As we wrap up our ninth year of blogging, we are offering a retrospective of the best 20 things that I have most treasured about the blog. Here is #7.

The post, Changing the Game, may be the #10 all time post on the site meter, but may very well be the most influential posting that has affected my own thinking regarding youth ministry.  In it, we discussed the movie, Moneyball, which considered the five tools necessary for baseball players.  After discussing the most likely considered five tools for youth ministers, I offered a re-vision. Here’s the synopsis:

    a.) Love of Church –  Our end is serving Christ in His Church and the means
    we have chosen for that is our service with the youngchurch. 
    b.) Facilitation –  We need to collaborate and share the many tasks of 
    ministry and facilitation is becoming a very necessary skill
    c.) Committed to bringing Christ – to all the nations…, not just a age
    based demographic, but their parents and adults who might partner with us
    in service with young people.
    d.) (Corporal-Style) relationships on behalf of young people – We can
    no longer be satisfied with a role so closely associated with foot soldiers. We must take command of the systems that affect the foot soldiers to respond to the great commission.
e.) General Manager on behalf of the Church – From Moneyball, we learn that “winning seasons” are made from passionate leaders, like Billy Beane, who take a look at the whole system – from trades to the club house soda machine – and work the system on behalf of the mission.

If you have not seen Brad Pitt’s performance in Moneyball, please do so… It was Academy Award nominated and deserving, as was the movie.  After doing so, read Changing the Game and consider some new metrics towards our success.