The “unofficial” Youth Ministry Advance Team: Haiti Scouting Report:

Anne Jackson: blog | twitter

I am really looking forward to getting to know Anne.  Anne is the only female on the team.  If a gal agreed to go on a trip with all guys, I already like and respect her.  Anne is not an official youth ministry blogger, but she gets more comments on her blog in a day, than I do in a year.  Apparently, she has a really cool book out too–  Mad Church Disease.  I am praying that God tells her to give me a free signed copy… (fingers crossed).  No pressure Anne, but seriously I will not have a book to read on my flight back to California.

Tim Schmoyer: blog | twitter

I am really excited to finally meet Tim Schmoyer.  Tim’s youth ministry blog inspired me to start my own blog.  I found his blog back in ’07 while looking for a fun-interactive youth ministry game.  I found toilet paper dodgeball, which I jacked from LISM.  Tim if you want to charge me for this game, I will pay. Honestly, I really want to get to know Tim as we share in this transformative journey to Haiti.  Tim and I had a few youth ministry blogging wars, but reconciliation is a powerful thing.  I think this trip will be really good for us by putting things in perspective.  Who knows? After Haiti we might want to stop our youth ministry blogs because at the end of the day…. who cares? What really matters most?

Adam McLane: blog | twitter

I am amped about the McLane being apart of the team. This guy is just legit and funny.  If I was back in high school, I would want to be friends with Adam.  I consider Adam McLane the youth ministry social media god.  I am going to spy on Adam and see if I can learn how he does his social media magic.  Plus I want to see if Adam can tweet in his sleep.  On a serious note, I really like and appreicate Adam’s worldview.  He is a theological thinker.  I will be intrigued to hear his thoughts and reflections about our experiences in Haiti.

Mark Oestreicher: blog

It will be a blast hanging with Marko.  For those that don’t know, Marko just started a Youth Ministry Coaching Program. The program is unlike anything I have come across.  The fact that he is coaching on youth ministry contextual application, is worth the price right there.  Marko’s book Youth Ministry 3.0 greatly impacted my youth ministry philosophy.  So I am thrilled to process and brainstorm with Marko about the situation in Haiti.

Seth Barnes:blog | twitter

Seth is the executive director of Adventures in Missions.  I am just going to say it and put it out there:  Adventures in Missions is rad!  AIM is taking care of all the logistics and trip planning.  I have been very impressed with Seth’s professionalism and commitment to doing mission trips right.  Even though I have never been on an AIM short mission trip, it is apparent that AIM values excellency.  I also love that AIM highly values:  prayer, partnership through the local church, and interdenominationalism.  It will be a joy seeing Seth in his element–doing what he does best.

Lars Rood: blog | twitter

Lars and I have a funny, triangular relationship.  My boss is great friends with Lars.  Lars has been in youth ministry for a while, so when he speaks, I listen.  Lars is notorious for his quick wit and one liners, so my abs are ready for his spunky spontaneity.  Bring it on Lars!!  When I think of the words:  team and youth ministry, I think Lars Rood.  I am expecting Lars to be a great team player and for him to pull his weight.  No if, ands, or buts.

Ian Robertson: video guy

I know nothing about the video dude except that he has cool hair and can edit video.  I want to immediately befriend the video guy just because….Who knows…he might be feeling left out?  Hey Ian, don’t worry dude I will share my Snickers with you.

Rhett Smith: blog | twitter

I have only heard about the Rhett Smith.  One of my good friends Drew Sams is his brother in law.  So I, indirectly, know Rhett.  Rhett has his MFT, so I will be eager to talk to him about how  “I am feeling”. I also may need to ask him for a few cognitive techniques to alleviate my anxiety about the trip.  I read Rhett’s blog a lot and the guy gets it.  He wonderfully intersects theology and psychology and directly speaks to pastoral issues.

Clint Bokelman: blog

Clint is the Director of Short Term Missions at Adventures In Missions.  I am pumped up to hear stories about how AIM Short Term Mission trips have made a huge impact–both globally and in the lives of students.  My wife and I are huge proponent of short term mission trips. I am confident that short term mission trips matter and work!!!  I am more than happy to take on anybody who thinks short term mission trips are not effective.  It will be neat to hear and learn from Clint’s wisdom and experience.

All in all, I have never been more ready, thrilled, humbled, and motivated to cautiously enter the Haitian situation with a unbelievable team and organization.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

This thesis is really the heartbeat and mission of REYouthPastor.com

My assumption: Some youth pastors think culture poisons our youth ministry culture.  Also, some youth pastors reject every aspect of culture and create their own“holy” subculture.

Youth pastors have 3 options:

Reject culture

Embrace culture

Transform culture

Youth Ministry contextualization happens in five parts:

1. Move into the city
2. Understand the Gospel
3. Integrating faith and works
4. Live countercultural
5. Youth ministry serve the good of the city and school campuses

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1. Live Locally

To understand your current community’s cultural influences and tradition, it is essential to live where you minister.  In order to receive God’s heart for the city, you have to be able to see (1^st hand) the cultural trends and the sin and strongholds within the community.

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2. Know the Gospel

The Gospel is God’s single redemptive plan for humanity.  The Gospel is restorative, transformative, and redemptive.  Students need to know that the Gospel takes the weight off and encourages them to help God restore the world and set it back right.  When students accept the Gospel, they give up the car keys to their life.  Essentially the gospel means students have to give up their life ownership.  Students need to know when it gets tough; Jesus paid it all and defeated the evil ways of this world.

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3. Faith, Life, School, Culture, & Church

Youth pastors need to show how Jesus intersects with life, church, and culture.  The Gospel is a worldview and not something that makes individuals feel good.  Youth pastor needs to get better at raising up cultural leaders within their youth ministry.  Youth pastors must deconstruct the student homogeneous population and design a youth ministry philosophy around the students’ real needs.  For example, if the dominant student culture and population is legalistic, then youth ministry really focuses on grace.  If dominant student culture is lazy, rebellious, and sex addicts, then focus on repentance and God’s restorative plan.  Then, flip flop.  Identify the unseen needs.  Students need to see a Jesus worldview that appropriately responds to sexuality, politics, money, school, and relationships.

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4. Countercultural

Lohfink in Jesus and Community calls this:  Contrast Society.  Stanely Hauerwas call this:  being a resident alien.  Youth ministries need to create mini clusters and sub groups that show diversity and value the teaching of Jesus– love, service, forgiveness, patience, and compassion.  Non-Christians students need to see Christian students inhabit the city and live very differently.  Youth groups need to look like the High School campus while being fully devoted to following Jesus.  It is a problem when youth groups don’t look like the community and is full of people who talk and look the same.  Student Christians are not trying to take power.  Basically they are trying to live very differently in terms of how they see sex, money, school life, and power. 

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5. Serving the Good of the City and School Campuses

Youth ministers need to look at their neighbors and ask:  How can our youth ministry make our neighbor’s lives better?  Youth ministries may want to consider to be outward and not church focused.  Asking how we can make our church/youth ministry better is a completely different question than asking how we can make our local community a better place.  It is all about serving!  Serve the local school campuses in a way where you are not in the way.

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© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

The incarnation is how God did ministry, so this is how we should do youth ministry.  When we practice relational youth ministry in the who, we enter deeply into theology.  We search to discover who God is, who God is calling us to be, and to whom we are called to go.

When we fall into practicing relational youth ministry in the how, we become programmers or service providers, seeking to find the best model, angle, idea, or event that matches some idealized, frozen form of ministry.

The incarnation is the invitation to join God as God enters the lives of adolescents seeking to discover and support the distinct who that they are in their suffering and joy.  The incarnation means that God has taken on humanity in its fullest, meaning we are free to be human.  Place sharing with others is the invitation to join in the lives of others, to mutually open our humanity up to the other so we together might be known, and in our togetherness know the Creator, who (we confess) has become one of us by tenting with us.

The goal of youth ministry is to be human beings who seek to be human with and for others in the power of God who has become human for us all.

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

Why did I say yes?

01.  I have no short term missionary experience.  My wife, on the other hand, has been going on mission trips since she was 15 years old. She has many-many mission trips under her belt and her passport is very colorful with stamps from all around the world.  So she is really qualified, and I am not.  I feel like Moses when God asks him to go to Egypt and to talk to Pharaoh.  Moses admittedly stated he is not an eloquent man and has a major shuddering problem (Exodus 4.10).  Moses and myself are asking the same question of:  Why us, Lord?  Then the Lord replies:  Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go; I will help you….” (Exodus 4.11-12)

02.  I am just an average dude with no specialized skill set.  I want to see firsthand how the Haitian Christians are responding to this national disaster and to assess how the youth of America can serve and help in the future. I want to see if the experts and news reporters are wrong (reportedly, only specialized help is needed in Haiti at this time, so “average joes” are discouraged from going).  I also want see if Haiti needs more passionate and compassionate Christ followers to provide non-skilled relief and hospitality.

03.  Nobody told me no. My wife said I had to go. My church said I had to go. My schedule had no conflicts, so it seemed that I could not say no and I have to go!

04.  My world needs to be hijacked. I am rolling on autopilot, doing the youth pastor thing in churchland, in a beautiful location.  I need to get out of the boat, get perspective, and get my hands dirty.  I know this is a dangerous thing to request, but I am desiring and longing for a good swift kick in the butt.

My conclusion: I am just an average dude who loves people and is willing to go to Haiti. I don’t think my nonprofessional skill set, nor my lack of short term missionary experience disqualifies me from going, or should stop me from saying yes.

“God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!” Rom 8:14 (The Message)

My specific prayer requests:

* I will need to be really discerning, cautious, and aware. I don’t want to get in the way.

* I put the armor of God on every day (Ephesians 6.10-18). Rumor has it the spiritual warfare there is gnarly and nasty.

* I don’t get stage fright. I can talk a big game in my theology, blog, and ministry, but when it is game time will I fold or buckle?

* I will need to be a great team player. I pull my own weight and be willing to help others both on my team and the Haitian people.

* I want to see beauty in the Haitian culture and people.

* God gives me His heart for Haiti.

The details are not all clear to me just yet. It still feels like fantasy land.  All I know is that I will be serving the people of Haiti with a team of youth workers, and preparing the way for youth groups to follow as the hands and feet of Jesus.

I will be reflecting about my Haiti experience and encounters via this blog.  More to come….

Feel free to follow our team:  http://www.facebook.com/ymath http://twitter.com/ymath

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.

Why the Rebrand?

www.smalltownyouthpastor.com essentially was my vomiting about working in a small church in a small town.  However things started happening and people started commenting. In reflection, the mission of www.smalltownyouthpastor.com was limiting how I viewed youth ministry and church, at the macro level.  So I started to rethink and identify what are my youth ministry essentials are in relation to my over-arching youth ministry philosophical approach.

I asked myself this question:  What do I think every youth pastor needs to target?

This is how reyouthpastor.com was birthed.  REyouthpastor.com reminds youth pastors to be theologically solid and culturally sharp so they can be effective reaching school campuses and their community for Jesus.  The four targets of REYouthPastor.com are:  Theological, Integral, Cultural, Missional.

ReYouthPastor.com 6 Categories:

Management – discusses the administration side of youth ministry

Teaching - need to know types of teaching styles or series?  This is the place you look.

Theology- it is my goal to provide a very systematic way to investigate theology.

YM, Culture, & Church – this section is devoted to the engagement of culture in regards to youth ministry and the church. Reyouthpastor.com  thinks that in order to be missional we need to exist at the intersection of life, culture, church, and Jesus.

Youth Pastor Tips – this category looks at youth pastor character and leadership development.

Jeremy Zach’s personal blog – this section tells the narrative of Jeremy Zach as a youth pastor.

I want to deeply thank my readers for allowing me to play and figure things out.  I believe the mission of REYouthPastor.com will facilitate a better educational and resourceful environment for youth pastors to gather and learn from one another.

I invite you to subscribe to my RSS feed and join me in the youth ministry conversation.  If you need reason to subscribe, please check out my page:  5 Reasons To Why You Need To Subscribe.

I would appreciate any feedback about this site’s functionality and user-ability.

Cheers!

© 2010, Jeremy Zach. All rights reserved.