Category Archives: Orange
What do I Hope to Gain from Orange Conference 2012?
Posted on February 8, 2012 | Leave a comment
As I continue talking about this idea of Orange, I wanted to share some thoughts regarding what I hope for this year at the Orange Conference. Yesterday, I talked about the big things I love about the event, but today, I want to get into some details. Specifically, what do I want to gain from OC12?
First, I want to learn more on how I can help transition our high school students to college and beyond. You may remember my post a couple weeks ago, where I shared the beginning of our journey in this area of ministry. It is something that is increasingly important for the church today. Way too many students are abandoning their faith when they go off to college or work, and I want to learn all I can in order to change that.
Second, I want to learn more from other student ministers on their structure of youth group. One of the things controlling my mind lately is how to structure for future growth. I have been trying to pick the brains of local youth pastors about how they structure their weekly meetings and small groups. I look forward to gaining more wisdom at OC12.
Finally, I want to learn more about implementing a mentoring program within our student ministry. My thesis is on this idea of mentoring, and how it is crucial to a growing student ministry. I strongly believe that is the case, especially when you consider the amount of students coming from broken homes — many without a strong Christian father. The church and family needs to join efforts in order to combat this, and I am looking forward to what OC12 will teach me.
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Posted in Orange
Tagged steve, cullum, stevecullum, orange, family ministry, Orange Week
What am I Most Looking Forward to at Orange Conference 2012?
Posted on February 7, 2012 | 1 Comment
This April will be my third trip to the Orange Conference. It has become something that I look forward to each spring, as it is a staple in my growth as a minister. However, I have begun to think about why I am so excited about OC12. What are the main reasons I am looking forward to attending this conference for the third time?
First, I get to sit at the feet of some of the experts in the area of family ministries. I realized early on in my ministry “career” that I have a great deal to learn. I am far from perfect, and one of the best places to learn are from the fantastic speakers and leaders that come to the OC.
Second, I get to connect with other ministers who are passionate about family ministries. Not only do I get to meet the excellent OC blogging team, but I also am able to connect with other youth ministers at various times. The most fun is when we get together for a fun night at Dave & Busters.
Finally, I get to spend a week with little responsibility. Many of the trips I take involve watching after teenagers. At the OC, I get to kick back and relax a bit. It is a great feeling to go into a time of worship without having to make sure all your students are there. Instead, you can just focus on God, which is always a great thing!
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Posted in Orange
Tagged steve, cullum, stevecullum, orange conference, orange, family ministry
Orange Week – February 6-10, 2012
Posted on February 6, 2012 | 1 Comment
It is that time of year again — Orange Week! Several bloggers around the world will be flooding the inter-webs with thoughts on Orange, the Orange Conference, and family ministry. For those not “in the know” about Orange, it is essentially a philosophy of how to combine the church and family. These are two institutions God established, and we believe that they need to partner together. The Bible is filled with examples of why this should happen, but we also have many modern-day examples/experiences as well. This is especially crucial, due to the current state of both the family and church in today’s culture.
For my first post, I just wanted to point you to others who will be posting about Orange this week. Be sure to check out their blogs this week and beyond!
- Amy Fenton Lee: www.TheInclusiveChurch.com
- Wayne Stocks: WayneStocks.com and Kidmin1124.com
- Cass Brannan: www.CassBrannan.wordpress.com
- Michael Bayne: www.MichaelBayne.net/
- Jenny Funderburke: JennyFunderburke.com
- Tom Pounder: www.MinistryBlackboard.com
- Henry Zonio: KidminAndCulture.com
- Nick Blevins: www.NickBlevins.com
- Amy Dolan: www.LemonLimeKids.com
- Ben Read: www.IntentionalStudentMinistry.com
- Kenny Conley: www.ChildrensMinistryOnline.com
- RyanMillard: www.RyanMillard.com
- Dustin Valencia: www.AbrahamChronicles.com
- Paul Mannino: www.OrangeDad.com
- Jeremy Lee: www.WonderfullyAwkward.com
- Jason Chenoweth: jasonchenoweth.com
- Benjamin Kerns: www.averageyouthministry.com
- Jonathan Cliff: www.jonathancliff.com
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Posted in Orange
Tagged cullum, family ministry, orange, Orange Week, steve, stevecullum
Orange and Upward Partnering Together
Posted on January 6, 2012 | Leave a comment
Two of my favorite organizations have announced they are officially partnering up for future ministry. Orange, the people behind most the family ministry things I talk about, and Upward, a church-sponsored sports league, will soon be joining forces.
The curriculum writers at Orange will be providing three components of Upwards’ experience – the weekly practice devotions for kids, weekly halftime activities for parents, and end-of-the-season celebration DVD for families to take home. Because of this connection, the emphasis on reaching families for Christ through Upward Sports programs will be greater than ever.
I am very excited about this partnership, as both are excellent organizations! For more information, check out the official press release I have posted below.
Continue reading →
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Posted in Orange
Tagged family ministry, orange, partnership, rethink, sports, steve cullum, stevecullum, Upward
Equipping Small Group Leaders For Upcoming XP3 Students Series
Posted on November 16, 2011 | Leave a comment
Equipping and empowering adult small group leaders is the only way to significantly grow a sustainable youth ministry beyond yourself. This is a common thread I have encountered throughout my Bible college years, seminary and at The Orange Conference.
I was asked by XP3 to share my thoughts on how we equip small group leaders at RCC. That blog post was published today.
Head to the XP3 Blog to read it.
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Posted in Orange, YM Resources
Tagged small group leaders, small groups, steve cullum, stevecullum, training, xp3
Why Go to Orange 2012?
Posted on September 22, 2011 | 1 Comment
Today marks the opening of registration for The Orange Conference 2012. Many of you might be wondering why I am pushing this conference so much on here. Well, here you go…
If you are like me, it is easy to get in a ministry rut. Days go by, and you continue doing ministry the same way you have been doing it. Occasionally, something will come along to challenge you, but you typically stay the same. The Orange Conference, for me, is all about confronting myself. I get to sit at the feet of many who have walked before me and gain from their God-given wisdom. At the same time, I get to rub shoulders with others who are doing ministry. We get to talk and figure out what is working and not working in their setting. These times open my mind to the much larger world out there and how we can better reach them for Christ.
Continue reading →
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Posted in Orange
Tagged family ministry, god, orange, Orange 2012, orange conference, rethink, steve cullum, student ministry
Favorite Speakers at Orange: Doug Fields
Posted on September 21, 2011 | 1 Comment
One of the reasons I love going to any Christian conference is gaining from the wisdom of others. The Orange Conference is no different. One of my favorites is Doug Fields. Many of you in the youth ministry world probably know who he is already. For those who do not, you should get to know him. He was the lead student minister at Saddleback Church in California for many years, before his recent resignation. Now, he continues to write and speak about student and family ministries all across the country.
Photo from whatisorange.org
Doug speaks from the heart, and he speaks from experience. Not only does he keep things interesting with lots of personal examples, he is a great communicator.
One of the things I have learned from Doug is the importance of putting family first (behind God of course) after ministry and the church. As a minister, your first priority should be on helping your family know, serve, and glorify God. Then, you should go help others do the same in the church and world. If your family is not healthy in their relationship with God, your ministry is suffering. This is a change of mindset for many in ministry, but it is crucial. Sure, things get busy and tough, but a minister needs to lead at home before the church. In turn, he lead better at church.
One other point I have learned from Doug is to move out of the spotlight and put others in it. This should happen in many ways. For me, it has influenced me in two ways. I have placed more importance on our small groups and small group leaders, with the goal of allowing the students to connect with them and seek them out for spiritual guidance (in addition to their parents). Secondly, I have also been trying to help the students realize their own spiritual gifts and talents, and in turn, begin using them in the ministry. Doug has helped me step out of the spotlight and place others in it, so that the ministry does not depend upon me.
To find out more about Doug Fields, head to his blog.
For more on The Orange Conference, head to their website.
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Posted in Orange
Tagged Doug Fields, family ministry, orange, orange conference, Orange Week, steve cullum, student ministry, youth ministry
Why Orange?
Posted on September 20, 2011 | 1 Comment
As we kick off Orange Blogger Week for September 2011, I’d like to address a simple question of “Why Orange?” For those of you who have been in ministry situations for a while, or just starting, I know a new idea like this could be confusing as to why to change it up.
For me, it is all about the heart of the Orange philosophy. The idea of Orange is combining the heart of the family (red) with the light of the church (yellow). These two institutions were began by God, and it is important that they are brought together. Too often in churches today, we are fragmenting our ministries. The student ministry, children’s ministry, worship ministry, etc. have no clue what is going on in each others’ area. On top of that, parents often have the mindset that the church is the primary spiritual influence for their kids, instead of themselves. The Orange philosophy is about dismissing these two concepts. Instead, the idea is to get all ministries on the same page, partnering together in support of families being the primary source of spiritual influence. The church should partner with parents and families to make this happen.
This is why I have chosen to support Orange, this is and why our church has adopted this philosophy. Specifically, for student ministry, this means that I am working with parents more and championing the family. In the end, it seems like a “why not?” decision for me. Why not partner with families in helping them serve Christ? That’s why orange.
For more about Orange, check out whatisorange.org.