Preaching Availability

Pastors and Youth Pastors, I have a few weekends still available if you are looking for a guest speaker for your Spring Disciple Now or other event.  I would love to preach at your next event or help you in any way that I can.  I love the opportunity to challenge students, adults, and leaders. Feel free to email me at jnottingham@fbcba.org.  Here are the dates that I am already booked.


Dec. 31 - Jan. 1  - Speaking at Siloam Springs Camp, Arkansas - New Year's Event
Jan. 3 - Jan. 6  - Family Time

Feb. 1 - 3 - Speaking at FBC Van Buren, Arkansas - Disciple Now
Feb. 16 - 17 - Speaking at Biltmore Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina - Student Event
Feb. 22 - 24 - Elevate Weekend in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Mar. 8 - 9 - Family Time
Mar. 15 - 23 - Mission Trip to Cambodia

April 21 - 26 - Metro Youth Pastor's Conference

Youth Ministry Resources

I'm always looking for new ideas and ways to stay fresh in Youth Ministry.  I wanted to pass along a few blogs that I read all the time.  These guys have great insights and incredible ideas that will help you succeed in Ministry.  Plus it's free which is even better. Check out these great Student Ministry blogs:

morethandodgeball.com
brianmills247.blogspot.com
jordaneasley.net 
michaelhead.org
revolutionspeaks.com

Fresh Start

With summer events coming to a close and students starting to talk about the dreaded day of school starting back, I start getting pretty excited.  It means a new year is about to begin for our teenagers, a fresh start for our ministries, and new hope and excitement about what lies ahead this year.  I'm dreaming big, praying hard, and putting in some extra hours of work to do my part in reaching students that desperately need Jesus.  Student Pastors if you're reading this I'm praying for you.  I pray you have fresh vision, fresh fire, fresh passion, and a fresh heart to reach the students in your city.  I pray that you will dream big and kick Satan to the curb this year.  Lets go for it and go after students like never before.  Teenagers  today need Jesus and they also need you, their Student Pastor.  Keep loving on Students and pushing them toward the Light Jesus Christ.

Soul Detox

I just wanted to recommend this book Soul Detox by Craig Groeschel.  I'm half way through it right now and it has been one of Craig's best books.  Craig Groeschel is the Pastor of Lifechurch.tv one of the fastest growing churches in America.  Great book, I highly recommend it.

Student Leadership University

The past 2 weeks we have sent some of our strongest Student Leaders to Student Leadership University. This is my second year to be a part of it and I just wanted to use this post to highly recommend this program to every Student Pastor and Youth Worker to consider for your students.  It has been life changing for my students. Dr. Jay Strack and Brent Crowe are leading the charge in raising up Student Leaders to make a Kingdom Impact by raising the bar on what it means to be a Godly teenage leader.  Check out their website at www.studentleadership.net 

Lost Sheep

The other day I was looking at our small group records for my new Senior Class.  As I scanned the list of names I was overwhelmed by the number of Students on that list that I didn't recognize.  These students are members of our church but somewhere along the way have dropped out of being an active part of the ministry.  Around the same time as I looked at the list I was reading Luke 15 where Jesus gives the Parables of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Prodigal Son.  Jesus' challenge was to leave the 99 and go after the 1.  God used that passage to put in me a deeper burden for those that we have lost or those that have always been lost.  He has moved my spirit to pursue them like I never have before.  So I began this mission to track these students down by email, facebook, and phone calls.  Student Pastors don't give up on the ones that have strayed away, be willing to leave the 99 and go after the one, and when that one returns Party it up and give praises to God like never before!!!

Our Last Great Hope

I just finished reading this book titled "Our Last Great Hope" by Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas.  I highly recommend this read to everyone.  It will inspire you to look differently at reaching the world for Christ and it will bring you to your knees begging God to send revival that we so desperately need.  I just saw that you can get the book on Amazon for less than $7 right now.  Definitely worth the read.