A New Year’s Nuance

Blog by Stephanie Caro

“And the time came for her to be delivered, and she gave birth to her first-born son, wrapped him swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger – because there was no room for them in the inn.”

What will your youth ministry give birth to this coming year? I’m thinking that, by now, you’re 1) taking a little breather from a hectic church schedule and 2) considering what you want to change/add/delete in your youth ministry come January. If that’s so, you’re right on track with the rest of us.

Here’s a few questions I’d like you to noodle on in that spaghetti bowl of multiple thoughts for the future:

“No room in the inn” – What do you need to “close the door on” in your ministry?

“No room in the inn” – What habits send the message to your family that there’s no room for them in your schedule? What can you do about that in 2013?

“No room in the inn” – When students come for the first time to your youth group, what message do they get: “The door is always open!” or “Really, there’s no room for you here”? What 5 steps can you take to maximize one and minimize the other?

“No room in the inn” – What rooms in the “home of you” have you shut God out?

Stephanie Caro  is a Lead Consultant for Youth Ministry Architects, and Director of our new Small Church Ministry Architects division. Stephanie has written several books, including Thriving Youth Ministry in Smaller Churches and 99 Thoughts for the Smaller Church Youth Worker. Check out her blogs for Simply Youth Ministry Network & Group Publishing:  http://smallchurchyouthministry.com/ &  http://smallgroupsministry.com.

Stephanie Caro
Lead Consultant
MINISTRY ARCHITECTS
Building Sustainable Ministries….One Church at a Time
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