Happy Ganesh Chaturthi............

Deva o Deva Ganati Deva Tumse Bad Kar Kaun Aur Tumhare Bhakt Jano mein Sabse jyada sms Karta Kaun Tum bhi ban sakte ho Sabse Jyada sms bhakt Forward this message to all your friends and say – Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

May Lord Ganesh shower you with success in all your Endeavours Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
Phool ki shuruvat kali se hoti hai, Zindgi ki shuruvat pyar se hoti hai, Pyar ki shuruvat apno se hoti hai... aur apno ki shuruvat aapse hoti hai. * Happy Ganesh Chaturthi *!

Celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi the Festival of Lord Ganesha. Spread the message of honesty and love through this world on this day when Lord Ganesha ascended on this earth to kill evil.

I ask God to… make you happy, make you smile, guide you safely through every mile; grant you wealth, give you health, and most of all, give you care and love you well.

The significance of riding on a mouse is the complete conquest over egoism. The holding of the ankusha represents His rule of the world. It is the emblem of divine Royalty. 

Andhera hua dur raat ke saath Nayi subha aayi badhai leke sath Ab ankhne kholo dekho ek msg aayi ha Ganesh Chaturthi ki subh kamna sath layi ha. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. 

Some One is Loving You Caring for You Watching over U Protecting U Guess Who? yes GANPATI BAPPA MORYA

As you offer your prayers on Ganesh Chaturthi… May Lord Vinayaka remove all obstacles and showers you with bounties! Jai Shri Siddhi Vinayaka!

Ganapati - Lord of all Gods Alampata - Infinite Lord Nideeshwaram - Bestower of Treasures & Riches Eshanputra - Son of Lord Shiva Siddhidata - Giver of Success Harida - Golden colored Avighna - Remover of all difciculties & obstacles May Lord Ganesha showers his finest blessings on you... Today and always

Dis GANESH PUJA Im sendng u CASH: C-Care A-Affection S-Smiles H-Hugs pls do accept Vth Love.. Gud luck n hav Happy GANESHA PUJA 

Fortunate is the one who has learned to Admire, but not to envy. Good Wishes for a joyous Ganesh Puja with a plenty of Peace and Prosperity.

Eeshwar ka Hath ho, Parvathi ka Sath ho, Ganesh ka niwas ho, ashirwad se Aapke jeevan mai prakash hi prakash ho JAI GANESH...

Ganesh Maharajki Jai........... May Lord Ganesh removes all obstacles, and gives U happieness to you and your family and entire to the society. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi............ 

tumachya aayushyatala aanand ganeshachya kanaa itka vishal, adachani undara itkya lahan, ayushya sonde itke laamb, kshan modaka itke goad asave

Mushikavaahana modaka hastha, Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra, Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra, Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe

He is One GOD, belongs the most beautiful Names He is the Almighty, Most Wise. Wishing you GANESH PUJA..!

BOLO GANPATI BAPPA MORIYAA

MAY GOD GIVES U A RAINBOW 4 EVERY STORM, A SMILE 4 EVERY TEAR, A PROMISE FOR EVERY CARE, AN ANS TO EVERY PRAYER. WISH U A HAPPY GANESH CHATURTI

Wakra Tunda Mahakay Surya koti Sama prabha Nirwighnam Kurume Dewo Sarwa Karye Shu Sarwada. Ganpati Bappa Morya. HAPPY GANESH CHATURTI..!

bakthi ganapathi...... Sakthi ganapathi...... Laxmi ganapathi...... siddhi ganapathi...... maha ganapathi...... may this ganesh chaturthi bringsyou, Bakthi, shakti, siddhi, laxmi and maha samridhi..... 

GANPATI MEANS: G-give A-laways N-new E-energy S-spirit H-happiness inyour life Agar Bhagvan ka aacrwad hai sabhaku6 ho sakta hai NO! PROBLEM HAPPY GANESHCHATURTHI

^ @(.=.)@ -i jj i- ( .. ..) ====== Jiske saath hai GANPATI, Use mile sukh sampatti. Happy Ganesh chaturthi To U & UR FAMILY 

Aapki Khusiyan Ganeshji Ki Sund Ki Tarah Lambi Ho, Aapki Jindangi Unke Pet Jitani Moti ho, or jeevan Ka har ek pal Laddu ki tarah meethe ho Happy Ganesh Chathurthi

Dhoomraketu, Sumukha, Ekadantha, Gajakarnaka, Lambodara, Vignaraja, Ganadhyaksha, Phalachandra, Gajanana, Vinayaka, Vakratunda, Siddhivinayaka, Shupakarna, Heramba, Skandapurvaja, 
Kapila, Vighneshwara. He is also known by many as Maha-Ganapathi. Happy Birthday to Lord Ganesh. 

Phuulon ne itra ka jaam beja hai. Taaron ne gaghan se salam beja hai. Ganesh Chaturthi mubarak ho aap ko Sachche Dil se hum ne ye Paigam bheja hai. 

Hum apke dil me rahte hai isliye har dard sahte hai kahi aap humse phle na wish kar do isliye subah-subah hi apko Happy Ganesh Chaturhi kahte hai.

Andhera hua dur raat ke saath, Nayi subha aayi badhai leke sath, Ab ankhne kholo dekho ek msg aayi hai Ganesh Chaturthi ki subh kamna sath layi hai. ” Happy Ganesh Chaturthi”

Pal Pal se banta hai Ehasas, ehsas se banta hai Vishvas, vishvas se bante hai Rishte, aur rishte se banta hai koi Khas, Wishing a Ganesh Chaturthi Jhakas. 

Gul ne gulshan se gulfam bheja hai, sitaro ne gagan se salam bheja hai, Mubarak ho apko ye “Ganesh Chaturthi” Humne tahe Dil se ye paigam bheja hai. 

@(. = .)@ () ,jj () ( )( /. )( ) Yeh Ganesh ji ki Murti hai .. Dont worry Forward nahi karna hai.. Pooja karke MOBILE visarjan kar dena..!!

aapka sukh ganesh ke peth jitna bada ho, aapka dukh undar jaisa chota ho, aapki life ganesh ji ke sund jitni badi ho, aapke bol modak jaise mithe ho. BOLO GANPATI BAPPA MORIYAA

Phool ki shuruvat kali se hoti hai, Zindgi ki shuruvat pyar se hoti hai, Pyar ki shuruvat apno se hoti hai... aur apno ki shuruvat aapse hoti hai. * Happy Ganesh Chaturthi * 

Pag me phul khile, har khushi aapko mile, kabhi na ho dukho ka samna, Yahi meri Ganesh Chaturthi ki Shubhkamna. 

This, is a special time when family And friends get together, for fun. Wishing laughter and fun to cheer your days, In this festive season of GANESHA PUJA and always! “Happy Ganesh Puja” 

I wish u Happy Ganesh Chaturthi and I pray to God for your prosperous life. May you find all the delights of life, May your all dreams come true 
.
This, is a special time when family And friends get together, for fun. Wishing laughter and fun to cheer your days, In this festive season of GANESHA PUJA and always! Happy Ganesh Puja

May the lord vigna vighna vinayaka remove all obstacles and shower you with bounties Jai Shree Siddhi Vinayak Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

Wishing you happiness as big as Ganeshi appetite life is long as his trunk trouble as small as his mouse and moments as sweet as his laddus Sending you warm wishes on Ganesh Chaturthi!

HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI !!!

Aapki Khusiyan Ganeshji Ki Sund Ki Tarah Lambi Ho, Aapki Jindangi Unke Pet Jitani Moti ho, or jeevan Ka har ek pal Laddu ki tarah meete ho Happy Ganesh Chathurthi... 

o vakra tund o maha kaya o buddhi bal ke param dham, o ved manaa sukhkar lalaam, o mangal may tumko pranam. Happy ganeshchaturthi.. 

Gajanana Shri Ganaraya aadi vandu tujha Moraya Ganpati Bappa Morya!Mangal Murti Morya Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.

Gajanana Shri Ganaraya aadi vandu tujha Moraya Ganpati Bappa Morya!Mangal Murti Morya JAY GANESH..Mangal murti morya Jay ganesh devaGanapati bappa moray Happy Ganesh Chaturthy!!!

Aapka sukh gabesh ke peth jitna bda ho, Aapka dukh undar jesa chota ho, Aapki life ganeshji ke sund jitni badi ho, Aapke bol modak jaise mithe ho BOLO GANPATI BAPPA MORAIYAA!!!

I wish u Happy Ganesh Chaturthi and I pray to God for your prosperous life. May you find all the delights of life, May your all dreams come true. “Happy Ganesh Chaturthi” 

Mushikavaahana modaka hastha, Chaamara karna vilambitha sutra, Vaamana rupa maheshwara putra, Vighna vinaayaka paada namasthe Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!! 

Wishing you happiness as big as Ganesh's appetite life is long as his trunk trouble as small as his mouse and moments as sweet as his laddus Sending you wishes on Ganesh Chaturthi!

Aate bade dhoom se ganpati ji, jaate bade dhoom se ganpati ji, aakhir sabse pahale aakar, hamare dilon me bas jate ganpati ji. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!!!

Ek Do Teen Char Ganapathi Ki Jay Jay Kaar Paanch Chai Saat Aaath Ganapati Hai Sabke saath Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

Ganesh ki jyoti se noor milta hai sabke dilon ko surur milta hai jobhi jaata hai Ganesh ke dwaar kuch na kuch zarror milta hai JAI GANESH!

Hoping that this Ganesh chatruthi will be the start of year that brings the happiness that lord Ganesh fills your home with prosperity & fortune Best wishes on ganesh chatrurthi 

I wish u HAPPY GANESH PUJA and pray to God for your prosperous life May you find all the love of life may ur all dreams come true. HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI !!!

Aum Shree Ganeshay Namah: Bolo Ganpati Bappa Mourya... GANESH CHATURTHI WISHES TO U 

Celebrat Festival of Lord Ganesha. Spread msg of honesty n love thru dis world on dis day wen Ganesha ascended on dis earth 2 kill evil.

{ (.=.) } () jj () () (/.) () May Lord Ganesha give you all the joys & happiness.. Jai Siddhivinayak ji !! Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.. 

I wish u HAPPY GANESH PUJA n I pray 2 God 4 ur prosperous life. May u 5nd al delights of life, may ur al dreams com true.

(,) @(. = .)@ 0 “,jj,” 0 ()(/.)() G-Give us A-Always N-New E-Energy S-spirit & H-Happiness JAY GANESH
May ganesh bring you and your family Lots and Lots Of HAPPINESS,LOVE,HEALTH,SWEETNESS and PROSPERITY...

Jai Ganesh!

May Lord Ganesh bring you good luck and prosperity! Happy Vinayaka Chaturthi..Advance Ganesh Chaturti wishes!! 

G-Give usA-AlwaysN-NewE-EnergyS-spirit &H-Happiness.JAI GANESH, Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. 
May u have happiness as big as Ganesh's appetite,trouble as small as his mouse& moments as sweet as his laddus.Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! 

May Lord Ganesha give you all the joys & happiness.Jai Siddhivinayak ji ..Happy Ganesh Chaturthi..
Aate bade dhoom se ganpati ji,jaate bade dhoom se ganpati ji,aakhir sabse pahale aakar,hamare dilon me bas jate ganpati ji. 

I know that Ganesha is happy with me... For he has made my life so richwith a friend like you.Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

I wish u HAPPY GANESH PUJA and I pray to God for ur prosperous life.May you find all the delights of life n ur all dreams come true! 

This year, you can havemy share of "laddus as well !!Happy Ganesh Chaturthi !Enjoy the break to the fullest. 

This, is a special time when family& friends get together 4 fun. I wish laughter& fun 2 cheer ur days in the festive season of GANESHA PUJA! 

Bakthi Ganapathi, Sakthi Ganapathi,Siddhi Ganapathi,Lakshmi Ganapathi!May this Ganesh Chaturthi brings u Bakthi, Shakthi, Siddhi &Laskhmi. 

GAJANANA SHRI GANARAYA AADI VANDUTUJHA MORAYAGANPATI BAPPA MORYA MANGAL MURTI MORYA..HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI 

Gajanana Shri Ganarayaaadi vandu tuj Moraya.Ganpati-Bappa-Morya!Mangal-Murti-Morya!Jai Ganesh! 
May the lord vigna vighna vinayaka removeall obstacles and shower you with bountiesJai Shree Siddhi Vinayak.Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

o vakra tund, maha kaya buddhi bal ke param dham, ved manaa sukhkar lalaam, mangal may tumko pranam.Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

GANESH ki jyoti se noor milta hai,sabke dilon ko surur milta hai,jobhi jaata hai GANESHA ke dwaar,kuch na kuch zarror milta hai.JAI GANESHA

Shri Siddhi Vinayaka Ganesha

Wish you a blessed Ganesh Chaturthi and many Properous days ahead May the Blessings of Lord Ganesha Continue to Shine on you and your Family 

Sending Warm Wishes on Ganesha Pooja Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

The environmental activists in the city have pulled up their socks to spread awareness about environment-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi. 

God comes to you in many forms And blesses you in disguise Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to you Celebrate the God,powerful yet wise. 

Happy ganesh chaviti to star with any work first ganesh so ganesh festival come to our end let celebrate happly jay bolo ganesh maharaj ki 

Wish You Very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi May God Ganesha Bless You with The Showers of Happiness and Prosperity Regards 

Dis,is a special time when family&friends get 2gethar,4 fun.Wishing laughter &fun 2cheer urdays In dis festive season of GANESHA PUJA&always 

At Ganesh chaturthi wishing that lord Ganesh fills your home with prosperity n fortune.. He`ll fufill all ur wishes.. HAPPY GANESH CHATURTHI 

May Lord Ganesha bless u and ur family with Success, Happiness and Prosperity upon You and your family Happy GANESH-CHATURTHI 

I heartily wish Lord Ganesha fill your home with prosperity and fortune. Best wishes on Ganesh Chaturthi 

Jai Shri Ganesha May the Lord vigna vighna vinayaka remove all obstacles and shower you with gifts Jai Shri Siddhi Vinayaka Ganesha 

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. Gajanana Shri Ganaraya aadi vandu tujha Moraya Ganpati Bappa Morya!Mangal Murti Morya Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. 

Celebrate Festival of Lord Ganesha. Spread msg of honesty n love thrum dis world on dis day wen Ganesha ascended on dis earth 2 kill evil. 

This Ganesh Chaturthi,Im wishing u.Life filled with hope and love.True and loving friends.And fulfillment of your dreams and goals 

Sending my heartiest wishes to your way this Lord Ganesha Day! May you have a prosperous and Happy Vinayaka Chaturthi! 

We know that Ganesha is happy with us. For he has made our life so rich with a friend like him. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated by Hindu hindu religion in India by doing Puja of bhagwan Ganesha or Sri Siddhi Vianayaka. 

Sit down among worshippers,O Ganapati,best sage among the sages.Without u nothing can be done.Accept with honor,our hymns of praise. 

May God give u a rainbowfor every storm,a smilefor every tear, a promise for every care and ananswer to every prayer. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

Have a happy and prosperous lifeMay all yourdreams come trueMay each day of life beginWith blessings of Ganesha for u.Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

May the destroyer of evil Grace you with peace and love And blessings be showered upon you From heaven up above Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. 

God comes to you in many forms And blesses you in disguise Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to you Celebrate the God, powerful yet wise. 

I know that Ganesha is happy with me... For he has made my life so rich with a friend like you. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 

Ganesha bring U and your family lots and lots of Happiness, Love, Health Sweetness and Prosperity Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

7 Steps of Bible Study Preparation

I put together the 7 steps I use for Bible study preparation. I’m not assuming these are universal, but they have helped me organize my time and hopefully make my teaching style engaging, relevant, and self-revelatory. So here you go:

1. Read the text.
   This should probably go without saying, but I would recommend reading the text upwards of 10 times. And reading in such a way as to enter it. To smell, see, and taste what is happening in the text. This should take about half an hour.
2. Question the text.
   I take a blank sheet of paper and ask every single question I can think of about the text, even if I know the answers. I ask about the names of people, what they mean, where else they appear in Scripture, who their family is, what their nationality is, and so on. Do this with every element, including what specific words mean, where else they are found in the Bible, and what different biblical authors mean by them. Don’t worry about answering the questions at this point; just raise them.
3. Learn the text.
   This is where your study tools come in as you try and answer those questions. Everybody might not have access to Bible dictionaries, word studies, encyclopedias or commentaries, but there are some pretty good online tools you can use. A couple of my favorites can be found here:
   crosswalk.com
   zhubert.com
4. Find the 3 AM statement of the text.
   I am a huge believer in one point teaching. That is, walking into a lesson, you have one key thing you want to say with your time. It’s the main idea of the passage. And if you take time to construct in your own mind, chances are you’ll be more effective at communicating it. It’s called the 3 AM Statement because if someone woke you up at 3 am the night before you’re going to teach and asked, “What is your talk about?” you would be able to answer them in one, short, easy-to-remember sentence.
5. Personally reflect on the text.
   This is where you take some time to ask the question: “What does this text mean for me?” Not, “What does this text mean for them?” You journal your answer, after several hours of prayer. In short, you choose to deeply encounter the text yourself before you try and help others do the same.
6. Construct an outline.
   Take all the information, along with your personal reflection, and start constructing your teaching time centered around the 3 AM statement. Also, if you’re doing this for a small group, take the time here to think through the series of introspective and thought-provoking questions you want to ask your group. Write them out. Write several options of them out, depending on how you think people will answer.
7. Lead others to have a deep encounter with the text.
   This is where to put the finishing touches on the teaching. Illustrations, verbage, and other flourishes make their appearance here.

Maybe that’s a helpful guide for you, too. I always enjoy the process, but it helps me to have a guide to work from.

7 Steps of Bible Study Preparation

I put together the 7 steps I use for Bible study preparation. I’m not assuming these are universal, but they have helped me organize my time and hopefully make my teaching style engaging, relevant, and self-revelatory. So here you go:

1. Read the text.
   This should probably go without saying, but I would recommend reading the text upwards of 10 times. And reading in such a way as to enter it. To smell, see, and taste what is happening in the text. This should take about half an hour.
2. Question the text.
   I take a blank sheet of paper and ask every single question I can think of about the text, even if I know the answers. I ask about the names of people, what they mean, where else they appear in Scripture, who their family is, what their nationality is, and so on. Do this with every element, including what specific words mean, where else they are found in the Bible, and what different biblical authors mean by them. Don’t worry about answering the questions at this point; just raise them.
3. Learn the text.
   This is where your study tools come in as you try and answer those questions. Everybody might not have access to Bible dictionaries, word studies, encyclopedias or commentaries, but there are some pretty good online tools you can use. A couple of my favorites can be found here:
   crosswalk.com
   zhubert.com
4. Find the 3 AM statement of the text.
   I am a huge believer in one point teaching. That is, walking into a lesson, you have one key thing you want to say with your time. It’s the main idea of the passage. And if you take time to construct in your own mind, chances are you’ll be more effective at communicating it. It’s called the 3 AM Statement because if someone woke you up at 3 am the night before you’re going to teach and asked, “What is your talk about?” you would be able to answer them in one, short, easy-to-remember sentence.
5. Personally reflect on the text.
   This is where you take some time to ask the question: “What does this text mean for me?” Not, “What does this text mean for them?” You journal your answer, after several hours of prayer. In short, you choose to deeply encounter the text yourself before you try and help others do the same.
6. Construct an outline.
   Take all the information, along with your personal reflection, and start constructing your teaching time centered around the 3 AM statement. Also, if you’re doing this for a small group, take the time here to think through the series of introspective and thought-provoking questions you want to ask your group. Write them out. Write several options of them out, depending on how you think people will answer.
7. Lead others to have a deep encounter with the text.
   This is where to put the finishing touches on the teaching. Illustrations, verbage, and other flourishes make their appearance here.

Maybe that’s a helpful guide for you, too. I always enjoy the process, but it helps me to have a guide to work from.

Start a Group Strong by Answering Why? Who? and What? First

One of the first questions you will answer as your group begins to meet is why the group exists. This is a great conversation to have because you’ll discover the expectations people have as they describe why they need a group. As a leader, you can reinforce their expectations or even redirect their expectations when appropriate, so that your group starts with a common understanding of why the group exists. Many groups form a group covenant as a part of this conversation. A covenant is a document that answers two questions: 1. What do you hope to get out of the group? and 2. What commitments are required for us to get what we want and need out of the group? Keep it simple, but make sure to cover issues like: attendance, preparation, confidentiality, etc.

After you answer the “why” questions, you will turn to the “who” questions. “Who” questions center on how many people should be in the group and the group make-up itself. I have found groups of 10 to 12 people tend to work best with 12 being the max and six being minimum. With more than 12, group members never get to talk; less than six, and there aren’t enough options for individuals to talk to. Once you know how many people you’re going to have in the group, decide who should be a part of the group.

This is where you need to think through if the group is for couples, men only, women only, or a blend of all three. (Note: I prefer gender-based groups, meaning guys meet with only guys, women meet with only women, or couples meet with other couples because of the intimacy level that can be developed in the groups. People need a place to be real, and I believe these targeted groups provide the best environment for this. You will need to determine what works best for the structure of your ministry and the individuals in your groups.)

Once you know why and who, you will need to choose “what” you will study. There are three things you need to remember when choosing a study: studies should be relational in nature, doctrinally accurate, and application oriented. Looking for these three qualities in your resources will ensure that your group is growing together as a result of the study.

Do What It Takes to Keep Your Group Safe

The first time I heard a minister mention the concept of “bouncers,” it made me bristle.

In order to keep a church’s young adult worship gathering free of what he described as “stalkers,” several men were stationed around the church to make sure no one gave any women any unwanted attention.

If a man even remotely looked like he was making a woman uncomfortable with his presence, the man was taken aside and given a friendly warning to discontinue his contact with the lady. If a second warning was needed, the man was politely asked to leave the gathering and not return. “If you don’t make sure your church is a safe place for women,” the minister said. “You won’t have a ministry very long.”

Today, this concept applies to both the men and women who are a part of your young adult ministry. If you allow anyone to perpetuate a “meat market” mentality where dating—or worse, “stalking”—becomes a primary feature of your ministry to young adults, you will not succeed in reaching unchurched people for Christ.

I just returned from a minister’s gathering that featured several roundtable discussions concerning issues of great concern to them. How to appropriately discourage this kind of behavior came up right away in our discussions.

On the surface, it does sound a little heartless to show the door to people who are too aggressive in their romantic intentions. After all, a church should be open to all people, no matter how socially clumsy or inept, they may be, right?

If that’s your mentality, you’re dead wrong.

The foundation of your ministry is to bring people to Christ and to grow them as His followers. Anything that distracts from that goal is a stumbling block you need to take painstaking steps to remove.

Obviously, any time you minister to young, single people, romantic relationships will develop, and navigating through and around this world will be an ongoing part of building, growing, and maintaining your ministry. At the same time, this cannot become the central focus of what’s happening in your church.

So, what can you do to keep your young adult ministry “safe”? Here are some suggestions:

1. Set the ground rules regularly. Make sure everyone knows that if you’ve come in the door looking for a date or a mate, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you’ve come looking for purpose for your life or the answers to your spiritual questions or friendships, you’ve come to the right place. Set expectations for what your church’s ministry is about.
2. Establish some gender-based small groups where leaders can talk about appropriate relational and dating behavior between men and women. If you have some people who are really struggling in knowing how to relate appropriately with members of the opposite sex, make it mandatory for them to be involved in a small group of this type if they want to continue being a part of your church’s young adult ministry.
3. Develop strong leaders who further your leadership by setting expectations for group behavior. Ministry groups do conform to the expectations of their leaders, but they also conform to the expectations of the people who are the backbone of your ministry. If your small group leaders, worship leaders, and other leaders advocate the right kind of interaction between men and women, it will become the group norm.
4. Make sure the men in your ministry understand their primary responsibility is to be protectors of the women in your ministry, not their suitors. If they treat the women in your group as their sisters in Christ, your group will have the right relational temperature.
5. Use “bouncers” and become one yourself. If someone’s behavior becomes distracting or dangerous to the group, you have no choice but to move them out. Depending on just how they are behaving, this may not mean completely disenfranchising them from your church. It may just mean keeping them out of your young adult ministry for a season until they develop the right idea about how to treat members of the opposite sex.
   You can ask them to attend another Bible study group at your church for a time or involve them in another ministry. (Just make sure you have the understanding and blessing of the leader where you are sending them.)
   If they cannot understand why their behavior is a problem and why they need to address it, you may have to ask them to leave your church entirely. If you do so with love, they might even thank you for it later. A minister friend of mine told a story at our meeting of a young man he had to ask to leave the church for this reason. Years later, the man invited him to attend his upcoming wedding and thanked him for re-directing him in this way. If he had not understood the severity of his actions, he might not have ever learned to behave any differently.

Keep your ministry safe. You can’t afford to do it any other way.

Do What It Takes to Keep Your Group Safe

The first time I heard a minister mention the concept of “bouncers,” it made me bristle.

In order to keep a church’s young adult worship gathering free of what he described as “stalkers,” several men were stationed around the church to make sure no one gave any women any unwanted attention.

If a man even remotely looked like he was making a woman uncomfortable with his presence, the man was taken aside and given a friendly warning to discontinue his contact with the lady. If a second warning was needed, the man was politely asked to leave the gathering and not return. “If you don’t make sure your church is a safe place for women,” the minister said. “You won’t have a ministry very long.”

Today, this concept applies to both the men and women who are a part of your young adult ministry. If you allow anyone to perpetuate a “meat market” mentality where dating—or worse, “stalking”—becomes a primary feature of your ministry to young adults, you will not succeed in reaching unchurched people for Christ.

I just returned from a minister’s gathering that featured several roundtable discussions concerning issues of great concern to them. How to appropriately discourage this kind of behavior came up right away in our discussions.

On the surface, it does sound a little heartless to show the door to people who are too aggressive in their romantic intentions. After all, a church should be open to all people, no matter how socially clumsy or inept, they may be, right?

If that’s your mentality, you’re dead wrong.

The foundation of your ministry is to bring people to Christ and to grow them as His followers. Anything that distracts from that goal is a stumbling block you need to take painstaking steps to remove.

Obviously, any time you minister to young, single people, romantic relationships will develop, and navigating through and around this world will be an ongoing part of building, growing, and maintaining your ministry. At the same time, this cannot become the central focus of what’s happening in your church.

So, what can you do to keep your young adult ministry “safe”? Here are some suggestions:

1. Set the ground rules regularly. Make sure everyone knows that if you’ve come in the door looking for a date or a mate, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you’ve come looking for purpose for your life or the answers to your spiritual questions or friendships, you’ve come to the right place. Set expectations for what your church’s ministry is about.
2. Establish some gender-based small groups where leaders can talk about appropriate relational and dating behavior between men and women. If you have some people who are really struggling in knowing how to relate appropriately with members of the opposite sex, make it mandatory for them to be involved in a small group of this type if they want to continue being a part of your church’s young adult ministry.
3. Develop strong leaders who further your leadership by setting expectations for group behavior. Ministry groups do conform to the expectations of their leaders, but they also conform to the expectations of the people who are the backbone of your ministry. If your small group leaders, worship leaders, and other leaders advocate the right kind of interaction between men and women, it will become the group norm.
4. Make sure the men in your ministry understand their primary responsibility is to be protectors of the women in your ministry, not their suitors. If they treat the women in your group as their sisters in Christ, your group will have the right relational temperature.
5. Use “bouncers” and become one yourself. If someone’s behavior becomes distracting or dangerous to the group, you have no choice but to move them out. Depending on just how they are behaving, this may not mean completely disenfranchising them from your church. It may just mean keeping them out of your young adult ministry for a season until they develop the right idea about how to treat members of the opposite sex.
   You can ask them to attend another Bible study group at your church for a time or involve them in another ministry. (Just make sure you have the understanding and blessing of the leader where you are sending them.)
   If they cannot understand why their behavior is a problem and why they need to address it, you may have to ask them to leave your church entirely. If you do so with love, they might even thank you for it later. A minister friend of mine told a story at our meeting of a young man he had to ask to leave the church for this reason. Years later, the man invited him to attend his upcoming wedding and thanked him for re-directing him in this way. If he had not understood the severity of his actions, he might not have ever learned to behave any differently.

Keep your ministry safe. You can’t afford to do it any other way.

Do What It Takes to Keep Your Group Safe

The first time I heard a minister mention the concept of “bouncers,” it made me bristle.

In order to keep a church’s young adult worship gathering free of what he described as “stalkers,” several men were stationed around the church to make sure no one gave any women any unwanted attention.

If a man even remotely looked like he was making a woman uncomfortable with his presence, the man was taken aside and given a friendly warning to discontinue his contact with the lady. If a second warning was needed, the man was politely asked to leave the gathering and not return. “If you don’t make sure your church is a safe place for women,” the minister said. “You won’t have a ministry very long.”

Today, this concept applies to both the men and women who are a part of your young adult ministry. If you allow anyone to perpetuate a “meat market” mentality where dating—or worse, “stalking”—becomes a primary feature of your ministry to young adults, you will not succeed in reaching unchurched people for Christ.

I just returned from a minister’s gathering that featured several roundtable discussions concerning issues of great concern to them. How to appropriately discourage this kind of behavior came up right away in our discussions.

On the surface, it does sound a little heartless to show the door to people who are too aggressive in their romantic intentions. After all, a church should be open to all people, no matter how socially clumsy or inept, they may be, right?

If that’s your mentality, you’re dead wrong.

The foundation of your ministry is to bring people to Christ and to grow them as His followers. Anything that distracts from that goal is a stumbling block you need to take painstaking steps to remove.

Obviously, any time you minister to young, single people, romantic relationships will develop, and navigating through and around this world will be an ongoing part of building, growing, and maintaining your ministry. At the same time, this cannot become the central focus of what’s happening in your church.

So, what can you do to keep your young adult ministry “safe”? Here are some suggestions:

1. Set the ground rules regularly. Make sure everyone knows that if you’ve come in the door looking for a date or a mate, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you’ve come looking for purpose for your life or the answers to your spiritual questions or friendships, you’ve come to the right place. Set expectations for what your church’s ministry is about.
2. Establish some gender-based small groups where leaders can talk about appropriate relational and dating behavior between men and women. If you have some people who are really struggling in knowing how to relate appropriately with members of the opposite sex, make it mandatory for them to be involved in a small group of this type if they want to continue being a part of your church’s young adult ministry.
3. Develop strong leaders who further your leadership by setting expectations for group behavior. Ministry groups do conform to the expectations of their leaders, but they also conform to the expectations of the people who are the backbone of your ministry. If your small group leaders, worship leaders, and other leaders advocate the right kind of interaction between men and women, it will become the group norm.
4. Make sure the men in your ministry understand their primary responsibility is to be protectors of the women in your ministry, not their suitors. If they treat the women in your group as their sisters in Christ, your group will have the right relational temperature.
5. Use “bouncers” and become one yourself. If someone’s behavior becomes distracting or dangerous to the group, you have no choice but to move them out. Depending on just how they are behaving, this may not mean completely disenfranchising them from your church. It may just mean keeping them out of your young adult ministry for a season until they develop the right idea about how to treat members of the opposite sex.
   You can ask them to attend another Bible study group at your church for a time or involve them in another ministry. (Just make sure you have the understanding and blessing of the leader where you are sending them.)
   If they cannot understand why their behavior is a problem and why they need to address it, you may have to ask them to leave your church entirely. If you do so with love, they might even thank you for it later. A minister friend of mine told a story at our meeting of a young man he had to ask to leave the church for this reason. Years later, the man invited him to attend his upcoming wedding and thanked him for re-directing him in this way. If he had not understood the severity of his actions, he might not have ever learned to behave any differently.

Keep your ministry safe. You can’t afford to do it any other way.