The summer is a great time of year for ministry. Not only does it allow you to change things up from the school year, but it provides you unique ministry opportunities for you to do with those you are ministering to and ministering with.

One of the challenges of the summer is finding the right time to do some ministry development with your volunteer leaders. That is why Christopher Wesley is back on the podcast. He is one of the most effective student ministers I know. Not only does he have a lot of experience but he has provided a ton of resources that can help student ministers effectively train volunteer leaders over the summer.

In today’s podcast he shares about the diferent options student ministers have to train volunteers and the resources that can help.

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How do you effectively train your volunteer leader over the summer? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* If you want to connect with Chris, you can a few different ways.  He’s on Twitter, has an awesome blog with tons of great insights each week. Also, if you are looking for some training resources for your student ministry team? Check out the Marathon YM Store from Chris at https://marathon-youth-ministry.myshopify.com . Enter the PROMO code: SIDEKICK and get 50% off all June. It’s a great deal!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Making a great first impression is really important when you are starting any job, let alone a ministry job. But how do you do that and what action steps can you take to really start your new ministry job effective? There are a few specific steps you can take to start strong.

Cory Sullivan joins the podcast today to talk specifically about his new ministry job and how he is starting strong. We also talk about the upcoming Orange Tour and how you can get involved with that great training opportunity for your team.

ACTION STEPS:

* What do you think? How have you started a new ministry job strong and effective? Share your thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick to share. 

* Learn more about the Orange Tour and sign up on June 7th to save money! Click this link.

* As always, Cory is a great resource and you can find him blogging here.  You can also follow him on Twitter here. He’s a great resource so hit him up and pick his brain.

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

No one wants to be just average. We all want to do our best, at least that is my hope. However, for whatever reason, mediocre happens from what we produce in our media for Churches.

So how do you go beyond mediocre and produce consistent content that is compelling and impactful? Helping me answer that question is Daniel Gregory. I met him from a mutual friend, Adam McLaughlin. Daniel is a Pastor at Victory in Florida. They have found video to be a great way to connect with people, so they do a lot there.

Today Daniel and I talk about Christian media and how we can go beyond that in our media that we produce in our churches in ministries. He also shares with us his recommendations for cameras and production equipment as well as why he highly recommends sharing your Church’s content on YouTube.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! How are you stepping up your game in with your media for your ministry? Share below or on Twitter using #ymsidekick when you post.

* If you want to connect with Daniel you email him here or you can check out his Sermon Trailer YouTube videos.

* Get up to speed on going BEYOND MEDIOCRE! At the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group this week we are talking more about Video Games and Ministry. Also, throughout the year you can learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers. If you are a ministry leader or volunteer, this is the group just for you!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

As much as we would like to hope, new volunteer leaders can’t just walk in and start being effective immediately. Sure, there are things they can do to start making a difference, but they need some equipping. Not only do they need equipping and training, but Ashley Bohinc, Director of Middle School Strategy for Orange believes there are 4 very specific things volunteer leaders want and need to be effectively.

That is why I brought back to Ashley to the podcast. Ashley led a Breakout at Orange ’18 about this very topic (my notes from the breakout are here). So, in today’s episode, Ashley and I discuss this…and some other fun things…including her book, “The Art of Group Talk: How to Lead Better Conversations with Teenage Girls” that she did with Crystal Chiang.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! What have you found to be some ways you have helped ? Share below or on Twitter using #ymsidekick when you post.

* If you want to connect with Ashley, you can find her on Twitter. She is very active on social media so definitely hit her up if you have a question. She also co-hosts Think Orange Podcast so check that out as well.

*  Also, if you want more information on the ministry Ashley does with Ethiopia, Carry 117, click here.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers. If you are a ministry leader or volunteer, this is the group just for you!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Today we are talking about video games. But we aren’t just talking about what are the greatest platforms or games to be playing right now. Rather, we are talking about how you can use video games as a ministry opportunity. That is why we are having Jate Earhart back on the podcast. Last time he was on we were talking all about Pokemon Go and how you could use that as a ministry opportunity.

Today, Jate and I talk about how video games helped him and how he is using video games online and locally as a way to reach people for Christ.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! How are you using video games as a ministry opportunity? Share below or on Twitter using #ymsidekick when you post.

* If you want to connect with Jate you can find him on  Twitter and you can find him regularly posting on GameChurch City.

* MORE on Video Games! At the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group this week we are talking more about Video Games and Ministry. Also, throughout the year you can learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers. If you are a ministry leader or volunteer, this is the group just for you!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

Today’s podcast is similar to last week yet a little different. In this podcast I am joined by Steve Cullum, Tom Bump, Dave Maddron, and Nick Blevins as we share our Orange Conference ’18 highlights and learnings.

It is just a portion of our conversation but it will hopefully encourage you and give you different insights to consider and think about.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! What are you still processing from the Orange Conference this year? Share your thoughts on social media using #ymsidekick when you share

* Connect with these Orange Bloggers:

* Steve Cullum: His Blog and Podcast plus his Twitter.

* Tom Bump: His Blog, Podcast and Twitter.

* Dave Maddron: His Blog, Podcast and Twitter.

* Nick Blevins: His Blog, Podcast and Twitter.

* The Twitter Advantage – Some churches are giving up on Twitter and that’s a mistake. This platform has unique advantages over other social platforms and can be leveraged to bring people from your community through your church’s front door. Discover how Twitter can be one of the most effective tools in your communications tool box.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers. If you are a ministry leader or volunteer, this is the group just for you!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

The Orange Conference ’18 came and is now gone. The theme was “One Voice” as they talked about how we can work together for the greater good. In fact so much life change can happen when we work together.

As great as the conference was, the real work begins. It is what you take away from the conference now and apply to your ministry that makes the greatest impact.

In this episode I ask a few participants of the conference what is 1 thing they learned from the conference. It isn’t the only thing they learned or even the “best” thing. It is just one thing they want to take home with them. Here are their responses and the ultimate challenge for us all now that the conference is over.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! What is one of the things you learned at the Orange Conference this year? Share your thoughts on social media using #ymsidekick when you share

* The Twitter Advantage – Some churches are giving up on Twitter and that’s a mistake. This platform has unique advantages over other social platforms and can be leveraged to bring people from your community through your church’s front door. Discover how Twitter can be one of the most effective tools in your communications tool box.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers. If you are a ministry leader or volunteer, this is the group just for you!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.

The 2018 Orange Conference was in full force today with 4 breakouts and a general session as well as a night of fun! Today Cory and I do a recap as we got a chance to hit up different breakouts and hear from Doug Fields and Andy Stanley in the main sessions. They were great as they continued to hammer through the theme of the year, “One Voice”.

Tom and Cory hit on the highlights but you can also check out the notes on YMSidekick.com (Tom’s notes) and Misfits.blog for Cory’s notes.

Cory is a great resource and you can also follow him on Twitter here.

If you are not able to attend in person, have no fear, you can still watch the live stream of all the main sessions here.

How about you? What are you learning from the Orange Conference after day 2? What is your “recap”?  Share your thoughts below or on social media using #ymsidekick so we can all learn from each other.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!

Also, sign up for the Sidekick Scoop to get content from all over the ministry world (especially online and student ministry topics).

 

The 2018 Orange Conference kicked off yesterday and it started in typical Orange fashion…full of awesome! Just like last year, I am partnering with Cory Sullivan to share our thoughts and learnings for each day of the Orange Conference. will be breaking down what they have been hearing and learning at the Orange Conference.

This year’s themes is “One Voice” and is all about how we can do more together. From the YouLead Sessions to Reggie’s Keynote message centering around Nehemiah, we were inspired to do more together.

Cory is a great resource and you can find him blogging here. He has some Orange Conference notes up as well.  And, you can also follow him on Twitter here.

If you are not able to attend in person, have no fear, you can still watch the live stream of all the main sessions here.

How about you? What are you learning from the Orange Conference after day 1?  Share your thoughts below or on social media using #ymsidekick so we can all learn from each other.

Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!

Also, sign up for the Sidekick Scoop to get content from all over the ministry world (especially online and student ministry topics).

 

Contact work is vital to your ministry. If you and your leaders do a lot of it, it will yield great relationship results with people you are trying to reach. However, if you don’t do a lot of it, it can cause a lack of solid relationships in your ministry.

Today Cory Sullivan joins me in person as the Orange Conference ’18 begins and we talk about the value of showing up. More importantly, we talk about the value of showing up in the lives of students and families when relationships may be rocky or students may be distant. When you show up in their lives then it can communicate so much about the love of Christ in their lives and how much you care for them.

ACTION STEPS:

* Share your thoughts! How have you seen “showing up” help your ministry? Share your thoughts on social media using #ymsidekick when you share

* ORANGE CONFERENCE INFO:

* Cory and I are at the Orange Conference. Follow Cory on Twitter and his blog and you can also follow him on Twitter here. He’s a great resource so hit him up and will have lots to say about the conference.

* Find out other Orange Bloggers are saying about the conference here.

* The Twitter Advantage – Some churches are giving up on Twitter and that’s a mistake. This platform has unique advantages over other social platforms and can be leveraged to bring people from your community through your church’s front door. Discover how Twitter can be one of the most effective tools in your communications tool box.

* Facebook Group! Join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group to learn how to be more effective using digital tools for your ministry join the group. This is for ALL Ministers, not just Church Communicators or Social Media Managers. If you are a ministry leader or volunteer, this is the group just for you!

* Make sure you goto iTunes and subscribe to the podcast and see what cool things we do each and every week!  And make sure you rate the show, especially if you like it.