LITMIR.BIZ

      B.R.M. (Bathroom Reading Material) for Youth Workers

      Copyright © 2014 Jeremy Halstead. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions. Wipf and Stock Publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.

      Resource Publications

      An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

      199 W. 8th Ave., Suite 3

      Eugene, OR 97401

      www.wipfandstock.com

      ISBN 13: 978-1-4982-0322-7

      EISBN 13: 978-1-4982-0323-4

      Manufactured in the U.S.A. 10/17/2014

      Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

      Dedicated to my wife and ministry partner, Rhonda, who has journeyed with me these past twenty years. Thank you for all you have done along the way; all that you are currently doing; and all that you have yet to do. You have truly made me look good, perform well, and stay strong for our God and for our students. I love you.

      For all of the youth workers who labor beside me and who are coming behind me: may God bless the work of your hands. Stay true to God, to your calling, and to your students.

      Introduction

      I know it is a strange name; but everyone uses the bathroom, and most people read while doing so, so why not read about what you love and are involved in: youth ministry.

      I believe youth ministry can be, and needs to be, simple.

      I wrote this book based upon my ideas, experiences, stories, victories, and failures during my nineteen years in full time church youth ministry. I wrote it as a book that I would want to read: short chapters and simple to understand.

      I also wrote it as a tool for you to use. You can read it from beginning to end, or just open it to any page, as there is no rhyme or reason to the order of my chapters. As you read I hope that you are inspired to try something new, are educated with fresh information and ideas, and equipped to implement what you have read immediately in to your ministry.

      My desire is that you find my book interesting, enjoyable, encouraging, and educational. May God bless you and your ministry.

      Impromptu Theater

      One of my favorite ways to tell a Bible story is through what I call Impromptu Theater.

      In order to host your own Impromptu Theater, first choose your Bible story. Count how many characters are involved (including all animals and inanimate objects). Without telling your students what they will be doing, ask for that number of volunteers. Pull these students aside and assign each of them a character, animal or object.

      Introduce the story to the rest of the group, and tell them that as you read the story the volunteers will act it out. If there are speaking parts in the story, make sure that the volunteers deliver their lines (after you have read them, the actors will deliver them in character). Stress to your thespians to truly become their part.

      If at all possible, include the rest of the group (the audience) by having them cheer the heroes and boo the villains; or say the lines of the crowd if there are any in the story.

      The beauty of using Impromptu Theater is that there is little to no prep work; any student can pull off a part in the play; it is more fun than just reading the words on a page, and it truly brings the story to life.

      Parental Consent Form

      No matter if you are taking your students on a trip across the country by plane, train or automobile, or if you are just taking them across town for a round of putt-putt, have them and their parents sign a Parental Consent Form (P.C.F.).

      Create a master P.C.F. and save it to your hard drive. Print one off for each student in your ministry and have their parents fill in the needed information. Type each student’s information in to a P.C.F., and save a file for each student. Prior to each event change the date(s) and the event, print off a copy for all attending students, and have it signed by both the students and the parents.

      Remind parents to keep you updated on any changes that need to be made to the master copy for their particular student.

      Be sure to shred every printed copy after each event is over.

      I have enclosed a sample P.C.F. at the end of this book, see Appendix B.

      First Aid Kit

      Have a doctor, nurse or other health care professional in your church assemble a First Aid Kit for your ministry. The amount of supplies needed will be determined by the size of your group. Check expiration dates annually and update your supplies.

      Make sure that your adult volunteers, your students, and their parents are aware that you have a First Aid Kit and that it is available on all outings and trips. If possible, have an adult trained in the medical field chaperone each event, outing and trip.

      Include a line item in your annual budget to fund your First Aid Kit.

      I have included a list of supplies that you may want to include in your First Aid Kit at the end of the book, see Appendix A.

      Chick Bag

      Have one of your female adult volunteers assemble a bag that contains everything a young girl might need while on either a day outing or a week long journey out of state. Use a purse for your Chick Bag to conceal the contents and to help relieve any possible embarrassment.

      Make sure that your adult volunteers, your female students, and their parents are aware that you have a Chick Bag and that it is available on all outings and trips.

      Things to include in your Chick Bag are:

      • Hair berets

      • Hair ties

      • Underwear

      • Tampons

      • Feminine pads

      • Midol

      • Fingernail clippers & file

      Joys & Sorrows

      Joys are the good things that are happening in a student’s life; the blessings God is giving them and the things they want to praise Him for. Sorrows are the sad things that are happening in a student’s life; the struggles they are facing and the things they need to pray about.

      Joys & Sorrows can be shared in a variety of ways: in a large group, in small groups, or in pairs. Joys & Sorrows can be used during any youth gathering: during Sunday school, or on Wednesday nights, as part of a weekend get-a-way, in a hotel room, at summer camp, or on a winter retreat . . .

      There are huge benefits to maintaining the same Joys & Sorrows groups with the same adult leaders for the course of a school year. There are also benefits to forming groups as seventh graders and keeping these groups together through high school graduation; however, this model also means that

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