Book Review: Seizing Your Divine Moment by Erwin McManus

(rereleased as Chasing Daylight)

“What if you knew that there was a moment coming, a divine moment, one where God would meet you in such a way that nothing would be the same again?” I want to take advantage of those moments. Using the story of Jonathan going into battle with only his armor-bearer, McManus answers this question for each of us. None of us wants to spend our days asking “what if,” regretting those moments we neglected to seize. McManus encourages us to identify and seize those moments.

Seizing Your Divine Moment is an encouragement to anyone wanting to make the most of life. Throughout the pages are stories of people seizing and not seizing divine moments. In these stories we get a chance to see just how important seizing divine moments is to the rest of your life. “Moments are not independent or disconnected realities. Moments carry the momentum of the past and fuel the momentum for the future.”

“We have put so much emphasis on avoiding evil that we have become virtually blind to the endless opportunities for doing good.” Seizing your divine moment is not about making sure you don’t sin, its about seizing opportunities to do good. Each day, we notice small moments in which we have a choice to make; we can take the time to do something good or we can avoid it and move on, hoping for something bigger to come our way. When we begin to seize the small moments, we do not struggle when the big moments come – seizing them just become natural.

Do you want to do more? Do you struggle to see the difference you are making in the world? If so, then you need to read through this book. You will not find checklists or formulas for seizing divine moments. You will find hope, encouragement and a new outlook on how you live each day. When we listen to God and follow Him, even when outnumbered like Jonathan, we will find others are willing to follow and help. Make the change, seize each divine moment.

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)

Photo Friday #20

Early set up for our graduation banquet last Saturday.

to quote someone else: Donald Miller

"You never question the truth of something until you have to expalin it to a skeptic."

taken from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Think about this in terms of your youth ministry. How many students come and go through the years, but never have to explain what they believe? When they go off to college or are just away from home and someone questions their beliefs, how will they respond?

We need to make sure we are giving students opportunities to wrestle with their faith. We need to help them question and search.
We need to help them make their faith their own!
We need to give them reason and places to explain and not just accept.

When planning lessons or other events, take time to plan for the students to have the chance to work through their thoughts. Do not let them just get by with sitting back and listening.

Trivia Wednesday #18

answer #17 - Brooklyn

question #18 - Name all 5 states which end with the letter "s." (without using the internet)

The Office: season 3 DVD & shirts

Two fun Office items for you today:

Rumor is that Season 3 will be out Sept. 11

Check out this great Office shirt at Kohl's. (I've been looking for a shirt exactly like this for a year - I'm so far ahead of their marketing)

The Office: The Job (season finale)

Wow! What an episode. I have to say I thought it was better than last season's finale. A lot more to look forward to this next season.

Things I didn't like:
1. Jan (way too extreme, even for her)
2. Not enough Toby

Things I thought were awesome:
1. Stanley (another great episode)
2. Shrute bucks vs. Stanley Nickels
3. Dwight taking over the office
4. "You and me are over"
5. The taunting of Pam over her "speech" at the beach


Overall, it was a great episode. Things seemed to weave together so well. Dwight and Andy working together was great. (Notice that shun, unshun and Drew have both been dropped) I would have never thought about painting an office black. I really thought Karen was going to get the job in corporate. And what kind of boss starts interviewing for a job without telling the person they've been let go?

Personally the last 3 minutes were classic. Jim interrupting Pam's "talking head." Ryan getting the call from corporate and abruptly dumping Kelly. The whole season was worth those 3 minutes.

Only 4 months or so until we find out what happens.

Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online.

Guy Kawasaki has another great interview on his blog (May 20). This one is with Anastasia Goldstein (who covers Generation Y in her blog YPulse). On her new book: Totally Wired.

Its a good read, especially for anyone who works with teenagers. Here is one question I've talked about with students and others over the last year:

Question: Is banning MySpace and other social networks by schools a smart thing?

Answer: Blocking technology doesn’t teach teens how to use technology safely and ethically or how to think critically about the sites they visit. For many low income teens who still may not have computers or access to the internet at home, a school library, public library or federally funded after school program are often the only places they can participate in Web 2.0 at all. If we block and ban these sites, a whole population will miss out on what their peers have access to at home.

Switchfoot: Awakening video

Switchfoot's new video features some DDR & Guitar Hero.

Happy Anniversary

6 great years!

I've had the honor of being married to the most beautiful, best wife & mother in the world for 6 years. What an adventure its been. We have been through good times and tough times. She's been an encouragement through the times of uncertainty and the "sabbatical" from ministry. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, these past 6 years have been better because of Amy being in them. :)

Happy Anniversary Babe.

ps. Abracabubble

Photo Friday #19

Tomorrow is our 6th anniversary. In honor of tomorrow, today's photo is of our wedding party 6 years ago.

(What a great group of friends & family)

Forgiveness

I am not very good at forgiving. I am good at forgetting when I hurt someone, though. It is such a great feeling when someone forgives me for a wrong, especially when its my wife. I try not to dwell on the hurt I caused and move on, focusing on being a better friend or husband. But, for some reason when I am being asked to forgive it is more difficult to move on.

There are three little words that help make it easier to forgive someone: "Please forgive me." I've found that it is easier to forgive someone when they ask for it. Even when asked, it is not always easy to forgive. But compared to forgiving someone who does not ask for it, its a walk in the park.

How many times do you struggle with forgiving someone who never asks for it? There are times you know forgiveness needs to be given and you are the one who was hurt, so you are the one who needs to forgive. A few weeks ago I heard someone talk about forgiveness.

The question was asked (and has been holding tight to me for the last few weeks),

"Can you talk about them (people you need to forgive) without bringing up their weaknesses?"

Ouch. That's been a tough one.

I can say I forgive them. But unless I can talk about them without bringing up negatives, can I truly say I've forgiven them? When I talk about someone and talk about their weaknesses I'm trying to make them look bad. I want to be perceived as better than them.

In ministry, I think this is a huge issue. At any given point in your ministry, you will find yourself on both sides of the situation. There will be people you have hurt and people who have hurt you. Does this affect how you treat them or how you talk about them? Look at Jesus' ministry. If you read him talking negatively about someone, its being said right to that person. He was willing to forgive those who hurt Him, even those who crucified Him.

Next time you forgive someone, remember to think about how you feel about them. Don't let past hurts creep up into your current ministry.

David Crowder: cartoon music video

awesome...

ArkAlmighty: video promo & update

So, I've talked to people who have actually been to our site. BUT haven't posted a need or a skill. We've put forms at the welcome center for people to use if they don't have internet access. It seems like people are getting to know about AA, but not becoming a part of it yet.

So this Sunday we are showing the DVD clip (sent in the ArkKit) that explains the program. I'm hoping this will help people understand what AA is all about and realize they do have a need or skill that needs to be posted.

I ran into a little disappointment last week after talking to a few people about helping us out. There are a few people who feel having something like ArkAlmighty on the internet is an informal way to help fill people's needs. But, I've talked with other people who think it is a great idea, they just haven't put anything on the site yet.

I spoke with the missions chair about working with the missions team on our Evan Free Days. Part of me thinks that once we do our first Evan Fee Day, it will kickstart the rest of the program (well, I'm hoping that at least).

Trivia Wednesday #17

answer #16 - Jeff Albertson
(he told Ned Flanders in Season 16, episode 8 "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass")

question #17 - Name the New York city borough that was once an independent city.

The Office: still 1/2 hour

NBC announced their fall schedule today and it turns out that the one hour rumor will not come to pass. NBC will bring The Office back and there will be changes.

1. The Office will move to 9pm (Eastern) instead of 8:30
2. 30 episodes have been ordered, including 5 one hour episodes

Though I'm dissappointed that we won't be getting "supersized" episodes each week, I'm glad we will be getting more episodes than normal. I can't wait til Thursday's season finale. Then its a wait for the DVD's to come out :)

Interview with Richard Stearns, Pres. of World Vision

Guy Kawasaki posted on his blog an interview with Richard Stearns, President of World Vision. You can find it here.

Its a fascinating interview and look into the heart of World Vision. Go read the interview today, especially if you sponsor a child.

A few points that stuck out to me:

When asked about why he left his successful corporate job to be president of World Vision, here is Stearns answer...

It wasn't something I planned. At the time, I didn't even want the job. I had been a donor to World Vision for fifteen years when, through a long series of circumstances, I was approached by World Vision, interviewed and offered the position. As a committed Christian, I felt I couldn't say no. When God gives you an opportunity to serve, you obey. I had "talked the talk" of being a Christian for many years, now I needed to "walk the walk." It has turned out to be the greatest privilege of my life to serve the poorest of the poor in Christ's name.

This Q/A caught my eye, too.

Question: What's the biggest obstacle to get rich people to care about poor people?

Answer: The obstacle is that poverty is often not personal. If your next-door neighbor's child was dying and you could save her for $100, you wouldn't think twice. But a child 10,000 miles away whom you have never met, that's just different.

About 29,000 kids die every day of preventable causes--29,000! These kids have names and faces, hopes and dreams. Their parents love them as much as we love our kids. We've got to make poverty personal. Stalin once said: "A million deaths is a statistic, one death is a tragedy." We must try to see the face of the one child.

I'm going to pass this on to the students and others I know who either support a child through World Vision or are thinking about it.

super dog

Yesterday was a momentous occasion for one of my dogs. Sticky (picture at left) was coming inside from out back and didn't know the screen door was shut. So, she jumped right through it. I didn't actually get to see it :( but I heard it. I don't know how she did it, but she did. Man, I wish I would have had the video camera going for that one.

Has your pet ever done anything like that?

Photo Friday #18

A baby changing station in the middle of a small hallway. Why would you do that?

ArkAlmighty: ArkKit

I've posted about the ArkKit before, but I wanted to post some pictures and give you an idea of what you get. First off, isn't that just great packaging?

What you get:
150 Door Hangers
200 Impact Mailers (w/ARK ideas)
200 Bulletin Inserts
1 Banner (See it here)
ArkAlmighty Instruction Manual
Conspiracy of Kindness by Steve Sjogren

Instructional DVD
4-week curriculum from YS
4 T-Shirts
4 Hats (I personal would have loved a visor instead)
20 mini buttons

Lessons from The Office: Beach Games

What an episode!

One of my favorites of the season.

Memorable Moments:
1. Even on the "way out" Michael still hates Toby (and won't even attempt to fake it)
2. Great bus singing :)
3. Stanley was hilarious trying to "fake" that he actually thought Michael was a good leader. "That's it, I can't do it anymore. I'll be in the bus"
4. Michael would be a great survivor host
5. The "new" Pam is awesome.
6. Oscar ready to move away and break up with Gil (where did that come from?...)


Lessons:
1. You might not be as good at your job as you think.
2. There are other people who are just as good at your job.
3. There are some people we don't let "step up" who are very qualified.
4. You don't have to walk on burning coals to get a raise.
5. Never try to drop something in the water while wearing a sumo suit.



(photo from The Office's official website on NBC)

overheard at church: hearing God's call

"You are never too young or too old, but you can be too far away to hear God's call."

overheard during a Kids Worship message given to 3-6th graders.

I think it is sad when we unintentially tell peopel they are too young or too old to be used by God. We must remember that God is not as much concerned with age as He is with our obedience.

Lessons from The Office: Woman's Appreciation

What lessons did we learn from The Office?

1. It is possible to be too open and transparent with your employees.

I think they should do an episode where Michael has to go to therapy. :)

Trivia Wednesday #16

answer #15 - rugs

question #16 - What is Comic Book Guy's real name? (bonus for who he told and what episode it was in)

CHOICES & teens

During class on Sunday, I introduced the students to some resources we've put together to help them with their personal growth. Its nothing new or original. They are based off the Habits that Doug Fields' has put together, over at Saddleback and SimplyYouthMinistry.

We call our resources: CHOICES. Its got a "fancy" acronymn, but mainly its b/c growing closer to God is a choice we all have to make. I showed the students some samples of what we wanted to offer them to use. Some of the students were less than interested, but others seemed to start thinking about it. I handed out some sheets for them to sign up to take the resources, so we can track who has what.

After class I got one of the "sign up" papers back from one of the students. I was excited when I got it and looked that two options were checked. LampLights, Scripture Memory cards (a resource we've put together) & Rootworks, Bible Study (a SYM resource). It was encouraging to see this student desire to grow deeper.

The Simpsons trivia

If you are a Simpsons' fan, this Wednesday's trivia question is for you. Lets just see how much of a fan you are, shall we?

If you are not a Simpsons' fan, odds are that you have as much a chance of getting this one right.

The Simpsons: Season 10 DVD

I just found this great news over at TVshowsondvd.com that the Simpsons season 10 is due to be released August 7.

Episodes of note from Season 10:

1. Mayored to the Mob. Guest Star Mark Hamill (who appears to be in the commentary on the episode)

2. Simpsons Bible Stories. Bible stories told with a twist.

Plus there will be a Simpsons Movie DVD sneak peak. By the time this DVD is out, I'm pretty sure a good number of us Simpsons fans will have watched the movie a few times.

Now the wait for Season 10 officially has a countdown.

ArkAlmighty: banner & bulletins

This was the second Sunday since I mentioned ArkAlmighty during a message. Yesterday we launched full steam. We put the banner, which was provided in the ArkKit, up. We put the color bulletin inserts in the bulletins. There is really no reason why people don't know about it now.

I'm just not sure how quickly people will go to the site. Nothing seems to be done quickly around here :) There is some info up on the site already, which is good. And to make sure people know how to get to our site, we will put info in our newsletter this week.

Here are a couple pictures of the banner we put up this week.

Small Town YM: Prom

The first installment of Small Town Youth Ministry is about Prom (since it is Prom season and they just had it last week here).

Personal Disclaimer: the only dance I went to in high school was my senior prom. (sad, I know)

Small Town vs. Non-small Town

Same:
1. Students get all dressed up.
2. The female teenagers spend way too much time tanning.
3. It seems a lot of money is spent on dresses and tuxes.
4. There are probably over 1,000 pictures taken.
5. There is an after prom event.
6. It is the talk of the town (esp. among students) for weeks preceding.
7. Modesty is not always the case.

Different:
1. Prom Parade. This is where all the couples line up in the parking lot in parade form. Each car (or farm equipment, not completely kidding) then drives up the the front door where they get out and are announced to the crowd. They get a picture taken in front of a backdrop. Some of the students remain outside waiting and watching the rest of the parade.
2. People, from the community, actually show up to watch. And its not short, 1 hr. 15 min. long this year.
3. I think a prom parade is enough difference.

Neutral/Specific to this church:
1. Students wear their prom outfits to church the next morning. (Note, this made my polo and khakis look really casual)

So, how do you deal with prom in your congregation? One church in the area hosts a Prom alternative each year. I'm not too big on prom alternatives myself. I don't necessarily want to teach the students to be in a little "christian bubble" and avoid anything outside of the bubble. But if the alternative is for those students who won't go to prom (ie. me in high school) then its a great way to get students involved with your ministry.

One thing I did not do was to bring special attention to the prom attenders at church. Since there were students who didn't go, I avoided drawing extra attention to those who did and making it seem like they were better. In my church it was obvious who went (they were the really dressed up teenagers), so I didn't need to point it out. Yeah, its a special dance, but that is all it is - a dance.

to quote someone else: Andy Stanley (character)

"The truth is that those who choose to follow you will expect more from you by way of character than they expect from themselves."

taken from The Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley

The first time I read this I thought it was a bit of an overstatement. Now, I don't think so anymore. I've found this to be true over and over again.

Character is crucial to leadership - leadership worth following anyway.

Youth Ministry Thought: Q/A silence

Do you allow there to be silence after you ask questions?

No matter what age the group is, asking questions can be tough. It seems that whether I'm teaching, observing, or part of the group there is always a time of silence after a question is asked. I think there are a few reasons for this.

1. Poorly worded question.
2. Thought provoking question.
3. People are not paying attention.
4. People just do not have an answer.

One of the first things I learned in ministry was the importance of allowing the students to think after a question is asked. Is this easy? No, its usually awkward. I've watched many teachers be quick to say something, not wanting there to be silence. But silence is your friend (as long as you have asked a good question). Silence means the students are thinking and processing. I would rather have a student process a question than just give a quick, unthoughtout answer (or worse just give a "Sunday School" answer).

Give them time to process the question.

There is another side, though. The question may not be asking what you think it is or it may just be confusing. Even in these cases, I would recommend allowing the students to process. If they are trying to really think about it then I've found that at least one student will ask to have you rephrase the question.

While you are waiting for an answer, be thinking about the question you asked. If its confusing to you, work on rewording it on the spot and reask it. But don't answer it yourself. If the students know you will answer it, then they will learn to just wait for you to tell them what to think. And once you go down that road - its hard to get them back. (at least that's what I've found)

Next time you're working on a lesson, spend extra time making sure you are asking good, thought-provoking questions. Then during the class, be willing to wait for an answer.

Let the students process.
Let God work in their hearts.
Let them learn its okay to not always have a quick answer.
Let their be silence.

Photo Friday #17

From our Youth Rally skit.

ArkAlmighty: Getting Started

It has been stated from the stage. We have officially kicked off our campaign. The congregation is aware of the site now. Now, we must start getting invovlement and encourage people to post needs and skills.

We've started thinking/planning some Evan Free Days for summer. This has the potential to make a huge impact in our community. I pray we're ready for the opportunities we'll encounter.

I received the ArkKit today. It has some great resources inside. I can't wait to start using this stuff. The banner looks awesome, btw. One of the other resources is a 4 week curriculum to use with the youth. This will help the students jump on board and be a catalyst for the rest of the congregation.

The Office: Women's Appreciation

Tonight is one of the last new episodes of the season. Not sure what to expect from this one. It's supersized - so I expect more awkward pauses and "down time." I love the supersized ones. (sidenote - read a rumor that they may change to an hour format next season, we'll see)

Dwight and Drew work together to catch someone. That should be fun. We'll see if they mention the "shun, unshun" or just let it go.

Book Review: Mike Yaconelli//Collected Writings

This collection of writings captures the heart of Mike Yaconelli. Though I had only met Yaconelli once in person, while working at the last National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) before his car accident, I have heard him speak and read his other books enough to get a feeling of what he thought about youth workers. He cared for youth workers. He lived an adventurous life with God. I loved hearing him speak, because he spoke with passion. This book has that same sense of passion.

This book is full of sage advice, rants, questions, sarcasm, wisdom and truth we don’t want to hear. You will not agree with everything written (unless you are exactly like Yaconelli). You will question some thoughts, but isn’t that good? You will have to stop and process your view of ministry and God. You will hopefully be encouraged by reading words written by a man who loved God and loved youth workers.

This collection of writings tackles youth ministry from the youth worker to the programs. In the chapter entitled “Talking Discipleship,” he writes these words, “Above all, youth ministers have a relationship with Jesus that is characterized by the absence of anxiety, the presence of humility, and a visible intimacy with Jesus.” If we have that relationship, then the discipleship will come naturally.

Those in youth ministry, or any other ministry, can relate to Yaconelli’s honesty. Listen to these words from a chapter entitled “Clearings.” “My life at present seems like an impenetrable jungle of responsibilities, a jagged briar patch of relationships, a tangled web of obligations. It feels like I am lost in the darkness of everyone else’s needs, silently pursued by a growing crowd of strangers who crave one more piece of me.” Have you ever felt like that? If so, you’ll want to read about the clearings Yaconelli says we need in our life.

Whether you are in youth ministry or not, you will be encouraged by this book. Though you cannot buy this copy, it was a limited edition only available at the NYWC, you can find someone who has a copy. If you can’t find a copy of this edition, search for old copies of the Wittenburg Door or YouthWorker Journal.

My advice (rating) – find a copy (5 out of 5)

Couple Touring Home Find Woman's Body

This is a sad story on a few levels.

1. It is always bad to find a dead body.
2. No one knew. No one called this person. The realtor didn't even know. How much longer if this couple hadn't looked at the house?
3. Where was the family?

How many people are there in the world who could die and noone would notice? How many people in your community? How many in your congregation? (Now, you scoff at that last question, but how many people are gone for weeks or months without anyone checking to see how they are)

I pray for this woman's family as they grief her lose and the emotions they will feel after a situation like this.

Park will no longer supply paper towels or toilet paper

Yes, that is correct. I just came across this article from the AP. Due to a few people who thought it would be fun to set the toilet paper on fire, the city is taking all paper products out of the restrooms.

Wow, now when you go to the park you have to add TP to the list, alongside sunscreen.

Hope churches don't catch on to this idea. (even if it would save a buck or two)

Trivia Wednesday #15

answer #14 - Koala

question #15 - Saxony and shag are two kinds of ... what?

Why ministers go to church

Tim posted a week or so back about why students go to church. It got me thinking about some stuff, mainly why do ministers go to church. Really, why do I (a youth minister) get up each Sunday and go to church, and Sunday night (or Wed. night for some) not to mention the other stuff. I've got some thoughts...

1. You get paid to be there.
2. Despite all the students who are apathetic, its those other few that keep us going.
3. One of your own children is in the group and that would be just too awkward at the dinner table.
4. God has called you and gifted you to reach students, and there is no way you can do anything else(and still sleep at night).
5. It's better than watching a televangelist.
6. You want everyone to think you are doing great.
7. The teens all think you're cool and you don't want to disappoint.


If you're a minister, why do you go to church? If you are not a minister, why do you think we go to church?

Youth Rally: Trash & Consequences

Last night was our area wide Youth Rally. I have to say, it was the first time I've been in the position of hosting something like it. The theme was Trash & Consequences. I was a little nervous about this theme at first, but I had no reason to be nervous. It was a great message. I'm glad I didn't try to change it back when we were planning - that would have been a bad decision.

I honestly didn't know what to expect. I had been told that the last couple years were ok, nothing special. So I wanted to make sure, from the beginning, that this one was the best we could do - not just something to do. Well, all the youth coaches that pulled it together did better than good. It was phenomenal! I was shocked (is it okay for me to say that about something we hosted) at how well it flowed and how the students responded.

We were not sure what to expect with a turnout, but we had more than we were thinking. Even had enough food to feed everyone :). The "food staff" had some trash (not real trash, that would be sick)and trashbags on the tables for decoration. They also served the food out of new trash cans. It was fun and helped add some atmosphere.

The band did a great job, despite the hiccups we faced trying to set everything up. The drama was a homerun (we don't do enough drama around our church). Message was on target and emphasized the theme very well.

Overall, it was an encouraging night. I wouldn't want to do it every week, but I'm pumped to do it more than once a year. I got to talk with a few of the area youth workers and we're going to start working on getting some more area wide events going this year - exciting. I was told that a few people have called the church today to express their excitement about the event and to encourage us.

What I'm most excited about is the response from the students about the "trash" in their life. May they leave their trash with God and let Him clean them up. That's why we did it, life change.

Small Town Youth Ministry

I've been at my church for 10 months now. As the year has gone by I am learning more and more about ministering in a small town. There are some aspects of youth ministry that are very different and some that are pretty much standard across the board. Last year about this time, as we were visiting and waiting I started trying to figure out what would be different with a small town youth ministry. I think I've learned a lot over the last year about the "challenges" and "advantages" of ministering in a small, rural town.

Today I start a series of ongoing posts about small town Youth ministry. I'll be sharing from my experience (both good and bad) and sharing some observations. If you are ministering in a small town and have some advice, please let me know and I'll post it so other ministers can benefit from it.

Before I get going too far, I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on what is different in small town vs. big town youth ministry.

For example, Have you ever had a student ride his ATV to youth group? I have.

The Simpsons: 24 Minutes

Promo shot from the season finale of the Simpsons. It will air May 20 (2nd of 2 new episodes that night). Thought the promo shot was cool (obviously its a take on 24)

Hoping for something good to finish up the season before the movie this summer. Maybe they'll do a X-Files type movie where it goes with the storyline of the season (oh wait, they don't have a storyline).

The Office: Jim/Dwight

Has got to be the funniest bookends of the series. Someone was nice enough to put it on YouTube, so here it is for you enjoyment.

Lessons from The Office: Product Recall

WOW. So that's what Creed does - he's quality control. With Creed doing QC, I'm suprised this is the first mishap they've written into the show.

Lessons learned:
1. Never, ever hire a homeless guy (Creed) to be your quality control.
2. Never donate cash to a card being circulated by Creed.
3. People will not always respond favorably to an apology, even if you throw in a novelty check.
4. Some people have a hard time saying "I'm sorry" without adding to it.
5. Identity Theft is serious. It's not funny to pretend to be someone else. No, I'm wrong - it is funny.
6. Never date someone working part-time at a frozen yogurt place.
7. Constructive criticism is hard to give to some people.
8. Am I allowed to take out an ad in your yearbook?


ps. I wish the episode had less of the language in it.

Photo Friday #16

Bocce Ball with friends. What a sport.

Pinnacle: Studio MovieBox

I'm looking at getting some hardware to be able to import video from DVD, etc. I'm looking at the MovieBox from Pinnacle. They have MovieBox Plus (I think) which comes with a microphone and green screen for $50 more. Is it worth, for those who have used it, the extra $50 to get some extra stuff?

What experience do you have with it? Please let me know what has worked or not worked to do this sort of video stuff.

The quality of my videos will appreciate it.

YM lessons from Duct Tape

Who hasn't used duct tape in youth ministry before? (can you really pass up taping a kid to the wall?)

Guy Kawasaki has posted a top ten list by John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide

You can find the post on the essense of duct tape marketing here. I think some of these tips can be applied to youth ministry. We are not selling anything (unless you count those bake sales), but we need to be purposeful about our "marketing." I think we market whether we want to or not.

Here are a few of the 10 tips (with my thoughts) youth ministries can learn from:

1. Narrow the market focus. Create a picture of who you are trying to reach: what they look like, how they think, what they value, and where you can find them.

2. Differentiate. Strip everything you know about your ministry down to the simplest core idea. Make sure this core idea seperates your ministry from the world.

3. Think about strategy first. Take everything you’ve done in steps one and two and create a strategy to own a word or two in the mind of your ideal client and prospect.

4. Create information that educates. You are in the life-changing business, so think of your marketing materials, web sites, white papers as information products. Don't confuse students, be clear.

5. Measure everything that matters. Certain things always matter. The secret sauce is in finding and measuring the intangibles – those things done out of the limelight that add up to changed lives.

6. Commit. Resist the temptation of the youth ministry trend of the week. Know what your goal is and stick with it. Be diligent in focusing on ministry aspects that help you reach that goal - and stand firm.

The Bible = Get Out of Jail "Free" Card

A judge in Ohio freed a man after he quoted Ps. 23. Really, he did. Read it here. Or here it is in its entirity:

Ohio Judge Frees Man After Bible Quiz

CINCINNATI (AP) - A man arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to use a stolen credit card at a drugstore got a break from a judge after passing a sort of Bible quiz.

When Eric Hine appeared in court this morning, his attorney described him as a church-goer, hoping the judge would set a low bond.

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge John Burlew was skeptical and asked Hine to recite the 23rd Psalm.

He did: all six verses. Some in the courtroom applauded.

Burlew was satisfied and released Hine on a $10,0000 appearance bond, meaning he'll have to pay that amount if he doesn't show up for his next court date.

Notice its in Cincy, too. CCU is having an impact. :)

The Office: Product Recall

Tonight's episode should be good. Jim and Drew out in the field working together, it should be good. Michael holds a press conference - classic.

Can't wait. Only 11 more hours :)

to quote someone else: Terry Briley (on forgiveness)

"The very awareness of sin, however, opens the door for forgiveness."

taken from The College Press NIV Commentary: Isaiah vol. 1 by Terry Briley

This is in context of Isa. 6, where Isaiah sees a vision of God and responds by saying he is ruined, a man of unclean lips. There is no hope for him, but this awareness of sin paves way to forgiveness he will receive.

I believe this statement says volumes for our ministries. It is when people acknowledge their sin, then the hope of salvation is able to come in to their lives. Without acknowledgement of sin, people do not want to hear (b/c they don't need it) about salvation through Jesus Christ.

abstinence

I don't know if you have seen the article or not. Either way here is a link to it. Abstinence students still having sex It comes out of a study ordered by the gov't to see the "effectiveness" of abstinence programs. Its an interesting read.

One that caught my eye was this one:

Officials said one lesson they learned from the study is that the abstinence message should be reinforced in subsequent years to truly affect behavior.

So, I guess that means we should be teaching on sex & purity more than once every 4 years. :) I think they should try the once a month teaching method.

What have you seen in your ministries? Is the ratio of teens involved in sexual relationships affected by your teaching on the subject?

Trivia Wednesday #14

answer #13 - Clue

question #14 - Which "bear" is not in the bear family?

My boys are growing up

Recently I've been reminded in multiple ways that my boys are growing up.

5 signs my boys are growing up:
1. Wes is starting to say a lot more words (isn't "cookie" enough)
2. Wes moved up to a "big boy" bed
3. Nathan went to a birthday party WITHOUT us
4. Nathan turned 3 this week
5. They are really starting to play well together (which may not seem like much unless you have kids and remember that time the older child started actually playing with the younger one)

cell phone bed

Cell Phone Bed

Lovely Monkey MP3/Cell Phone Soft Boa Bed in Purple Combo


How many times have I dreamed about a bed for my cell phone to sleep in at night?

This might work if you are looking for a gift for some middle school girls, or boys (if you don't like them).

Parent(less) Meeting

If you have a parent meeting and no parent shows up, can you still put it on your elder report?

I'm supposed to be in a parent meeting right now, but no one showed up. Man, is this frustrating.

But I get to go home early and hang out with my family. So, its not all bad. :)

Today is Nathan's birthday party! He turns 3 on Monday.

ArkAlmighty

My church is now officially on board. There is not much up about our church yet, but we are a part of ArkAlmighty.

Ark ALMIGHTY is a good deeds program that matches up the needs in your congregation with the talents and skills of the members of your church. Gathering the needs of your attendees, these requests are compiled on a Craigslist–type website administered by your church. Then, the members of your church can easily search through the needs and find ways they can help.

This is a campaign connected with the upcoming movie EvanAlmighty, starring Steve Carell (from NBC's The Office).

Our youth ministry will play a huge part in our efforts, but it will be much more than a "youth" event/program. I'm hoping this will encourage more interaction between the generations and spur people to start doing more. I'm really excited about the kinds of things that will be done across the country on behalf of this "campaign." Not to mention, the impact it will have in this community.

I'll post more in the next few days.

Photo Friday: Flashback

I've been trying to clean up some of our old pictures on iphoto lately. And yesterday, I came across this awesome picture. Here's the brief story. We were at a '05 Jr. High Believe, in Atl, eating lunch at the mall. Some of the "on stage" people were also eating lunch at the mall. One of the girls in my group wanted to go over and get Daren Streblow's autograph. Since she was already going over, I asked her to take the rest of my pizza and have him sign the bottom of it. And he did!



No, I don't have the pizza anymore - if I did you would be finding it on eBay.

Top 10 students in the country

After years of research and anticipation. Here is it! The list of the top 10 students in the country. Yes, this is a legitimate list that can be used to measure your students by.

How did I put this list together? First, I selected the best youth groups in the country. Second, I found the top student in each group. Third, I ranked those top students in order. Finally, if a student is #11 or below they did not make my top 10 list.

Each student will be listed by first name (which may or may not be their real name). I will also list one brief statement about why each student made the list.

top 10 students in the country:
1. Mike - has been to every youth event since birth, including the "clean the toilets overnighter."
2. Melissa - has Ps. 119 memorized in Hebrew.
3. Shea - always laughs at youth minister's jokes.
4. Timmy - never speaks out of turn.
5. Amber - reads her Bible each morning and evening.
6. Roberto - has led prayer before class three years straight.
7. Raul - writes youth minister's newsletter articles, so the youth minister can have more time for relationships.
8. Jessica - kissed dating goodbye.
9. Dwight - best assistant to the youth minister.
10. Ralph - has a heart for the underdog. "Go banana"

I hope one of your students made the list.

Jesus' Tomb - it may not be that Jesus

I haven't heard a lot of buzz about this lately. Seems the great debate has evaded the southern part of IL, at least after the first few days. Haven't thought about it much lately, but I ran across some interesting news the other day. Apparently some of the scholars are starting to "rethink" their positions.

I found this post over at Seldom Wrong, Never in Doubt.

top 20 youth ministers? really?

A month or so back, I ran across a list of the top 20 youth ministers. I was a little shocked and saddened that someone would attempt to put together a list of the "top 20" youth ministers in the country. I mean, really, who can decide which youth minister is able to be crowned best. Then, as I was looking over the list I realized all of them were from "big/megachurches" and thus what is being said is that only megachurch ministers can be the most effective.

I was a little offended by the list and was going to post about it. But, for some reason, I never did. Then today I ran across a post by Kurt Johnston (#1 on the list, by the way) concerning this list. He answers some of my questions and validates some of my assumptions about this list.

I feel better after reading what Kurt himself said about the "award."

MuslimTube

Apparently, there are a lot more "religious" websites out there that use a popular website as their basis. Here is a link to the story from USA Today.

I thought the last line was interesting...

Other faiths, too, can be expected to soon embrace Web 2.0 forms. And it's rather refreshing to see something online that isn't all about "you."

I found out what the Hokey Pokey is all about

Today, while participating in the Jr. High Christian Club, I was able to learn about the hokey pokey is all about. How? I discovered through what was called the "Christian" hokey pokey. Its the same as the hokey pokey, except for the "that's what its all about" part. That is replaced with "we're happy we're Heavenbound."

So that is what the hokey pokey is all about - being Heavenbound. Next time someone asks to sing the hokey pokey, make sure you let them know what its all about.

(that has to be the most # of times I've written hokey pokey, ever)

Trivia Wednesday #13

answer #12 - Rubber

question #13 - Which board game was made into a movie?
(sorry, no clues this week)

Gotta love jr. highers

Last night, during youth meetings, we played a game called "Act it Out Tag." The basic premise is that everyone gets a piece of paper with a scenario on it (ie. You are Batman talking to a therapist about your day). Two people are on "stage" acting out one of the scenarios. Only the person with the scenario actually knows what is going on at the beginning, the other person has to try to catch on. They act out the scene for a bit and then someone in the audience yells "freeze" and takes one of the actors places. Then that person starts to act out their scenario.

Well, last night, one of the cards said "You are a mime performing on the street."

So this is how this jr. higher started the scene. (And keep in mind mimes are not supposed to talk.)

"I'm a mime acting. I'm a mime."

No actions, just talking. :) It was hilarious. Gotta love jr. highers, you never know what you are going to get. I almost forgot this detail, this student volunteered to go first.

Good Idea, Bad Idea: DVD Usage

Good Idea: Using clips from shows or movies to help illustrate a point. Previewing the clip to check for any inappropriate content. Setting the clip before class, thus avoiding showing the inappropriate content during class.

Bad Idea: Using a DVD player, without knowing that it shuts off after a certain amount of time and when turned back on will actually go back a few seconds on the DVD. Also TV's do not stay on "mute" if you turn them off and on again. All of which results in some of the class hearing Homer use a bad word.

Lessons from The Office: Safety Training

Another great episode last night.

What I didn't like:
1. Andy...I mean Drew... saying he was in anger management for 5 weeks (last week he said he did it right on time, which would have been 10 weeks).
2. The interaction b/w Kelly & Sea Monster just seemed weird.

What I loved:
1. The b-storyline was the best one I can remember. (the potato instead of apple, the explanation of netflix). I DO NOT PROMOTE OR THINK GAMBLING IS OK!
2. Shun, un-shun
3. Toby's safety training.

So what did we learn?
1. Never leave a car engine in a bailer or you won't get it back.
2. Even safety training can be turned into a game.
3. Always, I mean always, have a sweater or cardigan near you in case of a draft. (long sleeve shirts and jackets are also acceptable)
4. It can be difficult for people to accept a change in a person. (Not sure if changing your name helps or not)
5. It is never ok to pretend you're going to jump. Especially if your intention is to get people to respect you more.

Photo Friday #14

(wow, almost had post #13 on Friday the 13th)

The Office: Safety Training

Tonight: Safety Training

After last's weeks episode (back to The Office standards), I am extremely excited about tonight's episode. We'll just have to see if Andy adds to the flow or causes a bump in the show tonight. I've actually gotten used to him not being on the show. Though the pepper spray to the face at the end of last week was great!

Only a few more episodes left before the season finale. Will this season end with a Karen/Jim cliffhanger? Will Toby and Michael get along?

All I know is that I'm looking forward to a good laugh tonight.

Youth Coach Event Tips

What do you say to your youth coaches before an event? Will I remember to say everything to everyone? Did he hear me remind them to not label the students? I have always struggled with making sure each adult is ready to go for an event. So I tried to come up with 10 things I wanted them to remember. Then I wrote them down and hand them out before each trip/event. This way they can have a reminder throughout the event of what they need to be focusing on. I've also included a "post-event" section to give them some ideas of how to continue reaching the students after we get back home.


Youth Coach Event Tips
1. Pray for the entire event.
2. Remember the age and developmental stage of the students. (They aren't adults)
3. Take a deep breath.
4. Pray for individual students.
5. Take time to listen and talk to multiple students throughout the event.
6. Encourage, encourage, encourage.
7. Be a positive part of their event.
8. Forget any preconceived beliefs/opinion about the students at the door.
9. Trust that God is working in their lives.
10. Affirm who they are in Christ and remind them of God’s love for them (doesn’t have to be those exact words).


Post-Event Ideas
1. Follow-up the event with a note or call. Mention something positive you saw them do or a conversation you had with them.
2. Continue to pray specifically for them.
3. Share your event pictures with them.
4. Help them follow-up, as needed, on any decisions they made.
5. Share with parents something positive you saw in their child.

turkey calling

A few nights ago I went turkey calling. It was my first time. So, why do you go turkey calling? So you can go hunting the next morning, of course. We were staking out a place for him and his dad to go hunting the next morning (at 4am). He originally asked me to go hunting with him, but it turned into just the calling. Phew!

Allow me to take you through the evening:

6:30pm - go with student to his house
6:45pm - tour of room (including lesson on shotguns)
7:00pm - drive out to turkey calling spot to listen
7:40pm - finally hear turkey
7:43pm - confident we heard it, leave for home
8:15pm - back at my house

It literally took 3 minutes to actually do the turkey calling. So, what did we do with the rest of the time? Talk. I got to listen about his life, hobbies, friends. It was great. That hour of waiting and driving were a great chance to build on the relationship I have with him.

Would I want to start turkey hunting? No. But will I continue to go with students around here (a lot of hunting goes on around here)? You bet I will. If that is what they like to do and are willing to let me tag along, I'll take the time to build relationships and get to know them better.

Some of the most effective ministry I will do is out in a field, listening to turkeys. It is not always going to happen in the classroom on Sunday. Ministry is about living life together. Listen to how Paul puts it:

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." 1 Thes. 2.8

Twitter - over a week of collecting virtual dust

It has been over a week since I got myself a Twitter account and starting randomly typing about what I was doing. Has anyone noticed the Badge on the side of the blog? Have you been following my every move? :)

I'm curious as to whether or not Twitter is getting noticed. If you would be so kind as to comment about your thoughts/comments on the whole issue. I would appreciate it.

ps. I've been toying with the idea of putting random quotes, thoughts or verses on Twitter.

Youth Ministry Thought: the students in the back

Do you have "those students" in your group? The students who show up every week but no one talks to them. What are the words we use to categorize them? Quiet. Unpopular. Awkward to be around. Bitter. Sarcastic. Are there days you avoid them because you don’t want to use the energy needed to carry a conversation? Are you the only one who might talk to them on a given day?

"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favortism." James 2.1 (NIV)

In youth ministry it can become easy to focus our attention (and inadvertently train other adults) on the “easy to minister students.” Youth ministry can be stressful and frustrating, so we want to make our time with the students fun and easy. This is the time where real ministry happens, right? It is natural to, without thinking, spend most of our time with certain students.

Naturally we all gravitate to people who have a similar personality to ours. We have friends who are a lot like us. Many youth workers carry this into the youth ministry realm. Is it wrong? No. We can spin a lot of ministry tires trying to connect with a student who just will not ever connect with us.

It is wrong, though, to neglect the students in the back. These students might be neglected everywhere they go. They might not connect with others at school, at work, or even at home. The one place they need to be able to connect with someone is in the Church. (Church as a body of believers, not a building) These are the moments where are actions can be much more effective than our words.

Make an effort to connect with that student in the back. God wants them to know He loves them.

Trivia Wednesday #12

answer #11 - Chevy Chase

quetsion #12 - Which important material is both man-made and natural?

5 things I wish I could magically remove from youth ministry

I wish I could magically remove...

1. the thoughts of "I'm better than anyone else" in teenagers.
2. bad language from media that is used at church. (ie. TV clips)
3. room limitations.
4. parents who do not care. And replace them with parents who do.
5. people who are more concerned with tradition than Jesus Christ.

Yeah, #2 can be taken care of with video editing. But not all of us have a good video editing set-up. And some times the DVD player doesn't start right at the same spot you paused it after it shuts off.

The others are issues that can be addressed and dealt with. My wish is to be able to magically snap my fingers and its done. An easy, simple fix. Yeah, that's what I want today. But tomorrow I'll remember tha quick fixes are never really fixes at all and will opt for the time-consuming slower "fix."

"Thank God You're Here"

Tonight is the premier of a new show on NBC. Its an improv comedy show where celebrities guest star. It looks to be a funny show. But there is one thing. At the beginning of every skit (and the title of the show) one of the actors says: "Thank God you're here."

My wife brought up some discussion about whether or not this should be considered cussing or saying God's name in vain. I'm curious as to what you (whoever might read this post) think.

Does that phrase cause you concern?

Kids Carnival

Saturday we went to a kids carnival. Despite the cold, it was a good afternoon. We got to talk and see some people. We listened to some good local music. The boys got to play in a bounce house and eat lots of candy :). Wes got to ride on a little train ride and Nathan walked with me next to it. Nathan got hit (somehow) while in the bounce house and was bleeding pretty bad. But after we got him cleaned up he wanted to go back in. That's big.




It was a good day spent with the family. Oh, and Nathan got to pick up his pass for the pool for the summer - he is a little excited.

new business cards - with printing

Today I got them. Business cards with actual printing on them. Last week I posted about getting my business cards with nothing on them. So now I have 500 cards, 1/2 useful and 1/2 bookmarks. Thanks vistaprint. Now, I just have to find people who want a card with my info on it. :)

Photo Friday #13

Easter Egg fun with the boys. Silly squirrel wouldn't let go.

Family Week has ended

A little bit ago my family headed back home. Thus bringing an end to family week. It was a good week.

No more sleeping on the floor.

to quote someone else: Erwin McManus

“Authority can shape what a person does, but influence shapes who a person becomes.”

Taken from Seizing Your Divine Moment by Erwin McManus

I’ve been wrestling with this concept a lot lately. In my ministry, are the students just doing what they are told or are they becoming who God wants them to be? I think it is easy to get caught up in “behavioral modification” in youth ministry. Who doesn’t want their students to “look good” and act right? As we’ve been planning an upcoming youth rally, I’m struck by the desire for getting the students to act better. I have nothing wrong with wanting a student to stop bad habits or sinful behaviors. My struggle is with how we go about it. I am struck with how much some of the parents just want to “change” their kids on the outside. I've been seeing this for years, no matter where I am in ministry.

My struggle lately has been with trying to figure out how to help parents affect their children from the inside-out, not the outside-in. Because of my authority or the authority of a parent or a teacher, we can get a student to do a certain task. But that does not change who they are. Once the authority is gone, the outcome will be different.

I encourage you to focus on the influence, not the authority. Helping students become who God wants them to be is not about forcing them to do the right things by authority. No, its about being an influencer in their lives, showing them the truth of God's Word and God's character by living life with them.

youth room, working with what we have

This past week I finally took the time to clean out our high school classroom (way overdue). A few things about the room. It is too small for our class. We have no other options to move to another class. We are in the process of a building expansion, which will give us a new classroom (but that is months away). The room was never intended to be a classroom, it is the "choir" room behind the stage in the sanctuary. The first door on the right goes outside (pic 1). The far door on the left goes to the children's minister's office (pic 2). The other door on that wall goes to the underneath of the baptismal (pic 2 & 3).

Sunday, just about every student mentioned the room was clean or moved or different. It seemed to help with the feel of class. Though not having enough space still hampers that feel (and much growth). We don't have any more room to put seats up. I've been trying to figure some idea out. What to do until we move rooms is a big issue for the class. The location and size do not lend themselves to doing much besides discussion oriented classes. When its warm outside we can go outside in the grass or walk around to another part of the building (but you can't do that every week).

It's been tough to teach in the room without using the same format each week. I've tried a few times to do something different; like break up into groups or have some "active" participation. But these attempts are not always good due to the room restrictions.

Any good ideas/thoughts on how to better use our room? We've been having 20-25 HS teens in there ever week on average.

Jesus Camp - thoughts

Wow. I had heard a lot about the movie, but I was not ready for what I saw. I have never been a big fan of causing people to make emotional decisions about their life with Christ. Yes, I know part of faith is emotional and you cannot have a completely emotionless-based faith. I have seen too many teenagers make emotional decisions and never stick with them long-term. So watching this movie brought up a great amount of thoughts and feelings about the whole subject when it comes to working with children (younger than the age group I am currently working with).

There are so many moments in Jesus Camp where I wanted to step into the scene and just stop what was going on. Some were purely personal preferences, like when the campers were not allowed to tell stories before going to bed. (Though I do not know what time it was or the context of the situation since all I saw was what the filmmakers wanted me to see.) Other moments were theological in differences, like the scene where all the kids are speaking in tongues and falling on the ground.

It was amazing to watch the kids consumed by the experience. To see the level of commitment and desire the kids had for God was akin to the level of commitment and desire I’ve seen kids have for sports or video games. My biggest question has to do with what will these kids be like in 10 or 20 years. Will they have the same zeal? Will they be leading others to know God? Will they walk away from God?

The part of Jesus Camp that really got me thinking was listening to the commentary. Listening to the commentary was challenging. It was challenging because the directors spoke about the experience they had making the film. The commentary reinforced that people who are not believers will see this movie and assume all Christians are like this. The people are real, nothing was staged and still I find it hard to imagine this camp occurring each summer.

(sidenote: the directors’ commentary confirmed what I thought about Ted Haggard’s clips in the movie. He came across as arrogant and slightly annoying and apparently that is the feeling they got from the experience too. His sermons were the only part of Jesus Camp, besides the interviews, where the people talked to the cameras. He just couldn’t seem to act like the camera was not there while he was preaching.)

My advice - watch it & watch the commentary!

Family Week Transition

Today is the transition day. Amy's family leaves this morning and my family should be getting here by lunch. :)

Trivia Wednesday #11

answer #10 - B (Judges 16.7)

question #11 - Which Saturday Night Live star was in the film Fletch?

Third Day - Chronology: volume one

Just picked it up today. Listened to most of the tracks (its been a busy day with family here, so not a lot of time to listen). But I did watch a good bit of the videos. Awesome. Gotta love the vintage footage from mid-90's.

My first thought is: a good buy. Yeah, its a "best of" album. They've rerecorded a few of the songs and pulled out some rare tracks from some old ep's. Which we already have (since I've been a fan from the beginning). I would say its worth the money to pick it up. Can't wait to listen more tomorrow. :)

5 things I learned at the YM Summit

I know I already posted a recap, but that ended up being pretty general. And I was looking over my notes and I didn't post on any of the great stuff I learned. So here it is, the "what I learned post"

5 things I learned at the YM Summit
1. Our mndis are cazry tihgns. Rcaehersrres at Crmbdigae did a sudty on wrods and ltertes (how pploee raed) and fuond smoe iretnietsng suftf out. We olny need the fsirt and lsat lteter in a wrod to be in the rgiht sopt to raed and usadetnrnd taht wrod. If the rset of the ltteres are meixd up, our biarn wlil sltil cpheormned the wrod. (now tihnk of the acpiaptolin to msitriny wehn Jseuss syas He is the Aphla & Ogmea)

2. Longevity in youth ministry (or ministry in general) does not mean you always have a great place to minister. Longevity is dependant on "You" and how you respond to various ministry situations; good and bad. God calls us to be faithful to Him, not a specific ministry location. (I was reminded that other youth ministers are currently going through what I went through last year. See numerous posts about what happened.)

3. From Les Christie's chapel sermon (on Daniel 1): There is a big difference between drawing a line on personal preferences vs. drawing a line on God's precepts. (Too often we do the former in our ministries and this usually leads to a mess)

4. Also from Les Christie's chapel sermon: "You can't experience the power of God if you don't put yourself in situations where you need it."

5. It is easy to get kids fired up for God, the hard part is to keep the flame burning. (man, that is so true. I think ministers have a tendency to spend most of our time getting the fire started and spend very little time on keeping that fire going. It is just easier, isn't it?)


(here is #1 posted again, spelled correctly)
1. Our minds are crazy things. Researchers at Cambridge did a study on words and letters (how people read) and found some interesting stuff out. We only need the first and last letter in a word to be in the right spot to read and understand that word. If the rest of the letters are mixed up, our brain will still comprehend the word. (now think of the application to ministry when Jesus says He is the Alpha & Omega)

Family Week has begun

Amy's family just got here! Wednesday, my family is supposed to get here. So this whole week is family week. :)

I'm sure there will be lots of fun things to write about on the family side of this blog.

Twitter - useful or wasting time

I'm going to try to find out. I have been hearing/seeing a lot about twitter lately and didn't know much about it. So I went today and signed up, to take a test drive. I found a spot to put a "flash badge" on a blog or myspace to let people know what you are up to. So I put one on the blog to see what it does.

Is it going to be worth it? I don't know. Maybe no one will even care. Maybe people will glance at it and enjoy a laugh now and then. Maybe I'll spend too much time updating it that I don't do anything else. (probably won't go this far)

Enjoy being able to see what I'm doing, well as long as I update Twitter to show you.

New business cards, almost

I got some new business cards in the mail today. I had ordered them a few weeks ago from vistaprint. There is just one small problem with the cards, there is nothing printed on them. Completely blank (unless you count the vistaprint advertisement on the back. What can I do with 250 blank business cards? Any ideas, please let me know.

So, now I wait. They are reprinting them and sending them "priority," which means I should get them by next Friday. So, they took care of the problem and were very nice about fixing it and making sure things got worked out. But, really what am I going to do with 250 blank cards. Maybe I can hand them out to people I really don't want to contact me back.

Photo Friday #12

These two (all three, really) pictures are from our trip to Cincy last week. This is from the Purple People Bridge.


This is a penguin from the Aquiarium. Nothing special about the picture, except that I like penguins and didn't get to be there cuz I was learning stuff at the YM Summit.

to quote someone else: Henri Nouwen

"The literal translation of the words 'pray always' is 'come to rest.' The Greek word for rest is hesychia, and hesychasm is the term which refers to the spirituality of the desert. A hesychast is a man or a woman who seeks solitude and silence as the ways to unceasing prayer. The prayer of the hesychasts is a prayer of rest. This rest, however, has little to do with the absense of conflict or pain. It is a rest in God in the midst of a very intense daily struggle." (bold added)

Taken from The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen

I don't think there are many days of in youth ministry that are void of conflict or pain. But there should always be days of rest, rest in God. May these words from Henri Nouwen encourage you to find rest in God, even in the midst of parents being upset or elders not understanding or students being argumentative or youth coaches being apathetic.

Today, rest in God!

What if there was no Easter?

This is the topic for our jr. high class Sunday night. We wanted to go about the Easter lesson from a different POV this time. I am getting pretty excited about the lesson. I've been trying to do some extra study on the Law and what life would be like under it. I, for one, am very glad we can celebrate Easter.

There is one specific part of the lesson that I am really looking forward to. Throughout the class (about every 10 minutes) we're going to have the students do something. They will do the same thing every time. The goal is to let them gain a better understanding of what the annual sacrifices were like. They will do the same thing over and over and over and will not be able to not do it next time. One of the other teachers is preparing this part of the lesson, so I don't know all the details yet.

We are going to be asking and answering these questions:

What if Jesus had never died on the cross?
What if Jesus had never rose from the grave?
What if we were still under the Law?
What if we choose to live under the Law instead of under Grace?

Our hope is that by looking at Easter from this POV, the students will better understand the importance and magnitude of what Jesus did for us.

We'll be looking at Gal. 2&3, Heb. 9, and some various OT passages on the Law

Good Idea, Bad Idea: funerals

Yesterday was the visitation for one of the students' grandma.

Good Idea: going to a visitation with your family. Holding your son during the wait in line, keeping him from getting bored.

Bad Idea: getting to the family and after a comment is made about your son getting heavy after holding him for 15 minutes, using the phrase "he's just dead weight" instead of just saying he's getting heavy.

Ouch. Man, did I put my foot in my mouth. The bad thing was I did not even think about it until the words hit my lips, and then it was too late.

Lesson: don't say stupid things like this.

They didn't say anything to me and I didn't bring it back up, but I am sure they heard it.

CCU - YM Summit recap

The YM Summit was good. This was the first time CCU has done anything in this format, and it was very helpful. Not only did I gather new ideas for minister, I was encouraged and refreshed. Seeing that I went to CCU, I was expecting to see quite a few youth ministers I knew from school. While I did get to see a good number of people, I didn't see some of the youth ministers I thought I would. There are quite a few ministers I know who are still in the Cincinnati area, but none of them came.

Les Christie led two seminars: positive discipline and developing a faith that lasts a lifetime. Developing a faith was a new seminar that he just finished putting together and it was phenominal. It was a look at how we can better develop a faith in the students that will not be gone after they graduate.

I would recommend trying to attend the next one they do. Its not too much information to overload you, but it is jam-packed with stuff to take back and utilize.

The weirdest thing was the connection one of the workshop leaders had to me. (Well, not me directly, but close enough.) I am working in a small town in Southern IL, about an hour from Evansville, IN. The workshop leader, Randy Shivers - who is at a church in Cincinnati is related to the other Christian Church minister in our little small town. So, he knew exactly where I was from and the area. Its a strange world.

Trivia Wednesday #10

answer #9 - A,B (Acts 19.12)

(Honestly I'm a little surprised someone hasn't tried to come out with some "Christian" iPod already)

question #10 - How many people were on the roof of the temple when Samson demolished it?
A. 500 men
B. 6,000 men and women
C. 1,000 men, including the leaders of the city
D. 3,000 men and women

Youth Ministry Thought: show students their worth

In youth ministry it is easy to become overwhelmed with responsibility. We feel a great responsibility for the teens we work with. Some of us get blamed when a teenager does something wrong or starts to drift away from God. This can be a lot of pressure, not to mention the pressure from the church leadership, parents and internal pressure you place on yourself. This can make our "job" seem very daunting.

Today, I want to offer this thought on youth ministry: show students their worth. One of our goals, in youth ministry, should be to show students how much they are worth to God. This is not a worth based on sports ability, attractiveness, intelligence or humor. NO, this is a worth based on who they are in Christ. We are very valueable to God (see Lk. 15.8-10 among others). God does not value us based on how much we can do for Him, but it is easy for us to value our teens on this scale. God does not love us because we are great at loving Him back.

This week, make it a point to show the students they are worth a lot to God. They are worth sending His Son to die in their place. No matter what friends or parents might say - each student is valuable to God.

Photo Friday #11

My visit to CCU's campus yesterday had old mixed with new. Since it has been 6 years since I've been on campus, its not surprising some things have changed. Here are two pictures from the campus...


This is my old dorm, with a view of the city.


This is the new chapel building, which was finished a few years ago (I think). It changes the look on campus quite a bit. (It used to be parking and a grassy area)

Book Review - Bored with God by Sean Dunn

Have you ever known someone who was bored with God? Maybe it was a friend in high school or college. Maybe it was one of your children. For me, it has been a handful of students in my ministry. These are the students who can be the most challenging to minister to, because they are basically apathetic about whatever God is doing.

In Bored with God, Dunn addresses student apathy in its various forms. He shares stories, both good and bad, covering each topic. This glimpse into the real lives of students helps the reader better visualize how apathy can enter into a student’s life. Some of the forms of apathy which Dunn addresses are excuses, self-righteousness, insecurity and lack of proper priorities.

Why would you need to read a book on helping students overcome spiritual apathy? Dunn answers that question in the first chapter. “If they have hunger, they will grow. Without it, they will simply exist.” (p. 17) When students (and adults) simply exist spiritually it will not only affect their life, but also the lives of those they encounter. If someone is not hungry for God, then they will be hungry for something else. So, they seek out anything to satisfy their hunger.

There are students you know who are apathetic because they are frustrated with their spiritual development. These might be the teenagers you think are rebellious and you do not know what to do. Students with deep hurts can become apathetic and distant. Comparing who they are to someone else can lead to spiritual apathy. The more a teenager believes they are worthless, the less they will care about God. These are the types of students Dunn addresses. These are the students we cannot ignore while trying to gain others. Because, these are the students who could eventually walk away from God as they grow up.

This book is easy to follow and easy to apply. Therefore, it is a great resource for parents to have access to. There is not a lot of theory found inside the pages; rather it is full of practical tips and ideas. Dunn does not, however, claim to offer any magic formulas or quick fixes for student apathy. What you will find is advice from someone who has tried to lead students from apathy to passion. You will benefit yourself, the parents and the teenagers by applying the ideas in this book.

My advice (rating) – go out and buy it (4 out of 5)