Hiking With Matthew

I’ve been wanting to post this for sometime…

So a while back I took a student(Matthew Mentasis) on a hiking trip. Matt, still in high school is our main keyboard player for youth band and a total worshiper. As you will see from this video we had a blast. Well at least I did.

I have always been an avid hiker but as I get older the call of the wild beckons me deeper. Anyway, taking a student on a trip like this(with parental consent) can be a great way to connect and strengthen your relationship with a youth.

A lot of work can be done in the pulpit but nothing can replace the relational side of youth ministry. I can remember being a teen and spending time with my youth pastor. I’ll never forget the stories and adventures we shared. The deep impact he made on my life in those non-church setting.

Maybe you’re not a hiker. Maybe your in to other recreation. But whatever you do pick a student and start building today. You never know, they just maybe the next generation leader.

- Brandon

Meet (me) Behind the Curtain

Guest Post: Brandon Wilson

Name: Brandon Wilson

Location: Stockton,the worst&best place

Bio: Just a guy that is doing his best to live for God.

Brandon is currently on my Youth Staff and is actively involved with the acts-twenty9 Band and Worship Team.

Check out his blog “bw”

(Let me start by saying I’ve felt to write this blog for a little while but am finally getting around to it.)

I absolutely love my youth group. Without a doubt in my heart I know it is where God wants me to be at this point in my life.

While I was gone for the Summer of Service Tour I felt God sincerely putting a deeper burden for Acts 29 in my heart. A feeling of obligation began to grow on me for my youth group, a sense of responsibility for it if you will. I felt as if it was becoming my job to be there for the youth in anyway that I could.

Shortly after returning, Acts 29 had a “blow out” service, where we did not get to the preaching (I personally love these services). A leader in the youth felt like this service started a spark that should be continued, and felt best that it would be in prayer. Henceforth, Friday night prayer started back up again. Since then, we have had prayer every week except twice. Also, some of the youth have been meeting before both services on Sunday as well as some early morning prayers throughout the week.

Then we get to Wednesday, the day of youth service. The band will usually meet 15 min before the service begins, behind a curtain that has been erected, to pray for the service. Since these prayers have started, other youth group members have started showing up 30 min before the service, behind this curtain that is in the gym.

God is there.

These pre-service prayers have been awesome, and really a building force to the services that we as a youth group have been having. Here, the band still meets to pray, but they join forces with members of the youth group to build a dynamic atmosphere of worship for the service. It is truly remarkable.

Therefore, I encourage anyone/everyone who is willing/able to meet us back there. To encounter God before any music is pressing, before any “prodding” can begin, where it can be just you and God.

Meet me behind the curtain.

-bw

The Acts-Twenty9 Set-Up Crew

Guest Post: Joshua Hernandez

Name: Joshua Hernandez

Location: People’s Republic of America

Bio: Passionate Student of Many Things. Aspiring Christian w/ Big Dreams. Hoping to be a Part of the Generation that Buries Complacency.

Josh is also currently involved with the acts-twenty9 creative team.

Check out his blog “THE OPINION“

Acts-Twenty9 is an extremely unique youth ministry. It’s unique in that it is almost entirely driven and supported by it’s students. We don’t have our own youth building as some churches do. Instead we must transport large amounts of equipment every week to the Stockton Christian School gymnasium in order to make youth service happen. And every week a faithful group of students or staff members come out to lend a hand and contribute toward the enormous task of setting up lights, stages, sound systems, instruments, floor mats, and curtains all for roughly an hour and a half of service on a Wednesday night. It’s an intimidating task at first glance, but when several young people join up and work tirelessly to put it all together, it becomes doable and even enjoyable. This is the Acts-Twenty9 Set-Up Crew, and it’s a ministry. It’s not a glamorous ministry, but a subtle one. And at 7 o’clock on a Wednesday night when the gymnasium doors open and 150+ students pour in to have an encounter with Christ, they won’t see everyone who created that environment that they have come to expect, but they hopefully they will see Jesus, and that’s what matters.

I’ve been a part of the set-up crew for about six months now, and although my school schedule for the Fall semester won’t allow me to continue, I must say that my involvement has had a tremendous impact on my walk with Christ. It brought me from being on the sidelines of youth ministry to actually getting involved with making a great service happen instead of just expecting it to happen.

So I guess I just want to say, if you’ve been looking for a way to get involved with Acts-Twenty9 in a more “hands-on” level, start with the set-up crew. And if you can’t make that for whatever reason, it takes a lot of people to to tear down every Wednesday after service as well. But if you do decide to become involved, stick with it and I promise that you won’t regret it. You will develop an even greater burden for students and youth ministry and also make some great new friends along the way. Most importantly you will be doing your part to advance the Kingdom, if even in what seems like a minuet way, those minuet ways add up to make a difference in someones life.

-JoshuaRH

The Legendary Camp Sylvester

In the very small town of Pinecrest California lies a camp that is legendary. This camp has hosted some of the greatest and legendary moves of God ever known to the legendary Western District. In 1990 when I was 9 I first stepped foot on that legendary campus. Little did I know that I would be back there, but not as a camper as a legendary Youth Director. This year I had the privilege to do some day sections while my legendary youth worker friend Jason West flipped the roof off the house at night. Check out this short legendary clip. [look out for the legendary "three wolfs moon T"]

Video Credit: JWest

David McGovern Interview Pt4

Ol’right, the last and final installment of the Dave McGovern Interview saga is here. I pray you have enjoyed. I have had a lot of positive feed back from these interviews. But I would still love to hear what you think. Coment, let me know you are alive.(smile)

Look for this quote at the end this clip:

“Dude, you’re an idiot, you have no business being a youth pastor, but God’s good and He loves us and let’s us do it anyway – so, here we are” -Dave

Check out Parts 1, 2, & 3 too!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

-Brandon

David McGovern Interview Pt3

In this third(3/4) part of my interview with Dave McGovern the question “What place does creativity have in Youth Ministry?” is asked. Coming from a creative guy like dave you might find his answer interesting.

Check it, to wreck it

-Brandon

POLL: Building a diverse Youth Team

David McGovern Interview Pt2

This is part 2 of my interview with David McGovern. Back a few months ago I had the privilege of sitting down with Dave and talking youth ministry. In this video interview I ask the question “How do you build a diverse Youth team?”.

PS: Like Dave’s hoddie? Go to Evys Tree.

-Brandon

David McGovern Interview Pt1

“Dude, you’re an idiot, you have no business being a youth pastor, but God’s good and He loves us and let’s us do it anyway – so, here we are” -Dave

David McGovern is a premier youth worker based out of Escondido near San Diego California. Dave along with his wife Monique pastor a rockin youth ministry called “Solid”. The McGoverns were invited by Pastor Darin Sargent to joined the staff at The Point in May of 2005. As pastor of student ministries, they oversee the Junior High, High School and College Ministries. Dave brings with him over 10 years experience in student ministry.

Dave is a popular speaker and has a passion for using many methods to bring young people closer to God. Monique and David were married in Los Angeles in May of 2005. She is a nurse, and on her spare time enjoys shopping, reading and decorating their home. He is an L.A. Dodger Fanatic and enjoys golfing, basketball, strong coffee and a good book.

Check out his links:

Solid Student Ministries Website
The McBlog
Solid Student: Facebook
Solid Student: YouTube
Email David McGovern

I hope all of you Youth Workers enjoy this interview series with Dave. I think there is a lot of valuable information in these interviews.

Please stay tuned for more.

- Brandon

A29 Summer Camp Pt3

Here is the final installment of the A29 Summer Camp Trilogy.

Over all I would have to say that camp was a huge success – Thank you to all who made it such.

Not much else to say – I’ll let the video speak for its self.

-Brandon

A29 Camp 2010 Pt2

I have to apologize for not capturing everything that went on at camp this year. For instance, I completely forgot to video any of the Ropes, Rock-Wall, or Sports. Almost everything that was outdoors didn’t get filmed and for that I’m sorry.

However I do want to remind you that this in not “Band camp”, “Science camp”, or “Teach you how to ride a horse camp”, but it is “Get you connected with God, so that you can go back to the valley and make the necessary changes to live for God camp”… Humm, that would make a great name for a camp. fo real though! Don’t be trying to steal that name.

Our camp is completely centered around the day secessions and night services. We do want to have fun and all, but to us the most important thing is to have a move of God.

I hope you enjoy this camp trilogy – Part 3 is on it’s way.

-Brandon

A29 Camp 2010 Pt1

In this Vlog I show you what the first day of camp looks like. It starts off with me folding laundry at my house and ends with Cortt Chavis in Duncan lodge at Old Oak Ranch. As you will see, our numbers are down this year. We were only at 105(frown)

Be sure to catch part 2 of this acts-twenty9 summer youth camp trilogy.

-Brandon