Orange
Ryan Reed
You Gotta Make It to OC17

One of the most important events on my annual professional calendar is the Orange Conference.

Why Orange? In sum, when it comes to a student ministry curriculum, I have not found one as powerful, versatile, comprehensive, and intentional as Orange. It cares for the middle school student just as much as the elderly aunt who takes care of him. Orange seeks to equip the entire family, not just the teenage kid, for both individual and familial faith. That simple.

As a user since 2011, I've continually been sold by how well it prepares me to share the Gospel with teenagers and build parent partnerships for faithful ministry in the home. 

You Gotta Make It to OC17
Leadership
Ryan Reed
The Important Role of Self Awareness in ...

This post originally appeared on the Orange Leaders Blog on June 22, 2016. 

What is the toughest question you’ve ever had to answer, and who asked it?

Given that somehow you made your way to this exceptional community called Orange Leaders, I automatically know a few things about you:

The Important Role of Self Awareness in Leadership
Leadership
Ryan Reed
Key Ingredients for a Thriving Ministry Recipe

Not long ago my wife introduced me to the best show on television... Chopped. I love it. Hands down noting beats it. A simple show in concept: four chefs compete against one another using a basket of mystery ingredients - yet so captivating!

Why? Because the ingredients equalize the playing field. Whether the chef be a novice out of culinary a school or a multi-restaurant owner veteran, each chef receives the ingredients at the same time and must respond to them. 

The ingredients are the star of the show. They call out the character of the chef. Not the other way around. It's the ingredients that define the path.

Key Ingredients for a Thriving Ministry Recipe
Church
Ryan Reed
May the Real Me Meet the Real You

Said C.S. Lewis, "The prayer that precedes all prayers is may the real me meet the real you." 

A great friend of mine from college once shared this quote with me. He and I served in Young Life together, leading high school students toward a growing relationship with Jesus. I can recall that he ended nearly every one of his ministry talks with this quote just prior to closing in prayer:

"May the real me meet the real you."

I probably listened to him share this quote with me dozens of times. I think I also used it. But quite honestly, I don't think I understood the meaning behind it until much later in life. Intellectually I understood it. It's simple in structure, but truly profound in its meaning. 

Perhaps I missed it time after time because inherent within this quote lays an assumption that you know the real you. 

May the Real Me Meet the Real You
Orange
Ryan Reed
Rethink Leadership Conference Day 2 #OC16 #RL16

CAREY NIEUWHOF INTERVIEW WITH JON ACUFF

Know your message enough to find the direction, but leave it open enough to let the Holy Spirit inspire new content. 

For humor, build the island, but then make sure that you make a sturdy bridge to and from the island. Satire is about an idea, but mockery is about an individual. We are not called to mockery.

Put handles on ideas so that we can carry them forward. We have enough ideas. Put a handle on them.  

Rethink Leadership Conference Day 2 #OC16 #RL16

Youth Ministry

Can the Church be a Viable Parent Partner?

Can the Church be a Viable Parent Partner?

I was talking with a fellow youth worker the other day who asked me this question, "Can the Church really be a viable partner for parents?"

He shared with me about his current struggles a youth worker. He said, "Ryan, with all of the additional programs for students to attend, whether it be an extra-curricular sport team, counseling, therapy groups, community and non-profit service-based organizations, and the mall, what can the church possibly offer a student these days?"

That is a fair question. With all in which a student can get involved, along with all of the options available to a parent for personal, mental, physical, and yes, even spiritual development, what role can the church assume to partner with parents for the sake of the faith formation of a teenager?

4 Truths When Meeting with a Parent

4 Truths When Meeting with a Parent

As my good friend remarked the other day, there is an art to meeting with a parent.

I agree, and it is a crucial, learned skill. I know several youth pastors and youth workers who recognize the wonderful benefit of parent partnerships but feel either intimidated or under qualified to actually to do the work of building them and investing into conversations.

Allow me to dispel this: God has entrusted you with the privileged task of gathering, equipping, and sending students, which requires your intentional, faithful involvement with parents. You need to meet with parents. It must become a regular rhythm of your ministry. Not doing so wipes away half of the people to whom God has called to you to minister. 

What I Want Every Kid to Know Before I Say One Word

What I Want Every Kid to Know Before I Say One Word

My mentor used to say, "Proclaim the Gospel by any means necessary short of anything illegal or immoral." 

I agree. In fact, I agree so much that I decided to dedicate my vocational career to the proclamation of the Gospel, and I seek to do it as often as possible! I want to use words, illustrations, actions, smoke signals, anything! I would do just about anything for a person to know the truth of grace and salvation! 

But what about the flipside to that coin? As much as I may want someone to follow Jesus, what do I want that person to know about how much I value her or him? What would I want that person to know about the love of Christ before I utter one word? I would want that person to know this:

Navigating Each Level of Contact Work

Navigating Each Level of Contact Work

Regular and consistent contact work with teenagers (or any of the people within your sphere of influence for that matter) is the most effective way to disciple, lead, and influence others. I believe in the 'program' and what it means for the community, but nothing replaces church - that face-to-face time in the name of Jesus - outside the walls.

I stated my reason for the question of "Why" for Contact Work in my previous post titled, "Doing Healthy, Faithful Contact Work." I want to encourage you to read that post before continuing with this one, especially if you wonder why contact work is necessary. In that post, I share my own story of how one event at a high school football game forever changed how I lead in student ministry. 

Doing Healthy, Faithful Contact Work!

Doing Healthy, Faithful Contact Work!

My very first experiences of 'doing' youth ministry did not occur in a church or youth room. It happened at a high school football game. 

After joining a student ministry outreach organization during my freshman year in college, my supervisor approached me and said, "Clear your calendar for this Friday night. You and I are headed to a high school football game!" While apart of me felt excited for the adventure, another part of me felt a bit confused as to why I would start my tenure in youth ministry at a high school football game. Could my time be better utilized preparing a talk, recruiting volunteers, or starting a small group with a few guys?

Youth Ministry Answers!

Youth Ministry Answers!

Just a couple of days ago, some great people in the field of Student Ministry launched a brand new, fresh podcast called "Youth Ministry Answers." 

Though brand new, it will soon become one of the must-listen-to podcasts in the field, and I highly encourage you to go over to iTunes, download it, and make it a regular rhythm of your podcast diet. 

But what if you are not a Student Pastor? Is it still worth it?

3 Keys to Earn Trust with Parents

3 Keys to Earn Trust with Parents

Recently, I led 2 high school ministry events that kept students out past midnight. I broke the cardinal rule of student ministry. 

Both events started late in the evening - both concerts - both explicitly Christian. 

Afterward, one of my high school group leaders approached me and asked, "How did you get away with this?" To which I responded, "I didn't just get away with it. For four years, I have been working tirelessly to earn the respect and trust of parents. That is why I can do events like this." And the dividends of doing so pay off huge.

But not just for fun events. Earned respect and trust allow the student ministry of our church to extend 10 times further than it could if I ran a solo operation without the inclusion of parents. How so, you might wonder? Once parents see you as for their family, not against it, then parents WANT to share with other parents about a program that meets the felt needs of their student, while honoring the values of their family.

Indeed - as contrary as this may sound to student ministry leaders - parents are your most valuable asset. 

Beware of 3 Mistakes When Building Parent Partnerships

Beware of 3 Mistakes When Building Parent Partnerships

If you ask my leaders, "What is one thing that Ryan talks about ad nauseum?" I guarantee that they will tell you two things: Contact Work and Parent Partnerships.

Student Ministry is not rocket science. Some people try to make it so, but any schlep called by God can do this work - just ask my wife. :) I would rather compare Student Ministry to baking a cake from scratch. The cake itself only requires a few ingredients, but the slightest distortion of any ingredient - an extra ounce here, too litter there - will always result in a catastrophic pile of culinary disaster! Trust me, I know this, too - ask my wife. :)

Student Ministry requires only a few key components, and truly, depending on the scale and mixture of those components, either beautiful dessert is made or get ready for hours of messy clean up.