What Happens when Parents and Kids see Youth Group as Simply an Elective?
Tuesday April 15, 2014 | Benjamin KernsFor the past few years, it has been obvious that the culture in which we do ministry has fundamentally changed. I know that pop culture continues to devolve into twerkfests on MTV, but that is nothing new. What I am seeing that is new, is that the Christian adults within this culture have a totally […] Read more
NEW Resources Debuting at OC14!
Monday April 14, 2014 | Kristi PorterOrange Conference is sort of like our Oscars or Super Bowl or SXSW or, well, you get the idea. It’s our time to hang out with you, and also show you what we’ve been working on . . . while we’re all sporting orange, of course. We love to debut new resources that will enhance […] Read more
Duplicating what’s Good and Creative
Friday April 11, 2014 | Tom PounderLate night talk show hosts have caused me to have some great creative ideas lately. One of those hosts is Jimmy Fallon. Jimmy, through his youtube channel has provided a wealth of great ideas for me and my ministry team. His Miley Cyrus video and hashtag videos have been viral hits and have caused us to really look at how we […] Read more
Heaven is for Real Movie
Friday April 11, 2014 | Orange LeadersWe at Orange love a heartwarming story. So, we’re excited about the upcoming release of Heaven is for Real. . . . The Burpos are the perfect picture of a small-town Americana family: mom and dad, daughter and son. Young Colton and his dad are inseparable . . . until an illness lands Colton in the […] Read more
Autism and the Church
Wednesday April 9, 2014 | Orange LeadersHave you ever heard of a church that turned away a little boy because he had red hair? What if a mother was greeted at the children’s ministry check-in with news her redheaded son had to go back home? No, you can’t imagine. If any church ever sent home a child because of their natural hair color […] Read more
Leaders, Manage Well
Tuesday April 8, 2014 | Ronne RockI typed “how to be a leader” into the Google search bar. 1.7 BILLION results popped up. Clearly, we have an obsession with leadership. I’ve worked with so many people who fancy themselves to be leaders simply because they are in a supervisory role. But here’s something I’ve noticed: not very many leaders want to […] Read more
5 Steps to Implementing Small Groups in Your Elementary Environment: Steps 4 & 5
Friday April 4, 2014 | Nick Blevinsby Nick Blevins This is the last post in a series of posts outlining five steps to implementing small groups in your elementary ministry. Read Intro & Step 1 here. Read Steps 2 & 3 here. Step 4 – Determine Groups Start with the service choices you got from the parents. Divide kids up by […] Read more
The “R” Word
Thursday April 3, 2014 | Bre Hallbergby Bre Hallberg Don’t say the “r” word. You know, the one used to describe the part of ministry that leaves you lying awake at night . . . recruiting. Question! How many times a year do you recruit volunteers? If we lived in an ideal world, we would say, we don’t need to recruit, […] Read more
Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung, Part 5
Wednesday April 2, 2014 | Orange Leadersby Daron Dickens Many years ago I read the book, Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. It changed my life. If you haven’t read it, then once you have finished Crazy Busy, go straight to read it; do not pass “Go.” Much like with Crazy Busy, it was amazing how this book […] Read more
3 Reasons Why You Can’t Let Your Kids Figure out Faith on Their Own
Tuesday April 1, 2014 | Orange Leadersby JC Thompson Kids owning their faith is the goal right? Why is it that we think that “allowing” kids to figure it out on their own is the solution? One of the things that I begin to see happen in the dynamic between students and their parents is that students begin to fight against […] Read more
