Angie's Youth and Young Adult Ministry Blog

The Numbers Game

My friend and colleague Molly Hagkull wrote an article for Plymouth's upcoming youth newsletter. I think that this is such a good reminder about what ministry is (and isn't) that I decided to run pieces of her article here. Thanks, Molly, for all you do.

It's not about numbers. There are a lot of results in life measures with numbers: SAT scores, cholesterol, credit scroes, driving tests. Numbers give us something concrete to hold on to. They allow us to make comparisons, set goals, track our progress. It's hard to argue with numbers.

But this is not about numbers.

This past summer, a group of adults met to read a book about high school youth ministry and to discuss its implications for Plymouth. A few big ideas stuck out. First, that youth do not need to be ministered to as much as they need to be doing ministry. Second, that God speaks to us through relationships, and our youth program should be built on relationship-building. And third, that this ministry-doing and relationship-building are not solely in the name of fun, or in the name of community service, but in the name of Jesus Christ...

...It's not about numbers. It's about the transforming power of our still-speaking God. Numbers fail us when trying to measure hearts and souls. If you want to see the results of Plymouth's youth ministry, attend an event. Watch, listen, and witness the Spirit moving in our midst. Then pray. Pray that God would continue to stir hearts, hands, and minds to do God's creative work in, among, and through the youth of Plymouth Church. Amen!

Enriching the Brain

In Chapter 10 "Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize Every Learner's Potential" (Eric Jensen's latest), there's a quote from Dr. Bruce Perry: "There's so much more we can do...our current living systems are disrespectful of the brain's potential." This new book is based on that assumption: that we greatly underestimate people's achievement capacity (including our own) because we often think that we are what we are. We can't change things.

Wrong. Dr. Jensen shows that the human brain is dynamic and malleable. Here in this book, he tells how the brain can be enriched to maximize learning, memory, behavior, and overall functioning.

To way, way, way oversimplify, we need to do the following in order to continue growing and changing in healthy, positive ways (this is my simplificiation, not Dr. Jensen's): we need physical activity; novel, challenging, meaningful things to learn; we need to be busy, but not chaotic-busy; and we need to keep from being bored, too; we must manage our stress levels (through exercise, time-management, etc.); we need social supports (friends, a community); we need to eat right; and we need to have time to develop our interests and skills; and time to socilize, reflect and review.

Sounds easy enough: exercise, nutrition, challenges, friends, time.

But there's more to it than that, too: there are chapters on why the brain grows and thrives, how we can use this information not only for ourselves but for our relationships, how schools would change if they implemented some of these ideas and how we can all lead richer, fuller lives if we would stop believing that we can't change who we are. We can. We can become nearly anything that we imagine and act upon. Amazing.

A Blue Christmas

I can hear Elvis crooning the words: "I'll have a blue Christmas without you..." and the background singers are wailing: "ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ooo". But it's more than a song and more than a sentimentality. Blue Christmas is a reality for too many people. Just this week I have talked with two people facing their first Christmas without their spouse (one has a young child), one person facing his first Christmas without his mother, two different women going through a divorce who don't know if they will get to see their children over the holidays, and two people contemplating leaving their spouse. And those are people I have talked to in just the past four days--there are so many more out there who are feeling the lonely pangs of the holiday, of traditions that won't be celebrated this year, of the uncertainty of what lies ahead and the pain over the loss of what could have been.

For some people, this time of year simply sucks. It can't get over soon enough.

To those people, here is what I have to say: you aren't alone. There is a whole world of people going through painful times, too. And there is a whole world of people who will walk through your painful time with you. It almost sounds like a cliche but it's too true not to say: God is with you, too. Through everything, God is with you.

To the rest of the world, those who are celebrating and whooping it up this holiday season, here is what I have to say: you aren't alone, either. There is a whole world of people who not only want to celebrate with you, there is a whole world of people who would just like to be with you and know that you care. Life has it's ups and down--when we're up, we have a responsibility to be with those who aren't. And when we're down, we have a responsibility to be with those who aren't. It's a give and take, a push and shove, and push and pull. We balance each other out. We are God to and for one another.

May God break into your world, no matter who or where you are this holiday season. May you find God in yourself and in one another. Merry Christmas.

Twas the Night (or weeks) Before Christmas

The Plymouth UCC staff got together last night for our annual Christmas party. There was the usual exchange of silly gifts and a great dinner. There was also a lot of laughter and some downright silliness. There was singing and dancing and storytelling, too. What a great group of people! What a great event! Check out the photos posted in the 'photo' section of the blog.

Merry Christmas!

Borrowed Material

http://dartmed.dartmouth.edu/winter03/html/vs_connect.shtml

Here is a website for an article about the importance of community, connection, and relationship when raising kids--both for the kids' sake and the parent's.  Dartmouth Medical School ran this article in their alumni magazine "Dartmouth Medicine" a few years ago.

An interesting tidbit from the article: "scientific evidence demonstrates that children are 'hardwired to connect' on a biochemical level, first with their immediate family and then with the broader community. If that connection isn't there, then 'the brain may not develop as it is supposed to...You can't change genes, but you can change how they are translated, and a nurturing environment can make a world of difference."

What we do and say, how we interact with and support one another, is critical. Change happens in the world one relationship at a time.

(thanks, Rich, for sharing these thoughts!)