For the last few years, I’ve been traveling to Cuba twice a year to train those who are training youth workers. I’m there again today.
I’ll be in Cuba for the next two weeks, and I was thinking about my time there. I’ll be teaching two youth ministry classes, but I was hoping that it will be more than just that. I believe that I have this job so that I can impact people and minister to them, not just teach them stuff.
Here are the things I want to accomplish while I’m there this time:
I want it to be a time of spiritual refreshment for the students and myself, not just an academic exercise.
I want it to be as participatory as possible, not just a lecture styled class.
I want them to leave with practical tools for their ministries.
I want them to leave fired up about what they can do in global youth ministry training.
It may have something to do with the new book I’m reading about storytelling, but I have been noticing that stories are an intricate part of our lives. We live stories, and our stories connect us to each other. When we get together, our conversations are stories. We talk about our kids, our work, our families – basically our lives, in stories.
I have been going to the Panera Bread down the street in the mornings to finish preparing for my classes, and without wanting to, I listen to the conversations around me. People are telling stories. Stories are the fabric of our lives. One of our main methods of communication is sharing stories.
I think stories connect us and interest us while entertaining us. I think that we pastors and youth workers need to learn to communicate in stories. Jesus did it by speaking in parables. The Bible is a mostly collection of stories that we turn into boring (many times) sermons. I want to connect with people by telling stories, and I want to learn how to be a good storyteller.
What does a ministry to street kids, a graduation at a seminary, and a ministry that would benefit from goats, cows, and chickens have in common? They are all part of what is happening in Kenya, where Brent Carl, vice president of training operations of our mission organization, just spent some time ministering.
He was the invited speaker for a youth camp, and he sent us this video of an obstacle course race between the campers and counselors. There are great things happening in Kenya, and Youth Ministry International is happy to be a part of it.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
