Coaching Guide for 10/27

Coaching Guide for 10/27

Coaching Guide for 10/20

Coaching Guide for 10/20

Coaching Guide for 10/13

Coaching Guide for 10/13

Brady taught about how families serve together last week. What did God say to you? And what will you do to respond? I promise if you respond to what God is saying to you that you will have a story to lead your middle school students with! Our students are not looking for a perfect example of a person following Jesus. They are looking for a living example.

Coaching Guide for October 6th

We are in our 3rd week of the series 'family'! This week's coaching is about the teaching Steve gave to our middle school students last week about how extended families are marked by  'eating' together.

Jesus' target was people who were the least, last and the lost. His methodology, though, was eating and drinking. Interesting, huh? 

Further study: Get the book A Meal with Jesus or read the blog post by Tim Chester

Coaching Guide for 10/6

Coaching Guide for 9/29

Coaching Guide for 9/29
there is a date typo on the guide...don't worry, it's the right sheet!

We're baaaack!

The coaching program began anew this last Sunday. We've made some significant changes as we try a new experiment this semester. If you missed the coaches' meeting, here's the skinny:

• Coaches now stay in the youth lounge with middle school students instead of leaving with the other high school students
• Coaching small groups happen every Sunday. They happen from 10:45-11:15. You'll meet in the 56 room and head to a small group location from there.
• Topically, the small group will cover what was taught the previous week. This will give both you and the students time to process what was taught. Coaches, you'll get to think about how you want to deliver the content to your students in a unique way. 
• There will be a new one page (we hope that it's just one page) coaching guide to look at. This week's is posted below.

See you at the 10:30 circle up on the 22nd!

Coaching Guide for 9/22

Coaching Guide for July 28

Coaching Guide Download

Coaching Guide for July 14

Coaching Guide Download

Coaching Guide for June 30

Coaching Guide Download

Coaching Guide for June 16

Coaching Guide Download

Teaching Audio - Road Rash

Check out the audio from yesterday's teaching by Jason Scott.

Audio Download

Coaching Guide for 5/26

Coaching Guide for 5/26

Podcast of Teaching from May 5th

Sorry, this one is in four parts!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Coaching Guide for 5/12

This week is an experiment for you to choose to do whatever helps your middle school students engage in the topic:

• use this coaching guide like normal

OR

• Write your own questions after listening to the podcast (if you weren't there last week to hear it)

Podcast link will be available Thursday morning.

He's good; scary good

Photo courtesy of Bern Altman (http://mostlymaritime.photoshop.com)

Download the April 28th Coaching Guide

God is good; scary good.  And so it is with Christ; good Christ but scary Christ.  It’s an odd juxtaposition but I find it in the story Steve shared of the disciples, the sea, the wind and Christ in control.  I know it well.  Christ and the disciples are headed across the Sea of Galilee when a squall rises up and threatens to drown them.  They wake Jesus. He rebukes the wind, the water and the disciples themselves for their lack of faith.  Heard that.  Got that.  Then I read on.

With wind and sea subdued, Luke records that the disciples went right back to being afraid (Luke 8:25) only now of Jesus Himself instead of the natural elements around them.  One fear has been supplanted by another.  Hmm...  I check Mark 4:41; same account, same result; scary storm and scary Jesus. This time when the disciples find Jesus, He's asleep unfazed by the storm and they have to wake him up.  Didn’t Christ just call them out on their fear?  Wasn’t He clearly in control?  Shouldn’t they have trusted in Him?  Yes and that’s what I now get.  To be fair, who wouldn’t have been more than a little unsettled by a man, fully-man, with these kinds of powers?  He’s fully God too, we now know, but this was pre-resurrection Jesus.  The disciples were ignorant of that fact.  If there isn’t a Bible translation with the modern term “freaked out” in it, there should be.  These guys were freaked out.  I would be too.

And yet we know that by then the disciples were dealing with a predictably miraculous Christ who had already healed the disabled and raised the dead.  Weren’t they to feel more confident and less afraid?  Didn’t Jesus always have their back?  My guess is that recorded or not, there was a constant state this God is of great fear around Jesus.  Who was He?  What would He do next and to whom?  Where were they going?  How would it end?  Being a disciple of Christ was scary business.  I get that.  But I think on another level we’re also afraid of the simple notion that He is God and we are not.  Where is He taking us?  Have we a choice?

I can’t stand being in the passenger seat on an icy road even though I know with full confidence that the driver next to me is more skilled, more experienced and more calm under the conditions.  I want control.  In life I am hard pressed to share the wheel with God, much less give him the control He already has.  It’s irrational but I deny Him His due.  My fear drives me to take control, not give it.

Like the disciples we fear lack of control even when, and they didn’t fully know this at the time, God is in charge.  Do I believe God is in charge?  Absolutely.  Am I afraid of it?  Sometimes I am.  God works in His own time and for His own ends.  While I trust God’s will and His goodness, I’ve seen enough in life to know that God offers no assurance of immediate safety or relief.  My escape plan is seldom His.  I do think this is something Christ perfects in us throughout our walk.  We grow our capacity to trust His purposes and yield to His outcomes.  The yielding bends back against our pride and our instinct to control circumstances we fear.  I battle the storm then desperately shake Him awake when I finally realize that He’s been in control the whole time.  What’s battering your boat?  Will you wake Him? 

written by Rob Ames

15 Minutes of Fame or a Lifetime of Significance?

I wanted to get the job. Why? there were only six of these jobs on the entire campus. You were respected. You were admired.  If you got the job, you were in charge of a dorm for 200 college undergraduate students. You had power. So I thought. 

So after a year of hoping and dreaming of the job, I got it. But the power and authority didn't feel like I thought it would. It didn't really work like that. 

I was helping freshmen who had gotten locked out of their room. I was doing administrative paperwork. I was telling people the keep the noise down.

I quickly realized the more influential I perceived myself to be, the less effective I felt. I had the job I wanted, but the feeling of power wasn't there.  

Enter Jesus. Jesus' thoughts on power are upside down of the way we naturally think of powerful people. Jesus (in John 13)  has just one week to live. You do things very intentionally when you know you're going to die. I had a friend who had a terminal cancer; he knew just how important his last days were. He passed on important parts of the family business. He told his family he loved them. 

If you know you're going to be gone soon, you take time to pass on the most important lessons that you can. 

Jesus does it. And one of the final times he's gathered with his disciples, he gets up from the table at dinner and does something that only a servant in that age would have done. 

It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

John 13:2-5

Meals were common settings for teaching sessions from a rabbi like Jesus. He does teach, but not with words now. Washing the disciples' feet involved:

• kneeling down and removing their sandals which were covered in dust.
• actually touching their feet (I don't know the last time you touched somebody else's feet, you don't do it by accident)
• getting himself a little dirty in the process of washing the dirt off the others' feet

Why? Jesus is not seeking to become famous in this moment. He will become famous but not because he sets out to. He sets out to serve. They will understand in a few days time, after he is killed and comes back to life, how he truly washed the dirt from their lives.

Where are you seeking fame? What would it look like to serve somebody today. Serving will lead to a life that is significant. And significance is way better than fame, which will last about 15 minutes.

#winning: fame, power & other stuff

April 14 Coaching Guide

Audio of teaching from 3/17/13

Coaches, it's spring break and we missed a lot of you because of vacations! Be sure to:

1. listen to the mp3: March 17th - #winning: fame, power & other stuff. 
2. read your coaches guide! Coaches Guide for March 24th
3. the script is optional and informative if you want the backstory of the scripture passage I taught: Script of the March 17th teaching

Take a listen to the audio, it's about 25 minutes long. If you look at the script, please note that the 'oscar pistorius' story was swapped for the story about St. Patrick that you'll hear in the mp3.

A delayed thought on "appetite" from Ben Sternke

This was meant to be posted last week. Take a look at Ben Sternke's blog where he talks further about the temptation of appetite.

Engaging Temptation: Appetite

#winning: fame, power & other stuff

March 24th Coaching Guide

#winning: fame, power & other stuff

March 10th Coaching Guide

February 24 Coaching Guide

February 24th Coaching Guide

February 10 Coaching Guide

February 10th Coaching Guide

Take a look at the guide and be ready to lead students through it on Sunday February 10th. Read through the Isaiah 53 passage and the corresponding questions. 

Isaiah 53:2-5 describes what Jesus would look like. 

Note: he ain't pretty.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.

What did the passage predict about how Jesus would look?

What did this prophecy say people would see when they looked beyond the looks and saw Jesus for who He really was?

What is attractive to you about the description of Jesus in this passage?

Jack fell down and broke his crown...and Jill came tumbling after

It's true about relationships, isn't it?

There seems to be a lot of falling, breaking & tumbling. Whether its mistrust or shallow relationships, we can all readily admit that our relationships need help. 

How do we get into trouble? And does God have a plan that would keep us from falling down and stumbling?

In the "Jack & Jill" series, we'll look at a couple topics:

• "Once Upon a Time" - a story from I Samuel 25:14-42
• 2/3 (teaching) - Bottom Line: Look beyond looks.
• 2/10 (coaching) - led by HS coaches & adults
• "Happily Never After" - a story from I Samuel 25:14-42
• 2/17 (teaching) - Bottom Line: Bother beyond the breakup.
• 2/24 (coaching) - led by HS coaches & adults

Don't miss the teaching or coaching Sundays! Your middle school students are so excited to be with you all! 

Next Pilot Missional Community Gathering: Feb 25th

We had our first community gathering last week and it was a blast! Come be a part of it if you're:

a) a high school student serving in any capacity at Heartland

b) a high school student or adult who is interested in leading a missional community next fall when we launch multiple MC's

What's a missional community? Take a look at the wikipedia article for an overview.

Want to be a part of this experimental missional community? Email us for more info.

Pilot Missional Community Dates

January 27th Breakout Guide

This is a correction! The link to this file was wrong, here's the right link:

January 27th Coaches Guide

January 20th Teaching Audio

If you were not here a couple days ago to hear this teaching, we recorded it for you. Note: The last 5 minutes or so are not there, but you will still hear the main portion of the message.

January 20th - Who's the Boss?, taught by Jason Scott

January 20 Teaching: Who's the Boss?

Yesterday was awesome! It was a blast to watch you high school coaches meet adults and middle school students for the first time. Remember a name & pray for a kid you met yesterday as you go about your week. I have an alarm on my watch set to 12:38pm. It reminds me to pray everyday during the lunch hour.
Don't miss this Sunday's teaching, it will set you up for success when you lead small groups on January 27th! High school coaches, just a reminder, you'll hear this taught from Steve Weatherford this weekend.

This week's teaching comes from Judges 2:6-23.
The point: Don't charge into being in charge.

January 27th Small Group Guide

January 6th teaching: Does God carry an iPod? (Nehemiah 1:1-11)

Old School is our first series of 2013. The series is about looking at Old Testament stories. We'll discover answers to some of today's questions in yesterday's stories.

On January 6th, we'll take a look at the question "Does God carry an iPod?"
Is God in tune with our lives? Or is he still using a boom box or something old fashioned? When tragedy strikes on Earth, does God in Heaven really notice? Or is he out of touch?

If you can between now and when you lead the small groups on January 13th (see post below for more info), give the book of Nehemiah a read...it's fascinating and incredibly relevant. For some historical analysis and commentary, check out this link.

January 13 Small Group Guide

We're back! (with some experimental changes!)

Youth leaders!

I'm looking forward to 2013 with much anticipation. I've been challenged by this blog post to ask two important questions as we head into a new year:

1. What does God want you to say 'goodbye' to in 2012?
2. And what is God calling you to say 'hello' to in 2013?

What we're saying a gentle 'goodbye' to in 2012 is YOU, the adult volunteer leader, being the primary leader & discipler for middle school students.

The 'hello'?
Well, we're saying 'hi' to an experiment where we change your job description from being the primary discipler for middle school students to being the primary discipler for one or two high school students. The high school students will be the main disciplers for our middle school students. We are looking for twenty high school students to say 'yes' and apply to be a middle school coach (discipler). We've got about eight students right now, pray for our remaining twelve to step up!

Logistically, here's what the changes mean. Every other week, the high school students will lead a middle school discussion group. The topic they'll teach middle school students will be what the teacher taught the prior week on Sunday morning.

Example: On January 6th, we'll have some worship and age specific (separate MS and HS teaching). I'll teach from Nehemiah 1:1-11. We'll have short small groups for you to check in with kids. On January 13th, we'll have some worship and then head straight to our small group time where we drill deeper into applying Nehemiah 1:1-11 to our lives. This small group time will be extended and last approximately 30 minutes. That will be the every other week rhythm for the semester.

The high school students will eventually lead that small group time and you will be their support. Since they've never led a small group before, we want them to be able to watch you do it before they take on the task in February.

The rhythm is very intentional. Steve Weatherford and I want the high school students to have multiple touches with the topic before they teach it to students. They will have heard the content taught once in their high school specific audience. They'll have been led by the high school adult volunteers to process what God is saying to them. And then they'll finally get to teach it to a younger audience, which will be the most fruitful part of the process for them. (Allegedly, learners retain 90% of what they learn when they teach someone else/use immediately what they've learned.)

The high school coaches will gather a couple times a month to share a meal and be a missional family together. They're already giving their lives OUT (giving their lives away to middle school students who don't know Jesus) together. And we want to gather them in a host family's home share a meal and do some UP (connect with God) and IN (connect with other Jesus followers) together. Those dates and times are forthcoming and you are invited to take part in those evenings as well.

Sound like a different approach to student ministry?
Yup, it's an experiment that will last through May/June. We think the potential payoff is huge because it  will give 7th graders Johnny and Sara a picture of what we expect (and perhaps they'll see that it's what Jesus expects): that they give their lives away to the next generation of students when they get to high school someday.

If it doesn't work? Well, we listened to the Father and tried! What will your experiment be in 2013?

Questions? Thoughts? Please get ahold of me.

Shibu