers who quickly commented “you knew that’s Justin Bieber?” I replied – of course. The rolling eyes told me that while these parents may be my age, they may not be as keyed into the lives of middle school and high school aged
Some parishes place too little value on relational ministry with teens. (Teens are relational in nature, if the Church doesn’t foster relationships with teens, they will find relationships elsewhere.)
We may only have a small part in helping that fruit to grow – we only are guaranteed four years with them. We are only a small tool in the Hand of the Gardener. We may never see the fruit. It takes lots of work and lots of people to grow a successful community garden. But everyone and every tool plays a vital role.
Been a while since you changed the environment of a Life Night? Have the walls of your office become just a jog down memory lane or is it a reflection of the current group of teens? Have music playing, hang new banners, update photos and add some new paint to add new life to the spaces you hang out with teens at your parish. We serve in one of the most transformational ministries in our parishes – does the vibe of our space reflect that?