Uncategorized

BY KELSEY BLINN

How do you prioritize your time? What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Are you a list maker? Or do you get lost and just don’t know what to do?

Being and getting organized can be tough. It can take time but it is time well spent in the long run. Once you are organized it can become a rhythm that just needs to be maintained to help you thrive. Now where do you start? This can be the hardest part. The starting. It can be daunting and exhilarating all at the same time. Peer Ministry Leadership has a great resource called PLAN-IT that can help get the kickstart needed to become more organized in your ministry setting. The skills learned can also be carried over into other aspects of your life. Through this resource we can walk with you through the steps on how to map out your year to be a health program, work, and life balance. One focus in PLAN-IT are the four H’s: Head, Heart, Hand, and Holiness in relation to programming. Through this curriculum you learn how to plan programs that are based on scripture and theological beliefs, are relatable, nurture personal growth, and connect faith practices for everyday life.

Plan-IT can help you and your coworkers plan for the next year. It does take a little time to get into the swing of it but it pays off. If you would like to learn more about PLAN-IT check it out on the website LINK or contact Kelsey Blinn, kelsey@rlcollaborative.org to get the conversation started!

An organized youth minister who plans ahead?

Ahhh . . . that’s a rare and unusual find, once thought to be extinct. These rare creatures are sought after for the sounds they make, like “I have a plan!” or “I know what I am doing and why!” or “Better planning results in more quality time for the relational aspects of ministry!”

The more common species is known for these sounds: “I’ll just wing it!” and “Anybody know a good game for tomorrow night?”

Now, with our youth ministry catch-and-release program called Plan-It, we are retraining and reclaiming youth ministers throughout the universe. With our Plan-It wildlife-restoration program, youth ministers are released back into the wild, saying things like:

“Planning is not as scary as I thought. It was important to lay out all the pages on the table. It puts things in perspective, and I see things that I would miss on a computer calendar.”

“Plan-It is very affirming, relieving anxiety!”

“It helped me reframe how I think about doing youth ministry.”

“I got the events on the calendar. Now I can focus on how to better prepare and support leaders!”

“It is really important to take care of myself. I am planning a vacation, seeking support, and no longer doing ministry alone.”

From whence did Plan-It come? Possibly from alien worlds? You might think so, but in reality it came from my living room.

For several years our youth minister—let’s call him Ben (which works since that is his name)—came to my living room for a day in the spring. Our objective was to lay out the programs and themes for the next year.

After about four years, we thought it would be fun to invite other churches to join us. I think the next time we met with 10 churches in my living room. It was so much fun I did it two more times with more churches. I was surprised at the reaction. People loved it! They valued the time, the space to work alongside others, and the opportunity to steal each other’s ideas. The beginners and the veterans seemed to equally value this time.

“Plan-It” became the term the following year. Suddenly, we were taking the Plan-It process to various locations around the country. We continue to do this, and we love every experience. Like one participant said, “I normally go to a workshop or conference and maybe come away with one thing I might use. I went to a Plan-It and found that everything was practical and usable!” 

The book includes the lenses, tools, ideas, and helps we use in the one-day Plan-It workshop, plus numerous extras not covered in that time.

I was sitting with youth during a candle time discussion, a small group that simulates deep, cozy, campfire discussions. Their description of what it sometimes feels like to be in school was profound. As soon as the group was over, I had to write it down. 

“Navigating school? So many kids at our school are like magnets, drawn to drama, quickly joining in, echoing judgments, passing on gossip, and forming negative opinions. As high school students, we constantly walk this line of making choices that won’t make us stand out, because if you do stand out, you quickly attract critics.” 

Wow! I couldn’t believe how articulate and painfully honest these youth were. That is a tough culture to navigate daily. My question, “How do you change that culture?” and “What do you want to replace it with?” 

My answer, “We train and support Peer Ministry Leadership youth and young adults who create the countercultural opposite. Peer Ministry Leadership groups learn to look for the good in others, become gift-namers, become encouragers and cheerleaders for people of every social class, ethnicity, sexual preference, and varying abilities.” 

Looking for and naming the positive has become countercultural. Countercultural? I feel a bit of sadness using the word to describe positive gift naming. I forget how radical Jesus’ messages of love, grace, peace, and hope are. They are certainly not the norm today. “We love because Christ first loved us.” (I John 4:19) Even religious people are drawn to the drama of judging, proclaiming who is in and who is out, more concerned about being sin-managers than grace proclaimers. 

What gets attention gets repeated. As Christians, we have a ministry of changing culture to one that loves, affirms, uplifts, and names the good in life. We cheer people on. We give attention to people’s gifts so they will be repeated. 

Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God. (Psalm 46:10) I keep coming back to Eugene Peterson’s interpretation in The Message. Coming out of the traffic is coming out of the crazy busy-ness! The culture of critics! The echoes of judgement! I hope Peer Ministers become people who provide an oasis of relational interactions, where coming out of the traffic is about life-giving acceptance, listening, uplifting, encouraging, support, respect, and trust. 

See the resource, DEALING WITH REAL PEOPLE <LINK>