I believe every healthy ministry goes through two cyclical phases: growth and reinforcement. Growth is a ministry’s development (this can be measured in size, maturity, works, leadership, etc.) Reinforcement is when a ministry fortifies itself to handle its growth (programs, new procedures and systems, etc.) These cyclical phases can be over the span of weeks, [...]
Archive for the ‘Leadership’ Category
It’s the Little Things
January 1st, 2011 
joshherndon A little thought about little changes when you’re looking to change your life in 2011 with new years resolutions: I’m reminded, once again, that it’s the little habits that make us who we are. You don’t have to make massive changes quickly. You need to make little changes and then stick with it for a [...]
3 Conferences in 3 Weeks
October 27th, 2010 joshherndon Am I a teacher/youth pastor or what?! I am attending 3 conferences in 3 weeks: October 28: ACSI Teacher’s Convention November 5-6: NCNSM’s Youth Convention November 10-12: ACSI Student Leadership Convention Truth be told, I’m not a big conference guy (I can’t get over how much these keynote speakers make only to regurgitate their book). [...]
Posted in Leadership 
Tags: ACSI, conferences, Teachers convention Youth Convention, youth convention 
1 Comment »Evaluating What I Spend My Time Doing [cutting out the fat]
October 11th, 2010 joshherndon Since becoming bivocational, my ministry responsibilities as a youth pastor have altered and the aspects of ministry I’m choosing to focus on has shifted greatly. I don’t have the luxury of putting together an immaculate youth service with lots of in-house videos, games, bells and whistles. I have (realistically) 5 hours a week of prep [...]
Forget the Pizza Parties
August 22nd, 2010 joshherndon “A decade ago teens were coming to church youth group to play, coming for the entertainment, coming for the pizza. They’re not even coming for the pizza anymore. They say, ‘We don’t see the church as relevant, as meeting our needs or where we need to be today.‘ ” -Thom Rainer, ‘Forget the pizza parties,’ [...]
My Interview with Pathway
August 13th, 2010 joshherndon I did an interview for some friends today from the Pathway Program. They’re youth pastors that are being, or have already been plugged into churches to start youth ministries. As one who started a youth ministry, I really enjoyed being able to share some of my struggles, victories, and lessons learned. We talked about: My [...]
Global Leadership Summit Thoughts: Day 1
August 5th, 2010 joshherndon I attended the Global Leadership Summit today (via satellite campus) with 150 neighboring ministers. It was a great experience to sit back and learn from some great leaders. Here’s a couple of day 1 thoughts that really resonated with me: How do you make a vision statement to move people from “here” to “there”? Articulate [...]
What to do with Young Love in Youth Group?
July 23rd, 2010 joshherndon I remember seeing youth pastors prohibit their student leaders from dating. I’ve also witnessed other pastors prohibiting their post-high school leaders from dating other post-high school leaders! And as a former student, intern, and now youth pastor I do not understand the philosophy of discouraging dating relationships. The kind of rules that discourages relationships teaches [...]
10 Leadership Lessons when Leading a Missions Trip
July 10th, 2010 joshherndon I just got back from leading my first missions trip to the Philippines and it showed me how much I still have to grow as a leader. Here’s a couple of leadership lessons I learned (sometimes, the hard way): Be preventative. Pay attention to the team dynamics so if there’s tension growing, you can address [...]
10 Ways to Improve Marketing without Spending Any Money
June 25th, 2010 joshherndon I loved TonyMorganLive’s post today on 10 Ways to Improve Marketing without Spending Any Money. Here’s a couple of my favorites: 2. Follow through with your promises. If someone volunteers to take a next step in a group, serving or an event, make sure the process is in place to follow up in a timely [...]