Self care advice from Rick Warren

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People need Jesus

To  be honest, I’ve kind of shyed away from trying to convert people.  I guess I was burned out from years of evangelistic ministry, coupled with the realization that God saves people, not me.  And the organization I work with isn’t in your face preachy, which I appreciate, but the downside is that sometimes the “personal relationship with Jesus” thing gets pushed to the back of my mind.  I think about how the kids I work with need love, education and justice, but….Jesus?  Yeah, I guess they need him, too.

But, yesterday, as I was counseling a kid I found myself frustrated because I didn’t know how to help him.  He wasn’t having family problems, things were fine at school.  He was just kind of being a jerk and doing and saying inappropriate things.  When I got home I realized  that this kid needs Jesus.  He’s not being abused or neglected, but he needs a heart change.  Only having a relationship with Jesus will transform him to not want to make dirty jokes or be mean to people.  He needs a new way of thinking. I can mentor him and encourage, we can educate him, but the thing that will transform him is Jesus.

So, I guess I’m praying for salvation for this kid. Not because of fear of hell fire and brim stone, but because he needs to be transformed.

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Jesus is the Reason for the Season: Teaching kids about Christmas

I’m not a paranoid right winger, but I have to admit I haven’t heard a lot about “Christmas” this holiday season. I recently went to a teacher supply store to look for bulletin board decorations that said “Merry Christmas.” And you know what? I couldn’t find any! I thought that was kind of weird.

I definitely want the kids I work with to know that Jesus is the reason for the season. We started laying a foundation for Christmas back in October, as each week in Bible class we’ve been learning about Jesus – how he came to earth, what his life was like, etc. And we’re also doing the following activties:

1. Advent Calendar

Explaining to the kids every day what we’re waiting for, excepting, hoping for, celebrating – the arrival of Jesus on December 25th. (Yes, he’s arrived already, but you know what I mean.) I bought a Advent Calendar house at a thrift store and in each little door is a scripture and thought about Jesus and a surprise (piece of candy, money, balloon). The kids love it and remind me about it when I forget. 🙂 This is a simple, easy way to remind the kids every day that Jesus is the reason for Christmas.

2. Telling the Christmas Story Interactively

Our interns got a bunch of props together and told the Nativity scene while the kids acted it out. Afterward, they asked questions and clarified points. The 3rd and 4th graders seemed to really *get* it, too. It was a special time.

3. Writing about the Christmas Story

We found booklets on the internet with pictures of the Nativity scene that they can color and also write about what happened. It’s a good reminder, but also using literacy skills! And they can take it home and re-read it later.

4. Christmas Crafts – Building a Manger

I previously linked to a website where you can find a bunch of different ways to make a Nativity scene. It’s fun and Biblical!

It might seem like we’re overdosing on the Biblical narrative of Christmas, but I don’t think it’s possible. If you use a variety of ways to communicate the message, the kids won’t be bored.

At our Christmas party we’re still having a surprise visit from Santa Claus (even though I don’t think most of the kids believe in him anymore) because I think it’s important to keep imagination alive. It’s an important part of childhood! But, I want the kids to have a foundation and ingrain in them the reason Christmas started in the first place, you know?

If you have any ideas how to remind kids that Jesus is the reason for the season, leave a comment!

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Nativity Scene Christmas Crafts

I was searching the internet for ideas on how to make a Nativity scene for our afterschool program art class and came across a great website called Artists Helping Children. It has about a dozen different options of how to make a Nativity scene using different forms of art media. I wish I had discovered this website first – I would’ve saved a lot of time!

The finished result :

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Jesus is the boss

We taught a lesson last week on how Jesus is the most important thing. Apparently H. was listening because at school the next day, on a Thanksgiving turkey art project, he wrote, on his own accord, “Jesus is the boss.”

It makes me happy to know the kids a) listen to what we tell them and b) think about it when they’re away from us. H. came up with the phrase “Jesus is the boss” entirely on his own.

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Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry

Last week I attended the Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry hosted by the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Seminary. It was in Hendersonville, North Carolina at a beautiful camp ground called Kanuga. I went for a two day retreat and then for an additional four day conference.  It was nice to get a break from city life and be surrounded by gorgeous scenery.  North Carolina in the Fall is one of my favorite places to be.   It was also great to be challenged theologically with speakers like Kenda Creasy Dean, Rodger Nishioka, Mark DeVries and others.

About 70% of the conference was applied to church ministry, but I still learned a lot. I met amazing youth directors from around the country and was encouraged by their service and dedication to young people. It was a good week.

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Values

Ouch!

Via ASBO Jesus

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Hiking in Philadelphia

Yesterday we went on a hike at The Schuykill Center in north Philadelphia. We walked for more than two hours and did not find any bears. 🙂

Climbing a hill:

They were convinced a bear left this mark on the tree log:

Consulting the trail map:

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Jesus our God: Contextualization for Urban Youth

We’re teaching the kids about the life of Jesus and last week’s lesson was called Jesus Was Born For Us. One of my goals is to communicate the gospel in a culturally appropriate way. So, with our urban context, I pieced together a video about the life of Jesus and put the song “Our God” by The Cross Movement as the background music.

When we played it, the kids started laughing. They were kind of freaked out because whenever they’ve seen videos of Jesus and Biblical stories, it’s always been classical (White) music in the background. Not some guys rapping, “Yeah Lord!” The song even says,

“You prolly never had the living God unpacked,
Unpacked by some rapper the living God don’ jacked.”

Over dinner a few days later, my teenage staff members brought up the video in conversation and was like, “Yeah, Miss Jenn, I didn’t know what to think…”

I’m happy with how they responded. I didn’t mind that they laughed or thought it was weird. I want them to realize that Jesus is just as accessible and real as the rap music they enjoy. The music is modern and so is Jesus. Does that make sense?

I think it’s good to see old stories with a fresh perspective and I’m thankful music helps us do that.

I posted the video below, along with the lyrics of the song. For me, it was really powerful seeing these images of Jesus and hearing the words “Jesus our God.”

[Intro]
Yeah Lord! (Yeah Lord!)
Can we tell ’em about you? (Can we tell ’em about you?)
I know they don’t know (I know they don’t know?)
But they listening right now so we might as well. (But they listening right now, so we might as well.)
We just gonna talk about you. (We just gonna talk about you.)
We gonna vibe with you. (We gonna vibe with you.)
Help ’em vibe with you, Lord. (Help ’em vibe with you, Lord.)
They prolly never heard. (They prolly never heard.)

[Verse 1]
You prolly never had the living God unpacked,
Unpacked by some rapper the living God don’ jacked.
For His own purpose, you know it’s seems to bug,
People the way He mends though he picks up scrubs.
Like you won’t like me, but enough of this intro,
Introduing this God, gotta give up for this info.
Info all about the One that the texts calls ‘Yahweh’,
Yahweh is the I AM he had a Son come our way,
Our way to Yahweh is the man Christ Jesus,
Jesus is the Son Yahweh sent to man. Christ breezes,
Breezes to another person known as God the Spirit,
The Spirit is the third person of the God Head, hear it.
Here it is, the foundation. God’s Triune.
This things hard, Hard to lay out in sixteen bars.
Bars of truth about God, Doesn’t this seem odd?
A rapper would bring truth heavy as 16 cars.

[Chorus]
Our God!
I decided to write. I aquired a mic,
I want your eye on The Christ,
‘Cuz he is our God!
Aint no body like Him. Thats just why we like Him,
Plus we got our life from,
Jesus our God!
We won’t stop till every block is listenin
He’s on top, cuz on top is his proper
‘Cuz this our God!
What other God would cop from every race
of people so we could show off His grace.
No one but our God!

[Verse 2]
You ever heard the word attributes?
Attributes describe; God’s got so many vibe, some of them I have to shoot.
Shoot, eternality just to start it off.
Off the timeline, he was here before he started all.
All knowning, all powerful, all present. Yes yes,
These are the omni’s of God. He’s at His best,
In every way, in every class. His very breath
Creates and sustains every day and every step.
Step with me. Get with me, you know im movin’ y’all.
I’m movin y’all. To see the sovreign Lord who proves it all,
It all comes closer as sin comes to the forefront,
Front if you want His grace and mercy. We all want,
We all want love, but none of us want wrath,
Wrath is in the package, the enemy won’t last.
Last, but not least He’s beautiful.
Holy, He’s Just, Transcendent, He’s Immanent Plus Immutable.

[Chorus]
Our God!
I decided to write. I aquired a mic,
I want your eye on The Christ,
‘Cuz he is our God!
Aint no body like Him. Thats just why we like Him,
Plus we got our life from,
Jesus our God!
We won’t stop till every block is listenin
He’s on top, cuz on top is his proper
‘Cuz this our God!
What other God would cop from every race
of people so we could show off His grace.
No one but our God!

[Verse 3]
I kick this for you, though it bores you. Isn’t it disloyal
to dis God, when this God picked us from soil.
Soil was given the shine like he dipped us in oil.
Oil is the sign of God’s Spirit who boils,
Boiling. Hot flashes is what he gives. It’s for you,
For you to give it back. Lord, let this adore you.
A door to this God is all narrow is all, Get out.
Get out, is what you hear to narrow tree. Spit out,
Spit out the lukewarm. The Lukewarm,
Those who really dont know, The God of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
But now you have life, so does the Ambassador,
Ambassador, Uses the mic just like a rapper does,
A rapper doesn’t usually recite the story of,
His story of Him, who gets the sole “Gloria”,
Glory to Jesus, the way to the father,
Father now we can call you more than God.
We can call you ABBA. Your God.

[Chorus]
Our God!
I decided to write. I aquired a mic,
I want your eye on The Christ,
‘Cuz he is our God!
Aint no body like Him. Thats just why we like Him,
Plus we got our life from,
Jesus our God!
We won’t stop till every block is listenin
He’s on top, cuz on top is his proper
‘Cuz this our God!
What other God would cop from every race
of people so we could show off His grace.
No one but our God!

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Rancocas State Park

One of my goals for the year is to introduce the kids to experiences they wouldn’t normally have in Camden. So on Friday afternoon we went hiking! We checked out Rancocas State Park and the Rancocas Nature Center in Mount Holly, NJ. The kids had fun running through the forest and playing with sticks and leaves. It was nice to get out of the city, too!

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