Youth Specialties Convention in Orlando

This weekend I’ll be at the Youth Leadership Convention in Orlando. It is a yearly gathering of youth workers from all over Latin America hosted by Especialidades Juveniles, the Spanish arm of Youth Specialties.

We have been working together with team from Especialidades Juveniles in Mexico for the last 2 years. I’ve spoken at some of their events, written for their magazine, and they have helped organize youth leaders’ networking events throughout the country. They also asked me to contribute to a new study Bible for youth workers that is coming out this January.

I’m looking forward to going to the event and networking with leaders from all over Latin America. It will be good to meet up with people who I have met through our website ministeriojuvenil.com. I’m also hoping to make contacts with key people who will be able to help carry out the vision for future of Youth Ministry International in Latin America.

I’m hoping to tell you all about my adventures on Monday (and even as they happen, if possible). Stay tuned…

Graduation 2012

Last Saturday was graduation at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary. We had 9 students graduate from the Certificate in Youth Ministry program (a one year degree) and 2 students graduate from the Bachelor’s in Youth Ministry program (4 years).

Graduation is always bittersweet. In the case of Kareny and Josue, we have been with them for 4 years, and we have seen them grow into incredible youth pastors. It is like watching our own children grow up and move out of the house. They will be heading to Monterrey in a month, and we will miss them.

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The Greatness of a Seminary

Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the numbers game when it comes to ministries. Seminaries are not immune to this problem. The first few years at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary were rough times for the youth ministry program. After having three students enter the first year to study youth ministry, two of them dropped out. Numbers were not what we had hoped. But we’ve learned a lot since then.

This video of Dr. Elmer Towns says it best. He is talking about leading Liberty University to be the largest Christian University in the world and about his thoughts on the greatness of the Seminary. I especially like what he says here (see clip), “The Greatness of a Seminary is not in the number of students you have. The greatness of a Seminary is what they do for God once they graduate.”

I’m excited to see what our graduates do for God after they graduate from the Seminary.

Check out the entire video here:

Ministry Happenings – First Quarter 2010

Ministry Happenings – First Quarter 2010

After last week’s whirlwind trip (I’ll write more about that later), we finally got around to turning in an overdue report to Youth Ministry International for the first quarter of 2010, which gives an overview of our ministry activity.

Here are some of the things that were accomplished in the first quarter of 2010, either by our family or a part of our YMI team in Latin America:

  • Met with a pastor in Cuernavaca about youth ministry training in his city, taught his youth group, and preached in his church (watch the video)
  • Taught an evangelism conference to a youth group in Toluca, Mexico
  • Participated in 2 city-wide youth leaders conferences in downtown Mexico City
  • Preached at a local church youth camp for Spring Break
  • We’ve published 38 articles on
  • Received over 4800 visits and more than 11,000 pageviews on our ministry website. We receive emails from people all over Latin America asking for training because of the articles, resources, etc, that we put on the site.
  • Participated in a regional youth leaders conference in Cuba, teaching 2 training sessions and preaching in the opening service
  • Taught Contemporary Communication at the Bachelor’s level in Mexico
  • Taught Professional Orientation to Youth Ministry at the Bachelor’s level in Mexico
  • Taught Contemporary Communication at the Diploma level in Mexico
  • Taught Troubled Youth class at the Diploma level in Mexico
  • Taught a mentoring class in a local church (based on material used in Youth Discipleship)
  • Taught an informal YM philosophy workshop in Sonora at a regional camp
  • Taught an informal YM workshop in Toluca to youth leaders

We are excited to be a part of what God is doing in Latin America. Who knows what the next quarter holds!!!

Graduation in Santiago

Last Saturday night I had the chance to be at the first graduation of youth ministry students from the Baptist Seminary in Santiago, Cuba. There were 19 graduates overall.

This class was one of the first graduating classes taught entirely by national professors trained by Youth Ministry International over a period of 3 years.

There’s a lot more to say about this, but for now, I’m just going to post the photo.

19 of the Second Generation Graduates

MinisterioJuvenil.com

MinisterioJuvenil.com

I just received a really great note of encouragement on our youth ministry blog in Spanish (www.ministeriojuvenil.com). The youth ministry resource site has received so many great comments and created so many incredible contacts for us. Here is what the comment said (translated into English):

Hi. It is a blessing to have the opportunity to have access to this space and receive refreshment. I am from the city of Cartagena in Colombia, and I serve with my husband as youth pastors in the youth ministry. It is very interesting and edifying to have the opportunity to receive from you all and to be able to bring renewal to our local church. I pray that God will continue filling you with His grace and presence. Congratulations on your work and dedication.

We also received an email from someone today interested in inviting us to teach our informal youth ministry training conference.

We are excited about the possibilities for 2010 as we plan on investing more time in this valuable tool for training youth workers all over Latin America.