tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196946912024-03-14T01:57:52.807-04:00The Rookie Youth WorkerIsaac Arten is a youth minister, author and speaker based in St. Louis, MO.<br>
"You look so young, and then out of your mouth comes this wisdom!" --J.N., on Isaac's teachers' workshop.<br>
"Well, I'm sure we're paying you millions of dollars." --B.D., on Isaac's salaryIsaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.comBlogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-77808639965106041442008-03-31T17:24:00.003-04:002008-12-09T02:01:05.665-05:00Announcing: LifeAsGodsHouse.comHi Everybody:For the past year or so I've been playing around with the idea of changing things up here at Rookie Youthworker. I started this blog with the idea that I would always be "a rookie;" always learning something new, always challenging the way I did youth ministry to make it better, more Godly, more effective, but never claiming to be an expert or to have learned all I would need.Today Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-81336409426296020952008-03-31T14:20:00.001-04:002008-03-31T14:20:50.016-04:00McDonald's Happy Meal AdThe CORE was this weekend in St. Louis, and the trainers this year are talking about transformation-- both in our selves/our students and then, through that God-inspired transformation, in the world. And this was one of the videos Dave Ambrose showed to make the point about transformed people transforming others as well.Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-70924141578488165962008-03-28T14:22:00.002-04:002008-03-28T14:43:57.156-04:00Look just like your dad"Tell your dad you have an excellent GPA."I was at a transfer day at one of the colleges I've applied to, and the woman checking over my previous credits looked up and said that. It threw me for a second because she'd never met my dad, and I always think I'm being very clear that I'm the only member of my family who lives in, or has any reason to go to, St. Louis. But then I realized what had Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-44751516755533568772008-03-26T16:08:00.002-04:002008-03-26T16:10:10.397-04:00A PrayerLord God,teach us to rely on your grace for our salvation;on your wisdom for our decision-making;your strength for the work you have called us to;and your provision for our daily needs.Send your Holy Spirit into this place to teach us to lead your people.Amen.Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-24305318205297321102008-03-20T20:09:00.004-04:002008-12-09T02:01:05.990-05:00Tape SculptureMarko blogged about this a while back-- a fun cool art project using plastic wrap and clear packing tape to make sculptures of people, or body parts, or anything else you might want to mold. The other week we had a middle school youth group and I was less than prepared... so we made a tape sculpture and used it to talk about welcoming people into our community and how we might do it better.The Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-10338943446512152572008-03-09T13:06:00.002-04:002008-03-09T13:07:49.552-04:00Help-- need a hard-to-recognize Biblical characterHey, I'm headed for a reunion next month with my group of youth ministers who trained together, and part of the event is a trivia night/costume contest. So I need some suggestions for a character from the Bible who would be hard to recognize but would also have a great backstory. Any thoughts?Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-9752954737265756202008-03-01T16:17:00.002-05:002008-03-01T16:24:04.014-05:00On MSN, a columnist denounces Hannah MontanaI spotted this column on MSN.com this afternoon, titled "Why Hannah Montana is a bad role model" and it's an interesting read, mostly pointing out boilerplate reasons why following teenage stars too closely is likely to get real kids into trouble. The column predicts that H.M. will be the "next to go all Britney Spears on us." It's a fairly strong criticism the whole way through, and while I Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-58243953684824582082008-02-25T14:15:00.003-05:002008-02-25T14:19:01.899-05:00NYTimes story on religious affiliation"Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate, Report finds""The report, titled “U.S. Religious Landscape Survey,” depicts a highly fluid and diverse national religious life. If shifts among Protestant denominations are included, then it appears that 44 percent of Americans have switched religious affiliations.For at least a generation, scholars have noted that more Americans are moving among faiths, Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-87489022399775775922008-02-11T11:07:00.000-05:002008-02-11T13:25:40.476-05:00The gift of SilenceAt a teacher training event last week, we explored a few ways to work with silence as part of a strategy for teaching students (and the teachers themselves) to care for their souls. We started with an Quaker-style prayer that began with a short silence (10-15 seconds by my rough mental count) and then finished with a spoken prayer. Several of the teachers there had experienced similar ways to Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-37241969817707407482008-02-10T13:41:00.000-05:002008-02-10T13:50:02.073-05:00New Bible as a graphic novelFrom the NYTimes today: "The Bible as Graphic Novel, with a Samurai Stranger called Christ""Publishers with an eye for evangelism and for markets have long profited by directing Bibles at niche markets: just-married couples, teenage boys, teenage girls, recovering addicts. Often the lure is cosmetic, like a jazzy new cover.Sales of graphic novels, too, have grown by double digits in recent years.Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-33195029339776906062008-02-08T13:45:00.000-05:002008-02-08T13:54:27.694-05:00Prayer FlashLast night in Kirkwood, MO, just a little down the road from me, a man walked into a City Council meeting and shot 6 people. The full story is here, courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch."KIRKWOOD — The last things Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton said to his family were "To God be the glory" and that he loved them.Then Thornton headed to Kirkwood City Hall, gunning down a police officer outside. Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-22023237645880585362008-02-01T17:22:00.000-05:002008-02-01T17:26:04.426-05:00Evidence, please.I had a fishbowl question the other day at Bible study that's got me started on creating my teaching time for our next game night, in two weeks. The question read:"(Please don't call me atheist.) Does God exist?"I respect and admire whichever kid was open and honest enough to put this question in there, and since I tend to tackle basic bits of faith on game nights (when we gather socially for Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-80381902651531665872008-01-30T15:52:00.000-05:002008-01-30T15:54:35.453-05:00Before all your Super Bowl parties, a warning...From today's New York Times, this story: "Dip Once or Dip Twice"“The way I would put it is, before you have some dip at a party, look around and ask yourself, would I be willing to kiss everyone here? Because you don’t know who might be double dipping, and those who do are sharing their saliva with you.”Check out the story for the actual results, and then post a guard by your dips at the church Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-53212532924430380002008-01-19T08:08:00.000-05:002008-01-19T08:10:03.461-05:00Two notesFirst, a serious one-- we're off to the Middle School retreat this morning with three dozen of our finest, so prayers for the trip (we're looking at the Apostles' Creed and what it means to say "I believe in..." every Sunday morning) would be appreciated.Then, on a humorous note, something a very postmodern kid said yesterday in Starbucks:Girl to Boy: "I wouldn't believe you if I was you!"Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-70525926187649137832008-01-16T16:59:00.001-05:002008-01-16T16:59:44.407-05:00Big Broccoli Ocarina:Angels We Have Heard On HighI know it's after Christmas, but I just found this guy today, who makes musical instruments out of vegetables. I've been vowing for years that my children, once I have them, will be encouraged-- if not required-- to play with their food, and this video shows the kind of thing I'm talking about.Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-36994862749438853052008-01-11T14:01:00.000-05:002008-01-11T14:03:10.918-05:00Kids say...Walking into the building today, I heard this from one of the kids on the playground, talking to a friend:"Kids hate organized games-- it's true!"Guess what I'm planning this weekend? Yup, the games list for the middle school retreat. That kid's not invited anymore...Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-5532695714757594432008-01-08T11:09:00.000-05:002008-01-08T11:12:36.199-05:00This story made me say, "Oh, great..."I saw this story, oddly enough, while I was running last night:"Study shows girls' take on popularity affects weight gain""Those who believed they were unpopular gained more weight over a two-year period than girls who viewed themselves as more popular. Researchers said the study showed how a girl's view of her social status has broader health consequences.The girls in the study were still Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-22604956519974152702008-01-07T13:45:00.000-05:002008-01-07T14:20:33.209-05:00Dallas Willard on going to God's well to prepare for preachingCSMSG's high school retreat was this weekend and I was preaching from John; three messages-- the first on "He must increase, but I must decrease" from chapter 3; the second on "This happened so that God's power might be seen in his life" from chapter 9; and the third on "I pray that they all may be one" from chapter 17. I felt off; disorganized; unsure of the power of what I was saying. So this Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-45001956752954768502008-01-05T18:32:00.001-05:002008-01-05T18:33:18.750-05:00Quote of the day from the HS retreat(On the ropes course) P: "I like my way better. It hurts more and makes me feel more manly!"Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-4464800715260245532008-01-04T11:15:00.000-05:002008-01-04T12:16:59.317-05:002008 is the Year of RhythmIn the beginning, God gave us a rhythm of work-rest-worship so that we would be able to maintain our relationship with Him while leading effective and productive lives. He gave us natural seasons so that we wouldn't have to do everything all the time, but focus on what was right for the season. And one of the most beautiful insights in "The Message" is the passage about taking on Jesus' yoke andIsaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-89745988919082715422007-12-30T12:11:00.000-05:002008-12-09T02:01:06.255-05:00Rest in Peace, M's SuburbanThe youth ministry at CSMSG lost one of its greatest friends last week-- the 1998 (or so) Chevy Suburban our program coordinator drove for years. Not only did it serve her family, it hauled our equipment and sleeping bags on mission trips, retreats and special events all over our city. We'll definitely miss it, even if we do find another family who can say, "No problem; my car fits seven!"Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-13442038112468471812007-12-24T12:46:00.000-05:002008-12-09T02:01:06.406-05:00Happy Christmas, 2007All God's best blessings on your Christmas and the New Year, from the youth ministry at St. Michael and St. George, in St. Louis, MO!May He use you today to bring His love to your students and their families, even if you don't know how you did it.And may the Holy Spirit rest on you as you stand in Christ's presence tonight.Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-27722759975746734842007-12-19T11:17:00.000-05:002007-12-19T16:09:30.756-05:00My defining momentMy students had started to ask me, a few weeks ago, about what happens to people who don't believe in Jesus when they die. A lot of conversations I've had with students who are having a hard time in their faith lives revolve around, "why would God leave out of heaven all those good people who just decided not to believe the same things we do?"One of my kids had left a question in the fishbowl Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-89468523173817491652007-12-18T12:47:00.000-05:002007-12-18T12:50:06.957-05:00Last Night's Nightline; "Hard as Nails" ministryI ran across this story on "Nightline" last night, about a ministry that spreads Christ's message by saying what people are thinking, then confronting those words with the Bible. Any thoughts?"Jumping up and down, getting hit by chairs and telling girls they are fat is hardly the image of a Catholic preacher. But for Justin Fatica, a 29-year-old unordained priest and leader of a nonprofit called Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19694691.post-83274776047925138312007-12-12T13:48:00.000-05:002007-12-12T13:51:13.175-05:00Something Christmas-relatedIn staff meeting this morning I had nothing to report. Since I'm not normally allowed to have nothing to say (my boss likes hearing about what we're up to) I ended my little paragraph this way:"As we come closer to Christmas and are assaulted by televisions telling us what we really want, the message I'm giving the youth group is, 'Be very glad that neither from our parents or from God are we Isaac, The Rookiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04904593533899279754noreply@blogger.com1