This past Sunday evening, our High School Ministry gathered for our year end Christmas Party. We host our annual Christmas party on our last Sunday before going on Christmas break. It's relaxed, laid back, and fun! Our primary goal for the Christmas party is social and relational. We want our students to hang out with each other while our leaders mingle and build relationships with our students.

I try to not over program our Christmas party. In our church, December is a busy month with various activities and programed events that keep folks jumping. Outside of the church families, students, and our staff are very busy with school, jobs, Christmas shopping, sports, and seasonal concerts. So to counteract the busyness of the season, I purposely leave our Christmas party as something that is as un-programed as possible.
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After some pizza and drinks, it was time to get rolling with our party activities. Like I said, I don't program a lot of games or activities so for this years party I decided to use a downloadable resource from Download Youth Ministry. It was the perfect crowd breaker game to prime our students for the parties main event, The Great Gift Exchange!

your activity, purchase, download, then load it into your presentation software and you're ready to go! I've already downloaded and used four different games for the month of December, including Dollar Store Or So Much More? Christmas Edition, which we played as our ice breaker at the party. It was perfect! Be sure to check out tomorrows blog for a list of all the games we've played this month.
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It was a great night of relaxing fun, food, and friends. We laughed a lot. Got some great gifts. And we enjoyed time with our students. Now we're ready for a little break and some time with our families!

What do you do at your ministry Christmas party? Share your activities and program ideas in the comment section below!

​- jay

Lead Me To The Cross, Part 1
God So Loved..., Jay Higham
Recorded on Sunday, April 09th, 2017
​At Hickory United E.P. Church

Here are two books that are super helpful. They are available as a free download on Kindle.
Each is a short, easy to read book that helps explain the topic of being Born Again.
Can I Be Sure I'm Saved? & What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?
Both are by written by R.C. Sproul.
​
Simply click, download and start reading!

introduction  | day one  | day two  | day three

Were you ever so excited to receive a gift that you just could wait to get it opened and begin using? You tear into it as fast as you can. You pull and shred, rip and strip. Then you hold it in your hands. But without taking any time to understand how to use the gift, you start using it, only to find out that had you taken the time to read the instruction you get more out of your gift...

I remember the Christmas I opened the Star Wars, Ewok Village. It was one of those gifts that I just had to have. Being a big Star Wars fan, the Ewok Village was the perfect playset. 

I remember tearing into the box, ripping it open and yanking everything out. The problem was, some assembly required. Parts of the village had to be put together. Knots needed to be tied, stickers needed to be applied, elevators needed to be built, and instructions to be read.

Sadly, I didn't learn. Over the years there have been plenty of opportunities to slow down and follow the instructions. But my impatience, and more often stubbornness, led me to the familiar territory of regret and disappointment. If only I had followed the instructions, I would think, maybe some of this could have been avoided.

Have you ever felt that way?

I wonder if Adam ever thought that way. While plowing the rocky fields, pulling weeds, or digging up thorns, did Adam ever say to himself, If I had only followed God's instructions, maybe...

You see, in Genesis 2, God gives the man, Adam, the instructions. Having placed Adam inthe Garden, God says, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." ( Genesis 2:16&17 NIV) Adam was given the opportunity to eat freely from all that the Garden had to offer. Every plant, bush and tree, if it was edible or grew something edible, he could eat it. All of it was his. All of it, except for this one unique tree; the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  This tree was off limits.

Unfortunately it was simply a matter of time. The evil one came along and tricked the man and he ate the fruit from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And from that moment on, we have been living in regret because we have chosen to not follow the instructions.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

We celebrate Christmas because of what Christmas means for us; HOPE! Our hope is found in Jesus! Why? Because he does for us what we can't do for ourselves! He follows the instructions, that we can't follow on our own. Jesus was perfectly obedient to his Father, right up to the end. And because he did, our mistakes that come because we have failed to follow the instruction are set right.

The Apostle Paul said it this way, "For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19 NIV) 

These verses aren't the easiest to read. Frankly, they can be a bit confusing. But when we slow down and read them carefully, we find the incredible gift of God's forgiveness and grace! Basicly Paul's saying, Adam, when he chose to be disobedient, messed things up for everyone. Sin became a reality. That sin, which we all carry, leads to death. But Jesus, chose to be obedient. That obedience led him to willingly lie down his life, covering over the disobedience, bringing righteousness back to men.

So now when we say, I believe that Jesus died for our my sins, and I accept him into my life as my Lord and Savior, his perfect obedience makes us right in the sight of God and brings us into eternal life.

On that first Christmas morn, God gave us a gift. That gift grew up to died to give us life. Not just life for the here and now, but life that  goes on for ever and ever and ever. And now, when we find ourselves rushing into circumstances without slowing down to follow the instructions, it's not death, but forgiveness and grace we meet on the other side.

As you prepare your heart this Christmas, slow down and remember. Look for times when following the instructions seemed like a waste of time and you ventured out on your own only to find that you put the stickers in the wrong spot. Remind yourself, God's grace is big enough for even that! Because that kind of grace leaves me in awe and wonder. How about you?

<< Awe & Wonder - Intro

Do you remember falling in love for the first time? Do you remember how all you wanted was to be with that person? To be close to them? To spend time with them? To get to know as much about them as possible?

I remember my first love. All I wanted was to see her all the time. And so I tried to spend as much time as possible with her. The problem was, I was young and immature. I didn't fully understand what love was. Looking back, there was less love and more infatuation. But now I am older. I am married. I have a family. And while I'm still learning, I have a better understanding of what real love is, what true love is all about. Love is unconditional. Love is commitment. Love is relentless. Love is sacrifice. Love is...LOVE. ​

So a number of years ago, I started a personal study through the book of Genesis. I spent a significant amount of time working my way through the first couple chapters, reading commentaries, talking with other pastors, listening to what others had to say. And what I found was not a conflict in the story, but a change in the perspective. Genesis 2 isn't a story of what was created, but who was created. Genesis chapter 2 is the beginning of an incredible love story. A love story between the Creator and His creation.

God created man. He reached down with his hands, sculpted his form out of the dirt, and breathed life deep into his lungs. The man filled with life and became the greatest of God's creation. And God loved him.

He loved him so much that he made a place just for him. It was a place of great delight. All of the man's needs were met. Shelter, food, companionship, even regular visits with the Creator. Man wanted for nothing. That is, until he believed a lie.

The creation got selfish, wanted to do things it’s own way. That broke the relationship between the Creator and the creation. Destroyed it. Sin was born and a chasm created. The Holy Creator on one side, and the rebellious created on the other.

But the Creator, because of His love for His creation, chose to redeem what He loved. And in Genesis 3:15, God declares war. It’s a promise. A promise to restore what the creation broke, to bridge the chasm, to renew love.

For the rest of the Old Testament, God’s love for His creation is demonstrated over and over again. And all along the way, we are reminded of this promise of restoration!

When we read Genesis 2 & 3, what we find is the beginning of God's love story. It's a love story that encompasses God's people throughout the scriptures. But more than a love story found in a book, this is your love story, a living breathing love story. This is the story of God, demonstrating His immeasurable love for you! Just drop your name into the story. God created you, breathed life into you. He cared and provided for you. But you messed it up. You chose your way over His way. But because He loves you, He made a way to be with you.

In Genesis 3:15, God says to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” This was God's holy war cry! That when the time was right, One would come to stand in the gap and do what we cannot do. His life was to be the bridge over the chasm. Jesus is the promise.

As of today, we are 24 days away from Christmas, when we celebrate Jesus' first coming. 1 Timothy 1:15, tells us exactly why Jesus came; "...Jesus Christ came into the world to save siners..." For me, that revelation is life changing.

Today, meditate on that truth, Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. That's you and me! And He did it because He loved us.

Have you seen the movie, The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen. The Santa Clause is one of my favorite Christmas movies. One of the things I love about the movie is the way they bring the Santa character to life. Tim Allen plays the role of Scott Calvin, a marketing executive for a toy company. Through a series of events on Christmas Eve, Scott Calvin becomes the new Santa. Of course, Scott, being an adult and a parent, has lost his belief in the jolly old elf, so the events of the night are dismissed as a series of ironic happening that lead to an incredible dream.

However, it wasn’t a dream. We follow Scott through the year as he tries to figure out why he keeps gaining weight, growing abundant amounts of wintry white hair, and seems to be developing quite a following of children and animals, all while denying the idea and his newly found career. In the end Scott Calvin becomes Santa Claus. But what makes this movie a Christmas favorite for me is the question, “What if it were all true?”

The Santa Clause is a movie about the magic of Christmas. And I wonder, “What if it were all true?”

​It’s takes me back to when I was a kid, and a time when Christmas was filled with awe and wonder.

I remember, as a kid, we had to wait till Christmas Eve to decorate our tree. We would go to the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at church.  It was a beautiful service with Joy to the World and Silent Night. We would light the candles and sing. The sanctuary was darkened, as the glow of candles and the smell of fresh cut greens filled the air. Then home to our awaiting tree.

There were four of us, and each would hang our ornaments on the tree, while filling our belly with mom's homemade Christmas cookies. When we were done, it was off to bed, wondering and hoping that Santa got our lists. It felt like forever till we fell asleep. Running high on cookies and excitement, we laid in our beds, talking and giggling. 

Then morning came. Usually early. The house would be quiet. Christmas morning was one of few times we would be awake before mom was. Now, we weren’t allowed down stairs without our parents, but we learned that if you laid down on your belly, and carefully stretched our neck out you could catch a peek of the Christmas tree, all lit up, sparkling in the morning sun, with a sea of presents floating on the floor.

​It was a moment filled with awe and wonder.

Today, Christmas is a little different. I’m an adult. A parent. I have 5 kids. The awe and wonder doesn’t come along quite as easily. In fact, I think sometimes, if we’re not careful, we miss a lot more than awe and wonder at Christmas. We miss the gift that makes Christmas what it is.

Every year, we gather in our churches and read through the Christmas story, sing the carols, light the candles, open the presents, and I have to stop my self and ask, “Whatever happened to the awe and wonder?”

I want to take some time over the next couple of days, I want us to return to the story and rediscover the awe and wonder of Christmas. I invite you to join me. Starting Monday, December 12th, we will begin a short series that I hope will help us rediscover the awe and wonder.

​Come along as we think through the impact of that night. As Luke says, "born to you in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Let's rediscover, together, the awe and wonder.

​- jay

Welcome to week two of our Christmas series, Reindeer Games! Last we I shared the game Rudolph's Wreath Toss. This week, it's Santa Beards!

We played this game last night with our high school ministry students and it was a blast! I'm always wondering how our students will take to games that involve a little bit of a mess, this one went over huge! So here's what I did.

Materials:
Here's what you will need, in some shape or fashion...

• Cans of shaving (one for each team.)
• Santa hats (one for each team.)
• Some kind of covering to protect clothing. (I used inexpensive plastic table covers that could be disposed of when we were finished.
• A prize of reward for the winning team.

I picked up everything I needed for this game at our local dollar store. I played with 2 teams so my total cost for this game, including prizes, came to $8.00.

This is another simple game to play. With two teams, a guy team and a girl team, the object is to create a Santa beard out of the shaving cream. The bigger, longer, fluffier, the better! With the plastic table cloth, the pallet of possibilities is quite large. Students can create as long and as big a beard as they can! You can also have as many teams as your group can handle without taking too many students out of the crowd.

I gave the instructions, set the time limit to 1 minute, and they were off! Watch the video below!

Along with video, you will definitely want to get some still images that you can post and share later! I try to post photos on Instagram as soon as our student gathering is over, so students can see themselves.

I was super excited that our student had fun with this one! The laughter that filled the room was pretty cool! And surprisingly, the aftermath wasn't too bad. The shaving cream stayed in our area and not throughout the church! That's a bonus.

You will want to have a few items on hand to help with the clean up. Paper towels, hand towels, and a bathroom in close proximity are things to think about.

One more thought. This is not a game to play with whipped cream. Most whipped creams are oil based and might stain certain fabrics. And no one wants to send students home with stains on their cloths. Stick to shaving cream because it is a water based product and washing out well, even if you get on the carpet.

There you are, another simple, low cost game to add to your Christmas Game Collection!  Thanks for reading!

​- jay

Jay Higham is a 24 year veteran of student ministry; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently the Youth Director at Hickory Church, located in Western PA. Jay has been married to Amy for 19 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, 4 boys and 1 little girl. Jay is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and caring for the hearts of husbands. You can learn more about their ministry to the family and husband by visiting their family blog at, www.TheHighamFamily.com and www.TheGoodHusbandBlog.com!

Tis the season for colored lights, pine trees, candy canes, and so good fun Christmas-themed ice breakers! That's right, youth worker friends, Christmas is here, and that means we have a chance to bring out some of our favorite Christmas-themed games!

This week I had the time to run out to our local dollar stores and wander through the holiday aisles looking for game ideas. Fortunately I hit gold! I found everything I needed for three of my favorite Christmas Ice Breakers! So over the next couple of weeks, I want to share the ice breakers we are doing as part of our weekly student gatherings!

We're calling them Reindeer Games, with the spin that these are the games Rudolph and his buddies might play way up north! Each week we will unveil another game that we have played, complete with material lists and instructions so you can grab the gear and play it with your students!

So let's kick off our Reindeer Games with our first game, Rudolph's Wreath Toss! We played this game just this week, and it was a huge success! Based on the tradition Ring Toss game we all played as kids at our birthday parties, this is a super easy, super low cost game to play.

Here's what you will need.

I was able to all of these items at our local Dollar Tree. Cost: $7.00 plus tax.

So the game itself is pretty simple. Like the party game, the object is to toss the ring wreaths and land them on the antler or antlers atop the receivers head. Here's what I did.

With the tosser standing behind a chair and a receiver sitting in a chair about 10' away, the team was given 2 minutes to toss the rings. The receive was allowed to move but they could not leave or move the chair. If the wreaths hit the floor instead of their mark, the tosser could run up and grab the rings, return to their hair position and toss again. After the 2 minutes, 1 point was given for each ring that found it's spot around the antler.

Since we have an on-going Girl vs. Guy challenge, I brought up 2 teams of 2; 2 guys and 2 girls. The girls went first and landed 5 out of the 6 wreaths. The Guys followed and also landed five rings. It was totally crazy!

Since both teams landed 5 rings we had an "all or nothing" tie-breaker. Each team was given 3, and only 3, rings which they were to toss one at a time. After they tossed their rings, it was over. No re-do's or second chances. If a ring hit it's mark, a point was given. If all three missed, that meant the end of their game.

Once again the girls went first, and unfortunately missed with all three rings. The guys followed. The first toss was a miss. The second almost landed, but fell off. The third...A RINGER!!!! The guys went nuts!!

​Simple. Easy. Low cost. Yet Rudolph's Wreath Toss was a huge hit!

Be sure to check in next week for our second in the Reindeer Games series.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share the article with your friends, but please include a link back to this post in your shares.

​Merry Christmas, friends!

​- jay

There's nothing like the holiday party. Games, food, fun, and a ton of students!

As we roll into the holiday season of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, we as youth workers will be pressed for creative and fun ideas that help students celebrate the holidays! This past week, we kicked off our holiday season with a Pumpkin Party!

Now I will say, I don't mind Halloween. The dressing up, the candy, the trick-or-treating, it's all just a lot of fun in my mind. But I do know that Halloween is one of those holidays that can come with a lot of controversy. So as a youth worker, I try to respect the many opinions on the holiday, and choose carefully what we do as a ministry.

For the last couple of years I have hosted a pumpkin themed party for students in both the high school and junior high ministries. This year, as this was my first year at our new and current church, I decided to host the pumpkin party with our middle school students.

So here the concept, host a safe, fun, alternative event without causing an issue or debate as to whether the student ministry should sponsor a Halloween event. Here enters the Pumpkin Party.

The pumpkin party is an evening of pumpkin themed games and activities, foods, and fun. Students are invited to dress up in a costume if they'd like. It's not required or mandated. We leave it up to the students. We do, however, state a few guidelines,
   1. Nothing creepy, scary, or gross and,
   2. Nothing in appropriate, sexy or sexual, or in poor taste.

For those who do choose to dress up in a costume, we hold a simple costume contest with prizes for the following three categories;
   1. Best Overall Costume,
   2. The Funniest Costume and,
   3. The Most Creative-Out-of-the-Box-Homemade Costume.

Things get started with the students being randomly divided into teams. We try to make it as numerically even as possible. And by random, we mean lining them up and counting them off in some way.

Once the students are separated into teams, we take a few minutes for each team to come up with a team name and a team cheer. This only takes a few minutes. With team names and team cheers complete, we move into playing the games.

​This year we played four games, with two of the four relating to the pumpkin theme. I had actually planned to play 6 games, but we ran out of time for 2 of the games.

We played one other game that I do not have a picture for. It was a Marshmallow Toss. Students, in relay format, would toss miniature marshmallows to a teammate seated on a chair with a cup. After two minutes, the team with the most miniature marshmallows in their team cup won. We actually had a tie with two teams so we quickly reset and held a one minute tie-breaker!

When it was all said and done, we all had a great time. We awarded the winners of our costume contest a family movie night (a plastic pumpkin that contained a DVD, popcorn and candy). We heard great feedback from both parents and students, even though we went 15 minutes over and didn't play two of the planned games.

I also wanted to let you know that we had a bunch of parents helping. Each team had a parent cheerleader, someone to help organize and corral the students. We also had some parents helping in the kitchen getting snacks ready and helping with clean up.

We were also gifted a ton of pumpkins that we used as decorations, take home gifts, games, and as give-aways for various church groups all week long.

So there you have it, a quick run down of our pumpkin party. Nothing fancy or over the top. Just simple, creative games, costumes, and a lot of fun.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about our Pumpkin Party, please feel free to comment below, or contact me via the contact page!

- jay