SYMC Day 1 - jumbled thoughts

So last night kicked off SYMC in Chicago, and we started strong. What I love about this conference is that there is a freedom for fun, a value in conversation and a genuine heart to not only equip youth leaders, but minister to them as well. 2,500 youth workers from across the country have come to be apart of this (sold out) event. And if I can be biased, my affinity group is the best one here. Just sayin...

Group and Simply Youth Ministry honored and supported a youth worker who's church burned down - an act of arson. His office was completely destroyed. So the people at Group & SYM surprised him with 1 of pretty much EVERYTHING THEY HAVE! Including a website, simply text, 10 registrations for group workcamps, and so on. We're talking at least $8,000 - $10,000 worth of stuff! I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!

Duffy Robbins also broght the opening message for this weekend, talking about real passion and what that looks like. Great message, great guy, and a great launch for this event. Today will start the tracks, workshops, etc. The only downside I've found since being here: the Starbucks doesn't do frozen drinks... but I'll survive.

Investing

This is an observation (and may not be the rule... I'm sure there are exceptions) that I've had while being in ministry:

You can tell what is important to a person by how they invest in it.
That goes for the church too.

And it goes to the three "T's": time, talent and treasure

I can almost guarantee that where you use your time, talent and treasures is in something that's important to you, something that's a priority to you.

You may even take a step back and see that the things you want to be important, the people, ministries, etc - that you know should be important - aren't getting what they need or deserve.

Where are you spending your time? Using your skills? How about your money?

Is there something or someone else who should receive it?

SYMC FUN!

Ok gang, here's the scoop: I will be giving away prizes throughout the SYMC weekend. Why? 1) I like to share what I have, 2) PEOPLE LOVE FREE STUFF! and 3) Sincerely, I love to connect with people. So if you want a chance to win, here's what you need to do:

Follow my twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ypmhammer
@ypmhammer

It's that simple. That's where everything will come from. It may be "find me here" or "bring this" or other random things, but it will be fun - and that's the whole point.

Please tweet this to your friends:

Random fun @ SYMC planned. Want FREE stuff? Check out http://bit.ly/bcMjNw or @ypmhammer for info. Pls retweet! #symc2010

(Side note: if you win, and I find out you DID retweet this - there could be a bonus... I'm just saying...)

If you're a youth worker and not going to the conference, I encourage you to get registered early for next year. It truly is an experience that will benefit you and your ministry.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone so far who is in on this. I think I'll add some specific freebies to giveaway just for those who retweet! This is going to be fun!

Are you going to SYMC?

This weekend I'm headed to the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in Chicago. It's honestly a highlight of my year - to connect with other youth workers, experience top-level training and simply to come together and worship God with other like-minded peers & friends. But since this is only one of a handful of opportunities to do something like this, I'm thinking about ways to give some stuff away while I'm there. So here's what I need from you:

What would love to see given away? Books? Resources? Random stuff?

My goal is to connect with some new people, as well as give you some fun random surprises during this already amazing weekend. So post your thoughts ASAP on giveaway ideas. Thanks!

I Wonder What Happened...

Today I read in Luke 18 about the Rich Young Man. This is a familiar story to me: the rich young man asked what he has to do to have eternal life. Jesus responds with several commandments, which the man says he has done. Then Jesus tells him to "sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But this made the man sad because he had so much wealth.

As I read through this story, I thought "I wonder what ever happened with that guy?" Because it's clear his love for money got in the way of his obedience to Jesus. But did he ever change his mind? Later in his life, did he ever sell all of his stuff and share about Jesus with other people? Or did he hold on to his wealth?

I wondered this because we can easily allow something to get in the way of God, in the way of what God has called us to do. For some it may be money, status, popularity, success. But for others it may also include fear. Fear of the unknown, what will happen, how will my needs be met...

The rich young man may have gone on to do some good things for God. Maybe not. Even if he did somehow do some good things, did he do what Jesus called him to do? I believe there are people who do good things but don't do what they're called to do. They aren't fully living to what they were made for. We settle for "good enough" in our Christian faith, when there is SO MUCH MORE for our lives.

Today, look at your life. Is God calling you to something you've been avoiding? Is something in the way of your full obedience? Don't make the same mistake the rich young man did - go, do, act, live on what God has called you to do. So that you can fully follow Him.

Your Mind

Yesterday I shared a message focusing on loving God with all of your mind. The passage seems fairly straightforward, but in all honesty, may be something we don't stop to think about, or we don't fully grasp. So I prepared and studied - and here were some thoughts - that loving God with all your mind includes:

- Guarding what you allow into your mind
- Holding on to good thoughts - embrace them, run with them
- Stopping negative, inappropriate thoughts
- Be creative - God loves our creativity (songs, art, etc)
- Humor! We're made with humor. God has to love to laugh.
- We have a HUGE capacity to learn. God trusts us with it.
- We have a HUGE capacity for imagination. God trusts us with it.
- Your mind is made to do so many things. Logic. Humor. Reasoning. Creativity. All can be used to worship God and use for His purposes. And you're called to love God with ALL of your mind.

One resource that I really drew from was Mark Batterson's latest book Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. Mark has some great insights and thoughts - going even deeper than I could touch on here. If you're interested in learning more (hint) or want additional perspective on how to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, I encourage you to pick up a copy - it's a good read!

What Do You Love About Your Church?

People have different styles, tastes, "flavors", preferences, etc when it comes to the church they are a part of. So I wanted to ask what you love about your church? Check off as many answers as fit for you, or add your own. Thanks for sharing!

Only 4 Weeks

This isn't an original thought, but it's something worth revisiting.

Imagine you have 4 weeks left to live.

How would your life look if you knew you had 4 weeks left?

What would you do?
What would you say?
What haven't you said to someone that they need to hear?
Who would you spend it with?
What still needs done?
What would you try to accomplish?
What legacy do you want to leave?

It's all important stuff.

Now let's tweak the question just a bit:

How would your life look if you didn't know how much time you had?

What would you do?
What would you say?
What haven't you said to someone that they need to hear?
Who would you spend it with?
What still needs done?
What would you try to accomplish?
What legacy do you want to leave?

Sometimes we forget that our time is limited. We acknowledge it with our brains, but it doesn't really hit us. The average life span is somewhere around 70 - 80 years, so we might have that as a mental number of how many years we have. Plus we feel good, so we don't think about it.

The honest truth is that God has blessed and trusted you with the gift of life. It's yours to enjoy, but it's also yours to do something good. And you only get one of them here. Make the most you can of it. That doesn't mean work yourself to death, but make it count. How have you been spending your time? Have you enjoyed it? Are you just getting through the day? Are you doing something you're passionate about? Do the people in your life know how you feel about them? Loved ones feel loved? Are you making a positive impact on others?

If you don't like the answers you have to those questions, you still have time to do something about it!

You just don't know how much... so make it count!

Don't wait.

(I'm so thankful for life. God is good.)

Game Room

Andy Disher is an SYMC veteran, friend and great guy. This year he will be leading in the SYMC Game Room, so he took a moment to let you know what to expect. I know he's been working hard getting it ready for everyone - so be sure to check it out. Hope to see you there!

Knowing About vs Knowing

There is a difference between "knowing about" and "knowing".

Lots of people know about God.

My fear is not nearly as many know God.

Knowing about is factual knowledge. There is definite value in knowing about something or someone. And in some situations, "knowing about" is enough.

But not with God.

Real knowing comes from interaction, from experience.

I can know all about baseball. Stats, positions, rules. But if I never play baseball, what does my knowledge about it mean? There's something about the experience that takes everything to another level, a deeper level, a more meaningful level.

Don't settle for knowing about God. Learn about Him, Grow in Him. What's great about that is: when you REALLY know God, you want more of Him. The more you experience, the more you truly know God.

If you know about God, take the step towards that relationship.

Truth is, He knows you.

TobyMac - Tonight

I won't lie, I'm very excited to see TobyMac at SYMC next week! He's got a great heart, a great ministry and a great sound. His newest album titled "Tonight" just released. You can get it download it or grab the CD right now! Check the player below to listen to some of the new album too.

It's Hot!

Walked into my office today and got hit in the face with it being almost 80 degrees. Outside it's in the 20's, so it's a pretty drastic difference. It's one of those things that I think "it's probably just because I came out of the cold, so it just seems warmer". After about 30 minutes, I realize I can't even focus on doing some tasks. I can't focus on what I want to be doing or need to be doing.

Your environment matters. In the workplace, at home, at church, wherever you are. It can make an experience better or worse. It can add to it or take away from it. Sometimes making a change in an environment is easy, sometimes it's painful, time-consuming and may frustrate some people. What you have to do is decide if it's worth it.

For me, I can open a window and let some cold air in. That's pretty easy. But what if it's a family? They eat dinner in the living room, watching TV. But the mom wants to change that and start eating at the dinner table. Kids may get frustrated, husband may want to watch sportscenter, you get the idea. Is moving to the dinner table going to be worth the move? What are the benefits? Do they justify possibly annoying the people you care about in the short term in order to create a better family unit and environment for the long term?

Or a church worship environment (I will stay generic here). Some people like how things currently are, your music selection and style, the format, stage setup, etc. Other people seem to simply just be there. You're not engaging people the way you want to. Your environment can add or take away from all of this. Are there distractions and interruptions? Do the lights and sounds enhance or detract? Yesterday I had a good conversation with a friend who is a worship leader, about how some worship leaders like to take a moment and talk. Sometimes this seems to add to the experience, and other times it interrupts the flow and environment. We shared about one particular experience when the leader spoke for several minutes, almost giving his own sermon, and it directly impacted the setting, mood and the moment.

So wherever you're at, think about your setting. Does it support the desired outcome or does it push against it? What could be improved? What needs to change? What needs to be removed? What needs to be added? Now how do you make it happen?


*A little bonus nugget for you: you also have an impact on your environment. Your attitude and how you interact with others will help determine the atmosphere of where you are at. Our student leaders get this line: you can either be a thermometer or a thermostat. You can either read the environment or you can help make it what it needs to be. I love that illustration.*

Easy Way Out

Let me be honest with you: I like it when things are easier. I like when things come naturally, go smoothly, and everyone is doing what they need to be doing. But there are times in life when things get rough, interrupted, frustrating - and we choose to look for the "easy way out".

I think the easy way out in life is killing us.

It takes away growth, learning, discipline, progress. Sure, the easy way can get us through a situation or circumstance... and I recognize there are occasionally situations when it may be the best option. But most of the time, the easy way is for our own convenience. And in the long run, the easy way out could have some pretty serious consequences.

Examples:

Parenting. When you're a parent, it's almost guaranteed that your kids will want something. A toy, a gadget, maybe permission to do something (or to not do something) - but you don't think they need it. You have a choice here: either give in to what your child wants, or face dealing with their whining, complaining, and so on.
The easy way out here gets your kids smiling and happy for the time being.
But it will also shape their future. The easy way can compromise the development of your child. The easy way out lets your kids be in situations that aren't healthy or safe.

Teachers. A teacher has imporant roles: to educate. Whether it's in school, church, or the workplace, your purpose is to prepare your "students" with the necessary understandings of the topic. You could have the option of walking them through the material, explaining the elements of it, and addressing questions they may have. Or the easy way out: have them simply do things on their own. I believe that people can definitely learn from reading the book or doing things on their own, but when there is a question, you've done nothing to demonstrate care or concern. If they don't understand the information and there's no actual "teaching" time, students will not be equipped as they move on - and are now set up to struggle, or possibly even fail, in the future.

Everyone. What you do matters. Whatever it is, it is part of something bigger. You will face times when there's a decision to make: take care of this situation in front of me, or take the easy way out - so that I can get by. Here's where the easy way out will lead you: frustration from coworkers, bad reputation, an unprepared setting, a less successful experience, anger, disappointment, hurt, and missed opportunity. That's not to say you won't experience any of that by doing the harder decision, but it's easier to handle them when you know you've done your best.

Wherever you are in life, it's because God has allowed it. God is trusting you with it! It's there for you to do your best with. Parent, God has blessed you with a child. You get one shot at this - do what's right and best for your child, NOT simply what's easier on you. Teacher, you have an opportunity to set people up for success, for great things. Embrace that - appreciate your role. Do what you can.

Look at your situations as times to grow yourself and benefit others - even if they may not see it. Appreciate what you have. Recognize how it is significant. Do you care about it? Do you see how it matters? Do you want to see great things come from it?

It is up to you to do your part. It matters.

What's easy isn't always right. And what's right isn't always easy.
Do what's right. Every time.

SYMC Connect

If you haven't checked out the site yet, I recommend you head over to SYMC Connect. It's a great place for youth workers to get connected, share and support each other. It's a part of the vision that the people behind the Simply Youth Ministry Conference have (currently sold out!), and provides a great avenue for conversation and follow up. Definitely worth a look if you're in youth ministry or know someone who is!


Visit SYMC Connect

Your Gift

When you have a gift, use it!

When The Day Dumps On You

Today was one of those days that I feel like I had a whole lot of stuff happen that I wasn't planning on, including (but not limited to):

- Our Jeep stopped working, so we had to get it towed, taken to the garage & arranged to have it worked on - if they can repair it.

- Our SR pastor's mother's health is not good, and he is planning to visit his family next week. I was asked to speak next Sunday.

- This blog got all screwed up (my fault) which is time consuming.

- Phone call from my six months pregnant, crying wife saying someone had shoveled snow from our yard to block our front door and garage door, preventing her from getting into our home until I could come take care of it.

Just a lot to deal with. None of it was bad (even the snow shoveling - I choose to believe the best that whoever it was did it just to be fun). The jeep is a vehicle, and we've never had problems with it. The blog is new, and I'm learning. My heart goes out to my Sr pastor and his family.

Here's what I know: through all of it, God loves me. God's got me. My faith is in Him, and even if I don't fully know how I'm getting through it, I trust that God will lead me through it.

I'm not sure what you're going through right now, but this: if you're in good times, celebrate that and make the most of it! But if you find yourself in rough times, with uncertainties, struggles, frustrations, questions - don't try to do it on your own. Trust God through it, allow it to build your faith and endurance. God will provide and you will persevere with Him.
God's got you.
Hold on to Him.

Music

Music is a pretty powerful thing. It can engage us, move us, stir emotion in us. I'm a huge music fan - enjoy most types (I'll confess... country music, not my favorite). Love to find new artists, or catch something that I missed along the way.

So what's the best song / album you've been listening to lately?
And what have you wanted to get but havent yet?

Under Construction - Revised

I am looking for a good, sharp blog look. There are some elements I would love to add to it, basically have it customized the way I'm hoping for. If you or someone you know would be interested in helping out with this project, please contact me.

YOUR SECRET NAME - Online Launch Party

Win a free Apple iPad & Discover YOUR SECRET NAME too

Win a free Apple iPad & Discover YOUR SECRET NAME too

Smile

Stop whatever you're doing.

And just smile.

Don't force it, but slow down and smile.

It feels good. It is good.

Throughout your day, repeat as necessary.

You'll thank you. So will people around you.

Motivation is Key

Why do you do what you do? I think this is a question that is hugely important for us to ask ourselves - and do so on a somewhat regular basis. Think of your job, for example. Why do you do it? Many people will say "to earn money, to support my family" or something along those lines. And for too many people, sadly, that's all their job is: a job. It's their work. I get that, I respect the feeling of having to take care of family members.

What if... what if you could do something that you were passionate about? What if what you do helped to move you towards a goal other than survival? Something you believed in? Something that you could see the difference it makes, the significance it has in the world? Where what you do "for a living" is something you love to do, it's where your heart beats, and you know it's good?

That could even happen where you are at right now. If you make car tires, maybe instead of just earning a paycheck, you bought into the vision that you're trying to provide the best quality tires for people to keep them safe on the road? If you work in a cubicle, you consider how your services can benefit the people your company exists to serve? If you are in custodial / housekeeping services, how what you do provides a better experience for people - because of you? It can be your perspective.

But if you find yourself in a place where you cannot believe in what you do, maybe it's time to consider a different option. You can run the risk of bringing your job mentality home, feeling like what you did doesn't really matter, and it can keep you from being the best husband, wife, parent, child, friend that you could be.

You were made for great things, and to do great things.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

Quick Review: Training Camp (and win a free copy!)

Just finished reading Jon Gordon's book Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else. This book isn't a true story; it's a fable of sorts, and I typically don't read anything that's not nonfiction (sorry for the double negative). But the story reads as if it could easily be real. It takes place with a rookie NFL player (Martin) trying to make the team, and shares all about his strengths, abilities, struggles, and fears - all things we each possess. This player wanted to be the very best. A coach recognized this, and comes alongside Martin - as he is sidelined with an ankle injury. Throughout the story, Martin is taught 11 lessons / principles that help move people from average to the best.

I really enjoyed this book! It's a very readable story, with short chapters - so it's easy to find a place to stop if you have to. It's also not very long, just over 150 pages. You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy this book - the principles shared in this book are observable and proven in almost any field that you look at. But where people miss it isn't by a lack of knowledge, it's by a lack of application. I finished feeling inspired and motivated, and it only strengthened my personal desire to be the best at whatever I do. Great steps, simple to understand, and worth your time!

WIN A FREE COPY!

Because I enjoyed this book AND I'm striving to be more generous with what I have, I'm giving away some copies. Want to win one? Here's what you have to do (thanks Catalyst for the format):

1. TWEET THIS: Win a free copy of the book "Training Camp" by Jon Gordon - Comment here & retweet - http://bit.ly/bFzk0f

IF you don't have Twitter, but you have Facebook, see comment #3 under comments below

2. COMMENT ON THIS BLOG POST with your twitter username (so I can verify you did step 1) & the best book you've read recently (just for fun)

3. AT 4PM EST TODAY (2/10/10), I'll choose two random winners from the comments below. Good luck!

Or if you want to purchase the book:

Assumptions, Bad Information & Tim Tebow

I've been reading articles over the past couple weeks about a "controversial" commercial featuring Tim Tebow and his mother that was going to air during the Super Bowl (and it did). Pro-choice activists were trying to push CBS to not air the commercial, which was sponsored by Focus On The Family. They said it was promoting a specific social & political agenda, was divisive, offensive, etc. What was interesting is that none of the people opposed to the commercial had ever seen it! They only heard bits and pieces of information, and people came to their own conclusions about the commercial. I like to think their conclusions were wrong (you decide).

Focus on the Family - Tim Tebow Ad @ Yahoo! Video

Which, I think, is a lesson we can learn from. I can think of times in my life when I've only caught parts of a story, and formed an opinion about something, only to later learn more and change my perspective. Maybe it's been from gossip, or overhearing parts of a story, or someone blowing facts way out of proportion. It's in our best interests to find the truth before we say anything.

I'm not saying Focus On The Family isn't pro-life, but nothing in this commercial screams "divisive" to me here. I think people just made a bunch of noise over nothing. My encouragement is this: listen to others, filter fact from opinion, share your educated thoughts and don't cause problems where there aren't any.

Proverbs 17:27-28
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is even-tempered.
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Dream Time

I'm a big fan of dreaming. I think people need dreaming, especially those in leadership. Dreaming gets you thinking "what if..." and starts to push your mind and thoughts from how things are to considering how they could be. And that doesn't mean all dreams are good, but it also doesn't mean all dreams are bad. Some people may be afraid to dream though. They like how things are now. They're comfortable. They know how to operate and function this way, and dreaming could mean change. But I don't believe we were called to get comfortable and/or complacant. You were made to do great things. You were made to do the best you can where you're at. Stretch, grow, push, try, fail, try again - but don't just sit there. All of that starts with some sort of dreaming. People never try to do anything if they have no goal they're reaching for.

So look at where you are at right now.
Is there anything that could be done better?
Anything that could help move you / your organization forward?
Ways to be more effective, productive, successful?
What might that look like?

Get started, start dreaming.

5 Minutes or Less

What could you do today, in 5 minutes or less, to help someone else? To show someone love? To go out of your way to do something good for another person? You've got 1,440 in a day - so just 5 minutes... What kind of an impact could that have on their day? Their situation? Their life?

Make a difference today, for good.

Poll: How Often Do You Talk About Faith?

Everyone has faith in something. God. Some "greater being". The Big Bang. Atheism. Some have strong beliefs, some don't. But in the broad scheme of things, I'm just curious, how often do you talk about subjects concerning faith?

When Expectations and Experience Don't Meet

Last night our youth ministry team watched Andy Stanley's talk from Catalyst last year about Expectations and Experience. Here's the gist: you have expectations for a person, whether it's an employee, spouse, child, coworker, etc. When you have those expectations - but what you experience doesn't meet those expectations, you have a gap.

Expectations ____________ Experience

When there's a gap between your expectations and what you experience, you have a choice. You can either: A) Assume the worst, or you can B) Believe the best. And the truth is, for too many of us (myself included) it's easy to assume the worst. It may be due to our past, our personalities, or even our influencers. But what we put in that gap is OUR CHOICE. We can assume the worst, or we can believe the best. This is all about trust. Trusting people. Trusting they will do what they say they will do. And when they can't, that they'll communicate that to you. Believing the best - that's positive, encouraging, supportive, and can completely change your culture for the better. It's a great message - and if you're nearby, I'll lend it to you. (If not, look for it on the catalyst store page.)

Here's one thought that I left with: we all have expectations of certain people. And there are times we may be disappointed, frustrated, let down, and so on. But as leaders we need to make sure that we clearly communicate our expectations. When someone doesn't meet our expectations, we need to ask ourselves "did I communicate this expectation clearly?" Whether you're a boss, spouse, parent, whatever - did I communicate clearly?

Something to pay attention to. People need to know what's expected of them, otherwise they won't know if they're succeeding or not. You need to take the first step.

SYMC 2010 Journal

SYMC is only a few weeks away! I just noticed over on the website that they have a copy of the official Journal up right now. You still have time to register for the conference, which I would do so ASAP! We're talking SELL OUT!

Click here for the journal - and hope to see you in Chicago!

What Groundhog Day tells me...

So I live in Punxsutawney, PA. This is where the real groundhog day happens. There are lots of posers, but this is the authentic one. I have to tell you, it's so silly to me. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. People like reasons to celebrate, they like having something to rally behind, to support, to enjoy. All of those things are valid. That's why I think sports are so popular in our culture. We identify ourselves with a specific team. When they win, we feel like we win. When we lose, we feel like we've lost. We want to belong.

What if more people rallied behind something that mattered? What if people celebrated something relevant, and that's where we poured our time, energy and commitments? What if we found our victories and heartbreaks based on things with life-changing implications?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on Groundhog Day or sports or any of that stuff. They're fun and I enjoy them. I'm not opposed to them at all. But there are those, in my opinion, who have things backwards and take things too far (by the way, this isn't directed at anyone specific - so if you are feeling defensive, it may be conviction).

The Skit Guys made this video (also below) that I watched the other day and I thought it was pretty good. Love the Skit Guys!

All that said, enjoy your Groundhog Day with a LIVE groundhog (sorry PETA).

More to come!

Free Audiobook: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions

Hey, just noticed that you can download a free audiobook copy of Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll. To get it, head on over to https://christianaudio.com/free and put in coupon code FEB2010 when checking out to get it free!

Or if you prefer (which, I usually do) you can get the hold-in-your-hand version of the book at the link below. This looks like a good read - should be great for conversation! I'll be sure to post my thoughts and review of the book after reading.

Believe In vs Believing

This past weekend I helped out as the emcee for a winter retreat. Also took a couple of our teen guys as well, who had a great time on the trip. Afterwards, I talked to them about what stuck out, what hit them. One of the big points that the speaker shared (speaker was Doug Barrett) was this thougth: do you believe in God, or do you believe God? Two very different questions.

Somewhere over the past year I read that around 90% of all Americans believe in God (in some degree or way). They believe in a creator, designer, a "higher being". But there's a huge difference between believing in God and believing God. It's easy and fairly common to believe IN God. But do you believe what He says? Do you believe His promises? Do you believe that God will lead you, provide for you, support you and comfort you like He says? Are you ready to trust God with whatever He calls you to?

Do you believe in God? Do you believe God?

Great questions for all of us to be asking