Wondering how “youthtastic” your youth leaders rank in the world of Youth Ministers? Run through this little quiz and rank them. Some sample quiz items.

44. Has more toys in their office than Michael Scott of the Office. = +1 point for each toy.

45. 80% of their wardrobe consists of free t-shirts from camps and conferences. = +1 point

51. Has a tattoo and explains that if you look at it in the right light, it has deeper meaning as a witnessing tool. = +3 points

52. Tells youth group that the Psalms are kind of emo. = +1 point

Or just know that we’re Youth MiniStarz

• Warmth in Winter 2010: This year is unlike any other. Get ready to Go the Distance with 2k+ fellow youth from all over middle TN and even Georgia (got a leader buddy who’s bringing his group from GA). I need everyone who is planning on going to fill out a registration form by this Sunday. If you can’t get your money in by then, no worries, I just need to know you are going this early in the game. Sorry for the slam, but I’d like to make some of the early registration deadlines. visit website for more details
• Eikon Improv With just two more Wednesday Night Together’s left we are going to finish the year off with our Improv group. Starting next year we will be pulling in our Writing group focusing on Facebook updates as Interesting Narratives. Hope to get Art group off the ground finally. Photography group is meeting on alternative evenings now. If you want to get involved with that email me and I’ll put you on that email list.
• NWG Choir: Special Rehearsal Tomorrow Evening at 6:30 with the Children’s Choirs preparing for Christmas Concert.
• Drive Groups: Will meet as needed, and/or for abbreviated times, this Sunday due to the Christmas Children’s Concert (many of you NWG choir peeps will need to be there for that).
• Coming to theCorner: The Go Concert, next Thursday evening to benefit and raise awareness for global Malaria crisis. Check out more of what this looks like at http://thegoconcert.com/
• Drive Group: Training Tip for this edition
• Christmas Party Scavenger Hunt: our Annual Scavenger Hunt Christmas party is Dec. 20th. Usual start time applies, but plan to be later in the evening pick up. We are still in need of 1. Drivers, Lots of Drivers to meet our Safe Sanct Requirements 2. an Appetizer house to. Send “I Can Do” replys back to this email. I am forever grateful.
• NO Youth Team Mtg: Last month we started with our first Youth Team mtg in some time. We meet on the 3rd Monday’s of the month from 6:30-8:00 in Youth Lounge. With this month’s being so close to Christmas, we will not have one this month. Plan for January 18th.
• This month’s Youth Leader Spotlight
• Rob Bell in Nashville. I know that many of you have checked out this book on the media bar called “Drops Like Stars” & have seen Rob Bell in at least one Nooma video. Well he is coming to town next Wednesday to speak to the message behind Drops Like Stars. If you are interested in going, pick up a ticket and we can work out some ride down, or go as a family. You won’t be dissappointed.
• What Is Your Spiritual Type?
• Have you downloaded & filled out our yearly Health & Permission release form? Please do that.

new segment for Drive Group leaders, tips and ideas for leading your groups successfully.

Drive Group meetings are value-driven, not curriculum driven. The significance of getting youth to connect is always great than the goal of finishing a lesson. Therefore, a successful Drive Group experience is defined by whether or not youth participated in a meaningful discussion, not whether or not a lesson was completed…

As a Drive Group leader, it’s important to evaluate your group on the basis of your values. This take some honest thought about what is happening – and what you want to happen – in your Drive Group.

adapted from Small Group Strategies by Laurie Polich

Donna @ Y'07

This month was a pretty easy choice for picking out a youth leader highlight. I’d like to introduce you to Donna Daly. Many of you may already know Donna who is a member of the Genesis Sunday School class or her Husband Ben & son Sean. Donna also is a part of the finance committee for our church congregation. Many know Donna as the “Money Lady” for our Pumpkin Patch the last two years. Donna does this and a lot more for us as a youth ministry.

Donna isn’t involved by physical presence in our weekly hanging outs with the youth ministry (as the Teal’s are who we highlighted last month), but she is involved each week as our coordinator for the youth Snack Suppers. She helps to make sure that each week our ’starving’ teenagers have something to munch on between NWG Choir & Drive Groups working with our many many parents. She’s been doing this for over three years now. Donna also extends herself into the ministry by going on some of our larger group retreats. She’s been on Warmth in Winter and was one of our key adults in taking our group & setting up the “Worship Feast Prayer Room” to/for Youth 2007, a global gathering of United Methodist Youth. One of my personal blessings was Donna taking on the task of our Finance Coordinator for our Pumpkin Patch. This is our main fundraiser which generates a decent amount of cash which Donna will daily drop off & pick up the cash boxes, count & log sales for that day, then prep & deposit money every day for the month of October. Its a taxing undertaking to do for a whole month when you have all the other responsibilities of work and house, Donna does it gracefully and gladly. For these many things I am very thankful for Donna. She has been an invaluable resource for our youth ministry from the participation point, but most significantly for our infrastructure to make sure our youth ministries can go.

If you see Donna walking around or doing some of the many things she does for our church, be sure to thank her for her ministry with our youth as well as our own church congregation. Love Ya Donna!

shalom
-gavin

Bruce the Caddie

I’d like to take this moment in Youth Ministry News to Highlight some of our Fabulous Youth Leaders here at HFUMC.

Bruce & Robin Teal have been helping in all aspects of the youth ministry at HFUMC forever (and I mean, ever). Bruce & Robin have been such a part of the youth community that their young son Alex has been deemed the “mascot” for a number of years. Next year he will actually become a member of the group, “finally” he will say. Robin & Bruce have given of their time to be on many retreats from camping trips to Warmth in Winter. They are faithful Sunday night mentors to our newly formed “Drive Group” small groups. Bruce & Robin have also taught Sunday School & CoffeeHouse on Sunday mornings for years.

Robin teaching CoffeeHouse

The Teal’s have a care for our youth community that runs so deep they have committed & claimed as their ministry the youth of Hendersonville. They have continued to be a consistent rock through a few youth director changes and countless changes to our church. They know many of our youth & young adults in deep relationships that will sustain over a lifetime. This is a huge gift they give to our youth on behalf of our church congregation.

So, if you see the Teal’s on a Sunday morning (or a church committee meeting) give them thanks for responding to their call to ministry with our youth & young people.

shalom,
-gavin