Youth Ministry Round Up #226

Greetings Awesome Person,

If you do camp, let me offer you a few quick best practices about discipline

The first best practice is to make sure that the right kids are on this trip. As much as you want every kid to come, every kid might not be ready for sleep away camp.

I broke this rule but this was my process to help both the kid, the parent and myself. This was all in a 24-48 hour period.

First offense: A warning call to the parent (just me)

"Hey Mrs. X, just a heads up, x is acting up some, any ideas how I can help them?" If this happens again, I'll just have them call you, is that ok?

Second: A call to parent and let their student talk to them.

"Hey Mrs, X, sorry to bother you but X is not doing well, do you want to talk to them. I really want them to stay at camp but I have to have their cooperation. here they are. (followed by a thank you and listening to the parent). Is it ok if we all pray together?

Third: A second call to the parent with the gentle warning that if I had to call again they would have to go home.

"Hey Mr's X, yeah, I don't know if there is any thing else I can do. Do you have any suggestions? Really want them to say but it's making harder for the group to have a good time.

Fourth: Called the mom and asked her to come pick up X...six hours away.

Once again, this was my fault, I let the mom talk me into it. But I think this worked out all around because

The parent and student knew I want to work with them.
I am seeking the parent's advice on what is best for their child.
We are bringing the Lord into this very early on.
When I did have to make the decision, the ground work was laid.

If you'd like more best practices, like this, you can check out my Youth Pastors Guide To Summer Camp.

Summer is gonna be awesome!

Paul

P.S. Your Headache Free Summer Bundle is ready 👇

TRENDS AND CULTURE

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Note: A few weeks ago I mentioned Nettspend mentioned the cross he carries and that he was getting baptized. God is trending in the Hip Hop world.

US has highest belief in personal relevance of Scripture among 'Secular West' countries: report

YOUTH MINISTRY ARTICLES/PODCASTS

From Mission Trips to Missional Living

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SOCIAL/TECH

Five underrated AI's that are outperforming some of the big names:

Openmagic: This tool is crazy for brand content! It turns regular 2D images into stunning 3D animations that make your products pop. I tested it with a simple product shot and the transformation was fire ... perfect for making your content stand out without needing a whole production team.
Kittl: Canva, we got a problem! This AI-powered design tool is making everyone feel like they've got a fighting chance in the graphics game. I tested their album cover templates and was blown away ...you can create merch designs, social media posts, and professional graphics in minutes without any design skills.
Poppy AI: This is the ultimate content system creator! It analyzes your top-performing content, figures out your brand voice, and helps you create entire content systems in minutes. It literally wrote a YouTube script that sounded EXACTLY like me.
Blotato: The faceless content king! This tool creates scroll-stopping videos with just a script. The visuals automatically match your words, creating professional-looking content without ever showing your face. Perfect for introverts or anyone who wants to scale their content without being on camera.
Suno: This AI music generator is ridiculous! It creates original music that sounds like it came from a professional studio. I tested a rap beat with bright horns and trumpets that went so hard I had to put both headphones on! Use this for your content and never worry about copyright claims again.

This list is from Entrepreneur Nicky Saunders and you can watch her break down each of the AI's in this video.

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