Resource Review - Videos/TV Shows/Toons That Teach

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

Videos That Teach, TV Shows That Teach, Toons That Teach A series of books to help use video clips in your youth ministry.

OVERALL - Three resources that all offer the same help. How to find and use video/TV clips in your ministry as ways to approach topics and start discussion

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Videos That Teach started all this with Doug Fields and Eddie James doing the first book of 75 movies. That series is now up to four volumes. Then Eddie teamed up with his partner from The Skit Guys(who probably should have gotten their own review in this series, sorry guys!), Tommy Woodard, to create the TV Shows That Teaches with 100 episodes to draw from and then Stephen Case (author of The Book of UnCommon Prayer) jumped in with Toons That Teach (75 clips). All of these guys are top quality and well known folks. And this can be a great resource to keep on the shelf. You get a variety of options on topics for each clip, suggested questions plus the exact timing to find the clip when you need it. Very complete and very useful. Check out the multiple formats you can get these in as well (paperback, ebook, etc)

RESERVATIONS Hmmmm, don't know. Sometimes the topics don't seem to match my thoughts on the clips but that's hardly their fault. Really nothing too serious to question at all.

RECOMMENDATION I'll be honest and say I've only used the first Videos book personally. The quality of the authors leaves me with no reservations at all about recommending the entire bunch however. This is a great piece to use as a regular part of your ministry or to keep as a last minute emergency resource too (not TOO last minute, you still need to get a copy of the video or whatever!)

Resource Review - Youth Ministry Geek

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

Youth Ministry Geek A blog about youth ministry and technology.

OVERALL - A great blog for youth ministers with a bit of the geek in them (or who wish they had a bit more geek in them). Technology that is useful and helpful as we work with our young people and church in general.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Chris Davis, the Geek himself, found a way to bring together his love for young people, his faith and his self professed "love of toys". He's my kinda guy. His blog is always a source for all kinds of great ideas he's found around the world wide web. Last week he shared a video of a group of teens playing "The Carol of the Bells" on their iPhones, a bunch of Christmas media freebies and the iPhone apps so our kids can do the iPhone band thing themselves. Scroll down a little farther and find excellent ways to get a little more life out of your old computer. Great for those of us on a budget. His posts are concise and easy to read. An excellent resource to keep ready.

RESERVATIONS It does tend to be very Apple/Mac oriented. Not entirely but I'd love to see the blog expand the stuff for PCs just a little more. Like it or not PCs make up most of the computing world.

RECOMMENDATION I can hardly turn my back on a fellow youth ministry geek brother. Chris's blog is a fixture on my blog reader and I've picked up some very good ideas from him. You will too.

Resource Review - Gives Me Hope

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)


Gives Me Hope (.com) A website to brighten the day of you and your youth

OVERALL - A collection of submitted true stories designed to share some hope in all our lives.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? I'm a regular reader of a variety of similar sites like FML (F*ck My Life), My Life is Average, E-mails From Crazy People and others. My bet is your youth know at least FML if not several of the others. None of them has grabbed me as quickly and completely at Gives Me Hope. These are stories of people doing the right thing, making the right choices and making the world a better place. And there's a LOT more of them than you'd expect. Unless you have a heart seven sizes too small (you Grinch you) this will give your day a lift. And there are days when we all desperately need just that.

RESERVATIONS Hmmmm, sometimes the stories can be ever so slightly risque. Which might, maybe be a problem for middle schoolers. And I'm stretching even for that one.

RECOMMENDATION In a time when too many of our youth feel like the world sucks and there's no love in it for them having this kind of tool in your repetoire strikes me as a very good idea. I also see it as a great conversation starter as you read through the items. Even if you keep it for yourself it will put you into a brighter mood and make you better able to face your own rotten days. Thanks to "graduated youth" Sammi Jo Calabrese for tipping me to this great site.

Resource Review - Snopes and Purportal

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)





Snopes.com and Purportal.com - Two sites to check on Urban Legends and other online nonsense.

OVERALL - Our youth spend truly amazing amounts of time on the internet and can be naive about the information that they find there. Urban Legends have an amazing ability to hang on and we need some way of coming back to the facts whenever possible. These two sites can give you the information you need.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? I just recently got a version of an Urban Legend that I first got back in the 1980's when it arrived by FAX! It was completely wrong then and it's just as wrong now. Snopes is the best source (in my opinion)for the facts on so many stories, legends and spams. It is amazingly comprehensive and detailed. Purportal is more of a search engine that includes Snopes plus several other sites having to do with spam, emails, frauds, phishing plus viruses and malware. It's a great resource.

RESERVATIONS Snopes is so comprehensive that sometimes it's hard to figure out where to even start looking. Purportal has the problem of most search engines in that you have to come up with the right search terms to actually find what you're looking for.

RECOMMENDATION Fighting for the truth is a part of what our ministry is all about. So is helping our young people to walk in the right knowledge. While not directly spiritual these two sites are great resources to have on hand.

Resource Review - The Episcopal Church website

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)


The Episcopal Church Welcomes You Home website of The Episcopal Church(TEC).

OVERALL - I've been holding off on doing this review because I'd been told that a new version of the web page was coming. Well they've missed two dates for completion so far. The latest word is that maybe for the New Year. SIGH. So I'm running the review I wrote originally for the current web site.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? This is primarily intended as an information source and touchstone on the internet. As for youth ministry it can be a real resource as our young people (and we very often) try to find out way along and figure out what it means to be an Episcopalian. Because the site is intended to be much more than that it can be overwhelming. My best advice is to start in the "Visitors' Center" and take a look around. The surveys which form the basis for several of the articles there were done just a couple years back and offer a great look at who we really are. Then click on the "Evangelism & Congregational Life Center" because under the latest reorganization (of the web page at least)that's where you'll find "Youth Formation". Along with LOTS of other things.

RESERVATIONS (If you want a better way to stay up to date on youth ministry in TEC go to "Episcoyouth". This is a blog that Bronwyn is using to improve communication especially as we wait for the larger web site to be updated. Bookmark it!) To be honest the youth pages haven't been updated in a while and much of the resources available there are rather old. Still of pretty high quality but somewhat dated. (As an example under resources you'll find a report on the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) from 2005. The last EYE was in 2008 but there's no report for it). The Youth office has undergone some major changes over the last year and the new person in that slot Bronwyn Clark Skov is working hard trying to figure out what to do first, next and whenever. (For transparency's sake I will admit proudly that I count Bronwyn as a friend. We worked together as Provincial Youth Ministry Coordinators for several years. She's a great and talented lady.)

RECOMMENDATION For the moment this site is what it is - clunky and outdated and behind schedule. I am biting my tongue to keep me from making any snarky comments but you can feel free to fill them in yourselves. If you're looking for information on TEC and what we believe and who we are and all kinds of resources there's no other place on the web to go. My hope is that the youth specific resources will be brought up to date as soon as possible. You should definitely have this site bookmarked.

Resource Review - Free Serif Software

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)


Free Serif Software - High quality free software for desktop publishing, drawing, photos and more

OVERALL - A chance to download top quality software for no cost. Serif Software is based in England and makes the previous generation of their software available for free. A great selection of programs including Photos, Documents, Web Sites, Art, even Crafts and Scrapbooking.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Why use something other than the latest and greatest? The simple answer is that most of us don't need the latest and greatest. Add in the budgetary restraints most of us work under and this is a great solution. I've been using PhotoPlus, PagePlus and DrawPlus for the last several years and really like them. If you want the latest versions they are very versatile and usually cost much less than the big name brands. There's also pay versions of things like video editing software too.

RESERVATIONS The one thing you don't get is the manual so there's certain element of trial by error. I've found most of the functions I've needed fairly quickly however and have started branching out into more complicated work.

RECOMMENDATION It's very high quality and it's free. What more needs saying?

Resouce Review - Taize

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)


Taize Home website of The Taize community in France. (My apologies for not giving the final "e" in their name but I can't figure out how to do it in the software)

OVERALL - Taize is an international, ecumenical community founded in France in 1940 by a Protestant monk named Brother Roger. Over the years the community there has drawn large numbers of young adults to weekly meetings. And there has grown up a Taize style of contemplative worship. This website will not only give you great background on the movement and it's wide range of work but can also help you figure out how to bring some of that worship style to your youth.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The basic outline and underlying logic of such a service are laid out under the "Prayer and Song" heading along with information about how to get copies of the music. The music is very simple and can be learned quite easily. Information on how and when to visit is available, plus contacts with folks already doing similar things inspired by the Taize community here in the U.S. Taize is not a movement that you join, in fact the more I look at the site the more I realize how virtually impossible it is to sum up quickly and concisely. Start from the place that says this is a resource for contemplative prayer and then explore from there.

RESERVATIONS As just mentioned part of the problem is simply that there's TOO much information. What the site desperately needs is a "Taize for beginners" option.

RECOMMENDATION I had never even heard of this community or style of worship before the first time I was exposed to it. It hit me like a thunder clap that day. Contemplative worship isn't for everyone but I'm a firm believer that teaching our young people ways to slow down and center themselves is a vital role that the church can play. I highly recommend this site.

Resource Review - Rotation Workshop Sunday School

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - Workshop Rotation Sunday School website and resource center for a complete (and completely customizable) Sunday School curriculum.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Rotation workshop got its start in the Chicago area around 1990. The idea was to try and overcome the challenges of traditional Sunday school - student boredom, trouble recruiting and keeping teachers, expensive curricula that was often only partially used. Sound familiar? What grew out of it was a Sunday school curriculum that was designed to be interactive, teach students using all the major learning methodologies. Here's their description of the program:

Teach major Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops: an Art workshop, Drama, Music, Games, A-V, Puppets, Storytelling, Computers, and any other educational media you can get your hands on. Teach the same Bible story in all of the workshops for four or five weeks rotating the kids to a different workshop each week. And here comes the extremely teacher friendly part: Keep the same teacher in each workshop for all five weeks -teaching the same lesson week after week (with some age appropriate adjustments) to each new class coming in.

RESERVATIONS - The only real reservation I can find is I don't like their introductory flash presentations. I think they are GREAT ideas but they are executed a little poorly. The audio is uneven and clearly to my ears (which worked in radio for almost 20 years) these are not professional voice over announcers. The presentations suffer from stilted reads and uneven sound levels. Hey, it's the only complaint I could think of, lol!

RECOMMENDATION I know this system has been in use for several years at my home congregation and it seems to be a big success. The burden on the teachers is much smaller, they get to feel like they've got a real grasp of what they're doing and the time requests is much more manageable. The kids really seem to be getting into it too. Oh and did I mention - all of this stuff is free? You make it fit your congregation, your kids and the gifts of your teachers. It's a great resource.

This is really aimed a bit younger than most of what I normally work with but I regularly get recommendations for Sunday school curricula. This is one I can recommend with few reservations.

Resource Review - getting students to show up

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - "getting students to show up - Practical Ideas for Any Outreach event - from 10 to 10,000" by Jonathan McKee, 190 pages, 2007 Zondervan

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Looking for a direct education on creating outreach events for young people? Jonathan McKee gives a no BS look at what to do and what NOT to do. This book is aimed specifically at outreach events for non-church kids. And I love that it makes very clear - putting on a great "Christian" event is a TERRIBLE way to try and reach unchurched kids. If this is the field you're looking to dive into this book should be in your backpack.

RESERVATIONS - There are some assumptions here that pulled me up short at first till I realized they're not really important. For example all his "model" events inevitably include an altar call. In most Episcopal events the likelihood of including an altar call is close to zero. It's just not part of our tradition or approach to faith. Consequently I don't know that I'd use his outline necessarily for an Episcopal based outreach event. Which is fine, you'll still learn plenty about what to do right for any such event from this book.

RECOMMENDATION I'll be honest and say these kinds of events do NOT fall into my general practice. So like a lot of people I feel a little intimidated. After reading the book I'm feeling somewhat more at home if I ever end up doing one. I like it when youth ministry authors take the gloves off and get honest about what really does and doesn't work. Even when it may gore some one's prize ox (metaphorically). I found myself shaking my head in amusement when I realized that I probably would have fallen into several of the traps he mentions. Nicely written, quite comprehensive and definitely a vital resource if your outreach events are flopping or you want to do one and have no prior experience.

Resource Review - Youth Ministry Survival Guide

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - The Youth Ministry Survival Guide by Len Kageler, 198 pages, 2008 Zondervan -

How to thrive and last for the long haul.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? This is another in-depth look at what it means to be a youth minister, the good, the bad and the indifferent. These books are much less about teaching techniques, class room exercises, activities or retreat themes than they are about living out a calling to minister to young people. There are lots of folks who think it's the easiest job on the planet. "You get paid to go to camp" or "You get paid to play games". Well, yes but as we all know that's the least of what this ministry demands from us. Kageler takes a look at the impact on both the ministry, the "job" (you know that whole this is what they're paying you for stuff), individual health plus impact on family and marriage.

RESERVATIONS - This is really a book for folks in the professional ministry. Some of it translates for volunteers but I think the average volunteer leader/minister will find this book frustrating. I would certainly urge folks who are the primary youth minister in their congregation to read this book but keep in mind a fair part of it isn't aimed at you.

RECOMMENDATION This is another strong contender for "Books that should be given to new youth ministers at the start their careers". It's very sad and very disturbing to the development of young people to see the youth ministers making the same mistakes over and over again. This book lays out a very clear path to lead a beginner into a solid ministry and a veteran to help re-stoke the fire. It may not be the BEST youth minister book I've ever read but it certainly sits very close to the top of that list.

Resource Review - Hollywood Jesus

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - Hollywood Jesus.com - An absolutely brilliant combination of pop culture and faith. A site for reviews and thoughtful commentaries.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Too many of the websites I see that do faith based commentary on popular culture like movies, books, music and video games start with a suspicion of if not an outright dislike for their subject. Hollywood Jesus starts at the opposite end of the spectrum. These are people of faith who LOVE the movies, books and the like. That doesn't mean they rave up everything they see but they don't start from a stance that says popular culture is inherently evil. And that's refreshing. I find their reviews to be well written and well thought out. They approach faith from a stance that allows them to be open and accessible to all faiths (or no faith at all). Some will see that as a contradiction in terms but I'd recommend you take a long look at the site first.

RESERVATIONS Beyond the fact that I periodically disagree with their reviews, lol, I don't have too many reservations. Review sites of any kind are always about one person's opinion.

RECOMMENDATION If you love the movies and books and video games and the rest and are looking for a solid, faith based, well thought out place to get reviews try Hollywood Jesus.

Resouce Review - When Church Kids Go Bad

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - When Church Kids Go Bad by Les Christie, 201 pages, 2008 Zondervan - A look at the issue of discipline and a look at what discipline really means in the world of youth ministry.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? It's probably wise that Christie never uses the word "discipline" in the title of the book. As he acknowledges people have real problems with that word. He carefully lays out what he's talking about, the different approaches to it, the rationale behind it and how it can be applied both generally and in "problem cases". The book is careful to present all the ideas from a solid Scriptural basis while remaining solidly reality based. Christie is also very good about noting the needs for the youth leaders to be disciplined and talks about those time when it can break down for us (and him) as well. It's a solid look at a very important issue for youth ministries of all sizes.

RESERVATIONS - BUT IT'S NOT THE BOOK I WAS HOPING FOR! I was about half way through when I realized this fact. The sub-title is "How to Love and Work With Rude, Obnoxious and Apathetic Students". So I had gone into it thinking I was going to get some great ideas on how to inspire kids in the ministries. To be fair you do get some of that but it's not until Chapter 10 on page 126. The vast majority of the book is just on how to create a sane, loving environment (that really is the goal for proper discipline) and very little on how to handle and inspire the toughest, most challenging kids. Plus he perpetuates the outdated myth that sweets causes increases in activity levels. The majority of the studies out there do NOT link sugar with hyperactivity. Even worse the sub-chapter titled "Reduce or Eliminate Sweet Treats" talks mostly about a study that recommends limiting treats with additives or artificial coloring based on a 2007 study. This section should have been better presented and researched. I hate, hate, HATE finding these kinds of clunker sections in books like this.

RECOMMENDATION SIGH. The vast majority of this book is really good at what it's about. If you're looking for a discussion of how to bring a faith based and faith filled method of "discipline" (it's not a bad word folks)to your ministry then I heartily recommend it. It will help you understand why your youth may be acting the way they are, your part in those actions and how to make it work for everyone. If the title suggests to you what it did to me then I think you'll be a little disappointed.

Resource Review - Word Spy and The Slang Dictionary

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - Word Spy and The Slang Dictionary - A two-fer this week because they're so closely alike. If you've ever felt like there's a whole different language out there that you don't speak (or if your youth are talking about something and you're not sure what it is!) these two web sites can help you out. Stay on top of current language and slang as much as you can since it's a moving target.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Every generation has its own slang, catch words and codes. Working with young people it can be important for us to have at least a passing understanding just so we can know if something isn't right. Fred Lynch, the editor of the Slang Dictionary, puts it really well:

This dictionary isn't so you can try to talk like someone you're not. But it is a good reference for those who are seeking to understand a piece of youth culture today. No ... every kid doesn't use all of these words. But this is a comprehensive list of many of the words you'll hear, in part.

Word Spy tracks new words being used on the Internet and kicks out a list of the top usages for each week. You can see what's actually being discussed.

Both sites provide definitions and how they might be used.

RESERVATIONS Almost assuredly someone is going to see this as a way to "talk like the kids". Please, Please, PLEASE resist this urge. To drop the occasional piece of slang in at appropriate moments can be really powerful. To try and re-form your vocabulary to use lots of these words is just going to make the kids snicker and then start thinking "Creeper!". As with any site of this type they will always be slightly behind the curve. That's inevitable.

RECOMMENDATIONGiven my love of words I suppose it's not surprising that I really like these sites. The reality is that I think they not only give us an insight into what's going on inside our young people's heads but also what's going on in culture too. The week I wrote this the top phrase on Word Spy was "time porn" -Television shows and other media that portray characters as having excessive amounts of spare time. That's a great concept and real struggle that a lot of us may be having without even realizing. You'll definitely want to bookmark these two.

Resource Review - Help - I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker!

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)


OVERALL - Help - I'm a Frustrated Youth Worker by Steven L. Case, 136 pages, 2009 Zondervan - Steven Case is probably best known as the author of the Book of UnCommon Prayer which he acknowledges was inspired by our own BCP. This is a resource for both new and long time youth workers.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? There's a movie where the catch phrase is "You had me at hello". For me Case had me at "pee in your Fruit Loops". Sorry I know that's vulgar and gross but it told me that this was written by somebody who knows how it goes. Imagine my further surprise to discover that like me Case began in broadcasting and landed in youth ministry! From his own experience he tells it like it is about life as a leader in youth ministry. From how to deal with difficult people to stress to feeling like maybe you're getting too old and so much more. I found myself nodding constantly as I read, thinking "Oh yeah", "Got that right" and "Been there, done that". Case is an easy read but with lots of experience behind every word.

RESERVATIONS Not too many really. This book is really aimed at those of us getting paid to do ministry so not all of it is an exact fit for you if you're a volunteer. But the vast majority still hits home. I think some folks will have a little trouble in Chapter 7 which is about change and (very lightly) postmodern theology. Approach it with an open mind, then make up your own. I found the chapter very interesting (but then I would, wouldn't I?)

RECOMMENDATION OK, it's another addition to "Must Have in the Library" list. A quick read that's fun to read, will challenge you, encourage you and even help you figure out if it's time to quit. All for under $12. Yeah, you need to read this one and own a copy. This is the kind of book you're going to want to share for the times when our brothers and sisters in this ministry need just these kinds of words.

Resource Review - Sacred Space

(This is part of a year long series of resource reviews I've been doing. 52 resources in 52 weeks. You can see all the reviews in one place here)

OVERALL - Sacred Space - More faith and worship oriented resources. Sacred Space is a work of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus. It originated in the offices of the Jesuit Communication Centre in Ireland in 1999. Being a ministry of the Irish Jesuits, it is inspired by the spirituality of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (Ignatian spirituality)

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? How about 10 minutes out of your day for some peace and quiet? How about 10 minutes out of your day to spend with God? Sacred Space will walk you through a short Scripture reading and offer questions and ideas to think and pray about. A great quiet break for in a day. They even offer a stripped down version for use on mobile devices.

RESERVATIONS Great quality stuff (it is the Jesuits after all) but again very little interactivity, pretty straight forward stuff. I can't help thinking that a little music might be an improvement.

RECOMMENDATION A great place for someone looking for quiet time, or for someone who is more comfortable looking to go a little deeper.

Resource Review - Youth Culture 101

OVERALL - Youth Culture 101 by Walt Mueller, 480 pages, 2007 Zondervan - This has been sitting on my shelf for a while and I keep meaning to review it. An overview of the world our young people are growing up in from the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding founder and president Walt Mueller.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? The book takes an in-depth look at the major influences on the lives of our youth. It takes a long look at the media and marketing but also offers a way to help our kids become more discerning about the media in their lives. There are also chapters on Peer Pressure, Sex, Materialism, Substance Abuse, Depression and Suicide plus a chapter just for parents. In addition there's a web page that offers supplemental resources and information (Here) This is the resource for when you're ready to dig a little deeper in the whys and hows plus get some good ideas about how to react to it.

RESERVATIONS In less than two years some of the sections on media and how youth use it are getting out of date already. That's hardly surprising. I think the overall concepts still hold water. Needless to say everyone will not agree on everything Walt says in the Sex section. Again the basic underlying concepts are solid that we need to help out kids find a much healthier approach to sex than the one their being peddled in the media. Other than that the sheer bulk of the book will intimidate some.

RECOMMENDATION Again when you're ready for a deeper look into youth culture this is a great place to start. Mueller's writing style is an easy read while still covering the material more than competently. This is a solid resource on what is admittedly a moving target. Not a bad idea to have sitting on your shelf.

Resource Review - Daily Office from St. Clare's Mission

OVERALL - Daily Office from the Mission of St. Clare - Thought it was time to add some more faith and worship oriented resources. Mission of St. Clare offers a chance to pray the Daily Office plus has resources for Compline, Noonday plus the Prayers for Individuals and Families.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Just as described. If you're looking for a place for you or your youth to worship online this is a great resource. Music is included in the service when appropriate and can be played from your computer. It includes the appropriate readings for the day so you don't have to go looking for them. Everything you need all in one place.

RESERVATIONS This is very traditional Episcopal worship and so is the music. This will work for some adults (and surprisingly to some of us, for some youth as well) but not for everyone. It IS one of the most comprehensive personal, Episcopal worship sites but it's not very interactive or contemporary.

RECOMMENDATION For someone looking for straight ahead BCP worship this place is great.

Resouce Review - Toodledo

OVERALL - Toodledo - A way to keep things organized and "get things done" that offers a wide variety of ways to approach the problem.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? I hate lists. Sadly I've come to realize that I need them. Otherwise I get behind on things and little projects can simply disappear into the mess. So I was interested when I came across the "Getting Things Done" which author David Allen summarized in his book of the same name back in 2002 ("Getting Things Done" and it's acronym "GTD" are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company). This is productivity theory and I don't even pretend to understand most (any?) of it. The concept that leapt out at me was this -

"GTD rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them externally. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks. - Wikipedia

Sounds like a great idea to me. So I started looking for software that could help. Toodledo is what I've found. This is rather amazing stuff but it allows me to make lists the way I want to, give them priorities, sort them as I please and access them from just about anywhere. Online, from my smart phone OR if you really prefer having some solid and non-virtual it will print out a nifty little booklet that you can fold up and keep in your pocket! It also has an add-on you can use in FireFox to add items or check your list. I've found it very versatile and not terribly difficult to use (see below). Whether it will help me stay more organized or not only time will tell.

RESERVATIONS I wish it were a little simpler in the default mode. You may or may not want all the options it gives you (and that's just in the free version! The pay for versions offer you ALL KINDS OF STUFF!) Once you get the hang of it (which happens pretty quickly) I think you'll really like the application. But it can be intimidating at first.

RECOMMENDATION With all the things we need to keep juggling in our lives it can be impossible to keep them all straight in our heads for most of us. Toodledo can be a huge help. It can even be used by a group to keep everyone on task. I think this could be great for trips, projects, even youth group or a Journey to Adulthood group. The free version should be more than versatile enough for almost any use the average person could think of. Well worth a look!

Resouce Review - HomeWord

OVERALL - HomeWord seeks to advance the work of God in the world by educating, equipping, and encouraging parents and churches to build God-honoring families from generation to generation. “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 HomeWord is a Christian organization designed to provide assistance to adults worldwide as they help young people make wise decisions and lead positive, vibrant, Christian lifestyles.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? Good quality resources aimed at parents are, sadly, a lot harder to come by than you'd expect. Good quality, faith based parent resources are even harder to find. HomeWord grew out of radio programs done by Jim Burns. Now on the website you have access to written and audio materials with a lot of input from a variety of authors. The answers and ideas are consistent and well thought out. They teach from solid, Biblical concepts that should be familiar to anyone. One of the concepts they come back to again and again which I really like is the importance of making sure the parents take care of their marriage. Even before taking care of the kids in some ways. It's a vitally important factor that is too often overlooked in our youth-centric culture. As an example check out Jim Burns' note on "10 Building Blocks to a Happy Family". I think it's really solid stuff. There are resources here to help young people, their parents, their grandparents and more!

RESERVATIONS Some folks are going to be put off because this comes from a decidedly Evangelistic point of view. The language will not always be comfortable for some of us. If you let yourself get stopped by that you're missing out on some really excellent resources. Theologically this strikes me as real mainstream stuff.

RECOMMENDATION I enjoy Jim Burns straight forward, love filled approach to the subject. He loves families, he loves marriages, he loves parents and he loves kids. The site echoes that love through the work of everyone there and the result is a really excellent faith based resource for parents who want to raise solid young people within a community of faith.

Resource Review - The Journal of Student Ministries

OVERALL - The Journal of Student Ministries offers this about themselves - "Our primary purpose is to support adults in student ministry by providing insight into youth culture, fostering in-depth dialogue around important themes, and strengthening the student ministry community. We honor a variety of theological, political, and cultural traditions and promote healthy dialogue and honest critique; and we strive to elevate and learn from the role of distinctive cultures, ethnicities, denominations, and ministries within the Body of Christ." There is a website companion to the magazine itself

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? I have to be honest and say I'm undecided on the subject of youth ministry magazines. Some are very good and some start sounding the same after about a year's worth of issues. My experience with Journal of Student Ministries is that it falls in the excellent end of the spectrum. Lots of great topics done by great writers (the week I write this the topics on the web page include Leveraging Social Media to Multiply Missional Teams, What Should Youth Ministry Look Like? (by Grahame Knox who I really enjoy), Dealing with Teen Pregnancy, One Youth Worker’s Journey into Special-Needs Youth Ministry, and Book Review - The Youth Worker Book of Hope). There are links to blogs of folks associated with the magazine and video podcasts as well. So you've got lots of resources.

RESERVATIONS This is less the hands on kind of stuff and more the deep thinking end of the range. I know not everyone loves that as much as I do. You'll also find a very heavy emphasis on Youth Specialties stuff here because they are one of the primary partners in putting this together. So if you're desperately trying to escape the YS gravity well you may want to skip this.

RECOMMENDATION When the time comes when you want some deep think on the subjects around in youth ministry this is a great resource. Lots of challenging, well written material available.