Eight Days 021014
Like in the Beatles’ song Eight Days a Week, youth ministers work so hard it is like working eight days a week. Here continues a weekly series to serve you over your next eight days with eight notes for your information and formation. Pass these along in your e-newsletters (and offer Project YM a little love in the process, please.
- There are approximately 39,600 LEMs (Lay Ecclesial Ministers) in parish ministry in the United States today. For practical purposes these are professional and trained lay persons involved in paid parish ministry for at least 20 hours a week. Since most of them are us, let’s learn more.
- Most of those 39,600 LEMs succeed because a multitude of volunteers. How do you know that you are empowering fellow ministers rather than enlisting glorified programmatic baby-sitters?
- If all those LEMs are in staff meetings, then should those staff meetings look a little something different than a secular business meeting?
- More on juvenilization in the church and how LEMs who serve as youth ministers cannot just be the cause but also mature towards impacting it.
Our poster today comes courtesy of Bishop Christopher Coyne, a very social media savvy episcopal leader just installed in Burlington, VT.- It is budget season for many and Chris Wesley is encouraging you to count the costs of your ministry.
- When things don’t seem to be working, suggests Donald Miller, look for someone who can gently say, “Do you see this? Maybe try it a different way.”
- For all those who encourage young people to discipleship… a “different way…” we celebrate you and remember you in our prayer through the Valentine’s Day week as we ain’t got nothing but love, babe, eight days a week.
