Looking for a devotion book that your entire family can walk through in 2019? Foundations by Robby and Kandi Gallaty covers all 260 chapters in the New Testament to help busy believers dive deep into the Bible. They have three books: one for adults, one for students, and one for kids.
Check out the devotions on Amazon: http://a.co/d/6Snx4rT
Watch the video below or search through other content on YouTube or Chase’s Facebook Page.
Is your child receiving a new device this holiday season? New devices show up as phones, gaming systems, computers, tablets, and watches. It can be difficult for us to keep up with the tech world and understand how to navigate it to protect our children. These two resources will help you lead your children through decisions about technology and the internet.
Tech Wise Family (http://a.co/d/a4FXXLT) and Every Parent’s Guide To Navigating Our Digital World (http://a.co/d/j6kp5Yx) are must-reads for parents navigating the digital world.
Watch the video below or search through other content on YouTube or Chase’s Facebook Page.
Is your passion for Jesus burning out?
It happens to all of us.
Maybe a summer camp or incredible worship gathering stoked your fire for Jesus like never before. Chances are, there is a time where you have felt closer to Jesus.
One Saturday evening, not too long ago, Molly decided her life would never be the same. For the first time, she was truly excited about God.
During an amazing weekend retreat Jesus seemed to be closer to her than ever before.
When she headed home, she was ready to make drastic changes in her life, friendships, and habits.
But by midweek, she felt herself slipping away from Jesus.
Once full of hope and excitement about what Jesus could do in her life, Molly had now settled back into her old habits and friendships. She knew life could be different. However her old habits caused her passion to burn out.
Her passion for Jesus slowly burned out.
Have you ever met someone like Molly?
Perhaps you have had the same experience as Molly – during a retreat you experienced God like never before, but shortly after your passion seemed to slowly burn out.
From my vantage point as a pastor and former staff member at a Christian camp and retreat facility, I have seen tens of thousands of people draw near to Jesus – and subsequently I’ve seen hundreds of people fail to stoke that passion once they returned home.
But why did that passion fade?
Was it your schedule? Perhaps your habits? Or what about your relationships?
Every student leaves an event ready to passionately pursue Jesus, but many fall back into the passion-smothering routines that await.
How do we continue to stoke our passion for Jesus?
After working with thousands who have attended camps, retreats, and events, I knew that I had to encourage people to stoke their passion for Jesus in their day-to-day lives.
That’s when I began working on STOKED: 6 Questions To Fuel Your Fire For Jesus.
Stoking your fire for Jesus is easier than you think.
These six simple questions will enable your passion to burn brighter for the glory of Jesus.
The times when I was isolated, spiritually burned out, or tired were the times I made decisions that I regret. Stoked asks pointed questions that will lead students away from the habits and situations that are extinguishing their spiritual fires.
Stoked is designed to be either a stand-alone book or to be used in a small group setting. Each week explores one question with a core session and five daily devotions to spark conversations and habits.
Students are able to work through the book on their own as a six-week devotional, or small groups can study it together as a six-week small group study.
Volunteer meetings…
When was the last time you said, “Man, I need more meetings in my life.”
Or how about this one:
“Another meeting would bring more meaning to my life.”
Probably not.
While most people try their best to avoid meetings, they are necessary to set direction, communicate vision, and build a healthy team.
Family ministries can leverage volunteer meetings to encourage and equip their leaders, all while building momentum.
But many pastors fail to leverage volunteer meetings.
How do I know?
Most volunteers avoid, or even worse, dread, attending ministry meetings.
Every meeting can be better. Better meetings lead to more effective ministry and volunteer retention.
Here are 10 simple tips for creating valuable volunteer meetings.
[bctt tweet=”Better meetings lead to more effective ministry and volunteer retention. ” username=”chasesnyder12″]
10 Simple Tips For Creating Valuable Volunteer Meetings
Share Stories Of What God Is Doing
As the leader, it is easier for you to hear stories of how God is moving. Your volunteers aren’t as lucky. You must make it a priority to start every volunteer meeting by sharing the impact the Gospel is making in people’s lives. Nothing is more motivating than knowing your energy and effort are making a difference.
Come With An Agenda
Agendas help you focus the meeting. The last thing your busy, unpaid volunteer wants is to attend a pointless meeting. This is a no-brainer, but it tends to be the first item that gets pushed out of our to-do lists when we get busy.
Specify The Length Of The Meeting And Stick To It
Speaking of wasting time — you need to specify the length of the meeting and stick to it. You might get a five minute grace period if you go over. Going 15-plus minutes over doesn’t communicate more info. It communicates that you are unorganized.
Provide Childcare
Meetings must be accessible for your team. Less leaders will attend if they have to jump through a ton of hoops to find childcare. Heaven forbid if they would have to pay for childcare to attend your meeting. Go ahead and budget to provide childcare during your meetings. Give a few high school girls some Starbucks gifts cards and you all are set.
Meet When Leaders Are Already At The Church
Do you have two services? Plan on meeting with your leaders during the second service. There are several benefits to this plan. Their children are taken care of. You will not go over on time. More leaders will already be attending at that time slot. You don’t have to provide a lunch. There are a few considerations you will have to take into account: 1. Don’t meet during corporate worship more than once a semester. Your people will be frustrated to miss worship. 2. Get the support of your leadership before you schedule a meeting during a worship time.
Plan For Conversations
No one wants to hear you lecture for an hour. You need to engage your leaders in conversation during the meeting. You need their input. You need their ideas. You need their buy-in. The only way you can get those is if each person has an opportunity to communicate during the meeting. Plan to ask key questions or walk through exercises that will get your leaders talking about the agenda items.
Provide Food And A Relaxed Atmosphere
Everyone wins when meetings have food. Don’t worry about catering a nice meal in for your student ministry leader meeting. (Although, doing that once a year is a nice treat for your leaders.) Find a volunteer who has a gift of hospitality and charge that person with buying some drinks and snacks for your meal. Creating a relaxed atmosphere will encourage conversation to go beyond the surface and into what is needed to minister on a deeper level.
Meet At A Home
There is something warm about meeting in a person’s home. Find a gracious host in your church and schedule your leadership team meeting at a home.
Communicate Support
How are you going to ensure your leaders can lead? Are you going to back them with your budget? What about getting them sports passes to attend area football games? You need to communicate the specifics of your plan to support your team.
Come with a 6-9 Month Plan
It is your responsibility to set the direction for the ministry. Head into the meeting with a tentative direction on your smaller events for the next 6-9 months. Talk through these with the team and get their feedback. Your larger events (camps, disciple now, curriculum changes, etc.) need to be scheduled 12-18 months out. You won’t have the specifics laid out that far in advance, but you must have the dates confirmed.
Now What
How have you created engaging leadership team meetings?
God hasn’t called us to be mediocre spiritual leaders.
Churches around the country are filled with leaders who more closely resemble warm bodies than spiritual leaders.
Small group leaders have an incredible calling to impart practical spiritual truth with a group of people who are on various levels of spiritual maturity. This is an incredibly difficult task!
It is well known that the best leaders are self-aware to their limitations, issues, and shortcomings. The list below reflects 14 qualities of incredible small group leaders. None of us match up with every one of these. We all have gaps. However, it is important for us to recognize where we are, where we need to be, and who we can bring into the mix to help us fill the gaps of our leadership.
Take your time and pray through this list and see where God is leading you to grow as a leader.
[bctt tweet=”God hasn’t called us to be mediocre spiritual leaders.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
14 Characteristics Of Incredible Small Group Leaders
Spiritually Mature
What right do you have leading others to Jesus if you are not following Him?
Small group leaders must be spiritually mature. Does this mean they have to be perfect? Of course not! Maturity doesn’t mean you are perfect. Maturity in Jesus means that you are being transformed into the likeness of Jesus through spiritual disciplines. Spiritually immature people are incapable of being spiritual leaders. The great news is that we can all, by the grace of Jesus and application of spiritual disciplines, grow spiritually.
[bctt tweet=”Spiritually immature people are incapable of being spiritual leaders.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
Attentive
Great small group leaders are attentive to the needs, spiritual condition, and personalities of the people that the are serving. It isn’t enough for a small group leader to know the bible study material – they must know the people they are serving.
Transparent
Transparency is essential to build relationships. Relationship is essential for discipleship. Every person in your small group doesn’t need to know every aspect of your life. Instead, they need to know that you are a real person with real struggles. Groups that are transparent are led by leader who are transparent.
Patient
Small group leaders are not responsible to “fix” people. There are too many negative ways you can take that statement, so I will move on. Some leaders become increasingly frustrated that the students in their group aren’t maturing as quickly as others. Be patient. People are different. People come from different backgrounds. People have different stories.
Person Of Integrity
This one is a no-brainer. Leaders have integrity. Without integrity you lose influence. Integrity comes from practicing what you preach, both publicly and privately.
Encourager
People are willing to follow someone who encourages them. Everyone feels inadequate in some areas of their spiritual life. Encouraging your small group can be as simple as praying, sending text messages, or remembering to follow up with a question.
[Read: 3 Ways You Can Be A Leader Who Encourages Others]
[bctt tweet=”People are willing to follow someone who encourages them.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
Relational
The love for people is an essential characteristic of great small group leaders. The best small group leaders are actively participating in other’s lives. The best small group leader’s are not the greatest Bible teachers – they are often the best relational leaders.
Positive
I find it hard to read the Bible and walk away with a negative attitude. God has repeatedly done the impossible for His people. Small group leaders need to approach their groups with a positive attitude. After all, God promises to provide for His people – both spiritually and relationally.
Servant
Jesus’ life exemplified the power present when we assume the role of a servant leader. Your small group doesn’t exist to serve you, but for you to serve them.
Available
The most encouraging person can still make for a bad small group leader if he is unavailable to his group. Time and energy are essential to disciple others. Small group leaders understand that at times they will sacrifice their schedule to minister to their group.
Intentional
Spiritual growth doesn’t appear magically. Growth takes intentionality. It is a small group leader’s responsibility to intentionally lead each person in his or her group.
Expectant
Do you believe that your group members can do incredible things to build the Kingdom of God? Healthy expectations can spur growth more so than wordsmithing a perfect open-ended question.
Each Jesus follower has been given spiritual gifts and talents to leverage in their mission to share the Gospel. Great leaders help their people set healthy expectations and paint a picture of what God may have for them in the near future.
Enthusiastic
Enthusiasm is contagious. It is important for you to enjoy spending time with your small group. The leader is the one who sets the pace for this. If you dread attending small group meetings your group will dread it as well. Add elements that will connect the team to one another and spark their enjoyment for life and Jesus.
[bctt tweet=”If you dread attending small group meetings your group will dread it as well.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
Facilitator
Your small group is not a platform. Your small group is not your audience. Don’t lecture to them for an hour. Be a leader that facilitates conversation. Facilitators steer the conversation without controlling the conversation. Facilitation, when done well, incorporates strong Biblical teaching and ensures there are practical steps for each person to walk away with.
[bctt tweet=”Facilitators steer the conversation without controlling the conversation.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
Are you impacting your community for the Gospel of Jesus?
I didn’t ask if your church has ministries that serve the community.
I’m not concerned with the number of service projects you have completed.
Are you impacting your community?
It is easy for us to believe that since our church is ministering to the community that must mean that we had a part in that as well. While that is partially true, you can’t sit on Sundays and never serve but call that investing in your community.
4 Habits That Are Killing Your Ministry
You use your social medias to further your agenda instead of spread Jesus’ love
Your friends and neighbors see your social media posts long before they see you. How do I know? Because people are going to check their social media news feeds before they leave their house in the mornings. Stop filling your social medias with hate speech, pointless arguments, and posts that make you look awesome. Be real on your social medias and start to connect with your alleged “friends.”
Don’t be pushy, but be real about the love of Jesus.
You don’t serve your community
Sure, you sign up for a service project every year or so. Is that investment? Are you getting to know people? Imagine if Jesus performed one miracle per year. We would have a whopping three miracles from his ministry! There are plenty of needs in your community that must be meet more than once or twice per year. Relationships are built by spending time with others. And discipleship is impossible without relationships.
[bctt tweet=”Discipleship is impossible without relationships.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
How are you, not your church, serving families and spreading the hope of Jesus?
You don’t attend a local church, you drive to another town
How far away is your church from your house? More than a 25 minute drive? Unless you live in an area without many people or churches, something might be off about this. Most people are attending church because they like certain aspects – the music, the preaching, the children’s ministry, etc. But answer this. What will happen when the church changes it’s worship style? Or if the pastor is called to another church?
If we base our decision to attend church on our likes and not where God wants us to serve, then we aren’t ministering to our community. What if God has called you to be the only young adult at a smaller church so that you can be the one who reaches young adults?
[READ: Stop Shopping For A Church]
You are only concerned with bringing people to church, not taking the Gospel to people
There isn’t anything wrong with bringing people to church. There is everything wrong with failing to taking the Gospel to people.
[bctt tweet=”There is everything wrong with failing to taking the Gospel to people.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
The difference? Jesus didn’t command His disciples to “bring” people to the temple, Jesus instructed His disciples to “go” into the world.
Sitting back and waiting for people to find your church is the equivalent to sitting back and waiting for drowning swimmer to find his way back to the shore. The time is too short and the need is too great for us to live removed from the spiritual and physical needs of our communities.
