This week is Orange Blogger Week for reThink and the Orange Conference. For a list of all the bloggers participating, click here. It’s a great group, so check out all they are writing about this week and future weeks.
As much as I am honored to have been asked to blog for Orange (this is my 3rd year blogging with/for them), my involvement with them is more selfish than anything. See, my church uses 252 Basics and XP3 for our curriculum and ever since we have decided to do this, I have benefitted greatly from it.
Here is how I benefit:
- I get the privilege and honor to be associated with such a great group committed to helping families come to know Jesus and grow in a relationship with Him. They are constantly exploring new ways to teach families and help them learn. That is their sole focus whereas I, as a Youth Pastor, have to figure out how to minister to students and families apart from curriculum. Being able to trust a group like the way I trust Orange to provide curriculum and support is huge.
- I benefit by getting hands people who will answer any and all of my questions – no matter how stupid they may sound. The curriculum is great but I have to taylor it to my audience. Because of that, I do email or call them from time to time so that they can help me process how I can make it work. They are always there, always willing to talk it through with me.
- Though 252 and XP3, I get a ton of new, fresh ideas that I have not thought about before. That is really important because after doing youth ministry for over 16 years, new ideas and topics can sometimes be hard to come by. Having those new ideas help a ton as I process new ways to present material to the students.