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* THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS *
A Conversation with Justin Herman
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Order Controlled Chaos, the book!
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Kurt Johnston and Justin Herman are your guides in this revised and expanded edition of a youth ministry classic. Their goal in Controlled Chaos is simple: to share their experience, insight, and a desire to provide a little bit of hope and help so you can effectively serve the middle school students in your church. As youth ministry veterans, Kurt and Justin know the key to effective junior high ministry:PARENTS + CARING ADULT FOLLOWER OF JESUS + JUNIOR HIGHER = GOOD STUFF. And this book unpacks how to turn that ministry formula into ministry reality: Understanding today’s junior higher. Building an effective team of quality volunteers. Ministering to and partnering with parents and families. Pursuing and promoting creativity in your ministry. Identifying your ministry’s purpose. Teaching and speaking effectively to young teenagers. Having fun—yes, FUN—at church. Becoming a spiritually healthy leader. Accept the mess. Welcome the madness. Embrace the chaos.
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meet jay
Jay Higham is a veteran youth worker of almost 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the Director of Family Ministry at Covenant Community Church, in Wheeling, WV. Jay has been married to Amy for over 21 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence.
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The school year is coming to an end, and so is our student ministry calendar. While we hadn't planned for what's happening, we were able to add 4 additional weeks to our school calendar, bringing us into May.
It was a sweet end to a crazy season. While no one planned or expected to be doing virtual youth ministry, we have found this season to still be a good one, with plenty of God-moments scattered throughout. Like I told my students, it was still a really good year! |
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Date: Tuesday, May 19th, 2020
Theme for the Night: Last Night of the School Year
Series Title: No Series
Message Title: Reminder to Love & Year End Thoughts.
Countdown Video:
- This weeks intro was a little shorter. I simply recapped a little of our Stay-At-Home experience.
Welcome Video:
- Full House Theme Parody Video featuring the Leadership Team. I ran this for a second week because it was just too good to only use once.
Announcements:
- I shared a quick update on what will be happening as we think about the summer months and into fall.
Funny Element:
- Since it was our last night of the school year, I created a short slide show of pictures from the past year. It was a chance to remember some of the fun we had as a student ministry prior to our Corona shut down? (https://youtu.be/VuSBbgFJj3w)
Game Time:
- No Game Time this week.
Worship Together:
- Our Student Worship Leader led us in two worship songs...
- Unstoppable God
- Good, Good Father
Message:
- One of my amazing leaders shared a 5 minute devotional reminding us of the importance to love.
- I shared some closing thoughts and encouraging words as we look to the future.
Theme for the Night: Last Night of the School Year
Series Title: No Series
Message Title: Reminder to Love & Year End Thoughts.
Countdown Video:
- This weeks intro was a little shorter. I simply recapped a little of our Stay-At-Home experience.
Welcome Video:
- Full House Theme Parody Video featuring the Leadership Team. I ran this for a second week because it was just too good to only use once.
Announcements:
- I shared a quick update on what will be happening as we think about the summer months and into fall.
Funny Element:
- Since it was our last night of the school year, I created a short slide show of pictures from the past year. It was a chance to remember some of the fun we had as a student ministry prior to our Corona shut down? (https://youtu.be/VuSBbgFJj3w)
Game Time:
- No Game Time this week.
Worship Together:
- Our Student Worship Leader led us in two worship songs...
- Unstoppable God
- Good, Good Father
Message:
- One of my amazing leaders shared a 5 minute devotional reminding us of the importance to love.
- I shared some closing thoughts and encouraging words as we look to the future.
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Meet Jay
Jay Higham is a veteran youth worker of almost 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the Director of Family Ministry at Covenant Community Church, in Wheeling, WV. Jay has been married to Amy for over 21 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence.
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* THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED BLOG POST *
For me, it is one of the most exciting weeks; the National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC). 3000 plus youth workers, gathered together for a weekend of learning, worship, fun, networking, encouragement, and rest. I have attended NYWC since 1999. In all of those years, I have only missed 3 years. I have volunteered since 2008, minus one year when I couldn't make it. This November will be my 18th NYWC, and can I say, I am just as excited to go as I was in 1999.
I will keep this short, knowing there will be a series of blog and vlog posts talking about NYWC20. But today is a special day as registration for NYWC20 opens with an incredible deal for you!
Check this out...
- Register TODAY to take advantage of the launch day deals. #NYWC20
This deal is incredible!
Check this out...
- Register TODAY to take advantage of the launch day deals. #NYWC20
- Save over $200 (P.S. cheapest rate you will get all year.)
- Get a BOSO (Buy One Share One)*
- Get a Comedy Kickoff ticket with your Deep Dive.
This deal is incredible!
You have to registers today!
Don't wait! Secure your weekend in Columbus, OH, with a couple thousand of your closest youth ministry friends!
I will be there! And I would love to see you, meet you, grab a cup of coffee, hear your story, and get to know you!
So, come on! Register! Take advantage of the lowest registration price available, and let's meet in Columbus!
- jay
Don't wait! Secure your weekend in Columbus, OH, with a couple thousand of your closest youth ministry friends!
I will be there! And I would love to see you, meet you, grab a cup of coffee, hear your story, and get to know you!
So, come on! Register! Take advantage of the lowest registration price available, and let's meet in Columbus!
- jay
| | MEET JAYJay Higham is a veteran youth worker of almost 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the Director of Family Ministry at Covenant Community Church, in Wheeling, WV. Jay has been married to Amy for over 21 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence. |
* THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINK *
What we're learning during covid19
podcast episode #03
On today's Conversations with Every Day Youth Workers, I talk with Ryan Schaible, from Good Shepherd Church, in Naperville, IL. As I talk with youth workers, I'm continuing the discussion regarding the impact Covid-19 has left on our youth ministries! Ryan shares some great insight and wisdom, along with some of the things he's learning because of the virus. I hope today's conversations helps and encourages you!
Listen to the podcast
CONNECT WITH US
THIS WEEK's RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
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THE END OF YOUTH MINISTRY?
What is youth ministry actually for? And does it have a future? Andrew Root, a leading scholar in youth ministry and practical theology, went on a one-year journey to answer these questions. In this book, Root weaves together an innovative first-person fictional narrative to diagnose the challenges facing the church today and to offer a new vision for youth ministry in the 21st century. |
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MEET JAY
Jay Higham is a veteran youth worker of almost 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the Director of Family Ministry at Covenant Community Church, in Wheeling, WV. Jay has been married to Amy for over 21 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence.
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* THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS *
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It's been a couple of weeks since I shared a ministry recap, so I thought I'd update the site and give you a little look at what we're doing.
This week marked Week 9 of online ministry for our student ministry. Over the last couple of weeks, we made the decision to move from Facebook to YouTube and from LIVE streaming to more packaged content. A couple factors helped to make the decision. First, I wanted to include more leader involvement. |
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So I started asking leaders to make short recordings; from hello's greetings to mini devotional-styled messages, to sharing favorite Bible verses, to goofy challenges. I can then take the videos and shape them into a program that we then run on Tuesday nights. Up to three weeks ago, I was still using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) to run our live stream over Facebook. It was super easy to compile the videos and run a live program. However, I started running into some issues while streaming everything live.
1. Our internet connect was growing more and more unstable. I'm not sure why, but the more we attempted to stream live, the more unreliable the stream became. While the audio seems to be okay, the video image kept freezing.
2. Because I was focused on "directing" the live stream, I was missing out on the engagement taking place in the comments. Thankfully, my leaders did a great job connecting with students.
3. It was incredibly stressful to run a live stream, knowing anything could bring the stream to a stand still. Bad connection, buffering, glitches, a mistake on my part, hitting the End Stream button by mistake (yes, that almost happened twice), to total internet failure (which also happen).
As I considered the pros and cons of continuing with the live stream, I found the cons outweighing the pros, so I made the jump to YouTube. I started a channel for our student ministry, and got to work planning how it would look. I also decided that we we're going to make the call and go pre-recorded. Yes, this decision comes with more pros and cons, however, I found that I could still include my leaders while opening the door to allow me to have a bit more engagement with students in the comments. It also reduced the stress and worries associated with a live stream. Once the video was uploaded, I didn't have to worry about connections, buffering, screen-freeze, glitches, or total meltdown. I did, however, have to deal with the upload time. (It can take up to 3 and a half to 4 hours to upload a 45 minute video.)
But on the pros side, we could be even more creative. As you will see in this weeks video, we kicked off the night with a Full House theme parody. It was super full, and we got a huge response because of it!
1. Our internet connect was growing more and more unstable. I'm not sure why, but the more we attempted to stream live, the more unreliable the stream became. While the audio seems to be okay, the video image kept freezing.
2. Because I was focused on "directing" the live stream, I was missing out on the engagement taking place in the comments. Thankfully, my leaders did a great job connecting with students.
3. It was incredibly stressful to run a live stream, knowing anything could bring the stream to a stand still. Bad connection, buffering, glitches, a mistake on my part, hitting the End Stream button by mistake (yes, that almost happened twice), to total internet failure (which also happen).
As I considered the pros and cons of continuing with the live stream, I found the cons outweighing the pros, so I made the jump to YouTube. I started a channel for our student ministry, and got to work planning how it would look. I also decided that we we're going to make the call and go pre-recorded. Yes, this decision comes with more pros and cons, however, I found that I could still include my leaders while opening the door to allow me to have a bit more engagement with students in the comments. It also reduced the stress and worries associated with a live stream. Once the video was uploaded, I didn't have to worry about connections, buffering, screen-freeze, glitches, or total meltdown. I did, however, have to deal with the upload time. (It can take up to 3 and a half to 4 hours to upload a 45 minute video.)
But on the pros side, we could be even more creative. As you will see in this weeks video, we kicked off the night with a Full House theme parody. It was super full, and we got a huge response because of it!
Over the last 9 weeks, we noticed that we were seeing less and less participation from our students. To help boost engagement and to encourage parents to get involved, we hosted a Family Night, which included a game that required family participation, a time for families to worship together, and an opportunity for families to send pictures of themselves watching or playing the game.
It was a great night, and the initial feedback has been great. We're still learning, making adjustments, and developing our online presence. Not sure of when we will actually be able to get together in person, we're still trying to improve how we connect with our students online.
But here's a run down of Tuesday night's C3Students Online, Family Night!
It was a great night, and the initial feedback has been great. We're still learning, making adjustments, and developing our online presence. Not sure of when we will actually be able to get together in person, we're still trying to improve how we connect with our students online.
But here's a run down of Tuesday night's C3Students Online, Family Night!
Date: Tuesday, May 12th, 2020
Theme for the Night: Family Night
Series Title: No Series
Message Title: Trials Lead to Perseverance.
Countdown Video:
- I created an intro with slides featuring funny, awkward family photos found online.
Welcome Video:
- Full House Theme Parody Video featuring the Leadership Team.
Announcements:
- Short update on our status as a student ministry and possible reopening plans.
Funny Element:
- Our church staff played a Zoom game I created called, Where Am I? (https://youtu.be/WbxJo9FYxiE)
Game Time:
- Family Sitcom Switch Up. I created a game featuring popular family sitcoms from the 80's and 90's. The families had to look at a scrambled slide and try to figure out the tv sitcom. You can download and use the game for free by click here. To encourage participation and engagement, we gave away a gift card for dinner at a local restaurant.
Worship Together:
- Our Student Worship Leader led us in two worship songs...
- Open Up the Heavens
- Build My Life
Message:
- James 1:2-3, & 12 NIV
- Trials Lead to Perseverance.
Theme for the Night: Family Night
Series Title: No Series
Message Title: Trials Lead to Perseverance.
Countdown Video:
- I created an intro with slides featuring funny, awkward family photos found online.
Welcome Video:
- Full House Theme Parody Video featuring the Leadership Team.
Announcements:
- Short update on our status as a student ministry and possible reopening plans.
Funny Element:
- Our church staff played a Zoom game I created called, Where Am I? (https://youtu.be/WbxJo9FYxiE)
Game Time:
- Family Sitcom Switch Up. I created a game featuring popular family sitcoms from the 80's and 90's. The families had to look at a scrambled slide and try to figure out the tv sitcom. You can download and use the game for free by click here. To encourage participation and engagement, we gave away a gift card for dinner at a local restaurant.
Worship Together:
- Our Student Worship Leader led us in two worship songs...
- Open Up the Heavens
- Build My Life
Message:
- James 1:2-3, & 12 NIV
- Trials Lead to Perseverance.
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Meet Jay
Jay Higham is a veteran youth worker of almost 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the Director of Family Ministry at Covenant Community Church, in Wheeling, WV. Jay has been married to Amy for over 21 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence.
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Jay Higham is a veteran youth worker of over 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the director of family ministry at a church, located in West Virginia. Jay has been married to Amy for over 25 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence.
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