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h2o Youth News Source - Volume 10 | Issue 5 | May 2008
COUNSELING Sign of weakness or strength? Would you go? Why is it in so many Christian circles counseling is seen as a weakness? This is true especially among ministers? Oh they are fine to give counsel to others but they would never dream of going for counseling themselves. So many pastors feel like it is a sign of weakness and fail to accept the fact they NEED counseling. Many take the false belief, “We are supposed to be super spiritual humans . . . faster than a speeding crisis and able to leap tall problems in a single bound.” Bottom line the source for this kind of thinking is pride. Yes, good old pride. One of the sins God hates. Its pride that says, “I don’t need help. I can fix it myself.” It’s pride that says, “I don’t want anybody to know that I’m not perfect and I have problems.” Who are you kidding? We all face problems in life and sometimes we need a hand to help pull us out of the hole we fell into.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 10 | Issue 4 | April 2008
HOW’S YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE? Let’s face it we are in the people business. The success of our churches and youth ministries is based largely upon the success of our ability to provide quality “service” to those who attend. Our success or failure is determined by how well we treat and esteem people. If we do a good job with people we have the opportunity to make an eternal investment into them and they will want to come back to church . . . . ours or someone else’s. If we do a good job they will want to invest into the company (church).
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 10 | Issue 3 | March 2008
Facing Personal Crisis While Maintaining Public Ministry Back in early 90’s my wife, Kim, and I faced a family crisis. We were crushed, gasping to catch our emotional breath, and wounded by an attack of the enemy. What we faced is irrelevant. Sorry, no juicy details. However, you can probably fill in the blank with any number of difficult situations or tragedies which have rocked your own world.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 10 | Issue 2 | February 2008
The Power of Vision On Sunday, January 13, 2008, Rock Family Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, turned the church world upside down with their grand opening at one of the most unique facilities available to hold church services. RFC now leases a 152,000 square foot facility on Sundays and Wednesdays called, “Mr. Biggs Family Fun Center.” This is quite a difference from our previous 13,000 square feet building.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 10 | Issue 1 | January 2008
Pastor Sacrifices 10-year-old Daughter I recently heard about a pastor in Florida who sacrificed his ten-year-old-daughter to convey his sincerity to God and his calling. It’s hard to believe that someone could be so misled and so deceived. How could anyone destroy the life of their own child by claiming they were doing it for God? What really bothers me is I hear reports of this going on around the country every week. You haven’t heard it on the news because it is secretly being done to children under the radar of public view. Around the nation ministers are sacrificing their children and their marriages all under the name of God. No, they are not physically killing them, just emotionally killing them and putting a knife of rejection into their soul.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 12 | December 2007
A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE . . . from a church? As pastors and ministers we talk, encourage, and sometimes beg our people to tithe and honor God with their finances. Depending on which survey you read the average church has approximately 11-13% of their congregation tithe. Wow – what could each of us do if just another 11% of the people would start tithing? Well let me offer some help and encouragement. No, it’s not an original idea but it has worked for us and I thought it was worth sharing.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 12 | December 2007
A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE . . . from a church? As pastors and ministers we talk, encourage, and sometimes beg our people to tithe and honor God with their finances. Depending on which survey you read the average church has approximately 11-13% of their congregation tithe. Wow – what could each of us do if just another 11% of the people would start tithing? Well let me offer some help and encouragement. No, it’s not an original idea but it has worked for us and I thought it was worth sharing.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 11 | November 2007
Defeating Racism in Ministry A small American town on the east coast of Maine was noted for its colorful community. For years there had been a tradition of painting the houses in bright colors. One day a man named Eric got upset with his neighbor, Simon, about tree limbs which were hanging over into his backyard. Eric had asked Simon to do something about it but nothing had ever been done. So Eric went over to talk to Simon, and before long the discussion became heated. Soon the conversation drifted from tree limbs, and Simon started to air out his beefs with his neighbor—namely, he began to complain about the color of Eric’s house. “Why can’t you pick a color like the rest of the homes in the neighborhood?” he said. “I can’t stand that shade of blue!” Enraged by the verbal slam, Eric marched back into his house. But soon, news of the conversation spread throughout the community.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 10 | October 2007
BEWARE!THE OVER THE HILL GANG I read a greeting card that said, “Once you get over the hill, the only way to go is down (open it up and it says….) and you pick up speed on the way.” It may tickle the funny bone, but there is nothing humorous about the way our society treats the elderly. How often do we read about a senior citizen, forgotten and alone, who has died in their home and is not discovered for several days? Or the maiden aunt who sits abandoned in a dreary nursing home with no visitors for months or even years? What is your church or youth ministry doing to connect with the elderly in your church and community?
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 9 | September 2007
OWN IT! Have you ever heard anyone say, “I will only preach my own stuff!”? That is such a bummer because that attitude even limits them from using the Bible. This book is Paul’s message and John’s. They got a divine Word from God and today we read it. I have always taken this approach ...
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 8 | August 2007
Measurable Growth, Part 2 MORE INSIGHTS TO GROWING YOUR MINISTRY Last month we covered the first three most important aspects of attaining and maintaining measurable growth in your church or ministry. This month I want to hit on as many thoughts and ideas as I can. Buckle up and get ready to grow. 4. Personal recruitment by the pastor and his family. Who is the last person you brought to church with you? When people see and hear about you as the leader inviting and bringing people to church, it becomes contagious. When they hear about you witnessing to people, it will do much more than any message on evangelism you could preach. Live it and model it before the people!! 5. Be authentic, real, transparent, and touchable. People are tired of plastic churches and plastic pastors. A true shepherd will
h2o Youth News Source - Special Release
Volume 11 Just Released! August 2, 2007
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 7 | July 2007
Measurable Growth INSIGHTS TO GROWING YOUR MINISTRYThe average church in America is less than 100 people. Why is that? Does God not want His churches to grow? Why are churches that don’t experience growth able to maintain?
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 4 | April 2007
CAUTION: PUBERTY AHEAD (Part 2: Social and Spiritual Challenges)By Dean Hawk We are continuing this month on our subject of puberty. The way a young teen interacts with others is constantly changing. They are often just trying to figure out where they fit and if they are going to be accepted. From birth thru about 10 years of age, friends and playmates were important but home was always where the heart was. During the adolescent years they begin to disengage from family and build extensive and meaningful relationships with their peers. For parents this can be very frightening, especially if their peers’ behavior is not something they want their child to emulate.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 3 | March 2007
CAUTION: PUBERTY AHEAD (Part 1: Physical and Emotional)By Dean Hawk Do you remember going through puberty? The changes in your body and your emotions were enormous. I’m going to try and jog your memory a little bit so that you can be more understanding with the teenagers you serve and help the parents deal with this sensitive time as well. One of the greatest things you can do is rewind your tape and remember your teenage years. I’m not sure why we act so surprised by what young teens do, we did most of those exact same things ourselves.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 6 | June 2007
Stop Leading People to Christ (A New Revolution in Reproducing Believers) Pastors, youth pastors, and associate pastors need to STOP LEADING PEOPLE TO CHRIST. Wait, please read on and let me explain. It’s time we surrender that right and privilege to the believers in our church on Sunday mornings. Jesus told us to go and make disciples. Yet in many churches and youth groups across America and around the world we are hurting the church, weakening the believers, and hindering the discipleship process.
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 5 | May 2007
Connecting With Your Leaders Do the leaders who support and assist you in your youth ministry or church really know you or just know of you? These are two significantly different things. I could say, “I know Tony Hawk.” But we have only had a brief and limited communication. He “knows of” Dean Hawk, but he has no idea what my favorite soft drink is or how I like to spend a Saturday afternoon. What about your leaders? Do they know how you think and what is a priority to you? Do they know your heart and passion? Do they feel connected to you? Have you gone to the throne room together? A ministry principle that I have done for years is ...
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 2 | February 2007
STAFF
INFECTION Staff infection seems to be on the rise. I recently heard of a pastor who continually trained his staff that their ministry came before their family. New young ministers were told, “If you are truly committed to God and your calling, then your family would have to come second.”
h2o Youth News Source - Volume 9 | Issue 1 | January 2007
Help! My Youth Band Bites
Cultivating a Great Worship Leader
I am assuming most of you do not have paid staff worship leaders for your youth ministry. Nor is your volunteer worship band the incarnate of Hillsong United. If I had a guess, I would say that the vast majority of the youth worship leaders are categorized under these three headings: 1) the guitar playing 35-year-old who can’t grasp the fact that Stryper was cool in 1987, not 2007, 2) ...
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Dean Hawk Ministries | PO Box 63355 | Colorado Springs, Colorado | 80962
888-WATER-88 | 888-928-3788 | 719-481-3089
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