Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal)

Moving Beyond the Destination Driven, Vacation Approach to Youth Missions

Rev. Marcus J Carlson (marcusjcarlson.com), Associate Pastor, Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO.

There is a great temptation in youth ministry to have to attract and entertain youth. Whether this pressure comes from church leaders, the congregation or one’s own personality, the pressure to attract, keep, and energize youth is real in many youth ministry settings. This reality is of course a blessing in some ways and a curse in others. There is no question that the vast majority of youth ministry today could be seen as too shallow, not having the depth that Christ has called us to as disciples. When I think about these two realities, I cannot help but notice their possible connection. These challenges have a wide variety of causes and implications in many of our youth ministry settings. One area of youth ministry that I see the temptation to attract and entertain youth growing in pressure is in the area of youth missions.

At some point during my youth ministry career, I realized that more and more mission trips were happening in exotic locations that were commonly associated with vacations. It seemed that God’s call to youth ministries was growing dramatically in Jamaica, Hawaii, Alaska, and other desirable locations. This is not to say of course that there is not need in these areas, because clearly there is need in impoverished places like Jamaica. I do think it is critical however to check our motivation and to consider the image we are portraying as well as the message we are sending when we select our mission trip locations.

In some of the ministry contexts in which I have served, there has been an expectation we select a new and different location for our mission trips. The youth and perhaps others may feel as though each mission trip should be new or fresh. While this sounds good in theory, it can create an attitude that might cause youth and others to value mission trips based on location. It is not long before this destination driven philosophy can lead to viewing mission trips as a glorified vacation of sorts. In many cases the recreation portion of our mission trips become more important than the work or ministry performed. While it is wonderful to see and experience new things, have a time to unwind together and experience a different culture, the greatest power in mission trips is in the service (and processing of the service) that occurs on a mission trip. If we create or embrace a mindset that says that it is the location that matters the most, youth mission trips become about something other than their intended purpose. I am not suggesting that we never serve in Jamaica, because there is plenty of need in Jamaica, but we might want to consider where we serve as well as why and how we select our locations for our mission trips. We must avoid selecting mission trips based on a consumer mentality that focuses on attraction and hype instead of need and service.

The reality is that we can serve anywhere. It is possible in most youth ministry settings to have a mission trip in your own community. Perhaps instead of choosing our locations for our mission trips based on the desirability or newness of a location, we can look at other factors such as areas of greatest need (communities recently hit by disasters), communities in which we can build long-term partnerships or relationships, or even communities that will give our youth the greatest opportunity to serve and experience a new and different culture that will lead to even greater transformation. It is much easier for youth and parents to get excited about going to Jamaica (and I am not trying to pick on ministries or leaders that go to Jamaica) than it is to get excited about going to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We as leaders need to think carefully and theologically about the motivation, message and experience that we will give our youth when we choose our mission trip locations. The location is not the most important part of the mission trip, yet the locations we choose for our mission trips speak volumes to those we lead and serve.

My simple rule: if I would go there on vacation with my kids, for my anniversary or even my honeymoon, I should think twice about making it a destination for a mission trip.

Book Review

Published on Book Sneeze & Amazon

Book Review

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

This book by Andy Stanley seeks to describe grace in a contemporary, easy to understand way using various Biblical stories and characters as illustrations or markers of grace. The author points out that grace is a struggle for the one who gives as well as the one who receives. Andy uses story to point out the key aspects of grace. The book highlights key understandings about grace for the reader throughout each chapter. The book is motivational, devotional, practical, theological and Biblical in nature.

I am a fan of Andy Stanley, even when we might see an issue or a concept differently. I was a little pessimistic about the idea of a book on grace since it is such a meaty theological concept and while Andy is a great thinker, much of his work is devotional in nature. This book was more than a devotional on grace, but it fell short of being a solid or complete theological treatment as well. The book took a balanced approach to grace and unlike many contemporary Christian pastors and thinkers, Andy made sure to include the notion that grace comes from God and not from our human response to God, which was important to my own theological viewpoint. The themes of each chapter made it easy to see grace as a source, but also for its function without taking a consumer approach to grace. The book was honest, thoughtful and sincere, without mincing words or watering down grace while at the same time not casting judgment or demonizing individuals, cultures, or particular religious perspectives. I enjoyed reading this book as Andy Stanley put some important and difficult concepts in an easy to understand language. While it is not a complete treatment of grace, it is a wonderful tool for all those who seek to better embrace and understand grace.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Book Review

Published on Book Sneeze & Amazon

Book Review

The 360 Leader by John C. Maxwell

This book by John Maxwell seeks to look at leadership from all possible angles and to discover what it means to lead those above, around, and below you in any organization.  The author points out that most leaders will never be the top leader in their organization and yet, they are called to lead. He argues that serving as a leader who is neither the top leader, nor someone at the bottom of the organization provides a tremendous opportunity to lead in every direction. This book describes the journey of this kind of leader in a very fascinating and comprehensive way, offering many leadership principles and strategies.

This is one of many books by John Maxwell that I have read and I have always enjoyed his work. He is one of the better writers on leadership and a fountain of knowledge and experience. This was by far the longest of his works that I read and was very different from some of his other work. While it was beneficial, informational and inspirational, it was more focused, comprehensive and rigorous than some of his other works that seem more thematic and inspirational in nature. The best word to describe this book is comprehensive. In some ways, the book could be easily used as a leadership textbook. It included many aspects of Maxwell’s other work and while it was difficult to soak in all of this information in a way that could lead to immediate application, I also found myself wishing that he took it further and chose to include all of the key principles of previous work in this book. There is a plethora of wonderful information in this book and the book is written in an easy to read and follow format, even though it may be impossible to retain and apply all of the information in this book. The book includes various activities and opportunities to engage with the material that could be very helpful to the reader. I also think this book could be used with a group for study and discussion to facilitate growth of individual leaders, the group and the organizations they serve.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal) January 2012

Foot Washing: A Vision for Mission Trip Leadership

Like many youth workers, one of my favorite parts of doing youth ministry are mission trips. They are powerful, fun, and incredibly effective. It is an amazing opportunity not only to learn and serve, but to have the kind of time with our youth we wish we had all throughout the year. In most of my ministry contexts, mission trips have been one of the most significant programs in the youth ministry. The power that comes in serving others is unquestionable, and the impact and importance of service for children and youth is only increasing. Recently, all significant books in the area of youth ministry discuss about service.

Over the years, the most important image from Scripture that casts a vision for mission trips in my own life in ministry is the story of the foot washing in the Gospel of John. The power and implications of this text are far too deep and wide to fully examine in this article, but it’s a text that all Christ-followers, especially those serving in ministry leadership positions, should carefully examine and reflect upon. Every mission trip under my direction has included a foot-washing service, usually towards the end of the trip. For the majority of those trips, the foot-washing portion of service has been conducted exactly the same way. During the service, I personally go around the room and wash the feet of each and every youth and adult leader from our group. After washing their feet, I take some time to pray for them. It’s a prayer I trust the Holy Spirit to provide, but I also take time all week thinking about how I can best pray for them. After finishing washing the feet and praying for each person on the team, I invite the team to what I call ‘open bucket time.’ I tell the team (youth and adults) they can use the next several moments to continue to pray, but also if they desire to wash one another’s feet. Some of my most meaningful moments as a Christ-follower, a leader, and a youth worker have happened during this time. Whether it is watching youth reconcile with one another by washing each other’s feet, siblings engaging in the intimate act of foot washing with one another, or having youth wash my own feet, the power, humility, and intimacy is overwhelming. I cannot take credit at all for this service or this model, as I (and we), are simply imitating what Christ did in the upper room for His disciples. We are simply honoring his call to ‘wash one another’s feet.’ This moment in the upper room is one of the most intimate moments in Scripture. Foot washing is a powerful imitation of Christ. It is the physical expression of what our lives as Christ-followers should be. It is the image of what missions and service should be all about. Our culture and our youth are perhaps more narcissistic and entitled than ever before, yet we desperately crave community. We need meaning and significance, we need to be a part of something that is bigger than ourselves, and we need to know that what we do and who we are makes a difference in the world. In this simple act of foot washing, Jesus has given us an answer to all of these challenges and needs and as long as our heart is focused on the God of the universe who got down on his hands and knees and washed the feet of his disciples, we will find an answer to all these needs and more. We will find a model for discipleship, service and leadership that can and will change the world.

As a Christ-follower, leader, and youth worker, there is no greater act for me than to get down on my hands and knees and wash the feet of those I love, serve with, and lead as we all seek to be imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ. The foot washing is more than just a powerful moment to be imitated; it is a model and vision for missions and leadership in the church and the world.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 13 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).

Published at Youthworker Online (A part of Youthworker Journal)

Read the online article here

Taking a balanced approach to fundraising

By Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Fundraising, especially youth ministry fundraising in a local church, can be a source of tension and frustration for all involved. Most youth workers dread this part of the job and engage with it as a necessary evil rather than viewing it as an opportunity not only to raise funds, but to connect the whole church body to their youth ministry, as well.

Many youth workers find themselves scrambling to pull off fundraisers while others are stuck working with the fundraising expectations and traditions of their church culture. Fundraisers also require a lot of forethought and planning, which is a struggle for many youth workers because of the nature of their work and personality. Yet there is a substantial amount of pressure and need to succeed in fundraising as many youth and programs rely on these funds.

For more than 12 years, I, too, have struggled with fundraising in youth ministry in the spite of my good organization. In high school, I was an excellent fundraiser as I was motivated by the reality that my family did not have the resources to send me to camp. I enjoyed the challenge that came with fundraising, especially given that I am not particularly creative. In my professional career, many of my most creative moments have come in fundraising; yet many of my failures in youth ministry also have come through fundraisers.

While I have not yet mastered the art of youth ministry fundraising, I understand two important conclusions that have helped guide me to greater excellence in this area of ministry. The first conclusion is that we must have a plan for fundraising. It is critical to take a planned approach to fundraising, taking as many factors as possible into consideration, including the church context in which we serve. Too often, youth workers ignore their larger church context in planning their youth ministry fundraising. In one church context where I served, the church finance team required all ministry areas to submit a fundraising plan to the finance team at the end of each year so they could look at the plans of various ministries. While this felt intimidating and cumbersome, this team approach is filled with wisdom.

The second conclusion I have discovered is that youth ministry fundraising efforts must be as balanced as possible. While balance can be a dangerous word in the context of our faith and the true nature of the kingdom of God, there is wisdom in taking a balanced approach to fundraising in youth ministry. First, make sure to spread out fundraising efforts through the year instead of cramming them into one season, such as right before mission trips. In doing this, we can avoid frustration and failure.

Second, balance fundraisers between those who look to the church as the source of support and those who seek support outside of the church. In doing this, we consider the needs of our church context and honor the church, which builds support for our youth ministries.

Finally, balance fundraising efforts between those ideas that require good sales ability and those that simply require participation and work. In doing this, we recognize and honor the reality that our youth have different gifts, and we equip them to grow in their strengths and weaknesses.

Fundraising is an opportunity for youth workers to better resource their ministries, support their youth and connect others to the youth ministry who might otherwise be disconnected. It is an opportunity to share the story of God with others that might not hear it.

Published in Youth Worker Journal- Date: November/December 2011

The Graduate’s Survival Guide

Rachel Cruze

Lampo Press, 2011, 132 pp., $19.95, DaveRamsey.com

Finances and college life are not exactly the most entertaining or hot topics to cover in your youth group, and youth and even parents might not think these topics are worthy of air time in your youth ministry.  Yet these topics and issues are very important to the youth in our churches, especially those who will soon be learning to manage their freedom and independence after high school.

The Graduate’s Survival guide includes a DVD with four short sessions as well as a Q & A book about college life and financial management. The vignettes on the DVD are informational conversations covering topics such as roommate relationships, college finances, student loans, registering for classes, marketing to college students and other aspects of college life. The book provides answers to a variety of questions on topics including credit cards, student loans, financial planning, working while in school, career planning and more.

This product could be helpful to parents thinking about and discussing college life with their teenagers. It can serve as a great tool for creating healthy dialogue about various aspects of college life. The short video clips address a wide variety of topics important to college life, and the length and organization of these clips makes them easy to use. The product does not address all of the topics claims to address, at least not with depth and clarity. This product may not reach most teenagers, because it is geared entirely to those who are going away for college. There is little conversation about faith and the impact one’s faith has on the issues being addressed. The product does not feel developmentally appropriate and many youth who watch the clips may have trouble connecting with the individuals in the clips as they appear to be the perfect kids many of our youth feel like they cannot measure up or relate to.

Buy this product if you are looking to help parents engage in dialogue with their youth, especially if you are looking for a resource for families to use with their youth who are preparing for college. Do not purchase this product if you are looking for a tool to use with your whole youth group to talk about college life and finances. While I enjoyed the product, it would not land with my youth group, so I would not be likely to purchase it.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Associate Pastor, Bethel Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO (marcusjcarlson.com).

Book Review

Just in Case you Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

This children’s book by Max Lucado is written as an affirmation to children that they are valued, loved, and that God is with them no matter what. It could be used for any child, especially a child who has been adopted. It also seeks to talk about heaven. The illustrations are simple and childlike. The tone is simple and gentle and easily accessible to children. The book could be read to anyone, but it fits best with younger children. The book talks about the various things that children might face that would make them feel alone. Certainly children can feel alone, especially in today’s culture.

Max Lucado has written some wonderful and powerful children’s books. This book is very sweet and innocent. It is a good book with a message that can be shared with all children. This however is not a great book, especially compared to some of his other children’s writings. There is no cute or clever story to follow and it really feels like a series of statements. The book did not draw me or my children in, but it was enjoyable. Lucado is a great storyteller, and unfortunately in this book, he did not tell much of a story. I would not discourage someone from reading it or buying it, but I do not give it a rave review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Rev. Marcus J Carlson

Published in Youth Worker Journal- Date: TBD

Grapple Jr. High: Three Big Questions

Simply Youth Ministry

Group Publishing, 2011, 123 pp., $29.99, Group.com

A challenging aspect of youth ministry programming is finding the right curriculum to use with your group, particularly junior high youth.  It can be frustrating to find easy to use, relevant and Biblically sound curriculum that does not require a significant amount of editing. Junior high is a critical time in the faith formation of these energetic youth.

Grapple Jr. High: Three Big Questions is a twelve lesson curriculum for junior high youth. The lessons address a variety of relevant questions organized around three topics: God, others, and self. This product includes the book with the twelve detailed lessons and resources, a CD containing a team guide, leader guides, and student guides for each of the lessons that can be easily distributed to leaders and students. Also included is a DVD, which contains 2-3 minute video clips used in the lessons.

This curriculum would be very useful for junior high programs in most ministry settings. The topics organized around the great commission are relevant and diverse. This comprehensive tool provides a hard copy of the lessons as well as electronic versions, tools and resources that can be easily used and reproduced for leaders and youth. The well-organized lessons provide a variety of activities and approaches to the lesson that engage the various learning styles of youth. Each part of the lesson varies in length to help break up the lesson while providing focus for the topic and question addressed. The video clips are short but may seem too infantile to some junior high youth. This curriculum provides more lesson material and ideas than will be needed for most youth programs, which means youth leaders will need to select which parts of the lesson are most helpful and relevant. This product would be a great choice for youth ministries of all types and sizes looking for quality, relevant, theologically and Biblically sound lessons for junior high youth providing all of the tools that paid or volunteer youth workers would need to lead the lesson. This product would be helpful for youth ministries who are seeking to address relational questions junior high youth face. I would not recommend this product for youth ministries in need of a curriculum that can be implemented without any preparation or planning. I would recommend this product for use with junior high youth and plan on using it in my own youth ministry.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 13 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).

Published in Youth Worker Journal- Date: TBD

Review:

Evangephobia Curriculum and Devotional

Simply Youth Ministry

Group Publishing, 2011, 120 pp., $29.99 Curriculum, $8.99 Devotional, Group.com

Finding the tools to help youth workers talk about evangelism, the sharing of the good news of Jesus, is not an easy task, yet the curriculum Evangephobia and the related devotional assist youth workers in reclaiming evangelism in youth ministry.

Evangephobia is a four-session curriculum addressing evangelism by Greg Stier from Dare2Share Ministries. With lessons covering the fears, motivation, the steps and benefits of evangelism for youth, this product includes a DVD with four 5-6 minute lessons, a CD containing discussion guides, many resources and other tools for using the curriculum in a youth ministry. I cannot think of a good youth curriculum on the market that covers evangelism like this one. It would be very useful to any youth ministry desiring to address this important topic with their youth. With relevant, easy to follow topics, the curriculum addresses the key issues related to evangelism. Short, clear, helpful and relevant DVD clips utilize scripture, story and personal examples. Tools for leaders, promotional material and discussion guides allow this product to be used in a variety of youth ministry settings and could be used in almost any youth ministry program with relative ease. One lesson is not likely to fill more than 30 to 45 minutes of a program, however, and may not be as effective with junior high youth. It would be a great choice for any youth ministry looking to cover evangelism in a relevant way with their youth in a manageable time frame or for youth ministries looking for a short small group curriculum.

An additional product, a devotional containing 30 devotionals for youth on evangelism, can be used in conjunction or separate from the curriculum. It would work well with small groups or with youth who are seen as leaders. It is very simple to follow and is not time consuming. Most youth would be able to use the devotional with ease, but it would be more effective in conjunction with the curriculum product.

As a whole, this product would be especially helpful for evangelical churches seeking a quality curriculum on evangelism. I would not recommend this product for churches that do not emphasize an evangelical approach to salvation, such as some mainline churches. Additionally, this product may not work well in settings where many youth do not have a clear conversion story to share. I would gladly use this product in any ministry setting professing a theology consistent with the curriculum.

Rev. Marcus J Carlson has worked with children and youth for over 13 years and is a spiritual director. He current serves as Associate Pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, CO. (marcusjcarlson.com).