Pizza & Side Hugs

[email protected]

Looking for something specific?
(2:10) When No One Shows Up Stories
(8:00) Getting People to Show Up to New/Different Events
(10:30) Advertise Ministry Differently (Snapchat!)
(14:17) Mentality of Hospitality
(18:29) Advanced Notice is KEY
(19:47) Syncing Ministry Calendars Straight to Phones
(22:54) Who Needs to Have the Info?
(24:45) Examine Your Processes
(25:39) Save the Dates are Your Friend
(27:25) Create "The Purple Cow"
(34:34) The Ministry Stretch (Creep)
(37:52) It's about the Relationship
Shareables (resources)

• Snapchat is popular right now. Wanting to use it for ministry? Download our PDF on how to safely use Snapchat.
• Interested in setting up your ministry calednar digitally so it can directly sync to your kids' and parents' phones? Check out these notes.
• We love FLOCKNOTE and if you're looking for a new way to communicate (including texting), check them out.
• Seth Godin wrote the fantastic book The Purple Cow: transform your business by being remarkable that caused Jake to rethink his ministry. It may be worth a read!

[email protected]

Looking for something specific?
(2:31) We have another guest: Nick Vergatos
(3:13) Finding Great Volunteers
(7:03) Know What You Want From Volunteers
(9:40) Why it's good to avoid the term "volunteer"
(10:45) Alternative words to use for those that help in ministry
(13:12) "Dating" vs. "Marrying" Your Volunteers
(14:43) Creating Volunteer Job Descriptions
(17:16) Equipping New Volunteers
(19:40) Continual Training and Orientation is Vital
(20:34) DTR (Define the Relationship) With Volunteers
(23:25) Volunteers Understanding Wins
(24:51) Interview with Nick Vergatos
(31:35) What Keeps Nick Coming Back

• Why he wanted to get involved
• Process of getting involved
• Why he keeps coming back
• How to decide what roles to take on
• When he's been celebrated as a volunteer

38:21 Playing to Strengths of Volunteers
Volunteer Shout Outs
Shareables (resources)

• Interested in learning more about your strengths - yes, we all have them. Take Gallup's Strengthsfinder assessment.
• Looking for an example of a volunteer job description? Check this one out for an idea!

[email protected]

Looking for something specific?
(03:22) - Failed Games
(14:18)- Why we Play Games
(23:25) - Things to be Aware of During Games
(28:41) - Strategically Varying the Type of Games
(37:35) - What if Youth Don't Want to Play
(40:33) - Tactics to make your games work
(47:34) - Are Prizes Needed?
(52:17) - Our Favorite Games

Shareables (resources)

• Name Game Alert! We love this game and so do the kids. Take a look at what we call Pool Noodle Smack Down.
• One of our all-time favorites. All you need are some grocery bags and markers to play I'm Gonna Rip Your Face Off. Watch this video of the Game being played!
• Paul's Survivor Lock-in has almost 10K views on Youtube - watch it to hit that magical number. Also, maybe send us an email if you watch it past the 10K point...that would be SUPER!
• Need some good up-front games? Check out Download Youth Ministry or CrowdControlGames for tons of affordable downloads.
• This game can only be played ONCE and it's a bit of a prank on your kiddos. Check out the game Jerusalem. Here are Instructions on how to play and you'll also need the Print out of the cities to cut up and give out!
• Get to know your group with a couple rounds of Hot Seat.
• Emojis are a hit. We made a competitive game out of texting the emojis. Download the powerpoint here to run it yourself.
• Jake mentioned the movie Heavyweights (1995). Take a look at the trailer for fun!

[email protected]

At the start of a new year of ministry, it’s easy to get caught up in, “What’s new in your ministry?” But the fundamentals of YM should excite us even more. This episode is all about Running it Back to why you want to do this in the first place!

Top 5 Fundamentals To Focus on At the Start of the Year

1. Seeing the Kids- (6:50)
2. Putting Yourselves in Parent’s Shoes-(17:00)
3. Being a Companion for First Year Leaders- (27:16)
4. Getting Ahead in Order to Be Present- (34:58)
5. Praying for Your Community- (42:45)

Links from the Show
iGen- Dr. Jean Twenge
Drawing from nationally representative surveys of 11 million young people as well as in-depth interviews, iGen is the first book to document the cultural changes shaping today’s teens and young adults, documenting how their changed world has impacted their attitudes, worldviews, and mental health.
From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age
Every human society possesses a moral and spiritual imaginative vision, a set of assumptions and ways of looking at things according to which life proceeds. This essay is an attempt to contribute effective strategies to engage our own time and culture once more with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and – for a weary world – to awaken the Catholic imaginative vision.

[email protected]