Greetings Friends,
I have many projects in the works, so I have not been blogging as much as I used to. I wanted to take the opportunity to share one of my recent works with you all this week. As many of you know, I have been working with youth and young adults for most of the last 10 years. I recently put together a book of my most successful activities into a 12-week course called, "Stuff That Works." My goal was to put together a program that new youth workers could implement with a group of any size and without a huge a budget.
I still use the activities in my book, some as recently as a few weeks ago. I know they work, and they work across multiple denominations. Personally, I have used these activities with Catholics, Pentecostals, Methodists, Non-Denominational, and even Non-Christians. Now, I would like to share this others. I'm just not sure where to begin. I'm not even sure how much interest there is in something like this.
So, I am making a sample copy available on this page. The sample copy contains an introduction and the first two activities. I am eager to hear what others think about this book. I hope it will reach people who could really use this curriculum. I'm trying to find out if there is a need for this, or if there is any interest at all. Please leave a comment or contact me. Let me know what you all think. The link to a pdf sample copy is in the title of the book above. I will also leave a second link below. Thank you! And have a wonderful week!
Stuff That Works: A 12 Week Program to Get Youth Groups Started
Showing posts with label Activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activities. Show all posts
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Doing Christmas Differently
As I have said before, I am not a Christmas person at all. I'm trying to be, but it's not an easy process. I watch the movies, listen to the music, and go to the various parties. My house is decorated; my kids do all of the Christmas activities. Yet, I still have trouble getting into the spirit of Christmas.
It seems the older I get, the more I feel like Christmas loses its meaning. The holiday becomes more about spending money than anything else. More and more, I feel like Christmas is about companies squeezing every last dime out of consumers. I know, I know, I sound like a Grinch; but, dare I say, even the Grinch is being used to sell products. Everywhere I look, there is someone trying to sell me something Christmas-related as if there is no way that my Christmas will be complete without that one product.
This year, I'm trying to do things differently. This year, I'm still feeding, talking to, and providing whatever I can for the homeless in my community. Instead of spending a truckload of money on stuff, I donated a truckload of new toys to a church other than my own. I got some fancy handmade mugs as gifts for some of my family, but I got them by donating money to an organization that provides clean water in other countries. A local artist made them specifically for this purpose.
The season isn't over yet, but I feel like focusing on giving to others is the best decision I have made in a while. You can't go wrong investing in people. Eventually, the music will stop, the gifts will be put away, and the parties will end, but the memories will last a lifetime. Seeing a smile on the face of a homeless person, giving toys to children who may not receive anything else this year, and making Christmas about people instead of products is more important to me than having the latest must-have gift. I am also reminded that: while I do not have much, I still have a lot more than many others.
Ten days until Christmas, and I still have much to do. I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. If you can, take some time to do something kind for a stranger. I can promise you: no matter how small the gesture may seem to you, it can make all the difference in the world to someone in need. Have a wonderful week everybody!
It seems the older I get, the more I feel like Christmas loses its meaning. The holiday becomes more about spending money than anything else. More and more, I feel like Christmas is about companies squeezing every last dime out of consumers. I know, I know, I sound like a Grinch; but, dare I say, even the Grinch is being used to sell products. Everywhere I look, there is someone trying to sell me something Christmas-related as if there is no way that my Christmas will be complete without that one product.
This year, I'm trying to do things differently. This year, I'm still feeding, talking to, and providing whatever I can for the homeless in my community. Instead of spending a truckload of money on stuff, I donated a truckload of new toys to a church other than my own. I got some fancy handmade mugs as gifts for some of my family, but I got them by donating money to an organization that provides clean water in other countries. A local artist made them specifically for this purpose.
The season isn't over yet, but I feel like focusing on giving to others is the best decision I have made in a while. You can't go wrong investing in people. Eventually, the music will stop, the gifts will be put away, and the parties will end, but the memories will last a lifetime. Seeing a smile on the face of a homeless person, giving toys to children who may not receive anything else this year, and making Christmas about people instead of products is more important to me than having the latest must-have gift. I am also reminded that: while I do not have much, I still have a lot more than many others.
Ten days until Christmas, and I still have much to do. I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season. If you can, take some time to do something kind for a stranger. I can promise you: no matter how small the gesture may seem to you, it can make all the difference in the world to someone in need. Have a wonderful week everybody!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)