2 Nemos & Thanksgiving Dinner

Nemo, the little guy/girl with one person being the face & legs and someone else being the hands has been a huge hit since I was in high school.  Around Thanksgiving time we brought out 2 of them acting as children and had them eating Thanksgiving Dinner with their parents.  We actually did it right at the beginning of Club since it had all the leaders participating and we didn't want to have excess set-up time during Club.


We prayed as a family & started eating.  The 2 children were pretty obnoxious and woudn 't eat their food.  Apparently it was too hard (even the stuffing).  So the mom decided to chew it up for them and spit it in their mouths straight out of Ace Ventura.  Right before she spit the stuff, the dad yells "No, that's disgusting.  We're not from Oviedo. (our rival high school).  I think I've got some old jars of baby food."

Dad pulls out the baby food (Thanksgiving stuff like sweet potatoes, turkey, etc.) and the kids go at it.  To be honest with you, I didn't know how funny the skit would be, but the over-exagerated eating of the baby food was absolutely hysterical.

The skit ends when the two children get into a fight over who gets the one jar of dessert, prunes.  The fight was a great ending, because food was flying everywhere.

Happy Meals in a Blender with a Twist

We've all blended up gross stuff and drank it (or made the new leaders drink it) at club.  I've heard of skits/games where McDonald's Happy Meals are blended up and swallowed, but I just came across a post by Liz where she describes a game that's a little more detailed than that.

There was a nugget meal, cheese burger and the unfortunate fish filet. A student was assigned to each of us and if they correctly guessed the ingredients to the shake, the leader had to chug it. Oh, that Cindy!!! Why did she have to guess nuggets. The fact that the shake smelled exactly like chicken nuggets may have been a dead giveaway. After the successful guessing, we had to chug the contents of our glasses. In case you were wondering fries, chicken nuggets and Sprite don't taste nearly as good as one. It was sick. I was mainly grossed out by the chicken scent. Luckily I didn't have to chug it all. I think I won since the burger guy and fish guy weren't drinking near as much.

That got me thinking.  What about doing food from different restaurants?  Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Burger King, Bob's Sushi Bar.

Wordless Wednesday - Florida Snowball Fight

 

We willed each napkin with 1/4 cup of flour, pulled the four corners together and twisted the top.  After making about 500 of these, we were ready to throw them at people for a 70 degree snow ball fight.

Check out more Wordless Wednesday pictures at 5 Minutes of Mom, Sunny Day Today Mama, Seven Clown Circus, Experimental Mommy, & Mom Knows It All.

Throw A Baby If You Have One

A few years ago, a married couple on my team had a baby boy. One week the dad, Mike, was holding his son in Club and walked out of the room. Once he got out, he removed the blankets from the baby and wrapped them around a doll.

When it was time for announcements, Mike came back in the room holding the doll the same way he had been holding his son. As he moved across the front of the room he purposely tripped over a girl's legs and tossed the fake baby about 10 feet across the room, while simultaneously acting as any new dad would act had it been a real child. The reaction of the crowd was hysterical, especially the girl he tripped over.

That's why I loved it when I read this post by Chad Swanzy titled "I dropped a newborn baby last night" complete with pictures. Good stuff if you've got a baby around.

My wife is pregnant, and I'm already getting excited about being able to do this again.

Gotta A Good Thing Going

Last night after Young Life Club, I remembered that I wasn't going to be able to be at Campaigners on Wednesday morning as usual.  We have 8 - 15 guys who show up for a our weekly Campaigner Bible Study at 6:00am at a local coffee shop just around the corner from the high school.  Anyway, I wasn't going to be able to lead on Wednesday and when I checked with the other leader who usually comes he told me he wasn't going to be able to be there either.

So, I started to walk around the room and let the guys know we wouldn't be having Campaigners this week.

That's when Mitch & Vinnie decided they didn't need no stinkin' leader.

Vinnie's voice boomed over the music on our sound system.  "Hey everyone!  Guys campaigners, Wednesday morning at Barnie's.  Mitch & I will be leading it."

What a blessing for me to hear for 2 reasons.  First, it's obvious these guys love coming to Campaigners.  It amazes me that they all get up so early every week to hang out with us and read God's word.  And, number 2, that these guys are willing to take the initiative to read scripture with their friends and discuss it on their own blows me away.  That's just super cool.

I can't wait to hear how it goes.

Human Pinata

Wrap a leader up in duct tape with the sicky side out. Stick candy all over the tape.

Then using ropes strung around his arms & legs (or a harness if you have one, which every good leader does) hang him from a tree.

One by one, let the kids beat the candy from the leader with a pool noodle.

If you want to do it inside a building, you could do something similar to this picture I got in an e-mail titled "Redneck Timeout".

Candid Camera Club

A friend of mine shared an awesome idea with me recently.

A few years ago, he got some administrators and a coach to help pull one over on some kids. He set up a camera in one of their offices and had them call a kid in and basically scare the crap out of them. You can use your imagination, but one kid was told that all of her college applications had been stolen and another kid was cut from the basketball team.

At just the right time, the administrator/coach points to the camera and says, "You're on Young Life Candid Camera".

Then you show the videos at club that night.

Note: All of it has to be done in one day, or word will spread & the kids will get suspicious.

Bear Wake-Up Video

I posted this last year, but with the recent talk about skit ideas, I figured it'd make for some good inspiration. We showed up at 5:30am, put on our school mascot's bear suit, and whipped out a set of borrowed cymbals & our video camera.

Pardon the language, but you can't blame the kid.

Pass The Spam

This is one of the most simple mixers, but it went really great. We took spam out of 2 cans and split the room in 2. Each group formed a circle & got one of the spams (I have no idea what you call a block of spam. Probably a block of spam.)

This is just a game of hot potato but with spam. When the music stops, whoever has it has to take a bite.

Here are a few things that made is successful.

1. Everyone's touching it. That's gross on a few levels.
2. Demonstrate the size of a bite & explain the game while they were all sitting down before forming the circles.
3. Emphasize that the spam has to be passed from person to person and not thrown.
4. Challenge them to be big men & women about eating it rather than chuck it across the room or drop it on the floor when the music stopped.
5. Put a leader inside each circle to monitor the passing and judge who has it when the music stops.
6. Give that leader a camera. We got some great shots of kids passing it and of the kids taking a bite.
7. Don't overdo it. 4 - 5 times is good. You could announce that for the last one the person has to finish it off. Probably won't happen, but it ups the level of urgency to not get stuck with it.

A Kid's First Time At Club

I came across this while looking around the internet & thought it was pretty encouraging. I won't link it, but here's the text.

Last night I went to this thing called Young Life. Basically, it was a big group of kids that got together at somebody's house to play games, sing, and talk about God a little bit. It was so much fun, and I'm really glad Morgan brought me with her. One of the games was dividing into two groups and putting as many clothes pins as possible on one person. Clothes pins on clothes were worth 1 point, and pins on skin were worth 2 points. We ended up winning, but I felt kind of bad for the girl with pins all over her, especially since there were so many on her face-ouch. Then they had 4 kids go up to the front (2 teams of 2) and one person had to chug a 2 liter bottle of Sprite zero while the other person was spinning in a circle. When the person got tired of chugging, they would switch. It was pretty funny to watch, but I'm glad I didn't have to do it. We also sang some old school songs- stuff like Backstreet Boys and Avril Leviegn (sp??). Of course, nobody is really a great singer, so the songs didn't sound so good, but everybody enjoyed it and ended up laughing. I hope that I can maybe go again, because it was so much fun. Everybody there was so nice too. (I wonder if this would be considered making my own excitement in life??)

Sounds like an awesome club (gonna use both those games), but what really stuck out to me was that this girl thought everyone was so nice. Talking to kids at camp, one of the things that always blows them away is how nice everyone is, how welcomed & loved they feel by the leaders, workcrew, & assigned team. It's great to see that we are creating that atmosphere back home in our clubs.

I think it's worth evaluating our clubs to see if we are creating atmospheres where everyone feels good to be there.

Leader Lounge Blog & Podcast

Too much spam has made the Leader Lounge an absolute mess, plus I'm paying for the server space.  Why do that when blogspot is free?

So, I'm migrating the Leader Lounge over here along with the podcast.  In addition to the usual ministry related items, I've decided to try to simplify my life a little bit and just blog about everything I have a hankering for on one site.  The 3 of you who used to visit the Leader Lounge will still get everything you got before (which is at least a post a quarter).

I would encourage you to check out the podcast.  I've only brought over a couple episodes, but the whole thing is available on iTunes.  We will be doing more (hopefully) in the near future.

What's More Valuable - Your Cell Phone or Your Virginity?

Jeremy Berg, a youth pastor from Minnesota, makes a bold statement during a conversation with a friend in a post at youthworker.com.

With these thoughts floating around in my head, I blurted out a provocative statement to my pastor friend across the table that struck us both as...well...something worth pondering. I said: "Many teens will give up their virginity easier than they'll give up their cell phone."

Huh, that's an interesting observation.

They both have to do with connectedness, with relationships.  Giving up your cell phone takes away your connection with others while giving up your virginity has to do with drawing close to someone.  It seems to me both illustrate the desire we have to be connected and know people intimately.  It's a God-given desire.

I don't disagree with Jeremy.  He makes a good point.  It does make me think, however.

1. What can we be doing to help our teens feel connected better with those around them?  Are we helping them connect both with and without technology?
2. What can we do to help them distinguish between appropriate levels of connection?  How can we help them properly live within good, authentic, Godly relationships?

Ironically, I think the answer to both is good communication & connectedness.  When we take kids to Young Life camp, we take their cell phones away.  It is hardly a struggle anymore, because we do a good job of communicating the reasons and the benefits.  More often than not, they are excited to have a week without being tied down to their mobile networks.  Of course, we are providing them with tons of opportunities to be connected face-to-face throughout the week - modeling good community relationships.

Likewise, talking and talking and talking to them about the benefits of saving yourself (or re-saving yourself) for marriage is key.  And, not just for the sake of saving yourself, but with the explanation that sin always impacts other people - drawing it back to connectedness.  If we can help kids see how the choices they make affects others in the community they care about - even in the future - we will be helping them tremendously.

On a side note, but somewhat related.  Did you catch the Newsweek piece called Unattainable Beauty?  Good grief.  It's no wonder our kids have such a messed up view of how we should look.

Small Group Help - CT Website

Christianity Today has a website specifically for small group leaders.  It's called smallgroups.com (can't believe that domain was available) and It's designed to meet the need many churches have as their small group ministries grow.  I haven't had a chance to look at all of it, but there's some good stuff that I think I might either use outright or at least get some ideas from for my Campaigner group.

Christian Today launched the new site to equip small-group leaders with thousands of articles, ideas, and icebreakers for their meetings; over 50 downloadable training tools leaders can share and discuss or use for personal development; over 200 customizable and downloadable Bible Studies; and an expert panel of small-group leaders and authors that answer difficult questions pertaining to small-group ministry.

There are prices listed on most of the stuff, but right now that price is $0.00.  Might want to take advantage of this before there is a charge.  I don't know if that's in their plans or not.

A Kid's First Time At Club

I came across this while looking around the internet & thought it was pretty encouraging.  I won't link it, but here's the text.

Last night I went to this thing called Young Life. Basically, it was a big group of kids that got together at somebody's house to play games, sing, and talk about God a little bit. It was so much fun, and I'm really glad Morgan brought me with her. One of the games was dividing into two groups and putting as many clothes pins as possible on one person. Clothes pins on clothes were worth 1 point, and pins on skin were worth 2 points. We ended up winning, but I felt kind of bad for the girl with pins all over her, especially since there were so many on her face-ouch. Then they had 4 kids go up to the front (2 teams of 2) and one person had to chug a 2 liter bottle of Sprite zero while the other person was spinning in a circle. When the person got tired of chugging, they would switch. It was pretty funny to watch, but I'm glad I didn't have to do it. We also sang some old school songs- stuff like Backstreet Boys and Avril Leviegn (sp??). Of course, nobody is really a great singer, so the songs didn't sound so good, but everybody enjoyed it and ended up laughing. I hope that I can maybe go again, because it was so much fun. Everybody there was so nice too. (I wonder if this would be considered making my own excitement in life??)

Sounds like an awesome club (gonna use both those games), but what really stuck out to me was that this girl thought everyone was so nice.  Talking to kids at camp, one of the things that always blows them away is how nice everyone is, how welcomed & loved they feel by the leaders, workcrew, & assigned team.  It's great to see that we are creating that atmosphere back home in our clubs.
I think it's worth evaluating our clubs to see if we are creating atmospheres where everyone feels good to be there.

Fun Things To Do At The Grocery Store

We don't do flyers anymore.  All our Young Life announcements are exclusively paperless.  But, if I did flyers, I would definitely include this fun list.

While in a Grocery Store

• Every time you turn the corner with your shopping cart, yell “Make Way!!!”
• While scratching frantically, ask the manager if he or she has anything for body lice.
• Bring your own buy one get one free tags and put them on random items.
• Get tubes of Preparation H (or other embarrassing items) and as you go past other shoppers just secretly drop it in their cart. Stand near the checkout and watch what they all do.
• Challenge other shoppers to cart races.
• Set up your own little sample table, but just give out plain animal crackers. Be very enthusiastic about them. “YOU”VE gotta try these!”
• When you see a worker pulling items to the front of the shelf, walk by and push some back. Just keep walking.
• If you can find a freezer with room in it (or make your own room) get inside and look out at the shoppers through the glass doors.
• Bring a fake mouse attached to fishing line (50 feet is good) and drag it around behind your cart.
• Insist that the bagger only put one item in each bag.
• When you stop to look at something, turn your cart sideways so nobody can get by.
• Make up your own language and ask people questions in it. Make the questions sound important.
• Wear headphones and sing out loud.

Saturday Night Live – Female Skit Ideas

We recently received an e-mail from Ashley, a Young Life Leader in Georgia asking about ideas for some good characters for females to do. My friend (and newest podcast team member) O.J. sent her an e-mail with some very good ideas. So good in fact that I thought it'd be good to post it here.

It might not be a bad idea to resurrect some old Saturday Night Live characters that are great for females. Most of them are old enough that kids will think you made them up.

Here are a couple of ideas..

1. Mary Catherine Gallagher - these aren't the best clips, but if you are not familiar with the character, it's a good start.





2. This is one that can be performed with all females or any mix of males and females. It's usually called "Master P Theater", sort of a take off on the old Masterpiece Theater that was on PBS. A person(s) comes in dressed all old and stuffy - think smoking jacket and pipe or any kind of golf clothes. The character then reads, in a serious manner, the lyrics to popular rap songs like "Soulja Boy". It's ridiculous to hear them in this setting. Even better is to do a few and then for the last one learn the dance and read the rap and then do the dance.

Hey Kid, Want Some Candy

Today, I was walking through the cafeteria during lunch and saw 2 guys behind a table at the far end. I recognized them right away, because last week they were in the same spot, doing the same thing - standing behind the little table with an opened bag of candy, a few pieces falling out on the table and I went up and introduced myself. I found out they were from a Youth Mininstry organization (you'd know it if I told you), so I told them I was a YL leader. We talked about church a little bit, and then I went on my way.

Today, I didn't have time to talk, but I glanced over at their table from time to time. I gotta tell you, I felt sooooo sorry for them. What a picture of why "go to them" ministry works and "come to me" ministry isn't quite so effective. I think I saw a grand total of 2 kids talk to them in a 30 minute period.

I'm not coming down on them, because they're just getting started and I know all too well how difficult & intimidating it is to go into a room full of kids you don't know hoping someone talks to you. I remember feeling like that guy. Actually, I pray that I always feel a little bit like that guy just to keep me on my toes and make me remember who's really in control. But, part of me wanted to go over there and kick them in the butt until they engaged with some kids. I wanted to fold up their table, push them to the middle of the room, and tell them to just talk to someone.

Seriously, what's the worst that could happen? The kids might laugh at you. Maybe, but in most cases that won't happen until you walk away. Just don't look back.

I have to applaud their consistency. They came today, and they were here last week. Maybe they'll be here tomorrow. There's something to be said for presence. Sooner or later, maybe a kid will get dared to go to their table and talk to them, while his friends watch & giggle. But, I'd rather force the issue. You're there to meet kids, to have an impact on their lives, to show them who Jesus is. Jesus ain't sitting at a table with a big bag of Starbursts.

Jump in, fellas! It's a whole lot more exciting.

Developing Core Values

Oregon - S.W. Washington Region has developed some core values they keep in mind while they do ministry. At first I thought this had to be something from National, but doing a google search on "young life" "8 core values" , only one site came up, and it was this region's. These are their core values, they've apparently developed on their own.

I'm interested to know if other regions/areas have developed their own and how that process works. Who's involved? Do you re-evaluate them from time to time to address changes in leadership or youth culture?

Cabin Time Questions For Ordinary Club Talks

Help for Young Life Leaders NOW has some great advice for weekend camp speakers.

I recently spoke at a YL weekend camp. One of the best pieces of YL camp speaking advice I ever received was to plan your cabin time questions before you plan your talk.

That is outstanding advice, but reading the post gave me an idea.

At the end of nearly every regular Club talk our leaders will say something like "Hey, if you want to talk more about this stuff come and see one of the leaders." That's always great, but hardly any kids actually do that.

Here's the idea...what if leaders who were speaking came up with 2 or 3 questions (before they write their talks) that they'll give to the other leaders at pre-Club for us to use in conversations with kids during the following week? Not only would it help the speaker stay focused but it would help the rest of us have some creative ways to bring up the talks in our conversations with kids outside of Club.

Just an idea!

I Officially Love Twitter

Let me tell you why...

I signed up and started getting tweets & making my own tweets (and getting made fun of by my friends for talking about tweets) thinking it was going to be a less complicated form of Facebook. Turns out, I've gotten so much more out of Twitter than I would have thought.

I just realized that when I came across some guys posting from the C309 Conference. Now, I didn't know what the heck that was until I clicked on the #C309 hashtag (there's a lot to learn, but don't worry). So, I get to the Twitter search for C309 (oh, it's the Creative Church Conference) and everyone is posting little quotes from, I'm assuming, the guy who's speaking. I literally felt like I was right there.

In addition to this type of thing, I've gotten so many great links. I'm primarily following folks in the educational technology & ministry fields, and every hour or so, I check out my tweetdeck (my friends laugh when I talk about that, too) and find some great links, pictures, and words of encouragement.

So, the bottom line is, I'm sticking with it. I'm not sure if it's even been a month yet, but I'm sold. Sign up and get in on the action. Join me here.

One warning. I have some friends (the podcast crew minus me & Ame) who thought it would be funny to create Mark the Youth Guy on Twitter and start following me. Turns out Mark was a real fan of the Leader Lounge. He was a huge fan. In fact, if I had taken the time to look at his Twitter page, I would have seen that that's all he talked about. He loved the Leader Lounge podcast so much, he recommended our podcast to everyone even in seminars he was teaching. Yeah. I got real excited about Mark and the rest of the guys got a real kick out of me getting real excited. We can all have a huge laugh about it on the next podcast. It was actually very funny.