Freedom Talks

In this episode about time management, Mark says "You can make more friends, you can make more money, but you can't make more time." Jess defines time management as "the means and methods to manage your time," but we know it's never that simple.

Jess and Mark discuss tips to manage your time well and warns us what happens when we don't accomplish that goal, and then uses a Priority/Time Management Matrix (free sign in required) to help us understand and manage those things that seem to fill our schedule, and clarfies the axiom "Another person's urgency should not become my emergence."

Once you go to the Iowa Christian Youth Network, let us know you're there and join us for additional resources for YOUR ministry.

In this episode, Mark and Jess outline the steps to enlightening students in your ministry, comparing and contrasting training, educating, indoctrinating, and developing.

Training is defined as teaching or developing other skills or knowledge.

Educating means to give instruction or to teach, train, or inform.

Indoctrination is teaching someone to accept a set of beliefs without questioning them.

Development is the process in which someone or something grows or changes to become more advanced.

Training plus education equals development.

Drop your questions or comments in an email to [email protected] or in the comments section. For additional resources, visit the Iowa Christian Youth Network at ICYN.org. To learn more about OUR ministry, Freedom for Youth, visit freedomforyouth.org.

Hopefully, we all have a place where we feel safe. In this episode, Jess and Mark discuss how to make youth ministry a safe place, discussing physical, emotional, and spiritual safety.

Situational awareness, being aware of what's happening around you, is the key to physical safety. If there's a fire, for example, do you know where to go, where the exits are, and if they are kept free of clutter so you can use them? Is your parking lot well lit? Have you done a walkthrough to evaluate and plan for emergencies?

The pair talk about emotional safety, focusing on empowering, connecting, and correcting in a way that sets youth up for success through authentic relationships built on common language and correcting out of love.

Finally, Jess and Mark discuss spiritual safety, with the emphasis on Biblical accuracy while building trusted relationships.

Check out the Iowa Christian Youth Network (icyn.org) for resources to help you ensure YOUR ministry is safe.

In this episode, Jess and Mark debunk the label "problem child" because we don't want to write off or label a child "bad" (or even "good") when dealing with people with a sinful nature. As adults, we must teach young people and give them the tools to address behavioral issues.

We discuss how best to serve children who may have more difficult behavior. It begins with understanding the individual and is best navigated from within an authentic relationship.

"No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." - Ruby Payne, as quoted in A Framework for Understanding Poverty.

Mark and Jess spoke with Brian Patterson, executive director of Freedom for Youth Ministries, about the importance of building meaningful connections in the ministry. Since joining Freedom for Youth, Brian has emphasized connections to share the work of God through the ministry. Whether it's soul care or fundraising, Brian has focused on building genuine connections with volunteers, donors, and other stakeholders whose support, prayers, and intentional actions help the Ministry impact the community.

Brian highlights eight ways in which strong, trust-based connections benefit non-profit ministries:

1. Building trust by being transparent in connections.

2. Understanding the needs of both the organization and the community.

3. Creating support networks that include volunteers, donors, prayer partners, and other stakeholders.

4. Increasing awareness and visibility to open minds and hearts to the ministry.

5. Collaborating on solutions by working with like-minded entities toward aligned goals.

6. Seeking feedback to ensure the ministry is moving in the right direction.

7. Strengthening relationships to survive challenging times and celebrate achievements.

8. Ensuring sustainability by continuously evaluating services and programs to meet the needs of a changing world.

Mark and Jess continue their conversation about the programs used to grow youth spiritually. Program is defined as structure and framework, and they cover a variety of components that can help grow students spiritually, from small groups, mentoring, and memory verses to intentional curriculum, serving, and (bonus) worship!

Jess references this quote from Biblical Worldview by Josh Molvihill:

Send us an email to [email protected] to share what you're doing in your program, visit the Iowa Christian Youth Network to learn from others; or see what we're doing at Freedom for Youth Ministries in Des Moines.

In this episode, Mark and Jess discuss growing youth spiritually, starting with building relationships and understanding where the young person is spiritually and then building a growth plan. They discuss the value of understanding if you're evangelizing or discipling the student.

They remind us that sometimes, we won't see growth during our time with the student and that's okay because it takes time -- God's time! We're her to plant the seed. God does the rest. In this episode, Mark and Jess talk about the importance of nurturing spiritual growth in young people. They emphasize the significance of building a strong relationship with the youth and understanding where they are spiritually before formulating a growth plan. Mark and Jess also highlight the difference between evangelizing and discipling the youth and the importance of identifying which one is needed in each situation.

Furthermore, they remind us that growth may not always be visible during our time with the youth, but that's okay because it takes time - God's time. Our role is to plant the seed, and God does the rest.

In this episode, Mark and Jess talk about watching the raw numbers in youth ministry. They remind us that it's okay to have objectives, but God does the work, and in His time. When God blesses a ministry numerically, it's good to celebrate and give Him the glory. We can't, however, make achieving the number another idol in our lives.

You might want to listen to episode #9 on record keeping again to understand which numbers are important and why, and episode #8 on volunteers so see when numbers can impact your program.

Be sure to learn more about the resources available through the Iowa Christian Youth Network at icyn.org. You can learn more about Freedom for Youth Ministries at freedomforyouth.org.

Conflict happens. When handled correctly - Biblically - it can actually be a blessing to a ministry. When it's not handled correctly, it can move the ministry in the wrong direction and even damage the ministry permanently.

When in ministry, conflict is not of flesh and blood, and needs to be handled well.

Send us your comments, questions, praise reports, and prayer requests to ⁠[email protected]⁠, and be part of Freedom Talks.

If you'd like more information about resources mentioned in the podcast, request it in an email and we'll get it to you soon!

For access to FREE ministry resources and support, visit the Iowa Christian Youth Network at ⁠⁠⁠icyn.org⁠⁠⁠.

For more information about Freedom for Youth Ministries, visit ⁠⁠freedomforyouth.org⁠⁠.

Who loves record keeping? If you love them or hate them, keeping records can make or break your ministry. Join Mark and Jess as they discuss that God is a God or order, records are valuable, what records to keep, and how good record keeping is important for your ministry.

Send us your comments, questions, praise reports, and prayer requests to ⁠[email protected]⁠, and be part of Freedom Talks.

For access to FREE ministry resources and support, visit the Iowa Christian Youth Network at ⁠⁠⁠icyn.org⁠⁠⁠.

For more information about Freedom for Youth Ministries, visit ⁠⁠freedomforyouth.org⁠⁠.